"You silly girl, because I'm your uncle!"
Xiao Chen smiled and patted her head, but his tone suddenly turned serious.
"Xun'er, let me tell you one last thing... In this world, I don't need you to make a name for yourself. I only want you safe and sound."
Xun'er's heart trembled. She gazed at Xiao Chen for a long moment, then gave him a solemn curtsy.
"I'll remember your words, Uncle."
With that, she took a smooth, warm token from her robes and placed it in Xiao Chen's hand.
"Uncle, my clan gave me this token. If you ever run into trouble, you can use it to seek out the Gu Clan."
Xiao Chen accepted it. The moment his fingertips touched the warm jade, his heart gave a jolt.
The Gu Clan Token!
This was a keepsake that could open the gates of the Gu Clan. Its value was almost impossible to measure!
He could not tell what the token was made of. It felt cool and smooth in his hand, and a faint, ancient aura seemed to seep from it. An archaic character for "Gu" was carved on the front, while an intricate pattern covered the back.
Xiao Chen did not know what the pattern meant, but he instinctively sensed that this token carried extraordinary weight.
"This... is too valuable."
"You've treated me like your own daughter, Uncle. I have no way to repay you. This token is all I can offer as a small token of my gratitude."
Xun'er broke into a smile, a rare hint of ease in her expression.
"Take care, Uncle."
With that, she turned and sprang lightly over the courtyard wall. A few bounds later, she vanished into the distant sky.
Outside the courtyard wall.
Several Xiao Clan servants happened to be passing by. They watched the pale-green figure recede into the distance and clicked their tongues in amazement.
"Miss Xun'er has been hiding her skills all this time..."
"I know! She always seems so gentle. Who knew she was that formidable?"
Xiao Chen stood in the courtyard and listened to their chatter. He merely smiled and said nothing.
Xun'er was no ordinary young woman. He knew that better than anyone.
Holding the token, Xiao Chen stared after her distant figure for a long time without a word.
That girl... I wonder when I'll see her again...
At last, the system's notification suddenly rang in his mind.
**Ding! Investment in the Gu Clan Saintess successful!** Investment target: Xun'er! Settlement result: Returned [Gu Clan Cultivation Method: Qi Condensation Chapter] fragment ×1! Return details: The Qi Condensation Chapter is one of the Gu Clan's foundational cultivation methods. It contains the essentials of refining the energy of heaven and earth. Though incomplete, its cultivation efficiency far surpasses ordinary Yellow Tier and Xuan Tier methods!
Xiao Chen's pupils contracted.
An ancient, majestic aura permeated every line of the method in that fragment. It was nothing like an ordinary cultivation method!
This was the heritage of one of the most powerful forces on the Dou Qi Continent!
If I could gather the complete Qi Condensation Chapter...
Xiao Chen took a deep breath and suppressed the heat rising in his chest.
On Xiao Yan's birthday.
Xiao Zhan held a family banquet to celebrate his son's birthday.
After several rounds of drinks, Xiao Yan still felt as though something was missing. Then a familiar figure in gray robes appeared before him, smiling.
"Happy birthday, Little Yan."
Xiao Chen drew a sheepskin scroll from his robes and handed it over.
"I don't have much worth giving. Take this Wind-Splitting Palm as your birthday present."
"Wind-Splitting Palm?"
Xiao Yan blinked. He took the scroll and opened it, and his pupils instantly contracted.
"A Xuan Tier... Xuan Tier Dou Technique?!"
He had thought Master Xiao might give him a few more bottles of pills at most. He had never imagined the gift would be a Xuan Tier Dou Technique!
The Xiao Clan's most prized art in Wutan City was only a Xuan Tier cultivation method, yet this Wind-Splitting Palm was a genuine Xuan Tier Dou Technique!
"Uncle, this... this is far too valuable!"
"Valuable?"
Xiao Chen smiled and waved a hand.
"What's mine is yours. Keep it safe."
"Come on," Xiao Chen said with a smile. "I'll take you to the hills behind the estate and teach you myself."
"Watch closely. The key to Wind-Splitting Palm is to borrow the wind's force and tear through your enemy's defenses!"
