Battle Through The Heavens

Light Novel

In a land where no magic is present. Lands where the strong make the rules and the weak have to obey.
A land filled with alluring treasures and beauty, yet also filled with unforeseen danger. Three years ago,
Xiao Yan, who had shown talents none had seen in decades, suddenly lost everything. His powers, his
reputation, and his promise to his mother. What sorcery has caused him to lose all of his powers? And
why has his fiancée suddenly shown up?
BATTLE THROUGH THE HEAVENS
CHAPTER LIST

Chapter 1 Genius No More ........................................................................................................................... 3

‘Dou Zhi Li, 3rd stage!’

Facing the Magical Testing Monument as it displayed the 5 big hurtful words, the youth stood
expressionless, lips curled in a small self-ridiculing smile. He tightly clenched his fist and
because of the strength used, his slightly sharp fingernails dug deep into the palm of his hand,
bringing brief moments of pain.
“Xiao Yan, Dou Zhi Li, 3rd stage! Rank: Low!” Beside the Magical Testing Monument, a middle-
aged man looked at the results on the monument and announced them with an indifferent
voice.
Immediately after the middle-aged man finished speaking, without much surprise, the people in
the square started a commotion, ridiculing him.
“3rd stage? Hmmhmm, as expected. This ‘genius’ has once again taken a step back.”
“Ai, this piece of trash really disgraced his entire clan.”
“If his father wasn’t the clan leader, this kind of trash would already have been kicked out of
the clan. Nobody would care about him, and there wouldn’t be such a thing as leeching off the
clan home.”
“How could the once famous genius of Wu Tan Cheng fall to become like this over the past few
years?”
“Who knows? Maybe he did something unforgivable and caused the gods to get angry.”
The ridicule and laughter directed at him came from all directions and resonated in the
motionless youth’s ears, as if piercing his heart. He could not help but breathe heavily.
He raised his head to reveal a delicate and immature face, jet black eyes glancing past the
people of his age that ridiculed him as well. His lips, which were previously full of self-ridicule,
turned to fill with bitterness instead.
“These people, were they always this cold? Or was it because three years ago they smiled
humbly to congratulate me, and now they wanted to take it back?” Smiling bitterly, Xiao Yan
turned around and silently walked back to the group of people. His lonesome figure seemed to
be unable to fit in with the surroundings.
“Next up, Xiao Mei!”
Hearing the tester’s voice, a teenage girl quickly ran up from in the crowd. The moment she got
on stage, the murmurings and discussions quietened down and every pair of fiery eyes were
locked on her face.
The teenage girl wasn’t more than 14 years old. Although her beauty wasn’t immediately
evident, her small childish face combined with her innocence captured the attention of the
audience.
She quickly stepped forward and put her tiny hands on the black stone monument. She then
closed her eyes gently.
As the girl closed her eyes, the monument shined brightly once again.
‘Dou Zhi Li, 7th stage!’
“Xiao Mei, Dou Zhi Li, 7th stage! Rank: High!”
“Yeh!” Hearing the tester read out the result, the teen girl smiled proudly.
“Tsk tsk, 7th stage Dou Zhi Li. How impressive! At this rate, in three years she’ll be named a true
Dou Zhe already.”
“She really fits the name of the clan’s seedling.”
Hearing the unanimous praise coming from the crowd, the girl’s smile turned even wider.
Vanity, the temptation that so many girls are unable to resist…
While chatting with her fellow sister members, her line of sight weaved through the
surrounding people and landed on a lonesome figure away from them.
Furrowing her brows for a while, she finally decided against walking over. Between the two of
them was already a huge gap. Looking at Xiao Yan’s performance these past few years, by the
time the Adulthood Ceremony comes, he would only be able to place at the lower tier clan
member ranks. She, however, with her brilliance, would become the clan’s very important and
thus well-nurtured fighter. There would be no limit to her future.
“Ai…” An inexplicable sigh emerged from her. Xiao Mei thought back to the youth from three
years ago, bursting with energy and pride. At 4 he started practicing, and at 10 he achieved the
9th stage Dou Zhi Li. At 11 he broke the 10th stage Dou Zhi Li barrier and condensed his Dou Zhi
Qi Zu successfully. He became the youngest Dou Zhe in the clan since the past 100 years.
At that time, his self-confidence as well as immeasurable power attracted countless young
teens which of course, included Xiao Mei.
However, the path of a genius was always winding. Three years ago, this genius youngster
whose fame reached the absolute top, received what could possibly be the cruelest blow. The
hard work he put into accumulating and condensing the Dou Zhi Qi Zu over the past ten years
had, in just one night, vanished into nothingness. All the Dou Zhi Li in his body slowly dissipated
with time and instead, pity for him grew.
As a result of losing his Dou Zhi Li, his physical strength decreased as well.
From the position of a genius, in one night he fell below the average person. This kind of blow
made the youth lose his will to carry on training. The reverence once associated with this lad
had slowly changed into disdain and ridicule.
Standing so high up and falling right down – this kind of fall might just be one that he could
never recover from.
“Next, Xiao Xun Er!”
Among the commotion, the tester’s voice sounded yet again.
Following the calling of this highly reputable name, the group of people quietened down
immediately. Every single gaze turned.
At the center point of attention was a teen girl clad in a purple dress, elegantly standing there.
Her calm, tender and immaculate face was completely unaffected by the many gazes of the
crowd.
Her calm and indifferent attitude could be compared to the blooming of a lotus. At such a
young age, she already had the air of a refined lady. It would be hard to imagine how she would
affect the city and the nation once she grew up.
This purple dress girl, if compared to Xiao Mei in terms of beauty, was clearly several leagues
above. It’s no wonder the crowd would have this kind of actions.
Taking small, graceful steps, the girl named Xiao Xun Er walked up in front of the stone
monument. She stretched her small hand out and the purple sleeve mixed with black and gold
threads fell down her arm, revealing a delicate snow-white wrist. She touched the monument
lightly.
In the silence, the monument shone once more.
“Dou Zhi Li, 9th stage! Rank: High!”
Looking at the words on the monument, the entire square fell into deep silence.
“…… She really reached the 9th stage, how frightening! The position of the youngest high rank
in the clan has been taken, without a shred of doubt, by Miss Xun Er!” After the silence, several
teens couldn’t help but wolf whistle, their eyes full of respect and awe.
Dou Zhi Li was essential towards being a Dou Zhe. Dou Zhi Li is split into 10 different stages, and
when the body acquires 10 stages of Dou Zhi Li, it can better condense the Dou Zhi Qi Zu,
becoming a well-respected Dou Zhe!
In the crowd of people, Xiao Mei stared at the purple dress girl in front of the monument with a
little jealousy.
Looking at the results on the monument, the middle-aged tester who would normally be
indifferent smiled, faced her and congratulated her: “Miss Xun Er, half a year later, you should
be able to condense the Dou Qi Zhi Zu. If you succeed, you’ll be a Dou Zhe at the age of 14, the
second person to do so in the Xiao clan.
Of course, the second person. First would be the fallen genius, Xiao Yan.
“Thanks.” The teen girl nodded her head lightly, her calm face showing a little happiness
because of his praise. She quietly turned, and in the midst of the crowd’s attention, slowly
walked to the downtrodden youth in the back of the group.
“Brother Xiao Yan.” At the youth’s side, the teen girl stopped. She faced Xiao Yan and bowed
respectfully. Her beautiful and gentle face showed an elegant smile which would make the
surrounding girls jealous.
“What qualifications do I have right now for you to call me that?” He faced the girl that could be
considered the clan’s radiant pearl and said bitterly. She, after being down-hearted for an
extremely short while, continued to maintain her respect.
“Brother Xiao Yan, you once said to Xun Er before – to take on anything, one must first be able
to let go. One is only truly free when he can take on and let go easily.” Xiao Xun Er said gently,
her smiling face full of warmth.
“Haha, truly free? I only know how to say it. Look at me now; do I look like a free person? This
world wasn’t mine to begin with.” Xiao Yan laughed at himself, saying dispiritedly.
Facing Xiao Yan’s somber mood, Xiao Xun Er’s fine brows furrowed a little, and she said
seriously: “Brother Xiao Yan, though I don’t know what’s happening to you, Xun Er honestly
believes that you will stand again and reclaim your lost glory and respect…” She stopped for a
moment, her white tender face reddening a little. “Back then, there were a lot of people who
were attracted to you…”
“Haha…” Hearing the girl’s whole-hearted truth, he laughed awkwardly but didn’t say anything
else. Other people would be swayed by it, but he did not have the qualifications or the mood.
Instead, he silently turned around and walked away from the square.
Standing still and facing the lonely back of the youth, she hesitated for a while before chasing
after him and walking side-by-side with him. Meanwhile, from behind a jealous wolf whistle
sounded (?).
 Chapter 2 Dou Qi Continent

The moon was like a silver plate and the stars filled the sky.

At the summit of the cliff, Xiao Yan lay on the grass and in his mouth was a strand of green
grass. He chewed it slightly and let the bitterness spread into his mouth slowly.
He raised his white palm and put it in front of him, blocking the moon and only letting some
moonlight pass through the gaps between his fingers. He looked at the giant circular silver
moon in the sky.
“Ai…” Thinking back the testing in the afternoon, Xiao Yan sighed lightly. He lazily pulled his
hand back and rested both hands on his head. He looked absent-minded.
“15 years already, huh?” a soft voice that suddenly was spat out from the young teen without
any warning.
In Xiao Yan’s mind, there was a secret that only he himself knew: He wasn’t a person from this
world. More accurately, his soul wasn’t from this world. He was from a deep blue star called
Earth. As for unexplainable mystery of why he would be here, he himself had no clue. However,
after living here for some time, he slowly realized: He passed through to the other side!
As he grew older, he slowly came to understand bits and pieces of this continent.
This continent was called the Dou Qi Continent. On the continent, there wasn’t many tales of
magic users and their effects, but rather, Dou Qi was the main star.
On this big piece of land, the training of Dou Qi had become commonplace after the hard work
of countless individuals who continued to train beyond generations, expanding the knowledge
surrounding Dou Qi all the way to the top. Dou Qi and mankind are one and the same in
everyday life and as such, Dou Qi is extremely important in the continent. It could be called
irreplaceable!
As the number of levels in Dou Qi kept increasing, so did the number of ways to train it. Some
were better than others, as expected.
After going through a system of analysis, the Dou Qi rankings in the Dou Qi Continent got split
into four different classes – Tian, Di, Xuan, Huang ().
And every class was split further into Beginner, Medium and High ranks!
The Dou Qi techniques you learned also determined how strong you would be. For example, if a
person practiced a Xuan class Medium rank technique, he would naturally be stronger than a
person who practiced a Huang class High rank technique.
In the Dou Qi Continent, to differentiate the strong from the weak, there are 3 criteria’s that
need to be looked at.
First, and also the most important, is your natural body strength. If a person only has a 1 star
level of strength, even if he practiced the Tian class High rank techniques, he wouldn’t be able
to beat a Huang class Combat Master.
Next is technique level. If two people of the same innate strength were to battle, the one with
the better technique will obviously win.
Lastly is Dou Ji.
Dou Ji is a special kind of skill that is used when controlling Dou Qi and in the land of Dou Qi,
Dou Ji is also separated into Tian, Di, Xuan, Huang.
Dou Qi in the continent speaks for itself, but Dou Ji is different. Almost everyone starts off with
a Dou Ji class of Huang. If you wanted to learn more advance control skills, you would need to
join a sect or enroll in a Dou Qi school.
Of course, there are some who, by chance, managed to learn the skills that others before have
left behind, or those who have compatible Dou Ji skills. For these people, their combat level
might be slightly higher than normal.
Relying on these 3 aspects, you can determine who is strong and who is weak. All in all, if you
managed to learn a high level Dou Qi technique, the benefits in the future would be enormous.
However, high level Dou Qi techniques are really hard to come by as a commoner. Those that
are open to the public are normal, Huang class techniques. For those bigger clans or small sects,
Xuan class techniques are the norm. For example, in Xiao Yan’s clan, their highest level
technique was only practicable by the clan leader – Lion Wind Strike. It was a wind style Xuan
class Medium rank technique.
Above the Xuan class would be the Di class, but this kind of high-level techniques might only
obtainable by a powerful country-like organization.
As for the Tian class, in a hundred years, it hasn’t appeared once.
As previously stated, commoners trying to get a high-level technique is like trying to climb a
mountain without gear. However, nothing is absolute. In the world of Dou Qi, there are
thousands of clans. In the North, there are people referred to as ‘Unbeatable’. They fused their
soul with wild animals and became barbarians. In the South, there are smart and talented high
class beast spirit clans, and even the strange and infamous underworld people.
Because of the vastness of the continent, there are bound to be cases of nameless figures who,
by chance, happened upon a miracle that made them strong. Or, perhaps, there might be
people who are bound by fate to discover strong techniques. In the land of Dou Qi, there is one
famous sentence: If you find yourself stuck in a ditch or forsaken by the world, don’t panic.
Take two steps forward and maybe you’ll find yourself stronger than ever before.
Of course, though this line isn’t false, in the thousand years of history in the continent, there
aren’t many stories of people getting strong by random chance.
As a result of this, every day, there are countless individuals who try to break through and
discover a new skill or technique, but instead only return with a broken hip or leg.
All in all, this continent is full of mysteries and miracles.
To access the vault of secret Dou Qi techniques, you must at least be a full-fledged Dou Zhe to
meet the basic requirements. For Xiao Yan, it seemed so far away.
Puu Xiao Yan spat the grass out and quickly stood up and made a maniacal face. He faced the
sky and shouted: “God damn it! How could I be played for a fool like this?”
In his past life, Xiao Yan was a mediocre, average commoner. Wealth, fame and beauty seemed
to run parallel to his life, never intersecting it. Then, when he came to this continent, Xiao Yan
was shocked. Because of a second set of experiences, his spirit became much stronger than the
average person.
It must be known that in the Dou Qi continent, your spirit is decided upon at birth. Maybe, as
you grew older, it would strengthen a slight bit, but there is no known technique to train your
spirit to be stronger.
It was Xiao Yan’s strong spirit that gave him his talent, as well as his fame as a genius.
For an average person, if they were told that they could be a genius, there’s little doubt that
they would claim their fame and live the high life. For the run-of-the-mill person like Xiao Yan,
when he started training his Dou Zhi Qi, the temptation of being able to rise to fame would be
unbearable. Of course he wouldn’t choose to stay hidden and continue to train!
If there wasn’t any accident, Xiao Yan could perhaps grow even more with his ‘genius’ label.
Unfortunately, at 11, his label was stolen from him and in one night, a genius turned into a
piece of trash.
After shouting at the top of his lungs for a while, Xiao Yan finally calmed down and his face
turned calm again. No matter how angry he got, he wouldn’t be able to get his strength back.
Bitterly shaking his head, Xiao Yan felt miserable. He had no clue what happened to his body,
and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. His spirit was growing as he aged, as expected. His
absorbtion of Dou Zhi Qi was also extraordinarily fast. It was faster than the strongest fighter
from a few years back. All these factors should have meant that Xiao Yan was a natural genius,
but all the Dou Zhi Qi that he absorbed seemed to be completely gone. His self-esteem took a
big hit and he could only feel depressed.
Taking another deep breath, Xiao Yan raised his hand. On his finger was a black ring of simple
design. The material used to make it was unknown. On it were some markings as well. This was
the only present his late mother gave to him before she passed. He started wearing it since the
age of 4 and even now, 10 years later, he was still wearing. It was a precious gift from his
mother and Xiao Yan treasured it dearly. He rubbed the ring and said bitterly: “These few years,
I’ve really let Mother down, huh?”
Sighing deeply, Xiao Yan quickly stood up and turned around, saying to the black figure from
the woods: “Father, why have you come?”
Though his Dou Zhi Qi was only 3rd stage, his spiritual awareness was akin to that of a 5 star
Dou Zhe, perhaps even better. While thinking about his mother, he felt a sudden disturbance
from the woods.
“Ah ah, Yan Er. It’s already quite late. Why are you still here?” From within the cluster of trees,
after a moment of silence, a tender voice sounded.
The trees shake a little and a middle-aged man jumped out, face smiling widely. His eyes were
locked on his son under the moonlight.
The middle-aged man was wearing an expensive looking grey tunic. He walked with pride and
dignity and his face showed it. He was the Xiao clan leader, as well as Xiao Yan’s father, a 5 star
Dou Shi – Xiao Zhan!
“Father, why have you not returned to rest yet?” Facing the middle-aged man, Xiao Yan’s
smiled thickened. Although he had another set of memories, when he was born, the person
before him treated him as with love and care. When he lost his power and spirit, the love did
not lessen but grew instead. This poked at Xiao Yan’s heart, making Xiao Yan recognize him as
his father.
“Yan Er, are you still thinking about what happened this afternoon?” Taking a big step forward,
Xiao Zhan smiled again.
“Ha ha, what’s there to think about? It’s within my expectations.” Xiao Yan shakes his head and
forced a smile.
“Ai…” Looking at Xiao Yan’s tender face, Xiao Zhan let out a sigh. The both of them sinked into
silence for a while, before Xiao Zhan said: “Yan Er, you’re 15 now, aren’t you?”
“Yes, father.”
“Just one more year… and you have to attend the Adulthood Ceremony…” Xiao Zhan said.
“Yes, father. Only a year left.” Xiao Yan’s fist clenched for a while before he replied. He was
extremely clear what the Adulthood Ceremony meant. Once the ceremony had past, for the
Xiao Yan that didn’t train, he would be subject to the criteria of searching for Dou Qi
techniques. Because he was so weak, he would be sent to do a normal job in the other parts of
the Xiao clan. This was a clan rule and even if the clan leader was his father, he would not be
able to do anything about it.
If one didn’t reach Dou Zhe by the age of 25, the clan would abandon them.
“Sorry, Yan Er. If you don’t reach the Dou Zhi Qi 7th stage by next year, I can’t do anything to
help you, no matter how much I want to. In this clan, I’m not the sole decision maker. There are
also those old geezers waiting for me to make a mistake…” Looking at the peaceful Xiao Yan,
Xiao Zhan voiced guiltily.
“Father, I will continue to work hard. One year later, I’ll definitely reach the Dou Zhi Qi 7th
stage!” Xiao Yan reassured his father.
“4 stages in 1 year? Ahh… if it were me from before, it may have been possible, but now… I
might not have much of a chance…” Though Xiao Yan was trying to reassure his father, he
himself was bitter about it.
Knowing full well Xiao Yan’s position, Xiao Zhan could only answer with a sigh. He knew that 4
stages of Dou Zhi Qi in a year were extremely difficult. He gently patted Xiao Yan’s head, and
smiled, saying: “It’s getting quite late; you should go back and get some rest. Tomorrow, the
clan has a guest and you shouldn’t miss the ceremony.”
“Guest? Who?” Xiao Yan asked, full of curiosity.
“You’ll find out tomorrow.” Xiao Zhan winked at the restless Xiao Yan, leaving with a big smile
on his face.
“Don’t you worry, father. I’ll work really hard.” Xiao Yan rubbed the simple ring while raising his
head and whispering.
Just when Xiao Yan raised his head, the black ring on his finger suddenly lit up with a mysterious
glow and flashed. Blinking, Xiao Yan realized it wasn’t a person…
 Chapter 3: Guests

A young man was meditating on his bed. In front of him, his hands were
clasped in a weird yet relaxed manner. His chest peacefully rose and fell with
the rhythm of his breath. Everything was just… so natural! With every breath
he took, a pale white stream of what seemed to be air darted into the young
man’s nose and mouth, squeezing into his body and reshaping it.
As the young man was meditating, a strange yet dim sparkle appeared for a
brief moment on the plain black ring that he wore on his finger …
“Huuuu…” The young man slowly let out his breath and opened his eyes,
blinking. A pale white light flashed across his black pupils, that was the Dou
Qi that had just been absorbed but not yet completely refined.
“It took such great effort to get that Dou Qi, but… f*ck, it’s disappearing
again! No, no please noooo…” The young man tried desperately to keep the
disappearing Dou Qi from slipping away but to no avail. As the last sliver of
Dou Qi left his body, the young man’s face changed from being calm to one of
anger and despair and his voice rose with fury.
He curled his hands into fists and was rapidly clenching and unclenching
them. Eventually, his visage transited from extreme anger to a forced grin.
After all, there was nothing he could do about it. Wearily, he dragged his
body off the bed and stretched his numb legs. With only Dou Qi of a 3rd
Stage, such menial matters were always present.
After having done a few exercises in his plain room, an old, wizened voiced
sounded outside of his door: “Young master, the clan leader has requested
your presence in the hall.”
The young man was the third son of the clan header, Xiao Yan. Above him
were two brothers, but they had already left the clan in search of adventure.
Only at the end of each year would they come back and meet their family.
Overall however, the two brothers were extremely nice to their little brother,
Xiao Yan, even when he fell from being a genius to a piece of trash.
“Coming!” Xiao Yan changed his clothes and went out. Outside of his room
was an elder in a green robe. “Let’s go!”
Looking at the young man’s fresh face, the elder nodded his head. But when
he turned around, his eyes showed a flash of regret.If young master had his
former talent, he probably would have been a great Dou Zhe, such a waste…
The elder and the young man crossed through the back yard and finally
arrived solemnly at the welcoming hall. After politely knocking, the two softly
went in.
The hall was quite large, but there were many people already in it. At the
head of the hall were Xiao Zhan and three emotionless elders. They were the
clan elders and had equal importance to the Clan leader.
On the left, below the four were other elders from the clan. These elders
didn’t hold as much power as the clan elders but nevertheless, they had quite
a bit of say and weren’t pushovers. Besides these elders were young men that
had shown promise and talent.
On the other side was three strangers, looks like they were the people that
Xiao Zhan foretold last night.
The young man’s eyes quickly swept through the strangers. Of the three,
there was an elder wearing a moon white outfit. Although the elder was all
smiles, his tiny eyes were full of energy, restlessly scanning the room. Xiao
Yan’s sight dipped lower, stopping at the elder’s chest. On his chest was a
silver moon and besides the moon were seven shiny stars.
7 Star Da Dou Shi! This guy’s a 7 star Da Dou Shi? Incredible. Xiao Yao could
barely refrain from gasping at the elder. The elder was stronger than his own
father, in fact, he was two whole stars stronger.
Anyone that became a Da Dou Shi was at least a power to be reckoned with.
With that kind of strength, most places would probably rush for recruitment.
To be able to see such a powerful person, it’s not surprising that Xiao Yan
was shocked.
Beside the elder were a young couple. They were also wearing moon white
robes. The male was about 20 years old and had a handsome face, coupled
with a strong build. He was definitely the ideal type for any girl. Of course,
the most important thing was, on his chest were 5 golden stars. This
represented the strength of the young man: 5 star Dou Zhe!
To be able to become a 5 star Dou Zhe at the age of 20 definitely shows the
exceptional talent of the young man.
With a handsome face and decent strength, this young man, not only became
the target of stares from young girls in the clan, even Xiao Mei occasionally
sent glances to him.
But, the looks that the girls gave had no effect on the young man. His entire
focus was concentrated on the young girl beside him…
The young girl’s age was similar to Xiao Yan which made Xiao Yan flinch. Her
beauty even rivaled Xiao Mei’s, no, she was prettier than Xiao Mei. In the
entire clan, probably only Xiao Xun Er could rival her. No wonder the guys of
Xiao clan chased girls outside of the clan.
On the intricate ear of the young girl was a green jade earrings. As she
moved around, the pieces of jade clinked together, chirping a beautiful
melody and adding a hint of royalty to the girl…
In addition, on the developing chest of the girl were 3 golden stars.
A 3-Star Dou Zhe, This girl… if she didn’t use any special methods, she must
be an incredible genius! Xiao Yao’s heart fell, she had talent rivalling his
former talent! But Xiao Yao forced his eyes away from the cold beauty. No
matter what, beneath Xiao Yao’s immature appearance was a mature soul.
Although the girl was very pretty, he kept himself from acting like a drooling
slob.
Xiao Yan’s actions caused a slight tension within the girl. Although she wasn’t
the kind that had an entire universe revolving around her, her beauty and
appearance wasn’t bad. Xiao Yan’s random glance over her was a first for her.
“Father, three elders!” Walking quickly, Xiao Yan courteously greeted the Xiao
Zhan and the three elders.
“Haha, Yan Er, you came! Here, come sit.” Seeing Xiao Yan arrival, Xiao Zhan
stopped talking to his guests and nodded in the direction of Xiao Yan, waving
his hand to indicate for Xiao Yan to take a seat.
With a slight smile, Xiao Yan ignored the lazy, almost hateful gazes from the
three clan elders and searched for his seat. But, he was surprised at the
result, he didn’t have a seat…
Hahhh, my position in the clan is just sinking lower and lower. It was better
before, but now, they even embarrass me in front of guests, these old
geezers… Xiao Yao ridiculed himself silently, in his mind, he shook his head as
if it could block the emotions that welled up within him.
Looking at the motionless Xiao Yan, the young clan members let out soft,
mocking laughter, showing their happiness at seeing Xiao Yan be made a fool.
Finally, Xiao Zhan realized Xiao Yan’s predicament. A look of anger flashed
across his face before being replaced with a bent eyebrow: “Second elder,
you…”
“Ohh, really sorry. I can’t believe that I forgot about young master. Hehe, I’ll
go get someone to prepare a chair!” The yellow robed elder smiled at the
staring Xiao Zhan. He patted his forehead in an act of self-criticism but the
belittling look in his eyes didn’t fade.
“Brother Xiao Yan, come sit here!” The clear voice of a girl rang across the
hall.
The three elders tensed, their gaze shifting to Xun Er in the corner. Their
mouths twitched but none of them said anything…
In the corner, Xiao Xun Er closed the thick book in her lap, and blinked at
Xiao Yan.
Looking at Xiao Xun Er’s smiling face, Xiao Yan froze for a second. Quickly, he
recovered and after touching his nose, he walked towards Xun Er under the
envious gazes of the surrounding clan members and after what seemed like
the longest few seconds, he plopped next to Xun Er.
Xiao Yan whispered: “Thanks, you’ve rescued me again.”
Xiao Xun Er lightly smiled, two small dimples appearing on her face. Her
slender fingers flipped open the book in front of her. Even though she was
extremely young, there was an air of intellectuality around her. After scanning
through the page, Xun Er suddenly complained: “Brother Xiao Yan, you
haven’t sat beside me, alone, for three years now, right?”
“Uhh…you’re a genius in the clan, isn’t it simple for you if you want friends?”
Looking at the resentful face of Xun Er, Xiao Yan drily laughed.
“But the thing is, a certain someone snuck into my room every night when I
was 4 to 6. And then that certain someone used a clumsy technique and weak
Dou Zi Qi to strengthen my bones and
meridians. Every time, the same person would get himself sweating profusely
before leaving. Brother Xiao Yan, do you know who he is?” Xun Er paused for
a moment and suddenly tilted her head, and smiled towards Xiao Yan.
“Uhh… how, how am I supposed to know? I was so young back then, in fact,
I could barely walk, how would I know?” Xiao Yan’s heart began to beat
violently. Forcing open a smile, Xiao Yan guilty turned his gaze to the center
of the hall.
“Hehe…” Looking at Xiao Yan’s reaction, a slight smile floated on Xiao Xun
Er’s face. Her sight moved back to the book on her lap and as if talking to
herself, she said: “Even though I know that, that person did it in goodwill, I’m
a girl right? How can I let someone carelessly touch me? If I ever find out
who did it, hmph…”
Xiao Yan’s mouth began to twitch violently, keeping his sight straight, he shut
his mouth tight…
 Chapter 4 – Faction of the Misty Clouds
In the main hall, Xiao Zhan and the three clan elders were talking excitedly
with the strange elder. The guest seemed to have something weighing on his
mind, yet every time when it seemed as if he was about to broach the
subject, he would swallow back the words and change the topic. Each time he
did this, the delicate girl next to him would give the elder a subtle yet firm
glance…
After listening on to their conversation for a while, Xiao Yan was bored by
their conversation and his head was slowly drooping…
“Brother Xiao Yan, do you know who they are?” Right when Xiao Yan was
about to fall asleep from boredom, Xun Er who was beside him opened her
ancient book and asked Xiao Yan.
“Do you know?” Xiao Yan curiously looked at Xun Er.
“Did you see the symbol of a silver sword with the clouds on the cuff of their
robes?” Xun Er said with a light smile.
“Oh?” Xiao Yan looked towards the cuffs of the three and indeed, there he
clearly saw the embroidered symbol of a sword sparkling in the clouds!
“They are from the Faction of Misty Clouds?” Xiao Yan asked in bewilderment.
Even though Xiao Yan had never gone out into the real world, he had read
from books about this faction. Xiao Yan’s clan lived in a city named Wu Tan
City which was part of the Jia Ma Empire. Even though this city is listed as
being one of the bigger cities within Jia Ma Empire, it was still dwarfed by the
size of the empire, despite having the Magic Monsters Mountain Range behind
it.
Within the city itself, Xiao Yan’s clan was the biggest. Besides the Xiao Clan,
there were two other clans that competed with the Xiao Clan, but even after
24 years of blood and strife, they were unable to overtake the Xiao clan…
If the Xiao Clan was the strongest power in Wu Tan City, then the Faction of
Misty Clouds would be the strongest power in the entire Jia Ma Empire! The
difference between the Xiao Clan and the Faction of Misty Clouds was
enormous, to the point where Xiao Yan’s father Xiao Zhan, who normally kept
a strict and harsh face, was extremely respectful in front of these guests.
“Why are they here?” Xiao Yan whispered.
Xun Er’s slim fingers paused, “Maybe it’s related to you, Brother Xiao Yan …”
“Me? But I don’t have any relationship with them!?” Hearing Xun Er’s
response, Xiao Yan paused before shaking his head and whispering back.
“Do you know the name of the girl up there?” Xun Er glanced at the girl.
“No, do you?” Xian Yan furrowed his brows as he examined the face of the
girl Xun Er pointed out. He cannot recall ever having seen her before.
“She’s Nalan Yanran!” A curious expression floated on Xun Er’s face.
Xiao Yan stiffened, “Nalan Yanran? The granddaughter of Nalan Jie, the
Lionheart commander of Jia Ma Empire? She’s… she’s my fiancée that was set
between our families, before I was born?”
“Hehe, grandfather and Nalan Jie were like blood brothers and at that time,
you and Nalan Yanran were born around the same time, so the two decided
that you guys would get married. But, unfortunately, three years after you
were born, grandfather died in a fight with a clan enemy and as time passed,
Xiao Clan’s relation with the Nalan family became weaker…” Xun Er paused
and looked at Xiao Yan who was absorbed in Xun Er’s story, “Nalan Jie is not
only arrogant, he also puts extreme emphasis on promises. The marriage was
decided by him so even though your name has been quite bad the past few
years, he has never once thought of annulling the marriage…”
“That geezer sure is quite obstinate…” Xiao Yan smiled.
“Nalan Jie has the final say in all matters within the family so even though he
really is very fond of his granddaughter, no one in the family has stepped up
to oppose the marriage…” Xun Er’s beautiful eyes lightly glanced at Xiao Yan
before continuing, “But 5 years ago, Nalan Yanran became a student under
the faction leader of Misty Clouds. In these 5 years, Nalan Yanran
demonstrated incredible talent. When a person has enough power to change
the path of their life, they would try their hardest to change things that they
don’t like and unfortunately, she absolutely hates her promised marriage with
brother Xiao Yan!”
“You’re saying… that she came to CANCEL the marriage?”
Xiao Yan’s face darkened. At this moment he was furious, not because Nalan
Yanran did not want him as her husband but rather, because Nalan Yanran is
trying to cancel the marriage with the entire clan present! If that happens
then his father would lose much of his dignity and respect within the clan!
Xiao Yan slowly breathed in, the cold air calming his raging thoughts. Within
his sleeve, Xiao Yan curled his fist, thinking, if I was a Dou Shi, who would
dare to trample over my dignity?
It was true, if Xiao Yan was a Dou Shi, then, even if Nalan Yanran had the
backing of the Faction of Misty Clouds, she would not be able to do such a
thing. A 15 year old Dou Shi,,there were only a few that had such high
accomplishments in the entire history of Dou Qi Mainland. And the few people
that were at that level when they were that young are now some of the most
influential people in the entire Dou Qi world.
A small fragile hand cleverly evaded Xiao Yan’s sleeves and held onto Xiao
Yan’s hands. Xun Er softly said, “Brother Xiao Yan, if she really cancels the
marriage, then that’s her own loss. I believe that in a couple of years, she will
be regretting her decisions today!”
“Regret?” Xiao Yan sneered. “With my current abilities, I don’t have that kind
of luxury.”
Xiao Yan paused before changing the tone of his voice, “Wait, Xun Er. How
are you so familiar with them? The things that you’ve just said, my father
might not even know some of them. How do you know all these?”
Xun Er stiffened but did not say anything.
Looking at Xue Er’s avoidance on the subject, Xiao Yan could only helplessly
smile. Even though Xun Er was also part of the Xiao family, she and Xiao Yan
didn’t have any relation by blood. In addition, Xiao Yan had never seen Xun
Er’s parents and every time he asked his father about them, Xiao Zhan would
shake his head and not speak. Soon, Xun Er’s parents became a taboo
subject, something that they seemed to fear speaking about.
For Xiao Yan, Xun Er’s identity was always veiled in mystery. No matter how
hard or how cleverly he tried, Xun Er would always stay silent.
“Ugh, whatever, if you don’t want to say it then don’t.” Shaking his head, Xiao
Yan’s face suddenly darkened again. The guest elder, under the repeated
signals from Nalan Yanran, finally stood up…
“Heh, using the Faction of Misty Clouds to pressure father? This Nalan Yanran
certainly is using some shameless tactics…” Fury began to build within Xiao
Yan’s heart.
 Chapter 5 – Qi Gathering Powder
“Ahem.” The white robed elder cleared his throat and stood up. Putting his
hands together, he smiled: “Clan leader Xiao Zhan. The reason we came here
for today is because we would like your help for something.”
“Of course, Ge Ye, if you have any problems just let me know. If I can help
you solve it, then I definitely wouldn’t dare say no.” To the visiting elder, Xiao
Zhan did not refuse but since he did not know what the request was, he did
not make any promises either.
“Hehe, Leader Xiao, do you know her?” Ge Ye smiled lightly and pointed to
the girl next to him.
“Umm… I’m sorry, this girl is…” Xiao Zhan looked over the girl and awkwardly
shook his head.
When Nalan Yanran became Yun Jun’s student, she was only 8. After studying
in the Faction of Misty Clouds for 5 years, she had changed quite a lot. Before
she was only a child but now she is a blooming teenager!
“Huh…Her name is Nalan Yanran.”
