Wu Tan City, Xiao Family

Since the Griffon Beast has already taken off, it means that Xiao Ming has arrived.

Sure enough, just as they expected, a dozen seconds later, footsteps came from the doorway, and a handsome White-clothed Youth walked into the room, followed closely by the tall Xiao Shan.

"Cousin Xiao Ming! Cousin Xiao Shan!"

Upon seeing Xiao Ming and Xiao Shan enter, Xiao Hu and Xiao Yu quickly stood up and called out, appearing somewhat nervous.

Xiao Yu and the others already knew from their cousin Xiao Shan that Xiao Ming's current strength was at the Dou Wang level, so even though they had a blood connection with Xiao Ming, they were still somewhat nervous.

They couldn't help but be nervous, after all, that was a Dou Wang expert!

That was a powerful figure they couldn't even dream of being with right now, so it was no wonder they were nervous! Especially since Xiao Ming had been away from the family for more than eight years, and to be honest, they weren't actually that familiar with Xiao Ming.

"Cousin Xiao Yu, Cousin Xiao Hu, it's been a long time."

Upon seeing the two, Xiao Ming smiled gently. He had met both of them before, so it wasn't inappropriate to say it had been a long time since they had last met.

It was clear that the two seemed a little nervous. Xiao Ming thought for a moment and realized what was going on. He smiled and said nothing, simply sitting down at the table.

After Xiao Shan Xiao Ming sat down, Xiao Yu and Xiao Hu exchanged a glance and then sat down in their chairs as well.

Xiao Ming glanced around and then asked Xiao Shan, "Is Xue Tian in the room?"

"Yes, Brother Xue Tian has gone back to his room to cultivate."

Hearing that Xue Tian was still in the room, Xiao Ming closed his eyes and sensed that Xue Tian was indeed in the room, which made him nod in satisfaction.

His departure alone this time was actually a test for Xue Tian, to see if he would leave while he was away. It seems that Xue Tian has no such intention for the time being.

If Xue Tian ran away, he could actually catch up with her, but that would be bad for both of them, especially for Xue Tian, who would probably get another beating, which wouldn't be a pleasant experience.

Although Xue Tian was taken in after being beaten half to death by him, Xiao Ming still didn't want to impose too many restrictions on him like a slave owner. Even though Xue Tian called him master, he did treat himself as a servant.

Given his current performance, Xiao Ming thought it might be worth considering grooming Xue Tian. Although Xue Tian was of little use to him, he would be of great benefit to the Xiao Family.

When it Xue Tian, the Xiao family stays Xiao Family, which saves them from being bothered by random Xiao Family and prevents him from having to intervene.

After considering it for a moment, Xiao Ming raised his head again and asked.

"Did Zi Yan cause any trouble?"

"As you instructed, no one approached her while she was sleeping, so nothing happened."

"It's good that you didn't get close to her. Although Magical Beast are in a dormant state when they digest energy, it doesn't mean they are not aware of the outside world. If someone who is not familiar with you gets close, there will be danger due to their self-instinct for protection," Xiao Ming said with a smile.

"My cousin Xiao Ming is still as handsome as he was when he was a child," Xiao Yu thought to herself as she looked at Xiao Ming's profile as he spoke.

Xiao Ming had been somewhat famous in the Xiao Family since he was a child, but his talent had not yet been revealed at that time.

He became famous because of his cute appearance. This can be seen from the fact that Xiao Yan, who was the center of attention back then, could recognize Xiao Ming, who had basically no connection with him.

Although in this world, the Strong Rule and looks are not that important, children sometimes don't pay much attention to such things. So Xiao Yu had seen Xiao Ming surrounded by some children his age before.

"If it were now, I believe Xiao Ming's cousin could probably do that too, given his looks. If those sluts like Xue Ni saw him, they'd definitely be spouting dirty jokes again," Xiao Yu thought to herself. Xue Ni was a classmate she met at the Jia Nan Academy, and she often made suggestive jokes.

"My Cousin Xiao Yu looks pretty much the same as when she was a child."

As Xiao Yu was thinking about the scenes of meeting Xiao Ming at the Xiao Family in the past, she suddenly heard Xiao Ming speak to her from the side.

"Ah!" Startled by her sudden reverie, Xiao Yu saw that it was Xiao Ming speaking to her. Thinking about what Xue Ni and the others might say that had just crossed her mind, she felt a strange sense of shame, and her fair cheeks flushed slightly.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Ming felt somewhat confused and repeated what he had just said.

This time, Xiao Yu finally heard clearly, coughed, and composed herself.

"Not at all, actually my cousin Xiao Ming is the same as before, he hasn't changed much."

"Hehe, is that so?" Xiao Ming chuckled upon hearing this.

"That's right. In my memory, Cousin Xiao Ming, you've always been a very gentle person, and you haven't changed much. Unlike some people who become arrogant and domineering just because they have some talent."

Xiao Yu didn't mention that she thought Xiao Ming was just as handsome as he was when he was a child; instead, she steered the conversation to other things.

