Soul Land: Heartbreak Makes Me Stronger

Boom!

The sky was dim and overcast, with fierce winds howling and thunder roaring amidst flashes of lightning.

Deep in the forest, the dense canopy allowed almost no light to filter through.

Ning Rongrong hugged her shoulders tightly as she carefully followed Qin Jian through the thick underbrush.

"Why is this place so terrifying?"

She couldn't help but speak up, "Qin Jian, I don't want to go any further. I want to leave."

"You can't leave…"

Qin Jian casually brushed aside a low-hanging branch and replied nonchalantly, "From the moment we entered, there's no way out—unless we face a life-threatening situation."

"Ah?!"

Ning Rongrong gasped, her footsteps halting.

"But that's not what Father told me!"

Her eyes widened. "He clearly said it would be fun, like a pleasant outing…"

Qin Jian stopped as well, turning around with an exaggerated look of surprise. "Rongrong, the Sect Master didn't explain the rules and conditions of this place to you?"

"N-no, he didn't…"

Seeing Qin Jian's expression, Ning Rongrong began to feel a creeping sense of unease. "What exactly is going on? Qin Jian, tell me quickly!"

"This is a completely sealed simulation training ground. In this entire world, it's just the two of us…"

Qin Jian sat down on a large tree root, pulling Ning Rongrong down to sit beside him. He explained, "The terrain here changes every month. Right now, it's a forest. Next time, it could be a desert, a snow-covered mountain, or even an ocean."

Ning Rongrong's eyes grew wider with every word.

"Not only that, but the weather here is extremely unpredictable. Right now, it's thunder and lightning, but soon it could turn into a torrential storm, or even blistering heat…"

Ignoring the increasing horror in her gaze, Qin Jian continued, "And once we've adapted to this, natural disasters like volcanic eruptions or avalanches will start appearing…"

"W-what… what if we just hide every day? I have a tent in my Soul Tool," Ning Rongrong stammered, her teeth chattering.

Qin Jian sighed helplessly. "But what would we eat every day?"

"That's right… what would we eat?" Ning Rongrong asked nervously.

Pointing ahead, Qin Jian explained, "Each day, we start at the edge of this space. On the opposite edge, a hundred miles away, there's a supply tent with our food and water for the day."

"So, every single day, we have to cross the entire terrain to get our supplies, no matter the environment," he concluded.

But after a moment, he noticed Ning Rongrong had fallen silent.

"Rongrong?"

Turning his head, Qin Jian saw her looking down, clutching the hem of her dress tightly with both hands.

"Rongrong, what's wrong?" he asked.

She remained still, her head bowed.

Waving a hand in front of her eyes, Qin Jian tried again. "Rongrong, say something!"

"Father!—"

The next moment, Ning Rongrong jumped up suddenly, leaping onto a tree trunk. She shouted angrily at the sky, "I! Don't! Want! To! Stay! Here! I! Want! To! Go! Back!—"

Qin Jian: "…"

Outside the simulation space, Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo exchanged helpless glances as they observed the scene.

"Father! I want to go back! I don't want to stay here!"

"Do you not love Rongrong anymore? How could you leave me in such a terrible place?"

"Father! I'm begging you! Rongrong wants to go back!"

"…"

Ning Rongrong vented her grievances to the sky.

But no matter how much she shouted, no response came.

This only fueled her anger.

"Stupid father! Bad father! Rongrong hates you!"

"If you don't take me out, I'll curse you here for an entire year!"

"You're a stupid father! A bad father!"

"…"

Outside, Ning Fengzhi was torn between frustration and amusement.

Sword Douluo, standing beside him, hesitated before saying, "Sect Master, should we let her out?"

Ning Fengzhi wavered but eventually shook his head. "No, I can't. It took so much effort to coax her into entering. Letting her out now would make all of this pointless."

"I thought that boy Qin Jian would take some of Rongrong's anger, considering he played a part in tricking her into this…"

A wry smile spread across Ning Fengzhi's face. "But look at him. He's playing innocent and completely dodging responsibility, leaving me to bear all of Rongrong's fury."

"Cough… That boy isn't foolish," Sword Douluo said, watching the projection of Ning Rongrong's tantrum. "For now, we can only see if he has a way to calm her down."

"Let's hope so…" Ning Fengzhi sighed, glancing at the control console nearby. Suddenly, his expression changed. "Time isn't on his side. The weather is about to shift…"

Boom!

Inside the simulation, Qin Jian noticed the shift immediately. The dark clouds overhead were pressing lower, and the frequency of lightning strikes was rapidly increasing.

His expression hardened as he jumped onto the tree trunk and grabbed Ning Rongrong's arm. "Rongrong, stop making a fuss. The Sect Master won't take you out of here."

But Ning Rongrong, still furious, refused to listen and continued shouting.

"Rongrong! A storm is coming! If you don't want to get drenched, we need to move quickly. The faster we reach the supply tent, the better!" Qin Jian shouted.

But Ning Rongrong only hesitated briefly before retorting, "Then I'm not moving! I don't believe Father would let me get soaked in the rain!"

Qin Jian: "…"

Boom!

The sky grew even darker.

"Rongrong, at least put on a raincoat, will you? This is a storm. There won't be time to shield yourself once it starts," Qin Jian said, exasperated as he sat down beside her on the tree trunk.

But Ning Rongrong sat stubbornly, puffing out her cheeks, ignoring everything he said.

"That girl is too spoiled and unreasonable. She won't listen to anything Qin Jian says, no matter how reasonable," Ning Fengzhi muttered in frustration, slamming a hand on the table.

Sword Douluo's gaze remained fixed on the projection. "The storm is almost here…"

Whoosh!

The storm arrived without warning, drenching both Qin Jian and Ning Rongrong in an instant.

Still, Ning Rongrong stubbornly glared at the sky, as if competing in a silent standoff with her father.

But Qin Jian couldn't bear to see her like this. He quickly pulled out two raincoats from his Soul Tool.

"I don't want it—"

Before he could drape the raincoat over her, she swatted it away.

Qin Jian frowned, putting his own on before using his cloak to shield her from the rain. His voice grew stern. "Rongrong, this is the Sect Master's test for you. If you keep being so unreasonable, you'll only disappoint him."

But the stubborn Ning Rongrong wasn't listening. "I won't listen! I won't listen! I won't listen!" she cried, covering her ears with her hands.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Jian suddenly forced the raincoat over her, ignoring her resistance.

"Put it on!" he bellowed, his voice cold and commanding amidst the pouring rain.

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