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The Dilong Sect had a great reputation in Dragon City—not just well-known, but also well-regarded. Luan Yu had looked into it before, and after hitting it off instantly with Nan Shuishui, she felt confident leaving things in her hands.
And as it turned out, her instincts were right. Meteor and Firefly were clearly doing great at Dilong Sect. Especially Firefly—her little face looked plumper and rosier than it did a year ago, probably from eating way too many cupcakes. Thankfully, she was the kind of kid who didn't gain weight no matter how much she ate. Otherwise, with her cupcake habit, she'd be a chubby little ball by now.
If Nan Shuishui hadn't kept a strict watch over Firefly's cupcake intake, then with Nan Qiuqiu constantly sneaking her treats, that little foodie would've completely let loose, using her special constitution as an excuse.
"Big Sis Nan, I've been out for over a year now. I think it's time I head back," Luan Yu said softly.
"So soon? Can't you stay a bit longer?" Nan Shuishui was surprised and tried to persuade her to stay.
Luan Yu shook her head. "I've got family back home. I've been gone so long, she'll be worried."
Nan Shuishui sighed with regret. "Alright then, I won't keep you. But what about those two little ones?"
She already knew from earlier conversations that Meteor and Firefly weren't Luan Yu's biological kids—she had picked them up somewhere. Over the past year, she'd grown really fond of the two. They were way more sensible than her own ditzy daughter, and it would've been great if they could stay. They clearly had impressive talent and got along well with Qiuqiu, so she was reluctant to let them go.
Luan Yu noticed what Nan Shuishui was thinking. She turned to the kids and asked, "So, do you two want to stay here, or come home with me?"
Nan Qiuqiu looked at them hopefully—she didn't want to say goodbye to her two best buddies.
Meteor and Firefly exchanged a quick glance, instantly understanding each other's decision. Meteor looked apologetically at Nan Shuishui, then said, "We'll go back with Auntie. Godmother, Qiuqiu, don't worry—we'll come visit whenever we can."
Even though they'd had a fun year at Dilong Sect and Nan Shuishui had taken good care of them, Luan Yu was the first person they met in this world, the one who brought them into it. That meant something special.
Besides, Luan Yu had said she didn't have a family—just one sister. But Nan Shuishui had the entire Dilong Sect and Qiuqiu. If the kids stayed, Luan Yu would be all alone again, wandering the world by herself.
Nan Shuishui was disappointed, but also a little relieved. If they'd chosen to stay, she'd be happy—but if they'd turned their backs on the one who rescued them from the wilds, she'd be deeply let down. So she was conflicted—grateful they valued loyalty, but sad they didn't choose to stay with her.
She ruffled their hair and smiled. "You two take care and train hard with your aunt. Your godmother's counting on you to protect her someday."
"Okay!" both kids answered, a little downcast. Goodbyes were never easy.
Nan Qiuqiu bit her lip, her eyes turning red, and crossed her arms. "How many times do I have to tell you, Meteor—call me 'Big Sis'!"
Luan Yu found the mood a little heavy and tried to lighten things up. "Come on, why so gloomy? It's not like you'll never see each other again. Next time I get a chance, I'll bring these two troublemakers back for a visit."
Meteor didn't like the sad atmosphere either. He quickly changed the subject. "Hey, Qiuqiu, didn't you want Firefly to help you beat up Jade Tianlong and the others? Let's go now!"
Sure enough, Nan Qiuqiu's eyes lit up immediately. The sadness faded, and she grabbed Meteor and Firefly by the hand, dragging them out as she called over her shoulder, "You said it! No backing out!"
"This kid…" Nan Shuishui shook her head with a helpless smile, then followed after them with Luan Yu.
Since Meteor and Firefly were leaving soon, she decided not to restrict Firefly anymore. Let her daughter go wild this one time before they parted ways.
Soon, Nan Qiuqiu dragged them to a training ground belonging to Tianlong Sect. At the moment, Jade Tianlong and the others were still there. When they saw Nan Qiuqiu show up with two little kids, Xing Yan raised a brow. "What, Nan Qiuqiu? Lost and couldn't take it, so now you're calling in reinforcements?"
Then he looked more closely at Meteor and Firefly—both obviously only around four or five years old—and said in disbelief, "Who are these two brats? Don't tell me they're the backup you called?"
Meteor's face darkened. Sure, he did look small right now, but he hated being called a brat. He whispered to Firefly, "Kick his ass so hard his mom won't recognize him."
Firefly sighed. She didn't really want to bully little kids, but Nan Qiuqiu had bought her so many cupcakes—that was a huge debt in her book. Plus, Meteor had asked.
Nan Qiuqiu stood there with hands on her hips, full of righteous fury. "Jade Tianlong, this is my little brother and sister. They're from Dilong Sect too, so they're not outsiders. If you've got the guts, fight my sister."
Jade Tianlong frowned and shook his head. "Nan Qiuqiu, cut it out. I'm not gonna pick on little kids."
He knew who Meteor and Firefly were—Nan Shuishui's adopted kids. They were five years old tops, hadn't even awakened their spirits yet. As a proper man, how could he stoop so low as to bully two spiritless brats?
Xing Yan stepped forward. "Nan Qiuqiu, if you're still salty about losing, just challenge us again yourself. What's the point of dragging in two kids who haven't even awakened their martial souls?"
Just as he finished, he felt a gust of wind blow past him—a blur shot right by, straight at Jade Tianlong.
Jade Tianlong's eyes widened. He instinctively raised both arms to block. A moment later, a soft little fist slammed into his forearms.
BANG!
With a muffled boom, the air rippled. Jade Tianlong was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground and rolling several times. If he hadn't activated his soul power just in time to protect himself, he'd have been in even worse shape.
Xing Yan's jaw dropped as he stared in shock at Firefly, who was pulling back her little fist.
"Y-you… what?!"
He hadn't even seen her move! He was a soul master with a top-tier beast spirit and a full sixteenth level of spirit power. Even senior soul masters wouldn't be able to catch him off guard like that—it'd take someone at least at the Soul Exalted level.
But this tiny girl who didn't even look six… was a Soul Exalted? No way!
And she just one-punched Tianlong like it was nothing. Both he and Jade Tianlong had innate full spirit power and top-tier beast spirits, but even between top-tier spirits, there were levels. His red dragon couldn't compare to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, so he'd always lost to Tianlong in sparring matches.
And now this little girl—who clearly didn't even look like a soul master—had just sent Jade Tianlong flying with one punch?
He honestly felt like he was dreaming.
"....."