“Uncle Xiao, I haven’t come to pay my respect in a long time. It’s my fault
that you don’t recognize me.” Nalan Yanran sweetly said.
“Hehe, Yanran, I heard that you’ve become a student under Yun Jun. At the
time, I thought that it was just a baseless rumour, but now I realize that it’s
actually true. What incredible talent you must have…” Xiao Zhan
complimented.
“It was just good luck…” Smiling lightly, Nalan Yanran began to feel
uncomfortable and lightly tugged Ge Ye’s robe with her hand under the table.
“Hehe, Leader Xiao, the request that I have relates to Yanran. In addition,
this was assigned by our faction leader…” Ge Ye kept his smile but when he
mentioned the faction leader, he subconsciously lessened his smile and his
face grew serious.
Like Ge Ye, Xiao Zhan stopped smiling. The faction leader of the Faction of
Misty Clouds was one of the most important people in the entire Jia Ma
Empire. Xiao Zhan, who was a small clan leader, wouldn’t dare to provoke
her. But with her power, what would she need Xiao Clan to help with? Ge Ye
did say that it was related to Yanran, is it that?
A wandering thought crossed Xiao Zhan’s mind causing the edge of his mouth
to twitch slightly and his firm hand to start trembling, thankfully his hands
were covered by his long sleeves. Taking care to push down the thought, Xiao
Zhan shakily asked: “Mister Ge Ye, please do tell me what is the faction’s
request?”
“Errr…” Ge Ye hesitated but he thought about how much the faction leader
adored Yanran and thus, he clenched his teeth: “Leader Xiao, you know how
strict the rules are in the faction. In addition, faction leader views Yanran very
highly, in fact, faction leader is expecting Yanran to be the next faction
leader. However, due to a special rule, future faction leaders cannot have a
relation with another male before they become the official faction leader…”
Taking a breath, Ge Ye continued: “When our faction leader asked Yanran
about it, she realized that Yanran and the Xiao Clan had a marriage proposal,
therefore, faction leader asks for Leader Xiao to… to cancel this marriage.”
“KA!” The jade cup in Xiao Zhan’s hands turned into a fine mist in an instant.
In the main hall, everyone was silent. The three clan elders were shocked by
Ge Ye’s words but soon afterwards, the elders glanced at Xiao Zhan with plain
glee and ridicule.
“Hehe, how will you respond to this?” The three elders thought sinisterly.
A couple of the younger kids didn’t know about the set marriage between
Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran, but after asking their parents about it, their faces
brightened! Their glances towards Xiao Yan were full of ridicule and distaste…
Looking at Xiao Zhan’s dark face, Nalan Yanran lowered her head and
squeezed her fingers together.
“Leader Xiao, I know that this request is a little over the top, but because
faction leader requested it, please cancel the marriage…” Helplessly letting
out a breath, Ge Ye lightly whispered to Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan’s hands curled into fists. A faint green Dou Qi slowly creeped over
his body and finally, it formed a illusory lion’s head in front of Xiao Zhan’s
face.
Xiao Clan’s secret Qi Method: Furious Lion’s Rage! Level: Middle Xuan!
Looking at Xiao Zhan’s reaction, Ge Ye’s face became serious. He moved to
place Yanran behind him and within his eagle claw like hands a green Dou Qi
gathered. The Dou Qi released small but sharp illusory swords.
Faction of Misty Cloud’s Qi Method: Green Wood Sword! Level: Low Xuan!
With the release of Dou Qi, the weaker youngsters within the main hall
became pale and felt their chests tighten.
When Xiao Zhan’s breathing became more intense, the three elders yelled
out! Their voices were like lightning that swept through the hall: “Xiao Zhan,
STOP! Don’t forget, you’re the clan leader of Xiao Clan!”
Xiao Zhan stiffened and the Dou Qi on his body disappeared slowly…
Xiao Zhan fell back into his chair and emotionlessly watched the lowered head
of Yanran. Finally, he said is a raspy tone: “Nalan, you have some guts. With
such a daughter, I’m really envious of Nalan Su.”
Nalan Yanran twitched: “Uncle Xiao…”
“No! Call me Clan Leader Xiao from now on. I don’t deserve to be called
Uncle; you’re the future faction leader of the Faction of Misty Clouds. In the
future, you’ll probably one of the most important people in Dou Qi mainland.
My Xiao Yan only has modest talent, he doesn’t deserve you…”
“Thank you Clan Leader Xiao.” Hearing Xiao Zhan’s words, Ge Ye’s face
brightened. Apologizing, he says: “Clan Leader Xiao, faction leader
understands that today’s request is quite disrespectful. Therefore, she asked
me to bring something, please accept it as an apology from our faction
leader.”
Ge Ye touched a ring on his hand and suddenly a completely pan-green jade
box appeared in his hand…
Carefully opening the box, a fragrance swept through the entire main hall.
Anyone who smelled it felt relaxed.
The three elders’ curiosity got the better of them and they poked their head
to see the contents of the box: “Qi Gathering Powder?”
 Chapter 6 – Alchemists
Within the jade box, a green pill, about the size of a Dragon’s eye, laid
quietly. The refreshing scent that had spread throughout the entire hall was
emanating from the pill!
In Dou Qi Mainland, to become a Dou Zhe, one needs to be able to compress
the Qi within one’s own body to a Qi cyclone. But the process of compressing
Qi to become a Qi cyclone has an extremely high failure rate. After failing,
one’s 9 Duan Qi would fall back to 8 Duan. Some unlucky people need to
compress their Qi 10 or more times before they are successful in doing so.
But by wasting so much time on the compression of Qi, one would lose the
best time to practice Qi and thus destroy their future.
Qi Gathering Power, its use was to allow someone with 9 Duan Qi to have a
100% percent success rate when trying to compress one’s Qi!
This effect makes many people red-eyed. After all, anyone thats not a Dou
Zhe is treated extremely badly.
But Qi Gathering Power isn’t something made by nature, rather it was made
by someone: Alchemist!
In Dou Qi Mainland, the sole profession that’s more desirable than a Dou Zhe
are Alchemists.
Like the name suggests, alchemists are able to create special pills that raise
one’s strengths. Every free-agent alchemist is sought after by many forces.
The reason as to why alchemists have such a high position is because of how
rare alchemists are and how strict the requirements to become an alchemist
are.
First of all, one must be of the fire attribute. And then, within the fire
attribute, one must have a tiny sliver of the wood attribute to act as a
catalysis in pill-refining.
In the Dou Qi Mainland, a person’s attribute is determined by their soul. A
soul since birth will only have one, sole attribute and reject any other
attribute. So its impossible for a person to have two attributes.
Of course, nothing is impossible. Within a million people, there will always be
someone who has a mutated soul. Within these people that have mutated
souls, some have the potential to become Alchemists!
However, a person that has the fire and wood attributes is not enough to
become an Alchemist. That’s because one must also have a strong Soul
Perception or Soul Moulding!
In the refinement of pills, the three most important requirements are: The
material, the flame and one’s soul perception.
The Material. They would have to be natural treasures. After all, even the
best alchemists can’t create a god-tier pill from trash material. Therefore,
good base materials are very important for good pills.
The flame. Or the fire that’s required when refining pills. The fire used in
refining pills can’t be normal flames but rather, they must be Dou Qi flames
created though Dou Qi with a fire attribute. Of course, there are some
extremely strong mutated flames in nature. Some strong alchemists would
take these flames and use them to refine pills instead of their own Dou Qi
flame. Not only do these mutated flames boost the success rate of the
refinement, they also increase the effectiveness of the pills!
Because refining pills is a gruesome task, extended periods of refinement
requires a lot of Dou Qi, and because of that, every brilliant alchemist is also a
strong fire-type Dou Zhe.
The final requirement is Soul Perception.
When refining a pill, the intensity of the flame needs to be controlled with
ridiculous precision. If the flame is slightly too hot, the pill within the furnace
would be burned to ashes, wasting the time and effort of the alchemist.
Therefore, controlling the intensity of the flame is a prerequisite to becoming
an alchemist. But in order to have a control over the flames, one must have
an incredible Soul Perception; without Soul Perception, even if one meets or
even exceeds the first two requirements, it would be pointless to try to refine
pills.
Under these strict conditions, the ones who have the qualifications to become
an alchemist are few and rare. Because there aren’t that many alchemists, the
magical pills that they refine are also few and sparse. Since rare things are
valuable and pills can definitely be defined as rare, alchemists all have a
honorable, to an exaggerated extent, position.
Within the main hall, with the gasps of the three elders, the younger
generation all stare at the Jade box in Ge Ye’s hands.
Next to her father, Xiao Mei licks her red lips with her soft tongue and stares
at the box, without blinking…
“Hehe, this was refined by our honorable elder Gu He. I think that everyone
here has heard of his name right?” Looking at the embarrassing appearance
of the three elders, Ge Ye started becoming arrogant.
“This pill was refined by the Pill King Gu He?” Hearing Ge Ye’s words, the
three elders once again embarrassed themselves.
Pill King Gu He, an extremely influential alchemist within the Jia Ma Empire.
His alchemy is mysterious and unpredictable, causing countless different
forces to try to fawn upon him.
Not only does Gu He have extraordinary talent in alchemy, his own strength is
at the level of a Dou Wang and he’s one of the top ten Dou Zhes in Jia Ma
Empire.
Refined by his hands, the Qi Gathering Powder’s value is probably
exponentially higher than other normal Qi Gathering Power.
The three elders smile at the Qi Gathering Powder within the Jade box. If the
Xiao Clan gets this Qi Gathering Powder, then the Xiao Clan can probably
develop another young Dou Zhe.
Right when the three elders were thinking about how to get the pill for their
own grandsons, a young voice filled with fury resonates within the main hall.
“Mr. Ge Ye, it would be better if you kept the pill. Your request, we might not
accept it!”
The main hall fell silent and everyone’s gaze turns upon the delicate face of
Xiao Yan in the corner.
“Xiao Yan, you don’t have the right to say anything right now. Be quiet!” One
of the elder’s face became dark as he yells at Xiao Yan.
“Xiao Yao, be quiet. I know that you’re not happy about this but we’ll decide
what will happen!” Another quite old elder said to Xiao Yan.
“Three elders, if your sons or grandsons had their marriage released today,
would you still be saying that?” Xiao Yao slowly stands up. The edge of his
mouth was curved upwards in ridicule. Since it was apparent that the three
elders treated him with disdain, why should he be so respectful to them?
“You…” Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, the three elders couldn’t find a way to
argue against his words. The grumpy third elder even started materializing his
Dou Qi in anger.
“Three elders, Xiao Yao ge-ge isn’t wrong. He’s the victim of this so you guys
shouldn’t decide for him.” A clear girl’s voice rang across the main hall.
Hearing the girl’s voice, the three elders’ arrogance fell and after exchanging
worried glances, they all nodded and sat back down.
Looking at the three elders backing off, Xiao Yao turns his head back and
deeply gazes at the smiling Xiao Xun Er. Who are you? To be able to make
the three elder fear you…
Pressing down his confusion, Xiao Yao quickly walks up and respectfully bows
to his father, Xiao Zhan. Afterwards, he turns around to face Nalan Yanran.
Slowly letting a breath of air, he asks: “Lady Nalan, I would like to ask a
question. Your visit here today, to release the marriage, did Grandfather
Nalan give his consent?”
Before, when Xiao Yan came out from his corner, Nalan Yanran already felt
uncomfortable with him. Now hearing his question, her brow scrunches up.
This guy, at first I thought he was pretty nice, but he’s actually extremely
shameless. Does he not know the difference between the two of us?
Criticizing Xiao Yan in her mind, Nalan Yanran never considered how releasing
the marriage would put Xiao Yan and his father into an awkward and
infuriating situation.
Standing up and staring at the should be husband of hers, Nalan Yanran says:
“Grandfather didn’t give his consent. But! This is my own problem and not
related to him.”
“Since Grandfather hasn’t said anything then I hope that you will forgive my
father for not accepting your request. Our marriage was set by our two
grandfathers and since none of them have said to release the marriage then
this marriage will go on. Or else, the people that are trying to release the
marriage would be disrespecting their ancestors! I think, that within our clan,
there aren’t any people that would do such a dishonorable thing.” Xiao Yan
tilts his head and stares straight at the three elders.
Using the dishonorable title, Xiao Yan forced the elders to be silent. In the
strict clan, doing something as blasphemous as disrespecting one’s ancestors
would be enough for them to lose their spot as an elder of the clan.
“You…” After being rebuffed by Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran couldn’t find any
argument to retort Xiao Yan’s claim. Her face became ashen and heavily
stomping her feet, her princessy nature became apparent. Looking at the
young man with disgust, she annoyingly says: “Under what conditions will you
release the marriage? Were the reparations too little? Alright, I can ask my
teacher to give you another 3 Qi Gathering Powder. In addition, if you want
to, I can let you join Faction of Misty Clouds and learn profound Dou Qi
training methods, is that enough?”
Hearing the attractive conditions from Nalan Yanran, the three elders’
breathing started to become heavy. Within the main hall, the younger
generation swallowed the saliva. Joining Faction of Misty Clouds? God, that’s
the dream of countless people…
After saying all these conditions, Nalan Yanran raised her snow-white chin,
like a princess addressing her servants. She waited for Xiao Yan’s response
and knew that these conditions were enough to make any young man crazy…
 Chapter 7 – Divorce!
Unlike what Nalan Yanran expected, after saying the alluring condition, the
young man in front of her started trembling. He slowly raised his head and his
delicate and young face was contorted into a fearsome, savage face.
Even though Xiao Yan had endured countless taunts over the past three
years, even he had a limit. Nalan Yanran’s actions had roughly stepped on the
final shred of dignity hidden deep within Xiao Yan’s heart.
“Ahh…” Seeing the vicious face of the young man, Yanran sprang backwards.
The young man by her sides took the chance to pull out his sword and coldly
stared at Xiao Yan.
“I…I want to kill you!” Even though his teeth were clattering, Xiao Yan’s
words had an unmistakable killing intent to them! His hands were curled into
fists and within the his black pupils, furious flames burned.
“Yan Er, you’re being rude!” At the top of the hall, Xiao Zhan was shocked by
the reaction of Xiao Yan and hurriedly quieted Xiao Yan. The current Xiao clan
wouldn’t dare be on the wrong side of Faction of Misty Clouds.
Even though his fists tightened even further, Xiao Yan lowered his head.
Moments later, he lightly lifts up his head. The difference was that the vicious
face that he had displayed earlier had been completely replaced by a calm
and impassive face…
In the past 3 years, Xiao Yan had endured countless discrimination and
taunts. As a result, Xiao Yan was now more mature than before. Perhaps his
greatest gain from the past three years was that he had learned to keep his
emotions under control.
Looking at the completely different young man, Ge Ye and Nalan Yanran
suddenly felt a chill…
This kid, if he stays useless then it isn’t a big deal. But if he gains strength,
then he will definitely become a dangerous force to be reckoned with… Ge Ye
solemnly thought.
“Xiao Yan! Even though I don’t know why my actions have infuriated you thus
far, but, you… you should still release the marriage!” Slowly letting out a
breath, Nalan Yanran pushed her fear and stiffened her face.
“Remember, my visit to Xiao clan was permitted by my teacher, the faction
leader of Faction of Misty Clouds!” Pursing her lips, Nalan Yanran said, with a
slight hint of helplessness: “You can understand that my visit today is partly
coercion. But you should understand that the reality is harsh and nothing is
fair. Even though it shouldn’t mean much, you should understand the
difference between us, we…we don’t have any hope of being together…”
Hearing the absolute statements of the girl, Xiao Yan’s mouth curved into a
sneer: “Lady Nalan… You should understand, in Dou Qi mainland, a woman
going back on her marriage would be embarrass the opposite party in front of
everyone. Hehe, I don’t really care about being embarrassed, but my father!
He’s the clan leader, if we accept your request today then how do you expect
him to rule over Xiao clan? How will Xiao clan keep a foothold in Wu Tan
City?”
Looking at the the furious young man, Nalan Yanran’s brows furrowed. She
peeked at Xiao Zhan at the end of the hall; he appeared as if he had just
aged by a lot. Seeing that, she felt slightly sorry for her actions and bit her
lips. After musing for a moment, her eyes lit up. She whispers: “Today’s
request, it’s a little reckless on my part. So, today, I will temporarily take back
my request to release my marriage. But, you must promise me something!”
“What promise?”
“I can delay today’s request for three years. Three years from now, you will
come to Faction of Misty Clouds and challenge me. If I win then I will release
the marriage in front of everyone and at that time, you would have performed
your clan’s rites of adulthood so even if you lose, you won’t be affecting your
father Xiao Zhan or Xiao clan. Do you accept?”
Hehe, when I lose then, it won’t affect the name of my father. But maybe for
my entire life, I’ll bear the shame of losing. This woman… is too cruel! Xiao
Yan felt helpless, he was angry but he couldn’t find a source to vent it.
“Lady Nalan, it’s not like you don’t know the condition of Yan Er. How do you
expect him to challenge you? Insulting him like this, is it fun for you?” Xiao
Zhan smacked the table and angrily stood up.
“Xiao Zhan shu-shu, when releasing a marriage, there must someone who
bears the responsibilities of it. If not for you, I would be releasing the
marriage today! Afterwards, I will announce it to the public!” After being
blocked several time, Nalan Yanran was also getting angry and coldly shouted
at Xiao Yan: “Since you don’t want to hurt the name of Xiao Zhan shu-shu,
then accept the challenge! Three years or now, will you choose the former or
the later?”
“Nalan Yanran, you don’t need to act all high and mighty. The reason behind
you releasing this marriage is because you don’t think that I, Xiao Yan, a near
cripple, match you, a genius. Forgive me for putting things plainly. Besides
your beauty, I don’t care about anything else of yours! The Faction of Misty
Clouds is very strong, I’ll admit that. But I am young! I have lots of time.
When I was twelve, I was a Dou Zhe, but you, Nalan Yanran, when you were
twelve, how many Duan Qi did you have? You’re right, I might be crippled
right now, but since I created miracles three years ago, why do you think that
I can’t repeat such miracles in the future? Why do you think that I can’t
become the genius that I once was?” Facing the aggressive stance, Xiao Yan
finally erupted like a volcano. His face became completely serious and his
words shocked everyone in the main hall. Who would have thought that the
quiet young man possessed such a sharp tongue!
Nalan’s mouth twitched. Even though she was extremely pissed at Xiao Yan,
she couldn’t find words to argue against his statements. Xiao Yan’s words
were truth; even though he was crippled now, he was a Dou Zhe back when
he was twelve years old. But Nalan Yanran was only Eight Duan Qi at that
time…
“Lady Nalan, because of Grandfather Nalan, I’ll give you some advice. Thirty
years east, thirty years west, don’t you dare bully me because I’m poor now.”
Xiao Yan’s tough words made Nalan stiffen.
“Yes! What a great saying, don’t you dare bully me because I’m poor now! My
son can’t possibly be ordinary!” At the end of the hall, Xiao Zhan’s eyes were
lit with vigor and his heavy palms slammed against the table, causing tea to
splatter everywhere.
Clenching her teeth and staring at the sneering young man in front of her,
Nalan became so angry that her head began to feel dizzy. Nalan Yanran had
been spoiled since birth and had never been humiliated by someone the same
age as her. Her childish voice climbed another pitch: “What is your basis for
humiliating me? Even if your talent before was unsurpassed by anyone, the
you now… you’re a cripple now! Okay, I, Nalan Yanran, will wait for the day
that you surpass me. Today’s release, I won’t mention it any more, but three
years from now, I will wait for you at Faction of Misty Clouds. If you have the
guts, then show me how you’ve changed your situation! If you defeat me
then… then I, Nalan Yanran, will be your slave for the rest of my life!”
“Of course, if you’re still crippled three years later then you better prepare the
contract to release our marriage!”
Looking at the ashen face of the girl, Xiao Yan ridicules: “It won’t take three
years! I wouldn’t want you even if you were begging me to become my wife!”
After saying that, Xiao Yan ignored the frozen face of Yanran and turned
around. Quickly walking forward to a table, he took out a paper and started to
write!
The ink slowly dropped onto the paper, and finally, his pen stopped moving.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan’s right hand reached for a short sword on the desk and
pointed the sharp blade at his left hand. As soon as readied the sword, he
firmly drew blood from his left hand.
His bloodied hand pressed down on the white paper, leaving a glaring red
mark.
Lightly picking up the contract, Xiao Yan laughed, a laugh of victory. When he
walked past Yanran, he smashed the contract on the table.
“Don’t you dare think that I, Xiao Yan, think highly of some genius wife. This
contract, isn’t a contract to release the marriage but rather, I am divorcing
you from the Xiao Clan! From now on, you, Nalan Yanran, have no relations
with the Xiao Clan!”
“You… You dare divorce me?” Looking at the bloody contract on the table,
Nalan Yanran’s eyes opened wide in disbelief. With her beauty, talent and
background, to have been divorced by a small clan’s cripple? This sudden turn
of events made her think that she was in a dream!
Coldly looking at Nalan Yanran’s dumbfounded expression, Xiao Yan turned
around and kneels in front of Xiao Zhan. He gave a heavy Kowtow, biting his
lips,and didn’t say anything…
Even though Xiao Yan actually divorced Nalan Yanran, when the events
spread out, others might not think that it’s the truth. They, who don’t know
what happened, would think that Nalan Yanran used her tyrannical
background for force Xiao clan to release the marriage. After all, with
Yanran’s beauty, talent and background, a cripple from Xiao clan would never
be able to match her. No one would think that Xiao Yan had the boldness to
divorce a future faction leader of the Faction of Misty Clouds. Because of that,
being Xiao Yan’s father, Xiao Zhan would probably have to endure endless
ridicule.
Looking at the kneeling Xiao Yan and understanding the guilty feelings that
his son was having, Xiao Zhan helplessly smiled: “I believe that my son won’t
stay crippled forever. Gossip won’t stand a chance when the hard facts come
out in the future!”
“Father, three years from now, I will go to Faction of Misty Clouds and
redeem today’s shame!” With slightly wet eyes, Xiao Yan did another heavy
kowtow and stood up. Without hesitating, Xiao Yan walked towards the door
of the main hall.
When he passed Nalan Yanran, Xiao Yan pauses of a moment and spits out
cold words from his young mouth.
“Three years from now, I will find you!”
The shadow of the young man, under the shining sun, extended extremely
far. Looking at it, it seemed very lonely.
Nalan Yanran’s small mouth opened but no sound came out. She stared at the
disappearing back of Xiao Ya and the contract in her hand felt as heavy as a
mountain…
“Ahem, since your goal has been accomplished, please leave now.” Looking at
the receding young man, even though Xiao Zhan’s face was impassive, the
hands inside of his sleeve curled into fists so tight that the fingers became a
pale white.
“Xiao shu-shu, I apologize for today’s event. If you have time in the future,
make sure to come visit the Nalan Clan!” Lightly bowing to the impassive Xiao
Zhan, Nalan also didn’t want to stay. She quickly stood up and went towards
the door of the main hall. Behind her, Ge Ye and the handsome young man
quickly followed her.
“Take the Qi Gathering Powder!” Waving his hand, Xiao Zhan threw the jade
box on the table at them.
Ge Ye quickly caught the falling box and bitterly smiled while placing the box
within his ring.
“Lady Nalan, hopefully you won’t regret your actions today. And also, don’t
assume that with Faction of Misty Clouds behind you, you can do anything
you want. There are a lot of people stronger than Yun Yun…” When Nalan
Yanran was about to exit the door, a clear girl’s cold voice sounded within the
hall.
The steps of the three paused and they glanced towards the corner where
the voice came from, finding a purple dressed girl slowly flipping a book.
The sunlight shined through the window next to her and perfectly wrapped
around the girl. From afar, she looked like a heavenly purple lotus blooming,
clean and graceful, as if she was from the heavens.
As if she felt the glances from the three, the girl picked her head up from the
old book and within the autumn like eyes of hers, a thin line of golden flame
peeked out.
Looking at the thin flame within the girl’s eyes, Ge Ye immediately stiffened
and a fearful expression crossed his wizened face. His shriveled hands
immediate grabbed the confused Nalan Yanran and young man and he fled
from the main hall as if he was fearing for his life.
Looking at the actions of Ge Ye, except for a few people, the others all had
expressions of confusion.
 Chapter 8 – The Mysterious Elder
Emotionlessly leaving the main hall, the frustrated Xiao Yan followed his daily
routine and slowly climbed to the top of the mountain behind the clan
building. Sitting at the top of the mountain, Xiao Yan calmly watched the
steep mountaintops far away being shrouded in mist. There, in the mist, was
the Jia Ma Empire’s famous Magic Beast Mountain Range.
“Hehe, power ah… In this world, without power, you’re not even worth some
excrement. At least, no one tries to trample on excrement.” With shoulders
waving up and down, the young man’s soft, self-taunting voice echoed across
the top of the mountain, filling the air with sadness.
Yanking his hair, Xiao Yan bit down on his lip, allowing the bloody taste to
spread in his mouth. Even though he didn’t let his emotions get to him in the
main hall, the Nalan Yanran’s words stabbed at his heart like knives.
“I will never be insulted like this again!” Opening his left hand, which still had
the bloody scar from the events of the day, Xiao Yan’s voice was hoarse but
firm.
“Hehe, kid, looks like you need some help.”
Right when Xiao Yan pledged his oath, a wizened, strange laugh entered his
ear.
Xiao Yan’s face changed and he immediately turned around. With a hawk-like
gaze, he scanned his surroundings but didn’t even find a shadow…
“Hehe, stop searching, I’m on your finger.”
Right when Xiao Yan thought that he was hallucinating, the strange laugh
aimlessly sounded again.
Xiao Yan’s eyes contracted and his gaze fell on his right hand’s black ring.
“You’re talking?” Enduring his heart’s pounding, Xiao Yan tried to keep his
voice calm.
“Kid, you’re quite calm, to not have been scared witless.” From the ring, a
taunting voice sounded.
“Who are you? Why are you in my ring? What are trying to do?”
After calming himself, Xiao Yan asked the essential questions.
“Who am I? You don’t need to know, I won’t harm you. Hahaha, after all
these years, I finally found someone with a soul strong enough. What luck!
Hehe, I should thank you for your offerings over the past three years,
otherwise I would probably still be sleeping.”
“Offerings?” Xiao Yan blinked his eyes in confusion. After a moment, his face
darkened and chilling words jumped out of his teeth with difficulty: “My Dou
Qi disappearing… you did that?”
“Hehe, I had to do that, kid don’t be mad at me.”
“You F*CKER!”
The normally calm and composed Xiao Yan became enraged like a lunatic. His
small face was filled with savagery, and without caring that the ring was the
only memento of his mother, he ripped the ring off of his finger and flung it
over the cliff with all of his might.
As the ring left his hand, Xiao Yan’s mind finally cleared. Hurriedly he tried to
catch the flying ring but the ring had already passed cliff, freefalling down the
mountain…
Staring at the ring disappearing into the mist, Xiao Yan was stunned for a
long time. Finally, his face lost its savagery and calmed. He smacked his
forehead, upset: “Idiot that was too reckless, too reckless!”
To realize that the culprit of his humiliation for the past three years was the
ring he always wore, it was unsurprising that Xiao Yan reacted so violently.
After sitting at the edge of the cliff for a long time, Xiao Yan helplessly shook
his head. Standing up, he prepared to go back but his eyes widened and his
finger shakily pointed at the thing in front of him.
In front of Xiao Yan was the pitch-black ring, floating in the sky. But the thing
that surprised Xiao Yan the most was the transparent wizened figure above
the ring…
“Hehe, kid, you don’t need to be so mad do you? I only took three years of
your Dou Qi.” The transparent elder smiled at the stunned Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan’s mouth twitched and he pushing down his anger. He said: “Geezer,
since you were hiding within the ring, then you should know how much pain
you’ve caused me since you took my Dou Qi right?”
“But with these three years of humiliations, you’ve matured right? Do you
think that three years ago you would have had this kind of tolerance and
mindset?”
Xiao Yan furrowed his brows but his emotions started to calm down. After the
rage, a hint of happiness took over Xiao Yan. Since he knew why his Dou Qi
was disappearing, his talent had returned!
Thinking about the chance to take off the title of crippled that countless
others had put on him, Xiao Yan felt as if he had been reborn. The detestable
elder in front him didn’t look as annoying as before.
Some things, after they disappear, would make one start appreciating their
value! After losing and regaining it, one treasures it more!
Lightly twisting his wrist, Xiao Yan let out a long breath and said: “Even
though I don’t know who you are, I would like to know if you plan on staying
in the ring to steal my Dou Qi. If that’s the case then I would ask for you to
find a new owner, I can’t afford to keep on raising you.”
“Hehe, other people don’t have as strong of Soul Perception as you.” The
elder stroked his beard: “Since I already chose to appear, then before you
give me permission I won’t take your Dou Qi.”
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and sneered without saying anything. He had already
decided, regardless of anything the elder says, he would not keep that ring by
his side.
“Kid, do you want to become strong? Do you want to be respected by other?”
Even though Xiao Yan had already decided to not have anything more to do
with the elder, his heart started beating rapidly when he heard those words.
“I already know why my Dou Qi was disappearing and with my talent, why do
I need you to become strong?” Letting out a small breath, Xiao Yan smoothly
said. He knew that there were no free lunches in this world. To owe a
mysterious person a favor, isn’t a smart move.
“Kid, even though your talent is pretty good, you should know that you’re
already 15 but your Dou Qi is only at 3 Duan. I think that I heard that your
adult ceremony is next year right? Do you think that within a year, using your
talent and hard work you can get to 7 Duan Qi? In addition, the girl who you
promised to fight three years from now doesn’t have shabby talent either. You
want to catch up and surpass her? It’s not going to be easy.” The elder’s face
that was full of wrinkles blossomed like a Chrysanthemum.
“If you didn’t take my Dou Qi, then do you think that any of this would have
happened? You old f*cker!” After his biggest weakness was exposed, Xiao
Yan’s face darkened once again and he started to curse.
After cursing, Xiao Yan felt a hint of despair. In his current situation, no
matter how much he cursed, there would be no effect. The practice of Dou Qi
required a strong foundation. Back when he was four, it took him 6 years to
get to 9 Duan Dou Qi. Even with his talent, getting to 7 Duan Qi in just one
year was hopeless.
Sighing depressedly, Xiao Yan glanced at the pretentious elder. The edge of
his mouth curled and he asked: “Do you have a solution?”
“Maybe.” The elder vaguely replied.
“If you help me to get to 7 Duan Qi in just one year then I’ll forgive you for
taking my Dou Qi for three years. How’s that?” Xiao Yan probingly asked.
“Hehe, wishful thinking kid.”
“If you can’t help me then why should I keep you, someone useless, by my
side? You should find another unfortunate person…” Xiao Yan knew that the
transparent elder couldn’t randomly take Dou Qi from other people so he
knew that he had some leverage in the negotiations.
“You’re not even remotely close to a 15 year old young man. Looks like these
three years really helped you grow a lot. Did my plan backfire?” Looking at
the clever Xiao Yan, the elder paused and then dumbfoundedly shook his
head.
Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and lightly said: “If you want me to keep you
by my side then you should at least have some sincerity right?”
“What a sharp mouthed kid. Alright, alright, after all, I do need your help.”
Without another choice, the elder nodded and slowly came to the ground.
After examining Xiao Yan for a while, a treacherous smile spread across his
face. But as soon as it appeared, it left and the elder pondered for a moment
before unwilling asking: “Do you want to become an alchemist?”
 Chapter 9 – Yao Lao
“Alchemist?”
Hearing the elder’s words, Xiao Yan paused before continuing: “In the Dou Qi
mainland, everyone wants to become an Alchemist, but is it that easy to
become an alchemist? There are so many harsh requirements…” Suddenly,
Xiao Yan’s voice fell and he raised his head: “I MET THE REQUIREMENTS?”
Enjoying the shocked yet excited expression that Xiao Yan showed, the elder
stroked his beard slowly. After looking over Xiao Yan for a few more seconds,
he finally said with some helplessness: “Even though you barely make the cut,
I owe you a favor. Hah, whatever, I’ll let this count as the favor returned…”
Looking at the reluctant elder, Xiao Yan thought that the geezer was lying
about him barely making the cut, but he was too lazy to probe further.
Despite his excitement, he still had his suspicions. “Even if I make the cut,
alchemists are taught by other alchemists. Are you an alchemist?”
Looking at the suspicious little face of Xiao Yan, the elder straightened and
with pride he said, “Yup, I’m an alchemist!”
Blinking his eyes, Xiao Yan’s gaze at the elder became bright. Alchemists,
those are really rare…
“Mister, if you don’t mind me asking, what rank alchemist were you before?”
Xiao Yan licked his lips and his young voice was infused with a hint of respect.
In Dou Qi mainland, even though alchemists were very rare, there were still
differences between alchemists. From low to high, the stages for alchemists
range from the lowest, 1, to the highest, 9. The Pill King Gu He that made the
Gathering Qi Powder that Nalan Yanran offered was a sixth stage alchemist
and within the Jia Ma Empire, he could be considered to be the top alchemist!
“What stage? Hehe, I don’t remember … . Hey, kid, do you want to learn it or
not?” the elder impatiently asked while shaking his head.
gravitytranslations.com
“Of course, I want to!”
Xiao Yan didn’t hesitate anymore and hurriedly nodded with his small head.
Alchemists, even with forces as powerful as Faction of Misty Clouds, were
treated with respect and deference.
“Hehe, you want to? Since you want to, then you should pay your respects to
your teachers.” The elder sat on a green rock and coiled his legs beneath
himself.
“I need to pay my respects to my teacher?”
“Ridiculous! To not pay your respects and still expect me to teach you all that
I know? You’re dreaming!” The elder rolled his eyes, looks like the pedantic
elder really cared about these student-teacher relationships.
Helpless with a dour face, Xiao Yan could only respectfully pay his respects to
the elder to become an honorable alchemist.
After watching Xiao Yan finish paying his respects, the elder finally nodded his
head, satisfied. In his voice, a hint of intimacy appeared: “My name is Yao
Lao. As for my origin, you don’t need to know for now so that you don’t get
distracted. All you need to know is that the Pill King is … only trash in my
eyes.”
The edges of his mouth twitching, Xiao Yan watched the elder’s carefree
expression and thought: What is this geezer? The famous Pill King Gu He in
Jia Ma Empire is only trash? If this spreads then the whole of Jia Ma would
probably assume that he’s mentally ill.
Lightly taking in a breath and pushing down his shock, Xiao Yan’s eyes darted
around and with some droll he asked: “Umm teacher, how will you help me to
get to 7 Duan Qi within one year?”
“Even though for the past three years your Dou Qi has always been declining,
your foundation in Dou Qi is much firmer than other people. In Dou Qi
training, the foundation is the most important! Later, you’ll be able to discover
how many benefits these three years have brought you!” Yao Lao’s smile
slowly disappeared and he took on a more serious expression.
