Xiao Yan slowly walked in, his face etched with deep weariness.
They had learned long ago that they were both transmigrators. After so many years together, they knew each other inside and out.
Some people might say that coming clean wasn't appropriate.
But Xiao Yan wasn't some "Third Brother."
Considering Xiao Yan's character, choosing to come clean with him had been a wise move.
Xiao Yan was a man who valued loyalty and deep bonds. At Jia Nan Academy, when Yao Lao was captured by Soul Hall, he had spared no effort and overcome every hardship to rescue his mentor and exact revenge. He had been just as sincere toward his friends.
Looking at Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan poured out his grievances. "Brother Xiao, even with you looking out for me, I can still feel the doubt and disdain in the way those people in the clan look at me."
His brows knitted tightly, his eyes full of helplessness and hurt. His voice trembled slightly. "It feels like countless needles are stabbing into my heart. It's really unbearable."
Xiao Fan smiled and comforted him. "Little Yanzi, don't pay those looks any mind. This is the moment when your resolve is tested. Your troubles are only temporary..."
A gentle smile touched his face, and his eyes brimmed with encouragement.
He reached out and lightly patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, thinking, You're the future Flame Emperor, after all.
Xiao Yan looked unconvinced. "Really? When will these miserable days finally end?"
He lifted his head, his eyes filled with confusion and hope.
Xiao Fan patted his shoulder and said solemnly, "Don't worry. Everything will be back to normal within a year."
Only then did Xiao Yan relax. Before leaving, he asked Xiao Fan curiously, "What realm are you at now?"
"Nine-Star Dou Wang. I'm close to becoming a Dou Emperor," Xiao Fan replied mildly.
His tone was casual, as if he were talking about something utterly insignificant.
Xiao Yan looked envious, jealous, and resentful. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Damn it. We're both transmigrators, so why am I doing so terribly?"
He clenched his fists, his heart full of unwillingness.
Xiao Fan didn't want to spoil the future, so he could only console him. "Don't worry, Little Yanzi. We transmigrators are all blessed with great fortune. You'll definitely grow stronger, and you might even fight alongside me, the Emperor."
Xiao Fan grinned, confidence sparkling in his eyes.
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and snorted. "Hmph, keep bragging. When I rise to greatness, don't let me surpass you."
Xiao Fan patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and encouraged him. "Then I'll be waiting for that day. But until then, you'll have to work hard."
Xiao Yan nodded, his expression resolute. "Of course. I, Xiao Yan, won't give up so easily."
With that, he turned and left, his figure seeming a little forlorn. In his heart, he silently swore to work hard at his cultivation.
The next day, sunlight spilled over the bustling streets. The inn was packed with people, its halls alive with noise and activity.
The air was thick with the aroma of food and the clamor of the crowd.
Standing in the middle, Xiao Fan held himself tall and spoke animatedly. "Since the Mythical Era, many Heavenly Venerables cut themselves down and sealed themselves away, waiting for a chance to become immortals. Some later took up residence in life-restricted zones. By the Desolate Era, some Supreme Ones couldn't hold out any longer. To replenish their life force, they unleashed dark turmoil, harvesting life-bearing planets."
His hands swept through the air, as if painting that grand and turbulent scene.
"They caused countless innocent lives to perish, laid waste to the world, and brought tremendous calamity upon the universe."
Xiao Fan's voice rang with passion, his eyes flashing with anger and pity, as though he had witnessed that appalling scene with his own eyes.
"In my later years, I suppressed the Undying Daoist—the embodiment of the Undying Emperor's spiritual power—with one hand. Then I used the List of Conferred Gods to seal him beneath Holy Cliff for eighty thousand years. I also used it to suppress the ominous Great Accomplishment Sacred Body within Holy Cliff. When the road to immortality opened in Big Dipper, I sacrificed that body. Though the road to immortality never successfully opened, I dealt a heavy blow to the Undying Emperor's faction."
Xiao Fan kept boasting, recounting his past glories as if those breathtaking scenes were unfolding before him. He was utterly immersed in his memories.
The people around him listened, spellbound. Someone's eyes went wide with disbelief, as if they'd been swept into that mysterious, magnificent world. They murmured, "That's way too incredible!"
Someone else stood with their mouth agape, unable to close it for a long while, stunned by Xiao Fan's tale. They stammered, "I-is that true?"
