Early in the morning on the day of the competition, Chen Xiao woke up early. Just as he finished washing up, Xi Yunting knocked on his door.
Chen Xiao tied up her hair and looked at Xi Yunting who came in with surprise: "Brother, don't you have morning exercises today?"
Xi Yunting would do morning exercises every day, whether it was raining or going out for training. When conditions were not favorable, he would only practice his body movements for half an hour, and when the environment was better, he would choose to meditate.
Chen Xiao didn't know about others, but among all the practitioners he had met, Xi Yunting was the most diligent. He was extremely talented, yet he was still so hardworking. This was what Chen Xiao admired the most. Influenced by him, even Chen Xiao got used to practicing every day.
Xi Yunting came over, took the comb from his hand, and helped him comb his hair into a bun with unskilled but steady movements. While putting the crown on him, he said, "I've already done my morning exercises."
Chen Xiao was quietly shocked. This was the time when Xi Yunting usually did morning exercises, which was already early enough. He didn't expect Xi Yunting to get up even earlier.
After combing his hair, Xi Yunting asked him, "What do you plan to wear today, Xiao? If you haven't decided yet, how about letting me choose for you?"
Of course Chen Xiao had no objection. In terms of taste and matching ability, he thought he was no match for the other party.
After a while, Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru, who had been sitting in the lobby on the first floor having dinner, saw two people coming down from the second floor one after another.
Chen Xiao, who was walking in front, was wearing a light green stand-up collar Taoist robe, while Xi Yunting, who was behind him, was wearing a dark blue one. Although the colors were different, the styles were surprisingly similar.
Tong Nuonuo bit something in her mouth and blinked in confusion: "Why did Brother Xi also make new clothes? I have never seen you wearing them before."
Tang Ru seemed to be thinking about something. She watched the two people approaching, and the subtle feeling of being close yet distant between their steps was so obvious that she couldn't ignore it.
This answered her long-standing question. No wonder these two people always seemed so ambiguous sometimes, and the atmosphere on the island made it even more difficult for people to intervene. So that's it.
Meeting Tong Nuonuo's confused gaze and Tang Ru's understanding gaze, Chen Xiao touched his nose awkwardly.
The four of them trained together and spent every day together. If he had to hide the fact that he and Xi Yunting had become lovers, he would have to be on guard all the time, which would have been tiring enough.
Xi Yunting also agreed with his opinion, although he was embarrassed to say it out loud, so the two of them did not deliberately hide it, and just waited for their friends to discover it themselves.
Chen Xiao coughed lightly and glanced around nonchalantly: "What do you have for breakfast this morning?"
Tong Nuonuo, a simple guy, was immediately distracted. He handed over a menu booklet and said, "A new menu has been changed. The chefs of Linglang Valley are really amazing. This is the third batch in such a short time."
Chen Xiao was very interested and ordered a few special dishes based on Tong Nuonuo's recommendation. Then he looked at the instructions on the menu and ordered a few dishes for Xi Yunting without asking for his opinion.
He knew very well the tone that Xi Yunting liked, and he also knew that as long as it was not particularly hard to swallow and was fresh, he would not be picky. He did it too naturally and smoothly. After ordering, he directly called the waiter who was responsible for serving them to serve the dishes.
Tong Nuonuo even called out foolishly: "Hey - Brother Xi hasn't ordered yet!"
Tang Ru rolled his eyes at him and said, "Xiao Xiao has already ordered for Fellow Daoist Xi."
Tong Nuonuo didn't realize that something was wrong. He just said "oh" and continued to eat. This slow reaction made Tang Ru speechlessly look at his forehead.
After breakfast, the four of them, led by Xi Yunting, rushed directly to the venue specially built for this competition. This place was always a temporary building site, which would be demolished after use. Qianxiufang and Wanjin Pavilion were both the names of the sects and the names of the shops. Both were wealthy, so they were so extravagant.
The competition venue was a circular building with a large platform in the middle and three-story wooden buildings around it. The bottom floor was full of corridors, and only the second and third floors had seats for spectators. There was only one entrance to the venue, and it was being guarded. On one side stood a person from Qianxiufang, and on the other side stood a person from Wanjin Pavilion.
Both parties invited many guests, and some people came here because of their reputation. If you want to enter, you have to look at your family background and cultivation level. Chen Xiao saw many people who wanted to sneak in were stopped and politely asked to leave.
Xi Yunting handed a jade token to the guard of Qianxiufang, who immediately invited them in respectfully and took them to a position on the third floor almost facing the platform.
Not long after they sat down, a maid came over and brought them cakes and fruits, as well as a small stove for boiling water. Tong Nuonuo looked at the tea set on the table and took the initiative to boil water and make tea.
Seeing how well prepared they were, Chen Xiao couldn't help but ask, "Will this competition last a long time?"
Tong Nuonuo, as a native of this heavenly realm, has the most say. He said, "Yes, the longest competition is said to have lasted seven days and seven nights. The spectators do not have to stay here all the time. They can leave and rest during the competition. If they do not plan to leave, they will be provided with three meals a day."
