Achievement Unlocked: Catching Up to Xiao Huohuo!

"Zhao Gang, Two Segments of Dou Qi. Qualified!"

It was still the same square. As Yan Hongtao announced it loudly, the crowd erupted in commotion. The children waiting for their tests looked at Zhao Gang with envy, while several children led by him showered him with exaggerated praise.

Outside the square, many peers from different batches were watching with varying expressions, dreaming of becoming the next Zhao Gang.

"Mm, not bad." Even Yan Hongtao nodded and offered a word of praise.

"Next, Chen Guan."

At the call of his name, Chen Guan walked to the Magic Stone Tablet under everyone's gaze. Before long, the result appeared, stirring up another wave of commotion.

"Chen Guan, Two Segments of Dou Qi. Qualified!"

"Chen Guan is amazing too. He actually caught up with Boss Zhao."

"What do you know? Boss Zhao only practiced casually, while he had to undergo bitter cultivation like his life depended on it just to catch up. How can that be the same?"

"That's true. Looks like Boss Zhao's talent is still better."

Over the past six months, everyone had witnessed Chen Guan's diligence. Even Yan Hongtao often used him as an example when lecturing them, which only made his peers dislike playing with him even more.

The murmurs reached Chen Guan's ears, but his heart remained utterly unmoved. He even found it a little amusing. Though they both had Two Segments of Dou Qi, the difference between them was worlds apart.

The room housing the Magic Stone Tablet was usually cleaned by him and Zhao Gang, which allowed them to test their levels regularly.

Zhao Gang had only broken through to Two Segments of Dou Qi ten days ago. He had even deliberately come to test himself while Chen Guan was cleaning, all to satisfy that childish vanity of his.

Chen Guan, meanwhile, had broken through to Two Segments of Dou Qi three months earlier. Recently, he had clearly felt that he could advance again at any moment. If he had not wanted to stand out too much in this test, he would already have Three Segments of Dou Qi.

Chen Guan was very satisfied with this pace.

After all, Yan Hongtao's qualification requirement was merely One Segment of Dou Qi every half year. That was roughly the average standard. For the following stages of Dou Qi, the difficulty of accumulating it would gradually increase, and more time would be needed accordingly.

The tests continued at a swift pace and were all finished in less than Two Hours.

Only he and Zhao Gang had reached Two Segments of Dou Qi. There were seventeen people who did not even have One Segment of Dou Qi, while the rest had all passed the qualification line.

"Half a year ago, I told you that this test would largely determine your future fate. Those of you who reached One Segment of Dou Qi, congratulations. You have passed the first hurdle. For the next five years, as long as you make no mistakes, you may continue cultivating in peace. Moreover, His Majesty, in his boundless grace, will bestow spiritual medicines upon you to strengthen your bodies. This is a gift from His Majesty and the imperial family. You must know gratitude and cultivate even harder. Strength is the best repayment. Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

Yan Hongtao routinely spoke on behalf of the imperial family. After the children answered in unison, he nodded in satisfaction before turning to the dejected group on his left.

"Aptitude is inborn, but it is not the only factor that determines one's fate. Though you failed this test, it does not mean you are useless. The vast Jia Ma Empire needs talents in every profession. At certain times and places, your value may not be any less than theirs. So long as you are willing to learn, the imperial family will still spare no effort in nurturing you!"

That sort of inspirational speech was indeed encouraging, especially when used to indoctrinate a group of children as blank as paper. Their sense of belonging and loyalty toward the imperial family rose rapidly.

Not to mention the children—even Chen Guan had to admit that regardless of the Jiama Imperial Family's original intentions, they had indeed shown everyone present considerable kindness.

If they had not been brought to the imperial capital, many of them might have starved to death, suffered endless humiliation, never encountered Dou Qi, and lived at the very bottom for their entire lives. Compared to that miserable, bleak existence, their current lives were infinitely better.

Chen Guan had his own thoughts and plans, so he naturally would not be indoctrinated by the imperial family. Still, he had to remember this kindness. Kindness must be repaid, and grudges must be avenged. His thinking was that simple.

After several bowls of inspirational drivel, the unqualified children were led away by a Guard. No one knew where they went or what their futures would be like. In any case, from that day onward, they were never seen again.

After the test, life returned to its usual course. Yet compared to the previous six months, everyone cultivated noticeably harder. Clearly, the seventeen who had been taken away had given them quite a shock.

Only Zhao Gang was secretly competing with Chen Guan. In his heart, Chen Guan's talent was inferior to his, yet Chen Guan had managed not to fall behind him. That was difficult for him to accept. He had to widen the gap to secure his position as the "number one genius."

Unfortunately, the gap did widen.

It was just in the opposite direction.

That very night, Chen Guan quietly broke through to Three Segments of Dou Qi!

In the days that followed, the imperial family occasionally distributed a low-grade spiritual fruit called the Clear Spirit Fruit. Its medicinal properties were mild, and it could strengthen the body.

There was no need to think about it—the effect was surely far inferior to the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid Old Yao refined for Xiao Yan. Still, being able to deepen one's foundation before becoming a Dou Zhe was not bad. The major clans within the Jia Ma Empire had no such means, which showed that there was still a gap between the foundation of the empire and that of the clans.

Thanks to their exceptional talent, Zhao Gang and Chen Guan received double the resources every time.

A strong physique was highly beneficial to cultivation, and as a result, Chen Guan absorbed and refined Dou Qi Energy somewhat faster.

There would be no more unified tests in the next five years, so Chen Guan no longer needed to worry about others' gazes. He completely let loose and cultivated with all his strength, pulling farther and farther ahead of the genius Zhao next door.

It was worth mentioning that during this period, the name of Xiao Yan of the Xiao Family in Wutan City gradually became renowned as a genius. Even the imperial capital occasionally heard of him. Yan Hongtao had used him to encourage Zhao Gang and Chen Guan, telling them to take Xiao Yan as their goal.

It was also from him that Chen Guan learned of Xiao Yan's current progress.

Just like him, Three Segments of Dou Qi.

When he left, Zhao Gang was still stunned, while Chen Guan was in high spirits and revealed a smile he had not shown in a long time.

Achievement unlocked—catching up to Xiao Huohuo!

What pleased him even more was that his talent was slightly stronger than Xiao Huohuo's. After all, Xiao Huohuo had begun cultivating earlier than he had. When Xiao Huohuo had One Segment of Dou Qi, Chen Guan had still been in a corner wondering where to get his next meal.

Yet now he had overtaken him despite starting later. Even Chen Guan felt a small sense of accomplishment.

A certain Milk Emperor of Heaven once said, "Enemies defeated by my hand have never been considered opponents. I will give you time to catch up, until you can no longer even see me in the distance."

Chen Guan felt that he could borrow that line too.

Hands on hips, smug for three seconds.JPG.