The pink-haired girl and her group naturally spotted this group of extraordinary strangers standing at their doorstep. Caelus's outstanding appearance and Gu Yuena's aloof, peerless Aura caused a flash of surprise to cross her eyes.
She immediately approached with the group of boys and girls behind her, who looked like her lackeys. With hands on her hips and chin tilted up, her tone carried the 'interrogative' flavor typical of a local big shot:
"Hey, who are you people? What are you doing standing at the entrance of my Earth Dragon Gate?"
Before Caelus and the others could respond, another gatekeeping Disciple saw the situation and rushed over, whispering to the pink-haired girl:
"Young Lord, they are from Shrek Academy and are here to visit the Sect Leader. Please, you mustn't be rude."
The gatekeeping Disciple's face showed obvious nervousness. He knew all too well that this Young Gate Master was spoiled by the Sect Leader to the point of being fearless—a total little demoness. If she offended distinguished guests from Shrek Academy, it would be no small matter.
"Shrek Academy?!"
As expected, upon hearing the name, the pink-haired girl Nan Qiuqiu's eyes instantly lit up. Instead of being intimidated, she scrutinized Caelus's group with even more curiosity. Her gaze finally landed on Caelus and Gu Yuena, who had the most unique temperaments, and she curled her lip.
"So you're the people from Shrek Academy? I think... you're nothing special, hmm..."
Her gaze paused on Caelus's face for a moment, and her voice unconsciously dropped a bit, sounding somewhat awkward.
"...You do look quite handsome, though."
"The Young Gate Master of the Earth Dragon Gate?"
Ma Xiaotao had already been a bit displeased by the young girl's scrutinizing gaze. Hearing this, she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, giving her a taste of her own medicine with a provocative reply.
"I don't think you're anything special either, little—girl—"
She deliberately dragged out the last word.
"Who are you calling a little girl?!"
Nan Qiuqiu instantly bristled like a cat whose Tail had been stepped on. She hated it most when people brought up her age.
She was about to argue back puffily when her gaze unconsciously swept over Ma Xiaotao's explosive, proud figure—especially those 'assets' that were many times more majestic than hers. By comparison, the words at the tip of her tongue were suddenly choked back. Her small face stiffened, and her Aura inexplicably weakened.
Ma Xiaotao keenly caught Nan Qiuqiu's momentary glance and stiff expression. She immediately revealed a mischievous and superior smile, deliberately puffing out her chest further. The visual impact of that stunning curve dealt tons of 'true damage' to Nan Qiuqiu.
However, Ma Xiaotao's unconscious act of showing off accurately caused collateral damage to her 'allies'.
Standing slightly behind her, Ling Luochen's eye corner twitched uncontrollably. A flash of speechlessness and irritation crossed her ice-blue eyes. She wanted to snap 'boring' or'shallow,' but since there were many people and outsiders present, she forced herself to hold the words back, though the chill around her seemed to grow heavier.
Even Ye Guyi subconsciously looked down at her own chest, which was still developing and could be called'small buns.' Comparing them to Ma Xiaotao's 'large watermelons,' her exquisite face instantly darkened. She murmured to herself in a low, unwilling voice, trying to comfort herself:
"It's fine... I'm still young... I'll still grow..."
Even Gu Yuena, who was always cold and self-contained as if she didn't belong to the mortal world, had her amethyst-like eyes drift down imperceptibly. She glanced at her own curves, which were already taking shape but were far from Ma Xiaotao's exaggerated ones, before quickly looking away. Her face remained expressionless, but that tiny movement betrayed a subtle shift in her mood.
Taking in this entire scene, the corners of Caelus's mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly as he sighed inwardly:
'As expected, even the Silver Dragon King is ultimately a girl at heart. In matters like this, she'll still care and compare a little.'
In contrast, Xi Xi, who had a weak presence, was much more composed, completely unaffected by Ma Xiaotao.
In this slightly awkward and strange atmosphere, the gatekeeping Disciple who had gone inside to announce them finally returned with news. He respectfully said to Ma Xiaotao and the others:
"Distinguished guests from Shrek Academy, the Sect Leader invites you in. Please follow me."
'Hmph, this Young Miss won't lower herself to your level.'
Nan Qiuqiu took another quick glance at Ma Xiaotao's inferiority-inducing chest. She practically spat those words through gritted teeth, trying to reclaim a final shred of dignity.
'Let's go.'
She waved her hand forcefully as if to sweep away the previous embarrassment. Leading her group of boys and girls, who were also shrinking back a bit, she was the first to walk through the gate of the Earth Dragon Gate with her head held high.
Seeing this, the gatekeeping Disciple could only offer Ma Xiaotao and the others an awkward but polite smile, apologizing repeatedly:
"Please do not take offense, distinguished guests. Our Young Lord is young and blunt, but she means no harm."
As he spoke, he respectfully made a gesture for them to enter.
Ma Xiaotao had achieved a complete victory in the 'invisible clash' just now. Feeling quite pleased, she stopped being bothered by it. She nodded to the Disciple and then led Ling Luochen, Xi Xi, and Caelus's trio into the Earth Dragon Gate.
Upon entering the interior of the Earth Dragon Gate, the environment shared the same sense of weight as the exterior, but with added elegance and vitality.
The courtyard was wide, paved with smooth blue stone slabs. The sides of the road were not lined with ordinary flowers and plants, but with many cold-resistant plants that contained special energy; some even emitted faint ripples of Soul Power.
Rock gardens and ponds were arranged tastefully, with murmuring water. One could faintly sense some sort of facility underground that made the temperature inside the sect much warmer than outside, and the air was exceptionally fresh.
The group passed through several courtyards and was led to the Inner Court of the Earth Dragon Gate.
It was even more secluded here. A meticulously tended garden came into view, with exotic flowers and rare herbs competing for beauty, a stark contrast to the severe cold of the Far North.
In the center of the garden, a woman dressed in a light pink gown had her back to them. She was elegantly holding a white jade watering can, carefully watering a patch of spiritual plants that emitted a hazy glow.
Her figure was graceful; from the back, she looked like a young girl in her prime.
Nan Qiuqiu, who had run in ahead, was currently clinging to her arm and acting spoiled in a low voice, seemingly lodging a complaint.
Hearing footsteps, the woman in the pink gown slowly turned around.
Her appearance was extremely outstanding. She looked to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Her skin was fair and lustrous, her features were like a painting, and her pink hair—the same color as Nan Qiuqiu's—fell softly over her shoulders, making her look even more delicate than the flowers.
However, her eyes, which were as calm as water, contained an accumulation of years and a sense of authority that did not match her appearance.
This person was the Sect Leader of the Earth Dragon Gate, a Spirit Douluo powerhouse with the Rouge Dragon Martial Soul—Nan Shuishui.
She was also Nan Qiuqiu's mother.
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