Coming-of-Age Ceremony

After the Jia Lie Family was wiped out and the Ao Ba Family backed down, the Xiao Clan became the sole dominant power in Wutan City.

The Xiao Clan spent half a year consolidating the two families' businesses, while also using various means to silence every discordant voice in Wutan City.

Although the Ao Ba Family had surrendered half its businesses, this also tied it to the Xiao Clan, earning it a measure of support.

The Ao Ba Family's only First-Rank Alchemist, Aoba Wen, was also formally hired as the Xiao Clan's exclusive alchemist.

After all, in this world, there were no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

By standing on the same side as the Xiao Clan, the Ao Ba Family also gained many opportunities to expand beyond the city.

This prompted many of Wutan City's second-rate factions to choose sides.

Now, the words of the Xiao Clan's leader carried even more weight in Wutan City than those of the city lord appointed by the Jia Ma Empire.

Beside a private lake belonging to the Xiao Clan, a boy and a girl sat shoulder to shoulder, savoring these final moments of peace.

After suppressing her cultivation for ten years, Xiao Xun'er had finally condensed her Dou Qi Whirlpool at fourteen, becoming a Dou Zhe.

This also meant that she and Xiao Yan would have to endure a relatively lengthy separation.

Over the past half year, Xiao Yan's cultivation had risen from Six-Star Dou Shi to Eight-Star Dou Shi.

If the clan's highest-grade fire cultivation method had not been merely Profound Tier Low Grade, Xiao Yan's accomplishments would certainly have gone beyond this.

"Today is your coming-of-age ceremony, isn't it, Brother Xiao Yan? Congratulations."

Xiao Xun'er's tone was calm, yet held a faint trace of reluctance to part.

Now that she had become a Dou Zhe, she needed to return to her family to awaken her bloodline. She had only three days left.

"What's there to congratulate me for? Everyone grows up eventually. You, on the other hand, deserve congratulations for becoming a Dou Zhe, little sister Xun'er."

Xiao Yan held a dry blade of grass between his lips. Being beside Xun'er gave him a rare chance to relax, without having to think about all the troubles of the world.

"If I could, I'd rather have a little less talent. Perhaps then there wouldn't be so many things to deal with."

These were Xiao Xun'er's heartfelt words. Her bloodline was exceptionally rare, and she was also the strongest of her family's younger generation. Her family had watched her closely ever since her birth.

The greater her talent, the heavier her responsibilities. Some things simply were not hers to decide.

"Don't worry. Whatever difficulties you face, you only need to remember this: your Brother Xiao Yan will come when you need him."

Xiao Yan patted his chest, making a promise to the girl two years his junior.

Although it sounded like an offhand remark, Xiao Xun'er knew that Xiao Yan had never lied to her.

"Mhm. I believe you, Brother Xiao Yan."

With that, Xiao Xun'er took a dark-gold scroll from her Storage Ring, its surface radiating pulses of red light.

"Brother Xiao Yan, today is the day you become an adult. Let this Flame Manipulation Art be my gift to you."

Feeling the waves of energy emanating from the dark-gold scroll, Xiao Yan's eyes immediately widened.

Even the clan's highest-grade cultivation method, a Black Tier, Intermediate Level one, did not give off anything like this feeling.

Xiao Yan realized almost instantly that this was an Earth Tier Cultivation Method!

"Xun'er, this gift is far too precious. Besides, I can't accept a reward I haven't earned."

Although he had never seen an Earth Tier Cultivation Method before, Xiao Yan had heard something of their value.

In the Black-Corner Region, a single Earth Tier Low Grade cultivation method could fetch the astronomical price of ten million!

Even the Xiao Clan's current assets, pooled together, could only pay for half of this cultivation method.

Had it been something inexpensive, Xiao Yan would have simply accepted it. But something this precious was not a gift he dared take lightly, no matter how much he wanted it.

"I'm not giving this cultivation method to you for free, Brother Xiao Yan. Think of it as something I'm lending you.

"You can return it when you're strong enough. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, your potential is worth far more than a single Earth Tier Cultivation Method."

In truth, Xiao Yan knew that Xiao Xun'er was saying this only to make it easier for him to accept.

A cultivation method that cost an astronomical sum to him might genuinely mean little to her.

"All right, all right. Since you're offering me a soft life to feast on, little sister Xun'er, I suppose a bite or two won't hurt."

Xiao Yan stopped standing on ceremony and accepted the Flame Manipulation Art. After all, the power behind Xun'er was immense. Without sufficient strength, he might not even qualify to see her in the future.

Seeing Xiao Yan accept the cultivation method, Xun'er once again broke into a brilliant smile.

"All right, the coming-of-age ceremony is about to begin. If you don't go, Brother Xiao Yan, Uncle Xiao Zhan and the elders will definitely be angry."

Xiao Xun'er rose, caught Xiao Yan's hand, and hurried toward the Xiao Clan's ceremonial square.

Xun'er's hand was soft and cool. Xiao Yan wanted to hold it tightly, but feared that squeezing too hard would hurt her, so he could only let her lead him.

At that moment, Xiao Yan seemed to realize that his feelings for Xun'er might not be merely those of a brother toward a sister.

The procedures for the Xiao Clan's coming-of-age ceremony were so tedious and complicated that they were almost enough to give anyone a headache.

Sitting below the platform, Xiao Yan watched the boy being maneuvered around onstage like a puppet and could not help rubbing his temples.

He leaned toward Xun'er beside him and whispered, "This coming-of-age ceremony is even more torturous than grueling, high-intensity training."

Watching Xiao Yan's helpless expression, Xun'er's bright, limpid eyes curved slightly as she said with a smile, "These rules have been passed down by the ancestors. Even Uncle Xiao, as the clan leader, can't change them."

"That's why I didn't want to come here and suffer through this."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan looked at some of the clan's less talented youths, a hint of envy actually appearing in his eyes.

In the Xiao Clan, anyone who had not reached the seventh stage of Dou Power by sixteen could generally be judged to have little talent for cultivation.

Such people were usually assigned to the Xiao Clan's peripheral businesses to manage them for the family.

They received little in the way of clan resources, and their coming-of-age ceremonies were very simple, little more than a token gesture.

"Next, Xiao Yan."

He had been about to doze off, only to find that his name had already been called.

Xiao Yan walked onto the platform with some resignation. This time, the person presiding over his coming-of-age ceremony was actually the clan's first elder, Xiao Lie.

Looking at what the first elder had laid out on the table,

the dozens of ritual implements and incense made Xiao Yan frown.

"First Elder, I don't remember a coming-of-age ceremony requiring this many things."

At Xiao Yan's question, a kindly smile appeared on the first elder's aged face. "You are the pride of our Xiao Clan. How could we give you the same ordinary coming-of-age ceremony as everyone else? After unanimous discussion among us elders, we've decided to hold the more sacred Ancestoral Coming-of-Age Ceremony for you. This is a privilege reserved for you alone."

In the end, thanks to the special treatment of the elders and the clan leader's tacit approval, a coming-of-age ceremony that should have taken only half an hour was forcibly stretched to three hours...