The Fallen Twin Stars

"Dou Qi Power, Third Stage!"

The five dazzling words on the Testing Monument were like a stone cast into a still lake, instantly stirring up the crowd.

"A former genius?"

"Do you think Xiao Le and his brother Xiao Yan committed some terrible sin? Otherwise, how could they have fallen so low?"

"The fallen twin stars!"

"Trash!"

Mockery and ridicule swept over him like surging waves, yet the young man before the Testing Monument calmly lowered his hand. There was neither joy nor sorrow on his face, as though none of it had anything to do with him.

The youth was around fifteen or sixteen years old. Clad in an elegant green robe, he cut the figure of a refined young gentleman. His handsome, delicate features would surely enchant countless women.

"Fifteen years... Is it finally about to begin?" The youth's thoughts had long since drifted elsewhere.

"Xiao Le, Dou Qi Power, Third Stage! Rank: Low." The cold voice of the elder conducting the test interrupted Xiao Le's thoughts.

"Next, Xiao Yan!"

Xiao Le followed the voice toward a corner. There stood a young man with a lazy, unruly air, his handsome face bearing five or six parts resemblance to Xiao Le's. It was none other than Xiao Yan.

Xiao Le stepped away. As he passed Xiao Yan, he smiled lightly. "Brother, don't lose to me."

"You brat!" Xiao Yan, who had been pretending to be relaxed, gave Xiao Le an irritated punch.

At the very back of the crowd, Xiao Le found a seat and sat down where Xiao Yan had just risen. A girl sat one seat away from him.

The girl wore a long purple dress. Her pure, ethereal aura resembled a budding blue lotus, and her flawless face astonished Xiao Le every time he saw her. She was Xiao Xun'er.

It had been fifteen years since Xiao Le, an ordinary high school student from Earth Star, had transmigrated into the novel he had read in his previous life. From a wailing infant to the present day, fifteen years had passed.

What Xiao Le found fortunate was that the protagonist—the future Flame Emperor—was his twin brother. Not only did he possess a cheat ability, but his talent was no inferior to Xiao Yan's.

Like Xiao Yan, Xiao Le had begun cultivating at the age of four and broken through to the Dou Practitioner realm at twelve. It was precisely because he had become a Dou Practitioner that Xiao Le's cheat ability had been activated.

Whenever Xiao Le thought of his cheat ability, he felt both delighted and troubled.

Xiao Le could see the value contained within other people or objects and obtain corresponding traits through downloading them. He could also alter traits to change the characteristics of what he had downloaded. If a trait did not suit his wishes, he could even sacrifice it.

When his cheat ability first appeared, Xiao Le immediately examined all of Wutan City. What excited him most were Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, and Medicine Elder, who was hiding within the ring.

Through observation, Xiao Le discovered that downloadable traits could be divided, from lowest to highest, into white, blue, cyan, purple, red, silver, gold, and rainbow.

To Xiao Le's delight, tiny Wutan City actually possessed all eight trait qualities.

Xiao Yan's rainbow-quality [Protagonist Halo].

Xiao Xun'er's gold-quality [Divine-Grade Dou Emperor Bloodline].

Xiao Xun'er's silver-quality [Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame] and cultivation method [Ancient Saint Treasure Mirror].

Medicine Elder's red-quality [Bone Chilling Spirit Flame], [Peak Eighth-Tier Alchemist Experience], and [Peak Nine-Star Dou Venerate Cultivation Experience].

Xiao Yan's dazzling rainbow trait captivated Xiao Le beyond measure, and he downloaded it without hesitation.

Overnight, his cultivation vanished completely, and his vitality suffered severe depletion.

Xiao Le had never expected downloading traits to consume energy. It left him wanting to cry without tears. Without any preparation, the strongest twin stars of Wutan City—even the Jia Ma Empire—were crippled.

Yet Xiao Le's gains amounted to only a blue-quality fragment of the Protagonist Halo. Even with just a blue fragment, Xiao Le had still picked up plenty of money thanks to the halo.

It took Xiao Le nearly four years to recover his depleted vitality and recultivate his Dou Qi Power to the Third Stage.

"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi Power, Third Stage! Rank: Low!"

Sure enough, Xiao Yan was also at the Third Stage of Dou Qi Power. This damned plot armor.

Mockery and ridicule once again surrounded the two brothers.

Before the Testing Monument, Xiao Yan had long lost his earlier lazy demeanor. His eyes were filled with unwillingness, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.

"Next, Xiao Mei!"

Xiao Yan returned to his seat between Xiao Le and Xiao Xun'er.

Xiao Le patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. There was no comfort in the gesture, only companionship.

Beside them, Xiao Xun'er extended her delicate, boneless hand and held Xiao Yan's, offering him a trace of warmth.

Xiao Le, sitting beside them, was force-fed a mouthful of their affection. It was not as though he had never considered getting to Xiao Xun'er first, but...

That damned plot armor. Every time Xiao Le had approached Xiao Xun'er's room, he would fall asleep before even getting close. It was likely the work of Ling Ying, the Dou Emperor guard at Xiao Xun'er's side.

"Xiao Mei, Dou Qi Power, Seventh Stage! Rank: High!"

Proud as a peacock, every frown and smile of hers carried a trace of charm. This was Xiao Mei, and at this moment, she was receiving the admiration of others.

Seeing nearly everyone fawning over and currying favor with her while the Xiao Le brothers acted as though they had not noticed her left her deeply dissatisfied.

Xiao Le had been a shut-in in his previous life. In this life, his handsome features, inherited more from his mother, had also won over many girls. Unfortunately, everything had changed since the incident three years ago. Even Xiao Mei was the same. It could be said that she was Xiao Le's former girlfriend.

Since there was nothing to do anyway, Xiao Le excused himself from Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er and left the Xiao Family square.

That evening, Xiao Le remained immersed in cultivation, unable to pull himself away.

Perhaps it was because he had never encountered supernatural martial arts in his previous life, or perhaps because of the passionate blood in his bones, but in this life, Xiao Le had an intense love for cultivation and becoming stronger.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Young Master Fourth, it is time for dinner!" A kind yet vigorous voice called out.

"Got it, Steward Mo!"

Xiao Le withdrew from cultivation and lowered his hands from their seal.

At the door stood a plainly dressed old man waiting for him. He was Steward Mo, an elder who had devoted his entire life to the Xiao Family and the patriarch's line.

After passing through the corridor, Xiao Le arrived at the residence of his father in this life, Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er were already seated at the table. Ever since Xiao Xun'er had come to the Xiao Family, she had always eaten with the two brothers.

The lavish dinner was eaten in an oppressive silence. Xiao Zhan, their father, seemed to want to speak several times but held himself back.

"Father, could you sponsor me with some gold coins?" Xiao Le put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked at the contemplative Xiao Zhan.

Perhaps because Xiao Zhan had always considered Xiao Le and Xiao Yan sensible, he did not ask Xiao Le what he needed them for. He simply took out two silver cards and gave one to each brother.

"One thousand gold coins each. If you run out, you can ask me for more."

Xiao Le put away the silver card in front of him, then rose and took his leave.

The next morning.

Crack, crack!

His bones rang with crisp cracks. After another night of cultivation, Xiao Le wanted to visit the marketplace today.

Nearly all of Wutan City was controlled by the three great families. Even the city lord's words might not carry as much weight as theirs.

Xiao Family Marketplace.

Xiao Le examined the surrounding stalls one by one, hoping to find something worth picking up for a bargain.