Xiao Yan was stunned, he was never told that having one’s strength taken
away would bring benefits.
“Then when are you going to teach me alchemy?” Xiao Yan steered his
thoughts onto the most important thing.
“To become an alchemist, you need to have Dou Qi of the Fire-Attribute. So,
before you become an alchemist you have to at least become a Dou Zhe and
learn a fire attribute Dou Qi method!”
Xiao Yan held out his hand and laughingly asked: “Fire attribute Dou Qi
method? Hehe, teacher, since I’m your student, you should give me a Tian
Level fire attribute Dou Qi method, right?”
Hearing that, Yan Lao indignantly scolded Xiao Yan: “Really? Do you think
that Tian Stage Dou Qi Methods are like potatoes in the ground? How could
you say something like that?!”
“Geezer, since I’ve already become your student, you can’t possibly let me go
into my clan to find Dou Qi methods, right? Our clan’s top fire attribute Dou
Qi method is only a high huang level. That’s way too shabby for an
alchemist!” Xiao Yan’s face showed how depressed he was.
“Brat, I’m your teacher, not a geezer!”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s disrespectful words, Yao Lao rolled his eyes when he
realized that Xiao Yan didn’t care about being respectful to his elders.
“Hmph! Since you’re my student, I wouldn’t let you practice some shabby
methods. Tian Stage Methods? I don’t have them! But I have a method that’s
a lot stronger than a normal Tian Stage Method. Do you want to learn it?”
Yao Lao’s turbid old eyes suddenly became conspiratorial.
“Stronger than a Tian Stage Dou Qi Method?”
His heart beats rapidly. Xiao Yan swallowed some saliva and in his pitch black
eyes, a hint of anticipation could be found. “Then what level Dou Qi Method is
it?”
“Low Huang Level.” Yao Lao’s light laughter made Xiao Yan’s face stiffen.
“Geezer, you were playing me?”
A furious voice sounded on the peak of the mountain.
Looking at the twisted face of the young man, Yao Lao started laughing. To
be able to make the calm Xiao Yan that mad, he had a feeling of
accomplishment.
“What’s strange about that Dou Qi Method?” Watching Yao Lao´s bantering
face, Xiao Yan suddenly calmed down.
“It can evolve!”
Xiao Yan’s eyes widened and without blinking, Xiao Yan stared at Yao Lao’s
face, trying to find a hint that Yao Lao was lying, but after a few seconds, he
shook his head: “No way! I’ve never heard of any Dou Qi method that can
evolve!”
“Huu, what do you know? Dou Qi mainland is huge and strange people and
things happen all the time. In your limited mind, you haven’t even gone
outside of Jia Ma Empire. There are tons of impossible things that are actually
possible.”
Xiao Yan paused before saying: “Then have you ever heard about Dou Qi
Methods that can evolve?”
Yao Lao’s smile stiffened: “Because there aren’t any other like it, this Dou Qi
Method is unique!”
“It can evolve?” Looking at Yao Lao’s serious face, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but
ask again.
“It can evolve!” Yao Lao seriously nodded.
“Have you tried it?”
“Oh… No.”
“Have other people tried it?”
“Oh… No.”
On Xiao Yan’s forehead, a vein could be seen. With his hands curled tightly,
Xiao Yan tried to resist his impulse to go over and punch the elder. “If no one
else has ever tried it, then how do you know that it can evolve?”
“It’s explained like that on the Dou Qi Method.”
“There really are such Dou Qi Methods?” His brows furrowed, Xiao Yan
hesitated before saying: “Can you let me see it?”
“Hehe…” Looking at the curious Xiao Yan, Yao Lao’s mouth opened, but what
came out wasn’t what Xiao Yan was expecting. “Never mind. There’s no use if
you see it now so why don’t you become a Dou Zhe first before I pass it on to
you.”
Xiao Yan’s outstretched hand paused and after the edge of his mouth
twitched for a while, he spat out three words: “You’re ruthless!”
Happily laughing, Yao Lao ignored the anger-filled pupils of Xiao Yan and
said: “Our current mission is to get your Dou Qi up to 7 Duan within 1 year.”
Xiao Yan pushed down his curiosity and anger for the Dou Qi Method and
asked with clenched teeth, “How are you going to do that?”
Yao Lao with a serious face said: “When one begins to train their Dou Qi,
their main focus is to build muscle and strengthen internal Qi paths so that
they have a foundation for when they materialize their Dou Qi within their
body. Because people at your age have weak internal Qi paths and can be
molded, you need to take the training process step by step and you can’t use
outside force to boost your training speed or else in the future when your Dou
Qi becomes stronger, your internal Qi paths won’t be able to withstand the
force of Dou Qi pushing through the paths and your Qi paths would burst
which would be when you would die.”
Xiao Yan knew this as well as Yao Lao because in the three years that he was
crippled, his father was very worried and quite a few times, he tried to
forcibly push Dou Qi into Xiao Yan’s body, but every time, at the last second,
he would stop so Xiao Yan knew the stakes involved.
Yao Lao glanced at the calm Xiao Yan and satisfiedly nodded his head. “But
that only applies to others. You’re different. Your internal foundation was
already solid and reliable three years ago and since then because of your firm
personality, you never stopped training your Qi. Therefore, your foundation
right now, I can say that it is great!”
“So you want to use outside forces to train my Qi? Like pills?”
“Pretty much. But with the toughness of your Qi paths right now, you won’t
be able to take the force of any of the pills going through your Qi paths. Even
the rudimentary Gathering Qi Powder, you wouldn’t be able to use!”
“The rudimentary Gathering Qi Powder…” Xiao Yan wanted to roll his eyes
again. In Jia Ma Empire, a Gathering Qi Powder would fetch sky-high prices.
But from his teacher, these Gathering Qi Powder became the most
rudimentary things. The difference between the two left Xiao Yan stunned.
“Then your plan?” Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan recovered and furrowed his
brows again.
“Hehe, since pills are too fierce and can hurt your Qi paths, we need to use a
milder method!” Yao Lao smiles and says: “Tomorrow, prepare for me three
complete stalks of Purple Leaved Bluegrass, where the older they are, the
better. Also, I need two stalks of Bone Washing Flower, the age of it doesn’t
matter. Oh right, I’ll also need a level 1 wood attributed monster core. These
are all low-grade material so you should be able to get them… Someone’s
coming, I’ll go back into the ring! Also, don’t let anyone else know of my
existence, including your closest family.” After saying that, Yao Lao ignored
the stunned Xiao Yan and jumped into the black ring. The ring shakes a bit
and flies onto Xiao Yan’s finger.
“Three stalks of Purple Leaved Bluegrass? Two stalks of Bone Washing
Flower? A wood attribute monster core? Geezer, are you sure that’s right? Do
you think that I’m some royal prince? These things, added altogether costs
over a thousand gold coin! After a few years of saving money to the point
where I would skip meals and never spend on luxury items, I only have 400
gold coins. That’s only enough for one level 1 wood attribute monster core!”
Xiao Yan pointed at the motionless ring and cursed.
“That’s your own problem. Hehe, other people would lust after my nourishing
fluids, but all I’m asking is for you to get the money for the material and
you’re already crying about that…” Yao Lao’s taunting laughter sounded
within Xiao Yan’s heart.
“Damn it! The things that alchemists make can only be afforded by rich
people.” Xiao Yan helplessly laughed. His allowance each month was only 20
gold coins. This was by no means a small amount; it would be enough for a
small normal family to feed themselves for an entire year! But the money that
he had was barely enough to buy one of the items that Yao Lao required. This
is the difference between alchemists and other people!
“Hah, looks like I have to borrow it from someone…” Sighing a depressed
breath, Xiao Yan slowly regained his composure and his small face recovered
to his normal calm face. Turning his head towards the path up the mountain,
he could make out a purple figure climbing the mountain like a spirit.
 Chapter 10 – Borrowing Money
Tiptoeing on the rocks, Xiao Xun was like a beautiful purple butterfly with
hypnotizing curves as she gracefully scaled the mountain. As she looks
upward, her gaze focuses toward the youth standing next to the cliff.
Looking at the youth, Xiao Xun felt surprised. Even though it had only been a
couple of hours, she noticed that compare to before, Xiao Yan has obtained
something…
When their eyes meet, she finally realized what Xiao Yan has regained. His
own confidence.
After three years, Xiao Yan’s brilliance has returned at last.
Indulging in the transparent lingering on Xiao Yan’s lips, two dimples appear
Xiao Xun’s pretty face: “Looks like Xiao Yan didn’t need Xun Er to come and
comfort him…”
“People grow after experiencing hardships, don’t they?” Xiao Yan shrugs his
shoulders.
“She will definitely regret it.”
Xun Er curls her lips and says the words as if she were a judge having the
final say on a court case.
Xiao Yan lightly smiles, pats his clothes and walks towards her.
When he gets near her, looking at Xun Er who’s about the same height, he
glances at the young but nevertheless pretty face. Suddenly Xiao Yan feels
dizzy, remembering the girl who would be drooling all the time and following
Xiao Yan everywhere. She’s so pretty now…
Lightly smiling, Xiao Yan’s gaze softens and he rudely pinches Xiao Xun’s face
underneath her shocked look: “Xun Er’s grown up! But you turned out fine,
not forgetting how Xiao Yan ge-ge would be covered with bruises trying to
pick fruit from the trees.”
Stunned at Xiao Yan’s intimate actions, Xun Er stiffens for a whole second
before her pitch-black, free of impurities, eyes smiles.
When she was still small, Xiao Yan loved to pinches her cheeks but ever since
the event three years ago, he set up an invisible wall next to his heart and
pushed everyone out. No matter how hard she tried, she would always be
disappointed by the cold and impassive attitude of his…
He’s back… But, it seems like he still considers me to be immature, he’s such
a log… Xun Er complains in her heart after an instant, Xun Er criticizes herself
for being too greedy.
“Xun Er, for these past three years, please don’t blame Xiao Yan ge-ge for
being like that. I was living day by day but thankfully you were always by my
side.” Xiao Yan awkwardly nods his head and apologizes.
Xun Er sweetly smiles. The grievances she had endured for the past three
years disappeared with the awkward apology.
“Hah, oh right. Xun Er… How much money do you have?” Letting go of Xun
Er’s face, Xiao Yan does a hollow laugh and asks.
In his clan, with the exception of his father, Xun Er was the only person that
was in a good relationship with him. He had just shamed his father this
morning so he could not bear to face his father to ask for money, which is
why he asked Xun Er.
gun truyện: TruyệnYY.
“Money?” Blinking her crystal clear eyes, Xun Er is taken by surprise: “Xiao
Yan ge-ge needs money?”
“Yes… I want to buy some items, though I’m a bit short.” Xiao Yan felt
embarrassed, this was the first time he borrowed money from a girl.
Looking at the usual frigid Xiao Yan now in distress, Xiao Xun Er looks at a
completely different person. Covering her mouth and smiling cutely: “I have
more than a thousand gold coins, is that enough? If not…”
While speaking, Xun Er’s fingers behind her swiftly flick and a purple gold card
suddenly appears between her fingers. On the card are five different waves of
color.
5 Wave Purple Cold Card, in Dou Qi mainland, you have to be at least a Dou
Ling(If Dou Zhe is first, Dou Ling is 4th) to have the honor of using this type
of gold card that represents their rank, Of course, some special powers also
have the privilege of getting the card.
“That’s enough, that’s enough…” Happily nodding his head, Xiao Yan
forcefully tried to stop himself from pinching Xun Er’s cute face.
“Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back later.” Xiao Yan promises while patting his
chest.
“You don’t need to pay me back…” Xun Er pouts and quickly hides her purple
gold card.
“Let’s go! It’s almost night now, tomorrow I’ll bring you to Wu Tang City for a
walk.” Xiao Yan waved towards the girl and cheerfully descended the
mountain.
Standing still, Xun Er delightfully looked at the youth who had regained his
boldness from three years ago, Smiling softly, she murmured: “Nalan Yanran,
should I despise you or be grateful to you?”
Early morning, the sun shone warmly through the window onto the body of
the cross-legged youth in meditation.
“Whew…”
After meditating nearly all night, Xiao Yan inhaled deeply, a translucent white
airflow that was visible to the naked eyes went through his mouth and nose
and into his body, nursing his body and bones.
White light shined from his eyes as he suddenly opened his eyes. Xiao Yan
stretched himself and passionately says “This is exactly this feeling, after
three years, the feeling of Qi has returned!”
He slowly gets out of his bed, exercises himself a bit, before starting
changing. From outside the room, Xun Er’s voice softly carries inside: “Xiao
Yan ge-ge, still sleeping?”
She arrived here so early. Shaking his head, Xiao Yan turned around and then
searched his drawers. Finally, with reluctance, he pulled out a small box and
carefully opened it. He narrowed his eyes from the glint of silver inside that
box.
“And this is my entire savings…” Holding his money box, Xiao Yan smiled
bitterly while shaking his head.
Xiao Yan gently smiled as he walked out of his room and saw the dazzling girl
in front of his door.
Xun Er had changed into a pale green outfit that made her looked even more
naturally beautiful. She also had a pair of tight pants that stretched across her
slender thighs and long legs, emphasizing her curves.
With long legs, Xun Er can be compared to young girls on earth, full of
youthful vitality and seductivity, of course, she has her special elegance which
Xiao Yan had never seen on any other girl but her…
“Here, it’s what you’ll need.” Looking at Xiao Yan exiting his room, Xun Er
smiled and handed him a black card. This is a common card, the maximum it
can contain is only 5000 gold coins.
Receiving the black card, Xiao Yan teases: “Little girl, why are you wearing
such an attractive outfit? Could it be you’re having a date with somebody
else?”
“Yeah, this is the first time in three years that Xiao Yan ge-ge has invited me
out, Xun Er is very flattered so of course I have to dress up a little.” Xiao
Yan’s intimate tease made Xun Er’s eyes bend into a shallow crescent shape
while smiling coquettishly.
Reluctantly shaking his head, Xiao Yan smiles back happily. They chat while
walking together towards the city, at about halfway, they were greeted by
some clansmen looking at their affectionate conversation with a strange face.
Xun Er, be it beauty or talent, is the brightest pearl of the young generation in
the clan. She usually is friendly to everybody but under her light smile is
indifference, greetings with her are easy, but to start a long conversation
would be very difficult.
Ignoring the looks of the other clansmen, Xian Yan quickly leads Xun Er out of
the clan before slowing down and leisurely peeking at the stall on the side of
the street…
Wu Tang City lives up to its name of being one of the larger cities in Jia Ma
Empire by the sheer number of people living in it. Even though the sun was
beating down, on the streets were thousands if not tens of thousands of
people, there would even be one or two bizarre races.
Maybe it was because of Xiao Yan beside her, but Xun Er became a lot more
active after she exited the clan. She tugged the reluctant Xiao Yan into a
variety of stall. Her tender laughter made the scorching street a little cooler.
When Xun Er finally got tired, Xiao Yan finally brang her to the nearby
Pharmacy. After spending about 900 gold coins, he bought 3 stalks of 20 year
Purple Leaved Bluegrass along with two stalks of 5 year Bone Washing Grass.
These were both low end materials and would be able to bought at a regular
pharmacy. For higher end materials, Xiao Yan would have had to find them
himself or buy them at an auction or if he was lucky, in a high end pharmacy.
Looking at the rapidly decreasing funds, Xiao Yan bitterly smiled. He realized
how important money was in Dou Qi Mainland…
Anyways, he got all of the herbs, all that was left was the level one wood
attributed monster core!
 Chapter 11 – The Market
Monster cores, in the Dou Qi Mainland, they are also known as Magic Crystals.
The Monster Core is the energy nuclei within a magic monster. The monster
core is filled with extremely violent world energy. When facing this kind of
violent world energy, even a Dou Wang wouldn’t risk absorbing a monster
core.
Even though Monster cores cannot be absorbed directly, it is a core ingredient
in alchemy. A monster core that goes through an Alchemist’s’ refining can be
infused with some herbs to become desirable and expensive pills that can
increases one’s strength.
Furthermore, monster cores can be placed on weapons. The weapon that has
been fused with a monster core does not only have increased destructive
power, it can also have special Dou Qi effects, and becomes a highly sought
after commodity in the Dou Qi Mainland.
Besides weapons, Monster Cores can also be added to armors and defensive
equipment. The defensive equipment that have Monster Cores have an
extreme defense and give their users an extra safety net when they’re in
danger.
With that many uses, monster cores are naturally the most sought after items
within the Dou Qi Mainland. Not only Dou Zhes but even respectable
Alchemists search in person for high level monster cores in order to create
higher quality level pills.
Under such demand, the supply for monster cores on the mainland is always
unable to meet the demand from the buyers, thus whenever a high level core
appears in any auction or other setting, it was bought immediately at a high
price.
Because of the high value of monster cores, many mercenary groups
specialize in killing magic monsters for a living but getting a monster core is
not a simple task.
First, magic monsters are not only extremely strong but also very cunning.
Because of their devious nature and special attacking methods, magical
beasts can be much stronger than humans of the same rank. Hence, without
outstanding power of your own, trying to kill a magical beast on your own is
impossible and may possibly lose your life without getting a magical core.
Even if you do kill a magic beast, not all magical beasts possess a magic core,
the probability of a magical beast having a core is almost random so a
mercenary group could have half of their force killed trying to kill a magic
monster and yet not find a core. These kinds of incidents happen all the time
in Dou Qi Mainland…
Thus the price of monster cores in Dou Qi Mainland are all very expensive.
Bringing Xun Er through twisting alleys, Xiao Yan finally arrives at a market
that’s slightly south in the city. In Wu Tang city there are a few medium sized
markets and all of them are controlled by one of the three clans. The market
Xiao Yan is going in is under Xiao clan’s control.
Even though it’s under Xiao clan’s control, Xiao Clan is actually only
maintaining order and safety in the market. And for compensation, be it
mercenaries or merchants who set up stalls, they have to pay taxes to the
clan, this is the rule of Dou Qi Mainland for a long time and rarely anybody
would try to go against it.
At the front entrance of the market, there were two guards from Xiao clan.
They undoubtedly knew Xiao Yan and Xun Er, judging from when the guards
saw them coming, the guards paused and immediately bowed.
Slightly nodding his head, Xiao Yan walked inside and looking at the
neverending stream of people, he couldn’t help himself from licking his lips.
No wonder the clan keeps the market under strict control, with this many
people visiting the market, the profits for the clan can’t be low…
“Third young master, Miss Xun Er, would you like to buy something in the
market?” Right when the two were dizzy looking at the sheer number of
people, a respectful voice sounded behind them.
Hearing the sound, Xiao Yan turned his head. Behind him were seven to eight
guys that were wearing the Xiao Clan’s uniform. The speaker appeared to be
a 30 years old mature man, wearing a badge with 6 gold stars, he is obviously
a six star Dou Zhe.
Noticing the doubt in Xiao Yan’s eyes, the man honestly smiled and said:
“Third young master, I’m called Pei En. The clan leader appointed me to be
the leader of the guards for maintaining safety in the market. Ah! Last year
during young master’s birthday, I, Pei En came…”
“Oh, it’s Uncle Pei En!”
Xiao Yan blinked and even though he does not have any impression of Pei En,
his introduction made Xiao Yan smile. Since the man was personally
appointed by his father, he would naturally be his subordinate, there would be
no issues with loyalty.
Even though the Xiao Clan wasn’t some big and influential force, the clan was
divided into different factions. If the man standing in front of him was under
the control of the elders, he would have never been so kind and would have
just said some customary greetings.
“I was bored in the clan so I decided to come out and look around. Uncle Pei
En, you should go and do your work, if I have any questions, I’ll be sure to
ask you.” Xiao Yan’s young voice didn’t have any hints of arrogance that a
normal young master might have; instead, his voice was soft and respectful,
anyone who heard it would feel a slight sense of pride and joy.
With another Uncle, the smile on Pei En’s face widened and became more
sincere. Nodding his head, he said: “Then enjoy looking around third young
master. Our people are all over the market so if you need anything then just
call out for us.”
Respectfully nodding his head, Xiao Yan pulls Xun Er and plunged into the
horde of people, disappearing from Pei En’s sight…
“Pa Li, bring two men and follow Third Young Master. Also, warn the thieves
in the market that if any of them have any ideas on Third Young Master or
Xun Er then they don’t need to be in this market anymore.” Looking at the
disappearing young boy and girl, Pei En turned around and his honest face
was replaced by a cunning and capable face.
“Yes, captain!” One of the men lowly answered and with a wave of his hand,
him and two other men also go into the multitudes of people.
“Haha, Third Young Master is still so gentle, it allows people to be relaxed
around him…” Looking at the three men mixing in with the crowd, Pei En
smiles but in an instant, the smile turns into a frown and he sighed: “Third
Young Master is such a nice person, it’s regretful, haa…”
Regretfully shaking his head, Pei En leads his remaining underlings and goes
to patrol the streets.
Lazily following Xiao Yan, Xun Er “accidentally” glance behind her and smiled:
“Xiao Yan ge-ge. Pei En’s quite nice.”
Xiao Yan answered with a yup and scans towards a nearby stall. His soul
perception was far greater than normal people so he could detect the guards
following him. Looking back forward, Xiao Yan slows down and walks side by
side with Xun Er. Tilting his head, he jokes: “9 Duan Qi and already able to
detect three hiding guards. Xun Er, pretty good…”
Xun Er copies Xiao Yan and cutely shrugged her shoulders, bringing out her
trump card: Smile, Stay silent!
Looking at the silent Xun Er, a smile began to form on his lips. Lightly patting
her head, he whispers: “Even though I don’t know who you are or where
you’re from, I do know that you are my sister and no matter what happens in
the future, I will always protect you.” Lightly smiling, Xiao Yan speeds up and
breaks out of his line from Xun Er.
Her feet stopping, Xun Er stared with her beautiful eyes at the back of the
young man that just talked with her. After pausing for a while, a smile begins
to creep onto her delicate face.
Within the crowd, her figure was swaying back and forth, like a lotus, elegant
and pretty…
“Sister? Xun Er is a very greedy girl though…” Tilting her head, Xun Er
mutters and then quickly catches up to the young man in front of her.
Following Xiao Yan while he examines the stalls by the side, Xun Er and Xiao
Yan slowly move into the more populated and expensive inner parts of the
market. The people that come here to buy and sell usually have decent
money or physical power.
While Xiao Yan was engrossed in trying to find a Monster Core, Xiao Xun who
was bored, walked up to a clean stall and with her pale-white hand picks up a
light green bracelet. The bracelet wasn’t crafted with anything special but it
had a hint of Ice Silver which made it feel cold to the touch, perfect for hot
summer days. In addition, even though the material was quite plain, the
craftsmanship wasn’t bad…
Right when Xun Er decided to buy the bracelet, she remembered that she had
loaned all of her money to Xiao Yan. Slightly turning around and seeing the
busy young man, she could only helplessly shake her head and smile at the
old stall owner. Putting down the bracelet, she lazily started moving forward…
Her calm manner wouldn’t let her ask anyone to buy anything for her, even if
it was Xiao Yan….
After walking forward for a bit, right when the bored Xun Er decided to go
back to Xiao Yan, a clear laughter rings from ahead.
“Huh, isn’t this Ms. Xun Er? Hehe, I wouldn’t have thought to find you here, it
must be fate.”
Her thin brow lightly furrowing, Xun Er tried to find the source of the voice
but only saw a group of people. The group was following behind a luxuriously
dressed young man.
The young man was only 20+ years old and was quite handsome. His face
was slightly pale but his eyes were filled with heat and were staring at the
young girl standing in front of him. Within his gaze was also an unrestrained
hint of lust.
 Chapter 12 – Stay Away from Him
Looking at the delighted handsome youth, Xun Er’s slim eyebrows wrinkled.
Not paying attention to his call, she turned away.
“Miss Xun Er!”
Looking at Xun Er from the side, the handsome but pale young man became
immediately anxious and quickly crossed to block her from the front.
Blocked by the youth, Xun Er stopped her steps. Her pair of long and beautiful
eyes were lazily narrowed staring at him. Yet she did not utter a single word.
“Miss Xun Er…” Stared at by pupils that were like water drops and despite the
fact that he was used to flirting with beauties, his breathing became
somewhat hurried. His clever tongue had lost all of its use for the moment.
“Jia Lie Ao young master, if there isn’t anything urgent, please get out the
way. I still have to do something.”
Looking at this somewhat flush youth, Xun Er finally spoke. Her soft and
young voice made the young man’s pale face flush with a sick red.
“Hehe, Miss Xun Er, have you come to the market to buy something? I’m
quite free right now so why don’t we look around the market together?”
Taking a deep breath within his mind, Jia Lie Ao’s smile was open and gentle.
This smile along with his status and handsomeness had successfully landed
him quite a few girls.
“Jia Lie Ao young master, I already said that I have something to do! Can you
move aside?” Xun Er’s small mouth curves upward and her voice was smooth
without any hint of irritation.
Being rejected by Xun Er, the edges of Jia Lie Ao’s mouth twitched but he
kept his smile and pulled out a bracelet from his pockets. The bracelet was a
light blue gold color and was made from Blue Gold. From the bracelet hanged
a smoothed green ball-like monster core. A soft green was emitted from the
monster core and scattered its light on the bracelet, giving it a special hue.
Looks like this intricate bracelet costs a lot!
“Hehe, since Miss Xun Er has something to do then I, Jia Lie Ao won’t block
you anymore.” Jiao Lei Ao tightly clutched the bracelet and smiles: “This was
a bracelet that I just bought in the market, even though it’s not too
expensive, it has a level one wood attribute monster core which greatly helps
in the recovery of Dou Qi. Since Miss Xun Er hasn’t become a Dou Zhe yet,
this bracelet is perfect for you. This is just a small gift of mine so please don’t
say no. After all, I would lose face in front of my underlings…” At the end, Jia
Lie Ao purposefully lowered his voice and the underlings around him, as if it
was a play, grinned on cue.
Looking at Jia Lie Ao’s actions, Xun Er’s brow lifted. She didn’t know how to
deal with such a person.
Right when she was about to refuse, her sight fell onto the green monster
core on the bracelet and remembered how Xiao Yan was busily trying to find
a wood attribute monster core. Her long eyelashes lightly blinked and her
impassive face relaxed a bit…
Looking at Xun Er’s relaxed face, Jia Lie Ao’s heart flutters happily and quickly
pushes the Wood Attribute Bracelet forward: “Miss Xun Er, there’s no need to
be courteous. Jia Lie Clan and Xiao Clan are both in the top three clans of Wu
Tang City so exchanging little gifts is common.”
“I’ll take the bracelet and remove the monster core and give to Xiao Yan ge-
ge. As for the bracelet, when he’s not paying attention… I’ll throw it away.”
With this mischievous thought, Xun Er didn’t hesitate anymore and stretches
her hand out, about to take the bracelet. Suddenly a hand grabs her hand
and stops her from taking the bracelet.
Right when her hand was grabbed, Xun Er pauses in shock before having the
Dou Qi in her body flowing in order to protect herself. But right when her
hand was about to go free from the grasp, a young male hmph made her
obediently stop struggling.
Looking behind her, Xun Er saw Xiao Yan. When her sight moved a bit higher,
she saw a harsh young face.
“Don’t you know what he’s like?” Scowling at Xun Er, Xiao Yan criticized
himself in his mind. Then he looks up and says: “Jia Lie Ao young master,
your thought is graciously accepted by Xun Er but as for the gift, you should
take it back.”
Looking at the destroyed atmosphere, a hint of anger flashed within Jia Lie
Ao’s eyes. But, in front of Xun Er, he tried to keep his “gentlemanly” air and
waxily smiles: “Xiao Yan young master, I saw that Miss Xun Er didn’t have any
jewelry so I wanted to help her a bit. Do you not want to let her have a few
small trinkets to accentuate her beauty?”
Helplessly sighing, Xiao Yan glances at the Wood Attribute bracelet in Jia Lie
Ao’s hand and took out another green bracelet and with some frustration,
asks: “Do you really like bracelets? Here you go, don’t take other people’s
stuff for no reason. I already told you that there is no such thing as a free
lunch. The ones who offer free stuff always have a hidden motive. With your
innocent look, you may have been sold by someone and still wouldn’t know
what had happened.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s words that were obviously directed at him, Jia Lie Ao’s
face becomes cold. But when he saw the bracelet on Xiao Yan’s hand, he
couldn’t help but laugh.
The bracelet in Xiao Yan’s hands, from a material standpoint, couldn’t have
costed more that 5 Gold Coins. While, his Wood Attribute Bracelet, which had
an authentic monster core, cost an entire 1000+ gold coins. The two
bracelets, no matter how you look at it, either price or actual usefulness, had
a huge difference and Xiao Yan’s bracelet couldn’t even compare to the Wood
Attribute Bracelet. So, when Jia Lie Ao saw Xiao Yan giving such a poor
bracelet to the beautiful Xun Er, he couldn’t help but criticize Xiao Yan: “Xiao
Yan, I know that you don’t have a high position in your clan, but… but why
would you give such pitiful thing to Xun Er?”
Ignoring Jia Lie Ao’s taunt, Xiao Yan looked at the young girl who was staring
at the bracelet in his hand and hurriedly asked: “Do you want it or not? If you
don’t then I’ll just throw it away, it was only 2-3 gold coins.”
“Haa….” Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, not only did Jia Lie Ao start laughing, his
underlings also started to laugh at Xiao Yan with a ridiculing tone.
But the ridiculing laugh didn’t continue for long before being cut off as if they
had just had their necks cut off. On everyone was a hilariously stunned face.
Xun Er who had been stunned, responded quickly to Xiao Yan’s words. Her
two hands almost instinctively reached out and snatched the bracelet in Xiao
Yan’s hand. After getting the bracelet, Xun Er realized what she had done,
perhaps she had acted a bit too impatient…
A light red blush appeared on her delicate face but Xun Er wasn’t like other
people and after a slight period of embarrassment, she graciously hooked the
bracelet onto her white wrist. Raising her head and giving a coy smile, she
said: “Thank you Xiao Yan ge-ge.”
With an ugly face, Jia Lie Ao stared at Xun Er who was quite intimate with
Xiao Yan. On his face was apparent jealousy and he said: “Hehe, I didn’t
realize that Miss Xun Er’s preferences were so unique. I guess I’ve been
mistaken.”
Xiao Yan glances at Jia Lie Ao in front of him and his gaze landed on the gold
star at his chest. He strangely thought: When I saw him last year, he was
only 9 Duan Qi right? Who would have thought that he would be successful in
compressing his Dou Qi Cyclone. But, to become a Dou Zhe at the age of 21,
his talent is barely decent…
Seeing that Jia Lie Ao had no intention of leaving, Xiao Yan pursed his lips.
His wasn’t affected by the power and status behind Jia Lie Ao and since the
Xiao Clan and Jia Lie Clan didn’t have good relations in the first place, there
was no need for him to act humble. Stroking his nose, Xiao Yan lightly said:
“Jia Lia Ao young master, your womanizer habits are known by the entire Wu
Tang City. Xun Er is still young and doesn’t have time to play with your flirting
games so hopefully you can go after other girls in the future.”
“Stay away from him!”
After speaking to Jia Lie Ao, Xiao Yan ignored the green-faced Jia Lie Ao and
used his age as an advantage to arrogantly speak to Xun Er.
“Okay.”
Xun Er’s agile eyes blinked and nodded without any hesitation. To her, Jia Lie
Ao was just a stranger that she saw a couple of times while Xiao Yan, for her,
was irreplaceable. Since Xiao Yan told her to stay away from Jia Lie Ao, she’ll
just stay away from him.
The choice wasn’t a hard one for Xun Er.
 Chapter 13 – Black Metal Piece
Seeing Xun Er nod at Xiao Yan’s words, Jia Lie Ao’s mouth started twitching.
He curled his fists and stared coldly at the calm and impassive young man
before him.
Jia Lie Ao’s underlings, seeing that their young master was quite angry,
quickly walked forward and surrounded both, Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun. Their
gazes revealing their bad intentions.
Even though it was deep within the market, there were still quite a few
people around and they turned their questioning gazes towards the
surrounded group. Xiao Yan and Jia Lie Ao had quite a reputation in Wu Tang
City, Xiao Yan for his fall from genius to cripple and Jia Lie Ao for his less than
honorable encounters with other women. Even though they were infamous,
they were still well known within the city.
Looking Jia Lie Ao’s group’s movements, Xiao Yan’s brow jumped and on his
young face, a hint of confidence creeped. Lightly turning his head, he whistled
towards a spot within the market.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s actions, everyone turned their head to the direction in
which Xiao Yan whistled and saw the market’s guards furiously coming over
under the lead of Pei En.
With his fellow guards, Pei En rushed towards Xiao Yan and quickly, the
market’s guards surrounded Jia Lie Ao’s underlings who were surrounding
Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun.
“Third young master, anything wrong?” Walking up to Xiao Yan, Pei En swept
his glance over Jia Lie Ao and then respectfully asked Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan lightly smiles and turned to face the green-faced Jia Lie Ao. He
nonchalantly said: “Jia Lie Ao young master, this market is controlled by Xiao
Clan, are you sure you want to fight here?”
Jia Lie Ao’s eyes revealed his fear for Pei En but he immediately sneered at
Xiao Yan: “Do you only know to rely on your clan? If you are a man…”
“What you want to say is, if I am a man then I would fight you one on one.
Right?” Xiao Yan waved his hand and cut Jia Lie Ao off.
Jia Lie Ao sneered again and with a hint of challenge, he said: “Yup, are you
afraid?”
Looking at the arrogant face of Jia Lie Ao, Xiao Yan helplessly sighed and puts
his hand up to feel his forehead. Moments later, he raised his head and
shrugs his shoulder and with innocence and naivety, he asked: “Jia Lie Ao
young master, I would like to ask, how old are you?”
The edge of Jia Lie Ao’s mouth twitched and he doesn’t respond.
“Big guy, you’re already twenty one. How old am I? Fifteen! You’re actually
asking a kid that hasn’t performed his coming of age ritual to fight you? Don’t
you feel that your request is over the top, don’t you feel embarrassed?” Xiao
Yan’s innocent appearance was so realistic that Xun Er beside him couldn’t
help but let out a soft laugh.
“Haha…”
Hearing the young man’s words, the mercenary and merchant stall owners
also let out laughs. Xiao Yan was right, at his current age, Xiao Yan could only
be considered a kid but Jia Lie Ao would be considered an adult. A challenge
of this kind made everyone look down upon Jia Lie Ao.
The laughter of the crowd was like a bucket of cold water and helped Jia Lie
Ao regain his calm. From Xiao Yan’s maturity and calmness to his impassive
attitude, it was extremely easy for people to forget how old he really was.
