Chapter 57: Nirvana Nine-Tails

Ning Rongrong ran all the way up to Li Xun, leaped forward, and threw her arms around him, planting a heavy kiss right on his left cheek.

"Big Brother! My martial soul has evolved! It's the Nine-Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda now!" Ning Rongrong shouted excitedly.

Due to inherent flaws, the Seven-Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda could only reach a maximum soul power level of seventy-nine, a bottleneck her father, Ning Fengzhi, had been trapped at for years without any progress.

Now that her martial soul had evolved into the Nine-Treasured Glazed Tile Pagoda, it meant the flaw had likely been mended, and she could potentially cultivate all the way to the realm of a Titled Douluo.

It was currently the students' lunch break.

Ning Rongrong's loud exclamation successfully drew the sideways glances of the surrounding students.

Upon seeing Ning Rongrong hanging onto Li Xun, their expressions shifted instantly, and they quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. They were terrified of provoking Li Xun.

After all, the blood-soaked sight of Yu Tianheng lying on the ground was still fresh in their minds.

"Was the gift your big brother gave you worth it?"

Feeling the soft touch against his cheek, Li Xun chuckled lightly and turned his right cheek toward her.

"...Yes." How could Ning Rongrong not understand what Li Xun meant? She cast furtive glances at the crowd around them, and her face instantly flushed crimson.

She had only kissed Li Xun on an impulse of overwhelming excitement earlier. Now that she had regained her composure, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Where did all that boldness from just now go?" Seeing Ning Rongrong's shy appearance, Li Xun narrowed his eyes with a hearty laugh and made as if to set her down.

Blushing fiercely, Ning Rongrong cast another quick, stealthy glance to her left and right, then pressed a light, dragonfly-like kiss onto Li Xun's right cheek. After that, she quickly scrambled down from his embrace, turned her head down, and bolted toward the dormitories.

"This little rascal." Li Xun laughed heartily at the sight of Ning Rongrong fleeing as if escaping for her life.

Zhu Zhuqing had already regained her usual calm composure. She walked over to Li Xun with a feline, graceful gait and said, "Big Brother Li Xun, thank you."

"Have you consumed the immortal herb?" Li Xun looked Zhu Zhuqing up and down.

Zhu Zhuqing was currently dressed in a tight black outfit. Perhaps because she had developed early, her curvaceous figure was displayed to absolute perfection by the clothing. At a glance, not much seemed to have changed, but Li Xun interacted with Zhu Zhuqing frequently and could naturally perceive the subtle differences in her compared to usual.

In the past, because of her physique, Zhu Zhuqing naturally exuded a somewhat alluring charm—not an unappealing quality, but rather one lacking in depth. Yet now, an ethereal and transcendent aura seemed to emanate from her, surpassing anything she had shown before.

"...."

Hearing Li Xun's question, Zhu Zhuqing's originally cool and aloof face flushed slightly. Instead of speaking, she merely nodded.

She truly had no idea how to face Li Xun right now.

"What is your soul power level now? Has your martial soul changed at all?" Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's hesitant demeanor, Li Xun smiled slightly and said, "Let's walk and talk."

With that, Li Xun turned and walked toward the dormitories.

The corners of Zhu Zhuqing's lips curled upward slightly as she hurriedly trotted along behind Li Xun. "After consuming the Lovesick Heartbroken Red, my soul power rose to rank thirty, and I can feel that the speed at which I condense soul power during cultivation has also accelerated significantly."

Her previous soul power rank had been twenty-two; consuming the immortal herb had propelled her directly to rank thirty. She only needed to acquire a soul ring to step into the Soul Elder realm.

The medicinal efficacy far exceeded Zhu Zhuqing's imagination. She never expected that Li Xun would give such a precious item to her...

"The effects of the Lovesick Heartbroken Red are very comprehensive; it can generally raise one's soul power by about ten ranks. Since your level has now reached the upper limit, a portion of your soul power will likely remain unrevealed until you obtain your soul ring." Li Xun glanced sideways at Zhu Zhuqing.

