Xiao Yan had been a prominent figure in the Xiao Clan before, and he remained one now.
Only now, "prominent figure" needed quotation marks, because it was hardly a compliment.
After all, who in Wutan City hadn't heard of Xiao Yan, the good-for-nothing?
Xiao Yan's name had even spread beyond Wutan City.
Everyone's eyes were on Xiao Yan, because his cultivation hadn't improved at all for three consecutive years.
At the previous clan tests, he had remained at the third stage of Dou Qi for three years without advancing an inch. Many people guessed that he would show no improvement this time either.
Xiao Yan had long since grown accustomed to those stares over the past three years.
In the past, he might have mocked himself or felt helpless.
But things were different now. This time, Xiao Yan straightened his chest and walked forward.
Seeing confidence return to the young man's face, Xun'er smiled.
Xiao Mei also looked over, catching the confidence on Xiao Yan's face as he passed her.
Xiao Mei couldn't help thinking, What's going on? I haven't seen that expression on Xiao Yan's face in three years. The last time he looked like that was when he crushed everyone in the clan and became the Xiao Clan's greatest genius.
For some reason, Xiao Mei had a faint feeling that something was off.
Could it be... Xiao Yan's talent has returned?
She didn't know why she would think that, but the thought had surfaced out of nowhere, and she couldn't suppress it.
Xiao Yan stepped onto the platform and took a deep breath. He had undergone this Dou Qi test many times before and knew the procedure inside out. This time was no different.
What was different was his strength, which was nothing like it had been before.
Under the Testing Elder's guidance, Xiao Yan channeled his Dou Qi into the stone.
The next second, a fiercely domineering surge of Dou Qi swept out of Xiao Yan's body.
Even the testing stele trembled slightly. Then, beneath everyone's watchful eyes, Xiao Yan's cultivation level appeared.
The Xiao Clan elder responsible for testing Dou Qi froze at the sight of Xiao Yan's result, unable to recover for a long while.
"This... how is this possible?"
"Are you kidding? Wasn't he at the third stage of Dou Qi? The result on there must be wrong!"
"Three-Star Dou Zhe? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"It must be fake. I don't believe it! How could Xiao Yan have broken through to Dou Zhe so quickly? His last test was only half a year ago. Breaking through so many minor stages and an entire major realm in six months? Only if ghosts exist in this world!"
Cries of disbelief rose one after another from below.
Xiao Mei's mouth formed an O. The words "Three-Star Dou Zhe" hit her so hard that she simply couldn't accept them right away.
Beside Xiao Mei, Xiao Ning was utterly dumbstruck as well.
Before this test, Xiao Ning had thought his strength at the eighth stage of Dou Qi would firmly secure his position as the Xiao Clan's greatest genius.
Who could have imagined that Xiao Xun'er would come after him with strength at the ninth stage of Dou Qi?
And after Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Yan had burst out of nowhere as a Three-Star Dou Zhe.
Xiao Xun'er was one thing. He knew how talented Xun'er was, so Xiao Ning could accept her overtaking him.
But hadn't Xiao Yan, that good-for-nothing, been crippled three years ago? How had he suddenly become a Three-Star Dou Zhe? Wasn't he at the third stage of Dou Qi?
Xiao Ning couldn't help saying, "How is that possible? Was there a mistake? Test him again!"
Even the Xiao Clan's Testing Elder thought there had been a mistake, so he conducted the test again.
But even after another test, the result remained unchanged.
He was still a Three-Star Dou Zhe.
In the end, left with no other choice, the Testing Elder personally examined Xiao Yan's dantian. After sensing the Dou Qi vortex inside him, the Testing Elder rose and declared excitedly, "I announce that the test result is correct! I personally examined Young Master Xiao Yan's Dou Qi vortex. His strength is indeed that of a Three-Star Dou Zhe."
"Young Master Xiao Yan, has your talent returned?"
It hadn't merely returned-it had been multiplied beyond belief.
After all, he had also overseen Xiao Yan's Dou Qi test half a year ago. He distinctly remembered that Xiao Yan had only been at the third stage of Dou Qi then. Had he really become a Three-Star Dou Zhe in just six months?
Even a storyteller wouldn't dare write something like this!
Was this something a human could accomplish? He was simply a monster.
Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei hadn't believed it at first, but the Testing Elder had examined him personally and announced the result himself. Whether they liked it or not, they had to believe it.
The entire Xiao Clan was plunged into profound shock.
Xun'er and Ling Ying were stunned as well.
Xun'er had been prepared, since Xiao Yan had already told her that he had made a major breakthrough and wanted to surprise her.
But Xun'er had thought he had reached the higher stages of Dou Qi. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that he had already become a Three-Star Dou Zhe.
Three days!
Only Xun'er knew exactly how many days Xiao Yan had taken to advance from the third stage of Dou Qi to Three-Star Dou Zhe.
Just three days. His talent was monstrous.
Beside Xun'er, Ling Ying was also left tongue-tied and wide-eyed.
Didn't they say the Xiao Clan's Dou Di bloodline had dried up? You call this dried up?
Why was Xiao Yan's cultivation speed after activating his Dou Di bloodline even more heaven-defying than that granted by the Gu Clan divine bloodline within Miss Xun'er?
Xiao Zhan, his father, was stunned as well.
Before this, Xiao Zhan hadn't known that his son had already become so formidable.
After all, Xiao Zhan had only known that Xiao Yan's talent had recovered three days ago.
Xiao Yan had spent those three days in seclusion. Aside from Yao Lao, who supplied him with pills, he hadn't told anyone about his breakthroughs.
Xiao Zhan had only just learned that Xiao Yan had already become a Three-Star Dou Zhe. That speed was enough to scare the piss out of him.
Xiao Zhan couldn't help asking, "Ancestor Xiao Xuan, what exactly is going on? Why is Yan'er's breakthrough speed so fast? He hasn't suffered cultivation deviation, has he?"
Xiao Zhan was genuinely worried about his son.
Forget Wutan City-he had never heard of such a cultivation speed anywhere in the Jia Ma Empire.
He was worried that Xiao Yan might have suffered cultivation deviation. Could this cultivation level really have come from proper cultivation?
It had only been three days!
Who went from the third stage of Dou Qi to Three-Star Dou Zhe in three days?
Xiao Xuan said, "It isn't cultivation deviation. He activated our Xiao Clan's Dou Di bloodline, and his bloodline underwent an atavistic mutation, so his cultivation speed was already fast. During these three days, he also had Yao Chen's pills to aid his cultivation. On top of that, the Xiao Clan's inherited cultivation method allows him to devour Dou Qi without restraint.
"Of course, the most important reason is that Xiao Yan had already reached the Dou Zhe realm three years ago. Over these three days, he merely cultivated back through the realms he had reached before. Strictly speaking, these weren't breakthroughs, so naturally, it was easy."
With Xiao Xuan's explanation, Xiao Zhan understood.
In other words, [atavistic Dou Di bloodline] + [inherited cultivation method] + [assistance from pills] + [recultivating previous realms] had produced such a terrifying result.
If Xiao Yan continued cultivating beyond this point, his speed would no longer be so terrifying.
Xiao Zhan nodded. "So that's how it is."
While Xiao Xuan was speaking with Xiao Zhan.
Elsewhere, in a corner of the Xiao Clan's Dou Qi Square, a figure lurked concealed in the shadows.
His sinister gaze pierced through the crowd, fixed unwaveringly on Xiao Xuan.
Beneath his gray robe was a gaunt face with a hooked nose.
This man was none other than Xuan Tengying, the Dou Wang expert Oba Pa had hired for 800,000 gold coins.
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