Walking along the roads of another world, Xiao Fan looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar buildings and felt an overwhelming sense of incongruity. A day ago, there had been towering skyscrapers and endless streams of traffic. A day later, there were old-fashioned buildings and Dou Qi sweeping across the land.
When he reached the mountain behind the clan grounds, Xiao Fan spotted Xiao Yan lying on the grass at a glance. Xiao Yan heard his footsteps too and turned his head curiously, since hardly anyone ever came here.
Seeing Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan paused in surprise. Xiao Fan's parents had both died while out on a mission, but they had managed to safeguard an important shipment of medicinal ingredients for the Xiao Clan. Coupled with Xiao Fan's above-average talent within the clan, this meant his life in the Xiao Clan had been reasonably comfortable.
Yet whether during his days of glory or his current fall from grace, his dealings with Xiao Fan had been pitifully few. At that thought, another wave of irritation stirred in Xiao Yan's heart.
Seeing Xiao Yan turn toward him, Xiao Fan asked with feigned casualness, "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
Xiao Yan was taken aback by his words. Who in the clan didn't usually mock and sneer at him? This was the first time someone had spoken to him like this. Warmth stirred in his heart, and he said, "This place doesn't belong exclusively to me. There's no question of disturbing me."
Xiao Fan walked over and sat beside Xiao Yan. Looking up at the vast, unfathomable starry sky of this other world, he asked, "What do you think lies beyond those stars?"
Xiao Yan paused at the question. Recalling memories of his previous life, he said, "Maybe other continents. Maybe they cultivate Dou Qi too, or maybe it's a world without Dou Qi, where people live and work in peace, without unrest or magical beasts..." As he spoke, Xiao Yan began to miss the peaceful world of his previous life. Unfortunately... he could never return.
Hearing this, Xiao Fan replied quietly, "Perhaps. I'd really like to see that world you described, to see what a world without Dou Qi is like."
Xiao Yan found his reaction rather strange. "Don't you think what I'm saying sounds far-fetched? I thought you'd mock me for it. Your attitude toward me is pretty unusual in the Xiao Clan."
Xiao Fan glanced at Xiao Yan and smiled faintly.
"Mock you? Say you're nothing but a fallen genius?"
Xiao Yan laughed a few times at his words.
"I'm no longer the Xiao Clan's former genius. Why would you still want to get close to me?"
Xiao Fan looked at Xiao Yan with a smile. "Why must this be about getting close to you? Just as I didn't need to flatter you when you were riding high, because we came from the same clan, I have no reason to look down on you now that you've fallen on hard times, because we still come from the same clan."
Xiao Fan reached his right hand toward the stars, as though trying to grasp something, and said, "If people with the same clan's blood flowing through their veins know only how to fight among themselves and mock one another, that clan will never go far."
"Besides, have you really resigned yourself to your fate?"
"Are you going to be what they call you, a good-for-nothing, too afraid to give it another shot, carrying that label for the rest of your life?"
By the end, Xiao Fan seemed somewhat worked up. He walked in front of Xiao Fan, grabbed Xiao Yan by the collar, and demanded an answer.
Hearing Xiao Fan's words, Xiao Yan suddenly felt that the person before him was the kindred spirit he had always wanted to find. This world revered martial strength alone, the strong devouring the weak, and he seemed to have been steadily bending himself to its ways.
But by the end, the excitement in Xiao Yan's heart sank back into deathly stillness. Avoiding Xiao Fan's gaze, he said, "What else can I do? I don't even know why my Dou Qi keeps disappearing. How can I talk about rising again?"
Xiao Fan released his grip on Xiao Yan and slowly walked to the cliff's edge. With his back to Xiao Yan, he said, "Xiao Yan, do you know something? I've envied you ever since we were children. Not just your talent, which far surpassed everyone your age, and not just the respect the others in the clan gave you. More than that, I admired you. I admired the determination you once had to forge ahead, no matter what."
"Three years ago, no matter what difficulties you faced, you never said no. You only persevered, persevered, and persevered again. They all call you a fallen genius, but I don't actually think you're a genius."
Xiao Yan froze briefly at his words, then asked upon hearing that assessment, "I'm not a genius?" He gave a bitter smile. That's right. I'm just a good-for-nothing at the third stage of Dou Qi now. What right do I have to call myself a genius?
Hearing his self-mockery, Xiao Fan said, "You're not a genius because, in my eyes, you're a peerless genius!"
Xiao Fan turned to look at Xiao Yan. "You shouldn't be knocked down by the little obstacle in front of you. You should stand up, face this boundless heaven and earth, this unfathomable starry sky, and roar at them. One day, you'll conquer this sky, this world."
"Even if you can't, so what? At least your journey through this world won't have been in vain."
With that, without even waiting for Xiao Yan to react, Xiao Fan headed straight back the way he had come, toward his room.
Xiao Yan stood where he was, Xiao Fan's words still echoing through his mind.
"You should stand up, face this boundless heaven and earth, this unfathomable starry sky, and roar at them. One day, you'll conquer this sky, this world."
"Even if you can't, so what? At least your journey through this world won't have been in vain."
Xiao Fan's words struck at Xiao Yan's heart. Xiao Yan slowly calmed down, his lips gradually spreading into a smile, before he burst out laughing. "That's right! I'll conquer this heaven and earth and prove that I was here!"
Whew, he's finally pulled himself together. Those lines made me cringe so hard. If it weren't for the system reward, who'd want to expose their inner edgelord...? Secretly watching Xiao Yan regain his fighting spirit, Xiao Fan couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.
Hidden nearby, Xiao Zhan, who had originally come to check on his son, smiled faintly when he heard Xiao Yan's voice.
I was going to give Yan'er some encouragement, but it looks like there's no need. Xiao Fan's views on the clan echoed in his mind, and Xiao Zhan once again felt the hot-blooded passion of his youth. That's right. The same blood flows through our veins. Those old fools can't even see things as clearly as a young man.
Looking at Xiao Yan, now brimming with fighting spirit, Xiao Zhan abandoned the idea of going over to see him.
"Well, then. I'll give Yan'er a surprise tomorrow. It's been a long time since we last saw Yanran, ever since she went to the Misty Cloud Sect to train."
Inside an old-fashioned room, Xiao Xun'er listened to Ling Ying's report and said, "Uncle Ying, it seems the Xiao Clan isn't entirely full of hopeless cases. There are still some smart people among them."
Ling Ying knew that, in his young lady's eyes, anyone who praised Xiao Yan was smart. He pursed his lips. "Young lady, this boy really is rather interesting."
And what was Xiao Fan doing at that moment?
He had returned to his room early because he knew that, after the push he had given Xiao Yan, things on that end would definitely be fine.
As an ambitious young man from the twenty-first century, who wouldn't make conquering the Sea of Stars their mission after transmigrating to another world? He simply didn't believe Xiao Yan could resist that temptation.
As for solving the problem of his disappearing Dou Qi? Would that even be an issue once Yao Lao appeared?
Of course, the reason he had rushed back to his room was that the quest notification said it was complete. He had to hurry and claim his reward so he could level up!
Before you continue