Xiao Yan

In terms of beauty and temperament, this girl in the purple dress far surpassed Xiao Mei from earlier. No wonder everyone present reacted as they did.

With graceful steps, the girl named Xiao Xun'er walked to the magical stone tablet. She extended her small hand, and her purple sleeve embroidered with black-gold threads slid down, revealing a section of snowy white, delicate wrist as she gently touched the tablet...

After a brief silence, a dazzling light blossomed from the tablet once more.

"Xiao Xun'er, Dou Qi, eighth stage!"

The middle-aged man beside the tablet stared at the displayed eighth-stage Dou Qi, his expression freezing for a moment before he slowly spoke.

He had not expected Xiao Xun'er's talent to be so terrifying. At thirteen, she had already reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi. Wouldn't she become a Dou Practitioner next year?

"My heavens, Xiao Xun'er jumped straight from the fifth stage of Dou Qi last year to the eighth stage now. That's simply astonishing."

"...She's actually reached the eighth stage. How terrifying! It seems Miss Xun'er is undoubtedly the second strongest among the younger generation of the clan."

That was right, second strongest. The first was the former genius, Xiao Yan.

After the commotion died down, the surrounding clan disciples unconsciously swallowed, their eyes filled with awe...

In response, Xiao Xun'er's calm little face showed no joy at the praise around her. She merely turned around quietly and silently watched the back of the crowd.

Dou Qi was the path every Dou Practitioner had to walk. The beginner stages of Dou Qi were divided into ten levels. Once the Dou Qi within one's body reached the tenth stage, one could condense a Dou Qi vortex and become a respected Dou Practitioner!

Within the crowd, Xiao Mei frowned faintly as she stared at the purple-clad girl before the stone tablet, her expression somewhat unpleasant.

She was a talented member of the Xiao Clan's direct line and one of the outstanding figures among the younger generation.

She had thought her sixth-stage Dou Qi would shine brilliantly in this clan test, but she had not expected Xiao Xun'er's eighth-stage Dou Qi to completely overshadow her.

It left her deeply displeased, and even stirred a trace of jealousy within her!

"Xiao Yan."

"It's your turn. Come up."

The middle-aged man beside the magical tablet looked toward Xiao Yan, who stood near the back of the crowd, and spoke indifferently.

Xiao Yan raised his head and looked at the magical tablet. He clenched his fists, then strode toward the testing stone tablet.

Seeing Xiao Yan approach the tablet, Xiao Xun'er hurried over and grabbed his arm, encouraging him, "Xiao Yan, do your best. I believe in you!"

"Xun'er."

Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Xun'er, forcing a faint smile onto his melancholy face. "I will."

Then he extended his right arm and placed it on the stone tablet. Light flickered across the magical tablet, and two lines of words appeared.

"Dou Qi, fourth stage."

The middle-aged man showed no surprise. He merely read the result aloud in a flat tone, as if he had expected it all along.

"What? Xiao Yan has fallen to the fourth stage of Dou Qi?"

The surroundings immediately erupted once again.

But this time, no one was excited or thrilled. Their voices were filled with endless mockery and a trace of regret.

"Haha, just as I expected. This genius has regressed again."

"Fourth-stage Dou Qi? That's even lower than mine!"

"Sigh, how has that genius youth who was once renowned throughout Wutan City fallen to such a state?"

"Who knows? He's at the fourth stage this year. Maybe next year, he'll be at the third."

The ridicule and regretful sighs from all around fell upon Xiao Yan's ears. To Xiao Yan, who stood there like a wooden statue, they were like heavy hammers striking his heart, making his body tremble violently.

The young man slowly raised his head, revealing a somewhat delicate and youthful face.

His dark eyes blankly swept across his mocking peers, while a bitter smile curled at his lips.

"Sure enough, not only has my Dou Qi failed to increase, it has actually declined."

Ever since he had broken through to become a Dou Practitioner two years ago, the Dou Qi vortex he had painstakingly condensed over more than a decade of cultivation had vanished overnight.

Moreover, no matter how he cultivated, the Dou Qi in his body only continued to diminish with the passage of time, until he had fallen from a one-star Dou Practitioner to the fourth stage of Dou Qi.

"Sigh..."

Seeing Xiao Yan's dejected appearance, Xiao Mei inexplicably let out a soft sigh. Her expression was somewhat complicated, though it quickly returned to normal.

She and Xiao Yan were no longer on the same level. Based on Xiao Yan's performance over the past few years, once he came of age, he would at most become a low-ranking member of the clan.

As for her, with her outstanding talent, she would become one of the powerful figures the clan focused on nurturing. Her future was limitless!

"Hmph, have you laughed enough?"

"Xiao Yan, let's go."

Seeing this, Xiao Xun'er's face darkened. Golden flames flickered in her eyes as she coldly shouted at the disciples who had been mocking him.

She found these people utterly hateful and repulsive!

Faced with Xiao Xun'er's cold rebuke, the disciples immediately fell silent, not daring to say anything further.

However, their gazes toward Xiao Yan still carried a trace of ridicule.

"Alright."

Xiao Yan said nothing more. He simply nodded, turned, and headed toward the edge of the field. As he walked, he apologized to Xiao Xun'er beside him, "Xun'er, I'm sorry. I had to make you help me out again."

"It's alright, Xiao Yan. I understand you."

Xiao Xun'er shook her head with a sweet smile.

Seeing Xiao Xun'er like this warmed Xiao Yan's heart. A gentle smile appeared on his face as well, and he softly said, "Thank you, Xun'er."

"Xiao Yan, you once told Xun'er that only by being able to let go could one take hold again. To pick up and put down freely—that is to be at ease!"

Xiao Xun'er smiled and spoke softly. Though her voice was still somewhat youthful, it warmed the heart.

"At ease? I only know how to say such things. Look at me now—do I seem at ease? Besides, this world never belonged to me in the first place."

Xiao Yan shook his head. A trace of confusion flashed through his eyes as he muttered to himself, seemingly mocking fate, or perhaps mocking himself.

Faced with Xiao Yan's despondency, Xiao Xun'er's slender brows furrowed slightly as she said seriously, "Xiao Yan, although I don't know why you became like this."

"But Xun'er has always believed that you will stand up again and reclaim the glory and dignity that belong to you. You'll even become more outstanding than before!"

"Hehe. Is that so? I hope so too."

Xiao Yan smiled and did not continue the subject. Instead, he changed the topic. "You little girl are truly amazing. Without my even noticing, you reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi and left me far behind."

"Hehe... Xiao Yan, don't put yourself down. Xun'er was just lucky!" Xiao Xun'er hurriedly waved her hands and said with a grin.

"Lucky?"

Xiao Yan smiled faintly and said no more. He simply looked quietly at Xiao Xun'er, his face carrying a trace of nostalgia.

The frail little girl who had once needed his Dou Qi to nourish her when they were young was gone. In her place stood the genius girl who ranked first among the Xiao Clan's younger generation.

And he, the Third Young Master of the Xiao Clan who had been famous throughout Wutan City two years ago, had become a waste who could not even absorb Dou Qi. Fate truly played with people, ever-changing and unpredictable.

I set this timeline one year before Xiao Yan's broken engagement, not during their childhood, so I never intended for the protagonist to win over Xiao Xun'er. Given Xiao Xun'er's current feelings for Xiao Yan, I truly cannot think of any way to make her fall in love with the protagonist. After all, she is the most devoted lover in Battle Through the Heavens.

So, if any readers are still following this story, please do not be confused by certain developments later on.

Lastly, the Battle Through the Heavens anime updates tomorrow. So exciting.