The Arrival of the Competing Teams

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The three women chatted and laughed along the way. As dusk turned to night, they arrived at Spirit City.

"So this is Spirit City. It's a huge place, and even at this hour, it's still bustling," Xiao Rou remarked as she stepped out of the carriage. Despite the late hour, the streets were still filled with people.

"Huh? Sister Xiao Rou, you've been talking it up so much, but you've never actually been here before?" Lin Yongming teased.

"Of course not. Without sufficient strength, how could I dare come here?" Xiao Rou replied helplessly.

"Sister Xiao Rou, you're being too modest. Spirit City is quite safe," Bibi Dong explained.

During the carriage ride, Bibi Dong had learned about Xiao Rou's current strength—she was now a level 76 Spirit Sage.

After absorbing the Golden Chrysanthemum Immortal Herb last time, Xiao Rou's spirit power had surged by five levels.

However, Spirit City was home to many powerful spirit masters. Before reaching level 70 and becoming a Spirit Sage, Xiao Rou hadn't dared to come here.

Lin Yongming and Blue Silver Emperor also knew that Xiao Rou wouldn't expose herself now, which was why they had gone to pick her up. Otherwise, they wouldn't have brought her along.

"It's almost eight o'clock. I'm starving after all the back and forth. Let's eat. We'll grab something near the Spirit Hotel," Blue Silver Emperor said, pulling Xiao Rou along.

"Let's go!" Lin Yongming nodded.

Soon, they arrived near the hotel and found a relatively affordable restaurant to have dinner.

By the time they finished dinner, it was almost nine o'clock. Bibi Dong wanted to follow them back to the hotel.

"No, Saintess. It's too late now. His Holiness the Pope might scold you. You should head back," Lin Yongming advised.

"That's right. You've been with us all day, and the carriage ride was tiring. Let's talk tomorrow," Blue Silver Emperor added.

"Alright, I'll come find you tomorrow," Bibi Dong reluctantly agreed, realizing it was indeed getting late.

With that, Bibi Dong headed back to Spirit Hall, glancing back every few steps.

"Dong'er, it's so late. Where have you been all day?" Qian Xunji, seated in a pavilion in the backyard of the Pope's residence, sipped tea as he addressed her.

"Greetings, Teacher. The Elite Competition is approaching, and I've been taking a break these past two days. I took Lin Yongming and the others around Spirit City since they've been training in the academy and haven't had a chance to explore," Bibi Dong explained respectfully.

"Hmm, it's fine to enjoy yourself, but don't neglect your training. You've been in the training room for three months straight, so it's good to rest for a few days. Just remember not to come back so late next time," Qian Xunji nodded, not pressing the matter further.

"Understood, Teacher. I'll keep that in mind," Bibi Dong replied with a slight bow.

"Go on, get some rest."

"Yes!" Bibi Dong turned and let out a sigh of relief as she headed to her room.

Meanwhile, back at the Spirit Hotel, Lin Yongming found himself in a bit of a dilemma.

"Sister Xiao Rou, will you share a room with A'yin, or should we get another room?" Lin Yongming asked in the hotel lobby.

"Since there are two bedrooms, why waste money on another room? Besides, I'm only staying for a few days to watch the Continental Elite Competition. After that, I'll be heading back," Xiao Rou said considerately.

"Exactly! Of course, she'll share a room with me. It's been so long since I've hugged Sister Xiao Rou," Blue Silver Emperor said, wrapping her arm around Xiao Rou's shoulder affectionately.

"Get off me! You kick the blankets every night. I'm not sharing a bed with you. Every time we sleep together, it's a mess. Go hug your Xiao Ming," Xiao Rou said with a look of disgust.

"No way! I hug Xiao Ming every day. I'm tired of it," Blue Silver Emperor protested.

"Go on, don't even think about it. You're a married woman now. I don't have time to take care of you," Xiao Rou continued to reject her.

"That's right. A'yin always kicks the blankets," Lin Yongming agreed, nodding.

"Go away! You're sleeping on the couch tonight," Blue Silver Emperor shot back, glaring at Lin Yongming.

Lin Yongming immediately deflated.

"Xiao Ming, you can't spoil her too much," Xiao Rou said, standing up for Lin Yongming.

As they chatted, the three of them made their way to the hotel room. In the end, Xiao Rou couldn't resist Blue Silver Emperor's persistence and shared a bedroom with her.

After showering, it was almost ten o'clock. Exhausted from the day's carriage ride, Lin Yongming returned to his bedroom and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Lin Yongming was awakened by a knock on the door.

Rubbing his eyes and still in his pajamas, Lin Yongming opened the door to find Bibi Dong standing there, having arrived early in the morning.

