Repudiation

Inside the Ancient Box, a pill the size of a longan fruit gave off an enticing, unusual fragrance.

On the Dou Qi Continent, becoming a true Dou Zhe required condensing a Dou Qi Vortex within one's body. The process had a high chance of failure. Failure would not only cause one to fall from ninth stage Dou Qi to the eighth stage, but could even damage one's meridians, making it impossible to ever condense a vortex again.

The Qi Gathering Powder allowed someone at ninth stage Dou Qi to condense a Dou Qi Vortex with a hundred percent chance of success!

This effect sent countless people who yearned to become Dou Zhe flocking to it, their mouths watering with desire.

Now that the people from the Misty Cloud Sect had offered a pill of Qi Gathering Powder as compensation, the Xiao Clan was effectively guaranteed another Dou Zhe. If a talented disciple took it, not only would it save time, but the clan might even gain a Da Dou Shi or a Dou Ling expert. At the thought, the elders all gazed greedily at the box.

"Elder Ge Ye, you should take that pill back. We may not agree to this matter today!"

The discussions in the hall came to an abrupt halt. Everyone turned toward Xiao Yan, who sat in the corner. He was the one who had just spoken.

"Xiao Yan, who gave you the right to speak here? Shut your mouth!" One of the elders had been considering how to secure the Qi Gathering Powder for his grandson. His expression darkened at Xiao Yan's words, and he shouted angrily.

"This is none of my business? It seems you're the ones who have nothing to do with this! Regardless of whether I agree, this Qi Gathering Powder isn't for you three elders to decide on!" Xiao Yan looked disdainfully at the three elders and snapped in a low voice.

"You..." The three elders faltered at his words. The hot-tempered third elder even widened his eyes as Dou Qi slowly enveloped his body.

"Elders, Brother Xiao Yan isn't wrong. He's the person involved. You should stay out of it." The girl's clear, lilting voice rang calmly through the hall.

At Xiao Xun'er's words, the three elders' bluster immediately deflated. They exchanged helpless glances, then nodded.

Looking at the subdued elders, Xiao Yan gave Xiao Xun'er a curious glance before slowly stepping forward. He bowed to Xiao Zhan, then turned to Nalan Yanran and asked, "Miss Nalan, I would like to know whether Old Master Nalan knows about this."

Nalan Yanran had expected Xiao Yan to agree, only for him to pester her unreasonably instead. She could not help saying coldly, "Grandfather hasn't agreed, but this is my own affair. I can decide for myself."

"Since the old master hasn't spoken, my father and I naturally won't agree either. After all, this was settled by the two old masters back then. Without their agreement, we cannot dissolve it. Otherwise, we would be disrespecting our departed elders," Xiao Yan said evenly after hearing her answer.

With Xiao Yan slapping such a grave accusation onto them, the three elders no longer dared to pressure him. In a clan with such strict rules, a charge of disrespecting one's elders was enough to cost them their positions.

"You..." Nalan Yanran had not expected Xiao Yan to say such a thing. Her long-standing temper as a pampered young lady flared. Stamping her foot, she looked at him with disgust and said, "Then what will it take for you to agree to cancel the engagement? At worst, I'll give you another two pills of Qi Gathering Powder and grant you special permission to enter the Misty Cloud Sect and cultivate advanced techniques. How about that?" With that, she raised her chin.

To her, Xiao Yan merely wanted more compensation. As long as she could rid herself of him, she could easily satisfy those demands. In her eyes, the terms she had offered were enough to drive any young man mad with excitement.

The three elders practically leaped up upon hearing Nalan Yanran's terms. They stood and stared fixedly at Xiao Yan, wishing he would agree at once.

At Nalan Yanran's words, Xiao Yan stared at her with a savage expression. "Hmph! I... really want to slaughter you!"

Nalan Yanran was frightened by Xiao Yan's ferocious expression. The young man beside her abruptly drew his longsword and watched Xiao Yan with an icy gaze.

