When Did the Misty Cloud Sect Dare Strut Around the Xiao Clan?

"Dou Qi, third stage..."

"Third stage!"

"Three years... No matter how I cultivated, the Dou Qi in my body had stopped advancing. Why?"

"Damn it, I transmigrated here only for you to make me a useless good-for-nothing?!"

Wutan City, Xiao Family!

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, sensing that the Dou Qi he had painstakingly cultivated was still vanishing inexplicably.

He could no longer endure this torment and began cursing.

Knock, knock, knock—

A knock sounded at the door, followed by the voice of Uncle Fu, the family steward, from outside.

"Third Young Master, the clan leader asks you to come to the main hall!"

"Alright!"

Xiao Yan agreed and gathered his thoughts.

He pushed open the door, looked at Uncle Fu, and said, "Let's go!"

Uncle Fu nodded slightly.

He looked regretfully at the Xiao Family's Third Young Master, once hailed as a genius youth, sighed softly, and headed toward the Xiao Family's main hall.

By the time Xiao Yan arrived at the Xiao Family's main hall,

the hall was already full of people.

The clan leader—

his own father, Xiao Zhan—sat in the seat of honor with the strength of a five-star Da Dou Shi.

The Xiao Family's three Da Dou Shi elders sat on either side of Xiao Zhan.

Their authority was no less than his father's.

Behind the three elders sat several family elders, along with some outstanding members of the younger generation.

Aside from them,

what drew Xiao Yan's attention most

were the three strangers seated separately on the other side.

All three wore uniform moon-white robes.

Leading them was an old man. Embroidered upon the chest of his robe was a crescent moon surrounded by seven stars.

This was the symbol of a seven-star Da Dou Shi.

Behind the old man sat a pair of young men and women. The man was handsome, around twenty years old, and judging from the markings on his clothes, he was a five-star Dou Zhe.

But the person who truly astonished Xiao Yan was the young girl seated at the very end.

She appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen.

Her features were cool and detached.

She was stunningly beautiful.

Within the Xiao Family, only Xun'er could compare to her.

Yet what truly caught Xiao Yan's attention was not her appearance, but the symbol of a three-star Dou Zhe on her chest.

A fifteen-year-old three-star Dou Zhe.

Reaching such a level was enough to prove that this girl was an unparalleled genius as well!

"Father, Elders!"

After quietly sizing up everyone in the hall, Xiao Yan respectfully bowed to his father and the three elders.

"Yan'er, you're here. Find a seat!"

Xiao Zhan had been speaking with the guests. Seeing Xiao Yan arrive, he smiled and nodded.

Xiao Yan looked around.

He found that every seat in the hall was occupied, leaving none for him.

He noticed the mocking looks in the eyes of the three elders.

Just as Xiao Yan was wondering whether he should simply leave,

a clear, graceful voice rang out.

"Brother Xiao Yan, sit here."

The speaker was a girl dressed in a pale blue dress, holding a thick book in her hands.

Calm and elegant, she shifted her slight body to one side of her seat.

"Thank you!"

Xiao Yan walked toward her.

"Xun'er, you helped me out again."

Xun'er smiled faintly and said somewhat wistfully, "Brother Xiao Yan, it has been three years since you last sat alone with Xun'er."

Hearing this,

Xiao Yan awkwardly rubbed his nose. "You're the pride of the Xiao Family now. Wouldn't it be easy for you to find friends?"

"When Xun'er was four to six years old, someone always climbed into my room in the middle of the night and nurtured my meridians for me. Brother Xiao Yan, who do you think that was?"

Xun'er used her book to cover her chin and looked at Xiao Yan mischievously.

"I don't know either..."

Xiao Yan guiltily looked away.

Seeing this,

Xun'er changed the subject and asked,

"Brother Xiao Yan, do you know who those people across from us are?"

"Who?"

Xiao Yan asked.

"Nalan Yanran!"

Xun'er said meaningfully.

