Xiao Xun'er!

"Next, Xiao Xun'er."

At the testing elder's loud call, a girl in a purple dress stepped out of the crowd, graceful and serene.

Silence fell below the platform.

Every gaze converged on this dazzling pearl of the Xiao Clan, and indeed of all Wutan City.

Xiao Mei also watched Xiao Xun'er with a tense expression.

This was my greatest rival in the Xiao Clan!

The enemy I had chosen for life!

Xiao Xun'er lightly touched the stone tablet with her small hand and slowly channeled Dou Qi into it.

A soft halo of golden light rippled outward.

Under everyone's watchful gaze, the testing elder loudly announced her result:

"Xiao Xun'er, seventh stage of Dou Power! Rank: Advanced!"

Someone below the platform sighed.

"What a shame. Miss Xun'er only advanced one stage this year. That's slower than her pace in previous years.

Could her potential be nearly exhausted?"

Amid the regretful sighs, only Xiao Mei secretly cheered while breathing a sigh of relief.

Wonderful!

Xiao Xun'er hadn't overtaken me!

I was still tied with her as the Xiao Clan's greatest genius!

Hmph! Just you wait, Xiao Xun'er. Next year, all my accumulated efforts would burst forth, and I would charge straight to the ninth stage of Dou Power, leaving you far behind!

While Xiao Mei's fighting spirit blazed as she set her sights on Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Xun'er finished her test without so much as glancing at the girl who considered her a rival.

After sweeping her gaze over the crowd below the platform, Xiao Xun'er walked straight toward Xiao Yan.

Watching the direction of Xiao Xun'er's steps, Xiao Mei felt utterly displeased!

Hey! I was the one you should take seriously and challenge!

Instead of confronting a genius like me, you went looking for that utterly mediocre clan leader's son?

Reaching Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er came to a graceful stop before him.

Xiao Yan frowned. He disliked the feeling of being watched by everyone.

But Xiao Xun'er was always kind to others and treated him with great respect, so he could hardly turn around and leave.

He could only muster a smile and look at the girl before him, asking softly, "Little Sister Xun'er, did you need something from me?"

Xiao Xun'er looked back at Xiao Yan, a faint ripple stirring in her usually calm, mature eyes.

How did Brother Xiao Yan remain so modest and composed while possessing such formidable strength?

Others didn't know Xiao Yan was concealing his strength, but with the Dou Emperor Ling Ying as my bodyguard, I knew every move the Xiao Clan made!

Although Ling Ying hadn't discovered Yao Lao's existence, he had uncovered Xiao Yan's terrifying true strength!

A fifteen-year-old Six-Star Dou Shi!

Barring any unexpected mishaps, he would surely advance to Da Dou Shi at sixteen!

And while a sixteen-year-old Da Dou Shi couldn't compare with descendants of the Ancient Eight Clans who possessed a Dou Di Bloodline, he was undoubtedly a genius among geniuses among the ordinary people of the Dou Qi Continent!

Father had said the Xiao Clan's Dou Di Bloodline had been completely severed, and no one could awaken its power anymore!

Yet Brother Xiao Yan's condition looked far too much like an awakened Dou Di Bloodline!

Father's judgment couldn't be wrong!

Then there was probably only one reason Brother Xiao Yan's bloodline had awakened: the mysterious Tou She Ancient God Jade!

Otherwise, how could anyone explain why such a heaven-defying existence had suddenly appeared among the Xiao Clan's mediocre descendants, standing an entire gulf above them?

Father had instructed me to come to the Xiao Clan to search for the Tou She Ancient God Jade, but so far, I had no leads.

But Xiao Xun'er believed that as long as she kept watching Brother Xiao Yan, she would surely find clues to the Tou She Ancient God Jade!

Of course, the longer she watched him, the more Xiao Xun'er found herself admiring Brother Xiao Yan!

