Dou Qi Test

"Mm, then rest early, Miss."

Ling Ying answered, and black light flickered around him. He then vanished from the room without a sound.

Protecting Miss was his duty, but there was no need to make a fuss over two children. Though Nalan Chenfeng seemed rather strange for his age, he was not worth paying too much attention to.

In the Xiao Clan's guest courtyard, inside a bright and spacious room.

After returning, Nalan Chenfeng wasted no time. He immediately sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a state of cultivation.

At this moment, if one looked closely with the naked eye, they could see scattered specks of light in the air slowly drifting toward Nalan Chenfeng's body, entering him with each breath through his nose.

As time slowly passed, Nalan Chenfeng's chest began to rise and fall faintly, his every inhalation and exhalation forming a perfect cycle.

As his breathing cycled, the scattered energy motes in the air gradually gathered together, turning into wisps of pale white airflow that slipped into Nalan Chenfeng's body through his mouth and nose.

"Fuu..."

An hour later, Nalan Chenfeng's small body shuddered violently. His lower abdomen contracted slightly, and his eyes suddenly snapped open. A streak of white light flashed past as he opened his mouth slightly and exhaled a breath of somewhat murky air...

Once the murky air left his body, Nalan Chenfeng's delicate little face seemed noticeably more spirited.

"I've improved a little more..."

After staring blankly for a while, Nalan Chenfeng lightly clenched his small hand, and a sense of solid strength welled up within him.

If he were not still so young, with his bones not yet fully formed and his meridians unable to endure much strain, he truly wanted to keep cultivating without pause.

On the Dou Qi Continent, cultivating the early stages of Dou Qi was the foundation of all cultivation and could not be rushed.

Whether they were members of ancient clans from the continent's top powers or ordinary commoners, most people would remain in this stage of cultivation for a long time.

From the First Stage to the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi, the gap was not particularly great. The true disparity only emerged after becoming a Dou Zhe.

The Dou Qi Continent did not lack geniuses who advanced from Dou Zhe to Dou Wang or Dou Emperor within a few years.

Yet during the Dou Qi stage, whether one was at the First Stage or Ninth Stage, they still had to spend several years there.

"Time to sleep..."

Without thinking further, Nalan Chenfeng fell back and went to sleep.

Three days later, at the Xiao Clan plaza.

The morning sunlight spilled across the bluestone-paved plaza, illuminating the entire area brightly.

At the center of the plaza stood a towering black stone tablet over three meters high. This was the Xiao Clan's Testing Magic Stone Tablet, used specifically to measure the Dou Qi strength of the clan's younger generation.

By now, dozens of people had already gathered around the plaza.

The Xiao Clan's younger members stood in rows on either side, ranging from four- or five-year-olds to teenagers. Their faces carried expressions of either nervousness or excitement.

Further outside stood members of the Xiao Clan's collateral branches.

A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Though the Xiao Clan had fallen into decline after Xiao Lin, one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten great Dou Wang experts, had died and the clan had moved out of the Imperial Capital, its number of clan disciples was still unrivaled in Wu Tan City.

Nalan Chenfeng stood near the center of the crowd, his dark eyes quietly fixed on the Magic Stone Stele in the field.

Today, Nalan Chenfeng wore a moon-white robe. Though only six years old, he already possessed some of the bearing of a refined young gentleman. Unlike the chattering children around him, he had not said a single word from beginning to end, merely watching quietly.

"Brother Chenfeng."

A girl in a red dress walked toward Nalan Chenfeng and called to him softly.

Nalan Chenfeng glanced sideways at her and responded with a smile.

The most eye-catching thing about the girl was her height. Though she was only a little over a year older than him, she stood more than half a head taller.

Her slender figure had already begun to take on the outline of a young girl, and her long, straight legs were faintly visible beneath her skirt, making her especially conspicuous among children her age.

Xiao Yu, the granddaughter of the Xiao Clan's First Elder, was also considered someone of considerable standing within the Xiao Clan.

However, compared to him, she was nothing much. Even if she was older than him, she still had to call him Brother.

Perhaps I can ask Xiao Yu to keep an eye on Xiao Yan. That would be better than watching him myself...

Though he was also a child, it was not practical for him to wait beside Xiao Xun'er's courtyard every day, nor could he remain in the Xiao Clan forever.

It had not been easy for him to come here this time. His rigid father, Nalan Su, was not someone easy to persuade and had long since lost all interest in the Xiao Clan. Fortunately, his grandfather still remembered the old friendship between the two clans.

Sending him here both demonstrated the Nalan Clan's attitude and served as a form of support for the Xiao Clan in Wu Tan City.

That was why the Xiao Clan treated him with such courtesy and respect. His status here was not much lower than Xiao Xun'er's.

"Brother Chenfeng, what's wrong?"

Seeing Nalan Chenfeng stare at her without moving, Xiao Yu looked puzzled and asked in a low voice.

The person before her was the eldest young master of the Nalan Clan in the Imperial Capital, yet he did not put on airs. Her grandfather had told her to approach him and build a good relationship with him, seemingly intending for her to marry him when she grew up.

But with her cultivation talent and background, how could she possibly be worthy of him?

Though he was a year younger than her, he had already reached the Third Stage of Dou Qi. No one in the entire Xiao Clan could currently match such talent.

"There's something I want your help with. We'll talk after your test is over..."

Nalan Chenfeng replied, then shifted his gaze back to the Testing Magic Stone Tablet.

As a guest of the Xiao Clan, he naturally did not need to participate in this sort of test. He had only come today because he had nothing to do and was terribly bored.

At this moment, the Xiao Clan's annual grand test had already begun.

Beside the Magic Stone Stele stood a middle-aged man dressed in black. Holding a roster in his hand, he wore an indifferent expression as he called out names in order.

"Xiao Ning!"

A sturdily built boy answered and stepped out. He looked about six years old, broad-headed and sturdy, with a hint of confidence on his face.

Xiao Ning walked up to the Magic Stone Stele, took a deep breath, and pressed his palm against its surface.

A moment later, light blazed brightly from the stone tablet, and five large golden words emerged.

"Dou Qi, First Stage!"

Low murmurs rose across the plaza.

"That Xiao Ning is pretty good. He's already reached the First Stage of Dou Qi at only six years old."

"Yeah, his talent is on par with Xiao Li and Xiao Yu."

Xiao Ning held his head high as he returned to the line, his face full of pride. But when he saw Nalan Chenfeng, his spirits immediately drooped.

In the current Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan was a genius, but Nalan Chenfeng, who had come from the Nalan Clan, was even more terrifying—a true monster.

At the same age as him, he had actually broken through to the Third Stage of Dou Qi. Such talent was rare throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire.

The middle-aged man beside the Magic Stone Stele paid no attention to the minor commotion and continued calling out, "Next, Xiao Mei!"

A little girl with a small ponytail stepped forward and pressed her palm against the stone tablet.

A moment later, the Magic Stone Stele showed no reaction at all.

The little girl pursed her lips, seemingly unwilling to accept it, but she still obediently walked back.