The Flame Emperor's Return!

"Dou Power, Third Stage!"

The handsome-faced Xiao Yan looked at the characters on the testing monument, his gaze dazed, the corners of his mouth lifting in a self-deprecating smile as a million divine beasts stampeded through his heart.

What the heck, as a proper time-traveler, was his life in this world really going to stop right here?

Where was his system? Where was his golden-finger old grandfather?

Come out, all of you, get out here!

"Xiao Yan, Dou Third, low-grade level!"

A middle-aged man sounded like a megaphone, delivering a judgment in front of the entire Xiao Household.

Bastard, don't just say it out loud!

You're killing me, aren't you? Damn it, damn it all!

Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly, his slender fingernails almost gouging out three rooms and a hall.

Sure enough, as soon as those words came out, they first elicited a wave of merry laughter, followed by some sarcastic taunts.

Awesome, awesome, he was always dropping stages before, but he actually stabilized at the third stage this year, not bad! Haha!

Wasn't he touted as the ultimate genius? Wasn't the juvenile Dou Zhe terrifyingly powerful? Tch.

Big brother, you guys are really brave, his dad is the patriarch, isn't this special enough?

He really chose a great womb to be born into, but he was probably too arrogant, so the heavens slapped him right back to his original form. Awesome, so awesome, serves you right for acting cool!

Indeed, with his current condition, a dog on the side of the road could kick him twice. He's just trash...

The chaotic jeers around him sounded exceptionally harsh. The teenager's breathing grew hurried, and his dark eyes swept across the crowd, almost making him want to laugh.

He still had some impression of these ringleading fellows. Three years ago, they had groveled before him wanting to be his lackeys, but he hadn't wanted them. Now, kicking a man while he was down, each one of them was more vicious than the last.

Too cowardly!

He was truly sick of days like this as trash; whoever wanted to be trash could go right ahead and be it!

Cruel heavens, considering that I am a time-traveler, send someone to save me!

"All of you little bastards, shut your mouths!"

Suddenly, a loud shout from the crowd shook the entire scene.

The crowd instantly quieted down as a slender figure slowly stepped out. His chisel-carved face was full of determination, his eyebrows like swords and eyes like stars, and that domineering aura sent chills straight to the hearts of some newbies.

With just a sweep of his gaze, everyone lowered their heads one after another, not daring to meet his eyes.

It's Young Master Chen, why has he appeared?

This freak of nature, is he going to stick up for Xiao Yan?

The teenager was named Xiao Dongchen, male, thirteen years old, invincible among the younger generation!

At least in the eyes of the Xiao Household members, he was a legend, the most dazzling star of all!

That year he was seven years old, when an unfathomably powerful expert fostered him into the Xiao Household and made some behind-the-scenes trade with the clan. From then on, the Xiao Household gained a young master.

And a young master with far more weight than the clan head's own son!

In short, in the mere month after that, the clan elders and patriarch broke through one after another, all of them howling with excitement, and the clan's monthly cultivation resources also increased quite a bit.

Every child in the Xiao Household was warned by their elders that this fellow must not be provoked, or else they would spontaneously combust on the spot in a matter of minutes!

Even the dogs on the road and the chickens in the coop had been warned; otherwise, the dog would be braised in brown sauce, and the chicken eggs would all be scrambled, that was just how awesome he was!

In a word, Xiao Dongchen was the Xiao Household's ultimate sugar daddy, and even more so, the backbone of the Xiao Household. Magnificent!

As if that weren't enough, the crucial thing was that this fellow's cultivation aptitude was also freakishly abnormal.

That year he was eight years old, he condensed a Dou Energy Vortex, becoming the youngest Dou Zhe in the history of the Xiao Household!

The most terrifying thing was that cultivation was as simple as eating and drinking for this fellow. Three years later, he had actually broken through to the level of a Dou Master, which was completely a dimensionality-reduction strike.

Now at thirteen, he was unfathomably deep!

They couldn't figure it out even if they racked their brains: how could a golden dragon like this willingly allow itself to be trapped in a shallow puddle like the Xiao Household? Wasn't this deliberately crushing people's spirits?

"Well, Xiao Yan, don't be depressed, Young Master Chen will cover you!"

As soon as Xiao Dongchen came up, he dropped those words, pulled out a folding fan, and gently waved it, possessing quite a calm and breezy demeanor.

Uh, then many thanks, Brother Chen.

Xiao Yan was also completely speechless. Savior, my foot! Heavens, are you playing with me?!

Originally, he was doing fine as a time-traveler, quietly developing his strength while being called a genius. Ever since this fellow arrived, things hadn't been the same; he felt like he was always living under the other's shadow, unable to lift his head.

Just what kind of holy crap was this guy?!

At eight years old, you special-edition were already a Dou Zhe, while other people were only in the third grade of elementary school, all right!

It took me all kinds of grueling hardships to finally break through to this realm at age eleven, thinking I could barely catch up.