Tang Ru looked at him jokingly and said, "Isn't this your first time here? You know a lot."
Tong Nuonuo laughed awkwardly: "I also asked the guys in Linglang Valley."
Tong Nuonuo was born with a young face, which naturally made people feel unprepared. She could always get the information she wanted and some unexpected news. For example, it was Tong Nuonuo who first knew about the auction she attended in Jingguo.
Chen Xiao stuffed a nut into his mouth and asked him, "Besides these, what else do you know?"
"I also heard that the two families competed in weaving and dyeing skills. They started by presenting the materials to be used, spinning them into threads, then weaving them into cloth, and finally embroidering them. The winner would be the one who came up with the best finished product."
Chen Xiao had never heard of such a competition before. "Who will decide who wins in the end?"
Tong Nuonuo was not sure about this, so Xi Yunting, who was sitting next to her, said, "The winner will be judged by the attendees who are watching."
Chen Xiao nodded in understanding. No wonder both parties invited some people to attend and strictly limited the identities of those who could enter the scene, just to avoid any unfavorable factors in the final judgment stage.
Chen Xiao and his friends arrived early, and it took half an hour for the second and third floors of the audience seats to be filled. At about nine o'clock in the morning, two women dressed gorgeously and beautifully came up from both sides of the platform.
Xi Yunting beside him whispered to introduce them: "The one wearing the red dress is Mu Jinrong, the owner of Qianxiu Pavilion, and the other one should be Hu Manniang, the owner of Wanjin Pavilion."
The two female cultivators were both very beautiful, but Mu Jinrong was very feminine, while Hu Manniang was very charming. Perhaps they had already fought offstage before, and after coming up, neither of them gave in, and each boasted about the outstanding skills of their disciples.
Chen Xiao felt that this was quite similar to canvassing for votes at a talent show.
After boasting about their disciples, Mu Jinrong and Hu Manniang went down. Then a tall man came up. He was wearing a wide robe with big sleeves and a long hem that trailed behind him. Not only was the bright yellow color a sign of nobility, but his appearance was also outstanding. If Xi Yunting had a majestic aura that made people unable to notice his handsomeness at first sight, then this person would make people immediately attracted by his beautiful and delicate facial features, and forget everything else.
His voice was a clear baritone, and he said slowly and calmly: "I am Shi Fengdu, and on behalf of Yingxian Island's Island Master's Mansion, I welcome everyone to watch the competition between Qianxiufang and Wanjin Pavilion."
It was rare to see such a rare talent. Chen Xiao, Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru were all a little stunned. Tang Ru even compared the people he had seen before and now. Only Xi Yunting, Chen Xiao, and the somewhat annoying Li Muye could compete with this level of beauty.
Seeing that Chen Xiao was also staring at him, Xi Yunting felt a little stuffy in his chest. He coughed lightly, and the three people came back to their senses. Chen Xiao glanced at Xi Yunting, who had no expression on his face, with a guilty look, and smiled at him with his lips pursed in embarrassment.
Tang Ru picked up the teacup and hid the smile on his lips. Ever since he discovered the relationship between the two, the always aloof Xi Daoyou has begun to have a human aura.
Tong Nuonuo didn't notice the eye-to-eye dispute at all. His eyes were still fixed on Shi Fengdu in the field. He sighed and said, "So this is Shi Fengdu. Hearing about him is worse than seeing him in person. He is indeed a man of great stature and appearance, a hero of Taizhen."
Tang Ru asked him curiously, "Is this Shi Fengdu very famous? Why do I vaguely remember hearing about him somewhere?" She frowned and thought hard for a while, then she remembered that she had taken a quick look at him when she went to Zhishi Hall to learn about Taizhen's general situation.
Tong Nuonuo said with some awe and admiration: "Shi Fengdu is the disciple-grandson of the island master of Yingxian Island, and the most outstanding one among the three generations of disciples. It is said that he is very talented. At a young age, he has already reached the perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and is expected to break through to the Out-of-Body stage within ten years. In this way, Shi Fengdu will have reached the Out-of-Body stage before the age of 400."
"Oh——" Tang Ru narrowed her eyes, feeling a little unconvinced. As the saying goes, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Tang Ru herself is also a person with excellent talent. She is confident that with her talent, she can be promoted to the out-of-body state at about this age. It seems that Shi Fengdu is not that good. The only one who can make her convinced is Xi Yunting, a monster with explosive martial arts value that she can't beat with one hand.
It seemed that Tang Ru's indifference made Tong Nonuo, a fan of Shi Fengdu, a little excited. Tong Nonuo immediately pulled Tang Ru to tell him about the great achievements of Shi Fengdu that he had heard from others.
What about going to the Extremely Frost Realm to hunt down fierce beasts when he was in the Foundation Establishment Stage, or leading others to destroy the nest of evil cultivators when he was in the Golden Core Stage...
Tang Ru listened at first, but then couldn't help interrupting him and said, "It seems like some of what you said have happened to us all."
Tong Nuonuo was stunned, and after thinking carefully, it was true. He stared at Tang Ru with an incredible expression. Before he knew it, he had become such a powerful figure? !
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