No sooner had Xiao Chen spoken than he moved. A fierce gust surged from his palm straight toward Xiao Yan's face.
The palm strike was incomparably sharp. It ripped through the air with a low sonic boom that exploded above the training ground!
What a fast strike!
Xiao Yan's expression changed, and he hastily dodged to the side.
But he had only been cultivating for a short time, and his footwork was still clumsy. He failed to evade one strike and took the blow squarely on his shoulder, staggering back several steps.
"Too slow!"
Xiao Chen barked without mercy, "If I were your enemy, that strike would have killed you! Again!"
"Yes!"
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and charged back in.
As they exchanged blows, Xiao Chen showed no mercy. Every strike landed solidly, leaving Xiao Yan howling in pain. Yet Xiao Yan could clearly feel his understanding of Dou Techniques growing at a frightening pace under Xiao Chen's relentless, full-force instruction!
At the edge of the training ground, several Xiao Clan disciples stared in shock.
"Elder Xiao Chen is being way too rough, isn't he? He's not teaching him. He's beating him up!"
"What do you know?"
Another lowered his voice.
"Can't you see how frighteningly fast Young Master Xiao Yan is improving? It's only been half a day, and his palm technique is already taking shape!"
"Tsk... If that were me, Elder Xiao Chen would've knocked me flat ages ago..."
"Not bad. That strike had something to it!"
"Yes, just like that!"
"Too slow again! Your reactions can't keep up with your talent!"
Xiao Chen gave Xiao Yan almost no chance to catch his breath all day.
The next morning, Xiao Yan arrived at the training ground rubbing his aching shoulder. He had thought Master Xiao might let him rest, but Xiao Chen was already standing there with his hands behind his back. He said evenly:
"Warm up. We start fighting in half an hour."
"Yes, Master Xiao!"
Xiao Yan did not dare complain. Gritting his teeth, he dropped into a horse stance.
But that day's sparring was even more demanding than the last.
At first, Xiao Yan was still scrambling to keep up. By evening, though, he could faintly trace the path of Xiao Chen's palm strikes and dodge half a step in advance!
"Good!"
A glimmer of satisfaction finally appeared in Xiao Chen's eyes.
"You've made real progress today."
"That's because you taught me so well, Master Xiao!" Xiao Yan said with a grin.
On the evening of the third day.
Xiao Yan thrust out his palm on the training ground. The gust from it condensed into a wind blade visible to the naked eye, tore through the air, and split a wooden post several yards away clean in two!
By then, quite a few Xiao Clan disciples who had heard the news had gathered around the training ground.
They had witnessed Xiao Yan's transformation over those three days, and now their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
"Three days... It took him just three days to grasp the basics of a Xuan Tier Dou Technique?!"
"How is anyone else supposed to live with that?!"
"What did Elder Xiao Chen do to train Young Master Xiao Yan into something this terrifying?!"
"Master Xiao!"
Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Chen and clasped his fists tightly, his eyes reddening.
"Thank you, Master Xiao! Without your sparring these past three days, Yan'er could never have improved so quickly!"
"You silly boy. No need to thank me."
Xiao Chen smiled and patted his shoulder.
"The talent is yours. I just helped bring it out."
The instant he finished speaking, the system's notification suddenly rang in Xiao Chen's mind.
**Ding! Feedback received: Investment target Xiao Yan has advanced in cultivation!** Investment item: Profound Tier Low Grade · Wind-Splitting Palm Settlement result: Returned [High Xuan Tier · Wind-Thunder Step] ×1! Return details: Wind-Thunder Step is a High Xuan Tier movement Dou Technique. When used, the practitioner moves like wind and thunder, as swift as a lightning strike, combining offense and defense!
Xiao Chen's pupils contracted. Then a look of delight he could not quite hide spread across his face.
High Xuan Tier!
A whole major tier above the Gale Step he had received before!
Xiao Yan, you really are my lucky star...
Xiao Chen suppressed his wild joy and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder without a change in expression.
"All right, go get some rest. Starting tomorrow, I've got even tougher moves waiting for you."
"Yes, Master Xiao!"
High Xuan Tier · Wind-Thunder Step...
I, Xiao Chen, finally have a decent movement Dou Technique.