Medicine Elder, Come Out!

"That fluctuation appeared and vanished in an instant. It was extremely faint. This old servant initially thought he'd sensed it incorrectly..."

"But thinking back on it now, perhaps it wasn't an illusion."

"I don't know whether it has anything to do with Xiao Yan."

"If Miss gets the chance, perhaps she could look into him."

Whoosh—

As soon as he said this,

a flicker of astonishment flashed deep in Xiao Xun'er's eyes.

Dou Emperor?

Elder Ling had sensed a Dou Emperor's fluctuation?

And it had come from Xiao Yan Gege's courtyard?

This...

Xiao Xun'er felt her heartbeat suddenly skip a beat.

No, that was absolutely impossible!

A fifteen-year-old Dou Emperor?

That was simply too outrageous!

Even the inheritance of a Dou Emperor couldn't be that outrageous, could it?!

And yet—

Elder Ling's senses had always been precise; he was rarely wrong.

If he said he'd sensed a Dou Emperor's fluctuation, then it was almost certainly real.

But...

Xiao Xun'er's thoughts were in turmoil.

Xiao Yan Gege had only revealed his Dou Wang cultivation today, and now a Dou Emperor's fluctuation had appeared in his courtyard tonight?

Could the two be connected somehow?

Or could it be...

that Xiao Yan Gege was hiding an even greater secret?

"Elder Ling..."

Xiao Xun'er parted her lips, wanting to ask something more, but found she didn't know where to begin.

Ling Ying shook his head.

"This old servant can't be certain either. I only sensed a trace. Perhaps some expert was passing by, or perhaps I sensed it incorrectly."

"Miss needn't worry too much."

"This old servant takes his leave."

With that, Ling Ying's figure flickered and turned into a shadow that vanished into the night.

Only Xiao Xun'er remained in the room.

She slowly walked to the window and gazed at the bright moon outside, her expression impossibly complicated.

"Xiao Yan Gege..."

she murmured, her voice so soft it seemed the wind might carry it away.

"What exactly happened to you?"

"Why is Xun'er... completely unable to see through you now?"

Beneath the moonlight, the girl's figure looked especially slight.

In those clear eyes were confusion, worry, curiosity, and even a trace of something she herself had yet to notice...

a deep concern.

After a long while,

Xiao Xun'er sighed softly and looked away.

She had come to the Xiao Family to find the Tou She Ancient God Jade.

But over the years, she had never truly searched for it, nor had she ever thought of taking anything from the Xiao Family.

Because someone she cared about was here.

The boy who had given her a little warmth when she was at her loneliest.

"Xiao Yan Gege..."

"No matter what secrets you have—"

"you'll always be Xun'er's Xiao Yan Gege."

"Xun'er... will definitely protect you."

Xiao Xun'er clenched her little fist, a golden flame flickering in her eyes.

Humm—

A scorching aura of immense power quietly burst from around her body. In an instant, it condensed into a Dou Qi vortex, and her aura continued to climb...

In the past, she had kept suppressing her cultivation with a secret clan technique to spare Xiao Yan the embarrassment of his declining cultivation, and because she needed to hide her strength in a small place like Wutan City.

As the Ancient Clan's peerless prodigy, bearing a Divine Grade Bloodline and possessing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, how could she possibly be only at the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi?

At the same time—

Elsewhere.

Inside Xiao Yan's room.

Xiao Yan slowly rose to his feet and stretched his limbs.

After breaking through to Dou Emperor, he felt like an entirely different person.

The Dou Qi within him was more condensed, his senses sharper, and even his soul power had grown considerably stronger.

"Medicine Elder."

Xiao Yan looked at Yao Chen, who stood nearby, staring in stunned disbelief, and smiled faintly.

"Does this junior's cultivation speed meet with your approval?"

Medicine Elder came back to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Meet with his approval?

That was the Red Lotus Karma Fire, eighth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, and he'd refined it just like that!

If even this didn't meet with his approval, then nothing in the world could!

Back then, when he refined the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, he'd poured an enormous amount of effort into it and had nearly lost his soul in the process.

Still—

Medicine Elder had weathered countless storms in his time, and he quickly calmed down.

"Kid, what kind of monster are you?"

Medicine Elder couldn't help asking.

"You broke through to Dou Wang without a cultivation technique, refined the Red Lotus Karma Fire with ease, and after merging with it, your cultivation surged straight to Dou Emperor..."

"This old man has lived for so many years and has never seen anything so outrageous!"

Xiao Yan smiled but didn't answer.

What could he say?

That he had a system bug that let him level up with a single click?

That his Innate Great Sun Sacred Body was special, a supreme fire-type sacred body by birth, and that was why he could refine Heavenly Flames with ease?

These secrets... were better left to himself.

"Senior, you flatter me. I simply had a bit of good fortune."

Xiao Yan brushed him off casually.

Medicine Elder's mouth twitched again.

A bit of good fortune?

If that counted as a bit of good fortune, everyone else might as well give up on living!

Of course, Medicine Elder had no intention of pressing him.

Everyone had their own secrets, and Yao Chen wasn't the sort to pry where he wasn't wanted.

