Teasing Ge Ci, Taking Two Years Off

Seeing that Xiao Yan intended to fight, Xiao Yu did not stop him. She knew Xiao Yan's strength; Ge Ci was no match for him.

Xiao Xun'er smiled softly, her gaze fixed solely on Xiao Yan from beginning to end.

None of the people around recognized Xiao Yan. They only knew he was a new student who actually wanted to challenge an upperclassman, and they immediately watched with glee.

They wanted to see a new student make a fool of himself and pass the boring time.

"Kid, are you ready?"

Ge Ci greatly enjoyed being the center of attention. His smile deepened as he looked at the black-haired youth before him and spoke mockingly.

Xiao Yan stood casually, shrugged, and said blandly, "Hurry up and start."

Xiao Yan's casual attitude angered Ge Ci slightly, and he decided to teach him a proper lesson.

"Hehe, kid, you're pretty arrogant."

With a cold laugh, he circulated the Dou Qi within his body and gathered it around his right fist. Then he suddenly charged forward, swinging viciously at Xiao Yan's head.

Seeing Ge Ci's fierce attack, the onlookers all frowned. Was there really a need to use so much force against a new student?

Facing Ge Ci's fierce fist, Xiao Yan remained expressionless and did not even move his feet. His right hand, hanging by his side, curled slightly as he circulated his Dou Qi. A pale yellow glow lit up.

Then a powerful gust surged from his palm and struck Ge Ci.

Ge Ci was immediately blown backward, his body unsteady as he was about to fall.

Suddenly, another powerful suction force caught the retreating Ge Ci and pulled him toward Xiao Yan.

Ge Ci still did not understand what was happening, but upon seeing Xiao Yan draw near, he clenched his fist and once again punched at Xiao Yan's head.

Just as his fist was about to strike Xiao Yan, another invisible gust hit him, sending him backward again.

Then another suction force seized Ge Ci and pulled him back.

Blown away, pulled back, blown away, pulled back...

After this happened seven or eight times, how could Ge Ci not understand that his opponent was stronger than him? He was scared out of his wits and hurriedly shouted:

"Stop! I said stop! I surrender, I surrender!"

There was a faint sobbing tone in his voice.

Xiao Yan chuckled. After pulling him over once more, he used the gust to blow him away, then finally let him go.

Regaining his freedom, Ge Ci hurriedly leaped far away. His eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Xiao Yan.

Watching this dramatic scene, the onlookers were all dumbfounded.

"What a strange Dou Technique!"

"This new student is so strong. He uses his Dou Technique with incredible proficiency."

"He's already a One-Star Dou Zhe, isn't he?"

Listening to the surrounding discussion, Xiao Yan remained calm. He patted his clothes, looked at Rob with amusement, and smiled.

"Can I stay in the tent now?"

"Hehe, fellow student, you've really hidden your abilities well."

Rob's face gradually darkened, though he piled on a smile. He stepped forward, deliberately patted Xiao Yan's shoulder as though they were close, and threatened him in a low voice:

"Kid, keep a low profile. You may have some talent, but there are plenty of people in Jia Nan Academy stronger than you. With that temper of yours, be careful not to suffer once you get there!"

Xiao Yan did not take his threatening words to heart. He smiled and said:

"Hehe, thanks for the reminder."

"Hehe, this little fellow's talent is truly impressive. Looks like I've found a treasure this time."

At that moment, a gentle female voice rang out. At some point, a woman in green had appeared inside the tent.

She looked somewhat older than Xiao Yu and the others, exuding a mature charm refined by time. That charm possessed a fatal allure for young men.

Even Xiao Yan could not help taking a few extra looks at her.

"Instructor Ruo Lin!"

Upon seeing the woman, Xiao Yu cried out in delight, then rushed over and hugged her.

"Hehe, Yu'er, did you enjoy your holiday?"

The woman called Instructor Ruo Lin looked at Xiao Yu indulgently and smiled gently.

"It was pretty good."

Xiao Yu replied with a somewhat playful smile.

Instructor Ruo Lin raised her fair chin toward Xiao Yan and the others and said softly, "Are these the people you brought? They all seem quite good."

"Hehe, Instructor Ruo Lin, they're all members of my Xiao Clan. This is Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Xun'er."

Xiao Yu introduced them one by one while quietly complaining about Rob into the woman's ear.

Ruo Lin looked at Xiao Yu helplessly. As an instructor, she could not interfere too much in the jealous squabbles between young men and women.

As long as things did not go too far, she could only let them be.

She clapped her hands and said to Xiao Yan and the others, "Students, welcome to Jia Nan Academy. Now I need to test your potential ratings. Different potential ratings will place you in different classes."

She took a crystal sphere used to test potential from her Storage Ring.

"I'll go first."

Xiao Ning stepped forward first, pressed his right hand against the sphere, and urged the Dou Qi within his body into his palm.

Then several large words appeared on the sphere.

"Ninth Duan Dou Qi, eighteen years old, potential: E-Grade!"