Forget it, and then a year later, you tell me you're already a Dou Master—do you even hear what you're saying?!

The crucial thing was that my body was getting worse day by day, and I kept dropping realms. There was simply no way to ever catch up to this in a lifetime!

Holy shit!

Holy mother of fucking shit!

Who the hell is the transmigrator here, tell me!

"Actually, your falling realm is a kind of disease."

Xiao Dongchen was unhurried and unruffled, offering a slight smile.

"Ah? What do you mean by that?" Xiao Yan was dumbfounded.

"The coincidence is that I know how to cure this disease."

Xiao Dongchen offered another slight smile.

"Brother Chen, is what you're saying true? Save me quickly!"

At this moment, Xiao Yan could no longer stay calm. Curing this disease meant he could finally stand straight and regain a man's confidence, so how could he not rush?

Heavens, you really are a little cutie!

"Alright, give me five seconds to return you to your peak!"

Xiao Dongchen didn't dawdle either. He stepped forward steadily, arriving before the testing monument. First, he glanced at Xiao Yan, then patted it here and felt it there, and finally touched that archaic ring without leaving a trace.

"There is an evil specter making mischief in this thing, take it off quickly and don't let it harm your life!"

Xiao Dongchen's expression turned stern as he pointed right at that ring.

"This is a relic from my mother, is it real or fake?"

Xiao Yan was stunned. Only then did he notice the ring, and a second thought crossed his mind: didn't his Dou Qi problems start right after he put on this ring?!

"What the hell, damn it, so you were the culprit all along!"

Xiao Yan reacted at this point, hurriedly taking off the ring and fiercely smashing it onto the ground, producing a crisp sound.

Seeing this, Xiao Dongchen smiled and picked up the ring, taking out a jade box to store it properly.

Immediately afterward, he turned his head, handed a jade bottle to the currently irritated Xiao Yan, and then said indifferently, "Brother Yan, I truly treat you as a brother, a limb, a beloved relative and friend. Now that your affliction has been removed, it is time to restore your title of genius!"

"Brother Chen, thank you so much. What is this?"

Xiao Yan took the jade bottle and opened it to take a sniff, instantly feeling refreshed and spirited, while his dormant Dou Qi also stirred because of it.

Good stuff!

"This is a top-grade Qi-Raising Pill. Below the Dou Zhe level, taking one can raise your Dou Qi by one stage. There are seven in total inside. As for condensing your Dou Energy Vortex, you have the experience, so I suppose you won't need the help of Qi-Gathering Powder."

Xiao Dongchen explained unhurriedly and patiently.

"Then, with such a potent medicinal pill, will there be any side effects?" Although Xiao Yan's eyes were glowing, he still asked calmly.

"Yes, taking it as an ordinary person would lead to an unstable foundation that requires time to settle. As for you, your foundation is already steady as an old dog, so you can just take it directly and break through."

Xiao Dongchen waved his hand: "Eat it, what are you afraid of with me here."

"Alright!"

Xiao Yan nodded. He was truly moved. Then, with a grit of his teeth, he dumped the Qi-Raising Pills into his mouth all at once like sugar beans, and immediately sat cross-legged, quietly circulating his Dou Qi.

With even breathing, he began frantically absorbing the thick and steady energy within his belly. That feeling was just like a dry sponge meeting a pool of fresh water—in a single word: awesome!

This feeling was actually so magical; it was too awesome!

Unable to care about the amazement in his heart, he continuously and greedily absorbed it. This gentle energy was yet so tyrannical, and before he knew it, he felt something break!

Dou Power, the Fourth Stage!

A flash of bright light suddenly appeared, and the members of the Xiao Household present were repeatedly astonished. To break through in just these short two minutes—who would believe it if you told them!

However, before they could recover from the shock, that bright light emerged one after another.

Dou Power the fifth stage!

Sixth stage!

Seventh stage!

Eighth stage!

Ninth stage!

Oh my God!

Is this real?

Is this world real?!

How can someone break through so fast? Are they asking to die?

I'm so envious, so jealous, and so resentful!

Xiao Yan on the high platform didn't care about any of this. At this moment, he was frantically refining the medicinal strength of the Qi-Raising Pill. The Dou Qi in his body constantly swelled, and the faint pain coming from his meridians only caused a perverse smile to form at the corner of his mouth.

It's coming, is it going to come?!

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan rapidly formed hand seals. Doing something he had experienced once again was naturally a familiar path.

Soon after, he used his soul perception to constantly compress and temper this Dou Qi, until finally, with a muffled "bang," the Dou Energy Vortex formed!

Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, swept his gaze over the crowd below, and raised his head to shout, "The invincible me has finally returned!"

The corners of his lips inevitably hooked into a smile, which then broadened into a chuckle, a laugh, and then wild laughter...

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha..."

With this laughter, it was as if three years of grievances, three years of humiliation, and three years of unwillingness had all vanished into thin air along with it...