Black, black, black, black, black, black, brilliant gold, deep red, deep red.
Two and a half years ago, Ning Rongrong had already revealed her soul rings at the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
She had also shown them during the ceremony when the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan officially changed its name to Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and she succeeded as young sect master.
Yet seeing them again still felt utterly unbelievable.
The original eight rings that were already impossible to accept had now become nine.
Others might not know what the brilliant gold ring meant, but Bo Saixi and Tang Chen did.
On Sea God Island there were records from before Lord Sea God's ascension: a brilliant gold soul ring absolutely belonged to an existence surpassing 990,000 years.
And if that million-year ring was a symbol of terror, the two deep red rings were equally inconceivable.
The stronger a soul beast over 100,000 years, the closer its soul ring color approached blood-red.
Ning Rongrong's eighth and ninth rings were definitely over 500,000 years each.
The eighth seemed to come from the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King.
Could the ninth be the Sea Princess?
Bo Saixi and Tang Chen weren't sure.
The Sea Princess had probably just died; they had only just sensed her aura vanish.
How had Ning Rongrong absorbed the ring so quickly?
Far away, a certain diving whale who had been in close contact with Ning Rongrong—the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King—had not actually left.
He concealed himself in the seawater and watched from a great distance.
As the husband of the Demon Empress, if she could control small fish and shrimp as eyes, he naturally could do the same.
Thus, through vision-sharing, he observed the battle from afar.
"Something's wrong—extremely wrong."
Ning Rongrong was definitely only a Soul Douluo. That was certain!
As a soul beast he could clearly sense that her ninth soul ring was indeed the Sea Princess's 600,000-year ring, but it seemed forcibly pressed onto her martial soul, not fully fused as a true soul ring.
"Let's keep watching." The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King frowned. "This brat is stranger than any human soul master I've met in my three hundred thousand years."
An eight-ring Soul Douluo who slaughters 100,000-year soul beasts like vegetables, and seems to kill them without even using her soul rings.
Her soul rings feel like mere decoration.
"Title Douluo—are you a Title Douluo?" The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King pondered, but Bo Saixi, facing Ning Rongrong directly in the air, felt it differently.
She vaguely sensed a heaven-shaking pressure locking onto her.
"Bo Saixi, Tang Chen—if you survive this, I'll temporarily set aside this grudge."
"If you cannot, then accompany the mermaid clan to the grave!"
"What did you say, you little—"
Bo Saixi swung the Sea God Trident. Mysterious soul power swirled around the divine weapon.
"Sea God's Thirteen Forms — A Thousand Years of Empty Leisure!"
Under the blessing of the Sea God martial soul, Bo Saixi turned into blue light and launched a sudden assault.
Facing Bo Saixi rushing at her surrounded by seawater, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hand emitted golden light.
"Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Skill — Nine Treasures Invincible Divine Light."
A faint radiance fell, forming a protective barrier around Ning Rongrong.
At the same time, a translucent slender sword condensed in her right hand.
The sword carrying faint divine pressure swung toward the oncoming Bo Saixi.
Clang!
The sound of weapons colliding rang out. Bo Saixi was shocked.
"This is a divine weapon!"
Before she could recover, Ning Rongrong's clear voice sounded.
"Tai Chi Domain."
"A Thousand Pounds Deflected with Four Ounces."
Tai Chi patterns appeared on the swinging sword.
Clang clang!
Bo Saixi seemed to lose her center of gravity and was flung away, landing beside Tang Chen again. The shock on her face lingered for a long time.
Nine Treasures Invincible Divine Light had blocked Bo Saixi's attack for her; the domain and technique had sent Bo Saixi flying.
She was, after all, a Limit Douluo. There was still a considerable gap between them.
But this time she had to establish dominance.
The medicinal ingredients and resources Vast Sea City provided were extremely important for the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's development.
And she could not stay in Vast Sea City forever.
If Sea God Island was not terrified into submission, they would definitely come again.
Her true targets had never been Bo Saixi or Tang Chen.
She had severed Hypnos; a battle with the Asura God was inevitable. Stabilizing the situation quickly was the priority.
With that thought, Ning Rongrong exhaled a breath of turbid air.
The Glazed Holy Sword in her right hand became wrapped in gentle glowing zhenqi.
"It's time to use that move."
There was no more time to wait for Kurumi to awaken. She had to enter the Extreme of Heart as quickly as possible.
A 600,000-year soul ring should be enough.
Though it was a bit of a pity…
"Come and not return is impolite." The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's left hand floated up. Starting from the first soul ring, they slowly vanished one by one. Soon only the ninth deep red ring remained.
Her aura also began climbing section by section.
"Bo Saixi, Tang Chen—use your full strength to receive this move!"
"Of course, that is if you can."
Ning Rongrong's rising aura and those cold, seemingly emotionless words made Bo Saixi and Tang Chen extremely wary.
As Limit Douluo, feeling such a massive threat from Ning Rongrong was simply unbelievable.
Crack—
Bo Saixi and Tang Chen's pupils contracted.
"This is…"
The soul ring shattered?
Indeed—the deep red soul ring that had been attached to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda broke apart and turned into specks of red light that rapidly merged into the "divine weapon" in her right hand.
Almost simultaneously, the hovering Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda also turned into points of light and quickly fused into her body.
"Such oppressive pressure!"
Tang Chen's lips moved slightly. As a Limit Douluo, he could still sense the change in the air.
"Bo Saixi, be careful." Tang Chen warned. "Ning Rongrong is not an ordinary soul master."
"I know."
Both Tang Chen and Bo Saixi wanted to interrupt Ning Rongrong's current state.
But the instant their eyes met hers and saw those clock-face pupils, their strength seemed drained away—something that should have been impossible.
"Here it comes!"
"Sword Skill — Kyōka Suigetsu · Everchanging Mirage"
"Slash!"
The sword tip suddenly burst with light.
In that instant, the sky froze.
"W-What is that?" Bo Saixi's scalp went numb. She wanted to swing her weapon in resistance, but her body felt trapped in mud.
"It's time and space ability!"
Tang Chen, who had fought Ning Rongrong in the Slaughter City, immediately recalled her actions there.
"Time and space? How is that possible!" Bo Saixi's pupils widened.
Space was already rare, but time—was that something a soul master could control?
The sky seemed to tear open countless rifts, forming dense sword shadows.
Each shadow carried the power to distort space, as if it could cut space-time itself.
Sword light shuttled, stirring the surrounding air and flow of time, creating ripples that transformed into dragon-shaped illusions.
Finally, these ripples converged into black light blades carrying unbelievable pressure as they surged forward, swallowing everything in their path.
Shiiing—
A violent tremor occurred high in the sky.
A several-thousand-meter-long rift seemed to split the heavens. The churning sea below completely stilled.
Even the people in Vast Sea City could faintly see this terrifying scene.