Therefore, after Xiao Yan said his age, Jia Lie Ao finally remembered that the
young man standing in front of him was only fifteen.
Gnashing his teeth, Jia Lie Ao looked at the leering guards behind Xiao Yan
and realized that he didn’t have any chance of retaliation today. He could only
shake his head and coldly say: “One more year and you’ll be undergoing the
coming of age ritual right? Hehe, I think that someone as crippled as you,
once you finish the coming of age ritual, will only be sent to some remote and
poor village. At that time, you won’t even have the power to enter Wu Tang
City, pretty pitiful.”
Xiao Yan lightly smiles and nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders.
Jia Lie Ao’s eyelids flickered. He didn’t know why but whenever he saw the
calm face of the young man in front of him, a mysterious rage boiled within
him. You’re only a cripple and trying to act like you know everything…
Forcefully suppressing his anger, Jia Lie Ao let out a cold hmph and with a
wave of his hand, commands his underlings to exit the crowd.
“Oh right….” His steps stopping, Jia Lie Ao seemed to have remembered
something and turning back, he said: “ Xiao Yan young master, I heard that
your Xiao Clan had their marriage with the Nalan Clan revoked. Hehe,
actually, that isn’t unexpected. With your Qi talent, you just can’t match the
Miss Nalan. Haha…” After saying that, Jia Lie Ao left laughing.
Xiao Yan’s gaze coldly followed the exit of Jia Lie Ao. Tightly holding Xun Er
who was about to rush out, he quietly said: “He’s just a mad dog.If he bites
you, why should you bite back?”
“But he.. went too far. We can’t just let him off like this?” Her eyebrows
furrowing, Xun Er indignantly replied.
“There will always be an opportunity…” Xiao Yan smirked and the coldness
coming from his voice made Pei En shuddered. A lion’s bite might not be that
scary but a lion that knows patience is another story, a scary one…
“Uncle Pei En, sorry for troubling you.” Xiao Yan turned back and smiled
gently toward Pei En’s group. The previously intense atmosphere all of a
sudden changed into a lighthearted mood.
Impressed by the control over emotions that Xiao Yan exercised, Pei En’s
smile was reinforced by a sense of respect. Even with Xiao Yan’s lack of
talent, Xiao Yan’s future accomplishments probably wouldn’t be too shabby
with his mental prowess.
“Haha, third young master’s joking. This is Xiao Clan’s territory, we wouldn’t
allow Jia Lie Clan to do as they please here.” Pei Em smiled and seeing that
Xiao Yan started to look around, he quickly took his leave along with his men.
Looking at the exiting Pei En and his group, Xiao Yan turned around and
ruffled Xun Er’s hair and said slightly forcefully: “A level 1 monster core made
you forget your morals? You know as well as I do what kind of person Jia Lie
Ao is. The moment you take his stuff, he would definitely ask for favors.”
Straightening her hair, Xun Er flipped her hands upwards: “He wanted to give
it me, it was free.”
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “It isn’t like
that’s something precious, did you really need to act like that? Don’t forget,
you’re the young genius in Xiao Clan…”
Xun Er wrinkles her nose and raised the bracelet on her wrist. She taunted:
“So Xiao Yan ge-ge has also been noticing Xun Er.”
Xiao Yan stayed silent and pulling on Xun Er’s hand, they walked towards
some stalls deeper in the market…
After walking past quite a few stalls, Xiao Yan’s feet finally stopped. He bent
down and stared at a green orb that still had a trace of blood on the stall and
said: “I’ve finally found it.”
Moving his hand across the stall, Xiao Yan’s was about to grab the monster
core when his hand stiffened. A strange foreboding struck his mind…
Licking his lips, Xiao Yan continued to pick up the monster core but his gaze,
as if by accident, swept across the stall….
Moments later, his gaze landed on a piece of black metal that was displayed
beside the monster core.
The Black Metal Piece seemed extremely old with many specks of rust and
even a couple spots of dirt. It looked as if it had just been excavated.
“Hey, Yan Brat, buy the black metal piece, it’s something good…”
Right when Xiao Yan was confused about why he felt such a strong feeling
towards the seemingly worthless metal, Yao Lao’s voice sounded in his mind.
 Chapter 14 – Vacuum Hand
Listening to the voice inside his head, Xiao Yan blinked and secretly nodded.
Instead of immediately grabbing the black metal piece, Xiao Yan gently picked
up the green monster core that was still dripping blood and looking at the
shabby looking mercenary standing behind the stall, he asked cheerfully:
“Which magic monster did this monster core comes from?”
“Haha, the eyes of young master are really good! This is a monster core from
a first level magic monster named Swallow Wood Fox. It is a high quality
core! Our Sharp Teeth Mercenary Group waited 3 days and ambushed 5
Swallow Wood Foxes before finally obtaining this magic core…” Noticing Xiao
Yan’s luxurious outfit, the mercenary rapidly advertised his wares.
“If this object is to young master’s liking, I think 500 gold coins would be a
good price. Haha, while obtaining this core, we had several brothers who got
injured quite heavily…”
Xiao Yan slowly wiped the remaining blood off of the magic core, noticing
they haven’t completely clotted yet. He nodded slightly and glanced towards
the two golden stars on the chest of the mercenary and commented: “Too
expensive! Normally a level one magic core’s price would only be from 400 to
450 gold coins, furthermore, even if the Swallow Wood Fox is a magic beast,
its attack power isn’t too high. Are your underlings not Dou Zhes?”
The corner of his mouth slightly jerking, the mercenary laughed dryly. He did
not expect the youth standing in front of him to be so knowledgeable about
the magic core market and replied: “470 gold coins then, no more no less, we
have to live by this…”
“Hahh…” Sighing under the Mercenary’s anxious eyes, Xiao Yan bent down
and randomly grabbed many things from the stall, conveniently including the
mysterious metal piece in the mess. Then he said: “470 gold coins for all of
these…”
Looking at the goods on Xiao Yan’s hands, the mercenary let out a relieved
sigh since none of the items in Xiao Yan’s hands were expensive…
“Alright!”
Cheerfully producing some gold coins, Xiao Yan did not waste another
moment and left immediately…
“Hah! Brat, to be so cautious in a mundane task of buying things!” The elder’s
taunting voice sounded in Xiao Yan’s head as he turned to leave the shop.
“Those bastards are all swindlers, they’ll immediately increase the price if you
show interest in their wares. I don’t want to lose money for something stupid
like that…” After answering, Xiao Yan stopped paying attention to the Elder
inside his ring and leisurely exited the market and returned to the clan with
Xun Er.
After parting with Xun Er, Xiao Yan impatiently ran back to his room and
carefully locked the door…
Turning his head and seeing the Elder who left the ring since god-knows-
when, Xiao Yan brought out the recently purchased herbs and magic core. He
hastily asked: “All the required ingredients are here, what do we have to do?”
The Elder cheerfully laughed and his gaze scanned the ingredients on the
table before suddenly asking: “Don’t you want to know what that black metal
piece is?”
“Eh?” Xiao Yan paused before realizing that the elder was referring to his
“accidental” purchase. He quickly took out the Black Metal Piece and
examined it from top to bottom. But after examining it, his brows furrowed
and asked: “This, what does it do?”
Yao Lao took the Black Metal Piece and laughed: “There seems to be a Dou
Technique inside here. And, the creator of this metal piece was probably also
an alchemist because only people that have a strong soul perception can feel
the power within this metal piece.”
“Dou Technique?” Xiao Yan’s eyes brightened and he hurriedly asked: “What
level is it?”
In the Dou Qi Mainland, the importance of Dou Techniques isn’t lower than Qi
Methods. A strong Dou Technique would allow one to perform at a level far
beyond what they are capable of. For example, a Dou Zhe being able to fight
a Dou Shi even though his Dou Qi is at a disadvantage.
Dou Techniques and Qi Methods are both split into four levels of decreasing
power, Tian, Di, Xuan and Huang. Normally, the Dou Techniques that are
easily accessible are at most High Huang level and for higher Dou Techniques,
one would have to go to a large clan or faction.
Of course, Dou Qi Mainland is huge and there are some special circumstances
in which the top Dou Techniques are lost and found by some lucky individual.
The black metal piece that Xiao Yan has right now was probably the lost work
of some ancient person…
Yao Lao turned the metal plate around and smiled: “Vacuum Hand : Low
Xuan level!”
“Low Xuan level?” Xiao Yan’s face was filled with happiness; he didn’t expect
that the “trash” he purchased would have a Xuan level Dou Technique. In his
own clan, the Xiao Clan, the highest Dou Technique was only a Middle Xuan
level and only the clan leader and some elders could learn it.”
“Vacuum Hand: If trained to max, it can suck up boulders that are thousands
of pound. Against enemies, it can forcibly suck the blood out of their body.”
“Forcibly suck blood from a body?” His face full of surprise, Xiao Yan
swallowed dryly and exclaimed: “This… This is awesome! Once the blood
leaves the body, they would die right?”
“Don’t be happy yet. This only works if your level is higher than your
opponent. If you meet someone stronger than you, they can use the chance
to get close to you and the unlucky would be you…” Yao Lao carelessly threw
the metal plate to the side, looks like he doesn’t think too highly of the Dou
Technique.
Yao Lao was of high status and naturally had high standards but for Xiao Yan,
this was a high level Dou Technique! He immediately happily picked it up and
laughed: “Even with that, it’s better than the Dou Techniques in the clan. I’ll
learn this from now on…”
“Hah, with your 3rd Duan Qi, it would be amazing if you could pull up a tree
branch with your Vacuum Hand and you want to suck the blood out of
someone….” Shaking his head, Yao Lao heavily criticized Xiao Yan.
Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan ignored Yao Lao and smiled while hugging the
metal piece.
“Look at yourself, having a Low Xuan Dou Technique makes you this happy.
You’re embarrassing me …” Helplessly shaking his head, Yao Lao grabbed the
monster core on the table and ordered Xiao Yan: “Go get a huge bowl of
water.”
Seeing that Yao Lao was about to start refining the pill, Xiao Yan hurriedly put
away the Black Metal Piece and cheerfully went to prepare…
In the calm room, Yao Lao picked up the Purple Bluegrass with his left hand.
Moments later, he lets out a deep breath and a white flame appears in his
hand…
When the flame appeared, the temperature within the room rose
exponentially.
Without blinking, Xiao Yan stared at the white ball of flame. Although he
didn’t know the process of refining pills by Alchemists, to materialize Dou Qi
was an impossible task for even his father…
With a calm face, the white fire in Yao Lao’s hands expanded and swallowed
the Purple Bluegrass…. Within the flame, the Purple Bluegrass instantly
became a green liquid ball…
Yao Lao’s right hand picked up another stalk of Purple Bluegrass and threw it
into the white fire…
After throwing all three stalks of Purple Bluegrass into the fire, the ball of
green liquid became visibly bigger.
The green liquid slowly shriveled within the fire; the high temperature
relentlessly burned the impurities within the green liquid…
With the flame, the green liquid became smaller and smaller in volume. After
a few seconds, it was only about the size of a thumb…
Afterwards, Yao Lao threw the two stalks of Bone Washing Flowers into the
flame and after they finished burning, the remaining liquid mixed with the
original green liquid…
After that was the refinement of the monster core.
The third step took a whole hour but Yao Lao still seemed full of energy and
without any signs of fatigue.
After an entire hour, the tough monster core had become a ball of green
liquid. The violent energy within the monster core was softened by Yao Lao’s
magical formula…
On his hand, the white flame slowly disappeared.
Looking at the green ball floating on top of Yao Lao’s hand, Xiao Yao rubbed
his hands together. With his superior Soul Perception, he could clearly feel the
bountiful energy within the energy ball…
“Teacher, do I just eat it?” Xiao Yan blinked his eyes and asked impatiently.
“If you want to die then eat it. With your Qi paths, you would become a true
cripple within seconds.” Giving Xiao Yan a white eye, Yao Lao flicks the ball
and it accurately flew into the bowl of water. Immediately, the bowl of clear
water turned to a dark green shade.
“From now on, you should train in there. With your talent and barring any
unforeseen circumstances, you should be able to get to 7 Duan Qi within a
year.” Yao Lao claps the dust off of his hands and lightly smiles towards Xiao
Yan.
With obvious happiness, Xiao Yan hurriedly nodded his head.
“Oh, I almost forgot. This medicine will only last for two months. Which
means, you need to go buy the materials that you got today again every two
months.” Yao Lao revealed a sly smile.
Xiao Yan happiness disappeared from his face and he nodded his head with
reluctance.
“Dammit, only rich people can afford to use this stuff…”
 Chapter 15 – Training
The warm sun filtered through the window and lazily sprayed into the tidy
room.
Within the room, a young man with a bare upper body was sitting crossed
within a wooden bowl. His two hands were knit together into a strange
symbol. His two eyes were shut tightly while his breath was calm but
powerful.
In the wooden bowl beneath him, a mysterious green liquid was strangely
sparkling.
As he trained longer, the green liquid within the bowl began to slowly
evaporate, giving off a light green stream of air. stream slowly lifted upwards
and squirmed into the young man’s nose with his breathing.
Once the stream was inside his body, the young man’s face became shiny and
smooth like White Jade.
As if he felt the ever increasing Dou Qi within his body, the young man’s face
revealed a light smile.
After confirming his success, the young man didn’t stop there. He still had his
eyes shut tight and kept his hands in the same position. He didn’t even budge
and maintained his maximally efficient position as he greedily sucked up the
energy within the green liquid.
The green liquid sticking to the young man’s body was slowly absorbed by his
skin, strengthening his bones and cleaning his Qi paths…
Under the young man’s restless absorbance, more and more green streams
came up from the bowl and slowly, they became so dense that they covered
the young man’s naked body in a layer of mist.
Under the restless training, the bright sunshine that came in through the
window slowly became weaker and the room became a lot cooler.
In the wooden bowl, the young man gathered in the final wisps of green air
and his eyelashes twitched before opening to reveal two pitch-black eyes.
Within the pitch black eyes, a white glow passed through but this time, it had
a hint of green.
Slowly letting out a breath, the young man quickly stood up and let the cool
water droplets flow off of his body. Taking a lazy stretch and feeling the
abundant Dou Qi within his body, the young man muttered: “At this pace, I
can probably get to the fifth Duan Qi in two months…”
After preparing everything, Xiao Yan stayed in his room for an entire half
month. In the time he stayed in his room, besides eating and attending bodily
functions, he had been training his Qi non-stop.
Even though training was extremely boring and tiring, it was nothing
compared to the taunts and ridicules that Xiao Yan had endured for the past
three years.
The three full years of taunts had taught him how important strength was in
this world….
Even though the days passed tiresomely, the results of them were pleasing.
The effects of Yao Lao’s bowl of elixir was much stronger than what Xiao Yan
and even the creator of it, Yao Lao had thought it would have. Yao Lao had
predicted that it would take at least a month for Xiao Yan to get to 4 Duan Qi,
but Xiao Yan only took half that time….
At this, even Yao Lao was surprised at the speed and efficiency in which Xiao
Yan trained. Even though Xiao Yan had done this before, the speed at which
he was going right now, isn’t a bit too incredible?
The most important and toughest part about training Dou Qi is in the basics.
The 10 Duan Qi would take people 10 to even 20 years… Of course, once a
person becomes a Dou Zhe then their training speed would increase
exponentially. If one can only raise one Duan Qi in a year before becoming a
Dou Zhe then that same person could probably go up a couple of stars in a
year once after becoming a Dou Zhe….
When the training speed was slanted towards later times, Xiao Yan’s
performance in half a month was surprising to say the least.
Walking out of the bowl without hesitation, Xiao Yan looked back at the
lighter green liquid in the bowl. The lighter color was definitely due to his
training and he helplessly shook his head while whispering: “Can this sustain
for another month and a half?”
Wiping off the remaining water droplets, Xiao Yan randomly put on a fresh
suit of clothing and crawled onto his soft bed. After doing so, he reached
behind his pillow to take out the pitch black metal piece.
The rust on the steel piece had already been wiped off by Xiao Yan to reveal
a smooth and glowing surface. It was quite mysterious.
For the past half month, Xiao Yan had been intently studying this metal piece
that contained a Low Xuan level Dou technique whenever he took a break
from training.
In the half month, under the instructions of Yao Lao, Xiao Yan finally had a bit
of understanding of the techniques involved. But because of the lack of Dou
Qi, he couldn’t use it for anything useful which made Xiao Yan a little
disappointed.
Placing the metal piece between his two palms, Xiao Yan closed his eyes and
used his soul perception to observe the black metal plate.
With the calming of Xiao Yao’s breath, the room was once again peaceful.
Another long silence passed before Xiao Yan opened his eyes again and raised
his right hand. His right hand was curved into a claw and his light Dou Qi,
under Xiao Yan’s insistence, quickly went through the few Qi and pressure
points on his palm to become a pulling force.
“Peng…”
The ceramic vase that Xiao Yan pointed to made a few circles before falling
down the tables. And with a clear crash, it shattered into countless pieces.
“Hah, even though the Dou Technique is at the Xuan level, my Dou Qi is too
low and I can barely use the technique.” Seeing the destruction that he had
caused, Xiao Yan whispered to himself: “Looking at the power it has right
now, if I want to have enough force to vacuum a person towards me then I
need to be at 7 Duan Qi.”
“Whatever, let’s go to our clan hall to find some lower level Dou Techniques.
This vacuum hand, it won’t be of much use for some time. But since I can
train my Dou Qi again, I don’t need to use my foolish method of training that
I used before…” Sighing again, Xiao Yan climbed off of his bed and glanced at
the motionless black ring before leaving the house.
Wincing his eyes and adjusting to the blazing sun, Xiao Yan carefully closed
his door before lazily walking onto the stone path towards the clan’s back
rooms.
To the sides of the stone path were emerald green willows. The bountiful
green felt soothing and sharply contrasted with the scorching heat.
Turning onto a different path, a young girl’s laughter greeted him.
Because of the disturbed calm, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows and following the
source of the laughter, he saw a couple of young girls coming towards him
from another path.
Crowded by other girls, a pretty girl was laughing. The charming face that she
had completely overshadowed the other girls beside her.
She was the girl that was second to Xun Er in the Dou Qi testing, Xiao Mei.
Glancing at the girl that had once stuck to his side calling countless biao-ges,
a flash of unrestrained mocking went across Xiao Yan’s face. Lightly shaking
his head, Xiao Yao retrieved his sight.
TL: Biao Ge is brother not in one’s direct family. This is a formal saying
compared to ge-ge which is more of an familiar saying.
When Xiao Mei reached the road Xiao Yan was on, Xiao Mei’s charming
laughter died out as she had seen Xiao Yan…
The sun scattered its light and made the impassive young man with his hands
behind his head indescribably attractive.
A pair of pretty, large eyes stared at the young man coming closer, and trying
to distinguish whether there was a light smile or ridicule hanging on the edges
of his mouth, Xiao Mei mentally gravitated towards Xiao Yan. Suddenly, she
felt as if she had lost something…
Three years ago, that young man, on the edge of his mouth, had that
intoxicating curve.
 Chapter 16 – Xiao Ning
Seeing the young man slowly coming over, Xiao Mei and her group slowed to
a halt. Their previous laughter had also died out.
The young girls by Xiao Mei’s side widened their eyes while looking at the
young man that was once the clan’s pride. The expressions on their faces
were varied, from sympathy to something else.
Xiao Mei stopped in place. In her mind, she still felt attached and wanted to
chat with the young man that had once captured her heart. But, reality told
her that the difference between the two of them was too large for them to be
together and wasting time on a cripple isn’t exactly smart.
Her brows furrowed before relaxing, in Xiao Mei’s mind she thought: Let’s say
hi, no matter what, he’s still my Biao-Ge.
Ignorant to Xiao Mei’s thoughts, Xiao Yan still had his hands behind his head
and was lazily walking over.
Watching the ever closer Xiao Yan, a smile appeared on Xiao Mei’s face but
the actions of the young man froze the smile on her small face, making it
seem as if she was making a weird face.
With both hands behind his head, Xiao Yan ignored the group and looked
straight as he walked past the young girls without any hesitation.
Opening her red, small mouth at the young man’s shadow, Xiao Mei was
shocked. With her beauty, when had she ever had such a horrible treatment?
She felt an embarrassed anger and couldn’t help but yell: “Xiao Yan Biao-Ge.”
Stopping, Xiao Yan didn’t turn around and his bland tone was emotionless, as
if he was talking to a stranger: “What?”
The emotionless and bland voice stunned Xiao Mei and she whispered:
“Nothing…”
Xiao Yan’s brows jumped but he shook his head and started walking forward
again.
Watching the disappearing shadow, Xiao Mei angrily stomped her feet and
went onto a different path.
Rounding a turn, Xiao Yan looked up to a spacious room. On the plaque of
the room were three flamboyant and blood red words: Dou Technique Hall!
Hearing the yells within the Dou Technique Hall, Xiao Yan was quite surprised.
Normally, no one came to the hall so why was it so noisy today?
Shrugging his shoulders, Xiao Yan stepped forward and entered the Dou
Technique Hall.
Once Xiao Yan went inside the hall, quite a few cheers from other clan
members greeted him.
The Dou Technique Hall was split into an east and west section. In the east
section were the clan’s Dou Techniques while the west section was a large
training field. Right now, there were quite a few people gathered around the
training field and watching two people at the middle of the field.”
“Looking at the density of Xiao Ning ge’s Dou Qi, is he at 8 Duan Qi?”
“Hehe, just two months ago, Xiao Ning biao-ge got to 8 Duan Dou Qi.”
“But even though he has 8 Duan Dou Qi, Xun Er biao-mei has 9 Duan Dou Qi.
Xiao Ning biao-ge doesn’t have a high chance of winning.”
“Good luck Xun Er biao-mei!”
Hearing the voices from the crowd, Xiao Yan paused his footsteps and
glanced around at the training field. Finally, his interested gaze landed on the
young girl wearing a light purple dress.
How does she have the time to fight with others? Xiao Yan thought in his
mind before going to the east side of the hall and taking a random black scroll
from a shelf. Opening up the scroll, large yellow words appeared.
Middle Yellow: Shattering Rock Hand!
Lazily leaning on the bookshelf, Xiao Yan read the training methods to the
Shattering Rock Hand while occasionally glancing at the ferocious battle in the
Training Field.
The spacious hall seemed to be separated into two worlds. The west side was
noisy while the east side was peaceful and calm.
Xun er’s opponent was a young man at about the age of 17-18. He was quite
handsome and similar to Jia Lei Ao who Xiao Yan had seen the other day.
The young man was called Xiao Ning and was the top elder ‘s grandson. Even
though he was only 17, he had already had gotten to 8 Duan Qi and in the
entire clan, only Xun Er was better than him.
Xiao Yan had a neutral impression of this biao-ge. They only occasionally met
and always said customary greetings before hurrying off. Maybe it was
because of the unfriendly atmosphere between his father and the top elder
but Xiao Yan was always able to feel animosity emanating from him. But while
Xiao Yan was “crippled”, he had never went out of his way to taunt or tease
Xiao Yan…
Lightly smiling, Xiao Yan discarded his thoughts and went back to studying
the Shattering Rock Hand.
On the training field, Xun Er was like a light purple butterfly that avoided the
swift attacks by Xiao Ning, gracefully and elegantly. However, on her delicate
face, no emotions such as weariness or the like surfaced.
After blocking another one of Xiao Ning’s attacks, Xun Er’s gaze lazily swept
across the hall but suddenly her movements stopped.
Seeing the absorbed young man in the east side of the hall, a light and
elegant smiled floated onto Xun Er’s face.
The girl’s sudden smile made the spectators stunned at the beauty of Xun Er.
“Xun Er Biao Mei, watch out!” Right when Xun Er was distracted, a young
voice called out from within the crowd.
Feeling the violent pressure coming from behind her, Xun Er furrowed her
brows but her gaze stayed on the young man below the bookshelf.
At the same time, Xiao Yan had lifted his head and seeing the sneak attack
directed at Xun Er, he furrowed his brows and shook his head. His look
revealed a restrained worry.
Seeing the worried look on Xiao Yan’s face, Xun Er mischievously blinked her
beautiful eyes. Suddenly, she took a small step toward the left. Even though it
was just a step, it strangely helped her dodge all of Xiao Ning’s attacks…
While she was dodging, her clear white hand sparkled gold and went straight
between Xiao Ning’s hands and lightly landed on his chest.
Turning around in a circle, Xun Er gracefully counteracted the force while Xiao
Ning had to step back a dozen steps and out of the training field.
To be able to defeat Xiao Ning with one attack, the spectators all gave
thunderous applause to Xiao Xun.
“Hehe, Xun Er Biao Mei is really at the top in the younger generation of the
clan. You’re really strong.” Even though Xiao Ning had just been defeated by
Xun Er, he had a smile as he walked back to the middle of the training field.
Calmly looking at the girl in front of him, the fervent love in Xiao Ning’s eyes
wasn’t hidden at all.
Even though they were technically Biao Ge/Mei, Xiao Ning knew that in the
entire clan, many of the members didn’t have close blood relations and for
Xiao Xun Er, he knew that she wasn’t related by blood to him.
As if she didn’t feel the fervent gaze of Xiao Ning, Xun Er respectfully shook
her head and said: “Xiao Ning Biao Ge let me win.” After saying that, she
didn’t wait for a response from Xiao Ning and went straight to the eastern
part of the hall with a big smile.
Being the center of attention, Xun Er’s movements were detected by everyone
and following the intended path of Xun Er, they found Xiao Yan.
Even though Xiao Yan was now the center of attention to the previous
spectators, Xiao Yan didn’t look up and was absorbed in his own world.
 Chapter 17 – Conflict
“Xiao Yan ge-ge.”
The young girl shyly stood in front of Xiao Yan while her delicate, white hands
fluttered behind her. She slightly leaned forward and her beautiful eyes
twinkled into crescent moons. On her beautiful face were two light dimples.
Shifting his gaze from the scroll in front of him, Xiao Yan peered at the young
girl in front of him and then turned his gaze to include the entire hall. Seeing
the fervent stares aimed at him, he couldn’t help but say: “Girl, I know your
charm is quite large but you don’t need for me to share it, do you?”
TL: The “girl” used by Xiao Yan isn’t a mean nickname but a common and
familiar saying to younger (female) family members.
“Hehe.” Smiling, Xun Er sat next to Xiao Yan and lazily stretched backwards
causing her charming curves to be revealed by her tight outfit. Randomly
taking a scroll from the bookshelf, Xun Er stared at Xiao Yan before asking,
“Xiao Yan ge-ge got to 4th Duan Qi?”
Hearing that, Xiao Wan who was absorbed by his scroll looked up. For the
first 10 Duan Qi, the Dou Qi stays weak and almost undetectable. Unless one
actively used Dou Qi or an examination monument was used, it is impossible
to find out what Duan Qi someone has. But just a moment ago, Xun Er only
looked at Xiao Yao for a couple of seconds and determined what Duan Qi he
was at. Very surprising…
This girl, who is she? The Dou Techniques that she had just used in her fight
with Xiao Ning was definitely a high leveled Dou Technique and definitely not
one owned by Xiao Clan… Thinking about the few inconsistencies with Xun Er,
Xian Yan tilted his head to look at the smiling Xun Er beside him. Shrugging
his shoulders, he nodded: “4th Duan.”
Seeing Xiao Yan nod, the smile on Xun Er’s face widened and she said: “It’s
related to your training for the past half month right?”
“Yeah.” Slightly nodding, Xiao Yan didn’t deny it and returned his gaze to the
scroll while asking: “How do you have the time to come out and compete with
someone?”
“I’m bored!” Imitating Xiao Yan’s shrugs, Xun Er smiled while showing a
sorrowful face: “After last time, Xiao Yan ge-ge hasn’t come to see Xun Er.
Are you afraid that Xun Er will force you to return the money?”
Xiao Yan paused and awkwardly laughed: “The Coming of Age Ritual is next
year so do you think I have time to not train?” Raising his head and seeing
the sad face on Xun Er, he lightly patted Xun Er’s head and whispered: “I’ll try
to find time to be with Xun Er from now on.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s promise, Xun Er’s small face relaxed. But her talk with Xiao
Yan had made every single person in the hall red-eyed at Xiao Yan.
Looking at the two of them below the bookshelf, Xiao Ning’s face was
extremely ugly and his hand curled into fists before relaxing and then curled
them back up again…
Being the grandson of the top elder of the clan, Xiao Ning had always felt that
he was special. Towards Xun Er, Xiao Ning had already, in his own mind, set
her as his wife. Of course it was one-sided…
But seeing his “wife” was flirting was someone else made Xiao Ning extremely
envious, more importantly the person whom Xun Er was flirting with was the
“cripple” of the clan.
As rage surged in his eyes, Xiao Ning let out a huge breath and put on a calm
and welcoming smile. Adjusting his messy clothes, he walked towards the two
under the eyes of everyone in the hall.
In the hall, the spectators happily smirked when they saw Xiao Ning walking
towards Xun Er and Xiao Yan. Of course, their smirks were not directed at
Xiao Ning but rather at the seemingly ignorant Xiao Yan.
Gazing over the Qi Paths depicted on the scroll, Xiao Yan memorized the
pressure points and Qi paths necessary for Shattering Rock Hand.
Letting out a breath, Xiao Yan’s originally relaxed brows furrowed. With his
strong Soul Perception, Xiao Yan was able to observe the actions of everyone
within the hall, including Xiao Ning who was walking towards him.
This girl brings so much trouble! Sighing, Xiao Yan rolled up the scroll in his
hand.
“Hehe, Xiao Yan Biao-Di, are you here to learn Dou Techniques? Do you need
Biao-Ge, me to help you find a couple of high levelled ones? For some of the
techniques, I don’t think that you have the right to access them.” Smiling in
front of Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning spoke arrogantly.
TL: Biao Di is the young version of Biao Ge which is older brother not in one’s
immediate family
Xiao Yan placed the scroll back onto the bookshelf and shook his head:
“Thanks for the offer but I don’t think I need them right now.”
“Oh, hehe, I forgot… Xiao Yan Biao-Di only has 3 Duan Qi so it would be
pretty hard to learn high level techniques.” Lightly massaging his forehead,
Xiao Ning smiled. The ridicule in his tone was also displayed on his face.
Xiao Yan sighed again: Xiao Ning was ridiculing him on purpose…
A slight curve appeared on Xiao Yan’s face while he said: “I know you’re
trying to get Xun Er’s attention but, I have to say, you are quite childish…”
Hearing the ruthless words of Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning’s face darkened. He had
never thought that the normally silent Xiao Yan would have the courage to
stand up against him. He sneered and said: “Looks like Xiao Yan Biao-Di has
an opinion about me. How about we test out our skills? It’ll help me see how
much Biao-Di has improved in the past few years.”
“Shall I test my skills against you?” Placing down her scroll, Xun Er looked up
coldly.
Xiao Ning’s eyelid jumped when he saw Xun Er speaking up for Xiao Yan. With
his envy burning even higher, Xiao Ning taunted: “Do you only know to hide
behind women?”
“Why didn’t you dare to say such things three years ago?”
Xiao Yan tiptoed to reach for another scroll, blowed off the dust on it and
emotionlessly replied to Xian Ning.
To be honest, Xiao Yan’s emotionless and relaxed appearance, in the eyes of
people who aren’t too friendly with him, made them feel as if there was
something stuck on their chest.
Xiao Ning grinded his teeth together, making ji ji sounds but even though he
was enraged, he didn’t dare hurt Xiao Yan since no matter how horrible Xiao
Yan’s talent was, he was still the son of the clan leader.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Ning stared at Xiao Yan and coldly said: “Xiao
Yan, you’re no longer the genius you were three years ago. The you right
now, a cripple! You don’t deserve Xun Er, if you are a man then you would
leave right now. Or else, hehe, even though I can’t fight you right now, next
year, when you perform the Coming of Age Ritual, you have to accept the
challenge by a clansmen. If you don’t want to become a real cripple then I
would suggest for you to get out of here right now and go hide in some poor
remote place where you’d live out the rest of your life!”
Hearing the threats Xiao Ning made, the edges of Xiao Yan’s mouth curved
upwards and he tilted his head to inspect Xiao Ning with a strange gaze.
Afterwards, he rolled his eyes, picked up the scroll and walked outwards.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s movements, Xiao Ning believed that Xiao Yan had
grudgingly agreed to his words but before he could celebrate his “victory”, a
sentence came from Xiao Yan’s mouth and made Xiao Ning’s face green.
“Alright, next year… try to beat me into a cripple.”
 Chapter 18 – Xuan High Level Dou Technique: Octane Blast
Ignoring the cold gazes behind him, Xiao Yan hugged the scroll and checked
it out with the manager of the Dou Technique Hall. Then, he, along with Xun
Er, lazily walked out of the hall while chatting.
“Brat, just wait. When you get kicked out of the clan, I’ll have all the time in
the world for revenge! Without the clan leader’s protection, you are nothing!”
Watching the disappearing Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning felt a fury burn in his chest. As
if to show his dedication, he smacked the bookshelf next to him, leaving a
light handprint.
After leaving the Dou Technique Hall, Xiao Yan first accompanied Xun Er to
nearby mountains for an entire afternoon before going back to his room when
the sky turned dark.
After getting back to his room and closing the door, Xiao Yan’s shoulders
sagged down. After placing his scroll on a nearby table and drinking a cup of
tea he fearfully said: “This girl, she sure can walk.”
“That girl’s history isn’t normal either.” An old voice resounded through the
room.
Tiredly raising his head and seeing the ghost-like Yao Lao, Xiao Yan curled his
lips and asked: “Does teacher know her history?”
“Hehe, I think I know a bit…” Yao Lao smiled but when he saw Xiao Yan’s
curious glance, he said: “Don’t ask. It’s useless to you right now. So, it’s
better if you don’t waste your effort on it. What I can say is that her
background is pretty powerful.”
Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan gave Yao Lao a middle finger.
“Why did you go get this trash? Do you think that you have a lot of time?”
Yao Lao came to the table and flipped through the scroll, only to be appalled
by it.
“Trash?” Xiao Yan cried out: “Besides Vacuum Hand, I don’t know any other
Dou Techniques. Before, I only knew to train restlessly and didn’t know any
Dou Techniques and only the Huang Level Dou Techniques can be learned by
anyone in the clan. If I don’t learn these, what would I use to defeat others in
the Coming of Age Ritual?”
“Ohh, so you want to swindle a Dou Technique from me…” The shrewd Yao
Lao understood Xiao Yan’s intent immediately.
Even though Xiao Yan had his plan exposed, he didn’t pretend as if that
wasn’t his plan and instead looked at Yao Lao with puppy eyes.
“What’s so great about Dou Techniques? Once you learn Alchemy, people will
be fighting to gift you high level Dou Techniques!” Yao Lao lightly smiled and
ignored the ever darkening face of Xiao Yan.
“But I need high level Dou Techniques, Right Now!” Xiao Yan said
depressedly.
Seeing the sad Xiao Yan, Yao Lao laughed cheerfully: “Whatever, after all you
are my student, although somewhat pitiful. So that you don’t become a
cripple, I’ll teach you something!”
Hearing that, Xiao Yan perked up; he was very curious as to what kind of Dou
Technique his mysterious teacher would give him.
“Even though your vacuum hand is Xuan level, its somewhat weak for a
technique at that level. Since your Dou Qi isn’t too strong right now, I’ll teach
you a Dou Technique that’s at the Xuan level but only needs for you to be at
5 Duan Qi to be useful.”
“What tier in the Xuan level?” Hearing that the technique was another Xuan
level Dou Techniques, the eyes of Xiao Yan lit up and he asked while licking
his lips.
“I think it was Xuan High level. I remember that the owner of this Dou
Technique begged me to accept it. Even though I didn’t have much interest in
such things, he was really persistent so I accepted and made a pill for him.”
Yao Lao carelessly said. His casual mentionings made the Xuan level Dou
Technique seem like trash!
“Xuan High level? Begging to give you it?” A few black lines appeared on the
forehead of Xiao Yan. The technique that was a whole tier higher than the top
Dou Technique in the entire Xiao Clan was worthless in the eyes of Yao Lao!
Xiao Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the huge difference.
“Close your eyes and focus, I’ll teach it to you.” After ordering Xiao Yan, Yao
Lao stretched out his finger and lightly tapped Xiao Yan’s forehead.
With a slight headache, Xiao Yan felt a huge amount of information flood into
his brain.
“Octane Blast: Xuan High Level Dou Technique, close-combat Dou Technique.
Focus’ on attacks and when mastered, attacks have eight different forces that
stack up and the power is equal to a Di Low level Dou Technique!
Slowly regaining his senses and quickly skimming over the new information,
Xiao Yan let out a breath, the attack is equal to a Di Low level Dou
Technique?
In the Dou Qi Mainland, whether its a Dou Technique or a Qi Method, the
difference between a Xuan level technique and a Di level technique was
enormous. The Di level technique would be on a completely different level
and yet this Octane Blast claims that it can rival a Di level technique with its
attack!
Swallowing dryly, Xiao Yan’s eyes became blank. If I really learn this Dou
Technique then I can probably beat up Xiao Ning with my 4 Duan Qi…
“Don’t be too greedy. Even though Octane Blast doesn’t have high
requirements of one’s Dou Qi, it has a huge toll on the body. This technique is
a close combat Dou Technique and with your weak arms and legs, if you
really try to use it, you’ll probably end up with broken limbs before you even
touch your opponent.” Yao Lao’s voice was like a bowl of cold water and
washed away Xiao Yan’s excitement.
“How would I increase the strength of my body?” After pausing, Xiao Yan
hurriedly asked.
“Raising Dou Qi is the best way to increase the strength of one’s body. With
higher Dou Qi, the body will become stronger. Of course, if you want to go
faster, than you would need some external stimulus.” Yao Lao’s eyes twinkled
with mischief.
“What external stimulus?” Watching the smiling Yao Lao, Xiao Yan suddenly
felt a great danger.
“Get beat up! The more you get beat up, the better!” Yao Lao had a cold
laugh while Xiao Yao had a stiff face…
 Chapter 19 – Cruel Training
In the morning, a pale mist had shrouded the surrounding summit and
lingered for a very long time. A gentle wind blew by and suddenly a physical
grunt could be heard.
Behind the summit, in a hidden groove, both of Xiao Yan’s feet were inserted
into the soil like tree stumps. His toes clung to the ground while he gnashed
his teeth together and had cold sweat pour over his forehead. He only wore
short pants and on his naked upper body were crisscrossed scars.
Behind Xiao Yan was Yao Lao in spirit mode, cross-legged above a giant
stone. His face was solemn as he gazed at Xiao Yan clenching his teeth to
fight off the pain and then his palm softly swung upwards.
Following Yao Lao’s palm, a red, materialized Dou Qi shot out from Yao Lao’s
palm. Just like a whip, it harshly smashed against Xiao Yan’s shoulder, leaving
behind a long bruise.
As the corners of his mouth violently trembled, Xiao Yan inhaled cold air
through the slivers between his teeth in response to the pain. Xiao Yan’s
shoulder numbed and a wave of scorching pain made its way to his heart.
Under the brutal pain, Xiao Yan felt his feet soften, and almost fell off
balance…
Under the violent pain, the original weak Dou Qi within Xiao Yan became
more animated than before and quickly flowed through the Qi paths and
pressure points on Xiao Yan’s shoulder. Strands of cool slowly seeped into
into his bones and quietly strengthened in the progress.
“Again!” When the pain on his shoulder gradually faded away, Xiao Yan young
face was filled with persistence and stubbornness and yelled while clenching
his teeth.
Looking at persevering Xiao Yan, a gratified smile appeared on Yao Lao’s
withered face. Slightly nodded, a red materialized Dou Qi shot out from his
palm again.
“Bang, Bang, Bang…” Within the small forest, as strike after strike hit Xiao
Yan, low grunts along with naked hits sounded…
Every one of Yao Lao’s attacks were at the exact point of maximum
endurance for Xiao Yan’s body. The attacks wouldn’t harm Xiao Yan seriously
but still brought Xiao Yan the maximum pain possible.
The pain from the Dou Qi lashes caused an unbearable pain, forcing Xiao Yan
young face to contort in agony.
On his body, with Yao Lao’s swings, more and more crisscrossed scars
appeared…
“Bang!” another materialized Dou Qi shot out and the wood stake like Xiao
Yan finally reached his limit. With weakened legs, he fell down paralyzed.
Fiercely gasped for air, Xiao Yan wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead
and lifting his head up to make a rough smile, he asked: “Teacher, how was
it?”
“Not bad, you took eighty four Dou Qi lashes today. That’s a lot better than
when you started out half a month ago and only able to take nine lashes…”
Yao Lao had a smile on his face and nodded. A glint of surprise flirted across
his eyes, in the past half-month, the tenacity that Xiao Yan displayed was far
beyond what was originally expected. For example, today, Yao Lao had
originally thought that seventy Dou Qi lashes was Xiao Yan’s limit but the later
had persevered to eighty-four lashes. Yao Lao could not help but admire the
spirit of Xiao Yan.
After listening to Yao Lao words, Xiao Yan let out a deep breath and slumped
on the ground. When he regained feeling, he slowly crawled back up and put
back on the clothing he had taken off and placed on a nearby rock.
When wearing the clothes, whenever the cool fabric touched against the
bruises, Xiao Yan winced and gritted his teeth.
The transparent Yao Lao turned into a ray of light and disappeared within the
black ring. Before disappearing, he left behind a phrase that he had said
countless times: “Quickly go back and submerge yourself within the
Foundation Elixir to make sure that the congested blood doesn’t leave behind
hidden wounds!”
Nodding, Xiao Yan finished putting on his clothes and left the forest.
Once Xiao Yan finally made it back to his room while enduring the pain, he
quickly took off his clothes once again and jumped into his wooden bowl of
green liquid…
TL: Bath Bowl – http://www.inspirationgreen.com/wooden-bathtub.html
The ice cold green liquid alleviated the pains from the bruised skin and Xiao
Yan slowly closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing liquid flow over his skin.
After a while, Xiao Yan’s rushed breathing slowly calmed and even
incorporated a couple of snores! After a painful beating, Xiao Yan couldn’t
take the fatigue on both his body and mental state and fell asleep…
While Xiao Yan was asleep, the green liquid rippled slightly and slivers of
peaceful energy quietly slipped into Xiao Yan’s open pores. They washed
away the lashes of congested blood and at the same time they revitalized and
strengthened the muscles that were already at their utmost limit…
While sleeping, Xiao Yan’s body had been strengthened to a whole new level!
While strengthening and repairing Xiao Yan’s muscles, the green liquid slowly
became lighter and lighter. Obviously, the energy in the liquid was
decreasing.
Unaware of how long he had fallen asleep, Xiao Yan only knew that the warm
sunlight had already brightened his room when he woke up.
Stretching out his body, his bones suddenly made rattling noises. When he
lifted his head, he realized that his entire body was full of energy and power.
Xiao Yan couldn’t help but yell out: “Great!”
As Xiao Yan stepped out from the wooden bowl, he unexpectedly discovered
that the bowl of Foundation Elixir had already turned into transparent water
from its originally green state.
“My elixir had already been used up?” Scratching his nose Xiao Yan helplessly
shook his head. Suddenly recalling something, he happily closed his eye and
carefully sensed his Dou Qi state.
A moment later, Xiao Yan opened his eye and happily laughed: “Finally, I’m at
fifth Duan Qi!”
 Chapter 20 – Auction
To get to 4 Duan Qi in half a month and then 5 Duan Qi in another month
and a half. This incredible speed was impossible even for the old Xiao Yan.
Even though at higher levels, raising one’s Duan Qi becomes harder and
harder, looking at the speed in which Xiao Yan is rising, it shouldn’t be a
problem for him to get to 7 Duan Qi by next year.
Of course, this is under the assumption that Xiao Yan has enough Foundation
Elixir. Or else, Xiao Yan would definitely die under the severe beatings that he
endures every day before getting to 7 Duan Qi. After all, without the
Foundation Elixir, Xiao Yan’s weak body wouldn’t ever be able to withstand
the harmful effects of having congested blood and he would die.
Therefore, what Xiao Yan needs to do right now is to buy more material for
Foundation Elixir. Even though it sounds very easy, Xiao Yan has a slight
problem…. He’s broke.
Sitting on his bed, Xiao Yan has a bitter laugh. He had never thought that he
would be in such an awkward situation because of money. While calculating…
from last time, I still have 900 Gold Coins but with only so much money,
buying the same grade material as last time is not going to happen.
Supporting his chin, Xiao Yan’s eyes rolled quickly. Suddenly, he asked:
“Teacher, for Purple Bluegrass of Bone Washing Flower, can we use younger
stalks?”
“Sure, but then the effects would be much weaker and the Foundation Elixirs
that I’ve been refining are tailored for you.”
Blinking his eyes, Xiao Yan smiled: “No problem, let’s use the worst grade
material this time.”
“The worst grade? Then the effects would be horrible and you’d need at least
half a year to get to the next Duan Qi.” Yao Lao’s voice showed his
displeasure, he was probably furrowing his brows right now.
“Don’t have enough money? Go borrow from that girl again. With her
background, even a couple ten thousand Gold Coins would be a small matter.
Taking a step back, you can borrow from your dad, why must you lower the
effectiveness of the Elixir and slow down your training speed…”
Hearing Yao Lao’s suggestion, Xiao Yan shook his head: “Just think of it as my
self-respect stopping me from doing so. How can I keep on borrowing money
from a girl? As for my dad, I’ve been avoiding him for two months now and if
he wants to know why I want the money then wouldn’t I have to expose
you?”
“Wait, teacher, this Foundation Elixir, can other people refine or make it?”
Suddenly thinking of something, Xiao Yan’s brows jumped and he hurriedly
asked.
“Hehe, brat, in the Dou Qi Mainland, there are countless herbs and within
these herbs, you must find a combination that both calms the violent energy
within Monster Cores and refine it so that one can absorb it. If you just
randomly put herbs together than the Alchemy Furnace breaking would be
the least of your troubles, the energy might backfire, hehe…. This Foundation
Elixir was created after experimenting for a couple of years! Of course, there
might be someone that also found out how to create it by luck but the
chances of that happening is almost nonexistent.”
“In addition, while refining, you must make sure that the fuse rate, amount
used and fire temperature is perfect. You need to do countless experiments
and have an incredible soul perception to do that. Or else, why do you think
that every Alchemist needs a teacher? To become a strong Alchemist is
impossible without a teacher guiding you. Just the time you spend trying out
the different combinations of herbs would cost you your whole life!”
“Therefore, I can’t include the entire Dou Qi Mainland but at least for Jia Ma
Empire, no one else has made a Foundation Elixir like mine!” At this point,
Yao Lao’s voice incorporated a hint of pride.
Surprised by the complexity in the seemingly simple Foundation Elixir, Xiao
Yan instinctively licked his lips. When he looked at Yao Lao refining herbs, it
all seemed so simple but now with Yao Lao’s explanation, he realized that the
art of Alchemy isn’t as simple as what he had saw.
The Alchemy world is definitely huge and mysterious. No wonder an Alchemist
is the most honorable profession in the entire Dou Qi Mainland.
But after his shock, Xiao Yan felt a tinge of glee: “Teacher, I’m not going to
use the horrible Foundation Elixir to train. Instead, I wanted to sell it in an
auction. Even though I don’t have much right now, after the Foundation Elixir
is sold then I’d have quite a bit and at that point buying high quality material
for the Foundation Elixir would be super easy. Right?”
“I see… Sure. Alchemists selling their own pills isn’t interesting news and the
Foundation Elixir is at the lowest level of training medicine so selling it doesn’t
really matter.” After thinking for a while, Yao Lao carelessly said.
Hearing Yao Lao’s agreement, Xiao Yan quickly got what he needed and
rushed out of his room.
Because Xiao Yan didn’t need high quality herbs, he carelessly picked the
youngest Purple Bluegrass and Bone Washing Flower in the pharmacy and as
for the monster core, he brought the cheapest core he could find, the Green
Wood Mouse Monster Core.
After buying all the medicine, Xiao Yan found a hidden alley and had Yao Lao
refine the herbs into the Foundation Elixir.
The Foundation Elixir this time not only had a much worse effect than last
time, it even had a different color. Going from a near transparent jade green
to mottled ugly green…
After placing the pill that was the size of half of Xiao Yan’s fist into a while
Jade bottle that he had bought earlier, Xiao Yan finally let out a relaxed
breath.
After hiding the jade bottle securely, Xiao Yan left the alley and ran towards
Wu Tan City’s largest Auction.
 Chapter 21 - Second Tier Alchemist Gu Ni
Premier Auctions: Wu Tan City’s largest auction house and a branch of Jia Ma
empire’s richest family, the Premier Family.
The Premier family was extremely ancient and had been a quite powerful
force in Jia Ma Empire for a couple of centuries already. Their networks were
definitely impressive and some rumors even claimed that the Premier family
had close ties with Jia Ma Empire’s royalty.
In the Empire, the Premier Family, Nalan Family, and Ritter Family are the
three largest families and have various connections in the commercial and
military world.
Therefore, with the Premier family supporting it, no matter how enticing the
profits of the auction were, no one would dare to try anything against them.
Looking at the auction house at the end of the street, Xiao Yan turned into a
side alley and quickly put on a black robe.
TL: Imagine a harry potter school robe
The black robe did not only cover up Xiao Yan’s face, it also altered his skinny
frame to seem a lot wider. Even if Xue Er was looking at the robed figure, she
would not be able to realize it was Xiao Yan…
After being covered by a black robe, Xiao Yan let out a relieved breath. It
wasn’t that Xiao Yan was being too careful, but rather that the Foundation
Elixir was too precious. For clans, the attraction of Foundation Elixirs was
huge. If someone could mass produce it, then it would mean that the younger
generation of the clan would grow at an accelerated rate, which would help
the clan further their power and in turn lead to a positive cycle.
In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Xiao Yan could only choose to hide
himself….
Carefully touching the slightly cold White Jade bottle, Xiao Yan slowly walked
out of the alley and went towards the auction house at the end of the street.
Under the vigilant glances by the fully armored guards, Xiao Yan walked into
the auction house without stopping.
As soon as Xiao Yan entered the house, the scorching feeling from the sun
was replaced with a cool feeling. It made people feel as if they had stepped
into a new world.
Sweeping through the fancy hall, Xiao Yan quickly found a side room. On the
door which led to the room were the shiny words “Inspection Room”.
Walking inside, the room was quite empty and only a middle aged man who
was obviously bored sat there. Hearing the door open, the man raised his
head and, upon seeing the black robed Xiao Yan, his brow slightly furrowed.
But immediately, the expression on his face changed to a professional smile:
“Sir, do you plan on having something inspected?”
“Yes.” Under the black robe, a dry and old voice lightly floated out. It was Yao
Lao’s voice!
Xiao Yan walked up and placed the White Jade bottle on the desk in front of
the middle aged man.
“This is?” Looking confused, the middle aged man carefully picked up the
White Jade bottle and sniffed it. The expression on his face immediately
changed and when he looked back at the black robed figure, his gaze had a
hint of respect: “Mister, you’re an Alchemist?”
“Yes.” The aged voice came out again.
“Could I ask, what… pill is within this bottle? What does it do?” Hearing that
he was dealing with an alchemist, the middle aged man asked with even more
respect.
“Foundation Elixir: It can increase Dou Qi training speed but only useful for
people under the Dou Zhe level.”
“Oh? It can increase the Dou Qi training speed?” Hearing Yao Lao’s words,
the expression on the middle aged man changed. Everyone knew that Dou Qi
could only be trained following a set formula and since the Qi Paths for
individuals are especially weak at this point, if the effects of the medicine
were too fierce, then the Qi Paths would burst and the person would die…
“My elixir doesn’t have any side effects and the medicinal power is extremely
peaceful so it won’t cause something like that to happen. You don’t need to
worry about that happening.” As if he could understand what the middle aged
man was thinking, the wizened voice calmly explained.
His expression changing once more, the middle aged man carefully placed the
White Jade bottle on the table in front of him and respectfully asked: “Mister,
could you wait for a second? I need to ask our auction’s Gu Ni master to
inspect this Elixir!”
“Sure, hurry up.” Waving his hand, Xiao Yan did not pretend to be polite and
sat in a chair to the side.
The middle aged man quickly nodded and hurriedly left the room.
Sitting on the chair, Xiao Yao remained silent and didn’t attempt to speak with
Yao Lao. This was someone else’s place and being cautious was better than
not. Who knew if there were things that could listen in on their conversation.
After waiting in the room for a little while, the middle aged man returned with
a green robed elder with slightly whitened hair.
On the chest of the elder were not gold stars but rather something like an
alchemy furnace and on the alchemy furnace were two silver lines sparkling
with elegance.
“Mister, this is our auction’s Gu Ni Master. He’s a three small Da Do Shi! At
the same time, he’s also a second tier Alchemist!” The middle aged man
respectfully introduced the newcomer.
Hearing the identity of the elder, Xiao Yan’s brow instinctively jumped. This
was the first time that he met an alchemist beside Yao Lao. He carefully re-
examined the elder.
The elder had a red face and even though the green robe seemed ordinary,
there were slivers of light surging across it. Obviously, this robe had some
kind of a Monster Core implanted into it. On the elder’s commonplace face
was an ever present arrogance, something that all Alchemists had.
While Xiao Yan was examining Gu Ni, Gu Ni was also studying the person in
front of him. Alchemists weren’t like Dou Zhes and Alchemists were highly
sought after by various forces. Therefore, when Gu Ni was studying Xiao Yan,
he was also trying to guess who the Alchemist was.
The middle aged man carefully picked up the Jade bottle on the table and
passed it to Gu Ni…
Taking the White Jade bottle, Gu Ni first sniffed the sweet fragrance while his
old eyes closed slightly. Lightly tipping the bottle, a drop of green liquid slowly
rolled from the opening of the bottle to land in the middle of Gu Ni’s palm.
Staring at the green liquid, Gu Ni whipped out a silver needle and on the tip
of the needle showed a slight Dou Qi fluctuation. It quietly slipped into the
green liquid and slowly stirred…
With the stirring of the needle, Gu Ni’s calm face changed into a serious
expression. Moments later, he placed the green liquid back into the jade
bottle. When he looked at Xiao Yan again, his arrogant face had a hint of
respect. Turning towards the middle aged man, he said: “The elixir is at
second tier. Everything that was said before is true!”
Hearing that, the middle aged man let out a relieved breath and excitedly
smiled at Xiao Yan: “Mister, do you plan on auctioning this Elixir?”
“Yup, can you auction it as soon as possible?”
“Hehe, that’s no problem. Mister, take this and go to the first auction room.
Luckily, we’re having an auction there right now and your Elixir will be
auctioned immediately!” The middle aged man smiled while handing over a
pitch black metal card.
“Okay.” Taking the metal card, Xiao Yan didn’t wait and left the room
immediately.
“Gu Ni Master, is he really an Alchemist?” Only after Xiao Yan had left their
sight did the middle aged man whispered quietly to Gu Ni.
“Yes, he’s an Alchemist. His agile Soul Perception, can’t be wrong…” Gu Ni
nodded but his brow was furrowed and he muttered: “But where did he come
from? I haven’t heard of any Alchemist that can refine a second tier pill in Wu
Tan City.”
“Shall I do some research?”
Gu Ni paused before shaking his head: “Not now. All alchemists have weird
tempers and if he notices you trying to dig up his history, he’ll have a bad
impression of the auction. To be on the bad side of a mysterious Alchemist is
never a smart move.”
Turning around, Gu Ni lightly said: “For him to have a good impression of our
auction, you should know how to do that right?”
“Hehe, I understand.”
“Remember, even if we can’t become friends with him, we can’t offend him
either. Or else…” Leaving behind a couple of cold words, Gu Ni also left the
room.
 Chapter 22 – Hurricane Chant
Under the lead of an waitress, Xiao Yan entered the already started auction.
Entering the hall where the auction was being held, the originally bright
environment darkened while thunderous yells poured everywhere. It made
Xiao Yan furrow his brows.
The auction was huge and the hall could definitely fit at least hundreds to
even thousands of people. At this time, at the center of the hall, under a
bright light, a red robed beauty was using her charming voice to describe the
item in her hand.
Under the numbing and clear sound of the voice, the item that really wasn’t
worth much had it’s price increase at an exponential rate.
Finding a remote seat, Xiao Yan quietly sat down and glanced at the beauty in
the middle of the hall. With his acute observations, he realized that most of
the people were here for her and not the items that were being auctioned.
Premier Auction House’s top auctioneer: Ya Fei. She was an extremely famous
beauty within Wu Tan City and her mature charm made many attracted to
her.
Suddenly, the silent Xiao Yan turned around and stared at a man not too far
away from him but hidden in a corner. His arms were swaying with words of
Ya Fei’s small red mouth and his hands disappeared beneath his waist…
“Damn!” Lightly cursing, Xiao Yan, who was under the robe, rolled his eyes:
This guy is so shameless!
While cursing in his mind, Xiao Yan quickly moved away and bitterly smiled.
His gaze once again went to the center of the hall and watched the charming
curves of the auctioneer while muttering: “Yao Jing.”
TL: Yao Jing is a derogatory(depends on context) term for beauties
After looking at the item in Ya Fei’s hand, Xiao Yan lost his interest. He didn’t
have that much money to buy a piece of junk, even if the seller of that item
was a beautiful woman. After tearing his gaze away from Ya Fei, Xiao Yan
started slowly looking around the hall.
“Huh… father?” His gaze stopping, Xiao Yan focused in on a middle-aged man
sitting in the front row. Suddenly, his facial expression became one of shock:
“Does father have an interest in that women?”
The odd thought didn’t last long because Xiao Yan had discovered that his
father’s gaze wasn’t focused on Ya Fei but rather was looking into the
distance, as if he was waiting for something.
Why is father here? Pondering the question, Xiao Yan moved his gaze again.
This time, he surprisingly realized that the clan leaders of the other two big
clans, Jia Lie Clan and Ao Ba Clan were here!
Something’s going to be auctioned that attracts all of them! His brow
jumping, Xiao Yan curiously touched his nose. What could have attracted all
three of the clan leaders to come here?
To be honest, the woman named Ya Fei was a expert at creating the
atmosphere. Her glances and smiles would make the price of the item go up
exponentially for a while. In addition, every time the price was raised, she
would send a charming smile to the person who just called out the latest price
and they would forget their pain of overpaying for the item.
The atmosphere within the auction house was kept at a climax with her
smiles.
“Hehe, everyone, the auction house has just received a new auction item. I
believe, that everyone would be interested in it.” After auctioning the latest
item, Ya Fei suddenly paused and said aloud towards the audience. With a
wave of her hand, a waitress quickly brought up a jade plate and in the
middle of the plate was a while jade bottle.
“This is a second tier pill.” With her delicate hand picking up the jade bottle,
Ya Fei’s charming voice calmed the auctioneers for an instant. But soon, the
yells became even louder, in Dou Qi Mainland, the pills refined by Alchemists
were the most sought after items.
“This thing is named Foundation Elixir. It is only effective to those below the
Dou Zhe level. Training in Foundation Elixir allows people under the Dou Zhe
level to have an increased efficiency in training! Hehe, if you like you son or
grandson to be called a genius, this is perfect for you!” Her attractive mouth
lightly breathed the words and numbed the minds of many of the auctioneers.
“Foundation Elixir? It can raise one’s Dou Qi training speed? Lady Ya Fei, the
people in that stage can’t take the pressure of the pill right?” Even though Ya
Fei was extremely charming, there were also many people that stayed calm
and after a brief silence, someone raised an essential question.
“Hehe, this elixir was personally inspected by our Gu Ni master and was found
to be a second tier pill. There will not be a problem, everyone can be assured
of that.” Ya Fei lightly laughed while responding.
Hearing that Gu Ni had personally inspected the pill, those with doubt didn’t
question the validity of the pill anymore. Everyone knew that Gu Ni Master
was a second tier Alchemist. in the entire Wu Tan City, even the clan leaders
of the three clans were courteous towards him.
Xiao Yan lazily leaned on his chair and watched the excited atmosphere within
the crowd. Letting out a light breath, he thought: Looks like this Foundation
Elixir will bring quite a bit of income! Slightly shifting his gaze to his father,
Xiao Yan realized that the previously calm expression on his father had
slightly changed.
“8500!” Right when Ya Fei’s voice stopped, a person yelled out a price.
“9000!” Another price came right after the first price had been called.
The price quickly went up and within a couple of seconds, it got to 13,000!
Even though Xiao Yan’s father’s was somewhat excited, he didn’t call out a
price immediately and instead closed his eyes, waiting for the small fry calls to
stop.
The price went up again but soon, the voices died out. At that time, an elder
also sitting in the first row lightly said: “20,000!”
After calling out that price, the final voices in the auction died out. Some of
the hopeful looked towards that emotionless elder but could only sit back
down, disappointed. They didn’t have the wealth to be in a price war with the
Jia Lie Clan.
“Hehe, Jia Lie Bi, didn’t your son already become a Dou Zhe? Why are you
still thinking about this Foundation Elixir?” A middle aged man who was also
sitting in the first row turned around to fakely smile at Jia Lie Bi.
“Ao Ba Pa, can’t I buy it for my future grandson?” Jia Lie Bi obviously didn’t
like the middle aged man and coldly sneered at the latter.
Let’s see if your luck lets you have a grandson, maybe some day your son
finds himself without….After silently cursing at Jia Lie Bi, Ao Ba Pa also called
out: “23,000!”
“25,000!”
Within 10 minutes and under the surprised stares of everyone within the
auction, the two were like dogs fighting over a meal and raised the price to
31,000!
“40,000!” The closed eyed Xiao Zhan suddenly spoke up.
Everyone within the auction hall went silent and switched their stares to Xiao
Zhan. Even Ao Ba Pa and Jia Lie Bi were stunned by the sudden raise in the
price.
“Hehe, Clan leader Xiao, looks like you really want this Foundation Elixir.” Jia
Lie Bi smiled.
Xiao Zhan glanced at him and said: “If you want it, then just raise the price. I
promise I won’t raise the price again.”
Jia Lie Bi paused and thought about the truth within Xiao Zhan’s words. Soon,
he shook his head since his purpose here today wasn’t for the Foundation
Elixir and to waste money that could have gone to that item was not a smart
idea.
Ao Ba Pa on the other side, seeing that Jia Lie Bi stopped raising the price,
also shrugged his shoulders. Even though the Foundation Elixir was extremely
tempting, his goal wasn’t that. Therefore, he also stopped raising the price.
“Clan leader Xiao Zhan has bid 40,000 Gold Coins, is there anyone that wishes
to raise the price?” Seeing the calm hall, Ya Fei smiled while reminding the
crowd.
“Since no one has raised the price, this Foundation Elixir will go to clan leader
Xiao Zhan!” Seeing that no one responded, Ya Fei was smart and lightly
tapped her small hammer on the table, signalling that the Foundation Elixir
had found its new owner.
In a remote area, Xiao Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. After so
much, he had received the money off of his father.
“Hehe, next, we’ll be auctioning the final auction item!” Placing the jade bottle
back within the plate, Ya Fei waved her hand and the light in the hall dimmed.
Bending down, she took out a silver plate and in the middle of the plate was a
green, unadorned scroll.
The scroll was slightly glowing green and with the reflections off of the silver
plate, it was cast in a mysterious light.
“High Xuan Level Qi Method: Hurricane Chant!”
 Chapter 23 – The Scramble
The moment Ya Fei said High Level Xuan Qi Method, the entire auction went
silent.
Compared to the Foundation Elixir, Dou Qi Methods were infinitely more
valuable.
Even though pills were expensive, they were a one-time use item. But Qi
Methods would last for one’s entire life and can even be inherited by one’s
sons and grandsons. So from a long term standpoint, a high level Qi Method
was much more sought after compared to pills.
After all, once a person has a high level Qi Method, even without the support
of pills, that person can become a force to be reckoned with after a period of
time. On the other hand, if one doesn’t have a Qi Method and only has pills,
then even if that person is eating pills like they are candy, he still would not
become too strong.
After a brief moment of shock, the auctioneers recovered and sent their
burning gazes at the green scroll at the middle of the hall. Even the charming
Ya Fei seemed to have been forgotten…
Sitting in the back row, Xiao Yan let out a breath. High Xuan Level Qi Method?
No wonder… The Qi Method is an entire tier higher than Xiao Clan’s top Qi
Method, Furious Lion’s Rage. No wonder that the three clan leaders in Wu
Tan City came here in person. So they were all gunning for this…
“A High Xuan Level…” Watching the motionless green scroll, Xiao Yan
instinctively licked his lips. To own that scroll would basically mean that they
have a pass to become a top Dou Zhe and after a few decades, there would
be a new force that would rival the three clans in Wu Tan City.
“It’s only a High Xuan Level Qi Method, what’s so special about that.” Right
when Xiao Yan was fantasizing about the Qi Method, Yao Lao’s voice
awkwardly sounded within Xiao Yan.
“Only…” Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan felt that there was a huge gap between
him and the old geezer that would claim top tier Qi Methods were trash. He
could only purse his lips and remain silent.
“Brat, just keep on training. The day that you become a Dou Zhe, I’ll let you
see what a high tier Qi Method is!” After Yao Lao finished his thought, he
became silent again.
Pursing his lips again, Xiao Yan muttered: “I hope so.”
“Everyone, this Xuan Level Qi Method was found by a hunter in the
mountains. It must have been left behind by an ancestor so it won’t bring
anyone any trouble after they buy it. Everyone can bid without fearing that
there may be consequences.” Ya Fei carefully held up the green scroll and
lightly said.
“Lady Ya Fei, can you set the bottom price already!” One of the auctioneers
impatiently yelled out.
Keeping her charming smile, Ya Fei said: “Hurricane Chant, bottom price,
200,000 Gold Coins!”
After she called out the bottom price, the auction house became visibly
quieter. Obviously, a lot of the auctioneers didn’t have the wealth to buy such
an expensive item.
In a remote region, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but shake his head. This woman
kills people without spilling blood! 200,000 Gold Coins is equal to the profits of
Xiao Clan for an entire two years!
TL: Killing people without spilling blood means to indirectly “kill” someone,
something like I leave a huge cliffhanger at the end of this chapter
 Chapter 24 – Everything For Later
Leaving the first auction hall, Xiao Yan returned to the Inspection Room and
under the respectful gaze of the middle aged man, patiently waited.
A few minutes later, with a flurry of footsteps, two shadows pushed the door
open.
“Hehe, are you the owner of the Foundation Elixir? Mister, this must be the
first time you’ve come to Wu Tan City right?” With a gust of perfume, a
charming yet numbing giggle sounded besides Xiao Yan. It made his firm
mindset waver.
After cursing “Yao Jing”, Xiao Yan furrowed his face further within the robe
before turning around to look at the red-dressed woman besides him.
With close contact, Xiao Yan once again realized the charm within Ya Fei. On
the dazzling face was a pair of watery eyes with long eyelashes that seemed
to always send out strands of binding ropes to men. Looking down, past the
graceful white neck, Xiao Yan was almost sucked into her cleavage. Her
natural charm even influenced the calm Xiao Yan…
Although Xiao Yan had a red face, thankfully, it was covered by his robe.
Calming himself, Xiao Yao slightly nodded and at the same time, Yao Lao’s
voice also floated out: “The auction was successful? Give me the money, I
have something to do!”
As if she was intrigued by the age of the owner of the black robe, Ya Fei
covered her mouth as she laughed. After a while, she recovered: “Please
excuse us for a little while longer. We’re still working on the paperwork.”
Slightly nodding, Xiao Yan didn’t open his mouth again and moved his sight
from Ya Fei while keeping silent.
Looking at the mysterious person covered in the black robe, Ya Fei’s brows
furrowed. Looks like her prideful beauty had no effect. Pursing her lips, her
gaze swept over the mysterious person, trying to discern every single detail in
order to find out who she was dealing with.
After sweeping through Xiao Yan and not getting any information, Ya Fei
disappointedly looked at Gu Ni. After their eyes met, she bit her lips and
asked: “Mister, Ya Fei has rarely seen an alchemist that doesn’t have the
alchemist badge, could I ask for your name?”
“Huh? Girl, coming to this place means that I need to say who I am?” Under
the black robe, Yao Lao’s voice coldly spoke up.
“Hehe, Ya Fei was only curious. If mister doesn’t want to say it, Ya Fei
wouldn’t force you.” Ya Fei lightly laughed.
Through the black robe, Xiao Yan watched the white legs wrapped in a red
dress besides. Even though he couldn’t help but admire her beauty, he silently
reminded himself that for Ya Fei to become the top auctioneer, she wasn’t
some flower pot. Everyone said that beauty was trouble, after all, in the entire
Wu Tan City, there were countless suitors but even to this day, none of them
achieved their goal. Even though many of them blamed the Primer Auction
House behind her, none of them would claim that she was a pretty flowerpot.
With such a clever woman besides him, Xiao Yan was as careful as if he was
walking on top of ice. He was afraid that Ya Fei would discover something
from him but thankfully, with Yao Lao talking, the mysterious geezer wouldn’t
be charmed by the “Yao Jing” besides him.
From Yao Lao’s impassive words, Ya Fei wasn’t able to find any information.
In the end, she gave up on trying to find new information and instead smiled
while taking out a crystal card. On the card was the Primer Family logo:
“Mister, this is the Primer Auction House’s VIP card. With this card, you can
receive VIP treatment at any Primer Family Auction House. At the same time,
the taxes that the Auctions take would go from 5% to 2%!”
