Douluo Continent: Starting from Killing Arou with a Single Sword.

Chapter 13 Making Friends

Night falls

"Sister Xiaoxue!"

Ning Mumu, having eaten and drunk her fill, skipped and hopped, completely ignoring Qian Renxue's unpleasant expression.

"Don't call me Sister Xiaoxue!" Perhaps because no one had ever called Qian Renxue that before, or perhaps because of her biological mother's neglect, Qian Renxue was very uncomfortable with other people's closeness.

Ning Mumu, however, paid no attention to Qian Renxue's tone and asked with a grin, "Sister Xiaoxue, is your injury healed?"

"Alright." After swallowing the Spirit Transformation Pill, Qian Renxue woke up. She naturally knew it was Ning Mumu who gave it to her. After a while, she stammered, "Thank you for today."

"No need to thank me, no need to thank me. Our relationship is different." Noticing Qian Renxue's awkwardness, Ning Mumu was secretly delighted. She was just a stubborn but soft-hearted older sister.

"We have nothing to do with each other." Qian Renxue turned her head away, but her ears turned red. To be honest, when Ning Mumu wasn't competing, she was just a cute and lovable girl next door, perfectly matching Qian Renxue's aesthetic. Now that the competition was over, Ning Mumu was clinging to her like this, and Qian Renxue's already soft heart melted.

However, as stubborn as Qian Renxue is, she will definitely not let Ning Mumu see through her act.

"It's just...it's just..." Ning Mumu said with a coquettish laugh, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense, "We're good friends! Doesn't Sister Xiaoxue like me?"

"No, I don't like it!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Qian Renxue regretted it. Had she gone a bit too far? Ning Mumu was three years younger than her, and she had actually said she didn't like her. Besides, Ning Mumu hadn't done anything wrong; she had played the competition seriously and even given her the elixir to help her advance.

The more Qian Renxue thought about it, the more annoyed she became. She secretly observed Ning Mumu, only to find that she didn't show any anger at all. See? She's so angry she's expressionless!

Qian Renxue tried to compose herself, and the next second, her tone softened considerably, "I'm sorry, I misspoke just now."

"We are good friends!"

Qian Renxue took Ning Mumu's hand and said earnestly, "You are my only good friend."

This wasn't just idle talk; since birth, she hadn't been loved by her mother and had even suffered harm from her. Later, Qian Renxue lived with her grandfather. But her grandfather was very busy and couldn't be with her often.

She was always alone during her childhood, and no one else ever interfered with her. Ning Mumu was the first.

"Sister Xiaoxue, I knew you were the best." Ning Mumu buried her head in Qian Renxue's arms and snuggled against her. Qian Renxue's body was a little stiff at first, but she relaxed after a while.

"Yay, we've become friends, and we even hugged! Isn't it just a matter of time before I can touch your wings?" Ning Mumu thought happily.

Outside

Ning Fengzhi and Qian Daoliu watched the whole thing, and both of them tacitly approved of their relationship.

"Sect Leader Ning, Miss Mu Mu is indeed remarkable."

If there's one person Qian Daoliu cares about most, it's Qian Renxue. He's always felt indebted to this granddaughter. Now that he's found a friend, he's overjoyed. Besides, this friend is exceptionally talented, and their acquaintance will bring many benefits.

Ning Fengzhi shared a similar sentiment; in other words, he wouldn't interfere with Ning Mumu's decisions. This child had always been incredibly easy for him.

"Miss Qian is very nice too."

Nothing in the night

After two days of qualifying matches, the finals finally arrived.

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Ning Mumu. This nine-year-old girl surprised them every day. In this final competition, every child hoped to be in her group.

The final rules are simpler. The ten finalists are drawn into two groups and compete in a team battle. The organizers don't need to determine who comes in first place; instead, they give face to the various sects and use the team battle to bring the children closer together.

"The results of the lottery will now be announced."

"Group One: Ning Mumu, Yu Tianheng, Huo Xiao..."

After the first group was formed, the second group naturally consisted of the remaining five people. Alas, five were happy while five were sad!

