Faced with her attendant's concern, Xu Jiujium responded calmly, the ripple in her gaze vanishing almost instantly.
On the Douluo Continent, strange talents and hidden sects were nothing new. Encountering a few near the outskirts of the Mingdou Great Forest wasn't exactly unusual.
While Xu Jiujium remained serene, her personal guard Zhu Wen was far from reassured. She cast a sharp, evaluating glance toward the trio at the northeastern corner of the inn—who were currently devouring their meal—and her brow furrowed ever deeper.
Zhu Wen, hand-picked by Emperor Xu Jiawei himself to protect the princess, hailed from the Zhu Clan of the Nether Shadow Spirit Cat bloodline. A mature beauty with thin lips and shrewd eyes, she excelled in reading situations and detecting danger. Her mission was simple: ensure the absolute safety of Xu Jiujium.
And now, in this remote outpost, two Soul Saints were escorting a young man for dinner? That youth's background was undoubtedly extraordinary—and possibly a threat.
Recalling the importance of their current mission, Zhu Wen quietly moved her lips, transmitting sound with compressed soul power to one of the academy's leading instructors:
"Old Mo, that masked boy in the northeastern corner—he's unusual. I believe he's an unknown variable. If we don't address it, he could interfere with Her Highness's plans."
Hearing this, Old Mo shifted his gaze slightly, then calmly led the Star Luo Royal Academy group to the most spacious table available, inwardly calculating his options.
After a moment's thought, Old Mo looked toward a lean, wiry youth in their team and sent a spiritual message:
"Xiao Jie, go check out that masked young man dining in the corner. Try to feel out his strength. If possible, invite him to dine with us."
"Understood, Teacher."
Chen Xiaojie, who had been chatting with his teammates, perked up upon receiving the transmission. With a casual joke to his peers, he rose and headed directly toward Xu Tianxi's table.
Zhu Wen, observing that one of the top three strongest students had been dispatched, nodded in satisfaction.
Just as the whispers in the inn had speculated, this was indeed the official preliminary team of the Star Luo Royal Academy, formed in preparation for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament two years from now. The team had already earned the emperor's personal approval.
With two Soul Kings already on the roster and Chen Xiaojie on the verge of breaking through, this trip was partly to help him acquire his fifth soul ring—and partly a team assessment: to eliminate a brutal group of Evil Soul Masters and hone their group coordination.
Zhu Wen's role was to help Xu Jiujium cement her leadership within the team, documenting every moment of her valiant command to build her fame and reputation.
This mission had been hand-selected by the emperor. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong.
Northeastern Corner, Lai Fu Inn
Sensing a sharp, hawk-like gaze locking onto him, Xu Tianxi's brows lifted slightly in puzzlement.
I'm already staying low profile—how am I still attracting trouble?
The approaching spiritual pressure was nothing to scoff at. Roughly the level of a weak Soul King.
He sincerely hoped this wasn't going to be annoying. If someone was looking for trouble… well, they could go ahead and find it. He'd simply kill them and pin the blame on soul beasts or Evil Soul Masters.
Chen Xiaojie approached swiftly, but Xu Tianxi didn't even glance at him. Instead, he used his fork to slice off a chunk of tender, braised rabbit meat and brought it to his mouth with elegant ease.
Not bad. This hundred-year Soft-Boned Rabbit is quite well-prepared.
Xu Tianxi ignored him, and Yue Lao and Zhisen—his two Soul Saint-level companions—certainly wouldn't be moved by a mere quasi–Soul King. If there was a fight, they'd just kill him.
Noticing their utter disregard, Chen Xiaojie coughed pointedly and took the initiative.
"Ahem… Friend, I've come all the way over here. Aren't you going to acknowledge me?"
According to his teacher, the masked youth's cultivation was likely around the Soul Ancestor level. At that level, the soul master should easily notice any disturbances within a dozen meters. Since he hadn't masked his footsteps, the boy must have sensed him—but was choosing to ignore him.
Apparently, food was more important.
"My apologies, I was eating. Didn't notice you."
Xu Tianxi didn't even look up, still slicing meat as he spoke. He only briefly lifted his head like a flash of lightning, then dropped it again, his gaze fixed on the knife and fork in his hands.
