Just then, Xiao Xun'er's clear, nightingale-like voice rang out behind him.
"Big Brother Xiao Fan."
Hearing her voice, Xiao Fan instinctively turned around. In an instant, Xiao Xun'er's stunning figure appeared before his eyes.
She wore a pale green dress, its hem fluttering gently in the breeze, like a tender new willow just budding in spring—light and graceful.
Her exquisite oval face was framed by brows like distant mountains, their gentle curve resembling a new moon.
Her dainty nose was straight and finely sculpted. Her cherry-red lips curved upward in a sweet smile, like flowers blooming in spring—bright and enchanting.
For some reason, Xiao Fan's mood brightened. He thought to himself, This little girl really is getting more and more captivating.
Before transmigrating, he had seen how Xiao Yan treated the little girl in the original story. After transmigrating, he had put a stop to that long ago.
So Xiao Xun'er had no special feelings for Xiao Yan. As for him, Xiao Fan... well, honestly, he didn't know. He wasn't the kind of person who thought too highly of himself.
Though he was destined to become a Dou Di in the future, he didn't think that simply flexing his muscles would make this little princess of an ancient clan surrender herself to him.
"What's the matter, Xun'er?"
Xiao Fan looked at Xiao Xun'er with kindness, warmth shining in his eyes.
"Um, Xun'er was wondering if she could ask you something?"
The girl smiled slightly, her bright eyes and white teeth dazzling. For a moment, the air around them seemed to grow brighter.
Xiao Fan naturally agreed without hesitation. "Of course. Go ahead, little sister Xun'er."
The two walked side by side to the back hills of the Xiao Clan.
Along the way, birds chirped merrily in the branches, while the breeze brushed their faces and carried the fragrant scent of flowers and grass.
Xiao Xun'er asked about the key points of advancing from the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi to Dou Zhe.
Xiao Fan secretly found it amusing. A little princess of the Ancient Clan asking me about this?
Still, he pretended to take the question seriously and answered patiently and thoroughly. "Xun'er, the most important thing when advancing to Dou Zhe is to form a Dou Qi Vortex. You need to focus and mobilize the Dou Qi throughout your body..."
As mentioned earlier, thanks to Xiao Fan's pills, many Xiao Clan disciples had advanced far beyond where they were at this point in the original story—except for one unfortunate Xiao Yanzi.
Xiao Xun'er had also reached the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi earlier than she had originally.
After chatting for a long while, Xun'er took her leave.
"Big Brother Xiao Fan, I understand now. I'm going back to break through to Dou Zhe." She gave him a playful wink, and his heart leaped.
Wait, how can she be this cute?
Xiao Fan's heart fluttered, but he quickly regained his composure and warned himself, Hmph! She's trying to throw my Dao heart into disarray. I, Xiao Fan, am a future Dou Di! I can't let this little girl mess with my head.
Xiao Fan shook his head, trying to clear it.
He had naturally noticed the Dou Huang lurking in the shadows, but that person's aura was far too weak to him—not even worthy of a second glance.
So he paid him no mind. He'd get more out of chatting with a soft, delicate beauty than wasting his time looking at that old man.
With that thought, he shook his head and prepared to get back to his usual business: bragging.
At that moment, Xun'er had already returned to her room, her face icy.
She furrowed her brows and bit her lip, speaking in a tone that brooked no argument. "Elder Ling, don't test Big Brother Xiao Fan again!"
Back then, the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade had been split into eight pieces, and the Xiao Clan possessed one of them. The Ancient Clan had sent Xiao Xun'er to find it, hoping to gather the fragments and obtain the inheritance that would allow them to advance to Dou Di.
Because of his extraordinary talent and rapid rise in strength, Xiao Fan had drawn the Ancient Clan's attention. They had sent Ling Ying, a Dou Huang who specialized in darkness, to investigate him.
Ling Ying wore a bitter smile, inwardly groaning, Oh dear, the young lady is truly angry this time.
He could only soothe her again and again. "There won't be a next time, young lady. I've already investigated him, and there's no sign that he possesses a Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade Fragment."
Then he praised Xiao Fan as well.
"The Xiao Clan truly is remarkable. Though it has fallen into decline, someone as talented as Xiao Fan has still appeared."
Only after hearing Elder Ling praise Xiao Fan did the frost on Xiao Xun'er's face begin to thaw. Her expression softened somewhat.
Changing the subject, she said, "Elder Ling, you may leave. I'm breaking through to Dou Zhe today. I can't afford to fall too far behind Big Brother Xiao Fan."
As the little princess of the Ancient Clan, Xun'er had her own pride, though she hadn't usually been very diligent in her cultivation.
She believed that once she got serious, she could catch up to Big Brother Xiao Fan in no time.
What she didn't know was that the Big Brother Xiao Fan she was striving to catch up with had already reached Nine-Star Dou Emperor.
Meanwhile, at an inn, voices buzzed through the packed, lively hall.
Sunlight streamed through the windows and fell across the wooden floor, casting patches of mottled light and shadow.
Xiao Fan stood in the middle of the hall, continuing his tale of the dark turmoil.
"One of the sources of the dark turmoil was the Undying Emperor, who sought to obtain power and open a passage to the Immortal Domain. His subordinates ran rampant, laying waste to countless lives and sparking countless conflicts and massacres."
His story was fresh and magnificent. The people of Wutan City, so unfamiliar with the wider world, listened, utterly entranced.
Some gaped, their eyes round with shock, as if the scenes in the story had shaken them to the core. They murmured, "That's terrifying."
Some clenched their fists, tense, fine beads of sweat gathering on their foreheads as if they were caught in the midst of that dreadful turmoil. Unable to help themselves, they asked, "What can be done?"
Others were so absorbed that they didn't even notice the cups in their hands tipping over. Wine spilled across their clothes, but they remained oblivious.
They only asked, dazed, "What happened next?"
"Faced with this calamity, I, the Great Emperor, stepped in personally to suppress it. With peerless divine abilities and overwhelming strength, I fought the Undying Emperor's forces. After enduring countless trials, I succeeded in suppressing terrifying beings such as the Son of the Emperor, trapped within the divine source in Purple Mountain, and numerous Primordial War Generals. I sealed them all inside the divine source, preventing them from wreaking havoc upon the world."
Gasps rose from the crowd.
"Wow! That's amazing!"
"That Great Emperor is practically a god!"
Clearly, some people still didn't believe Xiao Fan was the so-called Great Emperor. They thought he was making it all up.
But a few devoted fans were still making a tremendous fuss.
"Master Xiao Fan, you're truly mighty!"
"As expected of the Great Emperor Xiao Fan!"
As he spoke, Xiao Fan lifted his chest slightly, his face brimming with confidence and pride, as if he truly were that invincible Great Emperor.
His gaze swept over the crowd as though he were looking down upon all creation, brimming with majesty. Those his eyes passed over instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
Xiao Fan secretly congratulated himself. Look at me, I've got them all cowed.
The crowd cheered. At some point, Xiao Yu had slipped in among them.
Ever since learning the truth, she hadn't known how to face her younger cousin.
But her guilt had driven her to do something about it.
Well... she'd come to this inn where Xiao Fan was bragging to show her support!
Xiao Yu's cheeks were flushed as she watched the young man onstage hold forth, her gaze tinged with something unusual. This guy really does have a certain charm.
But just then, a burly man burst out laughing.
"You little brat, you sure know how to brag. If you really were a Great Emperor reincarnated, then at your age you'd at least be a Dou Wang, if not a Dou Huang, right?"
"So how come you're only a mere Dou Zhe?"