Douluo Continent: The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? A Soul Beast Pagoda!

After about an hour, Jiang Bai's movements were basically finalized. Although he was still far from being "proficient," at least his posture looked decent.

At this moment, a cunning glint flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes once again.

Carrying her wooden sword, she walked to the center of the open space, beckoned to Jiang Bai who was still practicing his thrusting motion, and gave him a smile that looked sweet but made him feel inexplicably dangerous.

"Alright, that's about it for the basic moves. Come on, junior Jiang Bai, face me and try out the moves I just taught you."

She stood still, casually adopting a seemingly relaxed starting stance, her wooden sword pointing diagonally at the ground.

"Let me see how much real skill you've actually learned in this one hour."

Jiang Bai stopped what he was doing, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at Qian Renxue, who was smiling but whose aura was subtly sharp. A warning bell rang in his heart.

This... is probably not just a simple "testing the results", is it?

Have you finally reached the end of your map of the Yan Kingdom?

Before Jiang Bai could react, Qian Renxue lightly touched the ground with her feet, her figure as light as a swallow, yet carrying a sharp aura, she charged straight over with her wooden sword in hand!

Without any formalities or warning, the sword moved with him, a simple and swift thrust aimed straight at Jiang Bai's center!

Jiang Bai's pupils contracted slightly. In his haste, he could only rely on the basic knowledge he had just been instilled into his mind to subconsciously parry with his sword.

"clang!"

Jiang Bai felt a jolt in his wrist, and a considerable force came from it, causing him to involuntarily take half a step back.

Qian Renxue's attack missed, but her sword momentum didn't stop at all. With a slight twist of her wrist, the wooden sword slid down, changing from a thrust to a slash, sweeping towards Jiang Bai's waist and abdomen!

The movements flowed smoothly and naturally.

Jiang Bai was flustered and quickly stepped back to raise his sword, narrowly blocking the slash.

However, in Qian Renxue's eyes, his hasty defense was full of flaws!

His steps were unsteady, his center of gravity was unstable, and the angle of his block was also somewhat stiff.

A triumphant smile curled at the corners of Qian Renxue's lips, and a glint flashed in her purple eyes.

She did not use any soul power, relying purely on her physical strength, speed, and skill.

Just as Jiang Bai barely managed to parry the slash, his old strength exhausted and no new strength generated, her left hand shot out like lightning. It wasn't an attack, but a gentle brush against Jiang Bai's wrist holding the sword!

This seemingly gentle flick actually cleverly deflected Jiang Bai's sword strike, leaving his chest wide open.

Immediately afterwards, Qian Renxue pulled back and released her wooden sword in her right hand, the blade striking out flatly and landing solidly below Jiang Bai's left shoulder blade.

"Snapped!"

A slapping sound, not loud but clear enough.

"hiss--"

Jiang Bai gasped, not because it hurt much, but because the wooden sword was blunt and Qian Renxue had controlled her strength, so she hadn't really hurt him.

But this feeling... is like when I was in school in my past life, and because I was daydreaming or answered a question wrong, a strict teacher would lightly tap my palm or back with a ruler!

She gave Jiang Bai no chance to breathe or think. She swung the wooden sword again, thrusting, slashing, and parrying. Although the attacks were not fatal, they were like a storm, targeting Jiang Bai's weak points in defense and where his movements were not smooth.

Every time Jiang Bai revealed a weakness, he was met with a precise strike from the wooden sword.

Shoulders, arms, back, outer thighs... Jiang Bai felt as if he had become a moving human punching bag.

He could only desperately recall the few basic movements he had just learned, lifting, blocking, parrying, and dodging, struggling to defend himself.

Sweat poured down like rain, breathing became rapid, arms grew heavier, and steps became increasingly unsteady.

This kind of suppression based purely on skill and basic physical ability is even more powerless than a clash of soul power.

Jiang Bai deeply realized how clumsy and vulnerable he was in the face of real combat skills without the support of soul skills and soul power.

Fifteen minutes felt like an eternity to Jiang Bai.

Finally, after Qian Renxue struck his calf with the blade of her sword, causing him to stumble and nearly fall, Jiang Bai could no longer hold on.

He suddenly jumped back a step, creating distance, and slammed the wooden sword on the ground, panting heavily and waving his hands repeatedly.

"I can't take it anymore! Let me rest! I really can't!"

After saying that, he fell backward and lay on the grass in a "spread-eagle" position. His chest heaved violently, and he felt every muscle in his body protesting. His back ached, and the areas that the wooden sword had "taken care of" were burning with pain.

Even the slightest attempt to move or stretch my arms causes me to grimace.

Seeing this, Qian Renxue flicked her wrist, executed a beautiful sword flourish to finish her stance, her posture elegant and composed, her breathing even, forming a stark contrast to Jiang Bai, who was sprawled on the ground.

She walked over to Jiang Bai with her wooden sword, looked down at his disheveled appearance, and smiled brightly with a hint of smugness.

"You can't even handle this? Junior Jiang Bai, didn't you keep saying you wanted to get stronger quickly? This is nothing! I haven't had my fill yet!"

She deliberately brandished the wooden sword in her hand.

Despite saying that, she actually knows how to be tactful.

During the sparring session just now, she controlled the force and the points of impact throughout, ensuring that Jiang Bai would only feel pain and muscle fatigue, without causing any substantial damage.

