Building favorability was precisely what mattered most.
Yet these words sounded entirely different to Xiao Rui's ears.
He immediately opened his mental connection:
"Elder Sword, Senior Sister said I am her most important junior brother!"
"...I heard it. The problem is that she doesn't have any other junior brothers."
Xiao Rui: I didn't want to get reeled in, but she said I'm her most important junior brother!
Elder Sword: ...Wake up, you foolish disciple!!
Coming back to her senses and seeing Xia Wantang looking at her with a face full of smiles, Xiao Rui gave a light cough:
"Senior Sister, please don't tease me."
Setting aside the romantic thoughts in his mind, Xiao Rui finally sensed the spiritual energy changes in her body, his tone astonished as he spoke:
"Senior Sister, surely you haven't broken through again?"
Having cultivated desperately this past month, coupled with having Elder Sword as his cheat code, his own cultivation had only just broken through to the peak of the Mystic Martial Realm.
The spiritual energy fluctuations on Senior Sister were clearly stronger than his own; could it be that her cultivation had already reached the Profound Heaven Realm?
Xia Wantang's brows curved, a bit more radiance blooming across her pure face:
"That's right, my cultivation has already broken through to the peak of the Profound Heaven Realm."
"This title of 'Senior Sister' won't be let out for nothing, you know."
"However, to hide my sharpness, everyone else thinks my cultivation is only at the pinnacle of the Mystic Martial Realm. This secret is known only to you, Junior Brother~"
Anyway, the Nine Heavens Ice Glaze Hairpin couldn't fool Elder Sword, so she might as well tell the truth.
Hearing this, Xiao Rui was stunned beyond measure, hastily confirming with Elder Sword in his mind:
"Elder Sword, is what Senior Sister said true? Has her cultivation really gotten this high??"
After a moment, Elder Sword's voice slowly sounded:
"Indeed... Old man am quite surprised, too."
"I reckon this lass encountered some great fortune on her way home to visit family, or perhaps, she possesses a divine physique just like you."
"In any case, this senior sister of yours is truly exceptional. If she is willing to be your dao companion, it will definitely be a heaven-sent assistance."
Hearing this, Xiao Rui's face turned alternately red and white:
Naturally he wanted to become dao companions with Senior Sister, but his current strength was still far inferior to hers.
Senior Sister was so outstanding, how many years would he have to wait until he was worthy of her?
Seeing Xiao Rui remain silent, Xia Wantang continued:
"But Junior Brother is also very formidable; in a mere month, your cultivation has advanced once again."
"It looks like next month's Inner Sect Grand Competition will very likely bring the two of us face-to-face, you know."
In past years, Azure Cloud Palace's Sect Grand Competition was generally divided into the Inner Sect Grand Competition and the Outer Sect Grand Competition.
Direct disciples, holy sons, and saintesses belonged directly to the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
If there were exceptionally outstanding outer sect disciples, they could also be granted an exception to participate in the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
The requirement was for their cultivation to reach the late stage of the Mystic Martial Realm.
Xiao Rui had already reached the threshold, but he was not in a hurry to display his strength. Every day he holed up in this dilapidated thatched cottage, simply waiting for the day of the Inner Sect Grand Competition to make a brilliant debut and astonish everyone.
"If we cross paths, Senior Sister must not hold back. I want to spar earnestly with Senior Sister."
These were Xiao Rui's true feelings.
Although he knew full well he was no match for Xia Wantang, being one of the male protagonists in an immortal-cultivation novel meant he inevitably possessed a resolute heart, fearless of the strong and growing ever braver through setbacks.
Xia Wantang dared not truly go all out, lest she be captured by other cultivators to study just how she cultivated.
If she didn't pull her punches, she reckoned that among the entire younger generation of Azure Cloud Palace, only Ye Xing could fight her true body.
Thus she shook her head:
"I will suppress my cultivation to the pinnacle of the Mystic Martial Realm; otherwise, it would be too unfair to you and the other fellow disciples."
How could challenging realms above one's own be that easy, especially crossing an entire major realm?