"I don't know what you want, but I'd suggest waiting until I finish eating. Whether it's tea and conversation or a duel, I'll entertain it—after the meal."
"I'm here to…" Chen Xiaojie began to explain, planning to extend an invitation.
But Xu Tianxi cut him off flatly, staring directly at him.
"But if you ruin my meal, I'll assume you're here to cause trouble. And in that case, I'll be in a very bad mood. So will the two seniors beside me."
"You wouldn't want to walk away bruised and battered, would you? Just wait a moment. We got here first. I eat fast—it won't take long."
With that, Xu Tianxi calmly popped a piece of rabbit leg into his mouth and took a sip of spring water, acting as if Chen Xiaojie didn't exist.
There was no need to entertain uninvited guests—especially ones he didn't ask to be there. If they wanted to chat, they could buzz off somewhere else.
Chen Xiaojie's face turned a little ugly.
As the son of a Star Luo Empire marquis and a rising genius, few had ever dared speak to him this way.
This masked boy wasn't just dismissive—he was practically mocking him, as if he were unworthy of attention.
Even the highly gifted and noble Princess Xu Jiujium treated others with gentle civility. And here this unknown youth was, acting high and mighty?
Still, the boy had a point. He couldn't beat those two Soul Saints.
Chen Xiaojie took a deep breath to suppress his irritation and said with forced calm:
"I came here to invite you to join my teammates and me for a meal. We're all young people—it might be nice to talk and bond. Would you do me the honor?"
Xu Tianxi finally paused mid-cut, looked up, and frowned.
"I don't know you. What's there to talk about? And judging from how we're dressed and seated, shouldn't it be obvious that we prefer quiet?
I'd say you're forcing it a little."
What's wrong with these people from the Star Luo Royal Academy?
He'd gone through the trouble of wearing a soul tool face mask, picked a quiet spot, and restrained his soul power—and they still came knocking?
Was it because he happened to glance at Xu Jiujium like everyone else?
But come on—this was the royal family, not a private pet. What's the point of coming out in public if no one's allowed to look?
"I know you don't like it, but I'm under orders from my instructor to bring you over. So please—put down your utensils."
Chen Xiaojie's voice turned cold. Lightning flickered in his pupils, and soul power surged around him, sending a wave of oppressive energy toward Xu Tianxi.
As one of the top three talents of Star Luo Royal Academy, and possessor of a top-tier Lightning Martial Soul, Chen Xiaojie had his own pride.
At his level, only prodigies from Shrek Academy were on par. Most Soul Ancestors stood no chance against him.
But as that pressure closed in, Xu Tianxi exchanged a glance with the two Soul Saints beside him—then casually waved his hand, dispersing the energy as if brushing away dust. He sighed and stood, exasperated.
"So this was about starting trouble after all. Why even pretend? You could've just challenged me straight out."
And it turns out you're just a quasi–Soul King… If you were a real Soul King, I might have taken you seriously. But this? You're not even worth the effort.
Compared to the overwhelming pressure of his Senior Martial Uncle, Xiao Changfeng, this guy's intimidation was child's play.
Realizing that his aura had been neutralized so easily, Chen Xiaojie's expression darkened. He summoned his Martial Soul and soul rings with a glare.
"I didn't want to fight, but you left me no choice! I invited you nicely several times and you completely dismissed my goodwill!"
Xu Tianxi gave him a baffled look.
"Wait, so because I didn't accept your oh-so-precious goodwill, you now get to boss me around?"
"You want me to stop eating just because you say so? Who do you think you are? Don't overestimate yourself. And your goodwill—does it have any value to me?"
"If you want to fight, fine. My elders won't intervene. If you're not here to fight, then piss off."
The moment those words dropped, the entire inn fell silent.
Every diner, clerk, and even the Star Luo Royal Academy team froze in disbelief—even Chen Xiaojie was stunned.
These were Star Luo's elite, its most privileged youth. And here someone was, openly insulting them—in the middle of a Star Luo military base no less!
In all the Continent's history, this was probably a first.
At the Royal Academy table, Xu Jiujium was the first to recover, her expression shifting subtly.
"What's going on? Did we just bump into someone from a hidden clan or reclusive family?"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin