Little Fellow in the Ring, Come Out

"That is about all this junior knows. For the Xiao Clan to have fallen this far, we descendants have brought shame upon our ancestors."

Xiao Zhan lowered his head, his words filled with shame.

"Ah, let it be. There is no need to bring up the past."

"That little fellow back then was doing it for the Xiao Clan's future, too."

"I do not blame him."

"Here are some things. Decide for yourself how to distribute them."

"I believe you understand the Xiao Clan as it is now better than I do."

Xiao Chen had prepared some things well in advance. With a casual flick, he tossed a Storage Ring to Xiao Zhan.

When Xiao Zhan saw what was inside the Storage Ring, he was utterly stunned.

"Th-this... what rank of cultivation method is this?"

"These Dou Techniques... this..."

"And these weapons-what astonishing energy fluctuations!"

"Our Xiao Clan is truly going to rise! Thank you, Ancestor!" Xiao Zhan's voice trembled with excitement.

"Father?" Confusion appeared on Xiao Yan's face.

"Yan'er, take a look!" Xiao Zhan handed the Storage Ring straight to Xiao Yan.

"What? So many high-ranking cultivation methods and combat skills!"

Now Xiao Yan was stunned as well!

After all, in the Jia Ma Empire, Earth-rank Dou Techniques were already things that could not be bought even with money.

Yet inside this Storage Ring, Earth-rank Dou Techniques were scattered everywhere like cabbages nobody wanted!

Besides those, there were also many treasures of heaven and earth that neither Xiao Zhan nor Xiao Yan recognized!

With these things, the Xiao Clan's strength would certainly improve by leaps and bounds in a short time!

"Xiao Yan, I actually noticed you as soon as I arrived in Wutan City."

"Among the Xiao Clan's younger generation, your talent is quite good. Would you like to cultivate under my guidance from now on?"

Just as Xiao Yan was immersed in shock, Xiao Chen's two remarks made his eyes widen instantly.

What?

Cultivate under the Ancestor's guidance?

"Ancestor, I would! Of course I would!"

Xiao Yan was no fool. He had only made the Three-Year Agreement with Nalan Yanran today. If he wanted to defeat her three years later, the Ancestor was probably the only one who could help him.

"Very good." Xiao Chen nodded in satisfaction, an inscrutable hint of amusement flashing through his eyes.

"But Ancestor, I..." Xiao Yan found it somewhat difficult to say.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly and immediately put his photographic memory to use.

"There is no need to say more. I have already seen it."

"You began training your Qi at four, attained ninth stage Dou Qi at ten, and broke through the tenth stage of Dou Qi at eleven, successfully forming a Dou Qi Vortex and becoming a Dou Zhe."

"Three years ago, the Dou Qi Vortex you had only managed to form after more than a decade of painstaking cultivation vanished overnight. Moreover, as time passed, the Dou Qi in your body also mysteriously dwindled."

"Eventually, it settled at your present three-stage Dou Qi."

"Am I right?"

Xiao Chen smiled slightly.

As he listened to Xiao Chen, Xiao Yan's eyes grew wider and wider, until he was nodding like a pestle pounding garlic.

His face was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Since the Ancestor could see all this, he would surely be able to find the root of the problem!

Xiao Chen glanced at Xiao Zhan and said, "Step outside first."

Xiao Zhan froze briefly, then left the hall at once without asking any further questions.

Xiao Yan felt somewhat at a loss.

Xiao Chen took two steps forward to stand before Xiao Yan, reached out to take his hand, then let it go.

"With no backing and no trump cards, you still dared to face Nalan Yanran's provocation head-on. I admire that reckless spirit."

Xiao Chen smiled faintly.

"Ancestor..."

Xiao Yan was about to say something when he suddenly realized that his palm no longer seemed to hurt.

Realizing something, Xiao Yan opened his hand, and his eyes widened once again.

"The wound... disappeared?"

Looking at his fair palm, tinged with a little rosy color, Xiao Yan was deeply shocked.

As expected of the Ancestor, to possess such miraculous means!

