Ning Rongrong didn't want to accept Tianlin's heavenly treasures; instead, she hoped Tianlin would use them for himself. While Tianlin cared for her, she cherished him just as much.
Tianlin smiled and said, "Don't worry, Rongrong. When refining pills with the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, there won't be just one pill. If things go well, I can keep one for myself. But if only one succeeds, I want you to have it."
"Why?"
"Because of the god trials, Rongrong. I believe I will pass the Asura God's trial and become a god. But what matters more to me is family. Even if I become a god, I can only bring two family members with me. Of course, my first choice is my father, mother, and you—my wife!" Tianlin said earnestly.
"But there aren't enough slots now, let alone Uncle Ning, Grandpa Bone, Grandpa Eagle, Old Monster, Gu Ran, and the others. I've always been greedy and don't want to give up on any of them. If possible, I even want to help Tianheng!"
"The only one I can feel at ease about now is my master, who has already gained the god trial. So, Rongrong, I hope you too can become a god and a first-level god at that. Only then can we bring even more family together!"
Hearing Tianlin's heartfelt words, Ning Rongrong gently leaned into his arms and said, "Sword Brother isn't greedy at all. I always knew my Sword Brother treasures family, friendship, and love so much. Even if these sometimes become your burdens, you'd never abandon them. That's exactly what I love most about you!"
"So I'll do my best, not to become your burden, and even more, I hope I can help you as much as possible!"
"Rongrong, thank you!" Tianlin gently stroked Ning Rongrong's beautiful hair.
When it came to understanding his character, the best was Ning Fengzhi, then Qian Renxue. But if you asked who could best sense his feelings, if Ning Rongrong were second, no one would dare claim first.
Tianlin had always known that no matter what bond he and Qian Renxue might have in the future, the one who would walk side by side with him would be the girl in his arms.
If, due to positions and interaction styles, Tianlin's feelings toward Qian Renxue were two parts caution, three parts friendship, and five parts affection, then toward Ning Rongrong, it was a perfect ten out of ten as romantic love.
Inside the Holy Spirit Pearl, the descendant of Nuwa and the Skydream Iceworm were watching the embracing pair. The Nuwa descendant smiled, "This girl is pretty good. She loves Xiao Tian deeply. Big fat worm, are you jealous? You've been single for hundreds of thousands of years, haven't you?"
"I'm not single!" the Skydream Iceworm immediately retorted. "I've had Bingbing for ages. She's even prettier and stronger than Xiao Tian's Rongrong, and she's devoted to me!"
"Really?" The Nuwa descendant teased, making the Iceworm awkward.
Eventually, the Skydream couldn't take it anymore. "Fine, I admit it. I haven't won Bingbing's heart yet. I'm just jealous of Xiao Tian. I want to be lovey-dovey with Bingbing too!"
"Don't rush! Isn't Xiao Tian about to let this girl go to the Extreme North to get her second martial soul and gain the Sea God's Heart's approval? Then you can meet your Bingbing. And if this girl succeeds, maybe she'll have the qualifications to inherit a divine position within the Holy Spirit Pearl."
The Nuwa descendant's words startled the Skydream Iceworm. "Wait, isn't the divine position in the Pearl reserved for Xiao Tian?"
"Who said there's only one divine position? Do you know what the divine titles within the Holy Spirit Pearl are called?" the Nuwa descendant smiled.
The Skydream Iceworm shook his head. He'd never heard of such a divine position formed directly from a martial soul, so how could he know?
"Emperor!" The Nuwa descendant's expression turned serious, even a bit reverent. "In my original world, the three strongest gods were named Emperor: Heavenly Emperor Fuxi, Earth Emperor Shennong, and Human Emperor Nuwa. Later generations called them the Three Emperors."
She referred to the famous Three Emperors from the Sword and Fairy game series, the ultimate existences in that world.
"So, the divine position condensed by Nuwa's Holy Spirit Pearl in this world is also named Emperor, or you could call it Sacred Emperor!"
"Sacred Emperor, Sacred Emperor!" The Skydream Iceworm repeated a few times, getting more and more excited. "Awesome! Then I'll be the number one divine beast under the Sacred Emperor! Haha, I'll call myself the God of Skydream!"
"Alright, don't get too excited yet—let me finish. The emperor rules the world, but cannot always be alone. By his side, he needs someone who truly understands him—a companion, the Empress!" the Nuwa descendant continued. "Therefore, under the Sacred Emperor's divine position, there's an accompanying divine position: Sacred Empress! Though not as strong as the Sacred Emperor, it far surpasses your God Realm's God Kings."
"Actually, in terms of talent, that girl Qian Renxue is better suited to inherit the Sacred Empress position. Ning Rongrong falls short—she's only at your world's second-level god standard, not enough to bear the Sacred Empress title. But Qian Renxue is very ambitious, while Rongrong's feelings for Tianlin are deeper and purer. And that's the most important quality for inheriting the Sacred Empress position."
"Now, it depends on whether Xiao Tian can help her gain the Sea God's trial first, raising her potential to meet the minimum standard for the Sacred Empress position."
"No need to worry! Xiao Tian's success rate is 100%!" The Skydream Iceworm was supremely confident—after all, he'd never seen Tianlin fail.
…
The next morning, Tianlin took Ning Rongrong outside to the reception hall.
Bai He and the others had already packed up and were having breakfast, ready to set off afterward.
Ma Hongjun shot a suggestive look at Tianlin and Ning Rongrong, his eyes saying: "So late getting up? There must have been too much activity last night. Drank a bit too much, huh? Even Boss Tianlin lost his self-control."
Seeing that perverted look, Tianlin knew exactly what he was thinking. What could he do? This guy was a battle-hardened veteran. Even if he'd quit, his experience in these matters would never fade.
"Sword Prince, you look pretty good! Drank so much yesterday, still so energetic. Unlike me—my head's still fuzzy!" Yang Wudi admired. "No wonder you're the new number two boss of our sect!"
Number two boss—what a weird title. Tianlin broke out in a cold sweat. This Yang Wudi didn't seem very cultured.
But such people were easiest to fool! Last night, while Tianlin drank water, this guy fulfilled his promise, gulping down three hundred cups!
"Of course! I'm the second-in-command now. Important matters at the top are often settled at the wine table. How could I not have a good tolerance?" Tianlin shamelessly said.
"True. Looks like I need to practice my drinking!" Yang Wudi nodded solemnly.
He believed it. Bai He shook his head helplessly. This old buddy was fine in every way, just too straightforward. No wonder, after being abandoned by the Clear Sky Sect, he'd been the fiercest in going against Spirit Hall—and suffered the most, almost surpassing the losses of the other three clans combined.
After breakfast and a little tidying up, the group set out. Though the Breaking Clan had under a hundred people, the Speed Clan's soul masters and relatives totaled over five hundred, making more than six hundred—a sizeable group.