The Xiao Clan's Invitation!

As soon as Flowing Cloud finished speaking, Ya Fei's graceful figure entered the courtyard.

The moment she entered, Ya Fei quickly noticed the bluestone slab that Flowing Cloud had shattered.

"Looks like Young Master has quite a few secrets hidden away..."

A trace of surprise flashed through her beautiful eyes as Ya Fei thought to herself.

Though she was surprised, not the slightest hint of it showed on Ya Fei's face.

"Ya Fei greets Young Master..."

With light, graceful steps, Ya Fei approached Flowing Cloud and spoke softly.

"Sister Ya Fei, did you need something from me?" Flowing Cloud asked directly.

A lovely curve rose at the corners of Ya Fei's lips. Standing in the breeze, her smooth dark hair fluttered gently.

"Young Master, the Xiao Clan has sent an invitation. In three days, the Xiao Clan will hold its annual test for the younger generation and has invited Young Master to attend as a guest."

"Annual test?"

Flowing Cloud was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then quickly realized that this was the opening of Battle Through the Heavens, wasn't it?

If he went to watch, wouldn't he get to witness that famous scene?

No, the current timeline was still a year too early.

There was still nearly a year until Xiao Yan's broken engagement and the official beginning of the Battle Through the Heavens storyline.

Still, Flowing Cloud wanted to meet Xiao Yan.

He wanted to see whether this Child of Fortune was truly as described in the book.

These thoughts flashed through Flowing Cloud's mind. He looked at Ya Fei and slowly said, "Sister Ya Fei, help me reply to the Xiao Clan. I will personally attend in three days."

"Yes, Young Master!"

Ya Fei softly acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

"Wait..."

"Sister Ya Fei, how are the preparations for the auction going?"

Seeing Ya Fei about to leave, Flowing Cloud suddenly asked.

For Flowing Cloud, the auction was naturally still the most important matter at present.

Only by holding more auctions could he grow stronger faster.

Ya Fei pondered briefly before parting her red lips. "Young Master, I have prepared one Second-grade medicinal pill Foundation Building Pill and one Third-order Demonic Core..."

After speaking, Ya Fei looked at Flowing Cloud with a somewhat apologetic expression. "Young Master, I have done my best..."

"A Second-grade Pill!"

"A Third-order Demonic Core!"

Hearing Ya Fei's words, Flowing Cloud froze, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.

Neither of those items was ordinary.

At a typical auction, either one would have been enough to serve as the finale item.

For Ya Fei to accomplish this much in only a few days, she had clearly expended considerable effort.

"Sister Ya Fei, you've worked hard these past few days. Leave the rest to me." Seeing Ya Fei's somewhat dejected expression, Flowing Cloud spoke gently.

"Then Ya Fei will take her leave."

With that, Ya Fei slowly left the courtyard.

"I hope Nameless brings back good news."

After Ya Fei left, Flowing Cloud stood alone in the courtyard and muttered to himself.

The Black Corner Region was an exceedingly chaotic place, and Flowing Cloud could not guarantee that Nameless would return safely this time.

After all, once an Earth Tier Dou Technique appeared, the entire Black Corner Region would be drawn to it.

Flowing Cloud remembered that in the original work, the Earth-tier Movement Technique Three Thousand Lightning Movement had also been auctioned at the Black Seal Auction House.

After that auction ended, a shocking massacre had erupted, leaving countless dead and wounded.

Xiao Yan had only obtained Three Thousand Lightning Movement by sheer dumb luck, reaping the benefits after the battle.

Now that the Earth Tier Dou Technique Sky Covering Palm had suddenly appeared in the Black Corner Region, Nameless, who was auctioning it, would inevitably draw the attention of the Black Corner Region's major powers as well.

"With Nameless's strength, along with Demonic Shadow Tracing, no one below the Dou Zong realm should be able to keep him," Flowing Cloud thought to himself.

Afterward, Flowing Cloud cast aside the distracting thoughts in his mind and continued cultivating.

Three days later.

Wutan City, Xiao Clan.

At this moment, over a hundred young men and women stood within the Xiao Clan's training grounds, their noisy chatter soaring into the sky.

At the center of the training grounds stood a huge testing Black Stone Tablet.

This type of testing tablet could measure the strength of the Dou Qi within a Dou Zhe's body and was extremely valuable.

Only clans with sufficient strength were qualified to possess one.

Beside the black stone tablet stood an indifferent examiner.

At the center of the training grounds was a raised platform, where the Xiao Clan's clan leader, elders, and other high-ranking members were seated.

On the platform, Xiao Zhan's gaze fell upon a young man below, his eyes filled with worry.

"Yan'er, when will your talent finally return?"

Thinking of the ridicule and mockery his son had endured over the past few years, Xiao Zhan could not help but feel heartache.

"Clan Leader, today, Mittel Flowing Cloud, the Young Master of the Mite'er Family, will come to observe the ceremony."

"In this test, we must display the potential of our Xiao Clan's younger generation. We absolutely cannot bring shame upon the Xiao Clan before Young Master Flowing Cloud."

The First Elder seated beside Xiao Zhan glanced at the young man in the crowd and said sinisterly, "In my opinion, given Third Young Master's strength, there is no need for him to participate in the test this time, lest he make a fool of himself."

Xiao Zhan's expression darkened upon hearing this. "Utter nonsense!"

"For the clan test, every member of the younger generation must be present. This is a rule left behind by the Xiao Clan's ancestors. First Elder, are you trying to break this rule?" Xiao Zhan glared angrily at the First Elder.

Choked by Xiao Zhan's rebuke, the First Elder's expression turned somewhat ugly. "Hmph, I merely meant well. Then Clan Leader can watch how Third Young Master steps down from the stage later!"

After saying that, the First Elder looked coldly at the young man in the training grounds.

Within the crowd, the young man wore a black robe and stood indifferently in a remote corner.

"Do you think Xiao Yan's strength has improved this year?"

"Improved my ass. With his talent, it would already be a blessing if he hasn't regressed. He still dreams of improving? What wishful thinking!"

"I heard outsiders will be watching our clan test today. Xiao Yan is really going to disgrace himself completely this time."

Around the black-robed youth, Xiao Clan disciples occasionally pointed at him, their words full of mockery and schadenfreude.

Hearing the voices around him, the young man slowly raised his head, revealing a somewhat delicate and youthful face.

His pitch-black eyes blankly swept over the mocking peers around him, and the self-mocking smile at the corner of his lips seemed to grow even more bitter.

"Why are these people's mouths always so foul?"

"If I had the strength, I'd tear those filthy mouths apart."

But when he thought of his current situation, the young man could not help but reveal a bitter smile.

"Heavens, did you bring me to this clan just to toy with me?"

Standing in the corner, the young man's lonely figure seemed utterly out of place with the world around him.

Just then, a disturbance inexplicably arose at one end of the training grounds.

Many Xiao Clan disciples looked over and saw that, at some point, a young man dressed in white had appeared before the training grounds.

The white-robed young man was handsome and carried an extraordinary bearing, instantly capturing the hearts of many young women present.

Upon seeing the white-robed young man, Xiao Zhan and the other Xiao Clan higher-ups on the platform immediately changed expressions and hurried down from the platform.

"Young Master Flowing Cloud, you have honored the Xiao Clan with your presence. Xiao Zhan failed to welcome you from afar; I hope you will not take offense!"

This white-robed young man was none other than Flowing Cloud, who had come to attend the Xiao Clan's annual test!