This sphere could actually detect a Dou Zhe's age. It was quite remarkable.

Then came Xiao Mei.

"Eight-Stage Dou Qi, sixteen years old, potential: E-Grade!"

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose. This time, he did not intend to hide his strength and urged his Dou Qi into the hand pressed against the sphere.

"Five-Star Dou Zhe, sixteen years old, potential: S-Grade!"

When Xiao Yan's results appeared, everyone in the tent stared at the black-haired youth in shock.

They had not expected his potential to be so high.

In the corner, Ge Ci wore an expression as though he had swallowed something rotten. He had not expected that trying to curry favor with Rob would lead him to offend such a monstrous new student.

Rob's face darkened.

"Hehe, I really have found a treasure."

Ruo Lin looked at the black-haired youth and smiled joyfully.

At the same time, she looked toward Xiao Xun'er beside him. From what she sensed, the girl's potential would surely bring another surprise.

Sure enough, when the girl extended her fair jade-like hand and pressed it against the testing sphere, several large words appeared.

"Six-Star Dou Zhe, sixteen years old, potential: S-Grade!"

She was actually one star higher than Xiao Yan.

"Good heavens, who would have thought that tiny Wu Tan City could produce two S-Grade prodigies at once?"

"Xiao Yu's clansmen are too terrifying, aren't they?"

"Could the Xiao Clan be an Ancient Dou God Clan?"

Instructor Ruo Lin patted Xiao Yu's little hand and said, "Yu'er, your clansmen have truly given me a great surprise."

Xiao Yu smiled bitterly. "I didn't know Xiao Yan had already reached Five-Star Dou Zhe either. More than a year ago, he was only at Three-Stage Dou Qi."

Xiao Yu was speaking sincerely. At the coming-of-age ceremony, Xiao Yan had only been at Eight-Stage Dou Qi. She had not expected that after half a year, he would already be a Five-Star Dou Zhe.

"Oh?!"

A trace of shock appeared in Ruo Lin's eyes. What had she just heard?

In only a little over a year, the youth had broken through from Three-Stage Dou Qi to Five-Star Dou Zhe?

Even in Jia Nan Academy's entire history, such a thing had never been heard of.

The others in the tent also sucked in cold breaths. Their gazes toward Xiao Yan were filled with awe at such terrifying talent, along with doubt.

"Xiao Yu, hurry and tell us what happened."

Ruo Lin asked eagerly, her curiosity piqued.

Xiao Yu looked at Xiao Yan but did not dare speak. The youth did not like others talking about his past.

"I'll tell you."

Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Yan and revealed a sweet smile. Somewhat proudly, she said:

"Brother Xiao Yan began cultivating at the age of four."

"At ten, he reached Ninth Duan Dou Qi."

"At eleven, he condensed a Qi vortex and advanced to Dou Zhe."

An eleven-year-old... Dou Zhe. Even in Jia Nan Academy, no one could compare.

The tent fell so silent that a pin dropping could be heard.

"That's not right. Didn't Xiao Yu say that he went from Three-Stage Dou Qi to his current Five-Star Dou Zhe in a little over a year?"

At that moment, someone voiced a question.

Xiao Xun'er looked at the black-haired youth, a trace of heartache in her eyes. Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and revealed a bitter smile.

"From the age of twelve to fifteen, Brother Xiao Yan fell from Dou Zhe... to Three-Stage Dou Qi."

"Uh..."

Upon hearing this, the expressions on everyone's faces in the tent abruptly froze.

This sort of story about a genius falling from grace sounded like something out of a storyteller's tale.

Instructor Ruo Lin looked at Xiao Yan, tenderness appearing in her eyes. She could imagine how great a blow the youth had suffered over those three years, and how much hardship he had endured to stand back up again.

"Alright, the testing is over. Welcome to Jia Nan Academy."

Letting out a light breath, Ruo Lin said with a smile.

At that moment, Xiao Yan stepped forward and said awkwardly, "Instructor Ruo Lin, I still have something to do..."

Ruo Lin looked at the youth gently and smiled. "What is it?"

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and said embarrassedly:

"Well, I don't think I can travel to Jia Nan Academy with you. I have something important I need to do, so I'd like to take a leave of absence."

Ruo Lin was stunned. Upon hearing they could enter Jia Nan Academy, who would not be overjoyed and wish they could reach the academy sooner? Yet Xiao Yan wanted a leave of absence.

"Alright then, how long do you want to take off?"

As a new student with S-Grade potential, Xiao Yan did have some special privileges.

Thus, Ruo Lin could only ask helplessly.

Xiao Yan looked somewhat embarrassed and hesitated before saying, "Perhaps... around a year."

"Are you crazy?"

The moment the youth spoke, Ruo Lin could not help blurting out in astonishment as her delicate hand touched her smooth forehead.

If not for his S-Grade potential, she would have told him to get out right then.

"A year is too long. That isn't allowed."

Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly and spread his hands. "If I can't take a year-long leave, then I can only withdraw."

"Withdraw?"

Ruo Lin held her forehead.