"Forget it, kid. Say what you want or don't."

Medicine Elder waved his hand and drifted back into the Myriad Dao Soul-Nurturing Jade.

"This old man needs to recover. The shocks I've had today... are more than I've had in my entire life..."

Xiao Yan smiled, unconcerned.

He lowered his head to look at his hands, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes.

Three-Star Dou Emperor!

Red Lotus Karma Fire!

Ten Thousand Soul Banner!

High-tier Earth-rank cultivation technique!

After this round of "snatching" Xiao Yan's "old grandpa in a ring," he'd made out like a bandit!

"Bugs are great! System bugs are great!"

"Next..."

Xiao Yan's gaze flickered.

"According to the original plot, Nalan Yanran should be coming to break off the engagement soon."

"This is an important plot point. Could I make good use of the system bug here, too...?"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Suddenly—

Just as Xiao Yan was thinking,

a knock sounded at the door.

"Yan'er, it's me!"

Xiao Zhan's familiar voice came from outside, low and tinged with urgency.

Xiao Yan frowned slightly.

His father had come by so late at night, most likely because of the cultivation he'd displayed today.

After all—

any father would be unable to sit still if a boy who'd been treated as a good-for-nothing for three years suddenly revealed Dou Wang strength.

But that was fine.

This did call for a reasonable explanation.

He couldn't reveal the system's secret, but an excuse like a fortuitous encounter would be enough to get by.

After all, it wasn't unusual on the Dou Qi Continent for a powerhouse to rise to prominence after receiving a fortuitous opportunity.

Without the slightest hesitation,

Xiao Yan opened the door.

Outside, Xiao Zhan stood beneath the moonlight in a plain robe.

His face was alight with barely concealed excitement, his eyes slightly reddened as he looked at Xiao Yan with a mixture of heartache and complicated feelings.

"Father... what's wrong?"

Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback and stepped aside.

"It's late. Come in."

Xiao Zhan nodded and stepped into the room.

First, he warily surveyed the courtyard, and only after confirming that no one had followed him did he carefully shut the door.

His cautious manner warmed Xiao Yan's heart.

His father truly cared about him.

"Yan'er—"

Xiao Zhan turned to face the boy before him, his voice choking up.

He reached out and gripped Xiao Yan's shoulder firmly. Tears glimmered faintly in his tiger-like eyes.

"All these years..."

"You clearly had talent, yet you hid your true strength and endured in silence until now..."

"It must have been so hard for you!"

Xiao Zhan's voice was low and hoarse, every word seeming to be forced out from deep in his throat.

He didn't know how Xiao Yan had gained such outrageous cultivation, but he understood one thing very clearly—

his son must have endured hardships beyond what ordinary people could imagine!

Three years!

A full three years!

His Yan'er had possessed astonishing talent, yet had to pretend to be a good-for-nothing and suffer endless ridicule and scorn!

And he, as his father, had known nothing and done nothing!

He could only watch as his son was mocked and humiliated!

Whenever Xiao Zhan thought of it, his heart twisted like a knife.

"Father..."

Looking at Xiao Zhan's reddened eyes, Xiao Yan felt a complicated emotion well up within him.

Although he was a transmigrator, the sincere love of a father that Xiao Zhan gave him reached his heart all the same.

"It was all right, really."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, his tone calm and gentle.

"Father, you're the one who works hardest, managing every aspect of the Xiao Family day and night."

"My little grievance is nothing."

At those words,

Xiao Zhan's eyes grew even redder.

He clapped Xiao Yan firmly on the shoulder. His lips trembled slightly as he tried to say something, but he found that a thousand words were lodged in his throat, and he couldn't get a single one out.

After a long while,

he finally took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions surging within him.

"Yan'er..."

Xiao Zhan hesitated before speaking, his gaze complex as he looked at Xiao Yan.

"Your father knows that everyone has their own secrets."

"If it's difficult for you, you don't have to tell me."

"Your father only wants to know... are you all right?"

Xiao Yan felt a warmth in his heart.

So this was a father's love.

He didn't ask why or demand an explanation; he only cared whether Xiao Yan was all right.

He smiled faintly, thought it over for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"Father, there's no need to worry. I'm perfectly well."

"Come to think of it—"

Xiao Yan paused, smiling as he looked at Xiao Zhan.

"Father, you came here in the middle of the night because you wanted to find out how I came to possess the cultivation of a Dou Wang, didn't you?"

Xiao Zhan was taken aback, then nodded.

He did want to know.

A fifteen-year-old Dou Wang was simply absurd!

So absurd that even he, as Xiao Yan's father, could hardly believe it!

"Yan'er, if it's inconvenient for you to say, then you don't have to."

Xiao Zhan spoke softly.

"Your father only wants you to be safe."

Xiao Yan smiled.

"Father, you're worrying too much."

"It's actually quite simple—"

His gaze flickered as he spoke slowly.

"Three years ago, my cultivation suddenly regressed, not because my talent had run dry, but because..."

"I came upon a great opportunity."

He paused.

Xiao Yan spoke directly. "Senior Medicine Elder—"

"Come out!"