The team members had absolutely no impact on Ning Mumu. Those who could enter the finals were all top-notch geniuses. Not to mention anything else, of the ten people on stage, five or six would become sect leaders later.

"You have fifteen minutes to discuss. The competition will begin in fifteen minutes!"

Developing a plan with five newly formed teammates in fifteen minutes is clearly no easy task. A great team requires constant practice, learning from each other's strengths, compensating for weaknesses, and supporting one another. They, being newly formed, lacked this level of understanding.

"Time is of the essence, so let's all report our martial spirits and soul power first." Ning Mumu naturally sensed that all four eyes were on her, so she took the lead.

"Yu Tianheng, Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex, Level 25 Battle Soul Master."

"Huo Xiao, Martial Soul: Flaming Bird, Level 23 Battle Soul Master."

"Shui Bing'er, Martial Soul: Ice Phoenix, Level 25 Battle Soul Master."

"Lei Yu, Martial Soul Overlord Spear, Level 24 Battle Soul Master."

Ning Mumu nodded. "Does anyone know anything about the five people on the other side?"

"My brother, Yu Tianxin, has the same soul power as me, but he is more familiar with the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Martial Soul." Yu Tianheng did not hide anything. In this competition, he and his brother were not on the same team; they were real competitors, so he had nothing to hide.

Shui Bing'er also joined the discussion, "That blonde girl is called Zhao Lu, a level 24 agility-type soul master. I've fought her once."

"Where are the others?" Receiving no reply, Ning Mumu felt a headache coming on. "It seems this is all we have for now."

This is quite normal; it happens every year in the Grand Competition. It's not that the sects are unaware of the rules; it's simply to hone the abilities of their successors. The competition aims to help the children recognize their own capabilities and, incidentally, to forge connections with other powerful factions.

A flawless version after careful inspection!

Especially in team competitions. Normally, the geniuses are busy cultivating and rarely take the initiative to make friends, let alone research or find opponents. Firstly, there's the arrogance of geniuses, and secondly, laziness. Who has that much time to research? And even if they did, they wouldn't find the right person. It's a waste of effort; it's better not to do it at all.

"Currently, only Sister Bing'er is a control-type Soul Master. Sister Bing'er, please keep an eye on the whole scene in a moment."

"Okay." Shui Bing'er nodded; she had no objections.

Ning Mumu forced herself to continue, "My speed should be the fastest on the field, so I'll act as an agility-type Soul Master to restrain Zhao Lu. Lei Yu, we both have weapon-type Soul Masters, so we'll coordinate our attacks later."

"Huo Xiao and Yu Tianheng both possess beast-type martial souls, and their Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus and Flaming Bird soul skills are very powerful. You can directly confront each other head-on."

"Actually, if you don't know the other party, my suggestion is to retreat in order to advance, find out the situation, and then take action directly." Unable to make up any more stories, Ning Mumu revealed her own method of dealing with the enemy.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now." The four of them didn't object and nodded in agreement.

Huo Xiao was the most active member of the group of five, brimming with energy just like his martial spirit. He darted around with his eyes wide and cheerfully exclaimed, "It's such a coincidence that we're in the same group!"

"What do you want to say?" Lei Yu asked casually, stroking his long blue hair.

Huo Xiao pulled her up. "Everyone, the competition is held every five years, and we only have one chance to participate. What does this mean? It means we have an extremely strong connection."

Everyone's attention was drawn to this, eager to hear Huo Xiao's next words.

"Hehe, so how about we come up with a team name, and preferably a slogan to shock the other side right away!"

"I have no objection." Since it wasn't his own idea anyway, Lei Yu readily agreed.

"I don't have any either."

The remaining three had no objections, and Huo Xiao pondered deeply.

"Let's call it the Dragon and Phoenix Sword and Bird Spear! It perfectly encapsulates the martial spirits of the five of us."

Just like last time, no one had any objections. Even though the name wasn't very appealing, they couldn't criticize Huo Xiaobai since he had put in the effort.

"Looks like everyone agrees." Huo Xiao flashed a bright white smile, his spirits high. "As for the slogan..." He grinned mischievously.

(End of this chapter)