Initial Arrival

"Teacher, when will today's training end? My legs are about to go numb." A three-year-old child sat cross-legged, looking miserably at the transparent elderly figure floating beside him as he spoke in a childish voice.

"Heh, Xiao Yan, stop pretending to be cute and speak properly. Do you think I don't know what kind of brat you are? If I hadn't checked that your soul fluctuations were perfectly smooth and uniform, I'd have thought some old monster had possessed your body." The elderly figure showed no indulgence toward the child and spoke sternly.

"Hehe, Teacher, listen to yourself. What teacher talks about his own student like that? It's rather embarrassing for your student." Seeing that the elderly figure was unmoved by his act, Xiao Yan's dark eyes darted around. He abandoned his childish tone and switched to a crisp voice.

"Heh, Xiao Yan, do you really have the nerve to say that? I started teaching you cultivation when you were two. A whole year has passed, and you're only at the third stage of Dou Power. At your current cultivation speed, you won't be able to inherit my legacy even in your next life."

"Keep circulating your cultivation technique. If you don't complete thirty-six cycles today, you won't be allowed to eat." The elderly figure immediately waved his left hand, and a burst of energy lightly flicked Xiao Yan's knee, correcting his sitting posture.

"Aiya, got it, you bad teacher." Seeing that flattery was useless, Xiao Yan could only close his eyes and resume circulating his cultivation technique.

Hmph, if not for the energy I brought with me when I transmigrated, you wouldn't have awakened until thirteen years later. Sigh, what a miserable fate!

Xiao Yan promptly calmed his mind and began operating his cultivation technique.

As Xiao Yan's breathing gradually steadied, the room slowly fell silent. A ray of afternoon sunlight streamed through the window and into the room.

As the air slowly settled into stillness, the elderly figure looked at the handsome child before him, with his clear brows, bright eyes, red lips, and white teeth, and sank into memories.

"Teacher, please die for your disciple!" A long blade gleaming with a sinister light pierced through his chest. Han Feng, his face twisted with savagery, clung tightly to Yao Lao.

Several chilling auras wreathed in rolling black mist flashed past in the distance.

"Feng'er, you..." Yao Lao stared in utter disbelief at the bloodstained blade protruding from his chest.

Until his death, Yao Lao had never imagined that his disciple Han Feng would collude with members of the Soul Hall to ambush him. Caught off guard, his physical body was destroyed, and he could only use a secret technique to escape into a ring. Later, the ring passed through several hands before reaching Xiao Yan's mother. When she suffered a difficult birth and was on the verge of death while giving birth to Xiao Yan, an astonishing surge of energy erupted from Xiao Yan's body. It saved his mother and awakened Yao Lao as well.

It was also thanks to Xiao Yan's companionship over the past three years that Yao Lao had emerged from the shadow of being betrayed by his closest disciple. He had also agreed to take Xiao Yan as his disciple.

"Knock, knock, knock." A series of knocks interrupted Yao Lao's memories. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, who had long since finished his training, was planning to play a trick on Yao Lao.

"Is Yan'er in there?" A deep, hearty voice came from outside.

"When one gets old, one does love reminiscing." Yao Lao smiled bitterly.

"Hehe, Teacher, it's Father. I'll get the door." Caught in the act, Xiao Yan hurriedly climbed down from the bed and opened the door.

"Father, you're here." Xiao Yan opened the door. Outside stood a tall, imposing figure with his hands clasped behind his back. His aura was restrained but faintly discernible; he was a Dou Ling expert.

"Yan'er, you haven't visited your mother in quite some time. Oh, Yao Lao, you're here as well." Xiao Zhan entered the room and respectfully cupped his hands toward the elderly figure inside.

"Judging by the residual energy fluctuations around you, it seems you've made another breakthrough. Not bad. You're already a five-star Dou Ling. It seems my Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill wasn't wasted." Yao Lao studied Xiao Zhan with interest.

