Fallen Heart Flame, Return to Dou Zhe!

"Dou Qi, Three Stage!"

"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi, Three Stage! Rank: Low!" Beside the Testing Magic Stone Tablet, the middle-aged man announced the result in an indifferent tone...

"Three Stage? Heh, just as I expected. This 'genius' has spent another year standing still!"

"Sigh, this trash has completely disgraced the family."

"..."

"Were these people all so harsh and snobbish? Perhaps because they had once shown him their humblest smiles three years ago, they now wanted to reclaim them..." Xiao Yan smiled bitterly.

Just then.

Whoosh!

A panel as tangible as a physical object suddenly unfolded before him.

Dou Di Road has opened. Please claim today's reward: Fallen Heart Flame ×1!

Staring at the abruptly appearing panel, Xiao Yan was utterly stunned. His hand reached out unconsciously, but grasped at empty air.

"What is this?!" Xiao Yan found it incomprehensible.

He suddenly noticed a claim button in the lower-right corner of the panel, flickering with fiery light.

"Claim!"

Whoosh!

A transparent flame appeared within Xiao Yan's Dou Qi Cyclone, and his aura immediately began to surge explosively!

Four Stage Dou Qi!

Five Stage Dou Qi!

Six Stage Dou Qi!

Nine Stage Dou Qi!

The commotion from Xiao Yan's breakthrough was immense. Every member of the Xiao Family who witnessed it was astonished.

"Am I seeing things right?! Wasn't Xiao Yan trash? How did he suddenly break through to Nine Stage Dou Qi?!"

"I must be seeing things!"

"This has to be fake!"

Especially the several Elders who had constantly mocked Xiao Yan ever since his talent had fallen—they were left dumbfounded.

Nine Stage Dou Qi?

"Yan'er!" Xiao Zhan abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes filling with undisguised excitement as he looked at Xiao Yan.

Three years!

Three whole years!

Ever since Xiao Yan's strength had plummeted three years ago and he became the laughingstock of Wutan City, Xiao Zhan had remained at the center of the storm.

The Xiao Family's Elders had often used this as leverage, demanding that he relinquish his position as Clan Leader Xiao.

"How could this be!"

Xiao Mei, who had only recently broken through to Seven Stage Dou Qi, lost her smile and covered her mouth tightly. "He went from Three Stage Dou Qi to Nine Stage Dou Qi in one go? His talent has returned?"

Over the past few years, she had always believed that she and Xiao Yan were no longer on the same level. Judging by Xiao Yan's performance in recent years, once he came of age, he could at most become a low-ranking member of the family.

Yet the Nine Stage Dou Qi she took such pride in was something Xiao Yan had already attained years ago. Back then, Xiao Yan had even become a Dou Zhe!

"Could this be a final flash before his decline? Maybe before long, he'll fall back to Three Stage Dou Qi again!" Xiao Mei stubbornly bit her lip.

Boom!

A faintly visible Dou Qi Cyclone suddenly emerged around Xiao Yan, whipping up a fierce gale across the square!

"It's a Dou Qi Cyclone!"

"A Dou Zhe!"

The Xiao Family members cried out in alarm.

Were they not seeing things? Xiao Yan had not only broken through to Nine Stage Dou Qi in one breath, but had also returned to Dou Zhe!

The youngest Dou Zhe in the family's past hundred years had returned?!

"Brother Xiao Yan..." Xiao Xun'er's beautiful eyes shone with brilliance.

She knew it. Her Brother Xiao Yan had never given up! His efforts every night for the past three years had finally been rewarded!

"I've returned to Dou Zhe?" Xiao Yan felt the Dou Qi Cyclone within his body, and a wave of exhilaration swept through him.

"Heavenly Flame?"

Xiao Yan did not hear the faint cry of surprise that suddenly rang out from the Ring. "Where did the Fallen Heart Flame inside his body come from?!

Strange, truly strange!

He hasn't even cultivated a technique yet. If he cultivated the Flame Mantra, he might directly break through to Dou Zhe Nine Star!"

Naturally, Xiao Yan had no way of noticing the aged voice. He looked excitedly toward Xiao Zhan.

"Father, my talent has returned!"

Whoosh!

Xiao Zhan's eyes even reddened as he rushed down from the platform and pulled Xiao Yan into an embrace.

"Yan'er, you've suffered these past years..."

The Elders wore complicated expressions as they exchanged glances.

"I don't believe it!"

A furious shout came from Xiao Ning. "Clan Leader Xiao, I know you want to secure your position as clan leader, but you can't just give Xiao Yan all sorts of questionable medicines for that!"

Medicine?

The Elders' expressions changed in realization, and a trace of suspicion appeared in their eyes as they looked at Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Ning, don't spout nonsense! The clan leader is upright and honorable. How could he do such a thing?" Xiao Mei turned around and rebuked him.

Yet though she was rebuking him, Xiao Mei's tone carried the same disbelief.

"Father, let me prove myself."

Xiao Yan smiled at Xiao Zhan, then walked down from the platform and beckoned to Xiao Ning. "Cousin Xiao Ning, please!"

Stone Crushing Palm!

A trace of savagery appeared on Xiao Ning's face. Dou Qi flooded into his palm as he struck heavily at Xiao Yan.

"Ning'er, don't!" an elder cried out.

Xiao Ning's palm strike contained all of his Dou Qi. It could even shatter solid rock.

However.

Faced with Xiao Ning's attack, Xiao Yan neither dodged nor evaded, allowing Xiao Ning's palm to land on his chest.

Bang!

A stream of crimson blood sprayed into the air.

However.

The one coughing up blood was not Xiao Yan, but Xiao Ning!

Uproar!

The Xiao Family members erupted into commotion. Even someone as strong as Xiao Mei could not withstand Xiao Ning's blow head-on.

Xiao Yan truly was a Dou Zhe!

Slap!

Just as Xiao Ning was about to fall to the ground, a figure flashed forward and supported his back.

It was Xiao Yan.

"You..." Xiao Ning was both shocked and furious.

Humiliation!

Naked, utter humiliation!

"If you think this is humiliation, then let it be humiliation." Seeing Xiao Ning regain his footing, Xiao Yan withdrew his hand.

Staring angrily at Xiao Yan's departing back, Xiao Ning raised his palm, intending to use Stone Crushing Palm once more.

A moment later, it dropped weakly.

"I lost."

Xiao Ning stared at Xiao Yan's back, his expression complicated and desolate.

Why was he so angry at Xiao Yan's goodwill?

Was it because Xiao Yan had been too dazzling before his talent fell, making him feel inferior...

"The test will continue!" Xiao Zhan waved his hand with a laugh.

"Next, Xiao Mei!"

"Dou Qi: Seven Stage! Rank: High!"

Looking at the words on the stone tablet, the Xiao Family members, who should have been excited and impressed, instead seemed somewhat distracted.

Compared to Xiao Yan, who had returned to Dou Zhe, this prized talent of the Xiao Family now seemed rather ordinary.

"Sigh..."

Watching Xiao Yan leave the grounds together with Xiao Xun'er, chatting and laughing, Xiao Mei inexplicably let out a soft sigh.

Three years ago, she and Xiao Yan had been just as close.

Could they...

Ever go back?

"Xiao Xun'er!"

By then, Xiao Xun'er's figure had already disappeared into the distance. The tester sighed helplessly.

Everyone in the Xiao Family knew that Xiao Xun'er only had eyes for Xiao Yan.

Compared to Xiao Yan, the Xiao Family and the test—

None of it mattered!