Brothers Reunited, Venerable Yao Appears!

In the Xiao Clan's back mountain, Xiao Yan threw back his head and roared at the sky several times, venting the resentment in his heart. The once-genius youth had fallen into the worthless failure he was today. This was not what he wanted to see. He lay on the grass with a foxtail tucked between his lips.

After wallowing in sorrow, he sighed and raised his hand. A simple, ancient black ring sat on his finger.

This was the final gift his mother had left him. He had worn it for ten years, yet from beginning to end, he had never even seen what his mother looked like.

He gently stroked the ring with his fingers. It was the only gift his mother had given him, as well as a source of longing.

Then he gave a bitter smile. "These past few years, I have failed Mother's expectations."

Just as he sighed, two figures suddenly appeared behind him. Relying on his soul perception, he rose directly to his feet. "Father, you have come?"

Xiao Yan looked over and saw a middle-aged man in luxurious gray robes walking toward him. There was a trace of heroic spirit between his brows. This was his father, Xiao Zhan.

As for the other youth beside him, dressed in fine clothes, Xiao Yan did not know who he was. Yet when he looked at him, the youth seemed somewhat similar to his father.

"This is?" Xiao Yan examined Xiao Tian with a curious expression.

Xiao Zhan smiled. "Yan'er, this is your eldest brother, Xiao Tian!"

As he spoke, he introduced him.

Upon hearing the words "eldest brother," Xiao Yan froze. Wasn't Xiao Ding his eldest brother?

And now another one had suddenly appeared? What was going on?

Seeing Xiao Yan's bewildered expression, Xiao Zhan naturally knew what he was thinking. "Yan'er, Xiao Tian is your true eldest brother."

"Today, he has finally returned to our Xiao Clan. As your father, I have truly failed all of you far too much. I am an unfit father."

Xiao Yan was completely stunned. He looked at Xiao Tian, walked over, cupped his hands, and said, "Big Brother!"

Seeing this, Xiao Tian smiled faintly. He stepped forward, and the two embraced tightly. "Fourth Brother!"

Xiao Yan had never expected that he would have another eldest brother. No wonder Xiao Tian looked so much like him.

At this moment, after confirming that the person before him was the eldest brother he had been separated from for many years, Xiao Yan felt somewhat happier despite his earlier sadness.

"Yan'er, if you cannot break through to the seventh stage of Dou Qi within a year, Father can only assign you to work in the family businesses. After all, some matters are not for Father alone to decide," Xiao Zhan said with a sigh.

Xiao Yan clenched his fists. "Father, I still have a year. No matter what, I want to give it my best."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Tian was very pleased. "Not bad, Fourth Brother!"

"Father, rest assured. I have a way to help Fourth Brother break through to the seventh stage of Dou Qi within a year, perhaps even higher!"

Xiao Yan shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Big Brother, I might have had confidence in the past, but now... it will be difficult."

Xiao Tian encouraged him, "How will you know if you do not try? My fate is mine, not Heaven's!"

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Who can predict such things?"

"Do not worry. With Big Brother here, you will be fine."

Hearing Xiao Tian's words, Xiao Zhan smiled. "Good! Yan'er, listen to your eldest brother!" He knew that raising one's Dou Qi by four stages in a year was far too difficult, but he could not spoil the mood.

"You two brothers should have a good talk. Father still has some family matters to handle. We will meet again later!" Seeing that the two brothers were getting along well, he was relieved.

Then, with his hands behind his back, he vanished into the night.

After Xiao Zhan left, Xiao Yan sat on a stone and looked up at the moonlight. "Big Brother, there seems to be a problem with my Dou Qi."

"I do not know whether I will truly be able to break through four stages of Dou Qi within a year."

To be honest, he had no confidence at all.

Xiao Tian activated his Fiery Eyes, Golden Pupils and inspected Xiao Yan's body. There were no blockages in his meridians.

When he noticed the ring on Xiao Yan's hand, his eyes narrowed. There was actually a soul body inside it. If he was not mistaken, it was Venerable Yao from the novel.

Xiao Tian slowly said, "Fourth Brother, I think I have found the source of your problem."

Xiao Yan was thrilled. He had never stopped cultivating over the past few years, nor had he ever slacked off, yet his Dou Qi remained at the third stage.

Now that he heard his eldest brother Xiao Tian had found the problem, he impatiently asked, "Big Brother, what exactly is going on?"

"I must get to the bottom of this."

Xiao Tian pointed at the ring on Xiao Yan's hand. "There is a soul body inside this ring that has been absorbing your Dou Qi these past few years."

Xiao Yan was shocked when he heard this and looked at the ring on his hand. "Impossible. Mother left this for me."

Xiao Tian's soul force pressed down. In an instant, the black ring trembled and began to glow. "Little fellow, I did not expect you to discover me."

A strange, aged voice suddenly came from within.

Xiao Yan was dumbfounded. "Big Brother, it is true. Someone is talking inside."

"Who are you? Get out here!"

The inexplicable disappearance of his Dou Qi over the past few years had to be related to this person.

If his eldest brother had not discovered the source of the problem, he really would have been kept in the dark forever.

"Get out already!"

Xiao Tian's soul force bore down again, forcibly driving the soul body out of the ring!

A puff of white smoke suddenly appeared, and an old man emerged. His entire body was translucent as he floated in the air, staring at Xiao Tian beside him in shock.

Even though his strength had greatly declined, he could still sense the other party's true cultivation. A Dou Emperor!

Medicine Elder stroked his beard with a shocked expression. This child looked to be only eighteen, yet he was already at the Dou Emperor level. He was likely not far from becoming a Dou Zong.

Such a monstrous genius would stand among the very best even in Central Province.

What shocked him even more was that he seemed to have been thoroughly examined by some secret technique just now. It was as if he no longer had any secrets left.

What kind of eye technique was that?

This youth was Xiao Yan's eldest brother, so why was Xiao Yan in such a miserable state? His eldest brother was so powerful. A series of questions arose in Medicine Elder's mind.

Better not to think about it!

Because Xiao Yan was already cursing, his fists clenched in fury. "Old man, why were you hiding in my ring and secretly absorbing my Dou Qi?"

Medicine Elder's mouth twitched as he gave a dry cough. "Little fellow, I merely absorbed one year's worth of your Dou Qi."

Xiao Tian looked at Medicine Elder, frightening him badly. Why did this little fellow give him such a terrifying feeling?

Medicine Elder raised a hand to stroke his beard and suddenly turned serious. "It was only three years, truly, just three years!"

After learning the truth, Xiao Yan grew even angrier. "Fine! So you were the cause of everything! You absorbed my Dou Qi for three years. Do you know how much confusion that caused me? How much harm you did to me?"

As he said this, Xiao Yan clenched his fists, his face full of grievance. Because of this, he had become the useless trash everyone spoke of today.

Medicine Elder coughed dryly. "Little fellow, do not get worked up. It is only three years of Dou Qi. I will return it to you, all right?"

"How will you return it?" Xiao Yan demanded.

With Xiao Tian present, Medicine Elder did not dare say much. He had to offer something tangible as compensation. He was no match for a Dou Emperor now; he was merely a remnant soul. Stroking his beard, he said, "Little fellow, have you ever heard of an alchemist?"