"Yan'er, do not be rude!" Xiao Zhan's voice suddenly rang out, bringing Xiao Yan back to his senses. He lowered his head and took a deep breath. When he looked up again, his expression was calm, without a trace of ferocity.

Looking at the now-calm Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran said, "I admit I was somewhat rash today. As long as you agree to one condition, I can temporarily withdraw my request to dissolve the engagement."

"What condition?" Xiao Yan asked with a frown.

"I can postpone today's request for three years. Three years from now, come to the Misty Cloud Sect and challenge me. If you lose, I will dissolve our engagement in public. By then, you will be an adult, so even canceling the engagement won't cause Uncle Xiao too much embarrassment. Are you willing?" Nalan Yanran said calmly.

After hearing her words, Xiao Yan laughed in grief and anger. "Heh, and if I lose then, I'll have to bear the shameful name of a failure for the rest of my life, won't I?"

Having been thwarted several times, Nalan Yanran was growing impatient. She snapped at Xiao Yan, "Xiao Yan, further words are pointless. If you don't want Uncle Xiao to lose face, accept the agreement! Three years from now or right now-which will you choose?"

"Nalan Yanran, you don't need to put on such an overbearing front. You want to cancel the engagement simply because you think a piece of trash like me, Xiao Yan, is unworthy of a favored daughter of heaven like you. That's right, I am indeed trash now. But three years ago, I created a miracle and became a Dou Zhe at twelve. What stage of Dou Qi had you reached when you were twelve? What makes you think I can't turn my fortunes around again three years from now?" Faced with the girl's relentless aggression, Xiao Yan finally erupted. His young face was cold and stern, and his impassioned words left everyone in the hall speechless. Who could have imagined that the boy who had remained silent for three years could be so formidable?

Nalan Yanran's face turned livid under Xiao Yan's rebuke, yet she could find no words to refute him. After all, she had only reached eighth stage Dou Qi at that age.

"Miss Nalan, out of respect for Old Master Nalan, allow me, Xiao Yan, to offer you a few words of advice. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river-do not scorn a young man for his poverty!" Xiao Yan's cold, ringing words made Nalan Yanran's delicate frame tremble.

"Good! Well said-do not scorn a young man for his poverty! My son is truly extraordinary!" Xiao Zhan rose, slammed both fists heavily onto the table, and roared.

Looking at Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran said through gritted teeth, "What gives you the right to lecture me? Even if you were once a genius, you're nothing but trash now. Fine, I won't bring up today's matter again. Three years from now, I'll await you at the Misty Cloud Sect. If you have the ability, defeat me fair and square then. If you can beat me, whether I become your slave or your maid will be entirely up to you."

"Of course, if you're still this useless three years from now, you'll have to hand over the Contract dissolving our engagement."

Looking at Nalan Yanran's livid face, Xiao Yan smiled. "Why wait three years? I have absolutely no interest in you."

With that, he strode to the table and began writing furiously!

The ink fell, and the brush stopped!

Xiao Yan drew a short sword, cut his left hand, and pressed it onto the white paper.

Picking up the Contract, Xiao Yan walked past Nalan Yanran and slammed it onto the table beside her. "This is no Contract dissolving our engagement. It is a certificate of repudiation from me, Xiao Yan, casting you, Nalan Yanran, aside. From this moment on, you have no connection whatsoever to my Xiao Clan."

Having finished speaking, Xiao Yan bent his knees and knelt before Xiao Zhan. He bit his lip tightly, unable to say a word.

Even if I tell the clan that I was the one who repudiated Nalan Yanran, who would believe it? In the end, Father will still be the one to suffer...

Xiao Yan rose and walked out. At the doorway, he turned back to Nalan Yanran and said, "Nalan Yanran, three years from now, I will come for you."

Watching Xiao Yan leave, Xiao Fan smiled inwardly. A famous scene from Battle Through the Heavens. That felt so good!

Just then, the system's voice rang out again. Xiao Fan took a look and saw that a new mission had arrived.

Back Xiao Yan up? Interesting.