Newcomers Join the Group

"Fighting Qi, third stage!"

Staring at the glaring words on the Testing Magic Stone Tablet, Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly, and a hint of self-mockery flashed across his face.

He had clearly been cultivating with all his might, yet after his cultivation regressed, it had remained stuck at the third stage of Fighting Qi!

Just then, the tester's calm voice sounded beside his ear. "Xiao Yan, Fighting Qi, third stage! Rank: Low!"

As soon as the tester finished speaking, waves of discussion broke out among the crowd below.

"Another year has passed, yet Xiao Yan is still stuck at the third stage of Fighting Qi!"

"Hmph! This trash has completely disgraced our entire clan!"

"Exactly! If his father weren't the clan chief, he probably would have been driven out long ago and left to fend for himself!"

"Alas! Who would have thought that the genius youth renowned throughout the city three years ago would end up like this!"

The contemptuous mockery and sighs from all around made Xiao Yan's expression on the platform turn even more bitter.

Back then, he had begun practicing Qi at four years old, attained the ninth stage of Fighting Qi at ten, broken through to the tenth stage at eleven, successfully condensed a Fighting Qi Cyclone, and become the youngest Dou Practitioner in the Xiao Clan's hundred-year history. How humble had these people been before him then?

But now that his cultivation had regressed to the third stage of Fighting Qi and remained unable to advance, these people had begun ridiculing him again!

"Next, Xiao Mei!"

"Xiao Mei, Fighting Qi: seventh stage! Rank: High!"

The youth looked at the young girl ahead of him, whose childishness had yet to fade. She was also one of the clan's geniuses. She had once been extremely enthusiastic toward him, but now she had become quite cold as well!

"Next, Xiao Xun'er!"

The tester's voice rang out again amid the noisy crowd, and everyone's gazes abruptly shifted.

Under the convergence of countless eyes, a girl in a purple dress slowly stepped forward.

She radiated a cool and tranquil aura, like a newly blossomed azure lotus. Though still so young, she already possessed a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms and cities.

Under everyone's gaze, the purple-dressed girl named Xiao Xun'er slowly walked before the Testing Magic Stone Tablet and placed her snow-white, tender hand upon it.

As dazzling light flashed, the tester's voice followed. "Xiao Xun'er, Fighting Qi: ninth stage! Rank: High!"

Upon hearing Xiao Xun'er's test result, another great uproar erupted among the crowd below.

Even the person in charge of testing revealed a smile and said seriously to the girl, "Miss Xun'er, if you can condense a Fighting Qi Cyclone within half a year and become a Dou Practitioner at fourteen, you will become the second person in our Xiao Clan's hundred-year history to do so!"

That was right!

Only the second person!

Because the first was Xiao Yan, the one who had already lost his genius halo!

Back then, he had condensed a Fighting Qi Cyclone at twelve. He had truly been an unparalleled genius who could rank first in all of Wu Tan City, even the entire Jia Ma Empire!

"Thank you!"

Xiao Xun'er nodded slightly at the tester, then, under the burning gazes of the crowd, slowly walked to Xiao Yan's side and bent slightly in greeting. "Brother Xiao Yan!"

"Hehe... Do I still have the right to..."

Before Xiao Yan could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed. He turned to look around, his face full of vigilance.

Because a strange voice had suddenly sounded in his mind.

" Ding! Welcome to the Myriad Heavens Chat Group!"

Douluo Continent, outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

A youth who looked only eleven or twelve years old, dressed in gray cloth garments, was fighting a vicious beast about one meter tall and covered in tawny fur.

The beast was merely a common baboon from the Star Dou Great Forest, and only a ten-year soul beast at that. It was not particularly powerful, yet the youth was repeatedly placed in grave danger during the battle.

Awooo!

The thoroughly enraged baboon suddenly reared up, violently pounded its chest with both fists, then directly spat a ball of white light toward the youth.

At the same time, the baboon itself lunged at the youth, its eyes gleaming with ferocity.

Faced with such danger, the youth had no time to think and could only raise the dagger in his hand before his chest.

The dagger blocked the ball of white light, but it could not block the enraged baboon!

Just as the youth was about to die at the baboon's hands, a white light suddenly flashed from the dagger in his hand and fiercely struck the baboon's body.

Whoosh!

After being struck by the white light, the baboon's body crashed directly to the ground. It rolled several times before losing all signs of life, and then a white soul ring appeared around its body.

