One Against Three

At Xiao Lin's word, Xiao Zhan helplessly walked to the open space in the small courtyard and made a gesture of invitation toward the Great Elder.

His cultivation talent wasn't poor, and he cultivated the Mad Lion Furious Qi, the highest-ranked technique in the clan. He had also recently received his father's guidance. Though he was younger than the Great Elder, their strength was quite close.

The Great Elder snorted coldly and strode over with heavy steps. In terms of cultivation talent, he was inferior to Xiao Zhan, but he hadn't lived several decades for nothing!

Just yesterday, he had broken through to the Five-Star Dou Shi realm. His level was slightly higher than Xiao Zhan's, giving him the advantage of more abundant Dou Qi.

Xiao Zhan knew the Great Elder was no ordinary opponent and didn't let his guard down.

Clenching his fists, Xiao Zhan erupted with azure Dou Qi. It gradually covered his body, eventually faintly gathering around his face into an illusory lion's head.

Seeing the Xiao Clan's top-tier technique, the Mad Lion Furious Qi, the Great Elder's expression grew even graver. Driven by his will, the Dou Qi within him surged rapidly, gradually bursting from his body and finally forming a thin layer of Dou Qi Gauze around him.

Dou Qi Gauze transformed Dou Qi into a layer of energy gauze attached to the body. It was the mark of a Dou Shi expert.

This energy gauze could not only enhance its owner's defense, speed, and attacks, but also better draw energy from the surrounding world to replenish the owner's expenditure.

Thus, for nearly every Dou Shi, the first thing they did in battle was summon their Dou Qi Gauze.

Xiao Yan had reached the Dou Shi realm in his simulated life, but few opponents had been strong enough to make him use Dou Qi Gauze.

By his sharp perception, Xiao Zhan's stronger technique meant that the Dou Qi Gauze he condensed was more refined, making it somewhat more effective in every aspect.

The Great Elder, meanwhile, was one level above Xiao Zhan. His strength made up for the gap in their technique grades, and neither yielded an inch.

The Second and Third Elders, who stood to one side without joining the fight, saw this as well with their seasoned eyes. Their nerves tightened. It seemed the Great Elder wouldn't have an easy time winning.

Just as Xiao Zhan and the Great Elder finished preparing to fight, Xiao Yan didn't watch them. Instead, he turned his head toward the courtyard gate.

"Wait."

A gentle, captivating voice came from outside the courtyard, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Along with that voice, a beautiful woman in an elegant light-purple dress appeared at the gate. Her flowing robes fluttered around her, making her seem like a fairy descended to the mortal world.

Her silky hair cascaded like a waterfall, lightly pinned up and adorned with simple ornaments that further accentuated her fresh, otherworldly grace. Her brows resembled distant misty mountains, her eyes shimmered like autumn water, her skin was whiter than snow, and her red lips were gently pursed. Every feature revealed an immaculate beauty untouched by worldly dust.

Her figure was graceful, her steps light. As her skirt swayed softly, her fair, supple, slender jade legs could faintly be seen beneath it. She was like a beauty stepped out of a painting, unforgettable at first sight.

She was none other than Xiao Zhan's wife, Lin Shuiyao.

Seeing Lin Shuiyao arrive, Xiao Lin, who had been dozing in the seat of honor, had a flash of shrewdness and doubt pass through his cloudy old eyes.

It was true that his strength had greatly declined, but the perception he had possessed as a former expert remained.

A Great Dou Master—Lin Shuiyao had broken through to the Great Dou Master realm!

How was that possible?!

Lin Shuiyao's cultivation talent wasn't bad, but she hadn't been extraordinarily gifted. In fact, frequently bearing children had delayed her cultivation.

Yet in less than a year, she had gone from a three- or four-star Dou Shi to a Great Dou Master.

Even Xiao Lin found such speed utterly astonishing.

Back then, even without needing to care for children, he had spent far more than a year at this stage.

Xiao Yan had already sensed Lin Shuiyao's Great Dou Master aura when she approached the courtyard, noticing it slightly before Xiao Lin did.

This was also an effect of the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body.

As time passed, Xiao Yan had realized that his Medicine Spirit Sacred Body was accelerating the absorption of the Primordial Origin Pill's medicinal power stored within him.

When he had first tested the effects of his constitution, the time had been too short for Xiao Yan to notice.

It was precisely because of the medicinal power of the eighth-grade Primordial Origin Pill that Xiao Yan's soul strength had also received a boost.

Seeing that it was Lin Shuiyao, the Great Elder angrily rebuked her, "This is a crucial moment for deciding the clan head's position. What nonsense are you causing?"

The Second and Third Elders also glared at Lin Shuiyao. Their hearts had nearly leapt into their throats, only for Lin Shuiyao to force them back down.

Lin Shuiyao smiled lightly. "Great Elder, you're mistaken. This contest seems to concern me as well. How could my coming here be considered causing trouble?"

"Besides, how can the Xiao Clan's future head casually fight others? If the Great Elder has any objections, you may spar with me."

As she spoke, Lin Shuiyao glanced at the Second and Third Elders. "The two of you seem to support the Great Elder greatly. You may join in when the time comes."

The Great Elder had initially been somewhat hesitant. After all, Xiao Zhan and his wife were both formidable. Given a few more years of cultivation, they would be enough to rival the three elders.

But when he heard Lin Shuiyao wanted to face all three of them alone, he immediately flew into a rage.

"Arrogant!" the Great Elder roared, waving at the other two elders. "Second, Third, attack together!"

Xiao Zhan stood frozen in place, looking at Lin Shuiyao in disbelief.

The three elders were no weaklings, and they knew each other extremely well. If all three attacked together, they could nearly contend with a Great Dou Master.

However, having known each other for many years, Xiao Zhan knew Lin Shuiyao wasn't reckless. He slowly retreated to one side.

Still, the clenched hand hidden beneath his black robe showed that Xiao Zhan was far less calm inside than he appeared.

One against three... she was certainly confident. Xiao Lin sat upright and focused intently on the courtyard, where the contest had become Lin Shuiyao fighting the three elders alone.

At the Great Elder's call, the other two elders immediately mobilized their Dou Qi and came to stand beside him.

The three exchanged glances, then immediately launched fierce attacks.

Facing the elders rushing at her from three different directions, Lin Shuiyao showed no trace of panic. Her slender hands slowly formed seals as incomparably surging water-attributed Dou Qi burst forth.

In an instant, an azure glow spread across her purple dress...

As the light surged and finally condensed into a complete, exquisite suit of armor, the Second Elder sucked in a sharp breath. "Dou Qi Armor!"

"A Great Dou Master's signature move!" The Third Elder was equally stunned, never having imagined that Lin Shuiyao had silently broken through to the Great Dou Master level.

Th-this... how was this possible?

They had all originally been at the Dou Shi level. There were differences in strength between them, but no fundamental divide.

The Great Elder suddenly understood. No wonder Lin Shuiyao had been so confident. After a brief daze, he swiftly came to his senses and roared, "Attack with everything you have!"

At the Great Elder's command, the Second and Third Elders were invigorated. They frantically drove their inner Dou Qi, pushing the Dou Techniques they had cultivated for years to their limits.

As vast Dou Qi surged, the robes of all three men whipped and snapped in the wind.