Inside the room, Xiao Xun'er's eyes sparkled with mischief as she gazed at the pair before her, a playful smile dancing on her lips.
Xiao Yi Xian, meanwhile, studied her with a mix of astonishment and disbelief. After a long pause, her delicate face fell, and she sighed in resignation. "Xun'er, you've got to be cheating, right?"
She'd thought her own cultivation progress was impressive, but Xiao Xun'er's breakthrough after less than two months in seclusion was like something out of Xiao Bai's tales of "hacking." To leap from an eight-star Dou Zhe to Da Dou Shi was unthinkable, leaving her struggling to accept it.
"Nope, no cheating!" Xiao Xun'er said, her face feigning distress. "I just cultivated a tiny bit seriously, and—poof—breakthrough. What can I do? I'm helpless too!" A glint of teasing laughter flickered in her eyes.
Xiao Bai, sipping tea calmly to the side, nearly rolled his eyes. Want to hear what counts as human speech? With her god-tier Dou Di bloodline, if this wasn't cheating, then no one on the continent could claim to be.
"Xiao Bai, did you lie to me?" Xiao Yi Xian turned to him, her voice tinged with a pouty grievance. "You said the Calamity Poison Body was the fastest for leveling up, but Xun'er was a whole minor realm behind me, and now she's surpassed me!"
She wasn't jealous of Xiao Xun'er—her breakthrough only brought Xiao Yi Xian joy. But after enduring the pain of consuming poisons, to see Xiao Xun'er casually close herself off and effortlessly overtake her was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Good Xian'er, we don't compare ourselves to freaks like her. That's just asking for trouble!" Xiao Bai said, wrapping an arm around her slender shoulders and comforting her softly. "Even I can't keep up with her. We've got to accept we're mere mortals, okay, darling?"
"Mm-hmm, we're done playing with her. It's too demoralizing!" Xiao Yi Xian nodded obediently, leaning softly against his shoulder, her eyes closing as if weary.
Xiao Bai's lips twitched, his keen senses catching the subtle curve of her mouth and the faint trembling of her shoulders, as if she were suppressing something. He glanced at Xiao Xun'er, and sure enough, the girl's smug demeanor had vanished. Her face darkened, and she glared at the pair's coordinated act, her teeth practically grinding as if she wanted to set them both ablaze.
"Enough, you two!" Xiao Xun'er snapped, her voice icy as she bit her lip. "Need me to clear out so you can have the room?"
"Haha, who told you to gloat earlier, Xun'er?" Xiao Yi Xian dropped the act, stepping away from Xiao Bai to grab Xiao Xun'er's hand with a laugh.
"Hmph, I was just savoring the moment, and you two gang up to rile me?" Xiao Xun'er huffed, unimpressed.
Xiao Yi Xian chuckled at her reaction, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Tilting her head, she nudged her chin toward Xiao Bai and said to Xiao Xun'er, "It's all Xiao Bai's fault. He started it, and I just went along!"
Xiao Xun'er lifted her chin, her beautiful eyes shooting Xiao Bai a fierce glare. "Stinky Brother Xiao Bai!"
"Hey, Xun'er, congrats on breaking through to Da Dou Shi!" Xiao Yi Xian, having successfully shifted the blame, beamed as she congratulated her.
"Thanks! You're probably close too, Xian'er," Xiao Xun'er said, sizing her up. A golden glint flashed in her eyes, and she smiled knowingly. The two then huddled together, whispering intimately.
Xiao Bai sat speechless, feeling as if snow had fallen in June. Utterly wronged! What was this? He was just a prop in their little skit, used and discarded! And Xian'er—moments ago, he'd been comforting her, yet to dodge Xiao Xun'er's wrath, she sold him out without a second thought. What a heartless little thing!
Knock, knock, knock!
The group turned toward the sound. Mentor Ruo Lin stood at the door, her radiant smile blooming like a flower. "Everyone's here!" she said warmly.
"Mentor Ruo Lin, come in, come in! Rare guest!" Xiao Bai stood, greeting her with enthusiastic warmth.
Ruo Lin shot him an exasperated look. Rare guest? This is my place! He was acting like he owned it!
"The Inner Academy Selection Tournament starts in a couple of days, and registration begins today," she said, her lovely face tinged with a playful smirk. "I'm here to check on these two's cultivation. If they're not up to par, this mentor won't let them sign up!"
She wasn't joking. The selection tournament had two rounds: the first determined the top fifty, and the second picked the top five from those fifty. The second round allowed teamwork, so students could collaborate, and with Xiao Bai's strength, that wouldn't be an issue. But the first round was a strict one-on-one contest, relying solely on individual skill to break into the top fifty. Without at least high-tier Dou Shi cultivation, no one could guarantee a spot in the Inner Academy. If the girls' cultivation wasn't sufficient, she wouldn't register them.
"No worries! I've got this handled. Sign us all up!" Xiao Bai said, pouring her a cup of tea with a confident grin.
"Oh?" Ruo Lin's eyes flickered with curiosity, glancing at Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian. Xiao Bai's assurance piqued her interest. Could these two girls really have jumped from Dou Zhe to high-tier Dou Shi in such a short time?
"Mentor Ruo Lin!" The two girls stood, greeting her politely.
"Xun'er, Xian'er, come now, tell your mentor your current cultivation. No fibbing!" Ruo Lin said, her gaze soft and her voice gentle.
She inwardly sighed. This trio was something else, each hiding their true strength. She couldn't even gauge the girls' cultivation levels.
The two exchanged glances, then looked to Xiao Bai. Seeing his slight nod, Xiao Yi Xian spoke first. "Mentor Ruo Lin, I'm currently a nine-star Dou Shi!"
"I just broke through to Da Dou Shi," Xiao Xun'er added.
"What?!"
Ruo Lin's voice spiked with shock, her smile freezing. Her eyes widened in disbelief, wondering if her ears had betrayed her.
If she recalled correctly, both girls were only Dou Zhe—high-tier, sure—when they enrolled. She'd figured Xiao Bai, no matter how extraordinary, could at best help them reach Dou Shi in two months.
But what had she just heard? A nine-star Dou Shi and a Da Dou Shi? Since when was breaking through so easy? What had her own twenty-plus years of cultivation been for—chasing loneliness?
Whirling around, she fixed Xiao Bai with a dazzling stare, her eyes gleaming as if beholding a rare treasure. "Young Master Xiao, what did you feed them? Can you spare some for your mentor?"
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