Hearing that, Xiao Yan’s brows jumped. Compared to the blabber before, he
liked this kind of solid benefits, so after pausing for a while, he took the
crystal card.
Seeing the long and pale hand out of the back robe, a glint of confusion
flashed across Ya Fei’s eyes. The voice from the person under the black robe
was obviously the voice of an old man but he has a hand that looks like a
young man. This person, who is he?
At this time, a waitress ran in and courteously handed a green card to Ya Fei.
“Mister, the Foundation Elixir sold for 40,000 Gold Coins and taking out 2% as
auction fees, the rest is in here.” Ya Fei smiled while handing the green card
over.
Taking the green card, Xiao Yan’s tense heart fell. The funds for his training
were inside that tiny green card. 40,000 Gold Coins, that would be enough to
train to a Dou Zhe….
Since he already got the money, Xiao Yan didn’t have any more reason to
stay and after carelessly pushing his hands together, a wizened voice calmly
said: “I can leave now right?”
“Hehe, of course. If you would like to auction off any more pills, please keep
the Primer Auction House in mind.” Ya Fei smiled.
“Mm.” Carelessly responding, Xiao Yan stood up and left the tense room.
Watching the disappearing shadow of Xiao Yan, the smile on Ya Fei’s face
slowly disappeared and she plopped down into a nearby chair.
“Gu Ni shu-shu, is he really an Alchemist?” After an awkward silence, Ya Fei
broke the stillness.
“Yeah, and his Alchemy skills are better than mine. That second tier
Foundation Elixir, I can’t refine it.” Gu Ni answered while sighing.
“Even with the formula?” Slightly wincing, Ya Fei’s red mouth carelessly let
out a dangerous sentence.
Hearing Ya Fei’s words, Gu Ni’s face changed and he hurriedly said: “A
formula is an alchemist’s life. Please don’t think that again. To carelessly
anger a mysterious alchemist, even for the Primer family, is a huge deal. A
couple dozen years ago, the famous Cech family of Jia Ma Empire enraged Pill
King Gu He and was annihilated by 4 Dou Wangs that Gu He sent. Even the
Jia Ma Empire’s royalty wouldn’t control the matter!”
“Even though our family is much stronger than the Cech family, it’s best not
to offend some mysterious alchemist. Alchemists are like a hornet’s nest, once
you poke it, he’ll find countless friends and many experts would love to have
an Alchemist owe them a favor.”
Watching the panicking Gu Ni, Ya Fei bitterly smiled while massaging her
forehead: “Gu Ni Shu Shu, what are you saying. I wasn’t thinking any of that,
do you think that Ya Fei has wasted these few years?”
“I was reminding you.” Hearing Ya Fei’s words, Gu Ni let out a breath. He was
really afraid that she would do something stupid.
Pursing her lips, Ya Fei propped up her cheek while sighing. Alchemists, they
really are some dangerous people but why don’t I have such a talent?
 Chapter 25 - I’ll Pay for It

After he sneaked back into his room, Xiao Yan quickly closed the door and went to the corner of
the room, before finally taking out a bunch of medical herbs and magic crystals. He carefully
placed them in the cabinet and deeply sniffed the smell of herbs as he smiled with relief.
To practice uninterrupted, Xiao Yan had purchased the amount of herbs needed for 8 months
of usage, allowing him to practice non-stop for the rest of the year.
As he affectionately patted the cabinet, his lips cracked open and he lazily goes on the side of
his bed, putting his head down. Today’s activities had made him really tired
“Yan Er, are you there?” A mumbled voice and a knock pass through his door...
Opening his blurry eyes, Xiao Yan hurriedly jumped out of his bed, and then opened his room’s
door, looking at Xiao Zhao outside of the door and asked: “Father, do you need something?”
“Can’t I see for you even if I don’t need anything from you? You kid; you hid from me for 2
months.” Xiao Zhan reprimanded as he rubbed Xiao Yan’s head affectionately.
Looking at Xiao Zhan’s warm smiling face; Xiao Yan’s was moved as he pumped his sore nose,
not knowing what to say.
“Are you still feeling responsible for that? Ha-ha, if she can’t take a liking to my son, it is her
loss. You don’t have to be sad. Why should a great man act like a little kid? I know that this son
of Xiao Zhan is not a cripple.” Xiao Zhan boldly said.
“Ha-ha father, after 3 years, Yan Er will go to the Faction of Misty Clouds personally.” Xiao Yan
said in a soft voice with a smile.
Xiao Zhao’s smiling face became more serious, as he stared at Xiao Yan. After a while, he said
with some hesitation: “Father feels fine, but… are you really going to? Father isn’t saying that
you can’t reach Nalan Yanran, but the strength of the Faction of Misty Clouds…”
Xiao Yan smiled as he nodded, his thin lips forcing a somewhat stubborn line: “Father, that
there are some things, that as a man, I have to bear.”
“Aha, this temper of your resembles mine much, if your two big brothers knew that you
thought like this, they would probably be very happy”, Towards Xiao Yan’s dedication, Xiao
Zhan smiled pleased before sighing and nodded heavily: “Good, father waits for his son to give
him some face, I want the old bastard Nalan Shu to beg me to remake that marriage promise.”
Xiao Yan nodded and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey, I’ll give you this; consider it as your father’s support.” He handed to Xiao Yan a very
familiar white bottle.
Looking at this elixir that went back to his own hands, Xian Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or
to cry. But on his face, he maintained a puzzled expression: “Father, this is?”
“Foundation Elixir, it’ll accelerate your Dou Qi cultivation, I just bought it today.” Xiao Zhan’s
mouth smiled.
“You must have spent a lot of money for this right?” As he received the white jade bottle, Xiao
Yan’s heart felt warm.
“40 000 gold coins, but if it can be of use to you, it is worth its price” Xiao Zhan smiled as
though he didn’t care.
“You spent 40 000 gold coins for buying me this foundation spirit elixir? Won’t the elders
perhaps cause trouble to you using this excuse?” Xiao Yan smiled bitterly.
“Tssk, I am the Clan Leader, they can at most utter some words” Xiao Zhan said coldly.
“Father, thank you, during the adult ceremony in one year, I will make them shut their mouth
completely”. Xiao Yan calmly laughed as he said that.
“Good, I am waiting for my son to transform once more!” Although he didn’t know from where
Xiao Yan’s confidence came from, Xiao Zhan was very happy seeing his son’s confident
appearance.
“Alright, I won’t disturb your rest. If there are any problems come and see your father, as a
family member, I cannot let you be disgraced.” Waving his hand, Xiao Zhan turned around, as
he took big strides leaving the front yard.
“Shit, I also have to face these old fools now. I only spent 40 000 Gold Coins, but they will act
like I had spent the money that was supposed to be used for buying their coffins.” From the
night, Xiao Zhan’s mutters floated to Xiao Yan.
Looking at his father vanishes into the darkness, Xiao Yan touched his nose and smiled while
saying in a low voice: “Relax, father, I will use reality to make these people quiet. 3 years
before, I could make them look up at me, 3 years after; I will still be able to!”
After standing at his door for a while, Xiao Yan put away the white jade bottle. Then, he shot a
look at the corner of the room, teasing:” Girl! Is it fun to eavesdrop on people?”
“Xiao Yan ge-ge, that was keen from you…….” From the corner, a pretty young girl wearing a
purple skirt came out elegantly. Leaning her little head, a big smile was revealed on her
beautiful face.
Looking at the mischievous girl’s face, Xiao Yan helplessly shook his head.
“Where did Xiao Yan ge-ge go this afternoon?” Xun Er came forward, walked up lightly and
asked with a smile.
“I was just on a little stroll.”
“Is that so?” Her eyes looking up and down, Xun Er suddenly took a step forward and bent
slightly. Her nose wrinkled while she said: “I smell the fragrance of a woman.”
“*Cough*, come on, why would I have a woman’s fragrance.” Xiao Yan’s immature face
suddenly blushed, but in the dark, his as well as the girl’s face couldn’t be seen clearly.
“Hee hee.” Seemingly liking this predicament Xiao Yan was in, Xun Er laughed and a moment
later stopped laughing. Before quietly saying:” A moment ago, I also heard Xiao shu-shu’s
words, I believe that Xiao Yan ge–ge, yup……. In the future, you really want to go to the Faction
of the Misty Clouds; Xun Er will come with you, to help you……”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan blinked and tightly stared at the young girl’s beautiful small face.
Under Xiao Yan’s unrestrained vision, Xun Er’s her face flushed a little from shyness as she
whispered :”Xiao Yan ge-ge, what are you looking at…..”
“Hehe, Xun Er can also blush, such a rare sight.” Xiao Yan unexpectedly said with a smile.
Xun Er coldly glanced at Xiao Yan and she muttered under her breath: ”And you can also glance
at people this way.”
“Good, good, have confidence in ge-ge, although the Faction of Misty Clouds is formidable, I am
still young. This Yun Yun who spoils that girl Nalan Yanran, definitely isn’t too great of a
teacher.“ Xiao Yan smiled as he rubbed the black hair of the young girl. “Well, it is late, head
back for a rest.”
Looking at Xiao Yan waving, Xun Er shakes her head reluctantly. And went into the darkness
under his sight.
After turning a corner, sounds could be heard from a quarrel between Xiao Zhan and the
several elders. The topic of the quarrel: how the 40 000 gold coins were used.
Stopping, Xun Er’s little eyebrows wrinkled and she lets out a small sigh while a purple card
appeared between her slim fingers.
Her fingertips flicking the purple colored gold-card, making the purple-gold card flash into
golden light as it soared towards the room where the elders are quarrelling with Xiao Zhan.
The room suddenly became silent while Xun Er faintly said:” This is the money for the
Foundation Elixir. In this card there are 100,000 gold coins, now that I’ve given you this, I hope
that you elders won’t continue to give uncle Xiao trouble.”
The room was completely silent before the “yes” acknowledgments from the three elders came
through.
 Chapter 26: Intensive training
“Octane Blast!”
In the forest, a crisp roar rung out.
An agile shadow was jumping flexibly in these woods and even though the
forest was densely covered with thorns, they didn’t obstruct him at all.
In the next instant, the shadow unexpectedly stopped before a 0.5 meter
large tree, and with the body half slanted, an elbow slammed against the
tree.
“Bang !” A noise rang as wood splinters scattered. Spidery cracks appeared on
the point of impact and spread throughout the whole tree.
“*Crunch*……” The tree had a huge gaping hole with the elbow hit and
emitted a crunching sound before loudly falling to the ground a moment later.
The moment the big tree fell, the agile shadow quickly took a few steps back
vigorously like a monkey and lightly floated to a green colored stone.
Looking at the results of his efforts, Xiao Yan’s delicate small face showed a
smile. In the past three months, this was the first time he had succeeded in
using the Octane Blast, a high Xuan level skill. This Octane Blast that could
rival a Di Dou Technique didn’t let Xiao Yan down; with Xiao Yan’s 6 Duan Qi,
he could rival the destruction of a person at 8 Duan Qi!
The more one’s Duan Qi level rises, the harder it is for one to raise their Duan
Qi. But since the auction, Xiao Yan went into intensive training for 3 months
and only a few days before did his Duan Qi jump from 5 Duan Qi to 6 Duan
Qi.
To gain one Duan Qi in 3 months, although this speed is slower compared to
the two months needed for reaching 5 Duan Qi, Xiao Yan was still very
satisfied. When he was training before, it took him an entire half year to go
from 5 Duan Qi to 6 Duan Qi. The current speed is terrifying
After having used Octane Blast, Xiao Yan’s whole body was like a sponge
which was suddenly squeezed of its water. A noticeable pain was constantly
corroding his nerves while the veins on his arms were visibly pulsing. These
were the signs of extreme exhaustion…
Licking his lips, Xiao Yan struggled to turn his head to look at his right elbow.
What entered his vision was a crimson elbow……
“Tss….” A corner of his mouth cracked open while Xiao Yan inhaled a deep
breath and said with a bitter smile: “No wonder I had to bear such harsh
beatings. Or else what this strike would have broken wouldn’t have been the
tree, but my arm. This Octane Blast skill is pretty much a comparison of who
has the harder body.”
His whole body lying on the ice-cold stone, Xiao Yan’s rapid breathing slowly
calmed down. However, the aching sensations of Xiao Yan’s body made him
not want to move even his finger yet.
With Xiao Yan’s 6 Duan Qi, he could at most use the Octane Blast once and
after using it, he would be completely depleted of his strength until much
later.
Xiao Yan threw back his head, narrowed his eyes and lazily looked at the
floating clouds in the blue sky. A slight breeze brushes by, blowing a wisp of
his black hair to flap against his forehead.
Seeping through his body as Xiao Yan rested were the Foundation Elixirs that
he had absorbed for the past months, and now they were at work, repairing
his muscle tissue and cells at maximum speed, bringing new energy to Xiao
Yan.
“Teacher, how long do I need to keep practicing before I can attain 7 Duan
Qi?” While his eyes were shut, Xiao Yan suddenly whispered.
His goal was to attain 7th rank and thus acquiring the qualification to enter
the Xiao Clan’s Dou Qi Hall where he could find Qi Methods to practice. Even
though, at this point, those Qi Methods are at a far too low level for him, he
must acquire these qualifications because it related to the face of his father.
A cold breeze blew by as Yao Lao’s transparent body appeared besides the
enormous stone.
With a happy expression in his face as he looked at his junior, Yao Lao first
took note of the big tree. Then he nodded as he said with a smile: “Your
training speed is beyond my expectations. Originally I believed that even with
the help of the elixir, you would need a year before entering 7 Duan Qi…. or
is it because you were suppressed far too hard before bouncing back now.
Looking at this progress, within 2 months, you can certainly enter the 7th Dou
Qi rank.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s lips lifted up, making a turn of a faint smile. He really
wanted to know, after these 3 years during which he has been unceasingly
taunted by his clan members, when they will see his strength, what kind of
expression will they show? That day, when he was talking to Nalan Yanran in
the main hall, didn’t those words apply to them as well?
“I, Xiao Yan, could create a miracle 3 years ago, and three years later, I can
still do it!” His vision glittered a little as Xiao Yan thought about half a year
before, how he was taunted in the main hall. But even though his silhouette
was lonely it was unbending and persistent.
Nalan Yanran, I am catching up to you step by step, wait for me! We shall
meet in Faction of Misty Clouds in three year!
The corner of his mouth suddenly frowning a little, the youth jumped as he
raised his head to roar at the distant sky.
Watching at his junior roaring, Yao Lao showed a smile and didn’t stop him:
people need pressure to mature. The current Xiao Yan, has enough talent but
what he needs is pressure to push him! Nalan Yanran’s decision was the best
pressure possible.
“Let her be your stepping stone. In the road to become respected, you still
have a big distance left to finish!”
“Go, let’s head back for practicing!”
Roaring several times, the smile on Xian Yao’s face grew bigger. Soon he
jumped off the boulder and waved at Yao Lao before beginning his descent
from the mountain, still smiling.
Chapter 27 – Rushing 7 Duan Qi
Time was like water, slipping through one’s finger quickly and mysteriously.
The scorching summer had been replaced with the cool fall and the light
green branches had already showed hints of yellow.
The room was still neat and sunlight would still scatter through the windows.
There was a wood basin in the room where a young man was training. He
had both of his eyes closed and both hands folded.
The training for the majority of the year had forced a hint of stubbornness to
appear on the young man’s delicate and smooth face. His tight lips showed
how determined he was and his original white skin that was as white as a
woman’s had become slightly yellow with the beatings in the past months. His
small physique didn’t seem too muscular but had the burst potential like a
jaguar.
Looking from every angle, the young man was transforming at a terrifying
speed and when this transformation was done, he would shock everyone!
Under the smooth breathing of the young man, strands of green airflow
slowly lifted from the wood basin and followed the young man’s breath into
his body.
“I will get to 7 Duan Qi today!”
When he was training, Xiao Yan suddenly had the thought pop into his head.
Even though there was no proof to back the thought up, it felt as if it was the
word of god, the truth.
In the previous month, Xiao Yan had attempted to get to 7 Duan Qi quite a
few times but every time failure would greet him.
Maybe it was because today’s training was basically the last drop to a full cup
but finally, Xiao Yan knew that he would get to 7 Duan Qi.
The sudden thought made Xiao Yan almost break his folded hands apart and
exit from training. Thankfully, Xiao Yan was able to suppress the thought and
take an effort to calm down.
As his breath calmed, Xiao Yan started to greedily absorb energy to break
through 7 Duan Qi.
In the wooden basin, the green elixir started emitting seven colored sparkles
as countless strands evaporated and rushed into Xiao Yan’s body.
As the green airflows increased in number, they not only covered Xiao Yan’s
body but also hid the wooden basin within a layer of green mist.
Under Xiao Yan’s absorption of the energy, the green liquid within the basin
was paling considerably.
Because of the huge amount of energy that he absorbed, Xiao Yan’s small
face began to flush red but also glow hints of green.
Xiao Yan who was rushing 7 Duan Qi had undoubtedly become a huge huge
magnet, not only sucking energy from the surrounding air but also creating
mini whirlpools within the wood basin.
In the first 9 Duan Qis, 1 to 3 Duan Qi were considered low level, 4 to 6 Duan
Qi were middle level and 7 to 9 Duan Qi were high leveled.
The 7th Duan Qi was basically a gap between Duan Qis, once one gets to 7
Duan Qi then they would have gotten to the high leveled Duan Qi and have a
couple times as much Dou Qi compared to 6 Duan Qi. Therefore, 7 Duan Qi
was considered as the first lock to becoming a Dou Zhe.
With the green whirlpools, the green liquid within the basin became lighter
and lighter in color before changing to a bowl of clear water.
Without the energy from the Foundation Elixir, the green aura around Xiao
Yan’s face slackened and he could only absorb the energy in the air to
complete his 7 Duan Qi.
Even though it was possible to use the energy in the air to break through 7
Duan Qi but it would take much longer and even if he does get to 7 Duan Qi,
he would need an entire month before he would find himself truly at the level
of 7 Duan Qi.
But what Xiao Yan was missing the most, was time!
When the Foundation Elixir finally gave out, Xiao Yan’s black ring flickered and
a jade green Foundation Elixir droplet fell into the basin. Suddenly, the clear
water turned back into a shade of dark green.
With the fresh Foundation Elixir’s energy, Xiao Yan silently thanked Yao Lao
and while keeping his hands folded, controlled his breathing to crazily absorb
the new energy.
After crazily absorbing energy for an entire hour, Xiao Yan finally slowed
down and at this point, the dark green water had paled by a few shades!
Taking in the final strand of energy, Xiao Yan body, after a brief pause,
started shaking violently. His stomach pushed in while his eyes suddenly
opened. Within the black pupils were hints of white and green. Finally,
opening his mouth, Xiao Yan let out a breath of stale air…
After the stale breath left Xiao Yan, he finally straightened.
With his eyes blankly staring forward, Xiao Yan turned his neck to meet crisp
bone cracking sounds. Then he curled his hand to feel a solid strength that
brought a smile to Xiao Yan’s lips.
“Finally, 7 Duan Qi…”
Closing his eyes, Xiao Yan started to explore the abundant Dou Qi within his
body….
Chapter 28 – Strengthening “Vacuum Hand”
Xiao Yan lay in the wooden basin, his body submerged in the cool Foundation
Elixir, absorbed in the feeling of firm strength that he had just acquired.
Normal methods of getting to 7 Duan Qi required a period of rest and
recovery. However, Xiao Yan did not need it since he had the Foundation
Elixir. He was already in peak condition.
After lying in the basin for a while, until his excited emotions calmed, Xiao
Yan finally lazily got up. The attached water droplets sparkled joyously under
the bright sunshine.
Taking a lazy stretch, Xiao Yan’s bones gave crisp cracks as if they were
brand new!
Carelessly turning his head, Xiao Yan’s right hand locked onto his bed and
pulled his clothes into his hand.
“Nice. My Dou Qi increased by quite a bit. I should be able to influence
someone’s actions now, right?” Xiao Yan muttered as he dressed himself.
“Unfortunately, this ‘Vacuum Hand’ doesn’t have any power when attacking.
‘Sucking Blood from One’s Enemy’ applies only to people with weaker Dou Qi
than me. For anyone with greater Dou Qi than me, it’d be among the worst to
use.”
Contemplating the negative effects of “Vacuum Hand”, Xiao Yan sighed in
disappointment. However, even if the technique was terrible, it was the first
Dou Technique that he had ever owned!
Just as he was about to step out of the basin, a thought came to him. He
pursed his lips.
Eyes gleaming, Xiao Yan slowly curled his right hand into a fist and raised his
arm so that his hand was about half a foot away from a flower vase. He
stared intently at his hand, and deliberately avoided looking at his target.
Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi burst from his palm without the guidance of Qi.
Licking his lips, Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi burst out of his palm without any planned
Qi Paths or pressure points….
To be able to externalize Dou Qi without the use of Qi Paths was something
the Da Dou Shi could barely do. Xiao Yan’s attempt resulted in nothing more
than a moderate gust of wind.
The air flowed from his palm and connected with the vase, almost knocking it
off the table.
Even though he failed to externalize the Dou Qi, Xiao Yan’s face bore an
expression of elation. He excitedly rubbed his hands together and quickly took
a few steps back before raising his hand at the vase again.
“Vacuum Hand!” A small roar and a huge pulling force forced the flower vase
to spiral towards Xiao Yan.
Right when the vase was about 3 feet away from Xiao Yan, the pulling force
on Xiao Yan’s hand disappeared and was replaced by Dou Qi rapidly trying to
externalize on his palm. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew against the
approaching vase!
“Peng!”
The two counteracting forces met in mid air and the vase that was in the
middle of the clash suddenly broke into countless ceramic pieces.
TL: Man, Xiao Yan hates vases.
Seeing the results of his experimentation, Xiao Yan’s small face was full of
happy surprise. The combination of the pulling and pushing force caused a
destruction far greater than he had imagined.
Even though Xiao Yan’s plentiful Dou Qi had almost been exhausted by that
experiment, Xiao Yan was still extremely excited. The pushing force was
caused through a low level method which had a great consumption of Dou Qi
with barely mediocre results. If he had a Dou Technique that was the
opposite of Vacuum Hand, then the two combined, he was sure, would have a
great effect!
“Brat, pretty good…To have thought up this method to strengthen Vacuum
Hand.” The black ring sparkling, Yao Lao ghostly floated out and praised Xiao
Yan while inspecting the ceramic fragments.
Xiao Yan smiled and his eyes quickly circled around Yao Lao. On Xiao Yan’s
face was an expression of sadness and fawning.
“If there was a Dou Technique that would create a pushing effect and if you
could train that Dou Technique to a high level then this Low Xuan level
Vacuum Hand could have the power of a Middle to High Xuan Technique….”
As if he didn’t see Xiao Yan’s fawning face, Yao Lao muttered to himself.
“Teacher, you know that non-attack oriented Dou Techniques are super rare.
Getting the Vacuum Hand was pure luck and now, where do you expect me to
find a Dou Technique to compliment Vacuum Hand?” Xiao Yan tilted his head
and said dejectedly.
“Stop making that innocent face. I know that you’re trying to get it from me!”
Giving Xiao Yan an evil eye, Yao Lao angrily said.
“It’s not like someone else didn’t think of what you just thought up but these
two non-attack oriented Dou Techniques are extremely rare and therefore, no
one has been able to actually combine their effects.”
“Even teacher doesn’t have something?” Hearing that, Xiao Yan’s small faced
darkened. He knew that without a set technique to produce a pushing force,
he would have to rely on his Dou Qi externalizing which was not a smart
move.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s dispirited face, Yao Lao smiled while massaging his
forehead. After a while, he said: “There was someone before that begged me
for a pill. I think that I took a Dou Technique like Vacuum Hand as payment.
If I didn’t have an already finished pill at that time, I would not have traded
with that person! Hmm, this was pretty long ago, if you didn’t remind me
today, then I probably would have really forgotten about it.”
“Alright…I found it!” Moving his finger from his forehead, Yao Lao placed his
finger on Xiao Yan’s forehead.
With the finger, a huge influx of information overwhelmed Xiao Yan and only
after a while did Xiao Yan finally understand the new glob of information.
“Fire Palm: Low Xuan Level, Able to create huge gusts!”
The simple explanation along with the uncreative name made this Low Xuan
Level technique seem extremely shabby.
“The founder of this was a blacksmith who had been a blacksmith for his
entire life. Because of the fire of the furnace, after a couple decades, he
invented this technique…” Watching the tight faced Xiao Yan, Yao Lao
taunted.
Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan was quite impressed with the blacksmith. Creating a
Dou Technique was no mean feat and definitely not something that an
ordinary hammer wielding blacksmith could create.
Fire Palm wasn’t hard to learn and under Yao Lao’s help, Xiao Yan only took
two hours before having an introductory grasp on the basics of it.
Standing in his room, Xiao Yan stared at the final flower vase in his room.
Taking a deep breath and curling his hand, he said: “Vacuum Hand!”
With the strong pull, the flower vase quickly flew towards Xiao Yan.
Staring at the incoming vase, Xiao Yan quickly stopped using Vacuum Hand
and forced his Dou Qi to follow the Qi Paths of Fire Palm.
“Fire Palm!”
Right when the vase was about to hit Xiao Yan’s forehead, a strong gust of
wind emerged from Xiao Yan’s hand and suddenly the room was subjected to
a wind on par with a hurricane!
“Peng!”
Another crisp sound of a vase breaking sounded but this time, the vase was
ground into a fine dust from the two opposing forces.
“Great….”
With white dust covering his whole body, Xiao Yan quickly jumped out of the
vase’s “explosion” ground zero. Watching the outcome of the vase, light
shone in Xiao Yan’s eyes. If he was able to master both of the skills and
change them without pause then he could make unprepared people take a
huge loss.
Patting off the white dust, Xiao Yan knew that he had a new training task in
the next three months.
Three months later will be his Coming of Age Ceremony…..
“Hehe, a lot of people are probably hoping that I make a fool of myself at the
Coming of Age Ceremony right?” In the scattered room, a young and cold
laugh sounded.
 Chapter 29 – An Important Day
The final three months had mostly passed and it was only a single month
away from Xiao Yan’s coming of age ceremony.
Within the clean room, Xiao Yan blankly stared at the green liquid inside the
wood basin. What he was looking at was the last of the Foundation Elixir. At
the final few stages of Duan Qi, it was becoming incredibly difficult to raise his
Duan Qi. Xiao Yan’s 7 Duan Qi hadn’t been rising by much for the past three
months and the feeling of breaking through to 8 Duan Qi never came to Xiao
Yan.
Staring at the basin like a fool for a while, Xiao Yan finally pulled back his
gaze while shaking his head: “Can I use this last Foundation Elixir to get to 8
Duan Qi?”
Slowly straightening his numb body, Xiao Yan, surprisingly, didn’t start
training. Instead, he took out black clothes from his closet…
The month before the Coming of Age Ceremony, all of the participants in the
ceremony had to attend a test. The test was to eliminate those whose Dou Qi
wasn’t high enough. Those that had more than 7 Duan Qi were allowed a
chance to go into the Dou Qi Hall to find a Qi Method after completing their
Coming of Age Ceremony. On the other hand, those that were below 7 Duan
Qi would lose that chance and be “exiled” to the clan’s property after the
ceremony. Unless they show exceptional talent or bravery, they would never
get a chance to become part of the inner circle of the Xiao Clan…
Right after he put on his clothes, a light knock came from the door.
“Xiao Yan ge-ge, are you there?”
Hearing a high girly voice, Xiao Yan’s brows jumped while he quickly buttoned
his clothes before hiding the wood basin in a overlooked corner. After
checking that all was fine, he slowly waltzed to the door and opened the door.
When the door opened, warm sunshine flew onto him and Xiao Yan with the
black clothing seemed especially spirited.
Outside of the door, a young girl wearing a light and refreshing green robe
with a purple cloth belt was patiently waiting for Xiao Yan…
Watching the girl outside of his door, Xiao Yan was shocked for quite a while
before recovering and said: “This early, I thought it was a goddess that came
down but taking a closer look, it was Xun Er!”
Hearing Xiao Yan taunting praise, Xun Er’s agile eyes blinked and her small
mouth curved into a smile. However, from her brows that were almost in the
shape of a crescent moon, one could tell the happiness she felt.
With a hint of happiness in her eyes, Xun Er raised her delicate chin and
started examining the young man in front of her.
After a year’s worth of training, Xiao Yan had grown out of his naivety and
instead, on his delicate and well-figured face were a few hints of manly
charm. After a long period of beat receiving training, his overall body tone
was full of muscles and even though he was covered by a black shirt, his
figure seemed rippling with energy.
Walking out of the room and closing the door, Xiao Yan finally saw the
dumbstruck Xun Er that wasn’t even blinking as she stared at him. Confused,
Xiao Yan took a look of himself and asked: “Is there anything wrong with
me?”
Her beautiful face blushing, Xun Er quickly moved her sight away and smiled:
“Let’s go Xiao Yan ge-ge. Today’s the pre-test for the Coming of Age
Ceremony, are you ready?”
Narrowing his eyes, Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders while his lips went up
with a stubborn pride. His hands slowly curled into fists as he said: “The title
of cripple, I’ll return it to those that gave it to me today!”
Watching the confident Xiao Yan, Xun Er also nodded her head: “I believe in
Xiao Yan ge-ge!”
“Of course you believe in me; you’ve probably determined what Duan Qi I’m
at already.” Xiao Yan gave her a white eye and helplessly said.
Watching the depressed Xiao Yan, Xun Er slightly nodded her head but
quickly responded: “Getting to 7 Duan Qi from 3 Duan Qi in less than a year.
Xiao Yan ge-ge’s talent, even Xun Er’s talent is far inferior to yours…”
“Alright let’s go!”
Xiao Yan touched his nose and affectionately tapped Xun Er’s head. Then he
quickly starting taking huge strides to the clan’s training field.
Watching the completely different backline of Xiao Yan, without the sadness
and loneliness from the past, Xun er smiled and muttered: “Xiao Yan ge-ge,
Xun Er knew that you would take back your respect and honor…”
On the green rocked training field, at least a hundred boys and girls were
waiting there. Their chatter was like a low roar that spread quite far.
At the middle of the training field was a huge black monument which was a
testing monument that only clans with quite a bit of power could own
because of its high price. Next to the black monument was the same
impassive tester from 1 year ago.
On an elevated platform to the left of the training field were the clan’s more
prominent members. At the middle of the platform was the clan leader, Xiao
Zhan, surrounded by the three elders.
Inside the field, the about to be tested examinees were all standing. Those
that performed quite highly before didn’t show much stress on their faces
while those that didn’t have much talent had tense and scared faces.
Xiao Zhan examined the people in the training field with a dark face and
sighed inwardly. Yan Er, can you pass this test?
“Clan leader, it’s almost time! Why isn’t Xiao Yan here yet?” The second elder
furrowed his brows and asked.
Xiao Zhan gave him a sideways glance and said: “It’s not time yet, why be in
such a hurry? The second elder I know isn’t such a hasty person.”
With the rebuttal from Xiao Zhan, the second elder’s face was somewhat ugly
when he coldly retorted: “Even if you gave him that Foundation Elixir, he can’t
possibly get to 7 Duan Qi in one month! You should stop hoping for some
miracle.”
Hearing that, Xiao Zhan’s face flashed with anger. He was also worrying about
that and the second elder hit his soft spot. But right when he was about
respond to the second elder’s barebone words, a slight disturbance occurred
in examinees in the training field.
Looking towards the disturbance, Xiao Zhan saw two shadows slowly coming
over from the end of the path leading to the training field. Their steps weren’t
hurried, as if they were unaffected by today’s test.
Narrowing his eyes to get a better sight of the black clothed young man’s light
smile, Xiao Zhan didn’t know why but he felt much, much better all of a
sudden….
Chapter 30 – The one who humiliates gets humiliated in the end
Watching the Xiao Yan who was coming with Xun Er, the young men in the
training field showed a face full of envy and disdain. In the entire Xiao Clan,
the only one who was close to Xun Er was the famous cripple!
At the edge of the field and surrounded by a huge number of peers, Xiao Ning
stared at Xiao Yan with anger emanating from his eyes.
“Little bastard, after today, let’s see if you have enough face to be with Xun
Er.” With a low curse, Xiao Ning smiled thinking about the misfortune about to
befall Xiao Yan.
Ignoring the gazes of envy and anger, Xiao Yan brought Xun Er to the back of
the line and started chatting.
Watching the relaxed Xiao Yan, the people on the platform were all surprising
thinking that maybe Xiao Yan didn’t know how this test would change his
future…
“Hehe, he knows he’s going to fail.” The second elder teased.
The second elder was expecting Xiao Zhan to rage against him but after
waiting for quite a while, Xiao Zhan didn’t say anything. In shock, the second
elder tilted his head to look at Xiao Zhan.
“Second elder, instead of predictions, you should look at the results. Or else,
when the time comes, you’d be throwing away face…” Xiao Zhan gave a deep
glance at Xiao Yan who was relaxing under the sun.
His mouth twitching, the second elder retorted: “Hope so. I’m also hoping
that he can bring me some surprises.”
“Alright, it’s time. Let’s start!” The first elder cut both of them off and started
the test.
Xiao Zhan nodded while standing up.Taking a look at the silent training field,
he roared: “You are all new blood of the Xiao Clan and should know the
importance of this test. From the test, if you’re above 7 Duan Qi then you’ve
made it. However, if you didn’t make it, you can challenge someone that’s
about 7 Duan Qi according to the rules. If you win, you will also make it!”
“Alright, now that everyone knows the rules, let’s start the test!”
With Xiao Zhan’s low roar, the trainees all began to tense up.
Besides the black monument, the impassive operator stepped up and took out
a heavy pamphlet that had all of the names. His cold voice made him seem
like the devil to people called out by him.
Cross legged sitting on the clean and smooth ground. Xiao Yan calmly
watched those whose Dou Qi didn’t make the requirement and were crying.
Coldly pursing his lips, he didn’t feel any pity for them; he knew from first
hand experience that they loved to pick on those that had lower Dou Qi than
them, in particular, the “cripple” that was once a genius.
When they were insulting clansmen that were of lower Dou Qi than
themselves, they probably never thought that this day would come.
The one who humiliates gets humiliated in the end.
Xun Er sitting next to Xiao Yan also was impassive. Like a lotus that wouldn’t
be affected by the mud around it, she slowly twirled her head while sneaking
peeks at Xiao Yan.
“Xiao Mei!”
The operator’s cold voice brought a jump to Xiao Yan brows and his closed
eyelids slowly went up.
Xun Er who was intently watching Xiao Yan from the side curled her nose as
she saw Xiao Yan’s actions.
