Ceremony Retest

At that moment, Xiao Ning was chatting with his sister beside Xiao Yu, but he pointed in Xiao Chen's direction.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen could not help frowning. However, he did not take it too seriously and soon withdrew his gaze. Xiao Yu was only a Three-Star Dou Zhe at the moment.

In the distance, Xiao Yu began moving her alluring, sexy long legs as she walked toward Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen also noticed Xiao Yu approaching him. When she came within several yards of him, a pleasant voice rang out.

"Xiao Chen, long time no see. I didn't expect you to have reached Three-Star Dou Zhe as well."

Hearing Xiao Yu greet him and detecting the trace of surprise in her voice, Xiao Chen merely smiled and nodded at her.

The relationship between Xiao Chen and Xiao Yu was somewhat special. Back then, Xiao Chen had accidentally stumbled into the hot spring where Xiao Yu was bathing in the Back Mountain. Not only had he seen her naked, but he had inadvertently touched her long legs as well. In the end, Xiao Yu had given Xiao Chen a vicious beating, leaving him extremely helpless.

However, none of it had been Xiao Chen's intention. Since he knew the plot, he knew that Xiao Yan would sneak a peek at Xiao Yu bathing, so naturally, Xiao Chen had wanted to stop him. Yet his good intentions had led to disaster. An accident had caused Xiao Chen to see Xiao Yu naked, and it was all dark history. Whenever Xiao Chen recalled it, a strange expression would surface on his handsome young face.

"Sis, while you were away, Xiao Chen kept bullying me."

At that moment, Xiao Ning, standing behind Xiao Yu, looked at Xiao Chen with a sinister smile on his face and began complaining to Xiao Yu.

Hearing this, helplessness appeared on Xiao Chen's handsome face. Sure enough, Xiao Ning knew he could not beat Xiao Chen himself, so he wanted to provoke Xiao Yu into teaching Xiao Chen a lesson.

Just then, Xiao Zhan walked toward them, with Ya Fei following behind him.

"Chen'er, let me introduce you. This is Miss Ya Fei, the chief auctioneer of the Mite'er Auction House."

Xiao Zhan shifted aside, revealing Ya Fei in her red dress behind him, and introduced her with a smile.

"Hello, Sister Ya Fei."

Looking at Ya Fei in her red dress, Xiao Chen revealed a smile on his handsome young face as he greeted her.

However, when Xiao Chen met Ya Fei's seductive, autumn-water eyes, a strange glint flashed through both their gazes.

"Young Master Xiao Chen, going from Five-Segment Dou Qi to Three-Star Dou Zhe in just one year has caused quite a stir throughout Wutan City."

At that moment, Ya Fei smiled faintly at Xiao Chen with her charming face, her expression brimming with delight.

Hearing this, an awkward smile appeared on Xiao Chen's handsome young face. Ya Fei had long known that he had reached Three-Star Dou Zhe, yet she still said it aloud. Clearly, she was flattering him. After all, no one in Wutan City's history had ever gone from Five-Segment Dou Qi to Three-Star Dou Zhe within a single year—but Xiao Chen had done it.

"Alright, Chen'er. The Coming-of-Age Ceremony is about to begin, and I need to make some preparations first."

Seeing that Xiao Chen and Ya Fei had become acquainted, Xiao Zhan looked up at the sky, walked over to Xiao Chen, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled warmly.

Afterward, Xiao Zhan turned and left. Ya Fei followed behind him, but at the instant she turned around, her pair of seductive eyes blinked at Xiao Chen.

Watching Xiao Zhan and Ya Fei depart, Xiao Chen muttered inwardly that Ya Fei was putting on quite an act. Perhaps Xiao Zhan still thought that Xiao Chen had never interacted with Ya Fei, because in Xiao Zhan's eyes, Xiao Chen and Ya Fei simply were not on the same level.

As Xiao Zhan and Ya Fei left, Xiao Yu also departed with Xiao Ning at her side. Before leaving, however, Xiao Yu cast Xiao Chen a peculiar look.

At that moment, Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Chen with her beautiful eyes and teased, "Brother Xiao Chen, Cousin Xiao Yu seems to harbor some hostility toward you."

Hearing this, Xiao Chen merely gave an awkward smile, because Xiao Xun'er also knew about what had happened between him and Xiao Yu.

Seeing the embarrassment on Xiao Chen's face, a stunning smile also appeared on Xiao Xun'er's pretty face.

As time passed, about half an hour later, Xiao Ying, the Xiao Clan's Second Elder, walked before the Black Stone Test Tablet and announced loudly, "The Coming-of-Age Ceremony begins."

One Xiao Clan Member after another then stepped forward for testing. By the time more than half of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony on the platform had been completed, it was finally Xiao Yan's turn.

"Xiao Yan."

Hearing his name called beneath the platform, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled. His young face remained as calm as an ancient well, and under the gaze of the entire crowd, he climbed the high platform step by step.

As Xiao Yan appeared on the high platform, murmurs of discussion rose from all around the venue.

Second Elder Xiao Ying looked at Xiao Yan, immediately took several materials needed for the ceremony from the table behind him, and walked toward Xiao Yan.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, Xiao Yan stood in place for quite some time before the cumbersome ceremony finally came to a slow end.

The Ceremony Retest was a second examination of one's Dou Qi. The test from a month ago had merely been a preliminary assessment, intended to select the clan's outstanding seeds. Only these outstanding clan members qualified to hold their Coming-of-Age Ceremony on this high platform, while those below Seven Segment could only undergo a simple, rather shabby ceremony.

The Ceremony Retest was far stricter and more precise than the preliminary assessment. This retest was personally supervised and examined by Second Elder Xiao Ying, whose strength was that of a Two-Star Great Dou Shi.

After finishing those cumbersome procedures, the Second Elder wiped away his sweat, turned and walked before the Black Stone Test Tablet, then announced loudly, "Ceremony Retest!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan slowly extended his fair, slender hand and placed it against the stone tablet. A moment later, atop the towering wooden platform, the enormous black stone tablet suddenly shone brilliantly, and large golden characters appeared across its surface in flamboyant strokes.

"Dou Qi: Eight Segment!"

After pausing in slight bewilderment, every gaze froze blankly upon the Black Stone Test Tablet gleaming with golden light.

"It seems Xiao Yan's talent has returned."

"Five segments of Dou Qi in a year... tsk, tsk."

"The Xiao Clan has really struck it big this time..."

"Indeed. Although Young Master Xiao Yan is impressive, Young Master Xiao Chen is even more remarkable."

"At this rate of cultivation, perhaps... perhaps in several decades, the Xiao Clan will produce a super expert at the Dou Emperor level."

Among the guest seats, everyone could not help drawing in a breath of cold air as they voiced their amazement.

At the center of the raised platform, Xiao Zhan looked at the golden words on the black stone tablet. At once, his face broke into a broad smile, clearly in high spirits.

Second Elder, standing beside him, nodded as well before waving his hand.

Amid the astonished gazes of the entire crowd, Xiao Yan slowly stepped down from the platform. At this moment, his heart was filled with gratitude toward Yao Lao. A year ago, he had still been a good-for-nothing, but a year later...

At this moment, Second Elder on the platform shouted loudly:

"Xiao Xun'er!"

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