As Dugu Bo's words fell, the great hall immediately fell silent.
Sword Douluo's brows furrowed slightly: "Dugu Bo, don't go too far. Even within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Rongrong's soul power..."
"It's alright, Grandpa Sword." Ning Rongrong spoke up, stopping Sword Douluo from continuing,
"Since Your Excellency Dugu is willing to come here, it means there's a high probability he'll join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. It doesn't matter if he learns some secrets."
Hearing Sword Douluo's raised tone, Dugu Bo's heart skipped a beat. Then hearing Ning Rongrong's words, his expression became puzzled.
Could it be that not many people knew about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's young mistress's soul power?
Dugu Bo had casually asked about Ning Rongrong's soul power out of curiosity—especially after learning how easily she had made Xue Beng lose face.
Having just reached level 21 as a support-type soul master, she shouldn't have been a match for a battle soul master with spirit possession. Yet the unexpected had happened.
While Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan wondered how things would unfold—
Ning Rongrong slowly raised her right hand, placing her jade-like palm before her and gradually opening it.
A miniature pagoda condensed and appeared in her palm.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda—the spirit that made the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan famous throughout Douluo Continent.
As the young mistress, possessing this spirit was perfectly normal.
The next moment—
Dugu Bo abruptly stood up.
His emerald eyes contracted slightly, his face revealing shock.
"No... impossible!"
Not just Dugu Bo—even Dugu Yan's eyes widened and her body trembled slightly.
What was she seeing?
The soul rings rising from Ning Rongrong's feet.
Her first soul ring was actually purple.
"A thousand-year first soul ring? How could this be?"
Before they could finish being astonished—
A second soul ring rose from Ning Rongrong's feet, followed by a third.
"Th-three... three purple thousand-year soul rings!"
"You... you're a Soul Elder?"
Dugu Bo's mouth went dry. Despite having experienced countless storms, he couldn't immediately process this sight.
"Correct, Your Excellency Dugu." Ning Rongrong was quite satisfied with their expressions.
"Wait!" Dugu Bo came to his senses. "Meng Shenji said you were only a two-ringed Great Soul Master, and shouldn't have thousand-year soul rings."
Earlier, when searching for Ning Rongrong, he'd inquired with Meng Shenji.
Meng Shenji mentioned Ning Rongrong was a two-ringed Great Soul Master, verified personally by Xue Qinghe.
If Ning Rongrong's first and second soul rings were both purple, Xue Ye wouldn't have been unaware.
Moreover, could someone really mistake two soul rings for three?
"Are you referring to this?" Ning Rongrong's voice sounded as the third soul ring on her Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda quickly vanished, leaving only two.
"Or this?" Ning Rongrong continued speaking to herself.
The two purple soul rings began changing color—first to hundred-year yellow, then to ten-year white.
Finally, both rings disappeared completely.
Ning Rongrong lowered her hand holding the pagoda, and the floating Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda gradually faded away.
"This... this..."
Dugu Bo felt his scalp tingle, shocked beyond words.
Two years... if he remembered correctly, Ning Rongrong had only awakened her spirit two years ago.
A Soul Elder in two years?
"Hiss—" Dugu Bo inhaled sharply.
His peripheral vision caught Dugu Yan standing frozen like a wooden chicken.
As her grandfather, he naturally understood her thoughts.
This scene wasn't just shocking—it was utterly devastating.
Being seven or eight years older than Ning Rongrong yet only a Great Soul Master—there was simply no comparison.
"Your Excellency Dugu, Miss Dugu Yan, you now roughly know my soul power level," Ning Rongrong said.
"Aside from my father Ning Fengzhi, Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone, even my two brothers don't know my true strength."
"You two are the fourth and fifth to know!"
Ning Rongrong's voice pulled Dugu Bo from his chaotic thoughts.
But these words made cold sweat drench his back.
What did Ning Rongrong mean by this?
Surely not that he and Yan'er were closer than her own brothers.
Keeping it from family but telling them?
Realizing this, Dugu Bo smiled wryly: "Young Sect Master Ning, it seems Yan'er and I have no choice now."
"There are many choices." Ning Rongrong walked before Dugu Bo, handing him a prepared document.
"For example, taking me hostage, then fighting your way out of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan with Miss Dugu Yan."
"I believe the Clear Sky Clan's Haotian Douluo did something similar against Spirit Hall's Pope, didn't he?"
Holding the document, Dugu Bo's hand froze momentarily.
Before even reading it, he was stunned by Ning Rongrong's outrageous suggestion.
Young mistress of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, you dare say anything!
Also, do I, Dugu Bo, possess Tang Hao's strength?
Meanwhile, Ning Fengzhi and the elders were speechless.
As the young mistress, she was actually suggesting escape methods to Dugu Bo—and such absurd ones at that.
Though they knew Ning Rongrong could be unconventional, this exceeded expectations.
"Your Excellency, these are three potential solutions I've devised to suppress your poison. Please review them—they'll require some fine-tuning."
"With your experience, you should be able to judge their feasibility, yes?"
After speaking, Ning Rongrong retreated to stand beside Ning Fengzhi, quietly waiting as Dugu Bo reviewed the plans.
Out of curiosity, Dugu Bo quickly scanned the document.
But the more he read, the more astonished he became!
He even felt all three approaches might work.
"Grandfather, are you alright?"
Dugu Yan grew concerned watching his fluctuating expressions.
"I'm fine, Yan'er." Dugu Bo took a deep breath to calm himself.
He'd finished reading all three plans, though only grasped the general ideas.
Given his expertise, two methods seemed theoretically viable.
But the optimal solution somewhat eluded him.
Dugu Bo also realized that after learning these secrets, leaving without joining wasn't an option—yet he felt little resistance.
Because he genuinely believed their poisons could be properly treated here.
"Young Sect Master Ning, these are my treatment plans. What about my granddaughter Dugu Yan's?"
"Which would you recommend?"
Having been in the hall this long, Dugu Bo understood negotiations were really just between him and Ning Rongrong.
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong were merely here to lend her support.