The Fallen Genius
"Furthermore, if you indulge Zi Yan now, will you indulge others around you in the future, and then one day when you encounter a powerful enemy, it will bring disaster upon yourself and those around you?"
"Moreover, I have now advanced to the Eighth-Rank Alchemist, so we won't lack any common Medicinal Herb if I want them!"
Upon hearing Cailin, Cai Lin raised her eyebrows, wanting to say something, but swallowed her words of rebuttal under Lin Qing's serious gaze.
After saying that, Lin Qing didn't say anything more, because saying too much would only be annoying.
Besides, he's a hypocrite with ulterior motives; he just wants the people around him to live well, not for them to be saints.
Seeing Zi Yan's pitiful appearance, Lin Qing flipped his hand and took out a ten-thousand-year-old Dragonblood Lingzhi, a reward from the system, from his System Space, and handed it to Zi Yan.
"Wow! Lin Qing, you have such a good thing!" When Zi Yan saw the Dragonblood Lingzhi that Lin Qing took out, her eyes lit up immediately, and the pitiful look on her face quickly disappeared. She could feel that this Medicinal Herb had a strange attraction for her.
Zi Yan happily accepted the Dragonblood Lingzhi, eagerly opening her small mouth to take a bite, making satisfied chewing sounds. She was now certain that the attraction of this Ganoderma to her came from her bloodline.
For the next ten days or so, the group continued their journey toward the Jia Ma Empire. Due to their terrifying strength and the fact that they did not conceal their aura, their information was directly exposed to the surrounding forces.
When they encountered a stronger country or force, they only dared to glance at Lin Qing and his group from afar, fearing that they might be targeted. This was because Lin Qing and his group could easily destroy a country. When they encountered weaker forces, they would simply play dead, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Even the important border towns of the Jia Ma Empire dared not stop them, so Lin Qing and his group could simply fly over there without any trouble.
However, Lin Qing still dismounted from the Magical Beast and explained the situation, since he was going to take his family to the Imperial Capital, where the Imperial Family and other forces would need their help.
Because of Lin Qing's appearance, basic information about Lin Qing and his group began to spread from the border to various forces within the empire.
The Jia Ma Empire, Wutan City, the Xiao Clan.
Since Lin Qing left the Xiao Clan, the Xiao Clan's strength has greatly increased due to the resources exchanged with Lin Qing, putting pressure on the other two families.
After the Mittel Family from the Imperial Capital formed an alliance with the Xiao Clan, the Xiao Clan went on to destroy the Jia Lie Clan and Aobo Clan, becoming the dominant force in Wutan City.
Today is the annual Dou Qi test day for the Xiao Clan. Not only are all the younger generation required to participate, but the test is also more rigorous and formal than usual.
At this moment, in the Xiao Clan of Wutan City, at the Magic Stone Tablet Square for the Dou Qi Test.
Not only in the square, but also among the throngs of young men and women, every now and then a boy whose name was called would run up to the central platform to test his Dou Qi.
On the viewing platform sat some powerful figures from the Xiao Clan family. In the center, on four chairs, sat the patriarch Xiao Zhan and three elders.
"Dou Might, Level Three!"
"Xiao Qing, Dou Might, Level 3! Rank: Low-level!"
"My cousin Xiao Qing is already at the Third Stage of Dou Qi at such a young age; she's destined for greatness!"
"Xiao Shui, Dou Might, Level 4! Rank: Low-level!"
"Xiao Hu, Dou Might, Seventh Stage! Level: High-Rank!"
"Xiao Ning, One-Star Dou Practitioner, qualified!"
"Xiao Teng, Dou Might, Ninth Stage! Level: High-Rank!"
As the test continued, a great deal of noise erupted from the numerous young men and women in the huge Testing Square.
"Next: Xiao Yan!"
The middle-aged man in charge of the test shouted with a somewhat complicated expression.
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Testing Square fell silent. Then, a handsome young man slowly walked out from the crowd.
As the young man walked out, pairs of eyes with complex expressions turned to this boy who had once been the most prominent figure in the Xiao Clan and even the entire Wutan City.
The boy slowly walked towards the testing monument and gently placed his hand on it.
As the boy moved, everyone present stared intently at the testing magic tablet.
As the Dou Qi was injected, the dark Magic Stone Tablet flashed with light, and several elegant characters appeared on it.
"Dou Might, Level Three!"
Staring at the five large, almost blindingly bright characters on the Testing Magic Stone Stele, the boy remained expressionless, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips. His clenched fist, so tightly that his slightly sharp nails dug deep into his palm, brought waves of excruciating pain.
"Xiao Yan, Dou Might, Level 3! Rank: Low-level!"
Beside the Testing Magic Stone Stele, a middle-aged man glanced at the information displayed on the tablet and announced it indifferently.
The middle-aged man's words had barely left his mouth when, unsurprisingly, they stirred up a mocking commotion in the crowded square.
"Three stages? Heh heh, just as I expected, this 'genius' has stagnated again this year!"
"Ugh, this good-for-nothing has completely disgraced the family."
"If the clan chief weren't his father, this good-for-nothing would have been expelled from the clan long ago and left to fend for himself. He wouldn't have the chance to stay in the clan and eat and drink for free."
"Alas! The more arrogant they were back then, the more miserable they are now!"
