Chapter 286
: Powers Gather!
Ning Rongrong's face paled even more instantly. She bit her lower lip tightly with her pearly teeth, stubbornly refusing to refute, but her slightly trembling eyelashes betrayed her inner turmoil.
Lin Xia took two steps forward, stopped in front of Ning Rongrong, and looked down at her.
He wasn't particularly tall, but his imposing presence and unfathomable aura gave Ning Rongrong a strong sense of pressure.
"Now that you've taken on the responsibility, don't even think about backing down."
Lin Xia's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable coldness.
“Here, there is no little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, only my temporary apprentice Ning Rongrong. Put away all your pride, willfulness, tears, and ignorance.”
Lin Xia leaned slightly closer, his handsome yet expressionless face drawing even more in. His deep black eyes, like two icy pools that could suck one's soul in, clearly reflected Ning Rongrong's terrified and uneasy face.
"Tomorrow at dawn, at the east gate of Soto."
"Being even fifteen minutes late, or letting me see even the slightest bit of your spoiled young lady demeanor..."
Lin Xia's lips curled into a very subtle, yet chillingly cold, smile.
"This deal, and your father's expectations of you, need not continue."
After saying that, Lin Xia stopped looking at Ning Rongrong's wide eyes and pale face, turned around and nodded slightly to Zhu Zhuqing beside her.
"Zhu Qing, let's go."
"Yes."
Zhu Zhuqing responded coolly, and like the most loyal shadow, silently followed Lin Xia's steps.
A flicker of pity for Ning Rongrong seemed to cross her cat-like eyes the moment she turned away, but it quickly returned to calm.
The two slender figures quickly blended into the darkness at the edge of the playground and disappeared.
Ning Rongrong was left standing there helplessly.
What on earth is going on here?!
Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, two footsteps echoed on the still-sleeping cobblestone streets of Soto.
Lin Xia walked with ease, the hem of her black trench coat fluttering gently in the cool morning breeze, the silver coin on her fingertip gleaming coldly in the dim morning light.
Ning Rongrong followed three steps behind him, her steps unsteady. Her eyes were noticeably bluish-black, and her once bright, clear eyes now looked like dusty gemstones, empty and weary.
I clearly didn't sleep well last night!
"Hurry up, Rongrong."
Lin Xia didn't turn her head, her voice flat and emotionless, only subtly omitting her surname when addressing him.
"Let me show you what a transaction is."
Ning Rongrong jolted suddenly, as if she had been whipped on the back by an invisible whip.
She pursed her pale lips, forced herself to cheer up, jogged a few steps to catch up, and gave a soft "hmm," surprisingly without arguing back.
That arrogance seemed to have been crushed by a night of torment and immense pressure, leaving only bewildered obedience and fear of the unknown. Passing through the increasingly bustling streets, Lin Xia stopped in front of a luxurious restaurant called Ziyunxuan.
The restaurant was unusually quiet. The people standing at the entrance had sharp, eagle-like eyes and a heavy, imposing presence, indicating that the place had been cleared out and booked.
Ning Rongrong's heart suddenly raced, and her palms broke out in a fine sweat.
As she followed Lin Xia into the huge private room on the top floor overlooking half of Soto City, a powerful aura, mixed with strong soul power, authority, and cold scrutiny, rushed towards her like a tangible tsunami!
Ning Rongrong froze on the spot, her pupils contracting sharply from extreme shock, her mind going blank, as if she had been hit hard with a heavy hammer.
What the hell is this?!
Inside the spacious and luxurious private room, around the huge round table, faces unfolded cruelly before her like the most central chapter of the power structure of the Douluo Continent.
The main position is empty.
Under the watchful eyes of countless people, Lin Xia walked calmly towards that spot, like a king surveying his territory.
On the upper left, two beings with eerie yet powerful auras sat upright.
A man dressed in a long robe with a bright gold chrysanthemum pattern, with a face as handsome as jade, yet his eyes and brows revealed both gentleness and sharpness. His nails were manicured like works of art. He was playing with a rare chrysanthemum with condensed soul power with great interest. He was Yue Guan, the elder of the Spirit Hall and the Chrysanthemum Douluo!
The person beside him was ethereal and fleeting, as if he might merge into the shadows at any moment. His black robe was like the deepest night, and only two eerie ghost lights could be seen dancing under his hood. The sinister aura he exuded made the temperature in the entire private room drop several degrees. — Elder of the Spirit Hall, Ghost Douluo Ghost Phantom!
On one side of the Heavenly Dou Empire sat a young man with a gentle and refined demeanor.
The prince wore a white-gold trimmed robe, his short, light-gold hair was meticulously combed, and he wore a perfectly timed, gentle smile. His eyes were clear and bright, as if he were innocent and naive.
However, Ning Rongrong caught a glimpse of profound calm in the depths of that seemingly gentle gaze—the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe!
On the Star Luo Empire's side, the young man sitting in the main seat had distinct facial features, long golden hair casually draped over his shoulders, and sharp, piercing eyes. He possessed the domineering and aggressive nature unique to the Star Luo royal family, and a faint, playful smile played on his lips as he openly sized up Ning Rongrong, who had just entered, as if he were assessing a piece of merchandise—the Star Luo Crown Prince, Davis!
The middle-aged man beside him was burly and had a resolute and cold face, like a silent iron tower.
Clad in a dark purple outfit, he exuded explosive power. His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, and his gaze swept across the room with a bloodthirsty aura honed by the battlefield. His gaze lingered on Zhu Zhuqing for a moment, causing Zhu Zhuqing, who was hiding behind Lin Xia, to tense up like a bowstring and her cat-like eyes to bulge out—Zhu Zhan, the current head of the Xingluo Zhu family!
The representative of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family is a middle-aged man whose face bears some resemblance to Yu Xiaogang, but is more dignified and brooding.
He wore a dark blue robe embroidered with lightning dragon patterns, and his eyes contained a thunderous power. However, surrounded by a group of giants, there was a faint trace of solemnity and anxiety between his brows—the Jade Crown!
The representatives of the four lower sects sat in a clearly defined outer area.
At this moment, almost all the top forces in the Douluo Continent, except for the reclusive Haotian Sect, have gathered here!
The invisible pressure was so heavy that it almost froze the air, which was filled with subtle ripples from the collision of soul power and various scrutinizing, probing, and indifferent gazes.
These gazes were like countless cold needles, instantly piercing Ning Rongrong's already crumbling psychological defenses.
She felt like a fledgling bird that had strayed into a dragon's nest, small, fragile, and with nowhere to hide.
Overwhelmed by fear and unprecedented pressure, she felt suffocated, her legs went weak, and she instinctively wanted to hide behind Lin Xia, seeking that only refuge.
"sit."
Lin Xia's voice, like drops of icy spring water, broke the chilling silence in the private room.
He took his seat at the head of the table with ease, as if this impressive lineup that could shake the continent was just an ordinary tea party.
He didn't look at anyone, but instead fixed his gaze on Ning Rongrong, who stood frozen in place. The silver coin between his fingers stopped spinning and gently tapped on the smooth mahogany table with a crisp "tap." (End of Chapter)