Xiao Yan

At this moment, Wutan City, Xiao Clan.

Today, Wutan City was practically deserted. The marketplaces of all three great families had lost their usual bustle; forget customers coming to buy things, even many shops had temporarily closed. The reason was that today was the Xiao Clan's annual strength assessment day. Most people had gone to the Xiao Clan to watch the excitement—or rather, they had gone to see Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan.

"Dou Zhe, seven stars!!!!"

Gazing at the four glowing, almost blinding words on the testing magic stone tablet and listening to the excited shout of the Xiao Clan elder beside it, Xiao Yan kept an expressionless face. Yet upon closer inspection, one could see a proud smile at the corner of the young man's lips.

The young man turned handsomely, casually brushing his clothes with his right hand. With a flick of his sleeve, he took not a single cloud with him, yet he carried away the hearts of countless girls in Wutan City.

"Dou Zhe, seven stars!!! Xiao Yan's test result this year is a seven-star Dou Zhe!"

Beside the testing magic stone tablet, the Xiao Clan elder in charge of recording shouted as though he wanted to spread the news throughout the Jia Ma Empire. He roared with excitement, a gratified tear glistening at the corner of his eye, even forgetting to write the result into the record book.

Genius! Only those two words could describe him.

The moment the middle-aged man's words left his mouth, they caused an uproar in the packed square and among the crowd outside the Xiao Clan compound, exactly as expected.

"Holy shit, seven stars?! My dear grandmother, isn't Brother Xiao Yan only turning fifteen in a few days? What the hell is a seven-star Dou Zhe?!"

"I heard from Cousin Xiao Yu that Jia Nan Academy's admission ratings give a C rating to anyone under twenty who reaches three-star Dou Zhe, while six stars earns the highest S rating! Brother Xiao Yan is fourteen and already a seven-star Dou Zhe! He's far beyond Jia Nan Academy's rating limit!"

"Hiss!"

Gasps rang out from the Xiao Clan compound. This was why the Xiao Clan's annual strength assessment had become an event watched by the whole of Wutan City. Every year, a new Wutan City record was born here. They had come to witness history.

Outside the compound, the people of Wutan City were equally stunned by the news, though some different voices also arose.

"Compared to Xiao Yan, I'm trash."

"Don't be sad. There are no trash Dou Techniques, only... uh, forget it. I'm just trash." Many people hung their heads in despair, and quite a few even cried out unwillingly, "Why was I born when Xiao Yan was born?" regretting that they had been born in the wrong era.

"Hmph, if the clan head weren't his father, how could he cultivate so quickly?" At this moment, someone with a sour expression said angrily.

However, a Xiao Clan guard quickly exposed him. The man was a guard of the Jia Lie Family. The guard sneered, "Heh, what level is your young clan head Galleo at now again? Oh, I heard he only became a one-star Dou Zhe at twenty-one, right? Seems he's advancing 'very quickly' too."

At those words, waves of cheerful laughter immediately erupted outside the Xiao Clan compound. The Jia Lie Family guard's face flushed red, and he hurriedly fled from the crowd to report Xiao Yan's achievement of seven-star Dou Zhe to the Jia Lie Family.

Unfortunately, the Jia Lie Family and the Oba Family had cursed Xiao Yan every day, hoping his cultivation would suddenly vanish. It seemed that curse had failed to come true.

Xiao Yan slowly returned to the square. By now, the bearing of one in power had begun to show on his face. His gaze was sharp and blazing, and the authority of the young clan head instantly silenced everyone who had been cheering and clamoring. Not one person dared meet his eyes.

Only when his gaze met a certain figure did his expression soften with a hint of gentleness.

"Brother Xiao Yan." Their eyes met. Seeing Xiao Yan approach, Xun Er moved forward with graceful steps and arrived before him in a single step. Her brows curved in a smile, her hands tucked behind her back, and her lovely face displayed an elegant smile that made the girls around her green with envy.

Looking at the girl before him, who had grown into the brightest jewel of the clan, Xiao Yan knew that no matter how much his strength had grown over the years or how mature his temperament had become, this girl who had grown up with him was still the softest spot in his heart.

Although Xiao Yan usually enjoyed showing off with his words, flaunting his strength, and basking in waves of screams and the worship of little fangirls like Xiao Mei,

his feelings for Xun Er had never changed. Even though Xiao Yan was a transmigrator who had already been in the Dou Qi Continent for nearly fifteen years, those feelings remained constant. It was as though they had been destined by fate. No matter how the worldline changed, the two of them would not change; they were the most steadfast link in this world.

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and smiled faintly. "A six-star Dou Zhe, huh? They all say I'm the strongest, but I've always felt that, Xun Er, you deliberately keep your cultivation just a little behind mine."

Xun Er's test had taken place before Xiao Yan's. Without question, Xiao Yan was a seven-star Dou Zhe, while Xun Er was exactly one star behind him, a six-star Dou Zhe.

Hearing this, Xun Er playfully stuck out her tongue and said softly, "Brother Xiao Yan thinks too highly of me. I only barely managed to keep up with you after trying my hardest. Brother Xiao Yan cultivates diligently every day—I've seen it all. Xun Er feels ashamed of being inferior."

Xiao Yan shrugged and did not pursue the subject.

"Cousin Xiao Yan! Wait for me! I have a question about a Dou Technique that I want to ask you!" Seeing Xiao Yan and Xun Er leave looking like a match made in heaven, Xiao Mei, who had been waiting nearby for a chance to strike up a conversation, suddenly remembered herself and hurried after Xiao Yan.

Seeing even Xiao Mei get swept away by Xiao Yan, many Xiao Clan disciples wailed in despair.

"Why does everyone like the young clan head? Leave some for us too!"

"I can't go on living. Being born in the same era as the young clan head is a tragedy."

Amid the envious wolf-like howls behind them, Xiao Yan and Xun Er left the square side by side. Along the way, Xun Er laughed so beautifully at Xiao Yan's little jokes that she seemed like a blooming flower. Only before Xun Er did Xiao Yan seem like a fifteen-year-old boy—free-spirited and humorous.

On the high platform, the clan elders and the current clan head, Xiao Zhan, were all watching the two of them.

The First Elder stroked his beard. The more he looked, the more pleased he became. "I think Xiao Yan and Xun Er are a very suitable match."

The Second Elder slowly nodded as well. "If the two of them could become husband and wife, then given time, our Xiao Clan would definitely become the greatest family in Wutan City."

The Third Elder nodded approvingly as well.

Only Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan's father, wore a worried expression. "Xun Er is not one of our Xiao Clan after all. I'm afraid it would not be appropriate for us to decide such a matter."

Hearing Xiao Zhan's words, the First Elder suddenly recalled something. "Oh, right. Xiao Yan has an engagement with that young lady of the Nalan Clan."

At the First Elder's reminder, the other two elders recalled it as well. "Now that you mention it, I remember something. That young lady of the Nalan Clan was apparently accepted as a disciple by the Misty Cloud Sect. I wonder whether that will affect the engagement."

Only Xiao Zhan, who knew some things, said nothing. What worried him was not the Nalan Clan, but the mysterious family behind Xun Er.