Leaving Home

After reaching an agreement with Xiao Yan, Instructor Xi Wei finally got to the main point—the classification of new students' potential scores.

Eight stages of Dou Qi belonged to F-grade potential, the minimum standard for entering Jia Nan Academy.

Nine stages of Dou Qi belonged to E-grade potential.

A one-star Dou Zhe was D-grade, a two-star Dou Zhe was C-grade, and so on. The highest rank was an S-grade five-star Dou Zhe.

The age limit was under twenty.

However, a freak like Xiao Yan, a four-star Dou Zhe at ten years old, could be classified as S-grade or even beyond S-grade.

Xun Er, a one-star Dou Zhe at ten years old, was likewise S-grade.

After all, even if she only advanced one star per year, Xun Er could still become a five-star Dou Zhe by the age of fifteen. Besides, someone who could naturally cultivate to the Dou Zhe level at ten without indiscriminately using medicine could not possibly improve by just one star a year.

As for the two-star Dou Zhe Xiao Ding, who was fifteen, he was classified as C-grade. The one-star Dou Zhe Xiao Li, who was fourteen, was classified as D-grade.

Xiao Yan did not care in the slightest about the other newly enrolled students and paid them no attention. Once that day's recruitment ended, he invited Jia Nan Academy's recruitment team into the Xiao Family residence.

He also gave Luo Suo a bottle of Blood Coagulation Powder and casually mentioned that he had refined it himself.

Luo Suo had been stunned senseless, but not turned into an idiot.

After realizing the implication behind Xiao Yan's words, he became much more obedient. What junior Xiao Yan? This was clearly Young Master Xiao!

However, Young Master Xiao did not like keeping dogs, so Luo Suo did not dare crowd around him. He merely wore a fawning, tail-wagging smile whenever he happened to see Xiao Yan.

Although Xiao Yan had expected this, he still was not quite used to it. Fortunately, he spent most of his time cultivating on the Back Mountain, where things were far more peaceful.

However, aside from cultivating, he also had to guide Xun Er in practicing Dou Techniques. During his free time, Xiao Li would drag him into sparring, with Xiao Ding joining in as well.

Ruo Lin would occasionally come along with Xiao Ding. Together with the beautiful female students from Jia Nan Academy playing and making merry in the Xiao Family residence, the half-month-long recruitment period made the Xiao Family much livelier.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Xun Er had now thoroughly mastered the Dou Technique called Flame Fist.

As for Xiao Yan, he shamelessly searched through Old Yao's collection and found his eldest and second brothers each a high-level Mystic Tier cultivation method and Dou Technique suited to their Dou Qi attributes.

Old Yao actually had Earth Tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques, but Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were not especially strong yet and did not have Old Yao by their sides. Giving them overly powerful techniques could easily bring about fatal disaster, so Xiao Yan could only choose high-level Mystic Tier methods.

It was only then that Xiao Ding and Xiao Li learned Xiao Yan actually had two teachers: one was a mysterious alchemist, while the other was Yun Yun, the sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect!

Yet neither of them felt any jealousy toward Xiao Yan, not even a trace of envy.

They were only happy for him.

Their third brother would surely become the family's pillar of support in the future!

Of course, Xiao Ding was the one who said that.

Xiao Li would only say, "Damn, Xiao Yan is seriously awesome!"

On the eve of Jia Nan Academy's recruitment team's departure.

Xiao Yan told Xun Er, Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, and Xiao Zhan that he planned to go out and gain experience for a while.

His two elder brothers naturally strongly supported his choice. Once they learned that Xiao Yan would be training alongside his alchemist teacher, they were completely reassured.

Xiao Zhan, however, felt somewhat heartbroken. His youngest son, Xiao Yan, was only ten years old, still a child, yet he was about to leave home to train. If he had not known Xiao Yan would be traveling with a powerful alchemist, he probably would not have wanted to let him leave at all. Still, he knew that with Xiao Yan's talent, remaining in the family would surely waste it.

One had to know that those who wasted their talent would be punished.

Thus, after leaving behind a batch of pills he had refined and instructing Xiao Zhan to handle their distribution, Xiao Yan prepared to leave the Xiao Family.

Xun Er was extremely reluctant to part with him and pulled Xiao Yan along every day to practice Dou Techniques and Dou Qi.

But Xiao Yan knew that cultivating in the Xiao Family might be safe, and Xun Er's company might make him happy, but it could not push his cultivation speed to its limit.

An environment that was too comfortable would make one lose the will to fight.

Xiao Yan did not dare place himself in such an environment. To him, any moment of comfort today could become tears and regret born of helpless fury tomorrow.

Moreover, a person's potential could only erupt like a volcano when their life was threatened. Cultivating at home all the time would make it impossible to ever become a true powerhouse!

Since Xiao Yan would not remain in the Xiao Family, Xun Er did not want to stay alone either. Thus, she decided to follow the team to Jia Nan Academy.

After bidding farewell to Xun Er, Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, Ruo Lin, and the others, Xiao Yan made a trip to the Miter Auction House. He prepared a batch of supplies for surviving in the wilderness and purchased a large quantity of medicinal ingredients.

Although he had only just become a First-Rank Alchemist, Xiao Yan had already prepared batches of Second-Grade and Third-Grade medicinal ingredients. During this training journey, he intended to raise his Alchemy to at least Third-Grade.

After preparing everything, Xiao Yan rested properly at home for a day.

The next morning, Xiao Yan got up and washed. He wore only the Storage Ring Yun Yun had given him on his finger, while the golden Storage Ring Xun Er had given him was kept close to his body. That golden Storage Ring was far too conspicuous; one look made it obvious that it was no ordinary item. When traveling outside, one should not flaunt one's wealth. Xiao Yan understood that principle well.

Standing at his door, Xiao Yan looked at the room that had become somewhat empty and smiled faintly. As the door closed, the final ray of sunlight was sealed within.

Xiao Yan's departure alerted no one. Dressed in black and empty-handed, the youth walked out through the main gate, then slowly vanished at the end of the street beneath the respectful gazes of the family guards.

Yet those guards did not know that once he left, it might be one or two years before he could return home.

Outside Wutan City.

"Carry this on your back. From now on, you are not allowed to take it off, not even when sleeping."

The moment Old Yao's voice rang out, a huge black object suddenly shot out of the ancient ring and crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Old Yao then introduced it.

"This was forged from Flame Meteor Profound Iron. There is probably only one such item on the entire continent. Not only is it extremely hard, but it is also incredibly heavy. Most importantly, it possesses the miraculous effect of suppressing Dou Qi.

"If you can adapt to this Dou Qi-suppressing effect, then when you face others in battle and remove this object, the instant you break free of its restraints, your strength will astonish everyone."

Xiao Yan nodded and strapped it onto his back.

"Whoa, it's pretty heavy!"

His body swayed slightly, but Xiao Yan quickly steadied himself. Then, taking heavy steps, he set off toward the destination of this journey!