She couldn't bear to damage this precious seedling of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda!

With a thought, she put the wooden sword in her hand back into her storage soul tool, and then took out an exquisite silver water jug ​​from it, casually tossing it to Jiang Bai's side.

"Drink some water. You need to practice your physical fitness and these basic skills more in the future. Even if you're just an assistant, it's never a bad thing to have the ability to defend yourself."

Jiang Baifei turned to the side, picked up the kettle, unscrewed it, and took several large gulps.

The cool, sweet liquid slid down my throat, slightly relieving the dryness and heat in my body.

He let out a long breath and felt a little strength return.

At this moment, Qian Renxue asked seemingly casually.

"By the way, do you have anything else to do later?"

Without thinking, Jiang Bai instinctively answered, "Yes..."

"I mean things other than cultivation!"

Qian Renxue immediately interrupted him, her beautiful eyes glaring at him, having already anticipated his answer.

She knew this guy's character all too well. Did he care about anything other than cultivation?

Jiang Bai choked for a moment and blinked.

"...No." He honestly admitted.

Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction, put her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and said in a tone that brooked no refusal, "Okay, then come shopping with me later!"

Shopping? Shopping with Qian Renxue?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai did not immediately agree. Instead, his eyes darted around as he quickly began to think.

Accompanying this young lady shopping is definitely not just a simple "accompaniment." There might be some trouble involved, or she might simply be bored and want someone to do her bidding.

He had just been "ravaged" and was sore all over, yet he still had to go and be a follower?

This is a losing proposition; we can't do it.

So, under Qian Renxue's expectant gaze, Jiang Bai slowly sat up, then stretched out his right hand, stacked his thumb and forefinger together, and gently rubbed them together a few times in front of Qian Renxue.

"?"

Qian Renxue looked at the strange gesture, her beautiful eyebrows furrowing, her purple eyes filled with confusion. "What does it mean?"

Jiang Bai stated matter-of-factly and clearly, "Give me the money!"

"???"

Qian Renxue was stunned, then her purple eyes slowly widened, filled with disbelief.

"You...you want me to give you money?"

She pointed to her nose, raising her voice slightly.

"And only then will you agree to go shopping with me?"

Is there something wrong with this logic?

Shouldn't it be that if it's her, a senior with a distinguished status and unparalleled beauty, who invites you, the other party should be grateful and eager to follow along?

How dare you ask for money?!

"Yeah, senior."

Jiang Bai was self-righteous, even putting on an expression as if he was the one who had been taken advantage of.

"Look, I just finished being... uh, instructed by you, and I'm so sore and exhausted. I still have to run errands for you later, acting as your assistant... Isn't this extra effort, going beyond the bounds of friendship? Giving me some compensation for my trouble, isn't that reasonable?"

As he spoke, he tried to appear pitiful, but his acting was not quite up to par; he looked more like a cunning merchant haggling over a price.

Qian Renxue was speechless for a moment after hearing his twisted logic, her chest heaving slightly, clearly indicating that she was angry.

But strangely enough, she didn't immediately get angry or turn around and leave. Instead, she felt... a little curious?

Jiang Bai was definitely the first person to dare to talk to her about money so openly and without any concealment, treating her as an employer who needed to pay her.

This blunt, almost rude, mercenary manner, ironically gave her a sense of authenticity unlike anything she had experienced before.

She stared at Jiang Bai for several seconds, then suddenly raised an eyebrow and said, "That works too!"

"As long as you satisfy me, you'll naturally reap the rewards!"

What kind of outrageous language is this?!

Jiang Bai suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Was this future angel goddess this...unrestrained even as a child? Or did she simply not understand the ambiguity of that word?

Jiang Bai composed himself, forcing himself to ignore the potentially misinterpreted remark, and pressed on.

"Senior, could you help me get a spirit ring of excellent quality, with the highest possible age?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes.

She hadn't expected Jiang Bai to make this request.

Acquiring a spirit ring is not difficult for students of the Spirit Hall Academy; the academy has its own arrangements.

However, if the requirements are extremely high quality, most suitable, and the lifespan is as long as possible, then it is exceptional.

For her, this wasn't too difficult to do.

"Okay." Qian Renxue agreed without much hesitation.

For her, this kind of interaction seemed...more interesting and more real.

Jiang Bai was taken aback by her quick agreement, then a genuine smile blossomed on his face.

He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the aches and pains all over his body, clasped his hands together, and gave an exaggerated bow.

"Senior, you're so generous! It's a deal!"

Seeing his money-grubbing expression, Qian Renxue couldn't help but chuckle. The slight unpleasantness from the sparring and haggling earlier seemed to vanish into thin air.

"Alright, stop joking. Let's pack up and get going."

……

After changing their clothes, the two boarded a carriage and headed to Wuhun City.

Upon arrival, Qian Renxue treated Jiang Bai to a delicious meal.

Then we began our aimless stroll through the streets.

Qian Renxue didn't buy anything, she just walked around and looked at things, which puzzled Jiang Bai.

During this time, Jiang Bai saw a pharmacy and, amidst the strange looks from Qian Renxue and the shop assistant, bought a piece of century-old whale glue for 89 gold soul coins.

Feeling a little uneasy under Qian Renxue's gaze, Jiang Bai explained.

"Uh... when I went back to the dorm to change, my roommate saw I was coming out and asked me to take it with me..."

"Who?"

"Yan..."