NOVEL WEB Chapter 145: Competing? Everyone Can Compete!
After her return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Ning Rongrong came happily to the Dugu Estate the next day, looking for Ye Yu.
"Ye Yu! Ye Yu!"
"I'm back!"
Because the group had been out for several months undergoing team combat training, Qin Ming had granted everyone three days off upon their return.
During these three days, they were allowed to stay at home and did not need to report to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
"Rongrong, you're here!"
Seeing Ning Rongrong arrive, a hint of surprise flashed across Ye Yu's handsome face.
He had thought she'd stay at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for at least a few days.
Off to the side, Dugu Yan—tall and elegant in a flowing violet gown, her graceful figure accentuated, with long amethyst hair cascading down her shoulders and emerald-like eyes—knit her brows upon seeing Ning Rongrong arrive so early in the morning.
She could already sense: this visit wasn't going to be simple.
"This time when I went back to the clan, I found that we have lots of rare metals," Ning Rongrong said sweetly.
"Ye Yu, I remember you said you needed some."
"So… I brought you a little!"
Her slender hands clasped shyly in front of her, Ning Rongrong's flawless, aristocratic features and sapphire eyes radiated warmth and concern—like the very image of a considerate little sister.
I knew it.
Hearing her syrupy tone, Dugu Yan's mouth twitched slightly.
Then Ning Rongrong retrieved that so-called "little bit" of rare metal from her storage-type soul tool…
Just the chunk of Star Iron alone was nearly two meters tall—and clearly weighed several tons.
Then came Deep Sea Sunken Silver, Heart Chilling Iron, Blazing Molten Gold...
Each piece, even if only the size of a fist, would fetch an astronomical price.
Yet every piece Ning Rongrong brought was the size of a human head at minimum.
"This is… a little bit?!"
Even Dugu Yan was momentarily speechless at the sight of it all.
She couldn't tell whether this was the extravagant wealth of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan…
…or just Ning Rongrong pulling a flashy stunt.
"Of course it's just a little!"
"For someone like Ye Yu-gege, I'm worried I haven't done nearly enough!"
Ning Rongrong looked heartbroken as she spoke, biting her lip with a pitiful expression.
"Ye Yu-gege's made it so far—he must've worked so hard, suffered so much."
"If I love him, then of course I should help him however I can!"
Love him…
Help however she can…
Dugu Yan could practically smell the competitive undertone in her words.
Was Ning Rongrong implying that only those who offer enough support count as truly loving Ye Yu?
Who could possibly compete with a clan as filthy rich as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?!
But soon, Dugu Yan snapped out of it.
No! That wasn't right!
Her own Dugu Clan was even wealthier—thanks to the vast array of immortal herbs and top-tier medicinal plants growing around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Any one of those immortal herbs was far more precious than all the rare metals on the ground here!
Realizing she was the real rich and resourceful beauty—and with years of deep emotional connection with Ye Yu—Dugu Yan instantly regained her confidence.
Ning Rongrong's performative affection meant nothing in the long run.
She, Dugu Yan, the proud "Empress Yan," would crush this little fox spirit with ease!
"Thank you, Rongrong."
Ye Yu smiled as he gratefully accepted the rare metals and stored them in his Jade Dragon Bracelet.
He planned to feed them to the external Spirit Bone: Thunderous Hell Prison Spear that evening to enhance its properties.
However, despite how extravagant the materials looked—Star Iron, Deep Sea Cold Silver, Icy Heart Iron, Molten Crimson Gold—none of them surprised Ye Yu all that much.
Those metals would only enhance durability and sharpness.
What he really needed were special-effect materials, ones with unique elemental or mystical properties—like Radiant Gold.
Still, since Rongrong had made the effort to visit in person, Ye Yu naturally welcomed her warmly.
At noon, he and Dugu Yan invited her to stay for lunch at the Dugu Estate.
To be honest—
Ning Rongrong's words did have an effect.
Dugu Yan, despite feeling that her family's Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had already provided plenty of support for Ye Yu, couldn't deny that he had also solved their clan's long-standing Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison issue.
That was in the past.
But now, with Rongrong here…
She needed to prove her worth.
She was Empress Yan! She would never let herself be overshadowed by some scheming little fox!
She secretly resolved to throw herself into learning alchemy and toxicology from her grandfather, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.
In the future, she would help Ye Yu by refining powerful potions!
There was no way she'd let herself be outdone!
And over on the other side…
Zhu Zhuqing, after hearing everything, felt a deep wave of inferiority and guilt.
Compared to her close friend Rongrong, it felt like she couldn't offer Ye Yu anything.
In fact, she'd only been receiving his help.
What could she give back?
Maybe… massages?
At the very least, she could help relax his tired muscles after training…
Regardless, thanks to Ning Rongrong's timely appearance—
While Ye Lingling was still unaware,
Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing had already entered a fierce competition mode.
And since all four girls had now learned Mysterious Heaven Skill,
That afternoon, with Rongrong already present, Ye Yu called over Ye Lingling too and took them all to an open meadow outside Heaven Dou City.
There, he began instructing them in Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
Time flew by.
After the three-day break ended,
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing all returned to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to continue training with Qin Ming.
But Ye Yu?
He didn't go.
He was a special case, after all—the trump card of the Heaven Dou Imperial Team.
Even Qin Ming wasn't a match for him—so who dared tell him what to do?
Instead, Ye Yu followed his own training routine:
Morning at sunrise: He trained in Purple Demon Eye.
Late morning: He traveled deep into the forests outside Heaven Dou City to cultivate the Inner Core Method alongside the transplanted Blue Silver Grass people and the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin, within the Blue Silver Space.
Afternoons: He continued his intense Heavenly Thunder Tempering Body training to purge or absorb the "impurities" left behind after refining the external Spirit Bone: Demon Willow Fluff, which had devoured the bloodlines of the Phoenix Perching Parasol Tree, Wind-Thunder Skyhawk, Darknight Bat , and Devourer Demon Dragon.
Evenings: He resumed the refinement and development of his Jade Body Technique.
As for his cultivation of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, that was already being handled by a separate consciousness fragment controlling a secondary energy circuit—thanks to his mastery over the second set of Demonic Willow Fluff meridians.
Even while sleeping, his Mysterious Heaven Skill cultivation never stopped.
As of now, his Mysterious Heaven Skill had reached Rank 40, and he was already beginning to compress his internal energy for the next breakthrough.
For Ye Yu, it was barely a challenge anymore.