Xiao Hu and Xiao Shan, who were standing nearby, nodded in agreement. Xiao Ming did have a good temper; they had never seen him lose his temper. Xiao Shan, who had spent the most time with Xiao Ming, was the most qualified to say about this.

Speaking of arrogance and domineering behavior stemming from a little talent, Xiao Yu suddenly remembered something and said, "Speaking of which, there's something I need to thank my cousin Xiao Ming for."

"What is it?" Xiao Ming asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Do you remember when we were little, you reminded me about the snakes in the back mountain and that I needed to bring a maid when I went to the hot springs?"

Xiao Ming's expression froze for a moment, then he nodded and said, "I do remember. Could it be that you really encountered a snake? Were you not bitten?"

"There is indeed a non-venomous snake in the back mountain, but its bite is extremely painful. I've encountered it before, but that kind of snake isn't common. Cousin Xiao Yu, you're quite unlucky to have met one," Xiao Shan chimed in from the side.

Xiao Yu waved his hand and said, "I didn't encounter a snake, but I did run into a wolf!"

"Ah, there are wolves in the back mountain? You must be mistaken." Xiao Shan looked confused. The back mountain connected to the Xiao Family's Back Courtyard; the absence of poisonous snakes was already the limit, how could there possibly be wolves?

Xiao Hu, who had been silent the whole time, was also puzzled. There was no way there could be wolves in the Xiao Family Back Mountain.

Seeing Xiao Shan's confused expression, Xiao Yu knew they had misunderstood, and it was also her fault for not explaining clearly. She immediately explained:

"He's a pervert."

Xiao Shan and the others weren't fools; once they heard that, they all understood.

"You mean you found a pervert by the hot spring?" Xiao Ming asked with a strange expression, a name suddenly popping into his mind.

"No way! Who would dare to do that!" Xiao Shan exclaimed in surprise. The Xiao family had strict rules, and anyone who dared to do such a thing would be severely punished. It was better to go out and have some fun than to peep.

"It's true, because you mentioned there are snakes in the back mountain. Every time, my maid and I would spend time scanning the area before preparing for the hot springs. That's when I discovered Xiao Yan barging in." Xiao Yu quickly explained upon hearing Xiao Ming's words.

"Xiao Yan?!"

Upon hearing the name, Xiao Ming showed little reaction, but Xiao Hu and Xiao Shan beside him reacted quite strongly, saying incredulously:

"That person is Xiao Yan? No way, he's the Clan Leader's son, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the seriousness of this matter."

"Hmph, of course it's possible! You've been away from the family for so long, you have no idea how infuriating that little brat is. He used to think he was so great just because he had some talent. He barged into the hot spring and then claimed he accidentally wandered in—who would believe that!"

Xiao Yu's tone was overflowing with disgust and disdain, showing a strong hostility towards Xiao Yan. The reason for their enmity was probably Xiao Yan's appearance by the hot spring.

As the granddaughter of the Great Elder, Xiao Yu possesses considerable talent, but her current personality is far from amiable; rather, she is somewhat willful. Xiao Yan offended her because of this, and she has held a grudge ever since.

If we're talking about who in the Xiao Family hates Xiao Yan the most right now, she'd probably be on the list.

Xiao Shan and the others were actually aware of Xiao Yan's arrogance, as described by Xiao Yu.

It's not hard to understand. Arrogance is a common flaw among geniuses. Xiao Yan's talent was second only to Xiao Ming in the Xiao Family. He was also the son of the Clan Leader and was pampered by his two older brothers, so it was understandable that he was arrogant.

In a place like Jia Nan Academy, where geniuses gather, they've seen plenty of arrogant people, so now they can treat them with a calm attitude.

As long as you have the ability and talent, you can be as arrogant as you want, and no one will say anything. At most, people will curse you in their hearts, but on the surface they will still treat you with great respect.

Of course, if you're going to be arrogant, you need to have the ability to be arrogant forever; otherwise, if someone gets the chance, you'll be in big trouble!

Others will vent all their past grievances.

As the target of negative emotions, only the person experiencing it can truly understand the sense of loss.

Seeing Xiao Yu's hostile attitude towards Xiao Yan, Xiao Shan sighed. To be honest, he felt that Xiao Yu's words had some truth to them. Regardless of whether Xiao Yan intentionally entered the hot spring, he definitely did something right.

Since the incident at the hot springs hadn't happened, Xiao Yu had no reason to dislike Xiao Yan so much, and she didn't even bother to hide it from them.

This caused his feelings towards Xiao Yan to begin to decline.

Sensing that the atmosphere seemed a bit off, Xiao Ming took the initiative to change the subject.

"I hope my advice was helpful. By the way, you're at the Seven Star Dou Zhe level now, right? Keep up the good work. If you can reach the Dou Shi level this year, I can give you a gift."

Xiao Yu and Xiao Hu were immediately drawn to these words. Over the years, Xiao Ming had sent back many high-level Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills, as well as some pills, to the Xiao Family.

