A One-Star Dou Wang-Cousin, Please Give Me Your Guidance

Battle Through the Heavens World, Wutan City, Xiao Family.

Today was the Coming of Age Ceremony for the Xiao Family's younger generation. The Second Elder, Xiao Ying, was in charge of testing everyone's Dou Qi.

A month ago, the young lord Xiao Yan, who had once fallen to rock bottom, had stunned the entire clan right here with the astonishing result of "Dou Qi Seven Stages."

But today, at this most important part of the Coming of Age Ceremony, all the other youths in the family had completed their tests, while the main attraction had yet to appear.

"Heh, could our 'genius' young master be too scared to show his face?" A mocking voice broke the silence. It was Xiao Ning, who had just tested at Eighth Stage Dou Qi.

Xiao Yu, the tall young woman beside him, sneered and chimed in. "Four stages in a month? Even the ancient texts probably haven't recorded a miracle like that."

"Maybe he used some crooked method to drain his potential or temporarily raise his cultivation. Now that he can't keep it up, he's been exposed, right?"

"Cousin Xiao Yu, you're quite right." Xiao Ning pretended to have a sudden realization, deliberately raising his voice. "Otherwise, how could that good-for-nothing have broken through four stages in a year?"

"Some people will do anything to save face."

As he spoke, his eyes meaningfully flicked toward Xiao Zhan, seated on the high platform with a face as dark as water.

At his words, a suppressed murmur of discussion rose through the square.

After all, raising one's Dou Qi by four stages in a year was truly outrageous.

Perhaps Xiao Zhan had really paid a great price and used some method to temporarily give Xiao Yan Seventh Stage Dou Qi, all to protect his position as family head and save Xiao Yan's face.

Now that the effects had worn off, Xiao Yan didn't dare show himself.

Xiao Zhan sat perfectly still, but his hand on the armrest slowly tightened, his knuckles turning faintly white. His expression remained dark as water, and his gaze stayed fixed on the entrance.

As they waited, the rumors grew, and the doubts nearly became a tangible wave.

Just as the atmosphere grew stifling, a tall figure in blue finally strode unhurriedly through the entrance to the Martial Arts Arena.

It was Xiao Yan.

He walked steadily through the crowd, which parted of its own accord, and headed straight for the center of the square.

Sunlight fell across his handsome face, giving it a warm glow. His bright, spirited eyes revealed quiet confidence and a lively spark.

He calmly walked up to the platform, clasped his hands toward his father and the elders, and spoke in a clear voice:

"Sorry for the wait, Elders, Father. I made a little progress while cultivating and got held up. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

He could have arrived in time for the Coming of Age Ceremony, but refining the Immortal Leaf Senior Qingxu had bestowed on him had made him late.

Still, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. He had already surpassed everyone in the Xiao Family.

"Held up?"

"Maybe he has a guilty conscience."

Xiao Ning sneered, his ridicule undisguised.

"What do you mean?"

Xiao Yan looked toward Xiao Ning.

Though the man was his cousin, he had always acted arrogantly and picked on him at every turn.

Xiao Yan had previously held back for the sake of the family, unwilling to fight among themselves. But since his cousin was speaking out of line at the Coming of Age Ceremony, he had no intention of continuing to give way.

"Hmph! You know exactly what I mean!"

Xiao Ning kicked off the ground and leaped nimbly onto the platform, coming to stand opposite Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan, you think you're a genius. Do you dare fight me up here today?"

He had long coveted the position of next family head, and today was the perfect opportunity.

To make absolutely sure he would win, he had even taken a Qi-Boosting Pill in advance, at considerable cost. The pill could temporarily increase his cultivation, and his Dou Qi was now surging through him. He had temporarily broken through to the level of a One-Star Dou Zhe!

In his view, even if Xiao Yan really had Seventh Stage Dou Qi, he would be no more than a weakling before a true Dou Zhe. This was the perfect chance to trample him into the dirt and establish his authority.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Looking at Xiao Ning, who was acting like a clown, Xiao Yan gave a playful smile.

Since the other man insisted on humiliating himself, Xiao Yan would gladly oblige.

"Good! You said it!"

Seeing Xiao Yan accept at once, Xiao Ning was quite pleased. He immediately assumed a fighting stance:

"Xiao Ning, Eighth Stage Dou Qi!"

"Cousin, fists and feet don't have eyes. You'd better be careful!"

Xiao Yan smiled faintly.

In the next instant, an incomparably powerful aura erupted from him like a raging tidal wave, sweeping across the arena and making all of Wutan City tremble.

Even the family elders—and Xiao Zhan, the strongest among them—were like leaves caught in a gale beneath this aura. They could barely keep their footing.