"Yes! Xiao Yan is ultimately not Lin Qing's cousin!"
"Xiao Yan used to be the second most talented person in our Xiao Clan, but unexpectedly, he gradually fell behind his cousin Xiao Mei and the others, and his Dou Qi suddenly dropped to the Third Stage of Dou Qi overnight!"
"Who knows? Perhaps I did something wrong and angered the gods..."
Among the crowd, teenagers whispered among themselves; some expressed regret, while others mocked.
The greater the initial expectations, the greater the current hurt.
On the stage, listening to the disdainful laughter and regretful sighs around him, the boy, who had been standing still like a wooden stake, began to breathe slightly more rapidly.
The boy slowly raised his head, his dark eyes sweeping blankly over the mocking peers around him. The self-mockery on his lips seemed to have become even more bitter.
"Are all these people so mean and opportunistic? Perhaps it's because they showed me the most humble smiles three years ago, so now they want to get their revenge..." With a bitter smile, Xiao Yan turned away dejectedly and quietly returned to the last row of the group. His lonely figure seemed somewhat out of place in the world around him.
On the stage, Xiao Zhan looked at his son's dejected expression and gripped his teacup tightly.
"Clan leader, why don't we bring Xiao Ding and Xiao Li back?"
The Great Elder on one side spoke up.
Now that the Xiao Clan wealthy, although power struggles still occur, there is no chaos like in the original story where resources are heavily allocated to Xiao Yan.
With Xiao Yan's two older brothers also possessing considerable talent, and many promising talents emerging from the Xiao Clan in recent years, they will all become pillars of the family in the future. As for Xiao Yan, at most, he will be given a lucrative position.
The elders were much more relaxed than before, and they turned a blind eye to Xiao Zhan's preferential treatment of Xiao Yan.
This world is ultimately a world that values strength. They are old now and can place all their hopes on the younger generation.
"Sigh!" Xiao Zhan sighed and didn't say anything more.
Since Lin Qing exchanged ancestral tokens with his family, and later his family formed an alliance with the Mittel Family, Lin Qing had some gold coins, high-level Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills, Medicinal Pill sent back. Now, several Da Dou Shi have emerged in his family, and he himself has reached the Dou Ling.
The younger generation is finally starting to resemble scions of a prominent family.
From the family's perspective, the Great Elder was indeed right; Xiao Yan was no longer suitable as a candidate for the position of Young Clan Leader.
The elders standing nearby remained silent. The family's future was bright, and it was precisely at this time that they needed to unite.
Many members of the family have now met the admission requirements for the Jia Nan Academy and can be sent Jia Nan Academy in the future.
With Lin Qing and the others at the Jia Nan Academy, these seeds in the family can receive better training. Perhaps these seeds in the family can also reach the level of Dou Wang, or even Dou Emperor.
As for Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, they should just work diligently for the family!
Thinking of the family's bright future, the three elders chuckled, a stark contrast to the silent Xiao Zhan.
"Next: Xiao Feng!"
"Wait, what's that?!"
The middle-aged man's shout was interrupted by a cacophony of noise before he could finish.
He clearly realized what was happening, and at the same time, everyone in the Xiao Clan looked up at the sky.
Four enormous black shadows were seen hurtling towards the Xiao Clan from the sky.
The shadowy figure was moving so fast that none of them had time to react.
However, they soon recognized the dark figures as four ferocious-looking Magical Beast.
"That's Magical Beast, isn't it?"
"What's going on? How come four Magical Beasts have come to my Xiao Clan?"
"..."
A commotion broke out among the crowd, and before they could figure out what was happening, the Flying Magical Beast landed above the Testing Square.
On the stands, Xiao Zhan and several elders stood up. They were well aware of the terror of these Magical Beasts. Serpentine Magical Beast that could fly without wings was at least at the Dou Zong level!
Xiao Zhan immediately used the Flight Dou Technique left by Lin Qing, preparing to go forward and find out their purpose, when he heard a somewhat familiar voice coming from the Magical Beast.
"Uncle, it's been three and a half years since we last met. How are you and Aunt doing?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a figure somewhat familiar to the Xiao Clan family appeared in the air above the plaza!
Xiao Zhan watched as Lin Qing descended through the void, then flew directly to Lin Qing's side. Looking at the handsome young man before him, he could vaguely discern a resemblance to his former self, but considering the way Lin Qing had descended through the void, he was clearly a legendary Dou Zong expert. His nephew, Lin Qing, was only 16 years old (by Chinese reckoning), so he asked somewhat uncertainly, "You are... Xiao Qing?"
"Yes! Uncle, I'm back!" Lin Qing nodded.
"How is that possible!"
At this moment, Xiao Yan, who was sitting in the corner, had an old man in his ring looking at the young man standing in the void with some disbelief.
He had clearly noticed the approaching four Magical Beasts at the Dou Zong level, but his curiosity prevented him from fleeing immediately. Instead, he quietly observed them from inside the ring.
It would have been better if I hadn't looked. Once I did, I discovered that the Xiao Clan's once exceptionally talented youth had actually grown into Dou Zong in just a few years. Keep in mind that he was only Da Dou Shi before he left!
This time, Yao Chen began to doubt his own judgment of people again, which made him wonder if he was really getting old!