The next day was the coming-of-age ceremony. Almost every faction in Wutan City had turned up. The most talented young master of the Xiao Clan, the city's ruling power, was holding his ceremony—who would dare slight him?
Xiao Zhan wore a smile all day long. Xiao Li also had the chance to meet Ya Fei, who was quite famous in the original story. She hadn't yet reached the level of beauty that would bring a kingdom to its knees, like she would two years later, but she was already beginning to show her brilliance. Countless young men in Wutan City had been enamored with her for ages.
After the ceremony, Xiao Yi Xian blocked Xiao Li at his doorway. "Is something the matter, Xian Er?"
Xiao Yi Xian bit her lip, as if she had something difficult to say. "I... you..."
Xiao Li frowned, thinking she'd run into some sort of trouble.
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Yi Xian furrowed her brow and pressed her lips together. "Give me a kiss."
"Huh?" Xiao Li was at a loss. "Why are you so fixated on getting a kiss?"
Xiao Yi Xian curled up in Xiao Li's arms. "Because... because you're leaving again soon. And you'll be gone for a long time."
Xiao Li fell silent. He had no choice. He still bore many burdens: the family's safety in the years to come, and Xiao Yi Xian's Woeful Poison Body. If he kept hiding at home, he would only end up losing everything.
Wait for Xiao Yan to save the day? Then what was the point of him transmigrating here? To experience the warmth of family, only to have everything taken away again?
"Second Brother, are you in there?"
Just as Xiao Li was teasing Xiao Yi Xian, a familiar voice came from outside the door. His expression stiffened. That sounded like Xiao Yan. Why was he back?
"How did you know I was here?"
When Xiao Li opened the door, Xiao Yan was indeed standing outside.
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian hiding behind Xiao Li, Xiao Yan grinned suggestively. "Who in the whole Xiao Clan doesn't know you're always running to Miss Xiao Yi Xian's room? I heard all about it as soon as I got back."
Xiao Li's eye twitched. What did those idle brats have to keep tabs on him for?
"Ahem. What brings you back this time?" Xiao Li cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness.
"Nothing much. I just came back for your coming-of-age ceremony. I've seen it now, so I'm heading out to train again," Xiao Yan replied with a smile.
Xiao Li felt a warmth in his heart. Xiao Yan must have rushed a long way to make it back, and now that he'd just returned, he was already heading out to train again.
"Here, take this." Xiao Li tossed him a Storage Ring.
Xiao Yan caught it and instinctively probed inside with his spiritual sense. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Good grief, Second Brother, did you rob a medicine shop? There's so much here! The whole Xiao Clan doesn't have even a third of this," Xiao Yan exclaimed.
Xiao Li didn't explain further. "Father told me you're an alchemist now, so I gathered some ingredients for you. They're not all yours, though. Half of whatever you refine belongs to me."
Xiao Yan nodded excitedly. These ingredients would give his alchemy experience a huge boost. What was giving up half? They'd belonged to Second Brother in the first place.
Venerable Yao lay hidden inside the ring on Xiao Yan's hand. What shocked him wasn't the ingredients, but Xiao Li's strength. The Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder could evade the detection of the Two Elders Qian and Bai, but it couldn't fool him, Venerable Yao. An alchemist's soul power was naturally far stronger than that of other experts at the same level.
"Peak Three-Star Dou Ling! And he has an extreme blood-and-baleful energy, yet it hasn't affected his mind in the slightest. Astonishing, truly astonishing." Venerable Yao sighed. He'd seen countless geniuses, but even he had to admit that Xiao Li was a freak of nature.
Xiao Li studied Xiao Yan in turn. As expected of the protagonist: after having his Dou Qi drained by Venerable Yao for a year, he'd still broken through to Dou Master. Without that lost year, he might already have been a high-level Dou Master.
"Eight Extremities Collapse!"
While Xiao Li was musing, Xiao Yan suddenly attacked, excitement shining in his eyes. "Second Brother, it's been ages since we sparred. Come on!"
Xiao Li's lips curved into a smile. "You little rascal."
He reached out with his right hand and caught Xiao Yan's palms. The powerful surge of energy settled in his grasp.
With the Mystic Thunder Body, he could withstand a Dou Ling expert's attack without harm. Xiao Yan was still too green.
Xiao Yan stared in shock. How was this possible? Even a Da Dou Shi wouldn't dare take that move head-on with their bare body.
"Your second brother has practiced a body-tempering technique," Venerable Yao reminded him in secret.
Xiao Yan nodded without letting it show, but his expression dimmed a little. In that brief exchange, he'd felt the same helplessness as two years ago—if anything, it was worse.
Xiao Li shook his head and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. "You lost a year before. With the strength you have now, you can already be called the most talented young man in the Jia Ma Empire."
Xiao Yan nodded, his fighting spirit rekindled. "I never said I was giving up. Second Brother, don't slack off, or I'll catch up to you!"
Xiao Li gave him a helpless look and smacked him on the back of the head. "You think you can surpass your big brother? Dream on."
Xiao Yan winced in pain, but could only clutch his head and seethe in silence. In the end, he could only let out a cold snort.
Xiao Li chuckled, then said his goodbyes to Xiao Yi Xian. She swore she'd enter Jia Nan Academy within two years, and Xiao Li promised that in two years, he'd come recruit her himself.
Finally, he gave Xiao Yi Xian a poison-type cultivation technique and left without a word. He'd given the rest of the techniques and odds and ends to Xiao Zhan. This Poison Scripture was specially set aside for Xiao Yi Xian.
Xiao Yi Xian's poison body had awakened when she was three, and there was no use trying to suppress it anymore. She could still keep her Woeful Poison Body under control for a while, so she might as well cultivate and gain some means of protecting herself.
There was still plenty of time. Xiao Li was confident he could find another solution before Xiao Yi Xian lost control. And if all else failed, wasn't Xiao Yan there to handle it? At worst, he'd cover Xiao Yan's eyes and only uncover them once she was cured.
Watching Xiao Li walk away, Xiao Yan suddenly shivered and rubbed his nose. He looked puzzled. "Strange. Who's thinking about me? Could it be that girl I met during the alchemist assessment?"
Venerable Yao was exasperated. Only after Xiao Yan had left Xiao Yi Xian's courtyard did he pop out. "You brat, stop flattering yourself. You've seen the gap between you and your second brother now, haven't you?"
Xiao Yan wasn't so easily discouraged. During the year he'd lost his Dou Qi, he'd forged a strong mental resilience.
"Heh heh. One day, I'll surpass my second brother!"
A vein popped out on Venerable Yao's forehead. His soul power flared with fury, and he smacked Xiao Yan hard on the back of the head.
"Stop putting on airs. You, of all people?"
Feeling Xiao Li's power grow more distant, Venerable Yao paused and grew serious. If Xiao Yan kept comparing himself to Xiao Li, he feared Xiao Yan might suffer a shattered Dao heart and fall prey to inner demons.
"Xiao Yan, how about you..."
Before Venerable Yao could finish, Xiao Yan unusually cut him off.
"Teacher, if I don't even have the courage to chase after him, how can I talk about helping you restore your body? That's even harder than surpassing my second brother as he is now."
Warmth welled up in Venerable Yao's heart. He hadn't chosen the wrong disciple.
"Good, good, boy. Then I'll give you a hand. Let the devilish training begin!"