With a single step, he descended from the platform and arrived on the stage. That speed astonished the young people once again.
"Xiao Xuan of the Xiao Clan. Please instruct me!"
"This guy is a Dou Emperor too?"
After Xiao Xuan released his aura, the Xiao Clan disciples began discussing it among themselves.
"Gu Yuan of the Gu Clan. Please enlighten me!"
As soon as Gu Yuan finished speaking, Xiao Xuan clenched his hand into a fist, circulated his Dou Qi, and charged at him.
"Whoosh..."
As the wind-wreathed punch blasted toward Gu Yuan, Gu Yuan casually raised a hand and easily blocked it.
At that moment, Gu Yuan spun around, his left leg rising as he kicked toward Xiao Xuan's face.
Yet Xiao Xuan casually caught it, then began swinging him around.
Xiao Xuan had tempered his body for years. His arm strength was several times greater than that of others his age, and with the strength of a Dou Emperor erupting from him now, swinging Gu Yuan around was as easy as playing with a toy.
The instant Gu Yuan was flung into the air, he directly unleashed the pressure of a Dou Emperor, intending to shake Xiao Xuan off.
Unfortunately, he was overthinking it.
That little bit of pressure was truly nothing before Xiao Xuan.
Gu Yuan knew this could not continue. He extended a finger toward Xiao Xuan, as surging, explosive energy began gathering at his fingertip.
"Ancient Emperor's Finger!"
After Gu Yuan shouted, the energy at his fingertip shot straight toward Xiao Xuan.
Merely sensing the piercing power of that finger strike, Xiao Xuan understood that it was anything but ordinary.
"Metal Element Palm!"
"Rumble..."
After the two streams of energy collided in midair, a mushroom cloud appeared!
The residual force even shook Gu Yuan until he coughed up blood. Xiao Xuan also forcibly made himself spit out a mouthful of blood; he did not want to stand out too much.
Having peers made one a genius. Leaving everyone else far behind made one a monster—and invited envy.
At least until he had fully matured, that was something he did not wish to encounter.
However, the two of them were currently shrouded in smoke within the arena, and no one noticed.
Once the smoke dispersed, everyone looked over and saw blood at the corners of both men's mouths as they stood upright on the stage.
"Cough, cough. Brother Gu, there's no need to continue. Let's call this one a draw.
"When there is another chance, I will seek you out for another spar."
"Fine. When that time comes, we will have a proper, satisfying battle."
After a while, when no one else came forward to challenge anyone, the elder announced the end of the exchange.
Once the exchange ended, the elders of the various clans remained in the Xiao Clan only briefly before leaving with their clans' young talents.
Xiao Xuan was also summoned to Xiao Feng's study.
"Not bad, kid. You quietly reached this realm without making a sound.
"But this isn't your true cultivation, is it?"
Xiao Xuan rolled his eyes at him. Did he really not know, or was he pretending not to know?
A Peak Eight-Star Dou Saint could not see through his cultivation?
"Ow... Dad, what was that for?"
As though he had seen through Xiao Xuan's thoughts, Xiao Feng lightly flicked a finger against his forehead, immediately raising a large bump.
"You brat deserve a beating. The Ancient Emperor's Ring the ancestor gave you conceals your true condition.
"Forget an Eight-Star Dou Saint like me—even a Nine-Star Dou Saint like the ancestor would be unable to see through your cultivation unless you went all out."
Xiao Xuan frowned. The Ancient Emperor's Ring?
Old Zhu had casually tossed it to him back then without explaining anything.
He had always thought it was merely a storage ring, so all these years, he had been cultivating the Breath-Hiding Art to conceal his true condition.
So, all these years, he had been doing something completely unnecessary.
"Ah... so that's how it is. Dad, it's not like I knew.
"I've barely reached the peak of the Dou Emperor realm now.
"By the way, Dad, I plan to leave the Xiao Realm and travel the continent.
"For those talented members of the Xiao Clan, you can suggest it to the clan elders. After all, flowers raised in a greenhouse cannot withstand wind, rain, or harsh sunlight."
Xiao Feng smiled. "What are you worrying about, kid? Us old folks understand that perfectly well.
"We will send them out. We were originally planning to do so after this exchange.
"When the time comes, you can go with them."
"I'd better not. I want to travel alone.
"Besides, they would not gain much training in the Central Plains.
"I learned from the clan records that although the Central Plains has fewer experts than the great Emperor Clans, there are still many Dou Zuns and Dou Zongs, and even Half-Saints and Dou Saints are not unheard of.
"On the other hand, places like the Northwestern Region, Northern Region, Eastern Region, and Southern Region would be better. There, Dou Emperors can dominate an area. Dou Wangs may not count as experts, but they certainly are not weak either.
"Send them to those places. If they want to travel the Central Plains, they will have to grow stronger step by step and make their way there."
Xiao Feng's eyes lit up. This was a good idea.
It would reduce casualties while maximizing the effects of their training.
"That is a good idea. I agree, and I imagine those old fellows will agree as well.
"Since you have decided to travel alone, I will not stop you.
"Just remember to be careful in all things. Your mother, your granduncle, and I will wait for you at home—for the day you become an unrivaled expert."
Xiao Xuan smiled. "Dad, you may not trust others, but you don't trust me? Do I look like the sort of person who treats his own life carelessly?
"But if you truly are worried, how about giving me a hundred or eighty Seventh-Rank Pills, Eighth-Rank Pills, Ninth-Grade Elixirs, or something like that? The more, the better."
"Get lost. You actually had the nerve to say that? A hundred or eighty pills? Are you still half-asleep?
"Has your granduncle given you too few pills and precious medicinal ingredients?
"In terms of wealth, even I, the Patriarch, might not be richer than you.
"And don't think I don't know it—you're a medicine master, aren't you? At the very least, a sixth-rank medicine master."
Xiao Xuan curled his lip and muttered, "Fine, don't give me any. It's no big deal. It's not like I can't support myself."
"Take them, take them. This is a bottle of Seventh-Rank Pills, Dou Zong-Breaking Pills, and a bottle of Eighth-Rank Pills, Qi-Boosting Pills. They can help a Dou Zun break through one or two stars. Now get out."
He had said he would not give him any, but that was only talk. He had given him two bottles outright, and each bottle had at least three pills.
That was enough for his cultivation until he reached the Dou Zun realm.
"Hehe, thank you, thank you. Then I'll head to the Scripture Depository and catch up with Granduncle."
After coming outside and passing through the training grounds, Xiao Xuan found that the Xiao Clan's outstanding young talents were still there, discussing what they had gained from the competition between the clans.
"Cousin?"
"Cousin?"
"Brother Xiong, Brother Chen, Brother Yun, Sister Lan, why are you all still here?
"Aren't you going back to enter seclusion and consolidate what you comprehended from this competition?
"Since you're here, this is a bottle of Seventh-Rank Pills, Dou Zong-Breaking Pills, and a bottle of Sixth-Rank Pills, Imperial Pills.
"You few can divide them among yourselves. They will greatly improve your chances of breaking through to the Dou Emperor realm, or even the Dou Zong realm, in the future.
"By the way, don't rush to break through yet. The clan will probably send you out to travel the continent soon."
Xiao Lan looked at the sixth-rank and seventh-rank pills that had been tossed over as though they were trash, and the corner of her mouth twitched. He was truly outrageously wealthy.
"Xiao Xuan, you should keep them for yourself."
"Every medicine has some toxicity. Unless I have no other choice, I generally do not use pills.
"With your talents, you would not have needed them in the first place. But how you choose is up to you."
Before you continue