First Meeting with Tian Yao

Time passed bit by bit.

Chen Xi had already finished her candy. She turned her gaze toward the exotic flowers and plants in the courtyard, quietly admiring them.

To be fair, the exotic flowers and plants Yue Guan cultivated were truly beautiful.

Yue Guan's gaze gradually calmed. He reached out and tapped the table before him, prompting Chen Xi to look over.

"Xiao Xi, Uncle Ju thinks that when you have time, you could write letters to the young mistress. Tell her about your life in Spirit Hall and the things you've seen and heard."

"For example, some of the changes Your Majesty the Pope has made recently, or interesting things from the Worship Hall. You can share those with her."

Yue Guan revealed a gentle smile.

"Uncle Ju is right."

"It has indeed been a long time since I last wrote Sister Xue a letter."

Chen Xi smiled as well, though she understood clearly that while Yue Guan had not explicitly refused to side with Qian Renxue, he was more inclined toward the Papal Hall.

After admiring the exotic flowers and plants for a while longer, Chen Xi bade Yue Guan farewell. She left the courtyard where he lived and headed toward the Worship Hall.

As she walked along the bluestone path,

Chen Xi spotted two figures ahead.

One of them looked like a youth, yet he had long silver hair. A small arrow, pale blue all over, spun between his fingers.

Chen Xi knew this person. He was none other than Fifth Elder Guang Ling.

Following behind Fifth Elder Guang Ling was a girl around ten years old. Her fair, delicate face was framed by a long dress mainly colored gold and embellished with elegant patterns.

Chen Xi did not know the girl, but judging by her attire and the way she followed Guang Ling, she guessed that the girl must be related to one of the Elders.

"Greetings, Fifth Elder."

Chen Xi bowed to Guang Ling with impeccable courtesy.

"Xiao Xi, there's no need for all these formalities with me."

"Come, let me introduce you. This is Second Worship's granddaughter, Tian Yao."

"Tian Yao, I'll introduce you as well. This is Third Elder's disciple, Chen Xi."

Guang Ling introduced Chen Xi and Tian Yao to each other.

"Hello."

"Grandpa mentioned you quite often last night. He had nothing but praise for you."

Tian Yao extended her hand toward Chen Xi.

"Hello."

"Second Worship merely overpraised me."

Chen Xi extended a hand as well, clasping Tian Yao's.

As he watched their hands meet, an imperceptible slyness flashed through Guang Ling's eyes. Like a child, he quietly took a step back without drawing attention.

"Xiao Xi, don't be so modest."

"You're already a three-ring Soul Elder at just seven years old. Your talent is exceptionally rare across the entire continent."

"Tian Yao is already ten, yet she's only a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. Second Worship's praise for you was no exaggeration."

There was amusement in Guang Ling's voice, along with a hint of stirring the pot.

At those words, Tian Yao's eyes dimmed slightly. But when she looked at Chen Xi, who was even younger than herself, a competitive feeling rose within her, and she quietly increased the strength in her grip.

Feeling Tian Yao's little move, Chen Xi secretly glanced at Guang Ling.

Chen Xi felt that Guang Ling was even more childish than the two of them. He was actually secretly egging them on.

Still, thoughts were one thing and actions another. Chen Xi was not slow to react, and she quietly added some strength to her own grip.

Both Chen Xi and Tian Yao wore faint smiles, but the strength in their hands gradually increased.

Meanwhile, Guang Ling stood to the side, looking like he was enjoying a show.

After a while,

Tian Yao, who had exerted all her strength, saw that Chen Xi's expression remained unchanged. She was the first to loosen her grip, and Chen Xi withdrew her hand at the same time.

"They say hearing is false, while seeing is believing."

"Now that I've seen it for myself, Grandpa truly was not exaggerating. I'm not as good as you right now."

"We'll both be in the Worship Hall from now on. Please guide me."

Tian Yao spoke openly, the smile on her lips especially sincere.

There was nothing to say about being inferior to Chen Xi right now. That was simply the truth.

But the present did not represent the future. Tian Yao felt that if she worked hard to catch up, she might not be unable to match Chen Xi's pace someday.

"Please guide me as well."

Chen Xi brushed a stray lock of hair beside her ear, her smile equally sincere.

"Alright, alright."

"Neither of you has anything to do now, so I'll take you two to have fun in Spirit City."

"There are plenty of delicious foods and fun things in Spirit City. Xiao Xi, you probably haven't explored Spirit City before, have you?"

Guang Ling spun the small arrow in his hand and took the lead ahead.

Chen Xi and Tian Yao exchanged a glance before stepping forward to follow Guang Ling.

However, they always remained several steps behind him.

"Xiao Xi, let me tell you, Fifth Elder may be old, but his personality is just like a child's. Just now, he was secretly stirring things up."

Tian Yao lowered her voice.

Chen Xi's eyes showed a trace of surprise.

She had originally thought Tian Yao had not noticed, but she had not expected Tian Yao to have caught on.

But after thinking about it carefully, Chen Xi understood.

Tian Yao was a genius, after all. Hearing her grandfather praise someone else would naturally make her somewhat unwilling to concede. With Guang Ling secretly provoking her, she simply had a brief contest with Chen Xi.

In the end, it was just the unwillingness to lose between children.

Just as Chen Xi opened her mouth to say something, she saw Guang Ling turn around.

"Tian Yao has gotten smarter."

"You even figured that out."

"But next time, you can speak a little more quietly. The senses of a Peak Douluo are beyond what you can imagine."

Guang Ling chuckled, and the small arrow in his hand spun even faster.

"I was only teasing you two just now."

"As a little compensation, I'll cover all your expenses in Spirit City."

"You don't need to worry about Second Worship or Third Elder either. When the time comes, I'll explain it to them."

Guang Ling spun around on the spot and looked at the two girls with smiling eyes.

Seeing Guang Ling's manner, Chen Xi gave him a polite smile.

Tian Yao, on the other hand, playfully stuck out her tongue.

They left the grounds of the Worship Hall, exited the Papal Hall, and arrived on the bustling streets.

Guang Ling first bought Chen Xi and Tian Yao each a candied hawthorn skewer, then led them toward the street with the most snack vendors.

Chen Xi and Tian Yao chatted as they ate their candied hawthorn skewers.

Gradually, the two became more and more familiar with each other.

As they smelled the aromas of the snacks on both sides of the street, Chen Xi and Tian Yao's gazes continuously swept over the stalls.

Guang Ling kept an eye on them at all times. So long as either girl looked at something for more than three seconds, he would buy it without hesitation and give it to them.

Gradually, the smiles on Chen Xi and Tian Yao's faces grew more frequent.

Thanks to Guang Ling's childlike personality, he could even join in their conversations from time to time.