Hmm, she used to be quite close to Xiao Yan ge-ge…. While narrowing her
eyes, Xun Er stared at the red clothed girl walking up.
Soon, Xun Er blinked and tilted her head to look at Xiao Yan’s curved smile,
saying: “I’m quite curious about what kind of attitude she’ll have towards Xiao
Yan ge-ge after today.”
Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and whispered back:”Some things, once
destroyed, will always be destroyed. No matter how much it’s repaired, there
will always be an obvious crack. In this clan, there aren’t many people that I
approve of…”
“Does Xun Er count?” Xun Er’s red mouth made a mischievous smile as she
asked Xiao Yan.
Taking a strand of Xun Er’s hair and gently slipping it through his finger, Xiao
Yan answered: “Of course!”
Her large eyes curved into beautiful crescent moons while her actual gaze fell
upon a blank space. The sight of her was entrancing…
Back when we were still small, he would sneak into my room and try to help
me improve my body. Even though it was such a stupid method that looking
back on it, I can’t believe that he would have thought it up, he still continued
it for 2 years…
A smile appeared on her delicate face bringing out two cute dimples. Turning
her head, Xun Er thought: In this entire clan, there aren’t many people that
Xun Er approves of either, only you…
From afar, Xiao Ning felt his face twitching when he say the close
conversation between Xiao Yan and Xun Er. Jealousy raged in his heart while
he resisted the urge to go over there and destroy “perfect” scene.
“Dou Zi Li: 8 Duan!”
TL: Dou Zi Li, Dou Qi and Dou Zi Qi are all the same thing – Dou Qi
On the black monument, a bright light was emitted as those words were
displayed on it.
“Xiao Mei: Dou Zi Li, 8 Duan, High level!” Taking a glance at the black
monument, the impassive operator slightly nodded while calling out her score.
Hearing the operator’s voice, Xiao Mei let out a breath as her face became
filled with pride. To go from 7 Duan Qi to 8 Duan Qi in just one year was an
accomplishment that would net her among the top 5 in her generation. With
such an impressive result, it was no wonder that she would be so excited.
The operator’s voice led a huge disturbance within within the training fields as
glances of envy and jealousy fell towards Xiao Mei.
“To raise 1 Duan Qi in 1 year, barely decent…” Touching his nose, Xiao Yan
calmly evaluated.
“Yup.” Xun Er played with her hair as she carelessly glanced over Xiao Mei
who was surrounded by her friends like a princess.
But after Xiao Mei, out of the dozen or so people, only one person got to 7
Duan Qi. The rest were all eliminated.
“Xiao Xun Er!”
The impassive operator, surprisingly, had a bit of emotion when he called this
name.
Everyone’s gaze fell upon Xun Er who was sitting next to Xiao Yan as they
heard that name.
“Xiao Yan ge-ge, don’t be too surprised later…” Standing up, Xun Er bent
down to mischievously smile at Xiao Yan.
His brows twitching, Xiao Yan watched the beautiful backline of Xun Er as he
muttered: “Did she become a Dou Zhe?”
Chapter 31 – One Star Dou Zhe
Looking at the green-clothed girl firmly walking forward, the training field
became silent as blazing gazes focused upon her figure.From the high
platform, all high class clan members stopped their chatter as they also
focused on the pearl of Xiao clan.
Xiao Zhan, together with the 3 elders, all had a serious face, with a hint of
curiosity. They really want to know what stage the number one person of the
younger generation in Xiao Clan has achieved after one year of training.
…..
Here, all eyes zoomed intensively downwards at the girl who is walking
towards the stone monument at a pace that was neither slow nor fast. She
raised her small hand, revealing her snow-white skin as the sleeve is pulled
back.
As her precious hand softly touched the stone monument, Xun Er gradually
closes her eyes as her inner Dou Qi quickly strengthened.
Accepting the incoming Dou Qi, the ever silent monument shined out bright
rays of light.
One Star Dou Zhe!
Looking at these four giant words shinning on the stone monument in the
center of the training ground, for a moment everybody was silenced, then as
if awakening, they all burst into cheers.
“Miss Xun Er, One Star Dou Zhe!”
Being surprised by the four shining yellow letters, the operator couldn’t help
but shake his head.
“Haha… 15 years old Dou Zhe… she truly is…”
Listening to the announcement of the examiner, Xiao Zhan took a light breath
but his last words became mumbled.
The 3 elders lightly nodded as their faces showed their surprise. Although
there was still a slight difference with Xiao Yan’s achievement of becoming a
Dou Zhe when he was 12 years old, this training speed of hers can be
considered monstrous.
In the middle of the training ground, Xiao Mei who had just been admired by
everyone, was also dizzied by the four shining words on the stone pillar.
Staring at the monument, she felt a sense of helplessness. Only 15 years old
to become a One Star Dou Zhe, that achievement blinded her who didn’t
expected that prowess from Xun Er.
At the end of the crowd, Xiao Yan nervously pursed his lips. He didn’t expect
Xun Er to enter the Dou Zhe zone and also reach one star, a whole tier above
someone who just compressed his or her Qi cyclone. This speed of training
can even be compared to him who’s using Foundation Elixir to boost his
training speed.
Xun Er ignored the other people and furrowed her brow disapprovingly as if
she didn’t like the attention. Then she walked back into the crowd and
noticing Xiao Yan’s surprise, she smiled playfully.
“Don’t be so proud! With your talent, this achievement is within my
expectation. If you didn’t reach Dou Zhe level then I would be quite
surprised.” Xiao Yan shrugged and joked.
Hearing that, Xun Er’s little face became sorrowful for a moment glancing at
him.
Pulling Xun Er to sit down on the mat, Xiao Yan looked bored as he observed
other clan members continuing the examinations.
Honestly speaking, to train one’s Dou Qi to 7 Duan Qi before the age of 15
required decent talent to succeed. However, those with decent talent aren’t
as plentiful as one may think and even within the entire Xiao Clan, only 2 to 3
tenths people make it.
As time passed, more and more people were deemed unqualified, dulling the
atmosphere of the training field. Those that didn’t pass showed a long face
when they were rejected but when they saw others also not pass, a slight
smile would creep onto their faces.
Sitting on the ground, Xiao Yan continued to observe the examination; over a
hundred of examinee but only two people were like Xiao Mei and got 8 Duan
Qi and nobody achieved 9 Duan Qi let alone becoming a Dou Zhe, of course
it’s with Xun Er excluded.
On the field, the number of examinees slowly dwindled and finally there were
only Xiao Yan and several people left.
Soon, a bleak young examinee stood up and went up even though he knew
that he had no chance of qualifying.
For the last dozen or so examinees, everybody knew that these people were
at the bottom of the clan and if not for fair examinations, it was probably that
these people would have been disqualified without ever testing.
“Xiao Yan!”
Standing next to the stone pillar below, the operator announced the name
with difficulty.
“Xiao Yan-ge ge, it’s your turn…” Xun Er said gently, her soft small hands
lightly holding Xiao Yan’s hand.
Slightly raising his head, Xiao Yan opened his eyes and scanned the training
field. He couldn’t help but snicker when he saw the gazes filled with
expectations of his failure!
Slowly standing up, Xiao Yan turned his head toward the high platform and
grinned at Xiao Zhan.
Looking at his son coming forward while smiling toward him, Xiao Zhan
cheerfully nodded his head while one hand brought a teacup forward and
smoothly laid back on his chair.
Silently inhaling, Xiao Yan confidently walked toward the stone pillar; his eyes
shined a strange light that made the laughing clan members widen their eyes.
Under complex gazes, Xiao Yan finally got to the black monument.
Looking at the black-clothed youth in front of him, the examiner sighed
internally. That year, when Xiao Yan created a miracle, he was the first one to
witness it but he was also the witness of the sad steps of the genius 3 years
after that bright shine. If today’s miracle doesn’t happen, this would also be
the last time this youth gets examined.
On the training ground, the intense gazes focused on Xiao Yan whose chest
slowly rose as he brought his hand forward and rested it upon the cold, hard,
stone pillar.
At this moment, everybody focused their gaze upon the monument. They all
knew that this was the last time they would ever see the genius who once
shocked all of Wu Tan City in a Dou Qi examination.
The stone monument went silent for a moment before bright light blazed out!
Upon the stone monument were bright yellow words, making all the hearts in
the field stop for a moment.
“Dou Zi Li…7 Duan!”
Chapter 32 – Challenge
Silence, a death-like silence!
Everyone in the field looked at the monument’s 5 words in shock. Their facial
expressions were colorful and soon, countless deep breaths resonated
throughout the field!
“Kacha!”
On the high platform, Xiao Zhan’s jade cup was crushed to dust as a mix of
dust and tea trickled down his hand.
“7 Duan… Yan Er, you…. you really did it!” Xiao Zhan’s eyes moistened as he
watched the young man under the black monument. He knew that in order to
get to 7 Duan Qi, Xiao Yan must have made an incredible effort.
The three elders next to Xiao Zhan had faces full of incredulity. To have gone
from 3 Duan Qi just a year ago to 7 Duan? This speed…impossible!
“Hehe…Clan leader’s Foundation Elixir…. is, is pretty good, hehe.” The second
elder swallowed dryly and combined his shock with his not yet gone taunt
from before to make a ridiculous expression.
Xiao Zhan didn’t hide his excitement when he said: “Second elder, do you
really believe that a second tier Foundation Elixir has such a strong effect?”
The second elder paused before shaking his head. He was no idiot and knew
that even though the Foundation Elixir could raise one’s training speed, it was
physically impossible to raise 4 Duan Qi within a year!
Next to the black monument, the operator blankly stared at the words on the
monument as his impassive face was now full of shock.
“Xiao Yan: Dou Zi Qi, 7 Duan, High level!”
Taking a deep breath to calm his shock, the operator tried hard to keep his
voice calm but a couple of tremors could still be heard.
Hearing the operator’s announcement, the originally silent field had gone
deathly quiet. No one even rustled their clothing or fidgeted.
In the crowd, Xiao Mei covered her red mouth as her face was frozen in a
moment of incredible shock.
To raise 4 Duan Qi in a year was like a myth, only heard of in legends! This
was a speed that even the Xiao Yan three years ago, at his peak, could not
have done!
But, this mythical speed, coming from a “cripple” was displayed in front of
their eyes!
With complex emotions, Xiao Mei stared at the young man next to the black
monument while a thought popped up in her head: His incredible talent
seems to have come back!
At the edge of the training field, Xiao Ning who was ready to insult Xiao Yan
was also blankly staring at the monument while whispering: “This… How is
this possible?”
Looking up to the golden words on the monument, Xiao Yan let out a light
breath. Taking in the complex gazes around made him recall the glory that he
had gone through three years ago.
Now that his training talent had come back, he had also gained a mature
mind and stubborn persistence.
Taking a deep look at the monument that had determined his fate, not once,
not twice by thrice, Xiao Yan made a slight smile. His calm and passive
demeanor was a sharp contrast from his gleeful attitude three years ago.
Taking a small breath, Xiao Yan walked down under the penetrating gaze of
everyone and sat down next to Xun Er.
Even though Xiao Yan had left the monument, the entire field was still silent.
“Ahem…” On the high platform Xiao Zhan happily stood up and coughed to
gather the attention of everyone in the field.
“The examination has finished. Next up, those that did not make have the
chance to challenge someone who has already passed. Remember, there’s
only one chance!” Xiao Zhan said with a smile.
Hearing that, the training field became disorderly. Those that only missed the
cut off by a bit sent their hot gazes towards those that made it.
Watching the challenging gazes, the clansmen that made the cut would raise
their heads in disdain. There was a huge gap between 6 Duan Qi and 7 Duan
Qi and without any special occurrences, someone who’s 6 Duan Qi couldn’t
even touch someone who’s 7 Duan Qi.
The 6 Duan Qi people knew this very well but this was their last chance to
stay in the inner circles of the clan. They would have to try and hope for a
miracle.
With Xiao Zhan’s words, the atmosphere in the training field took a weird
turn. Intense gazes swept across those that made the cut and silently chose
the weakest opponent.
Sitting on the ground, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes in surprise. A
majority of the gazes were directed at him.
“Do I look like someone who can be beat so easily?” After a brief period of
shock, Xiao Yan laughed on the inside.
“Xiao Yan ge-ge jumped 4 Duan Qi in one year. Even though it’s shocking, it’s
so shocking that many people don’t believe it. Therefore, they would think
that Xiao Yan is the easiest opponent.” Beside him, Xun Er explained.
Carelessly shrugging his shoulders, Xiao Yan patted the dust off of his robe
while saying: “They can choose to not believe it, but they will know…”
Xun Er gave a smile and nodded.
Finally, after a brief period of calm, someone couldn’t stand it and stood up.
A well built young man, under everyone’s gaze, quickly walked in front of Xiao
Yan and loudly said: “Xiao Yan biao-di, please!”
Even though the young man was respectful, Xiao Yan, who was across from
him, could see hints of disbelief flash through his eyes. In addition, his face
showed an arrogant disdain. Looks like he hasn’t recovered from Xiao Yan
former name of being a “cripple”.
 Chapter 33 – Proof
Watching the quick challenger, the other unqualified clansmen let out a sigh
of regret. It seemed like they were all envious of the well built young man in
front of Xiao Yan!
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes as he examined the young man. Even though he
didn’t know all of the clansmen in the clan, he had quite an impression of the
young man in front of him.
If his memory served him, the young man was called Xiao Ke and was a
supporter of the first elder. Normally, he’d follow behind Xiao Ning like a small
henchman and when Xiao Yan fell from “genius”, Xiao Ke never showed him
any kindness and instead trampled over Xiao Yan’s dignity.
Recalling old memories, Xiao Yan’s mouth curved to a dangerous angle.
Turning to look at the smiling Xun Er, Xiao Yan smiled while nodding, saying:
“Alright, I accept.”
Seeing how easily Xiao Yan answered, Xiao Ke’s eyebrows twitched and a
sense of fear snuck into his heart. Drily swallowing, Xiao Ke started to regret
his recklessness.
Even though he was somewhat regretful, Xiao Ke couldn’t back down and had
to continue through.
No way, to raise 4 Duan Qi in one year is impossible. This guy must have
used some method to fool everyone! I can definitely beat him! After
wordlessly encouraging himself, Xiao Ke smiled: “Then I’ll see how strong
Xiao Yan biao-di is!”
Xiao Yan smiled and didn’t say anything. Standing up, he walked to the center
of the training field and motioned for Xiao Ke to follow him.
Watching the calm Xiao Yan, Xiao Ke’s heart skipped a beat and he no longer
felt so sure. Forcefully smiling, he walked with stiff strides into the field.
With the two people in the field, even the calculating gazes from the people
who did not pass quickly moved onto the two in the field.
On the high platform, Xiao Zhan took a handkerchief that was brought up to
him and cleaned his hand of residue tea while intently staring at the training
field with a sense of tension in his eyes.
To be honest, no only did the younger generation have doubt about Xiao
Yan’s achievements, Xiao Zhan himself couldn’t completely believe it either.
This wasn’t because of his lack of trust in Xiao Yan but rather because of how
impossible of a feat it was to raise 4 Duan Qi in just 1 year. It was inhuman.
Even the Xiao Yan four years ago couldn’t hope to achieve it.
Because of how incredible the achievement was, nobody could believe what
they were saying.
But no matter if it was fake or real, no matter if the others believed it or not,
once Xiao Yan fought, his real strength would be exposed. At that time,
everyone would have their thoughts confirmed or disproved!
Besides Xiao Zhan, the three elders’ breathing intensified as their hands
gripped deep hand marks on their respective chairs and their muddled eyes
stared at the training field.
In the green rocked training field, everyone’s vision was glued to the two
within the training field. Once Xiao Yan fought with Xiao Ke, everything would
be clear!
“It’s definitely fake!” At the edge of the training field, Xiao Ning licked his dry
lips and angrily whispered.
“It should be…fake right?” Within the crowd, Xiao Mei bit her lip. She couldn’t
believe that the young man that had been crippled three years would have
such an monstrous achievement.
Under stare after stare, Xiao Yan and Xiao Ke in the training field had already
finished their perfunctory ritual gestures and were about to fight!
Both of Xiao Ke’s hands were tilted upwards as light Dou Qi started swirling
around around his hands. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Ke stomped heavily on
the ground and started to ram towards Xiao Yan.
Low level fights didn’t have any complex gestures and were composed of the
simplest attacks.
“Splitting Mountain Hand!”
Quickly nearing Xiao Yan, Xiao Ke’s right hand quickly gathered Dou Qi as it
swept over to Xiao Yan’s chest.
Splitting Mountain Hand, a middle Huang Dou Technique that was only
available to clan members 5 Duan Qi and higher.
With the gust incoming, the lagging hair on Xiao Yan’s face blew away as a
pair of dark eyes were revealed. Blinking, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes
watching the ever nearer hand.
When the hand finally reached Xiao Yan’s shoulder, Xiao Yan smoothly took a
step to the left. With a year’s worth of body training, Xiao Yan’s reactions
were incredibly quick.
With only 1 step, Xiao Yan avoided Xiao Ke’s attack. At the same time, Xiao
Yan lightly twisted his body as his hand reached through Xiao Ke’s arm and
went to Xiao K’e shoulder as if he was picking a leaf from a tree.
“Shatter Rock Hand!”
Shatter Rock Hand, a low Huang Level Dou Technique that only required 3
Duan Qi to learn!
“Peng!” A dull sound occurred as Xiao Yan’s hand landed firmly on Xiao Ke’s
shoulder, causing Xiao Ke’s flush red face to pale. With a low grunt, he slowly
scatter stepped backwards before finally losing strength in his legs and fell to
the ground like a turtle.
The whole field was silent. Xiao Ke’s defeat proved many things.
Defeating his opponent in one attack, Xiao Yan shaked his head bored. This
kind of opponent wasn’t even a challenge for Xiao Yan. Not mentioning
Octane Blast, Xiao Yan hadn’t even used half of his strength yet.
Of course, contrary to Xiao Yan’s bored feeling, everyone within the field was
shocked. Many of them slowly closed their eyes because Xiao Yan had to be
at least 7 Duan Qi to have easily beat Xiao Ke who was a 6 Duan Qi.
Thinking about that, Xiao Yan’s previous monstrous performance was
proved… to be true!
To raise 4 Duan Qi in just 1 year, his result was a miracle within a miracle.
On the high platform. Xiao Zhan let out a deep breath as a weight was lifted
from his heart.
“….It’s true, 7 Duan Qi…”
Watching the defeated Xiao Ke, Xiao Mei’s small hand covered her red lips as
she couldn’t help but gasp.
Chapter 34 – Turning Around
Watching the black clothed young man with his hands behind his back, the
whole field was quiet again.
On the high platform, Xiao Zhan’s smile slowly widened before finally, he
couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Hearing the gleeful laughter from Xiao Zhan, the three elders looked at each
other and sighed. However, they didn’t try to do anything else against Xiao
Yan. The potential displayed by Xiao Yan gave them a sense of defeat. 4
Duan Qi in 1 year was something that would make anyone shocked, their
sons and grandsons, wouldn’t hope to ever have that pace.
With a light heart, Xiao Zhan clapped while announcing: “Xiao Ke zhi-er has
lost. Hopefully you will continue to train hard!”
TL: Zhi-er is Nephew in Chinese
In the training field, the pale faced Xiao Ke heard the announcement and
drooped his head in disappointment. Taking a look at the black clothed young
man not far from him, he recalled about how he had insulted the very person,
calling him a “cripple” just a year ago. Now one year later, the “cripple” was
quite close to the top of the clan and far above him. This extreme difference
made Xiao Ke recall the words he had heard in the hall just a few months
before: “ Thirty years east, thirty years west, don’t you dare bully me because
I’m poor now!”
Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Xiao Ke got up with some difficulty.
Slightly bowing to Xiao Yan, Xiao Ke’s voice had lost all of its arrogance from
before: “Xiao Yan Biao-di, you won. Congratulations on your recovery!”
Nodding, Xiao Yan’s gaze slowly swept across the training field and those that
met his dark pupils all turned away their gaze with nervousness and unease.
His gaze pausing on Xiao Mei who was staring at him, Xiao Yan twisted his
face to face the clansmen that didn’t pass and asked with a smile: “Is there
anyone else who would like to challenge me?”
Watching Xiao Yan, the clansmen that were eager to challenge Xiao Yan
before Xiao Ke went up all closed their mouths and looked up at the sky as if
Xiao Yan’s words had nothing to do with them. None of them would go up
and be the second challenger.
Watching the childish acts of pretending to be a fool, Xiao Yan lightly
shrugged and walked back.
Seeing Xiao Yan sit beside her, Xun Er smiled while examining the field.
Picking up a strand of her hair and twirling it, she whispered: “Xiao Yan ge-
ge, three years ago, they looked at you like this…”
“Three years ago, I would have been excited by their respectful and fearful
gazes but today… I don’t feel anything.” Xiao Yan touched his nose and
laughed.
“Then Xiao Yan ge-ge has matured!” Xun Er playfully blinked her eyes.
“Not more mature than you. Sometimes I feel as if there’s a thousand year
monster hiding within you!” Being called mature by a girl, Xiao Yan couldn’t
help but laugh. Intimately rubbing Xun Er’s head, he let out a smile.
Hearing that, Xun Er gave Xiao Yan an evil eye and her delicate face showed
an expression of rebuke. No matter how carefree a girl was, no one ever liked
being called an old monster.
Xun Er’s expression of rebuke was so pretty that it attracted the stares of the
young men around her and even the stares of some of the girls!
“That brat, too pompous…” Xiao Ning, like the others, was also attracted to
Xun Er’s expression of rebuke but looking at the intimate chatter between Xun
Er and Xiao Yan, an envious flame burned within him. His jealousy covered up
his reasoning as he thought that only he could match Xun Er within the entire
clan but thinking back, he realized that no matter what he did, Xun Er rarely
smiled. On the other hand, Xiao Yan, who was a “cripple”, could always make
Xun Er laugh. The difference between them made Xiao Ning crush his teeth in
anger.
“Brat, I’ll let you be arrogant for now but when the Coming of Age Ceremony
comes, I will make you look for your fallen teeth in front of Xun Er!” Clenching
his hands into fits, Xiao Ning gave a cold stare to the cross-legged Xiao Yan.
Even though Xiao Ning was also shocked by Xiao Yan’s training speed in the
past year, he couldn’t change his haughty manner that he was used to. In
addition, Xiao Ning, being the only male within the entire clan that could
barely be compared to Xun Er, felt a sense of danger from Xiao Yan’s sudden
performance.
Before he grows strong, I’ll give him a merciless beating. The best case
scenario is that the beating would leave a scar and break him from his
training!
While thinking his evil thoughts, the corners of Xiao Ning’s mouth curved into
a smile. Even though Xiao Yan was at 7 Duan Qi, Xiao Ning was still confident
in his 8 Duan Qi. After all, each Duan of Qi after 7 Duan Qi had a huge
difference between them!
Chatting in a low voice with Xun Er, Xiao Yan’s aimlessly sight gazed around
the sides of the training field and caught the smile on Xiao Ning’s face.
Thinking for a moment, Xiao Yan realized what the smile was about and
smiled himself, thinking: Someone who can’t even cover up his or her
emotions can’t pose to be a risk at all.
After Xiao Ke lost to Xiao Yan, no one else dared to challenge Xiao Yan who
was sitting down and those clansmen that didn’t qualify set their sights on
others. But after a couple rounds of challenges, only two people, relying on
luck and familiar Dou Techniques, were able to beat their opponent and
qualify for the Coming of Age Ceremony.
Watching the slowly calming training field, the smiling Xiao Zhan stood up and
announced the results along with a couple of notices about next month’s
Coming of Age Ceremony.
Slowly standing up, Xiao Yan smiled towards the happy Xiao Zhan on the
stage while Xiao Zhan wasn’t stingy about giving his qualified son, a thumbs
up.
Right after dusting off his clothes, Xiao Yan detected a perfumed scent.
Curling his brows slightly, Xiao Yan lifted his head to see Xiao Mei standing in
front of him and asked: “Do you need anything?”
Seeing the impassiveness and coldness on Xiao Yan’s face, Xiao Mei’s courage
faltered as she forced out a smiled and said: “Xiao Yan biao-di,
congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Slightly nodding, Xiao Yan glanced at Xun Er besides him.
“Xiao Yan biao-di, my father will be personally teaching a High Huang level
Dou Technique at the Dou Technique Hall tomorrow. Do you want to come
with me?” Xiao Mei smiled and her combination of a female’s charm and a
youth’s delicacy created an irresistible question.
Hearing that, Xiao Yan’s brows slightly jumped.
Right when Xiao Yan was about to find an excuse to reject Xiao Mei, a pale
white arm slipped through and locked with his arm.
Shocked, Xiao Yan turned around to find a smiling Xun Er.
“Really sorry Xiao Mei biao-jie, Xun Er has already invited Xiao Yan ge-ge to
accompany me tomorrow to visit Wu Tan City and so he can’t be going with
Xiao Mei biao-jie to the Dou Technique Hall.” Under stunned stares, Xun Er
held on to Xiao Yan’s arm while a hint of apology lingered on her delicate
face.
Chapter 35 – Guilt
Hearing Xun Er’s words, Xiao Mei paused and weighed her thoughts carefully.
If it was any other girl within the clan, Xiao Mei was confident that she could
come out on top based on her beauty and talent, but towards Xun Er, Xiao
Mei could only admit defeat.
Seeing that Xiao Yan’s face was impassive, Xiao Mei gave a self deprecating
smile and could only leave in defeat.
The crowd within the training field stared at Xiao Yan who was being leaned
on by Xun Er and they all felt twinges of jealousy. When had Xun Er, being
the brightest pearl of the entire clan, been so close with another male?
Watching Xiao Mei awkwardly walking away, Xiao Yan was stunned and
turning his head to see the smiling Xun Er, he taunted: “Girl, what are you
doing?”
Xun Er still hung onto Xiao Yan’s arm as she glanced over at the staring
crowd and innocently said: “Wasn’t Xiao Yan ge-ge about to reject her
anyways?”
Hearing that, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes – the excuse he had in mind was
completely different from what Xun Er implied with her excuse. Remembering
the awkward expression on Xiao Mei’s face, Xiao Yan helplessly shook his
head while thinking: Did Xun Er do that on purpose?
“It’s just that Xun Er doesn’t like how fast she changed. Haha, going to Dou
Technique Hall to learn a Dou Technique together… she never invited you in
the past three years.” Xun Er dragged Xiao Yan out of the training field slowly
as she ignored the gazes around her. At the same time, she muttered words
that only Xiao Yan could hear, looks like she really didn’t like how quickly Xiao
Mei changed.
Lightly shrugging, Xiao Yan agreed with Xun Er with a bitter smile. Three
years ago, Xiao Mei was quite close to him but when Xiao Yan received the
title of “cripple”, he was able to see how “realistic” Xiao Mei was.
Watching Xiao Yan and Xun Er leave the field, Xiao Ning’s face twitched while
his hands clenched so hard that bone cracking sounds could be heard. His
jealousy even made his eyes slightly red.
“Brat, one month from now, I’ll break all of your teeth!” Xiao Ning spat the
words out as he angrily left the training field.
On the high platform, Xiao Zhan was about to leave when he saw the scene
and intently stared at Xun Er and Xiao Yan while a hint of worry flashed
across his eyes. Yan Er, he… does he like Xun Er? Xun Er’s background… not
even Nalan Yanran can compare to her. Even with genius level talent, it would
be extremely difficult to be approved of by the power behind her.
After thinking for a while, Xiao Zhan let out a sigh as he slowly left.
While walking, Xiao Yan would suddenly blank out as he recalled what had
just happened.
Turning a corner, Xun Er suddenly let go of Xiao Yan’s arm with a red face.
Pushing out her cheeks, she stared at Xiao Yan accusingly.
Losing the momentum that was dragging him forward, Xiao Yan felt at a loss
as to what to do and even sighed for no reason. His eyes moved to Xun Er as
he thought about what Xun Er implied.
Feeling the blank stare of Xiao Yan, Xun Er small face flushed red as her
hands instinctively raised up and she said: “Xiao Yan ge-ge, you…”
“Ahem…ahem…” Waking up from his stupor, Xiao Yan violently coughed while
his face became an unhealthy red and he thought: When did I go so low, to
think that towards my own sister?
Even though Xun Er and Xiao Yan didn’t have an actual blood relationship,
they both lived with each other for over a decade and their relationship wasn’t
much worse than that of a blood brother or sister. It wasn’t surprising that
Xiao Yan had already thought of Xun Er as his little sister and felt guilt
and repulsion towards himself when he realized what he was thinking about…
With that sudden realization, the atmosphere became quite awkward.
Xun Er lowered her head and her usual elegance had been replaced with a
girl’s embarrassment. Occasionally, she tilted her gaze to peek at the side of
Xiao Yan’s face who was looking straight forward.
Under the awkward atmosphere, the not very long path felt like a great
conquest that took forever to get to the end.
Of course, despite how long the conquest felt like, it had an end, where the
path split in two directions. At here, Xiao Yan softly said bye and started
fleeing.
“Xiao Yan ge-ge.”
Watching the panicked Xiao Yan, Xun Er was stunned by the sight before she
called out.
“Huh?” Stopping, Xiao Yan looked back to see Xun Er standing beneath a
willow and his heart started beating quickly again.
Xun Er had a green robe with a purple belt that fluttered in the wind. She and
the willow behind her made a picture that didn’t seem earthly.
“Tomorrow… will you accompany Xun Er?”
Under the branches of the willow, the girl’s delicate face had a red flush as
her jade teeth bit her pink lips. A pair of beautiful eyes were watching Xiao
Yan with a hint of anticipation…
Chapter 36 – The Comical Breakthrough
It was hard to believe that the elegant Xun Er would speak such girly words;
her charm made Xiao Yan’s mind wander again…
Silently criticizing himself again, Xiao Yan replied in a muffled tone.
Afterwards, he fled while being under the smiling gaze of Xun Er.
Watching the leaving Xiao Yan, Xun Er covered her mouth while laughing.
Then, she furrowed her brows and went to a pond not too far away.
The reflection in the pond showed a pretty face with bright eyes and white
teeth. With each of her gestures, there was an inexplicable charm that drew
one in.
“So pretty….” Doing a twirl, a satisfied smile appeared on Xun Er’s lips.
Not far away, a couple of young men that had just returned to the clan after
adventures outside stopped with their mouths wide open. Their eyes showed
their surprise while they foolishly watched the girl under the willow.
Shrinking back to his room, Xiao Yan let out a big breath as he closed the
door. Wiping off the cold sweat on his forehead, he bitterly smiled: This girl,
when she grows up, she is probably going to be even prettier than Ya Fei at
the auction…
Sitting down at his table, Xiao Yan gulped out a mouthful of tea while his
mind was still full of Xun Er. Remembering how pretty Xun Er’s eyes were,
Xiao Yan suddenly felt a burning in his heart.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan cursed bastard towards himself and finally calmed
down.
Swinging his sore arms, Xiao Yan went to the corner of his room and took out
the wood basin that was full of Foundation Elixir before quickly jumping in.
With the cool water pulsing against his skin, a moderate warmth spread
through Xiao Yan’s body and slowly washed away the tiredness in him.
As ripples formed, Xiao Yan lazily laid on the side of the wooden basin as his
breath slowed and calmed.
Recalling the shock on everyone’s face today at the training field, a smile
appeared on Xiao Yan’s face: Strength, the most important thing in this world!
While rubbing his temples, a cold but pretty face unexpectedly popped into
his mind. It was… Nalan Yanran’s.
With his eyes narrowed, Xiao Yan muttered: “2 more years? You better get
ready because I will find you…”
If not for the coldness within the words, anyone would have assumed that
Xiao Yan’s words were to a lover and not a bitter rival.
Remembering Nalan Yanran’s cavalier attitude and phrases in the main hall,
Xiao Yan’s hands slowly curled into fists. The shame that he experienced, was
imprinted in him…
Haha, I can’t even take a break. That person… even though she’s arrogant, to
have been taken in by the faction leader of the Faction of Misty Clouds, her
talent and potential shouldn’t be too shabby. Xiao Yan’s lips made a cold
smile.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan realized that every time he thought of Nalan
Yanran, he would have a new strength that would push him to his limits. He
quickly dispensed his lazy position and sat up straight within the wood basin.
His hands weaved to make a symbol before he slowly pushed all thoughts out
of his mind to start training.
Ever since the examination of the other day, Xiao Yan could clearly feel that
the gazes the clansmen sent him were no longer full of ridicule but rather
filled with respect.
To these new gazes that he had already experienced three years ago, Xiao
Yan was calm and impassive without becoming full of himself because of how
“respected” he was.
The day after the examination finished, Xiao Yan stayed true to his word and
accompanied Xun Er to enjoy sights both in the city and in the mountains.
Besides his father, Xiao Zhan, Xun Er was the closest person within the clan to
Xiao Yan and therefore, Xiao Yan couldn’t refuse any of her requests.
After a relaxing day, Xiao Yan’s life returned to its calm and orderly state.
He would practice Dou Techniques in the back of the mountains in the
morning, before returning to his room to train Dou Qi for the rest of the time
and occasionally chat with Xun Er and his father; his life was simple and
organized.
During this period, Xiao Yan occasionally met Xiao Mei while walking around
the clan and when he heard the soft purr of “Xiao Yan biao-ge”, he replied
with a smile and some excuses to escape. Towards those who abandoned him
in his years of hardship, Xiao Yan never went back to being close with them.
He knew that those that suddenly became respectful and friendly to him
because of his reborn talent would act like a cold stranger the moment he
loses his talent. This kind of backstab, experiencing it once was enough.
A month’s time slowly passed and there were only 7 days left before Xiao
Clan’s Coming of Age Ceremony….
Even though a huge amount of time had passed, from the examination to 7
days before the Coming of Age Ceremony, Xiao Yan’s wish to get to 8 Duan
Qi had still not been answered which let him down.
After striving for 8 Duan Qi for two more days, Xiao Yan still didn’t experience
breakthrough and amidst disappointment, he relaxed his training so that he
could be in top notch condition for the Coming of Age Ceremony. But, right
when he thought that he didn’t have any hope of making a breakthrough and
jumping into 8 Duan Qi, an interesting surprise came.
During the night that was two days before the Coming of Age Ceremony, Xiao
Yan who was in a deep slumber suddenly jumped up like he was
dreamwalking and before he even took off his clothes, he jumped into the
wood basin that barely had any Foundation Elixir left.
After struggling for half a night, Xiao Yan finally opened his eyes, still sleepy,
and then… He realized that the illustrious 8 Duan that he had been fighting to
reach for 2-3 months had finally, while he was still half asleep, been
achieved…
Towards this baffling yet comical breakthrough, Xiao Yan, while happy and
surprised, could only exclaim: “Really!”
