Xiao Lin, the Dou Emperor

The cave was not large; its depth of several meters could be seen at a glance.

Upon entering, Xiao Yun saw a stone platform with someone lying on it.

That person was Xiao Lin, the father of Xiao Yun and the others.

Though they had not met for eight years, Xiao Yun recognized his father at once. Compared to eight years ago, Xiao Lin had aged considerably, with a few more strands of white in his hair.

Before he knew it, his father had already grown old.

"Second Brother, your elder brother is useless. When Father returned home seven years ago, he was gravely wounded. Though his life was ultimately saved, he remained unconscious. Even now, I have no solution. It's my fault."

Xiao Zhan looked at his father lying on the stone platform, tears streaming from his eyes.

Seven years ago, Xiao Lin had suddenly returned badly injured after going out. Not long afterward, he fell unconscious, and until today, the entire Xiao Clan had been unable to find a way to wake him.

Xiao Yun consoled him, "It's all right, Brother. Let me take a look at Father."

Xiao Yun went to Xiao Lin's side and released his Dou Qi into Xiao Lin's body, beginning his examination.

After a long while, Xiao Yun withdrew his Dou Qi, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "The old man turned misfortune into a blessing!"

Through his examination, Xiao Yun discovered that Xiao Lin did not have a trace of hidden injury. According to Xiao Zhan, Xiao Lin had returned severely wounded seven years ago, yet now he was in this state. There was only one explanation.

The Flourishing Vitality Pill, a Seventh Grade medicinal pill. It was the pill Xiao Yun had left for Xiao Lin when he departed eight years ago. Its effect was to heal injuries. So long as someone had not been dismembered on the spot, no matter how severe their wounds were, this pill would gradually heal them over time.

By Xiao Yun's calculations, Xiao Lin's injuries should have healed long ago. The reason he had not awakened was that the effects of the Flourishing Vitality Pill had yet to wear off.

Put simply, the Flourishing Vitality Pill had used only a tiny fraction of its medicinal power to heal Xiao Lin, leaving a great deal of medicinal power inside his body.

That medicinal power had locked down Xiao Lin's body, which was why he had remained unconscious for so long.

So the old man's delayed awakening was because the pill I gave him was too effective!

Thinking of this, Xiao Yun looked at Xiao Zhan and said with a mixture of laughter and helplessness, "Brother, Father is fine. He hasn't awakened because the pill I gave him back then was too effective. His body is too weak to handle such nourishment, so he remained unconscious."

"Too weak to handle nourishment?" Xiao Zhan was somewhat confused, but he understood that Xiao Lin was fine. He asked, "Then when will Father wake up?"

"Now."

After Xiao Yun spoke, he sent a seal into Xiao Lin's body. The seal landed directly on the pill within Xiao Lin that had yet to be fully refined.

The pill was sealed, and Xiao Lin immediately sprang to his feet. He glared at Xiao Yun and roared, "Brat, who are you calling weak?"

A man could not be called weak, or what dignity would he have left?

If the person calling him weak had not been his own son, Xiao Lin would have definitely beaten him up after jumping to his feet.

Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yun were both stunned by Xiao Lin's expression.

"Father!"

"Old man, you were awake all along?!"

Seeing their shocked faces, Xiao Lin said irritably, "I woke up five years ago. It's just that this damn pill was too effective and kept occupying my body."

"But it was also a blessing in disguise. Over the past five years, I kept refining the pill and cultivating. Yesterday, I happened to break through to the one-star Dou Emperor realm!"

Xiao Yun had already learned of Xiao Lin's cultivation when he examined his body, so he did not react much.

Xiao Zhan, however, was utterly shocked. "Father, you broke through to the Dou Emperor realm!"

Xiao Lin looked at Xiao Zhan, his eyes holding emotions that were neither joy nor bitterness. "Yes, thanks to the pill inside my body."

Looking at Xiao Yun, Xiao Lin asked curiously, "Brat, what grade was the pill you gave me? I spent five years refining it and still haven't fully refined it. If you hadn't returned, I would have needed at least another two and a half years!"

"Uh, Seventh Grade," Xiao Yun said.

The moment he said Seventh Grade, both people present wondered if they had heard wrong.

"What? Seventh Grade?!"

Xiao Lin was dumbfounded. He had eaten a Seventh Grade medicinal pill seven years ago! Given how precious a Seventh Grade pill was, how much rice was that worth?!

He rubbed his stomach and muttered, "Good grief. I won't call your pill damn medicine anymore."

Looking at Xiao Yun, Xiao Lin said, "Brat, do you have any more pills? Give me another one."

Xiao Zhan, standing nearby, swallowed and added, "Second Brother, give me one too."

The corner of Xiao Yun's mouth twitched as he shouted, "Do you think Seventh Grade medicinal pills grow like cabbages?"

[Hehe, someone gave away a Ninth Grade medicinal pill not long ago.] The system suddenly spoke.

"Cough, cough, System, I was afraid Father and Brother would overeat. It's not like I was favoring outsiders over my own family," Xiao Yun explained inwardly.

In truth, he had many Seventh Grade medicinal pills. Some had come as system rewards, while others had been refined by him in his spare time.

However, the effects of those pills were not suitable for anyone below the Dou Ancestor realm. At worst, they would cause the user's body to explode; at best, the user would become a vegetable for several years like Xiao Lin.

Hearing Xiao Yun's words, Xiao Zhan and Xiao Lin were not disappointed. They had only been joking just now.

They just did not know what their reaction would be when they learned that Xiao Yun had given away a Ninth Grade medicinal pill not long ago.

Time flew by, and it was not until night had climbed across the sky that the Xiao Zhan brothers emerged from the cave.

Xiao Lin did not come out. He still needed to refine the medicinal pill in his body, and he had instructed Xiao Zhan not to spread the news that he was still alive for the time being.

When Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yun returned to the Xiao Clan's main hall, they saw two small figures: Xiao Yan and Gu Xun'er.

Xiao Yan had previously taken Gu Xun'er running all over the clan, but Gu Xun'er had a quiet temperament. Before long, she could no longer stand the hyperactive Xiao Yan and returned to the main hall instead.

When she found no one in the hall afterward, she casually found a place to sit and planned to wait for Xiao Yun's return.

The moment she saw Xiao Yun, she immediately jumped up and ran over.

"Brother Xiao Yun."

Xiao Yun bent down and picked Gu Xun'er up, smiling. "Xun'er, how are you?"

Hearing Gu Xun'er's form of address, Xiao Zhan's expression turned strange, and he seemed to want to say something but held back.

Seeing Xiao Zhan's expression, Xiao Yun said, "It's fine, Brother. We can address each other however we like. Xun'er can call you Uncle and call me Brother."

Just like Gu Yuan, Xiao Zhan's mouth twitched as he began to question his life.

Was I taking advantage of this, or getting the short end of the stick?

"By the way, Xun'er, where is Little Yan?" Xiao Zhan looked around but could not find his son, so he asked.

"Brother Xiao Yan left. He said he was going to cultivate," Gu Xun'er answered. In truth, she could not stand Xiao Yan's hyperactive nature and had shaken him off.

"That child..."

Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yun and suddenly said, "Second Brother, Little Yan is my youngest son. The child has some talent, but he is too arrogant. I want to ask you for a favor."

"Go ahead, Brother," Xiao Yun said with a faint smile.

"I want you to train Little Yan and help him change his current temperament. That personality of his won't do," Xiao Zhan said.

"Train Xiao Yan?" Xiao Yun considered it, then said, "I'll take the job."

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