"The beloved daughter of the Nalan Family in the Imperial Capital. Five years ago, Nalan Yanran caught the eye of Yun Yun, the Misty Cloud Sect Leader, and became her final disciple.

"Now, Nalan Yanran is the legitimate heir of the Misty Cloud Sect—the future leader of the Misty Cloud Sect! Xun'er remembers that Brother Xiao Yan still has a marriage engagement with Nalan Yanran, doesn't he?"

Nalan Yanran...

Upon hearing Xun'er's words,

Xiao Yan examined the girl across from him again. He recalled that when the Xiao Family had still been in the Imperial Capital, there had indeed been such a marriage arrangement.

However,

after the Xiao Family declined and moved to Wutan City, the matter was seldom mentioned, and he had never seen Nalan Yanran again.

The Nalan Family's beloved daughter, the young sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, an unrivaled genius!

Come to think of it,

a fiancée like Nalan Yanran was worthy of a transmigrator like him.

Seeing the anticipation on Xiao Yan's face, Xun'er continued,

"Brother Xiao Yan, when someone gains the power to change her own fate, she will do everything possible to resolve matters she dislikes. Unfortunately, her marriage engagement with Brother Xiao Yan is what displeases Nalan Yanran the most!"

"You mean Nalan Yanran came to break off the engagement?"

Hearing this,

Xiao Yan's expression turned extremely ugly.

He was not angry because Nalan Yanran wanted to break off the engagement. To be honest, he did feel a little regret.

What angered Xiao Yan was the way she chose to do it.

If Nalan Yanran truly proposed breaking off the engagement before such a large audience, then his reputation—and his father's reputation as clan leader—would be utterly ruined!

Just then,

a slender, youthful hand hooked around Xiao Yan's arm and gently pressed down on his tightly clenched fist.

"Brother Xiao Yan, Xun'er believes that if she truly wants to break off the engagement today, she will surely regret her shortsightedness someday!"

"Regret it? Do I still have the qualifications to make her regret it?"

Xiao Yan laughed bitterly.

Just then,

the old man seated across from them seemed to have run out of patience. Pointing at the girl beside him, he said,

"Clan Leader Xiao, do you still recognize her?"

Xiao Zhan looked toward Nalan Yanran and said awkwardly,

"Forgive Xiao Zhan's poor eyesight, but this young lady..."

"Her name is Nalan Yanran!"

The old man said meaningfully.

"Nalan Yanran? Nalan Yanran, Elder Nalan's granddaughter?!"

Xiao Zhan froze at first, then rose to his feet in delight and looked at Nalan Yanran.

"So it's Niece Nalan. Uncle Xiao has not seen you in many years. Don't blame your uncle for failing to recognize you!"

"Uncle Xiao, it was Yanran who failed to pay you a visit all this time. Yanran should be the one apologizing."

Nalan Yanran stood with a smile and bowed.

"Hehe, Niece Nalan, I heard years ago that Lady Yun Yun had accepted you as her disciple. I never expected it to be true. What remarkable talent you have, Niece Nalan!"

Xiao Zhan praised excitedly.

Nalan Yanran awkwardly tugged at the old man's sleeve.

The old man interrupted,

"Hehe, Clan Leader Xiao, this old man came to the Xiao Family today because of Nalan Yanran—and this matter concerns the sect leader..."

Hearing this,

Xiao Zhan's smile faded. The Misty Cloud Sect was a major power in the Jiama Empire.

A minor clan leader like him could not afford to offend them in the slightest...

Just as the old man was about to continue,

Buzz—

The previously calm hall was suddenly swept by a gust of wind.

In the Void at the center of the hall, ripples spread out like those upon a lake's surface.

"Misty Cloud Sect!"

"Nothing more than that. Since when did the Misty Cloud Sect dare act so high and mighty before the Xiao Clan?!"

An incomparably cold voice, as though it had traveled across the river of time,

spread out from those ripples,

echoing throughout the entire hall.

For a moment!

Everyone stared at the change unfolding in the center of the hall in shock.

From within those ripples, three figures calmly walked out...