"Good morning, Xiao Ming!" Bibi Dong greeted with a smile.

"Are A'yin and Sister Xiao Rou still asleep?"

"Saintess, come on in," Lin Yongming said helplessly. "Who knows how late they stayed up chatting last night? They're still not up."

"Alright!" Bibi Dong stepped inside, her cheeks slightly flushed as she noticed Lin Yongming's thin pajamas, which revealed the contours of his upper body.

"Xiao Ming has a nice figure," Bibi Dong thought to herself as she entered the living room.

"Saintess, make yourself comfortable. You're here so early that I haven't even washed up or gotten dressed yet," Lin Yongming said, closing the door and heading back to his bedroom.

"Okay," Bibi Dong replied.

"Did I come too early?" Bibi Dong wondered, as it was only a little past ten.

Lin Yongming went about his morning routine, washing up and getting dressed. He then poured himself a glass of water and sat down across from Bibi Dong.

"Xiao Ming, since they're still asleep, why don't we go down and buy some breakfast to bring back?" Bibi Dong suggested.

"Sure, who knows when they'll wake up," Lin Yongming agreed.

"Really? Let's go!" Bibi Dong stood up eagerly, her excitement evident.

The two of them left the room and headed downstairs to the street.

"Xiao Ming, what does A'yin usually eat for breakfast?" Bibi Dong asked softly, her cheeks and ears tinged with red as she walked side by side with Lin Yongming.

"Finally, I have a chance to be alone with Xiao Ming," Bibi Dong thought happily to herself.

If Lin Yongming could see Bibi Dong's expression and read her thoughts, he might have thought she was acting just like her original self—sweet, naive, and a little lovestruck.

"A'yin? She's not picky, but if she had to choose between meat and vegetables, she'd prefer vegetables," Lin Yongming answered seriously.

"Oh, that's good. No wonder A'yin is so graceful, gentle, and has such a great figure," Bibi Dong said with a hint of envy.

"Well, she's alright. And Saintess, you're not bad either. As the Saintess of Spirit Hall, you're like a princess of an empire. Your demeanor is excellent," Lin Yongming replied with an awkward smile.

"You can't see, so you don't know how beautiful A'yin is. She's the most beautiful and gentle woman I've ever met. If you could see her, I'm sure you'd fall in love with her all over again," Bibi Dong said, her voice tinged with admiration.

"Saintess, it's not that big of a deal. I just feel comfortable around A'yin. Her personality is great, and that's why I'm with her," Lin Yongming said with a faint smile.

"True, A'yin has a wonderful personality," Bibi Dong nodded, then bit her lip, hesitating.

Finally, she asked, "Xiao Ming, since you and A'yin are engaged, when will you officially hold the wedding?"

"We haven't decided yet. Maybe in a year or two," Lin Yongming replied after some thought.

"I see," Bibi Dong nodded, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She quickly changed the subject. "We're at the breakfast place. Let's buy some and take it back to the hotel to eat together."

Deep down, Bibi Dong wanted to ask, "If someone else were willing to be with you, would you accept them?"

But she found herself unable to voice the question. The thought of sharing someone was difficult for her to accept.

After all, Bibi Dong was a proud and talented individual at heart.

With that, Lin Yongming and Bibi Dong each carried two bags of breakfast and headed back to the hotel.

"Saintess, by the way, do you still have that Soul-Severing Grass I gave you?" Lin Yongming asked casually.

"Yes, I've kept it in my spatial spirit tool all this time. It's strange, but it hasn't withered in the bottle. Do you need it?" Bibi Dong replied, a little surprised.

"No, I was just asking. It's good that you still have it. Keep it with you. It might come in handy someday," Lin Yongming said.

"Alright, I'll keep it with me. I'm curious to see when it will finally wither," Bibi Dong replied, intrigued by the Soul-Severing Grass.

When they returned to the hotel, they found Blue Silver Emperor and Xiao Rou already sitting in the living room.

"We were wondering where you two went. Turns out you were buying breakfast," Blue Silver Emperor said as they entered.

"Yeah, you and Sister Xiao Rou were still asleep, so we went to grab some. We haven't eaten either," Lin Yongming explained, placing the food on the table.

"Perfect timing. It's still warm. Let's eat together," Bibi Dong said with a smile.

"Thank you, Saintess. Sorry for the trouble," Blue Silver Emperor said, taking the breakfast from Bibi Dong.

"No need to be so formal. Didn't I say yesterday that you can just call me Bibi Dong here?" Bibi Dong reminded her with a hint of exasperation.

"Right, Bibi Dong. It's just a habit," Blue Silver Emperor said with a grin.

"By the way, how late did you and Sister Xiao Rou stay up chatting last night?" Lin Yongming asked curiously.