Satisfied with Xiao Yan's reaction, Xiao Chen stepped back twice and said with a smile, "There is a reason your Dou Qi disappeared."

As he spoke, he looked at the black ring on Xiao Yan's finger, his tone turning cold. "Little fellow in the ring, come out."

His pupils contracting, Xiao Yan abruptly fixed his gaze on his right hand.

That plain, ancient-looking black ring?!

More than ten breaths passed, but the ring still showed no response.

So Xiao Chen sighed and said helplessly, "Little fellow, do not force me to act. Come out now, and I will not kill you."

This time, after only a single breath of silence, a faint soul fluctuation emanated from the black ring.

Then a translucent, elderly figure floated out of it.

Xiao Yan was instantly dumbstruck.

Someone had actually been living inside the ring he had worn for so many years?!

Who could possibly not be shocked?

"Very good." Xiao Chen gave a faint chuckle and turned to walk outside.

"You two chat for a while and settle your personal grievances. I will come back in a bit."

As he spoke, he had already walked out of the hall.

Only the old man and the youth remained, staring at each other.

In the end, Yao Lao spoke first.

"Hehe, little fellow, you seem quite shocked?"

The strange, aged chuckle finally brought Xiao Yan back to his senses.

"Are you a man or a ghost? Why are you living in my ring?"

After a brief silence, Xiao Yan clearly articulated the crucial questions.

"Never mind who I am for now. I will discuss it in detail with that ancestor of yours later. In any case, I will not harm you." At the mention of Xiao Chen, a trace of gravity flashed across Yao Lao's face.

He looked at Xiao Yan and sighed. "Ah, after all these years, I finally met someone with sufficient soul strength. How fortunate. I must thank you for your offerings over these past three years, little fellow. Otherwise, I would probably still have to remain asleep."

"Offerings?" Xiao Yan's small face abruptly darkened.

Chilling words forced their way out from between his teeth. "The Dou Qi that vanished from my body for no reason... so it really was your doing?"

"Hehe, I had no other choice either. Do not blame me, little fellow."

"Fuck your mother!"

Xiao Yan, who had always prided himself on being steady and calm, suddenly flew into a frenzy like a madman, his small face twisted savagely. Ignoring the fact that the ring was a keepsake his mother had left him, he immediately yanked it off his finger without a second thought and hurled it hard onto the floor.

"Hehe, little fellow, is there any need to be so furious? All I did was absorb three years of your Dou Qi." Yao Lao glanced at the black ring on the floor and spoke with a beaming smile.

The corner of his mouth twitching, Xiao Yan struggled to suppress his anger. "Old man, since you were hiding in the ring, you should know how much ridicule and abuse I suffered because you absorbed my Dou Qi, right?"

"But you grew through those three years of ridicule and abuse, did you not? Do you think you could have possessed your current forbearance and maturity three years ago?" Yao Lao smiled noncommittally and spoke mildly.

His brow furrowed, and Xiao Yan gradually calmed down.

After his fury passed, delight followed.

Now that he knew the mystery behind his disappearing Dou Qi, his talent must surely have returned as well!

At the thought that he could finally shed the label of trash, Xiao Yan felt almost as refreshed as if he had been reborn.

The hateful old man before him no longer seemed quite so detestable, either.

Some things only revealed their preciousness once they were lost!

Regaining what had been lost made one cherish it all the more!

Gently flexing his wrists, Xiao Yan let out a long breath and raised his head. "Although I do not know who you really are, what you said is indeed true. I do owe my present forbearance to you."

"That is more like it. Rest assured, since I chose to reveal myself, I naturally will not absorb your Dou Qi again without your permission."

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and sneered without speaking.

You chose to reveal yourself?

You were clearly forced out by my Xiao Clan's ancestor.

What shameless boasting!

And you are even talking about the future?

In your fucking dreams!

"It seems your conversation is going well?"

Just then, Xiao Chen pushed the door open and walked in.

Yao Lao immediately braced himself as though facing a formidable enemy.