The Gu Clan had countless geniuses, but how many could remain modest and devote themselves peacefully to cultivation while possessing great strength, as Brother Xiao Yan did?

Under Brother Xiao Yan's influence, even I had begun learning to conceal my strength.

Only after concealing it did Xiao Xun'er discover how wonderful it felt!

Before, out of pride in the Ancient Eight Clans, I had always refused to let my cultivation fall below that of the Xiao Clan's descendants.

But although I had upheld the Gu Clan's dignity, all I got in return was endless competition and adulation from the Xiao Clan's descendants.

It was unbearably tiresome!

This year, after deliberately limiting my displayed strength to the seventh stage of Dou Power...

I could clearly feel that everyone's attention, though still considerable, had dropped greatly compared with before!

It felt quite comfortable!

At last, I could have some peace!

So concealing my strength had this many benefits!

Glancing at Xiao Yan again, Xiao Xun'er said softly, "Brother Xiao Yan, although you stand in the shadows, I've been watching you all along!

I'm also very eager to see just how far you'll ultimately go!"

Hearing Xiao Xun'er's whisper, audible only to the two of them, Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows.

She knew I was concealing my strength?

How did she know?

As he watched Xiao Xun'er leave, Xiao Yan was already questioning Yao Lao in his sea of consciousness.

"Teacher, why does Xiao Xun'er know I'm concealing my strength?"

Yao Lao chuckled. "This little girl is no ordinary person! The clan behind her has quite an extraordinary background!

But that has nothing to do with you for now. At this stage, you only need to focus on cultivating."

Xiao Yan was initially startled.

Xiao Xun'er had been in the Xiao Clan for over a decade, and the treatment she received was different in every respect.

Any Xiao Clan descendant who wasn't a fool knew Xiao Xun'er had a considerable background!

Previously, however, everyone had merely speculated that she might be a princess of the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family.

Now, judging by Yao Lao's tone, if even he considered her extraordinary, guessing she was a princess of the Jia Ma Empire had probably fallen far short!

But Xiao Yan curled his lip and silently spoke again in his sea of consciousness:

"Teacher, why do you always miss the point? Do you think I'm concerned about her identity?

I'm asking how she knew I was concealing my strength!

Could the method she used to find out threaten my safety?"

Xiao Yan's words left Yao Lao momentarily speechless, and he couldn't help bristling his beard and glaring within the sea of consciousness!

"Is that any way to speak to your teacher? What an unfilial disciple!"

After that scolding, Yao Lao said irritably, "She has a Dou Emperor Bodyguard who watches you from a distance from time to time, so he knows your true cultivation.

But you needn't concern yourself with her. She bears you no ill will. Of course, even if she did, your teacher could settle it for you."

Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan was shaken to his core!

Xiao Xun'er actually had a Dou Emperor as her bodyguard!

This went far beyond anything he had imagined!

Her identity was clearly extraordinary beyond extraordinary!

At the same time, an immense sense of danger rose in Xiao Yan's heart!

Being watched by a Dou Emperor felt truly awful!

Whether someone bore him ill will was their business!

He couldn't leave his safety hanging on someone else's passing thought!

What should I do?

Xiao Yan racked his brains for a long while, only to realize dejectedly that the gulf between their levels was too vast for any scheme to matter!

At that moment, a thought surged into Xiao Yan's mind.

I couldn't stay in the Xiao Clan anymore. Should I just run?

But Yao Lao interrupted him irritably.

"I already said your teacher would settle it for you! What, don't you trust me?"

Ultimately, after pondering it for a long time, Xiao Yan chose to remain in the Xiao Clan for now and quietly watch how things developed.

At the same time, however, an unprecedented drive to cultivate surged within him!

I had to break through to Dou Emperor as soon as possible!

Until I became a Dou Emperor, I would never feel at ease!

Leaving the Testing Square, Xiao Yan hurried to the Back Mountain and began cultivating in earnest.