Training in Qingshan Town

He usually stayed behind closed doors, rarely involving himself in the clan's affairs, much less currying favor with the powerful or making a show of righteousness.

Over the past three years, he had never mocked Xiao Yan as trash like the others, nor deliberately offered him pity or charity. He had simply watched his rises and falls in silence.

Xiao Yan had always thought they were merely ordinary cousins from the same clan, with no particularly close bond.

Nalan Yanran's gaze sharpened. She had done her homework before coming, so she naturally knew of Xiao Yuan's reputation.

The results of the Xiao Clan's test yesterday had yet to spread. The Misty Cloud Sect only knew him as Wutan City's most dazzling young talent of late.

He was the genius most likely to break Xiao Yan's record for reaching Dou Zhe. But with the situation so tense today, she had not paid him much attention earlier.

"Xiao Yuan, this is an agreement between Xiao Yan and me. It has nothing to do with you." Her tone was slightly cold.

"Xiao Yan is my third brother. Of course this concerns me."

Xiao Yuan met her eyes, neither servile nor arrogant. "You wanted to dissolve the engagement, and my third brother has already settled it with a letter of repudiation. He acted openly and honorably."

He took another two steps forward, stopping half a foot from Xiao Yan's side.

Xiao Yan turned his head, his bloodshot eyes shifting slightly as he looked at the young clansman beside him, who rarely involved himself in disputes. A trace of warmth entered the fire of rage burning in his heart.

Xiao Yuan continued, his voice clear. "The Three-Year Agreement stakes everything on the outcome of a fight between Xiao Yan and you, Nalan Yanran. But let me add one thing here.

"If Xiao Yan comes to honor the agreement three years from now, the Misty Cloud Sect must not use its power to obstruct him or interfere in secret. The fight must be fair. Conversely, if Xiao Yan loses his nerve and fails to come, our Xiao Clan will bear no resentment whatsoever."

He paused, then swept his gaze toward the Misty Cloud Sect elder. "Elder, surely this additional condition isn't unreasonable?"

The gray-robed elder knitted his brows, studying Xiao Yuan intently. A Dou Zhe not yet ten years old would be an excellent prospect even among the Misty Cloud Sect's inner disciples.

His character, too, far surpassed that of an ordinary boy. The elder fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Agreed. Our Misty Cloud Sect would never stoop to breaking its word."

Nalan Yanran snorted coldly. "Enough talk. We'll meet on Misty Cloud Mountain in three years."

With that, she refused to linger any longer. Flicking her sleeve, she turned and walked out, the Misty Cloud Sect's party following closely behind. The faint oppressive aura lingering in the hall slowly dissipated.

Only when the Misty Cloud Sect's people disappeared beyond the gates did the taut atmosphere ease like an ebbing tide. Several Xiao Clan elders let out long, stale breaths, fine beads of sweat already covering their foreheads.

Xiao Zhan sighed deeply. He first patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, then looked at Xiao Yuan, his eyes full of approval.

"Yuan'er, just now... thank you."

Xiao Yuan shook his head slightly and said softly, "I simply didn't want the Xiao Clan's dignity to be trampled so easily."

He looked at Xiao Yan beside him, whose fists remained tightly clenched, the blood on his fingertips not yet dry. A meaningful glint crossed his eyes.

Time rushed by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

The sunset's lingering light spilled over the blue stone paving of the Xiao Clan's training ground, gilding it with warm gold.

All the clansmen had left the training ground. Only two figures stood quietly within it.

Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yuan, who grew steadier by the day, his presence increasingly restrained yet sharp. His eyes were full of pride and promise. Among the Xiao Clan's younger generation, Xiao Yan possessed an unbending spirit, while Xiao Yuan was an extraordinary talent rarely seen in a century.

"Yuan'er, after half a year of secluded cultivation, your foundation has grown even firmer," Xiao Zhan said softly.

Xiao Yuan nodded slightly, gazing toward the rolling mountains beyond the city. His expression calm, he finally voiced the decision he had considered for so long. "Clan leader, I came today to ask your permission."

Xiao Zhan paused in surprise. "My permission? Go on."

"I intend to leave Wutan City and train in the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

At those words, Xiao Zhan's expression changed abruptly, and he immediately shook his head. "Absolutely not!"

The Magical Beast Mountain Range spanned several regions, vast and boundless, with ferocious beasts roaming freely and danger lurking on every side. Even veteran Dou Shi of the Jia Ma Empire dared not venture recklessly into its depths.

And Xiao Yuan was only ten years old. Though his talent was extraordinary and he had reached Nine-Star Dou Zhe, he was still far too young.

"Wutan City is safe and peaceful. You can stay in the clan and devote yourself to cultivation. Why travel so far into danger?" Xiao Zhan's brows drew tightly together. "Countless high-ranking magical beasts inhabit those mountains. One careless move could cost you your life. It's too great a risk."

Xiao Yuan had expected his objections. His expression did not waver as he calmly explained:

"After I reached Five-Star Dou Zhe, the pace of my cultivation slowed noticeably, by more than a tenth.

"Now two months have passed, and I still haven't touched the threshold of breaking through to Dou Shi."

He raised his right hand. A wisp of intertwined red and blue Dou Qi flickered silently at his fingertips. Lightning arcs crackled softly and flames faintly burned, the pure power sending subtle tremors through the air.

"Wutan City is remote, after all, and the resources available for my cultivation are limited.

"Toiling away behind closed doors, like building a cart without ever seeing the road, will hardly bring any major improvement."

"Besides, if I stay in the Xiao Clan all the time, I'll have little chance to hone my combat experience. I need to go out and face battles where life and death hang in the balance."

Xiao Zhan fell silent. It was not that he failed to understand this reasoning; he was simply worried. A ten-year-old Nine-Star Dou Zhe—if anything happened to him, the loss would be unbearable for the Xiao Clan.

"The Magical Beast Mountain Range is treacherous and unpredictable. Even its outskirts are often prowled by Dou Shi-level magical beasts. Have you made a thorough plan?" Xiao Zhan's tone softened somewhat.

"I plan to settle in Qingshan Town first."

Xiao Yuan had already worked everything out. He explained slowly, "It's the largest supply point on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Medicine shops and mercenary squads gather there, information travels quickly, and supplies are plentiful.

"I won't recklessly venture into the inner regions. I'll stay on the outskirts, focusing on hunting low-ranking magical beasts and gaining familiarity with actual combat."

Seeing that Xiao Zhan still hesitated, Xiao Yuan added:

"Clan leader, there are still two and a half years until the Three-Year Agreement. My third brother is improving rapidly under his teacher's guidance. I can't stop moving forward either.

"Only when both of us are strong enough will the Xiao Clan have the confidence to stand its ground in the future, without having to watch the faces of great powers like the Misty Cloud Sect."

Those words struck the very knot in Xiao Zhan's heart.

He had never truly let go of the humiliation in the hall that day.

After a long while, Xiao Zhan let out a heavy, stale breath, the worry in his eyes giving way to hope. "Very well. Since your mind is made up, you have my permission."

He took a bulging money pouch from inside his robes and handed it over.

"There are a hundred thousand gold coins here. You can decide how to spend them on your journey and on supplies in Qingshan Town. Remember the most important thing—coming back alive matters more than any breakthrough."

"Thank you, clan leader." Xiao Yuan bowed as he accepted it, then put it into his Storage Ring.

"When do you plan to leave?"

"At daybreak tomorrow," Xiao Yuan said. "Tonight, I'll go say goodbye to my third brother first."

The night lay like water over the small bamboo grove in the rear courtyard.

Xiao Yan was already waiting there.