"Soul ring?"

Looking at the white soul ring around the baboon's body, the youth's face was full of excitement. Even the wounds on his body did not hurt as much anymore. "I won!"

"However, this baboon definitely doesn't have a spiritual attribute, so it probably isn't suitable for me!"

The excitement on the youth's face gradually faded. "But if even a ten-year baboon is this difficult to deal with, how am I supposed to kill a soul beast with a spiritual attribute?"

The youth struggled to sit up, then leaned against a nearby tree and gasped for breath.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out in his mind...

"Hahaha! At last, I've encountered a human with a spiritual attribute! If one hadn't appeared soon, I would have been finished!"

The youth was startled by the voice. Then, the ground beneath him suddenly began trembling, and a crack quickly appeared.

Immediately afterward, a golden-white beam shot out from the crack, eventually revealing a giant white silkworm with a round, plump-looking head and a body over seven meters long!

With the appearance of the white silkworm, an icy chill instantly spread through the surroundings. Even the breath exhaled by the youth turned into frosty mist.

"This is..."

Looking at the white silkworm before him, its body like white jade and wrapped in ten golden stripes, the dagger-wielding youth's face flashed with despair.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." The voice sounded in the youth's mind again.

The youth looked at the giant white silkworm ahead in shock. "You're the one talking to me?"

"That's right!" The white silkworm slowly nodded.

"What do you want?" the youth asked warily.

"First, let me introduce myself. I am the unprecedented million-year soul beast of the Douluo Continent, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm!"

The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm said solemnly, "Now, I will become your soul ring, the first intelligent soul ring in the history of the Douluo Continent!"

"Ah?" The youth stared dumbfoundedly at the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm before him, his mind having practically stopped working.

A million-year soul beast had suddenly appeared before him and wanted to become his soul ring?

This was simply far too inconceivable!

But whether it was true or not, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm before him was absolutely not something he could resist!

"There's no time!"

The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm warily glanced toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, then looked at the youth and said, "I'm going to begin! Don't worry, I'll be gentle. It won't hurt!"

"You..."

Before the youth could even object, he lost consciousness beneath the assault of an extreme chill.

Just as the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm transformed into streams of white radiance and surged into the youth's body, the sky, which had been perfectly clear a moment ago, suddenly darkened. Then, thunder boomed at the horizon.

At the same time, a stream of gray air suddenly descended from the sky and likewise rushed into the youth's body.

"What is this thing that dares steal my person?"

Seeing the gray airflow enter the youth's body, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm instantly flew into a rage. Its immense spiritual power surged forth at once, attempting to drive the gray airflow out of the youth's body.

Just then, an incomparably blurry figure suddenly appeared behind the youth. Immediately afterward, an aged yet incomparably majestic voice rang out. "With sun and moon in hand, I pluck the stars; there has never been another like me in this world! I never expected this old man to still have a trace of remnant soul left in this world!"

Once the voice completely faded, that blurry figure also completely entered the youth's body, utterly ignoring the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's vast spiritual power!

"Why am I so unlucky?"

The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm could not help complaining, "I finally found a human with a spiritual attribute, yet some bastard had to come and fight me for him. Is it really that heaven envies talent? Damn it, why is there another one?"

The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's expression instantly changed drastically, because another strange voice had sounded in its mind.

" Ding! Welcome to the Myriad Heavens Chat Group!"

Inside the chat group.

[System Notification: Detected increased activity within the chat group. Two newcomers will be randomly added to the chat group!]

[Ding! Welcome "The Genius Youth Whose Cultivation Has Stagnated" to the chat group!]

[Ding! Welcome "The Million-Year Soul Beast with Mediocre Talent" to the chat group!]

[Pang Bo: Damn, newcomers have joined the chat group!]

Looking at the two new members who had joined the chat group, Lu Qingshan had some guesses, though he was not entirely certain.

But no matter what, newcomers had joined the group, so they should still be welcomed.

[Lu Qingshan: Welcome to the group, newcomers!]

[Yue Buqun: Welcome to the group, newcomers!]

[Han Li: Welcome to the group, newcomers!]

[Cao Cao: Welcome to the group, newcomers!]

He had thought about these two nicknames for a long time, but neither felt quite fitting. They only appeared once or twice anyway, but could anyone think of something more suitable?