MTL NOVEL Chapter 168
Chapter 168 The Princess’s Competitive Spirit:
Should one feel overly anxious about meeting someone after a long separation? Wu Yingxue thought it unnecessary.
Time flows like water, rushing by. It sweeps over us like wind, carrying words that fade into whispers.
When reuniting with someone important, the memories blur. It feels as though the wait never happened, as if the hesitation and loneliness never existed.
Seeing him again would calm her restless heart. That was enough.
But the princess didn’t want their reunion to be too casual.
It was a rare, precious moment—like the moonlight emerging from dark clouds, illuminating still waters and making them shimmer in unison.
“Sir, it seems the Chinese New Year is approaching,” she murmured to herself.
Drifting through chaos and traversing the fabric of time and space, Wu Yingxue, now more mature and breathtaking than Xu Xi remembered, twirled her spear with graceful ease. The motion stirred ripples in the boundary sea, causing the heavens to shift and tides to swell.
She still remembered that snowy night, the flickering candlelight, and the tenderness in Xu Xi’s touch as he wiped the corner of her mouth.
She needed to prepare something special for him.
“A gift,” she decided, breaking through one demon world after another with determination.
The Tao and principles of the worlds she conquered condensed in her pale palm, each fragment a piece of the extraordinary gift she envisioned.
Long ago, Xu Xi had given her a paper flower. Now, as someone far stronger, she wished to give him something equally meaningful.
But finding the perfect gift was no easy task. It had to surpass the treasures he already possessed, like those two ethereal breaths.
The princess had always been competitive. That part of her hadn’t changed.
…
In the real world, Yanshan City basked under a clear blue sky.
Xu Xi tilted his head, gazing upward. His sharp mental awareness locked onto the fleeing red dragon, Rex Sanchez, whose panic-stricken departure puzzled him.
“Did that red dragon misunderstand me?”
Its frantic retreat left Xu Xi scratching his head. He had never intended harm. In fact, he valued the red dragon’s presence, which was crucial for cultivating dragon blood grass.
Sure, his sister or Krisha could solve the problem with ease if needed.
But that would feel like cheating, robbing him of the simple joy of nurturing something with his own hands.
He sighed. “I’ll have to clear things up with it someday.”
“The last thing I want is for its dragon blood to lose quality and affect the grass’s growth.”
Xu Xi dismissed the thought and left his courtyard.
After reassuring Mo Li and Krisha that they no longer needed to search for the martial world, Xu Xi used space magic again.
In one step, he crossed the distance between his courtyard and the outskirts of Yanshan City.
His timing was impeccable.
The staff from the Extraordinary Management Bureau were completing their work, filling large iron basins with food. Among the offerings were bowls of steaming white rice and tender meat—a dreamlike meal for the survival seekers.
“Everyone, help yourselves,” Xu Xi encouraged, his smile reassuring them.
Though desire burned in their eyes and saliva pooled in their mouths, they hesitated. It wasn’t until Xu Xi nodded that they dared to act.
Timid yet bold, they began ladling soup for themselves and their families.
A fragrant broth filled with chunks of tender meat steamed invitingly, its warmth seeping into their cold, weary bodies.
“Mom, eat slowly,” A Niu murmured, carefully blowing on the soup before holding the spoon to his mother’s lips.
Once she’d eaten her fill, A Niu finally turned to his own bowl. He took a small bite of rice, savoring it as though it were a precious treasure.
“Brother Xu,” he exclaimed with a grin, “this white rice is delicious!”
Xu Xi’s smile widened. “If it’s good, eat as much as you like. There’s plenty.”
A Niu nodded enthusiastically and dug in.
His joy was infectious. Soon, others followed suit, returning for second helpings and adding generous portions of meat to their bowls.
Watching them eat to their hearts’ content, Xu Xi’s own smile lingered—a soft, contented expression that reflected his inner peace.
But before everyone could finish their meals, the weather shifted dramatically.
Dark clouds rolled in, lightning crackled, and torrential rain poured from the sky.
Xu Xi waved his staff.
With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a wind barrier and a water guardian spell, shielding the people from the storm.
Rain lashed against the magical barrier, creating an odd yet mesmerizing sight. The survival seekers marveled at the phenomenon, whispering in awe about Xu Xi’s divine abilities.
But Xu Xi simply chuckled.
He reinforced the barrier, crafting an elemental roof to provide further protection.
The rest—organizing accommodations for the survival seekers—was a task he left to the professionals.
After all, cramming everyone into his courtyard wasn’t an option.
“It’s time to head home,” he decided, intending to check on A Niu and the others again tomorrow.
Just as he was about to cast space magic, a familiar figure caught his eye.
Holding an umbrella and standing quietly in the rain, she waited patiently at the edge of his vision.