At the Xiao Clan's routine testing assembly.
"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi?"
"Four stages?!"
The middle-aged man conducting the test was stunned too, staring at Xiao Yan in surprise.
His words sent ripples through the crowd.
The Xiao Clan youths waiting for their turn to be tested all looked astonished. Doubt, shock, disbelief—every kind of emotion showed on their faces.
The reason for their reaction was simple: Xiao Yan was a once-in-a-century genius of the Xiao Clan.
A year ago, when Xiao Yan had been tested here, four golden words had shone on the Testing Magic Stone: One-Star Dou Zhe!
It had caused a sensation throughout the Xiao Clan, and Xiao Yan's name had even risen to prominence across Wutan City.
An eleven-year-old One-Star Dou Zhe—an undisputed genius with a limitless future!
The entire Xiao Clan had even begun to dream of the day Xiao Yan would grow up and lead the family to glory!
And over the past year, Xiao Yan had lived up to everyone's expectations. He had thrown himself even more fervently into cultivation, almost cutting off all contact with outsiders.
When the Xiao Clan youths saw Xiao Yan, he was usually hurrying somewhere.
Sometimes, they might not see him once in ten days or even half a month. He would be shut away in his room, cultivating.
The only person who had much contact with Xiao Yan was probably his younger brother, the Xiao Clan's Fourth Young Master, Xiao Ze.
Xiao Yan's diligence had won the approval of most of the Xiao Clan's elders. Some even used him to spur their own children on.
"Look at Xiao Yan. He's already such a genius, and he still works so hard. Why can't you put a little more effort into your cultivation?"
That was what the younger generation of the Xiao Clan had heard most often over the past year.
Even the Xiao Clan's First Elder, who was at odds with the clan leader, had said as much to his grandson, Xiao Ning.
He had told him to learn from Xiao Yan's diligence and stop idling around all day.
Yet after a year of hard cultivation, Xiao Yan, the greatest genius the Xiao Clan had seen in a century, had actually regressed instead of advancing.
His cultivation had fallen below the Dou Zhe level, all the way to the Fourth Stage of Dou Qi.
That was what shocked the Xiao Clan youths watching most of all. Once their shock passed, they began whispering among themselves.
"What happened? Wasn't Young Master Xiao Yan a One-Star Dou Zhe? Is the Testing Magic Stone broken?"
"How could it be broken? I was tested right before him. It was spot-on: Fifth Stage of Dou Qi!"
"Then what's going on with Young Master Xiao Yan?"
"What else? His strength has regressed!"
On the testing platform, Xiao Yan clenched his fists.
The crowd below stared at him in disbelief, their suspicious whispers cutting deeply into his heart.
Ever since his fall from the Dou Zhe level, he had been bracing himself for this. He had prepared himself for it.
But when it actually happened, it still hurt so much.
Without a word, Xiao Yan walked off the platform. He ignored the crowd's chatter and left.
On a small hill outside the plaza, Xiao Ze leaned against a tree, his hands behind his head and his expression carefree.
"Finally, we've reached three years before the story begins. My third brother is about to spend the next three years enduring ridicule and scorn."
Xiao Ze was also a transmigrator. When he began cultivating at the age of four, he discovered that he had a Binding Feedback System.
Whenever the person he was bound to grew stronger, he would receive ten times the improvement.
Xiao Ze had once been faced with two choices. One was Xiao Yan, the Child of the World, who would one day earn the title of Flame Emperor.
The other was the proud daughter of heaven, Xiao Xun'er, with terrifying talent and a powerful background.
After thinking it over carefully, Xiao Ze had decided to choose Xiao Xun'er as his bound partner.
Xiao Yan had a bright future, but his path was fraught with danger.
One could say that his success was nearly impossible to replicate.
One careless move, or even the slightest lack of willpower, and he could die in an instant.
Especially when Xiao Yan accepted the Ancient Emperor's inheritance at the end—his body had no idea how many times it had been blown apart. The only reason he survived was that his will was as unyielding as stone.
Xiao Yan's growth in the early stages had also been arduous. Absorbing Heavenly Flames, in particular, was tremendously dangerous.
Compared with Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er's path to growth was smooth sailing.
Her talent was top-tier, and her background was astonishing. Much of the time, her cultivation was on par with Xiao Yan's, and she even surpassed him in combat strength!
Xiao Xun'er's personal guard was a high-level Dou Huang. Across the Jia Ma Empire, there was basically no one who could threaten her life.
And even if someone truly could, would her father, a Peak Dou Sheng, have left her without a single means of protection?
On top of that, Xiao Xun'er was the eldest young lady of the Ancient Clan. She was practically guaranteed to reach Peak Dou Sheng!
Two broad, open roads lay before Xiao Ze. He could choose either one.
In the end, Xiao Ze had still chosen Xiao Xun'er, because it was the safer option.
After all, Xiao Yan could run into trouble at any moment. Xiao Ze had no idea how much his own presence might affect him.
He also had no way of knowing whether Xiao Yan could continue to carry the protagonist's fortune.
With his cheat and Xiao Xun'er as a safety net to guarantee Peak Dou Sheng, reaching Dou Emperor shouldn't be a problem.
So Xiao Ze had decisively chosen Xiao Xun'er as his bound partner.
[ Ding! Xiao Xun'er's strength has increased, reaching the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi! The host receives tenfold feedback!] [Congratulations, host! Your strength has increased to Nine-Star Dou Zhe!
Xiao Ze looked at the notification that had appeared that morning, his eyes filled with a smile. Once he claimed the reward, he would break through from Eight-Star to Nine-Star Dou Zhe.
"Brother Xiao Ze, you look pretty happy all by yourself!"
A young girl's tender, delicate voice suddenly rang out.
With her hands behind her back, Xiao Xun'er leaned forward and playfully peered down at Xiao Ze from behind him.
Though the beautiful girl's face appeared upside down from Xiao Ze's perspective, it did nothing to diminish the heart-stopping beauty she was already beginning to possess!
Xiao Ze and Xiao Xun'er were the same age, with Xiao Ze a few months older. They were also a year younger than Xiao Yan.
The two had begun cultivating around the same time. Since Xiao Ze was bound to Xiao Xun'er, the tenfold feedback made his cultivation speed astonishing.
He often guided Xiao Xun'er and even helped nourish her meridians.
Of course, thanks to the system, his strength had surged, and he had gained excellent control over Dou Qi.
So all he had to do was place his hands against hers to help nourish the meridians throughout Xiao Xun'er's body.
Though it didn't do all that much.
Still, Xiao Ze's help had warmed Xiao Xun'er's heart back then.
Their relationship had grown wonderfully close, and they had been childhood friends ever since.
"Of course I'm happy! I'm lying here thinking about someone~"
The smile on Xiao Xun'er's face instantly froze. There was an almost imperceptible note of displeasure in her voice.
"Brother Xiao Ze, are you thinking about some beautiful girl?"
"Yeah! I'm thinking about a beauty named Xiao Xun'er."
"You silver-tongued flatterer!" Xiao Xun'er giggled and chided him softly.
But the displeasure in her voice had vanished without a trace, and her smile returned.
"It seems something happened to Cousin Xiao Yan."
Xiao Xun'er sat down and gazed thoughtfully at the tall Testing Stele in the distance as she spoke to Xiao Ze.
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