"Hehe, it was all thanks to the fourth-grade medicinal pill Yao Lao bestowed upon me." Before Xiao Yan, the mighty and domineering Xiao Zhan became entirely meek in Yao Lao's presence.

"What are you laughing at!" Feeling that he had lost face before Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan glared at the snickering child beside him.

"Hehe, your son is happy that Father made a breakthrough," Xiao Yan said brightly.

"Enough, enough. Yan'er, visit your mother more when you have time. She misses you. Yao Lao, I'll take my leave." Xiao Zhan left the room looking slightly embarrassed.

"Heh, your skin is getting itchy. You even dare to tease your teacher and father. You must break through to the fifth stage of Dou Power this month." Yao Lao's expression turned solemn as he looked at Xiao Yan.

"No, Teacher!" Xiao Yan wailed.

After finishing a day of cultivation training, Xiao Yan left his room and planned to visit the Martial Arts Arena to see his eldest brother Xiao Ding and second brother Xiao Li.

"Young Master Yan." Outside the courtyard, two black-clad guards with fierce auras stood solemnly and saluted Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan nodded while asking Yao Lao in the ring in surprise, "Heh, Teacher, just how many medicinal pills have you fed the clan members over these past three years? Even the two guards at my door have the cultivation of Dou Masters."

"When did Dou Masters become so worthless in Wutan City that they could be used as gatekeepers? I know our Xiao Clan's strength has been increasing over the past few years, but not this quickly. Teacher, how many Dou Masters does our Xiao Clan have now?" Xiao Yan asked in obvious astonishment.

"Hehe, not many, not many. Including the peak Dou Ling hidden in the Dou Qi Pavilion, as well as your father, the Great Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder, the Xiao Clan currently has five Dou Lings, twelve Da Dou Shis, and fifty-five Dou Masters. There are too many Dou Zhes, so I never bothered counting them." Yao Lao was clearly pleased by Xiao Yan's question and answered modestly.

"Hiss! The Xiao Clan is producing experts one after another now. I'll need to cultivate for a long time before I can reach the Dou Ling realm." Xiao Yan said enviously.

"Heh, look at how little ambition you have. Back then, a peak Dou Wang was practically begging to guard my door, offering a low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique as well, just so I would refine a Dou Ling Pill for him. If he hadn't pestered me beyond endurance, I definitely wouldn't have accepted that cultivation technique." Yao Lao spoke disdainfully to Xiao Yan.

"Hmph, you're an Eighth-Grade Alchemist and a peak Dou Zun expert. Of course you wouldn't think much of a mere Dou Ling." Xiao Yan said with a headache.

"Hehe." Seeing Xiao Yan at a loss for words, Yao Lao laughed heartily. As they neared the Martial Arts Arena, his consciousness returned to the ring and he stopped speaking.

"Hey! Ha!" "Hey! Ha!"

As Xiao Yan drew closer, the voices of the Xiao Clan disciples in the Martial Arts Arena became clearer and clearer.

Most of those training in the Martial Arts Arena were youths of the Xiao Clan, as young as six or seven and as old as eleven or twelve. The clan member in charge of today's martial training was Xiao Zhen, the chief instructor of the Xiao Clan's Martial Arts Hall and a peak Da Dou Shi. Xiao Zhen stood on the platform with his hands behind his back, his sharp gaze sweeping across the crowd.

Xiao Yan's six-year-old eldest brother Xiao Ding and five-year-old second brother Xiao Li were also among them, standing straight as they conscientiously practiced basic boxing techniques.

"Third Brother! Ha, look, Third Brother is here!" The two boys, their temperaments still immature, were clearly unable to focus for long. When they saw Xiao Yan arrive, they began shouting. The youths around them turned to look, and their movements began to lose shape as well.

"Stay focused! Continue training!" Xiao Zhen frowned and shouted. The youths in the arena immediately became alert again.

"Yes, Chief Instructor."

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