If he's offering a gift now, it's definitely not something ordinary.

"What kind of gift is it?" Xiao Yu asked curiously.

"Hmm, something I don't need." Stopping Xiao Shan from speaking, Xiao Ming then said to Xiao Hu, who was standing beside him with a hint of envy, "You too. If you can enter the Inner Academy this year, I'll give you a gift too."

Since we are all members of the Xiao Family and are present, it's not appropriate to treat each other differently.

"Thank you, cousin!"

Xiao Hu, who was standing next to him, was overjoyed to find that he was also included. He didn't show any sign of refusal on his face. After all, Xiao Ming was Dou Wang expert and Alchemist. Giving him even some things he didn't need was a treasure to him. Only someone who was out of their mind would refuse.

"Hehe, no need to thank me. We'll be back in the clan in about twenty days. In the meantime, everyone should focus on your cultivation."

For the next twenty days or so, the Griffon Beast flew towards the Jia Ma Empire. When it flew over the borders of several countries, Xiao Ming and the others passed through safely thanks to the influence of the Jia Nan Academy and their own Dou Wang- level strength.

The border towns of the Jia Ma Empire did not stop him either, and let him pass very easily.

However, information about Xiao Ming began to spread from the border to certain places.

Twenty days later.

Above a city in the Jia Ma Empire, a flying Magical Beast flashed by.

On the Griffon Beast, Zi Yan sat listlessly next to Xiao Ming. Zi Yan had woken up on the day they set off and had been on the Griffon Beast for over twenty days. While the others were fine, Zi Yan felt incredibly bored.

"Xiao Ming, I'm so bored!"

"If you're bored, go cultivate." Beside her, Xiao Ming sat in a chair, holding a rolled-up book, and said slowly.

"But ordinary cultivation is too slow. Why don't we go find medicinal herbs together? I've sensed a lot of precious herbs. If we find them, we can each take half."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming put down the book in his hand, glanced at Zi Yan's expectant little face, and said speechlessly.

"Looking for medicinal herbs? You mean you want to steal them?"

He had already obtained Zi Yan's talent for sensing medicinal herbs through the Simulator. In the past few days, he had indeed sensed many good things in many places.

But most of those items were treasures held by certain powerful groups.

How did Xiao Ming know that most of them were treasures belonging to certain powerful individuals?

That's because Zi Yan had been saying she was bored for a long time, and seeing her pitiful appearance, Xiao Ming agreed to go out with her once.

Unexpectedly, the places Zi Yan pointed to each time were heavily guarded buildings exuding Aura of power.

Xiao Ming was startled and picked up Zi Yan and ran, afraid that Zi Yan would sneak inside while he wasn't paying attention and be discovered.

He just wanted to go home peacefully, not be hunted down!

"Hmph, why are you afraid of those people? Many of them aren't as strong as you!" Zi Yan frowned, displeased.

"I'm not afraid of them, but we don't need to cause trouble. We should be there soon. Didn't you need medicinal herbs? Here, take this."

Seeing Zi Yan's unhappy expression, Xiao Ming shook his head helplessly, took out a red fruit from his Na Ring, and handed it to Zi Yan.

"It's Vermillion Fruit!" Upon seeing the fruit, Zi Yan's eyes lit up, and the displeasure on her face instantly disappeared. Vermillion Fruit is a rare medicinal herb with a good taste. She had been craving this fruit for a long time, but Xiao Ming hadn't given it to her.

Delighted, Zi Yan took the Vermillion Fruit, opened her small mouth, and took a bite. The uniquely fragrant sweetness stimulated her taste buds. As she ate, she muttered, "Delicious!"

After ruffling Zi Yan's hair, Xiao Ming walked out of the room. Outside the room was the place where he had chatted with Xiao Yu and the others last time, which could barely be called a living room.

At this moment, Xiao Shan was standing by the living room window, gazing into the distance. Xiao Ming came to his side and asked, "Approximately how much longer until we reach Wu Tan City?"

Xiao Shan took out a map, gestured with it, and then said...

"We've already passed Azure Rock City. At the speed of the Griffon Beast, we should arrive in about twenty minutes."

"Hehe, we're almost there. Go tell Xiao Yu and the others."

"Good."

After glancing at Xiao Shan's departing figure, Xiao Ming turned to look out the window and murmured to himself.

"Judging by the time, today should be the day the Xiao Family tests the Dou Qi of their clansmen!"

He's done several Life Simulation in the past few days and earned hundreds of thousands of gold coins.

There's not much to say about the other items, except that one of the simulations mentioned that today was the day for the simulated tribesmen to test their Dou Qi.

The Xiao Family of Wu Tan City, at the Dou Qi Testing Magic Stone Tablet Square.

A large crowd of young men and women surged forward, and every now and then, a boy whose name was called would run up to the central stage to test his Dou Qi.

Beside the Testing Magic Stone Tablet, there was a middle-aged man who was responsible for announcing the information displayed on the tablet.

"Xiao Yun, Dou Qi Power, Sixth Stage. Level: Intermediate!"