28 Chapter 27

Just as Qian Daoliu and Cai Wen were about to resume their conversation, the faint echo of footsteps permeated the main entrance, signaling the arrival of another person. Cai Wen's eyes lit up in recognition as Chrysanthemums Douluo had finally arrived.

The moment Chrysanthemums Douluo entered and saw Qian Daoliu engrossed in conversation with Cai Wen, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. However, he quickly regained his composure. Dropping to one knee in a respectful bow, he greeted, "Grand Worship Qian."

With a nod, Qian Daoliu acknowledged him before shifting his attention back to Cai Wen. "I heard that you will be accompanying this young man on his journey to acquire a spirit ring?" he inquired.

"Yes, Grand Worship," Chrysanthemums Douluo confirmed, rising to his full height.

Suddenly, Qian Daoliu proposed an unexpected idea, "Why don't you join us? Renxue and I are also planning to head to the Star Dou Forest."

Caught off guard, Cai Wen and Chrysanthemums Douluo exchanged surprised glances. Neither had anticipated this turn of events, but it was impossible to refuse such an offer from one of the most powerful figures in the Spirit Hall. Chrysanthemums Douluo respectfully accepted.

"We would be honored, Grand Worship Qian," he said, bowing his head again.

Qian Renxue, who had been quietly observing the proceedings, was taken aback. Her gaze darted to Cai Wen, her eyes filled with a mixture of dislike and irritation. The thought of him accompanying them was not pleasing to her, but she bit back any objections, unwilling to contradict her grandfather in public.

An idea suddenly occurred to her. "But Grandpa, aren't we planning to fly towards the Star Dou Forest? Can they even fly like us?" she asked, trying to sound innocent, though it was clear she was not fond of Cai Wen.

Chrysanthemums Douluo was quick to respond. "Don't worry, young miss, I can manage that," he assured, summoning his martial spirit—a chrysanthemum. A sudden burst of petals emerged from it, which he manipulated to form a pair of wings. "With these, I should be able to fly like a flying spirit master. I can also carry Cai Wen so we won't be a burden."

Qian Renxue glared at Chrysanthemums Douluo, who maintained a calm facade despite feeling a tad apprehensive. He didn't want to offend the Grand Worship by failing to meet his request, nor did he wish to be looked down upon, so he improvised.

"I can actually fly, Miss Renxue," Cai Wen interjected, raising his right hand.

Her glare intensified.

"We don't have all day, Xuer. Cai Wen, Chrysanthemums, let's go," Qian Daoliu gently announced, summoning three pairs of white wings and taking to the sky.

Qian Renxue maintained her icy stare at Cai Wen, a contemptuous 'hmph' escaping her lips before a sudden smirk spread across her face. Three pairs of majestic white wings materialized behind her, fluttering gracefully as she took flight, closely followed by her grandfather.

Chrysanthemums Douluo, another member of their party, also began to ascend. Seeing them take to the air, Cai Wen summoned his Dragon Ring Gloves, activating his first spirit ring ability. A burst of vibrant orange flame erupted from his hands, propelling him skyward.

Having made their decision, they embarked on their journey toward the Star Dou Forest. Qian Renxue, Qian Daoliu, and Chrysanthemums Douluo watched with interest as Cai Wen demonstrated his unique way of utilizing his spirit ability.

"That's an clever use of a spirit ability," Qian Daoliu remarked.

"Hmph, that may be true, Grandpa, but how long can he possibly stay afloat like that?" Qian Renxue retorted. Despite her amazement, she veiled her emotions, turning her gaze toward the Star Dou forest.

"Grandpa, let's go," she urged, launching herself toward their destination with an impressive 80% of her maximum speed, a velocity that could challenge a flying spirit master of over level 40. She took the lead and the rest just follow her.

'Do you presume that merely because you possess the ability to fly, you can keep pace with us?' She sneered, taking flight into the sky with a brazen disregard for the expenditure of her spiritual power. 'Let's see if you can even start to keep up with us.'

Qian Daoliu was able to see through to his granddaughter's thoughts. Yet, he maintains his silence, as he also wanted to see the limits of Cai Wen.

Chrysanthemums Douluo, though he desired to aid the Pope's disciple, maintained his silence. He too could discern the motives of the young girl, and seeing that her grandfather remained silent, he felt compelled to do the same.

However, they were all taken aback when they discovered that Cai Wen was effortlessly matching their flight speed. He showed no signs of struggle, a fact that reignited Qian Renxue's anger.

She accelerated once more, now pushing herself to her absolute limits. Her speed was such that the scenery below became nothing more than a blur in her vision.

With a smug smile, she glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Cai Wen lagging behind or struggling. However, her smile froze upon seeing him just a meter behind her. Although there was a hint of strain on his face, it was barely perceptible.

She gritted her teeth in determination. "Let's see how long you can maintain this pace," she challenged. She was truly irritated and ignored him.

On the other hand, Cai Wen was relishing the flight. This was the first time he had truly allowed himself to soar freely in the sky. He marveled at why he'd never before considered flying in such a fashion, finding the view from up high to be exhilarating.

He also held no concern for the consumption of spiritual power. Thanks to his six eyes, he could manage his spiritual power with unparalleled precision. He could harness his spiritual power in the most efficient manner, avoiding waste. This impressive level of control further astounded Qian Daoliu, as he had never before encountered someone with such mastery except himself.

After half an hour, they were still flying at the same intense speed as before, and Qian Renxue's face was pale from the exhaustion of using most of her spiritual power. Meanwhile, although signs of fatigue were evident on Cai Wen's face, they weren't nearly as pronounced as hers.

'Why!? He's merely a 20th-rank spirit master! Why am I losing in terms of spirit power!? I refuse to be bested by someone ten levels beneath me!' She spurred herself on, managing to maintain her speed for three more grueling minutes. However, everyone has their limits, and she had finally reached hers.

She could no longer maintain her ability to stay airborne, her wings dimming and vanishing as she began to plummet. Exhaustion had finally overtaken her, her vision began to darken and as she glanced downwards, the ground was rapidly approaching.

In her fatigue-addled state, she had forgotten the presence of the two 90+ level Douluos. She braced herself for the impending impact, but instead, she found herself cradled in a warm, soft embrace.

Subconsciously, she wrapped her arms around her savior, assuming it was her grandfather. But when she opened her eyes, she was met with a pair of deep blue eyes filled with concern.

"Miss Renxue, are you alright?" Cai Wen asked, his concern evident as he looks at her.