Mysterious Clan Mark

"What were you doing, staring into a mirror?" Medicine Elder was speechless when he saw Xiao Yan aimlessly examining himself with a mirror.

"Looking for the mark you mentioned!" Xiao Yan replied as if it were only natural.

"You haven't even activated the mark. How could you possibly see it?" Medicine Elder could not help but laugh.

"Uh... how do I activate it?" Xiao Yan scratched his head, looking utterly confused.

"Ahem... this is how you activate the mark." Somewhat awkwardly, Medicine Elder extended a finger from his right hand and lightly tapped Xiao Yan between the brows.

Following the method Medicine Elder had given him, Xiao Yan activated the mark and discovered two flame marks on his forehead—one black, one white. The two flame marks intertwined.

As the mark activated, Xiao Yan's aura grew stronger and stronger. Once the mark had fully awakened, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, black-and-white light flickering within his pupils.

"I've reached Three-star Dou Zhe now? But it only raised my strength by one star. That seems a little weak!" Xiao Yan said after sensing the changes in his body.

Hearing Xiao Yan's rather smug words, Medicine Elder immediately gave him a sharp knock on the head.

"You brat, and you're still not satisfied with one star? Besides, this isn't the end. It will improve further in the future." Xiao Yan's words left Medicine Elder utterly speechless.

Xiao Yan scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. He also felt that he was being too greedy.

"Why do I feel like I can keep this mark activated forever?" Xiao Yan noticed that after activating the mark on his forehead, his strength had increased, yet his body felt no discomfort at all.

"How is that possible? This kind of mark is called a Clan Mark. Clan Marks are a sign of bloodline inheritance among certain ancient clans. Generally speaking, the stronger a person's bloodline, the higher the grade of the Clan Mark on their body, and the greater the increase in strength it can provide. But no matter how much it boosts one's strength, it is only temporary. After using it, one will fall into a weakened state, so Clan Marks are generally only used as a means of saving one's life..." Medicine Elder said in astonishment.

"Uh... but I feel like I really can keep it activated!" Xiao Yan spread his hands helplessly.

"Then turn off the Clan Mark first! See whether your body feels any discomfort!" Medicine Elder shook his head helplessly. If a Clan Mark could remain activated forever, that would be far too bizarre.

"Looks like I'm really fine!" Following Medicine Elder's words, Xiao Yan withdrew the Clan Mark. He immediately checked his body again and found no discomfort whatsoever.

Medicine Elder felt as though he had suffered ten thousand points of critical damage, his mindset instantly collapsing. Still unwilling to give up, he said, "Then try activating it again and see whether you still can."

Hearing Medicine Elder's words, Xiao Yan obediently activated the Clan Mark once more. The black-and-white flame marks appeared on his forehead again and soon lit up, while Xiao Yan's strength once more reached three stars.

Xiao Yan found the flame marks on his forehead rather good-looking. He activated and deactivated them over and over, having the time of his life.

When Medicine Elder saw Xiao Yan actually playing around with it, his face turned livid with anger, and he gave him another knock on the head.

"Why are you hitting me again?!" Xiao Yan clutched his head and howled in pain.

Xiao Yan naturally knew why Medicine Elder was angry. Back then, Medicine Elder had been unable to activate his Clan Mark because his talent and bloodline were too weak, which had made his childhood extremely miserable.

"You've been tempered by the Heavenly Flame for so long. The benefits you gained aren't limited to activating the mark, are they?" After hitting Xiao Yan, Medicine Elder had mostly vented his anger. He looked at Xiao Yan as he spoke.

Xiao Yan sensed the changes in his body and discovered that his strength seemed to have increased considerably. The injuries on his body also seemed completely healed, while the surface of his skin was incomparably smooth. His defensive power had clearly increased as well.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the ground and once again sensed the changes inside his body. He found that Dou Qi circulated much faster within him, while his meridians had become far tougher and thicker.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes and said delightedly, "I feel like my strength has improved a lot! If I had to face five magical beasts alone now, I definitely wouldn't be as miserable as before."

"Mm! My target for you is this: without removing the black greatsword, you must be able to defeat ten first-rank magical beasts attacking you together—and you are not allowed to use hit-and-run tactics."

"What?! Teacher, you can't be serious! Even though my strength has improved greatly, it would already be good if I could face three magical beasts at once right now. Ten? Are you afraid I won't die fast enough?"

"Hehe, who said I was joking? You'll find out when you try tomorrow!" Medicine Elder seemed to be looking forward to Xiao Yan's performance.

Tomorrow, I'll find several stronger magical beasts and let you show off in front of me.

Within a dense forest, a young man carried an enormous black greatsword on his back. He wore black robes, and his brows were filled with determination and resolve. Behind him, the black greatsword was as steady as a mountain, emitting a faint cold gleam.

The young man constantly scanned his surroundings, alert to every movement around him.

Suddenly, the sound of wind tearing through the air came from all around him. One magical beast after another charged out from every corner of the forest, the powerful aura radiating from their bodies seeming to send invisible ripples through the air. Three magical beasts had appeared: a Flame Hound, a Rock-Armored Giant Elephant, and a gray wolf. They surrounded Xiao Yan together, their fierce gazes and sharp claws and fangs revealing their danger.

The first to attack was a frenzied Demon Wolf. It opened its bloody jaws, roared, and pounced at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan hurriedly dodged, but it still caught the corner of his clothes, tearing a large gash in his robe.

Carrying this greatsword suppresses my strength too much. Without it, I definitely could have dodged the Demon Wolf's attack perfectly, Xiao Yan sighed inwardly.

Just as Xiao Yan was distracted, a Flame Hound opened its jaws and shot a stream of scorching fire at him.

Bang! The flames violently slammed into Xiao Yan's body, burning a huge hole in the clothes over his chest and scorching his chest bright red.

"Damn! This dog can even attack from a distance? Luckily, the flames aren't that hot, or wouldn't I have been burned raw? Still, my body's defense really has increased a lot. I didn't even bleed. In that case, I'll have a good time playing with you!" Xiao Yan said in surprise.

Xiao Yan did not remove the black greatsword. He wanted to directly experience hand-to-hand combat. That was how a real man should fight.

Moo!

A massive Rock-Armored Giant Elephant stood before him, its skin covered in hard rock armor. Its two enormous tusks gleamed with a metallic luster.

The Rock-Armored Giant Elephant swung its powerful tusks and let out a deafening roar. Its entire body was covered in skin as hard as rock, seemingly impossible for any attack to break.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, every muscle in his body tensing. He swiftly moved his feet and charged forward against the Rock-Armored Giant Elephant's furious roar. Grabbing both tusks with his hands, a powerful force erupted from within Xiao Yan's body. With a fierce throw, he directly slammed the Rock-Armored Giant Elephant to the ground.

After being thrown to the ground by Xiao Yan, the Rock-Armored Giant Elephant continued struggling, trying to get back up. However, it was far too heavy and simply could not rise.