Others nodded again and again, their eyes full of admiration, as if they already worshipped Xiao Fan. One of them exclaimed excitedly, "Emperor Xiao Fan, you're truly a god among men!"
An old man stroked his beard and sighed repeatedly. "Absolutely magnificent. It's as if I saw it with my own eyes!"
Yet there wasn't a trace of belief in his eyes, only praise for how captivating the story was.
A young man excitedly waved his fist. "Emperor Xiao Fan, mighty!"
His voice boomed with reverence for Xiao Fan, and his face was flushed red.
Just then, Xiao Yu came looking for him again.
She had a graceful figure and a lovely face, her willow brows drawn together.
Looking at Xiao Fan with exasperation, she simply shouted, "Aren't you an Emperor? Then I, a humble woman, challenge you! I'm merely a Dou Shi. Surely Emperor Xiao Fan can defeat me with ease, right?"
Her eyes were filled with stubbornness and anticipation. She wanted Xiao Fan to see the results of her training at Jia Nan Academy, bring him back to his senses, and get him to focus on cultivation.
Unexpectedly, the spectators cheered and egged them on as soon as she said this.
"Haha, Miss Xiao Yu's issued a challenge. Don't tell me Emperor Xiao Fan's afraid to accept!"
A burly man shouted loudly, excitement written all over his face. He thought, Now this'll be a good show.
"Exactly! Don't just be all talk. You need real skill to back it up!"
A sharp-faced, rat-like fellow chimed in, thrilled to watch the spectacle and eager for the two to start fighting.
"Maybe he's just a braggart. Once they start fighting, he'll be exposed!"
A mocking voice rang out, dripping with malice. The speaker looked positively gleeful.
Xiao Yu had already realized she'd acted rashly and felt somewhat regretful. She wanted to take Xiao Fan back to the clan.
After all, whether they won or lost in public, it wouldn't be good for either of them.
Xiao Fan felt a little helpless. Xiao Yu, do you have any idea why you managed to become a Dou Shi in just two years?
It had all started after he'd just broken through to Dou Wang. He went out and found an abandoned cave dwelling.
After examining it, he discovered a number of One-Pattern Green Spirit Pills and Qi-Nourishing Pills inside. They were completely useless to Xiao Fan, who was already a Dou Wang.
So he'd distributed the pills among the Xiao Clan's younger generation. Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Mei had all received some.
Xiao Yan was an exception. Even if he swallowed a One-Pattern Green Spirit Pill, the extra Dou Qi would be absorbed by his ring.
But Xiao Yu's progress had been astonishing. Perhaps the clan had been poor before and hadn't had any decent treasures to give their cousin, so nobody had discovered her special physique.
But after she swallowed the pills Xiao Fan gave her, her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds.
It was as if the pills had no resistance to her at all. Her cultivation quickly reached Five-Star Dou Zhe, and last year Jia Nan Academy had recruited her.
Now she'd returned as a Dou Shi.
It could be said that in the Xiao Clan today, apart from him, his cousin Xiao Yu was unquestionably the second most powerful person!
"Xiao Fan, let's go back and spar..."
Xiao Yu's face flushed red, and she was a little annoyed at the way the people around them had egged her on.
But Xiao Fan merely waved his hand with casual ease, his expression calm. "This Emperor has always been upright and aboveboard. I have nothing to fear from an audience."
Xiao Yu gritted her teeth, thoroughly exasperated. Her lovely face turned icy as she snapped, "Fine, then let's fight right here in the street!"
Xiao Fan waved her off, looking utterly dismissive. "You're not worthy of fighting me. Back then, only the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body could trade a couple of moves with me. No one else was qualified."
His arrogant tone set the crowd off completely, and everyone began shouting.
Someone called out, "It's all right, Emperor! Give this weak young lady a chance to learn from your abilities!"
"That's right, Emperor Xiao Fan! Let us see your strength!"
Xiao Fan still shook his head and declared firmly, "I won't bully someone weaker than me. That's my principle."
But inwardly, he thought, You think I'll fight just because you tell me to? Wouldn't that ruin my image?
At that moment, someone in the crowd shouted, "You're only refusing because you're scared! What Emperor? I say he's a fraud!"
Xiao Fan's expression darkened. He swept his gaze across the crowd and said coldly, "Don't speak such nonsense. I simply don't wish to pick a fight with a young lady."