Public Speaking—Yun Yun Was a Pro

"Brother Wu Yan, you broke through to Dou Zong!"

The two of them had not deliberately kept their conversation from Ya Fei. After Teng Shan left, Ya Fei's face filled with delight. She had not misheard, had she?

That was Dou Zong!

Throughout the Jia Ma Empire, it was a realm countless Dou Emperor powerhouses had dreamed of reaching for many years.

"Mm. It's only Dou Zong. No need to make such a fuss."

Wu Yan nodded and closed his eyes beneath the moonlight.

It was merely Dou Zong. On this Dou Qi Continent, he still did not rank among the strongest.

However, in the Northwestern Continent, Wu Yan was still somewhat confident he could deal with the people around him.

Although she had seen Wu Yan display such calm reactions in the face of major matters more than once, Ya Fei could not help admiring his temperament and composure.

He had become a Dou Zong powerhouse at only twenty-two.

If such an achievement had belonged to anyone else, their tail would probably have been sticking up in the sky by now.

Yet for Wu Yan, it was no different from breaking through a realm during his usual cultivation.

The young Ya Fei placed a hand over her chest, feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat gradually quicken.

That face was not especially perfect. It lacked warmth and gave off the impression of keeping everyone at arm's length.

Yet it was precisely that face, one that seemed as though it would not change in ten thousand years, that made her unable to keep her gaze from lingering on it.

Looking at that face, Ya Fei felt her heartbeat accelerate, yet she also felt strangely at ease.

Beside this person, it seemed that even if the sky fell, she would not need to worry.

Early the next morning, the Mittel Clan's annual year-end assessment began.

Over a hundred underage youngsters stood in the square, walking one after another to the whetstone monument and displaying the results of their cultivation before the entire clan.

Yun Yun, who had also been dragged along to watch the excitement, looked around and noticed that the Mittel youngsters were flushed red, their breathing somewhat hurried. They all seemed nervous and excited.

Following the looks those youngsters kept sneaking but dared not openly cast, Yun Yun saw that expressionless face.

She secretly smiled. No wonder these youngsters were acting like this.

"Come on, Xiao Yue. Let's go find your brother."

"Okay."

Given Yun Yun's status, her seat was naturally beside Wu Yan's.

The assessment began quickly. The first youth stepped forward and tested his cultivation.

"Karu, thirteen years old, six stages of Dou Qi!"

"Next..."

"This is your first time sitting here, isn't it?"

"Mm."

Sitting upright, Yun Yun began communicating with Wu Yan through Dou Qi transmission. Merely watching was not very interesting; chatting with this fellow was far more enjoyable.

At the same time, Yun Yun's gaze occasionally swept across the venue. She noticed a problem. "Why do the Mittel elders all look so exhausted?"

Wu Yan blinked, his lips moving slightly. "Perhaps they're too tired."

"Perhaps."

Yun Yun felt that was probably the case. The Mittel Clan's growth had been extremely rapid in recent years. They could hold out for a short time, but once time dragged on, the shortage of manpower became very apparent.

Wu Yan silently said, Sorry. If he actually told Yun Yun the truth, she would probably be very disappointed.

If that happened, how much attention would she still have left to teach Xiao Yue?

"...Wu Yue, eleven years old, seven stages of Dou Qi!"

For most people, cultivation during the Dou Qi stage was a long process that required a great deal of time to accumulate.

Wu Yan was not surprised that Wu Yue was still at seven stages of Dou Qi.

Breaking through one stage of Dou Qi in a year was already a cultivation speed most people could only dream of.

Just as Wu Yan thought the assessment was about to end, Teng Shan beside him suddenly turned his head. "Patriarch, there will be a coming-of-age ceremony afterward. We'll need you to say a few words."

"A coming-of-age ceremony?"

Wu Yan was startled for a moment, then understood. It was the clan's assessment for its younger members who were about to become adults.

If their talent met the standard, they could continue receiving the clan's support and cultivate full-time.

If their talent was insufficient, they would have to share the clan's burdens and work in its various businesses.

He nodded to show that he understood, then turned to Yun Yun. "When it comes to this sort of thing, what do you usually say?"

Yun Yun had served as the Cloud Sect's leader for so many years. She should have plenty of experience with speeches and the like, right?

Hearing Wu Yan's question, Yun Yun's eyes brightened slightly, and the curve of her lips softened as well.

Well, well. So even you, a monster-strong fellow like this, had things you could not do!

Yun Yun unconsciously puffed out her chest, feeling that she had recovered a little dignity before this fellow.

"It isn't important. What you say isn't important. What matters is that those words come from your mouth."

"I see..."

Wu Yan fell into thought. Come to think of it, even after living two lives, this was his first time delivering a speech before a crowd of thousands.

"Could I trouble you to help me come up with a few lines?"

"It's actually very simple. But since you've asked, I'll say a few things for your reference."

Yun Yun's lips curled upward slightly. She seemed to be in a very good mood, and her entire face became much brighter.

As Yun Yun casually spoke more than a thousand words, Wu Yan secretly nodded.

How else could one say Yun Yun was a sect leader?

If nothing else, she was far better than him at public speaking.

Not long afterward, as Wu Yan's incisive speech came to an end, thunderous applause immediately erupted across the venue!

Countless clan members flushed red as they clapped with all their might, using this simplest and most direct method to express their support for their patriarch.

After Wu Yan returned, he thanked Yun Yun.

"No need to be so polite. It was only a small matter."

Though she said that, Yun Yun still felt very pleased inside.

Whether it was a major matter or a minor one, being thanked by this fellow was something worth commemorating.

More than an hour later, the coming-of-age ceremony ended, and Wu Yan brought Yun Yun to visit his estate.

Yun Yun did not know many people in the Mittel Clan, and there were even fewer she was willing to speak with.

Without a doubt, Wu Yan was the most important among those few.

Yun Yun was immensely curious about this fellow, who was as strong as a monster.

She wanted to know how he cultivated to possess such immense power.

After arriving at the estate, Yun Yun found that it was merely larger, had a better environment, and was quieter. There was nothing particularly special about it.

The density of the natural energy here was not noticeably different from elsewhere.

For Yun Yun, who had already been prepared for this, the discovery merely made her fully recognize the gap in talent between herself and Wu Yan.