"What's it to you? Women's matters are none of your business," Blue Silver Emperor shot back.

"Ugh, I'm not sharing a room with you tomorrow night. I'll get my own room. A'yin kept me up until almost midnight. She really can talk," Xiao Rou said, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

"It's not like that! I just wanted to express how much I've missed you these past three months," Blue Silver Emperor said, a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, right," Xiao Rou poked Blue Silver Emperor's forehead.

"Haha!" Lin Yongming and Bibi Dong laughed.

The four of them sat down at the table and enjoyed their breakfast together.

"After we eat, I'll take you to a great spot. There's a natural garden at the western edge of Spirit City with all kinds of flowers. It's really beautiful," Bibi Dong suggested as they ate.

"Sure, we don't have any plans after breakfast. You can lead the way," Xiao Rou agreed.

Half an hour later, they left the hotel, with Bibi Dong leading them to the natural garden.

They spent the entire day there, returning to the center of Spirit City around five in the afternoon.

After dinner, Bibi Dong headed back to Spirit Hall alone.

That night, Xiao Rou locked Blue Silver Emperor out of the bedroom.

"Fine, I'll go hug Xiao Ming then," Blue Silver Emperor pouted, making her way to Lin Yongming's room.

"A'yin, did you get kicked out?" Lin Yongming asked with a smile.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Blue Silver Emperor sat down beside him.

"Well, let's enjoy our alone time," Lin Yongming said, gently pulling Blue Silver Emperor into his arms.

"Hmph… you're so annoying," Blue Silver Emperor lay down.

"Turn off the lights!" she glared at him.

"Alright," Lin Yongming nodded.

Soon, soft murmurs filled the room.

Two more days passed, during which the four of them explored Spirit City thoroughly.

On the fourth morning, Bibi Dong shared some news with Lin Yongming and the others.

"Teacher said that the 32 teams from the two empires participating in the Elite Competition will arrive in Spirit City this afternoon."

"The Spirit Hotels on both sides will be accommodating them, so the rooms around yours will likely be filled with these participants," Bibi Dong explained.

"That's fine. I was wondering why the hotel was so empty these past two days. Turns out it was reserved for them," Blue Silver Emperor said nonchalantly.

"Which empire's teams will be staying on our side?" Lin Yongming asked curiously.

"Unfortunately, it's the teams from the Heaven Dou Empire," Bibi Dong replied.

"Great! The competition is about to start. As you said, the streets of Spirit City have been getting busier these past two days," Xiao Rou said with anticipation.

"Yes, I came to let you know about the situation. I'll probably have to stay by Teacher's side today and won't be able to go anywhere," Bibi Dong said regretfully.

"That's fine. You have your responsibilities. Is the opening ceremony for the finals tomorrow morning?" Lin Yongming asked.

"Yes, the opening ceremony is tomorrow morning. The draw for the top 32 will determine the matchups for the round of 16. Since we're in the second round, we won't be competing tomorrow, but we'll still attend the ceremony," Bibi Dong explained.

"Got it. I'll meet up with you tomorrow morning," Lin Yongming nodded.

"Alright, I'll head back now," Bibi Dong said before leaving.

"It's finally starting. Xiao Ming, do your best! Sister Xiao Rou and I will be cheering for you from the sidelines," Blue Silver Emperor said excitedly.

"Mm," Lin Yongming nodded.

After resting in the room for a while, around two in the afternoon, the sound of commotion came from outside the hotel.

Curious, Blue Silver Emperor stepped out onto the balcony and saw the various academy teams gathering outside the Spirit Hotel, each holding their respective flags.

Under the guidance of the Spirit Hall bishops, the teams began entering the hotel and settling into their rooms.

"Xiao Ming, I see some familiar faces—Hong Ying and Ning Fengzhi are here. He's accompanied by the Sword Douluo and a middle-aged man who looks a lot like him," Blue Silver Emperor reported to Lin Yongming.

"Oh, Ning Fengzhi is here too? We should catch up with him if we get the chance," Lin Yongming said, joining Blue Silver Emperor on the balcony.

Over a hundred people were gathered at the hotel entrance, organized by the Spirit Hall bishops as they entered the hotel in an orderly fashion.

"Who's leading the Heaven Dou Empire's delegation this time? Is it Prince Xue Xing?" Lin Yongming asked.

"Let me see… Yes, it's Prince Xue Xing," Blue Silver Emperor confirmed after scanning the crowd.

"Too bad Tang Yuehua isn't here," Blue Silver Emperor added with a hint of disappointment.

"Tang Yuehua? She's not really a spirit master, so she probably didn't come," Lin Yongming sighed.

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 228 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 40 power stones I will publish the next chapter.