"Junior Brother Yi, you’ve made more trouble for yourself... They all stick together. If you keep this up, more people will come to deal with you," Yang Xixue said worriedly as she approached.

"Sis, what are you afraid of? Big Bro is so much stronger than them. That slap just now... Tsk tsk." Seeing Yi Tianyun’s assertiveness, Yang Yu’s admiration for him grew, especially for his sheer guts, which had completely won him over.

"Stop messing around!" Yang Xixue glared at him, and Yang Yu instantly deflated, his entire posture slumping. "I know Junior Brother Yi’s cultivation seems quite high, but it’s always best to be careful. Those people aren’t pushovers. Junior Brother Yi, they definitely won’t let this go. The best solution is to wait for Steward He to return and handle this. Otherwise, they’ll never stop bothering you."

"If they dare to keep it up, I don’t mind giving them a few more slaps." Yi Tianyun simply wanted to teach these arrogant young masters a lesson. ’If they want to throw their weight around in front of me, they’d better have the strength to back it up!’

"Alright..." Yang Xixue knew she couldn’t change his mind, so she just said, "Well, be careful, Junior Brother Yi. If anything happens, you can come find us. My brother and I can’t do much, but we’ll still do what we can to help."

She had originally hoped to resolve the matter with Feng Yulong, but that seemed impossible now. Since even Jia Ping had been slapped, their rage was likely something she couldn’t interfere with.

"Don’t worry," Yi Tianyun said with a light smile. "By the way, any idea when Steward He is coming back?"

’I think I’ve seen enough for now.’ So far, only a few had caught his eye, like Yang Xixue and Yang Yu right here. They were both very promising candidates.

"I’m not sure. Sometimes Steward He is away for a long time, but he should be back soon," Yang Xixue said.

Yi Tianyun nodded. ’If the steward doesn’t return soon, I’ll have to leave.’ His schedule was rather tight, as he needed to visit the Star Pavilion next month.

"Well, Junior Brother Yi, we have things to do, so we’ll be leaving now." Yang Xixue dragged Yang Yu away, who could only manage to wave at Yi Tianyun.

"Boss, I’ll come find you later!" Yang Yu shouted.

Yi Tianyun smiled and shook his head. That Yang Yu was a rather interesting fellow.

He then walked out of the Celestial Soul Tower, and a young woman approached him. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a delicate, pointed chin and fair skin that held a rosy blush. She wore a pale white, fairy-like dress, and her jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Thanks to her high cultivation, she exuded the aura of a celestial, brimming with Spiritual Qi.

The young woman looked quite young, about his own age. ’I didn’t expect to find a girl my age in the Celestial Pattern Pavilion.’ Just from the aura she exuded, Yi Tianyun knew she was no ordinary person.

Their eyes met. The young woman’s beautiful eyes brazenly scanned him from head to toe before she giggled. "You must be that Yi Tianyun, the new kid on the block, right?"

"And if I’m not mistaken, you must be the second-ranked Mu Xian’Er." His guess wasn’t baseless; he had seen the overall rankings before. The gender ratio in the Celestial Pattern Pavilion was heavily skewed, making female members a rarity.

He had heard a few things about Mu Xian’Er, namely that she was very young—only sixteen or seventeen. The young woman before him undoubtedly fit that description. ’There really are a lot of monstrous geniuses in this world.’ Rumor had it that Mu Xian’Er’s talent was astonishing.

At such a young age, she was already at the peak level of a Second Grade Divine Rune Master, and there were even rumors that she had already broken through to the Third Grade!

"I’m surprised you know who I am." Mu Xian’Er smiled adorably. She looked so playful, not at all like the second-ranked prodigy she was. She gave off the impression of a cute and friendly girl-next-door.

"It was just a guess, and I happened to be right," Yi Tianyun said with a light smile.

"Hee hee, thanks for the compliment, Big Brother. I wish you the best of luck in next month’s assessment, and I hope you get a great rank!" Mu Xian’Er flashed a sweet smile. She was adorable and polite, without a hint of arrogance.

"Mm, thank you." After thanking her, Yi Tianyun turned to leave.

In that instant, a mischievous glint flashed in Mu Xian’Er’s beautiful eyes. Her slender hand suddenly flicked out a sheet of Divine Rune Paper and slapped it onto his back. The whole motion was silent and practiced, as if this wasn’t her first time pulling such a prank.

Once the deed was done, she quickly scampered away, unaware that Yi Tianyun had, with even greater speed, snatched the Divine Rune Paper and slapped it right back onto her own back! He then spun around again to face her retreating figure, standing perfectly still and watching with amusement.

After jogging a short distance, Mu Xian’Er turned back around. She found it strange that Yi Tianyun was just standing there, watching her with an amused expression.

"What’s wrong, Big Brother?" Mu Xian’Er asked, looking at him with innocent eyes. But Yi Tianyun easily spotted the gloating expression she was trying to hide.

"Nothing. Just watching you," Yi Tianyun said with a calm smile.

"You..."

BANG!

Suddenly, the Divine Rune Paper on her back burst open, creating a wave of energy that sent her flying into the air with a shriek!

’Trying to prank me with such a cheap trick... I didn’t realize she was a Little Witch.’

He had sensed the Divine Rune Paper the instant Mu Xian’Er put it on his back, and he had simply returned it with greater speed. His cultivation was far superior to hers; if he hadn’t noticed something so simple, all his hard work to reach his current level would have been for nothing.

What was inscribed on the Divine Rune Paper wasn’t a Divine Rune, but an Array. It was a Blast Flame Array, which had no real destructive power. Its only function was to launch a person into the air and give them a good scare.

So, when it detonated, Mu Xian’Er was sent flying. As Yi Tianyun watched the show with amusement, he realized she was actually flying right toward him. She then began to fall from the sky, hurtling down in his direction!

The look on her face as she fell was one of pure terror; she was clearly horrified by what was happening.

Yi Tianyun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’So Mu Xian’Er has never experienced this herself, huh...’ Just as she was about to fall, he caught her, pulling her swiftly into his arms. As she landed in his embrace, he spun with her several times to dissipate the force of her descent.

However, a firm and powerful slap landed squarely on her rear. SMACK! Mu Xian’Er was struck, causing her delicate frame to jolt and stiffen. Her previously terrified expression morphed into one of utter shock. ’He actually spanked me!’

"You’re a hundred years too early to be pulling pranks on me!"

Only then did Yi Tianyun release her. ’This girl really tried to prank me. If I hadn’t noticed, I would have been the one sent flying.’