Xiao Ning, who stood directly in its path, felt as though a towering mountain had suddenly crashed down on him. His legs gave way, and with a thud, he was forced down onto one knee. His face turned paper-white, and his whole body trembled like a leaf.

"Xiao Yan, One-Star Dou Wang. Cousin, please give me your guidance!"

Xiao Yan clasped his hands toward Xiao Ning, who was already on his knees.

"Holy crap..."

At that moment, Xiao Ning felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him from a clear sky and the whole world had collapsed.

He had considered the possibility that Xiao Yan had Seventh Stage Dou Qi. He had even prepared himself for Xiao Yan to break through again in the past month and reach Eighth Stage Dou Qi.

But he had never imagined that in a mere month, the other man would become a legendary Dou Wang!

"Heavens! I, Xiao Ning, hereby report that someone's cheating!!"

In the Chat Group.

Ye Hei, who had just taught Xia Jiuyou a lesson, was the first to respond.

[Ye Hei: Senior Qingxu, please accept my humble bow! ▄█▀█●]

[Ye Hei: The Immortal Leaf you bestowed is the most precious treasure I've ever seen. Not only have I broken the curse that kept the Sacred Body from cultivating, I've also transformed into an Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo!]

News of his transformation into an Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo had swept through the Eastern Wasteland like a gale. Many powerful factions had invited him to join them. Even the Qishi Mansion, which opened only once every ten thousand years, had extended an invitation.

However, before his transformation, Feng Clan Saintess Phoenix had announced that she would never truly marry Ye Hei. If she married anyone, it would be a Great Emperor.

You ignored me before. Now you're out of my league.

Ye Hei had also publicly declared that since Phoenix looked down on him, he wouldn't force her into anything. Their previous engagement was now void.

As for the Feng Family's kindness, he would repay it many times over in the future.

[Xiao Yan: Haha, after refining that Immortal Leaf, my cultivation also broke through from Dou Zhe to Dou Wang.]

[Xiao Yan: My cousin's face went green when he tried to fight me just now.]

[Xiao Yan: Senior, you're a god in my eyes!]

Although Xiao Ning had officially reported the cheating to Heaven and everyone else was in disbelief, Xiao Yan's Dou Wang strength was right there before them. They could only accept it wholeheartedly.

Xiao Zhan even stepped down on the spot, handing the position of Xiao Family head to Xiao Yan.

[Emperor Yongle: Hahaha! That was great! Absolutely exhilarating!]

[Emperor Yongle: I just carried a Red-Clad Cannon and wielded an eighty-jin Zhanmadao, wiping out more than a thousand Oirat cavalrymen all by myself.]

[Emperor Yongle: The people from the other Grassland tribes saw me and thought a god had descended.]

Zhu Di was in the central command tent, taking off his armor, his face full of delight.

Ever since becoming emperor, he hadn't fought so freely and fiercely in a long time.

Seeing their father—who looked even younger than they did—Prince Han Jin Douzi and Arrogant Layman cried out that it was a miracle. The little thoughts they'd had about rebelling vanished completely.

After all, when they had led the Three Thousand Camp to reinforce him just now, they had seen with their own eyes how their father carried a Red-Clad Cannon and wielded an eighty-jin Zhanmadao, slaughtering more than a thousand Oirat cavalrymen until they wailed for their mothers and fathers.

Clearly, their father had already surpassed the bounds of what it meant to be human.

Inside a stone house in the Taihao Tribe, Li Qingxu read the messages in the Chat Group, and the worry that had been hanging over him finally lifted.

It seemed that, just as he had expected, every blade of grass and every tree in the Prehistoric World—the highest-ranking Great Thousand World beneath the Great Dao—was an unimaginable treasure to the other worlds.

What interested him most, however, was Xiao Yan's news.

"Xiao Ning took a Qi-Boosting Pill and temporarily broke through to Dou Zhe, only to face Xiao Yan, who's at the Dou Wang level. He's probably devastated."

Li Qingxu shook his head with a smile.

He had given Xiao Yan just one leaf, and it had helped him break through to Dou Wang.

When Xiao Yan went to the Misty Cloud Sect to fulfill the Three-Year Agreement, Nalan Yanran would probably be even more desperate.

[Ye Hei: @Qingxu Daojun, Senior, are you there?]

The group had excitedly discussed the transformations the Immortal Leaf had brought them. When Li Qingxu didn't respond, they carefully called out to him.

Seeing this, Li Qingxu decided it was time to stop lurking.

Now that all three members had gained tangible benefits, it was time to guide them into offering treasures to him, their Group Leader.