"Hello there! I'm Paimon."
Seeing that Aether and the boy seemed to know each other, Paimon greeted him warmly.
"Hello… You can call me Mao Mao."
Mao Mao looked at the mysterious little sprite. She had to be the companion rumored to always travel with the great lord.
He replied a bit shyly.
At first, he had thought this person might be some big shot from Spirit Hall, but he hadn't imagined that the lord was even more mysterious and powerful than he'd ever expected.
Even his teacher—a Title Douluo—often said that this man was unfathomable…
The more he learned, the more shocked he became. So much so that outside his cultivation time, he spent nearly every waking moment trying to learn about the man who had changed his fate.
Naturally, Paimon, the companion by his side, was frequently mentioned in the rumors too.
"Mao Mao… What a cute name, hehe~"
Paimon giggled.
"Mao Mao. What are you doing here?"
Aether frowned slightly, gazing at the boy whose tattered clothes made him look like a refugee.
He had originally thought the one here would be Qian Renxue. He didn't expect it to be the young boy he'd met once before.
It threw Aether off for a moment. This boy's home was in a small village near Heaven Dou City—
So how had he ended up here like this?
"Lord, I came here following my teacher…"
Mao Mao answered bitterly.
"Teacher? So you've joined an academy?"
Aether was surprised the boy had found a mentor…
But judging by his spirit power, which seemed to be around level 30, it appeared he'd been cultivating diligently.
"Yes, my lord. After you left that day…"
Mao Mao began recounting his journey.
After that fateful encounter, he took the Spirit Hall elder's token and came with his mother to the Heaven Dou branch of Spirit Hall.
With Salas's help, they were sent to Spirit City.
There, his mother found work thanks to the Hall's arrangements.
And because of the elder's token, his own talent, and the sword of the legendary traveler, Mao Mao successfully entered Spirit Hall.
At the time, Bibi Dong happened to be keeping an eye on Aether's movements, and since Mao Mao had had contact with Aether, she gave him special attention.
Initially, she was merely curious about the rumors surrounding Aether, but after interacting with Mao Mao, she discovered his talent was truly exceptional.
Naturally, she took him in as a disciple and personally guided his cultivation.
"Eh? Your teacher is Bibi Dong? That super pretty big sister?"
Paimon's eyes went wide in surprise.
Bibi Dong… wasn't that the elegant and powerful lady from the traveler's tales?
"Yes."
Mao Mao nodded. "My lord, Teacher often mentions you."
Though Bibi Dong had a strange personality, she treated Mao Mao exceptionally well—so well that it even surpassed how she treated his senior, Hu Liena.
"So… Bibi Dong is here now?"
Aether looked toward the guest rooms in the courtyard with a puzzled expression.
Even though his Elemental Sight could peer through walls, that would be no different from scanning, and unless necessary, he wouldn't casually invade someone's privacy.
"Yes! She's in the room."
Mao Mao nodded, then bowed deeply. "My lord, please help her. My teacher is injured."
"Injured?"
Aether was startled.
There were very few in the world capable of injuring Bibi Dong. From the intel he had, if she had been hurt before entering Heaven Dou City, even a Title Douluo like Dugu Bo would have sensed it.
Which meant the injury didn't occur until after she left Heaven Dou.
What on earth had she encountered?
Aether looked at Mao Mao.
"You've been with her this whole time?"
"Yes. At first, an elder from Spirit Hall took me to Star Dou to hunt a spirit ring. Then Teacher came and brought me to Heaven Dou. I've stayed by her side since."
"Then how did she get injured? What happened?"
"Teacher brought me to see the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou. I waited outside, but after she came out, she was furious. She dragged me away and left the city."
Mao Mao sighed and continued:
"She originally planned to send me back to Spirit City, but on the road, we ran into a suspicious group. Teacher went to investigate and was discovered.
"To protect me, she fought them and was injured. They kept chasing us, so she brought me here to hide."
"Suspicious people…"
The more Aether listened, the more confused he became.
Since Bibi Dong was here, he might as well ask her directly what had happened in Heaven Dou.
"Take me to her."
"This way, my lord."
Mao Mao led Aether and Paimon to a side room.
"My lord, Teacher is resting inside. She's probably asleep…"
He pointed to a partitioned room at the back, its door tightly shut.
Given her peculiar temperament, even he wouldn't dare approach without her permission.
"Alright, I'll go take a look."
Aether nodded and walked up to the door, knocking gently. The room remained completely silent, like no one was inside.
He knocked again, a bit louder this time.
This time, a cold voice rang out:
"Didn't I say not to disturb me? You'd better have a good reason."
"…"
Aether's mouth twitched.
Mao Mao said she was injured, but that cold voice didn't sound like it came from someone hurt…
"Uh, Teacher, it's the lord. He's here."
Mao Mao hurried over and whispered toward the door.
"…"
A strange silence fell inside the room.
Then suddenly—BOOM!
A wave of killing intent-laced spirit power burst out from within. The door instantly shattered into dust, and the energy surged directly at Aether.
"Wah!"
Paimon shrieked as the force of the blast nearly blew her away. She barely managed to grab Aether's sleeve to steady herself.
Aether casually waved his hand. A formless barrier appeared before him.
The violent spirit power slammed into it like a storm crashing against an immovable wall— It didn't stir a single ripple before it vanished into the air.
"Hmph! Let that child go. If you've come for trouble, come at me! You really think I fear you lot? Just a bunch of lowlifes!"
Amid the swirling dust, a figure began to emerge.
Footsteps echoed—tap, tap, tap—as the haze cleared, and at last, the two sides got a clear look at each other.
_
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