Reborn Ruthless Man Xiao Li

The youth wore a crisp black outfit, his tall frame standing straight and sturdy. His pitch-black eyes held a mix of languor and sharpness, while a bright smile played across his face.

"Little Yan, even after breaking through to become a Dou Zhe, you're still not quite there, hahahaha."

Hearing his second brother's boisterous laughter, Xiao Yan scrambled up from the ground, looking aggrieved. "Damn it! You're only three years older than me. If I were as old as you, my cultivation would definitely be higher!"

Xiao Ding watched from the side, finding it amusing; both of his younger brothers possessed astonishing talent.

His third brother, Xiao Yan, had broken through to become a Dou Zhe at eleven. His second brother, Xiao Li, was even more of a monster—a Dou Zhe at ten, and now, at fourteen, he had already reached the nine-star Dou Zhe level without much help from the clan, leaving his eldest brother trailing in his wake.

Xiao Ding wore a smile, but deep down, he felt the urge to train harder. At sixteen, he was only a four-star Dou Zhe; it was truly starting to look insufficient.

After chatting with Xiao Ding and Xiao Yan for a while, Xiao Li returned to his room.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging momentum he had unleashed during his spar with Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan had lived two lives and possessed immense soul power, but so did he. Ever since he transmigrated fourteen years ago to become Xiao Yan's second brother, Xiao Li had displayed soul strength far beyond the norm, manifesting as exceptional intelligence and a photographic memory.

Xiao Li hadn't expected that instead of transmigrating into one of the eight ancient clans or the Central Plains, he would end up as the loyal and ruthless Xiao Li from the original story.

The same ruthless Xiao Li who, for the sake of his clan and his younger brother, would willingly swallow the Life-Devouring Pill.

Watching the proud Xiao Yan through the window, a flicker of hesitation crossed Xiao Li's eyes. His third brother had been leagues ahead of his peers since childhood, which had fostered a prideful and complacent nature. Perhaps letting Yao Lao temper him for three years would be for the best.

In the future, when the Soul Emperor became a Dou Di and blood-sacrificed the Dou Qi continent, it would require Xiao Yan to suppress him. Xiao Li asked himself: even with his foreknowledge, he couldn't guarantee he would ever reach the rank of Dou Di.

Allowing Xiao Yan to develop on his own was the best choice; recklessly altering Xiao Yan's path would be an irrational move.

"Sigh, sorry about this, Little Yan. Just endure it; once these three years pass, I will definitely make it up to you." Xiao Li smacked his lips, his eyes filled with a touch of schadenfreude regarding his own brother's future misfortunes.

Xiao Li packed his belongings into the storage ring his father, Xiao Zhan, had given him, preparing to set off for training in the coming days.

The resources within the clan were indeed hindering his cultivation. It had taken him four years to go from a one-star to a nine-star Dou Zhe; compared to Xiao Yan's progress in the original story, it was nothing to brag about.

Even though the clan saw him as a genius and gave him everything they could, it amounted to little more than some first-grade pills and medicinal herbs.

The Xiao Clan had fallen on hard times, and with many mouths to feed—and now the addition of the equally talented Xiao Yan—resources were naturally stretched thin. It was better to head out and train sooner rather than later.

He just wasn't sure if his father would be willing to let him go.

In Xiao Zhan's bedroom.

Xiao Li bowed and said in a clear voice, "Father."

Xiao Zhan set down the book in his hands. "It's Li'er. Is something the matter? If you need resources, I will get them for you in a few days."

Mentioning resources made Xiao Zhan hesitate, but he still made the promise.

Xiao Li saw this and felt a warmth in his heart. "It's not about cultivation resources. I wish to head out to train. Closing oneself off to build a carriage will only lead to mediocrity."

"What? No. You are still too young. If you were your eldest brother's age, I might agree, but not now." Xiao Zhan refused flatly. What a joke—letting his most talented son go out to train? It was too dangerous; it was absolutely out of the question.