If she suppressed her spiritual energy to the pinnacle of the Mystic Martial Realm, there was no telling—first male protagonist Xiao Rui might actually have a chance to trade blows with her on equal footing.
At this, Xiao Rui said helplessly:
"Alright, Senior Sister. I know that, just like me, you also dislike keeping a high profile."
Xiao Rui was precisely that kind of stealthily-developing counter-attack protagonist, likely the most conservative and steady-seeking of all the male protagonists, preferring to play turtle and keep a low profile whenever possible.
At this moment, Xia Wantang remembered her proper business and immediately pulled a white jade bottle out of her storage bag.
If one looked closely, they would find that this jade bottle was an exact, carbon-copy match of the ones she had given to Lin Xi and Ye Xing.
"Junior Brother Xiao, this pill can help with your cultivation. Take it."
"Who knows, if you work hard this month, you might just break through to the pinnacle of the Mystic Martial Realm before the Inner Sect Grand Competition."
Xia Wantang gained 5 favorability with Xiao Rui. Current favorability: 55. Converted to 50 faith points.
Looking at that white jade bottle, Xiao Rui was moved all over again:
"Senior Sister Xia, you are too good to me, but I cannot accept this pill."
"You know I can alchemy; I am not short on pills at all. You should keep it for yourself to use."
Xia Wantang merely waved her hand:
"At this stage I no longer have use for these pills. Rather than letting them gather dust in my possession, it's better to leave them with you where they can still generate value."
"Besides, since I've already taken this pill out, how could there be any logic in taking it back?"
Indeed, her speed at creating pills couldn't keep up with her speed at refining them, and she watched as her storage bag piled higher and higher.
She had fleeced so many spirit stones from Xia Yingwu and bought quite a few basic materials to practice with, which was why she produced so many pills.
Pills she could use herself, Xia Wantang kept; she would never cheapen the sons of destiny.
What she gave them was always the leftovers.
Hearing Xia Wantang put it thus, Xiao Rui had no choice but to tuck the jade bottle away and place it inside his storage bag.
Suddenly, as if thinking of something, he spoke:
"That's right, Senior Sister Xia. I've heard many disciples say the Holy Son already possesses the cultivation of the peak Mystic Martial Realm, making him the strongest among Azure Cloud Palace's younger generation."
"What is your relationship with the Holy Son like? Is he really that strong?"
If there were any opponent besides Xia Wantang worthy of Xiao Rui's attention, it could only be the Holy Son Fu Lingyun, otherwise known as Ye Xing.
Should he lose to Senior Sister, Xiao Rui would submit willingly, but losing to anyone else would inevitably leave him feeling unconvinced.
Hearing Xiao Rui bring up another son of destiny, alarm bells rang loudly in Xia Wantang's heart, terrified of running her mouth and saying too much. She weighed her words before speaking:
"As for our relationship, you couldn't really call it close; we merely spar and practice the sword together on occasion."
"The Holy Son is indeed quite formidable. His sword techniques are fast, accurate, and ruthless, and his control over spiritual energy is also very precise."
Hearing this, Xiao Rui didn't think much of it.
It was normal for the saintess and the holy son to practice swords together, seeing as they were naturally the closest in strength among their peers.
Furthermore, Xiao Rui had also heard that although the Holy Son was dashingly romantic, he was completely uninterested in romantic love between men and women, and disciples had never seen him give a pleasant expression to any female cultivator.
For instance, Martial God Peak First Elder's granddaughter Lu Jinyan had relentlessly pursued the Holy Son, yet all she ever received was utter disregard.
Yet Xiao Rui had never laid eyes on the Holy Son in person; if only he could engage him in a hearty spar.
The Inner Sect Grand Competition presented just such an opportunity.
Since Senior Sister held him in such high regard, he ought to make a fine opponent.
At this thought, Xiao Rui abruptly sensed a hint of an unusual flavor:
"Senior Sister Xia, I have never heard you praise any other male cultivator like this. Could it be that in your eyes, he is more outstanding than me?"
Before you continue