"It can raise soul power by ten ranks?" Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned. Just as she met Li Xun's turning gaze, their eyes locked, and she hurriedly lowered her head.

"Why do you think it is rated as the supreme treasure among immortal herbs?" Li Xun said with a smile, "This is something that can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones."

"Raising soul power is merely one of its most negligible benefits."

This item had saved countless lives: Tang Dai, Dai Yuhao, Wang Qiu, and Tang Wulin. In any case, the entire family of the God-King Tang relied on it to save their lives.

"Ah! I thought that was just an exaggerated description of this immortal herb."

"Big Brother Li Xun, wouldn't it be an immense waste for me to have just eaten it like that?" Zhu Zhuqing felt a tightness in her chest. "You could have kept it..."

Soul masters were never in a safe profession; every acquisition of a soul ring and every battle against opponents meant facing life-or-death trials. If one could possess an item capable of saving their life at a critical moment, it would undoubtedly add a layer of security along the long path of cultivation.

"It's not a waste if you ate it."

Li Xun came to a halt and turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing. "Zhuqing, remember this: treasures are not meant to be put on display; they are meant to be used by people. If something can enhance your strength, you should use it right away. As long as your strength is sufficient, you will never even need this thing to save your life."

Seeing the serious expression on Li Xun's face, the corners of Zhu Zhuqing's lips curved upward into a slight arc before she quickly pressed them together. "I understand, Big Brother Li Xun..."

Li Xun gently ruffled Zhu Zhuqing's hair. "When you're happy, you should look happy. Why do you always keep such a straight face?"

Humans had seven emotions and six desires; if joy, anger, sorrow, and delight were never allowed to show, one would easily end up looking like they had facial paralysis. Li Xun certainly did not want to face a paralyzed Zhu Zhuqing.

"Mm..." Zhu Zhuqing replied in a soft, smiling voice and nodded.

"You mentioned earlier that your martial soul has also evolved?" Zhu Zhuqing's smile caused a brief pause in Li Xun's heart. He gave a light cough, turned around, and continued walking toward the dormitories.

"My martial soul is now called the Nirvana Nine-Tailed." Speaking of her martial soul, Zhu Zhuqing looked at Li Xun's back with eyes as tender as water.

"Nirvana Nine-Tailed? Nine tails? Has it evolved into a Nine-Tailed Cat Demon?" Li Xun was startled and spun around abruptly.

Whenever the nine-tailed moniker was mentioned, the first thing that came to his mind was the Nine-Tailed Cat Demon; after all, such bizarre and mystical divine beasts were exceedingly famous.

A serene smile appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's face. "It did grow nine tails, but it's not called a Nine-Tailed Cat Demon. Even I was startled when it happened."

To help Li Xun understand more clearly, she summoned her martial soul.

Meow~

A rose-gold paw suddenly reached out from the void, followed closely by a small cat head wearing a crown that peered out cautiously, looking left and right.

Realizing there was no danger, the rose-gold kitten leaped swiftly onto Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder.

Only then did Li Xun get a full view of its appearance.

The entire body of this nine-tailed cat was rose-gold. On its chest was a massive gemstone, surrounded by sparkling starlight, giving the impression that it was wearing a luxurious jewel-encrusted scarf. Behind it stood nine illusory tails.

When spread out, these nine tails resembled a blooming flower or a noble feathered fan, with every single tail seemingly adorned with countless pearls.

"Hiss—"

Li Xun drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

The Nine-Tailed Cat Demon was a beast of popular folklore; how had it turned into something akin to a noble divine beast in Zhu Zhuqing's case?

Seeing the look of astonishment on Li Xun's face, Zhu Zhuqing broke into a warm smile and lifted her shoulder slightly. The kitten instantly understood and lunged into Li Xun's arms.

Li Xun hastily caught it with both hands, gently stroking the kitten's ears with utmost care, as if treating some peerless treasure.

"This cat looks extraordinarily noble. Does it possess any special innate abilities?"