"Li'er, if you were to go out, you would need a Dou Shi to accompany you. Our Xiao Clan is in decline; a Dou Shi is already a pillar of the clan. How could I easily spare one to serve as your guard?" Xiao Zhan frowned, his tone filled with desolation.

Ever since Xiao Lin had died from his severe injuries, the Xiao Clan couldn't even remain in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire and had fled in disgrace to Wu Tan City.

In Wu Tan City, there were the Jialie and Aoba clans, and the Xiao Clan, as outsiders, were heavily ostracized. If he were to send away a Dou Shi-level elder...

As for sending a Dou Zhe, given Xiao Li's current cultivation, it was unclear who would be protecting whom.

Xiao Li fell silent. The outside world was indeed dangerous, but that was no reason for him to stay safely within the clan.

Thinking of his kind-hearted eldest brother Xiao Ding, his mischievous third brother Xiao Yan, and his father Xiao Zhan, who thought of him at every turn, Xiao Li couldn't bring himself to stop striving.

The threat of the Hall of Souls was looming. Not to mention that behemoth, even the Misty Cloud Sect of the Jia Ma Empire could bring the humiliation of a broken engagement upon the current Xiao Clan.

"Father, I understand." Xiao Li suddenly smiled and turned to leave.

Xiao Zhan watched Xiao Li's retreating back and shook his head slightly, his dignified face filled with helplessness. Of his three sons, only the eldest, Xiao Ding, was steady; the other two were nothing but trouble.

Late at night, the moon hung high.

Xiao Li finished his farewell letter. A real man should go out and achieve great things; how could he be scared off by a little danger? Saying goodbye to his father and brothers in person would be too sentimental; a letter was much more straightforward.

He gently closed his bedroom door, and a long spear stuck into the ground in the courtyard caught his eye.

Threads of electricity flowed across the surface, making the spear look incredibly imposing. It was eight feet long, a deep purple-black, with a faint, purple-black fish-like pattern undulating along its length. It was truly majestic.

A note hung from the end of the spear. Xiao Li looked up and recognized his father Xiao Zhan's handwriting.

"My son Xiao Li, I know your ambitions are higher than the heavens. I know I cannot stop you. This Thunder Scale Spear was left behind by the old clan leader, along with a manual for a lightning-attribute Dou Skill. When you are out in the world, remember..."

The note was hundreds of words long. Xiao Li read through it, his eyes brimming with hot tears.

He carefully tucked the note into his storage ring and bowed deeply toward Xiao Zhan's bedroom.

"Father, thank you."

After a long while, Xiao Li finished his salute and stepped out of the Xiao Clan gates.

Hiding in the shadows, Xiao Zhan felt a sense of loss. "Forgive me, Li'er. I wanted to protect you in secret for a while, but as the head of the clan, I am tied down. Don't blame your father..."

Xiao Zhan turned away, the moonlight casting a desolate glow.

"Xiao Yan, why are you still awake so late?"

Just as he turned, Xiao Zhan saw Xiao Yan walking out from the house.

Xiao Yan's stealthy figure froze, his neck stiffening as he turned to look at Xiao Zhan.

"Fa-father, I was just heading to, to the latrine. That's right, the latrine, hehe." Xiao Yan offered an awkward laugh; he couldn't exactly tell his father he was on his way to Xun'er's room to give her a massage.

The corner of Xiao Zhan's mouth twitched, his eyes filled with even greater helplessness. "Go and return quickly."

With that, Xiao Zhan didn't bother pointing out that Xiao Yan was heading in the wrong direction for the latrine, simply shaking his head and sighing to himself.

"You lot, if only you were half as sensible as Ding'er. The position of Clan Head for the Xiao Clan will have to be passed to him in the future, sigh."

Inside his room, Xiao Ding, who was busy drafting a plan to become a mercenary group leader in two years' time, let out a sneeze.

"Strange, it's not even cold right now."