Chapter 37 – Xiao Yu
If a clan wants to be able to prosper over the years, the most important
factor is the clan’s “vitality”. And the vitality of the clan is the clan’s younger
generation, the “new blood” of the clan. Only with a continuous supply of
“new blood” can a clan, a huge “machine”, run smoothly.
Therefore, the Coming of Age Ceremony, is a huge day for every clan,
including the Xiao Clan.
As one of the top three clans in Wu Tan City, Xiao Clan’s Coming of Age
Ceremony attracted the attention of most forces in the city and those that had
a good relationship with Xiao Clan even came to watch the ceremony.
Accompanying Xun Er under the shade of a large true, Xiao Yan relaxingly sat.
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes while looking at the huge platform in the middle
of the training field. The platform was made of huge blocks of lumber and
was specially made for the Coming of Age Ceremony that was about to
happen.
Xiao Yan’s gaze left the empty wooden platform and went to the people that
were not part of Xiao Clan but still there to witness the Coming of Age
Ceremony. With reluctance, he said: “There are quite a few people…”
Watching Xiao Yan’s unhappy face, Xun Er, who knew that Xiao Yan liked
serenity, gloated with laughter.
Just as her laugh sounded, Xun Er felt Xiao Yan’s accusing gaze and quickly
closed her mouth. Taking a look at Xiao Yan, her eyes had a hint of light gold
flash across before she said: “Xiao Yan ge-ge got to 8 Duan Qi?”
Hearing that, Xiao Yan tilted his head to look at her and realized that while
being around Xun Er, he couldn’t keep any secrets. With a depressed heart,
he feebly nodded.
“Woah… not even a month had passed and you already got to 8 Duan Qi.
This speed… is quite scary.” Seeing Xiao Yan nod, even with Xun Er’s calm
nature, she showed a face of surprise.
Giving her a white eye to Xun Er, Xiao Yan’s face suddenly turned. Near the
wooden platform, there was a woman that was wrapped in a red dress and
was chatting with the people besides her. A circle of people surrounded her,
making the spot where she was at, the most popular circle around the
platform.
This red dressed woman that was attracting everyone was someone that Xiao
Yan had seen before! She was the top auctioneer of the Primer Auction
house, Ya Fei!
With his gaze lingering the water-snake like waist of Ya Fei, Xiao Yan gave his
opinion silently: “Really pretty!”
After Xiao Yan’s gaze had stayed on Ya Fei for a while, Xun Er’s unhappy
hump came from besides him.
“Ahem…” With his eyes blinking, Xiao Yan slowly retracted his gaze to act as
if he wasn’t staring at Ya Fei and smiled to the unhappy Xun Er: “Did you
know that the Primer Auction House came to our clan’s Coming of Age
Ceremony?”
Giving an evil stare to Xiao Yan who was acting as if nothing had happened,
Xun Er emotionlessly said: “Xiao Clan and the Primer Auction House have
always had a good relation so why is Ya Fei coming such a big deal? In
addition, this woman’s communication skills are confirmed incredible by all of
Wu Tan City. A couple of young masters that befriended her for her beauty
have spent an incredible amount of money on her but in the end, they got
nothing. If Xiao Yao ge-ge wants to try to charm her then I can only say be
careful. And, Xun Er won’t lend you any money for those things.”
Hearing that, Xiao Yan bitterly smiled: “Even if I’m thinking about those
things, it requires that she, at the very least, acknowledges me. You do
realize that she’s at least 7 to 8 years older than me right?”
“Don’t some women like that?” Xun Er seemingly smiled while saying that.
Dryly coughing, Xiao Yan could only admit defeat and not look at that circle of
people again.
“Huh, why is she back?” Seeing that Xiao Yan wasn’t looking over there
anymore, Xun Er stopped pursuing the point and after a brief moment of
silence, she exclaimed out loud.
“Who?” After following Xun Er’s gaze, Xiao Yan’s brows slowly furrowed.
The gaze of the two pointed to a girl that was wearing a school uniform and
was currently leaning on a tree. She had a sword equipped at her waist, was
quite tall and the most striking feature were her long legs, legs that were so
sexy that even Ya Fei’s legs paled in comparison to hers.
“Xiao Ye?” While staring at the tall girl, Xiao Yan asked: “Didn’t she go to Jia
Nan Academy to train? Why did she come back?”
Xun Er cutely shrugged her shoulder while teasing: “Xiao Yan ge-ge, this time,
you might have some trouble.”
Cracking open his mouth, Xiao Yan rubbed his burning forehead while saying:
“This unruly woman is so annoying. Dammit, all I did was accidentally
stumble into her bathing spot in the back mountains and accidentally touch
her legs. She tried killing me for the majority of a year after that!”
TL: Killing is used in joking manner, it means like severe beating in this
context
“Hehe, a girl’s body isn’t meant to be touched carelessly.” Hearing Xiao Yan’s
story, Xun Er covered her mouth as she giggled. Suddenly, she remembered
how Xiao Yan had helped her during the night and during that time, had
contact with her body, causing a red blush to appear on her face.
Xiao Yan pursed his lips while coldly smiling: “That woman is Xiao Ning’s
sister and they both aren’t good people. That bastard’s enmity towards me is
partly due to her.”
Far away, Xiao Yu seemed to have sensed the two talking about her and
turned around to find Xiao Yan under another tree. After a slight shock, she
furrowed her brows as distaste and disdain surfaced on her face.
After a pause, Xiao Yu moved her attractive long legs and started walking
towards Xiao Yan.
Seeing Xiao Yu coming over, Xiao Yan’s brows also furrowed as he showed his
disgust and impatience.
“Ha, Xiao Yan, I never thought that I would see the day that you turn your
situation around. It’s really surprising.” Coming closer, Xiao Yu saw Xiao Yan
undisguised dislike towards her and sneered.
“None of your business.”
Obviously, Xiao Yan wasn’t too pleased with Xiao Yu and his normal calm had
been abandoned with his vulgar words.
“Your words are still sharp and annoying as ever. Looks like the three years of
abjection didn’t smooth out your sharp vigor.” Xiao Yu looked down upon Xiao
Yan and said in a teaching tone.
This tone again… While letting out an annoyed breath in his mind, Xiao Yan
looked down and closely examined this girl that he had not seen for almost an
year. Moving his gaze to her legs, Xiao Yao touched his nose while asking:
“Your legs are still that long. I wonder if another male touched them after
that time.”
Hearing that, Xiao Yu who was sneering, stopped, as her face darkened.
Chapter 38 – ThisBrat Isn’t Simple
Xiao Yan’s words stabbed at Xiao Yu’s weak spot and the later, in a fit, put
her hand on her sword that was at her waist.
With a sneer, Xiao Yan leaned backwards and lazily said: “Do you want to
fight?”
“So what!” Xiao Yu tightened her grip on her sword while trying desperately
to stop her impulse to unsheathe it and start hacking Xiao Yan with it. With a
sneer, she taunted: “Even if your talent has come back, why does it matter?
Three years ago, I, Xiao Yu, could make you flee for your life and three years
later, I can still do it.”
Xiao Yan’s brows jumped as he looked towards Xiao Yu’s light purple school
uniform where she had 3 gold stars on her chest. These stars represented
Xiao Yu’s strength, a three star Dou Zhe. Looks like her year in the academy
wasn’t wasted.
“Where are your filthy eyes looking?” Seeing where Xiao Yan was staring,
Xiao Yu’s already dark face become even darker.
“Aren’t you wearing that so that people notice you?” Xiao Yan touched his
nose. His words which were carelessly said, caused Xiao Yu to jump up in
fury.
“Bastard!” Gnashing her teeth, Xiao Yu who was already at her limit finally
pulled out her sword with a “Clang”. Pointing her sword at Xiao Yan, she said:
“Do you really think that I’m afraid to cut your tongue off?!”
Staring at the glittering steel sword in front of him, Xiao Yan didn’t even blink
when he said: “Why don’t you try?”
While talking, Xiao Yan’s right hand curled slightly as a pulsing vortex slowly
formed. With 3 Xuan Level Dou Techniques, Xiao Yan wasn’t too afraid of a 3-
star Dou Zhe.
Watching the two who were about to come to blows, Xun Er, on the sidelines,
helplessly shook her head. As she looked out into the distance, she smiled
while alerting them: “Xiao shu-shu and them are coming.”
Hearing Xun Er’s words, Xiao Yu’s brows furrowed and she turned her head to
see Xiao Zhan hurrying over with an ugly face.
“Hmph, your good luck won’t last.”
After the cold hmph, Xiao Yu returned her sword to its scabbard and turned
around. Striding forward with her long legs, Xiao Yu paused before Xun Er,
saying: “Xun Er biao-mei. Your talent and beauty are both top class but you
should stay away from some people or else you might be stained with some
bad habits. It would be too late for regrets then.”
Towards Xiao Yu’s tip, Xun Er smiled while saying: “Thanks for Xiao Yu biao-
jie’s reminder but Xun Er thinks that Xiao Yan ge-ge is great.”
Hearing Xun Er’s meaningful words, Xiao Yu’s face changed colors as she
scanned over the smiling Xun Er. Finally, Xiao Yu profoundly said: “Once you
leave the clan, you’ll know how big the world is. There are countless people
that are much more talented than him, if you meet someone that makes your
heart flutter, then…”
“Xiao Yu biao-jie, you’re thinking too much. Xun Er doesn’t believe that
something like that will happen.” Xun Er’s red lips pursed as she interrupted
Xiao Yu.
After being interrupted by Xun Er, Xiao Yu became embarrassed so she left
after giving Xiao Yan one final evil stare.
Watching the angrily leaving Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan slowly let out a breath as his
face full of disgust changed back into his normal, calm face. Sighing, he said:
“I really don’t like her.”
Hearing that, Xun Er covered her mouth as she laughed: “Actually, I’m really
curious as to why she always is going against Xiao Yan ge-ge. Even though
you did accidentally stumble upon her bathing spot, she shouldn’t be so
against you right?”
“How should I know?” Xiao Yan innocently shrugged before looking towards
Xiao Zhan and a couple more people walking towards him.
“Yan Er, are you alright? Where’s Xiao Yu?” Quickly walking over and seeing
the unharmed Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan let out a breath as he asked.
Slightly shrugging, Xiao Yan laughed: “I’m fine. That woman just had blood
rush to her head.”
“You should avoid her a bit. That girl has a bad temper and now that’s she’s a
3 star Dou Zhe, if you guys fight, you’ll be on the losing end. In addition,
she’s the first elder’s granddaughter so I’m not in a good position to punish
her if you guys fight.” Xiao Zhan helplessly said.
Xiao Yan touched his nose as smiled without giving an answer.
“Here Yan Er, this is Primer Auction House’s top auctioneer, misses Ya Fei.
The Foundation Elixir from last time was brought through her.” Xiao Zhan
moved aside to show the red-dressed woman behind him as he introduced
her.
Xiao Yan watched the beautiful woman that showed maturity with her actions
and revealed a shy smile that was appropriate for his age: “Hi Ya Fei-jie.”
TL: Jie means sister(can be used informal to mean some female slightly older
than one)
With her attractive eyes latched on Xiao Yan, Ya Fei’s beautiful face showed a
smile because of his addressal. With her red lips moving, Ya Fei asked while
smiling: “I heard that young master Xiao Yan raised 4 Duan Qi in just one
year? Hehe, that training speed has become huge news in Wu Tan City, but is
it real?”
Xiao Yan tilted his head and “shyly” said: “It’s the result of father’s purchase
of the Foundation Elixir.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s indirect admittance, even with Ya Fei’s calm nature, she
couldn’t help but gasp. Curiosity and interest flashed across her eyes as she
thought: 4 Duan Qi in just one year, that training speed, is frightening. As for
that Foundation Elixir, I had personally examined it and naturally know the
effects of it. It can help a bit with one’s training speed but to raise 4 Duan Qi
in just relying on it? Impossible!
Seeing that the two had a basic introduction, Xiao Zhan looked up into the sky
and patted Xiao Yan’s shoulder. With a smile, he said: “Alright, the Coming of
Age Ceremony is about to start and I have prepare some things. Don’t let me
down later.”
Xiao Yan nodded while smiling.
Following Xiao Zhan, Ya Fei took a peek at Xiao Yan before she turned
around. With a couple of years at the Auction House, she could discern even
the smallest details and when she looked into the young man’s eyes, she
realized that even though the young man in front of her appeared shy, within
his pitch black eyes, no emotions escaped. It was calm, like a secluded lake.
To be able to control his emotions at such a young age… This brat isn’t
simple… Turning around, that thought sounded within Ya Fei’s mind.
 Chapter 39 – Ceremonial Test
The Coming of Age Ceremony had so many separate steps and was so
complicated that it could make one’s head start hurting.
Sitting below the platform, Xiao Yan watched the young man on the platform
that was being led around like a doll. He couldn’t help but rub his forehead as
he said to Xun Er besides him: “This Coming of Age Ceremony. It’s definitely
a torture.”
Watching Xiao Yan’s sad face, Xun Er smiled while saying: “Can’t help it;
these are rules that were passed down since ancient times and even Xiao
shu-shu wouldn’t dare change them.”
Xiao Yan sighed as he weakly nodded his head. Right when he was about to
fall asleep, his brows jumped as he sensed that someone was looking at him.
Narrowing his eyes, he looked at the left of the platform.
There stood Xiao Ning, full of envy while watching Xun Er and Xiao Yan.
When he saw the later look over, he quickly raised his fist, aggressively.
“Idiot.”
Lightly saying this word, Xiao Yan’s sight moved slightly to the left, to Xiao Yu
who was standing beside Xiao Ning. His eyes swept boldly across her long
and sexy legs until her face turned green, before he finally looked away with
a cold smile.
From the side, Xun Er was smiling to herself while watching Xiao Yan’s antics,
feeling a little helpless. When it came to Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan seemed to lose his
usual calmness and always provoked her until she became completely mad.
Reclining on the cool wooden chair, Xiao Yan enjoyed the sweet scent of the
maiden beside him, while waiting with his eyes closed.
When the Coming of Age Ceremony had progressed to about halfway, it was
at last Xiao Yan’s turn.
Upon hearing a shout from the stage, everyone on the guest platform looked
at Xiao Yan with either curious or suspicious eyes. For most of them, a large
part of the reason as to why they were here at the Xiao Clan’s coming of age
ceremony was to have a look at the youth who had caused such an uproar in
Wu Tan City and to see if he was as described in the rumours.
Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes and the stares from all around made him feel
like he was a monkey in the zoo, causing him to shake his head in
resignation.
With a light sigh and a passive face, Xiao Yan stepped slowly onto the
platform under the gazes of everyone.
The coming of age ceremony was held by the second elder Xiao Ying.
Although the second elder never gave Xiao Yan any of his sympathy, he rarely
went out of his way to harass Xiao Yan. In addition, ever since the day of the
preliminary exam, he had mellowed quite a bit. At least, the scorn that was
previously clearly presented on his face was no longer visible on the old
wrinkled face.
With a complicated expression in his eyes, Xiao Ying heaved a sigh in his
heart as he looked upon this youth who had overturned the tables in his life.
His face shook a little as he took the materials that were needed for the
ceremony before walking towards Xiao Yan.
Looking at the second elder walking towards him, Xiao Yan remembered the
previous fussy and boring ceremony and had a migraine. With a bitter smile,
he closed his eyes and awaited his fate.
Under the eyes of everyone, Xiao Yan stood like an idiot for half an hour
before the complex bureaucratic scene finally ended.
With a sigh of relief in his heart, Xiao Yan opened his eyes. Looking at the
various spices surrounding his body, he rolled his eyes in gloom.
After all the complicated steps were over, the second elder wiped sweat off
his brow and turned towards the black stone monument shouting:
“Ceremonial Test!”
The Ceremonial Test was same as the previous month’s test which was just
an preliminary test. The motive of the previous test was to let the clan’s elites
be picked out, so they could take the actual coming of age ceremony on the
main stage, while the rest of the 7 Duan and below clan members would only
have a simpler ceremony that was somewhat shabby
The Ceremonial Test was much more accurate compared to the preliminary
test since this time, the test was personally checked by the two star Dou
Grandmaster, second elder of Xiao Clan. It showed how serious the Coming of
Age Ceremony was taken.
TL: Dou Zhe -> Dou Master -> Dou Grandmaster
With the second elder’s shout, those who had been bored out of their minds
suddenly focused as they sent their attention to the platform.
On the Guests Platform, nearly all of those sitting there also stared at the
black clothed young man. The purpose for their visit today was to confirm if
the young man that had stirred the entire Wu Tan City four years ago will stir
Wu Tan City again.
Ignoring the burning gazes around him, Xiao Yan was calm as he walked up
to the black monument.
While watching the calm Xiao Yan, the second elder’s dry hand touched the
Black Monument as a strand of his Dou Qi was pushed into it to test it.
Afterwards, he stepped to the side and joined everyone else in staring Xiao
Yan. Even though he was present at the previous testing, he couldn’t help but
wonder: Did this kid really get to 7 Duan Qi?
The shock of Xiao Yan’s performance particularly impacted this second elder
and he had especially asked to be in charge of the Coming of Age Ceremony
so that he could make sure that he personally test Xiao Yan!
Disregarding the second elder’s questioning gaze, Xiao Yan’s hand slowly
touched the black monument….
Watching Xiao Yan touch the monument, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but furrow her
brows while turning her head to whisper to Xiao Ning: “Did he really get to 7
Duan Qi?”
Because Xiao Yu had just gotten home two days ago after asking for a break
from the academy, she wasn’t there to witness Xiao Yan’s preliminary testing
and thus was still suspicious about his achievements.
Being asked by his sister, Xiao Ning bitterly nodded while saying: “Yeah. That
guy must have ate something that helped him jump 4 Duan Qi in just one
year.”
Having her question confirmed once more, Xiao Yu pushed her lips together
while stomping her legs in annoyance. While angrily staring at the young man
on the platform, her beautiful face showed her stubborn attitude as she
thought: Without me actually seeing it, I won’t believe that that cripple has
turned his situation around.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yu sneered while saying: “That kid must have
done something last time but with second elder examining it this time, I’ll
be…”
Before she could finish her thought, Xiao Yu’s face tightened as the rest of the
words became stuck in her throat.
On the high wooden platform, the huge black monument shined brightly as
golden words appeared on the monument: “Dou Zi Qi: 8 Duan!”
Chapter 40 – Shock
Silent, everyone was silent!
All eyes were blankly focused onto the golden words reflected on the black
stone tablet above.
On the Guests’ platform, the sharp clear ring of shattering tea cups falling to
the ground resonated. The representatives from Wu Tan City were all
dumbfounded, disbelief spread across their faces.
The purpose of their visit was to confirm whether the rumors were true or
not: to see with their own eyes if Xiao Yan really did jump up 4 Duan Qi in the
span of a year.
However, what they had just seen not only confirmed the rumours but had
completely surpassed their expectations.
4 Duan Qi in a year? Now it turned into 5 Duan Qi… This training speed, it
could only be described with a single word: Frightening!
“The Xiao Clan has succeeded once more…” Everyone on the Guests’ platform
couldn’t help but mutter under their breath. To have a clan member that
jumped 5 Duan Qi in a year, the Xiao Clan’s future was looking bright.
“If this rate of growth continues, then perhaps…perhaps in 10 years, the Xiao
Clan will have a Dou Huang ranked member.” Everyone on the Guests’
platform looked at each other as their hearts felt heavy at that thought.
Dou Huang: if any clan in the Jia Ma Empire had a strong Dou Huang, their
status would skyrocket within the Jia Ma Empire. Even the three largest Clans
in the Jia Ma Empire, the Primer Clan, Nalan Clan and Ritter Clan, would
respect that clan After all, there were only a handful of Dou Huang level Dou
Zhes in the entire Jia Ma Empire. Each Dou Zhe who reached the Dou Huang
rank had the power to topple over anything from the heavens to the oceans
and to face ten thousands of enemies with ease. No sane empire would dare
offend a Dou Huang without weighing the consequences!
Three hundred years ago, Jia Ma Empire’s sole Dou Huang Dou Zhe had his
family killed as a result of a war. As a result, the Dou Huang single-handedly
massacred the enemy’s 10,000 elite knights in a fit of rage. Both empires
were shaken in awe by the bloodshed caused.
Since that moment on, no empire on the Dou Qi Continent dared to offend a
Dou Huang Dou Zhe. At the same time, everyone saw how scary Dou Huangs
could be.
Therefore, everyone that saw Xiao Yan’s gift looked at the Xiao Clan with an
extreme envy.
At the center of the high platform, even Xiao Zhan was looking at the golden
words on the monument with a his eyes slightly sour. After a while, he let out
a lengthy breath and viewed his black clothed son with a look of
gratitude.,”The best decision in my life was to not create uneasiness between
Yan Er and me…”
As Xiao Yan’s father, Xiao Zhan was well aware of his son’s temperament. He
could still clearly remember that in Xiao Yan’s childhood, not long after his
birth, how indifferent his son was to him. Xiao Yan would always look at him
with a cold look, as if he were looking at a stranger and not his father.
Fortunately, over the years, the cold and detached looks toward Xiao Zhan
grew warm, as Xiao Zhan’s care and love…
Thinking back to the time when Xiao Yan was a child, Xiao Zhan shivered. His
mouth twitched while a gentle smile took over his face.
“Xiao Clan Leader, young master Xiao Yan’s talent is truly mind blowing! This
time the Xiao Clan will definitely have an amazingly terrifying Dou Zhe.”
Standing by Xiao Zhan’s side, Ya Fei’s beautiful eyes gazed at the very same
person Xiao Zhan was looking at. Her face was still slightly red from her
excitement while she said her thoughts.
Xiao Zhan laughed loudly, pride and excitement clearly showing on his face.
He cupped his hands together and with a courteous look to Ya Fei, he replied,
“Ya Fei, that kid’s talent is sometimes a huge surprise but at other times, a
huge letdown. You also know of how he fell from the spotlight three years
ago and faced countless hardships. No one would have thought that he would
regain his talent but here it is again…sigh!”
Ya Fei’s eyebrows bent slightly with her feminine smile. Whether Xiao Yan’s
talent was short lived or not, she didn’t know. Right now, the only thing that
mattered to her was his potential, which would be enough for her.
Giving an enchanting look downwards, Ya Fei’s heart had already formed a
plan. In the future, she would be sure to come and do business with the Xiao
Clan as much as possible!
Beneath the ceremonial platform, Xiao Yu opened her mouth with a stiff face.
She stared at the Black Monument in shock while breathing heavily. Suddenly
she snapped at Xiao Ning: “Didn’t you say that he was 7 Duan Qi? How is he
higher?”
Xiao Ning’s opened mouth a couple of times before he mumbled innocently,
“Last month he was already 7 Duan…. This month, he, seems to have had a
breakthrough?”
“To go from 7 Duan to 8 Duan in one month… How is that possible? Even if
that brat got his old talent back, he wouldn’t be able to train this fast!” Xiao
Yu exclaimed. “To jump 5 Duan in a year? The little brat should die dammit!
This kind of speed can rival that monster woman in Jianan Academy.”
“How would I know…” Xiao Ning gave a bitter smile as he glanced at the far
away Xun Er, only to see her gaze fixed on Xiao Yan below with eyes of
admiration and didn’t paying attention to him at all.
“F**king bastard!”
After being ignored by the girl he favored over all others, Xiao Ning’s heart
blazed with the fires of jealousy. Raising his head, he threw a ferocious glare
at Xiao Yan that contrasted with his youthful face.
Chapter 41: Qi Increasing Powder
“Second Elder, is the test over yet?”
Xiao Yan softly inquired as he looked at the golden words on the Monument.
He slowly removed his hand while looking at the distracted Second Elder.
“Oh, eh, the test is over…” The Second Elder snapped out of his confusion
after hearing Xiao Yan’s voice. He frantically nodded his head, though his eyes
were still drifting here and there. The Elder was obviously still in a state of
shock.
Ah, to raise 5 Duan Qi in a year? What a fast progression… truly terrifying.
The second Elder was still lost in thought and looked at the youth before him
with complex emotions. However, the doubt that was in his old eyes
disappeared in the face of reality.
The golden words gradually faded from the Monument and it returned to a
deep black hue.
Even though the golden words had dissipated, the audience remained quite
still. Everyone was still absorbed in shock.
“Ahem……” On the high platform, the second elder let out a cough and finally
he got the audience’s attention back.
“The Ceremonial Test has been completed. In accordance with the rules, Xiao
Yan will accept a single challenge. Those below Dou Zhe rank will be allowed
to to challenge him, who will come forward?” The second Elder shouted as his
eyes swept over the younger generation.
If one were to consider the Coming of Age ceremony as a test of how high
one’s Dou Qi was, then the challenge was an examination of one’s Dou
Technique proficiency. Ultimately, in a fight of life and death, Dou Techniques
would be an influential factor in determining the outcome. Each clan’s
attention to the proficiency of Dou Techniques was no less than their
attention to the Dou Qi of a Dou Zhe.
Upon hearing the Second Elder’s declaration, a mild clamour broke out in the
audience. The younger Xiao generation looked at each other while cowardice
tightened their lips. The golden words on the Black Monument, 8 Duan Qi,
had torn any thought dwelling in their heart of easy victory to pieces.
At the moment, they had not the qualification to boast of their strength in
combat with Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan was silently standing on the platform and calmly swept his gaze
down over his peers. Each time his eyes rested on a youth, he or she would
quickly step back.
“Hmph, a bunch of cowards!” Looking at the surrounding clan members,
cowering in fear, Xiao Ning scolded in derision. He lifted his head and looked
challengingly at the black clad youth on stage and was about to step on stage
when a slender hand pulled him back.
With a furrow of his brow, Xiao Ning looked at his sister and said unhappily:
“What?”
Xiao Yu sighed and replied : “He’s at 8 Duan Qi, you might not be able to beat
him.”
Xiao Ning’s mouth twitched slightly, he hesitated as well. But when his eyes
drifted towards the nearby Xun’er, what greeted him was the sight of her
gazing warmly at Xiao Yan with a delicate pleasant expression that had never
been directed at him…
Gritting his teeth savagely, Xiao Ning shrugged off Xiao Yu’s hand with
jealousy and anger surfacing on his still somewhat childish face. “So what! It
has already been more than 1 year since I’ve reached 8 Duan Qi, do you think
I can’t beat him, who just reached 8 Duan Qi?”
Looking at Xiao Ning, whose face was filled with stubbornness and jealousy,
Xiao Yu knew she had no choice. After pausing a while, she took out a green
pill and stroked it gently with a hint of reluctance, before shoving it into Xiao
Ning’s hands. She whispered: “This is a tier 2 pill, ‘Qi Increasing Powder’,
which grants the power of a Dou Zhe for a short period of time. However, the
consequence is that if consumed, one will be bedridden for the next month.
Do not use it unless absolutely necessary.”
Upon hearing that, Xiao Ning grasped the pill joyously, saying “With this, I will
definitely teach that guy a lesson!”
Xiao Ning frowned and warned him “Don’t be too reckless. Let him suffer just
a little. You must not injure him heavily or else even Grandfather will not be
able to protect you. The current ‘him’ is no longer the useless cripple of the
past.”
“Yes yes, I already know…” Xiao Ning said indifferently, nodding slightly. With
a wry smile he looked at Xun’er, proudly saying in his heart, I will let you
know, that guy is only a pillow with an embroidered case!
TL: Chinese Proverb – an outwardly attractive but worthless person
With a cold smile, Xiao Ning brushed off Xiao Yu’s hand and jumped onto the
stage, shouting “I’ll challenge you!”
Upon hearing that, everyone’s gaze turned towards Xiao Ning and the feeling
of being the center of attention made the proud look on his face increase
further.
Looking at Xiao Ning who was walking over, the second Elder’s brows
furrowed. Looking up at the guests seats, he saw as expected the first Elder
with a troubled look on his face. Sighing lightly, he rebuked in his heart:
Ignorant fool! Do you still think that Xiao Yan is still the useless cripple he was
in the past?
Xiao Ning did not notice the frown on the second Elder’s face and taking a big
step forward he arrogantly grinned : “Xiao Yan, let me test your fighting
prowess.”
Looking up lazily to see Xiao Ning in front of him, Xiao Yan did not even
bother replying.
Seeing that Xiao Ning had already reached the center of the stage, the second
Elder had no choice but to loudly proclaim : “Xiao Yan has been challenged by
Xiao Ning. Xiao Yan, do you accept the challenge?”
“You won’t run from my challenge will you? Xun Er is watching, you had
better not disappoint her…” Caressing the pill hidden in his sleeve, Xiao Ning’s
confidence swelled and with a look at the beautiful, calm maiden below, he
said to Xiao Yan with a cold smile.
Idiot… Xiao Yan muttered in his heart, brushing his nose. In front of
everyone, he nodded and calmly said: “I accept.”
Seeing Xiao Yan nod, the second elder sighed once more and waved his hand.
As he retreated off the stage, he lowered his voice to a volume where only
the two of them could hear and said “Remember, control your strength. Do
not injure each other!”
Xiao Ning curled his lip while Xiao Yan, shrugged indifferently.
As the second Elder left the stage, the air atop it grew strained. A fight was
soon to arise.
Chapter 42 – You Lost
With the announcement, everyone’s gaze turned to the two youths on the
platform in interest. Everyone was curious about this youth who had created
yet another miracle after 3 years. Did he have in Dou techniques the same
talent he had in Dou Qi cultivation? Did he have that same terrifying speed of
learning?
On the Guest Platform, Xiao Zhan furrowed his brows as he looked at Xiao
Yan on stage with a slightly uneasy expression on his face. Although Xiao
Yan’s Dou Qi had progressed beyond Xiao Zhan’s expectations, he had never
seen Xiao Yan go to the Dou Technique Hall and look for a Dou Technique,
nor did he ever see him train in Dou Techniques at all.
One should note that Dou Technique training differed from Dou Qi training. If
one were to learn a low Huang level Dou Technique, all that was required was
one’s own hard work – grasped simply through trial and error. A mid or even
high level technique, however, would require much more: it needed personal
instruction from a Clan Technique Instructor. Over the past years, Xiao Zhan
had never heard of Xiao Yan approaching any of the clan’s instructors to learn
Dou Techniques. On the other hand, Xiao Ning regularly patronized them to
learn the techniques.
To Xiao Zhan’s understanding, the 8 Duan Xiao Ning had already mastered
three mid and one high Huang level Dou Technique. Any one of those
techniques would place him one step ahead of any combatant in the same
tier. It seemed to him that Xiao Yan would be at a disadvantage in this battle.
“Haha. Xiao Clan Leader, what would you say? Is victory possible for the
young master, Xiao Yan?” Next to Xiao Zhan, Ya Fei, whose eyes were firmly
fixed on the stands, asked with a soft smile.
Xiao Zhan calmed his anger towards Xiao Ning and calmly said: “Yan-er isn’t
very proficient with Dou Techniques at the moment. Furthermore he has just
reached 8 Duan, while Xiao Ning has reached that stage for over a year. It is
unfortunate but I am afraid that the likelihood of my son winning will not be
very high. ”
“Oh, really?” Ya Fei slowly batted her long eyelashes, her alluring eyes
sweeping about as she gazed lazily at the calm, black clothed youth on the
stage. Her lips curved up in a small smile, giving her countenance a mature
beauty, as she said: “I don’t know why but I’m very confident in young
master Xiao Yan. I think he can claim victory in this fight.”
Xiao Zhan was taken aback, rather, surprised at her confidence. He paused
for a moment before smiling and shaking his head: “Let’s hope Miss Ya Fei’s
words come true.”
Facing the still standing Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning sneered and clenched his two
fists as he took an aggressive stance. His faint Dou Qi coursed through him as
he dashed forward, giving him an even more menacing look.
Not a word more was uttered; Xiao Ning’s foot burst off from the ground
bringing himself close to Xiao Yan. And, without a moment’s hesitation, Xiao
Ning brought his 2 fists together: each of his fingernails gleamed like metal
Standing there, less than half a meter away from Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning paused.
His right hand took the shape of a claw and swerved towards Xiao Yan neck.
“Middle Huang Level Dou Technique: Rending Claws!”
Xiao Yan looked at the nearing the claws with indifference. He slowly brought
up a single palm curved inwards and suddenly straightened it, causing a huge
pushing force…
Feeling the tremendous pressure of Dou Qi, Xiao Ning’s face dropped as if he
had been physically beaten. He then staggered back 10 steps before stopping
himself.
There, watching from the terrace above, Xiao Zhan gazed down with
astonishment. By his side, Ya Fei smiled sweetly. She watched intently, her
red lips were softly pressed against her white jade teacup, slowly sipping tea.
“This boy… he’s really a hidden treasure..” Ya Fei mused, her charming lips
sipping from her cup once more.
“What… what Dou Technique is this?” Xiao Ning said while rubbing the sore
spot on his chest, his face paling as he asked.
Xiao Yan glanced at him coolly before lowering his head. The name of “Fire
Palm” was quite tasteless but the technique could unleash quite a powerful
force, which pleased Xiao Yan.
Xiao Ning’s face trembled in rage seeing Xiao Yan ignore him; his jaws
clamped shut as he charged once more towards Xiao Yan.
With palms stretched outwards, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes at the
encroaching Xiao Ning and let his mouth twist into a cruel smirk.
His right hand uncoiled slowly then closed abruptly. A violent force of
attraction came forth from his palm. Xuan Level Dou Technique: Vacuum
Hands!
Seeing Xiao Yan’s hand close, Xiao Ning subconsciously planted his feet more
firmly into the ground. However, the strength used was insufficient. He felt
himself drawn in and was sent towards the fist.
Xiao Ning’s body flew in an arc towards Xiao Yan who had a strange smile
engraved on his face.
Although Xiao Ning’s body was being pulled, he couldn’t help but smirk as he
drew closer and closer. He gave a foreboding laugh as Dou Qi began to
condense in his fists.
“Iron Fists!” Xiao Ning cried out with fists clenched tight. A sharp burst of Qi
escaped outwards creating a deep echo that resonated in midair. If he could
hit Xiao Yan’s shoulder, he would do terrifying damage to his arm. It seemed
to Xiao ning that Xiao Yan did not take the possibility of counter-attack into
account.
Iron Fists: a High Huang level Dou Technique with a decent amount of power.
It required a Dou Qi of at least 7 Duan to be able to learn and practice.
Squinting slightly after feeling the sharp Qi in the air, Xiao Yan let out a
breath of air slowly. Channeling the Dou Qi throughout his body, he exclaimed
inwardly, “Xun Level Dou Technique: Fire Palm!”
Thinking loudly with conviction, Xiao Yan blasted out a wave of Qi from his
palm.
“Bang!” The atmosphere grew heavy as an unseen force ruthlessly pushed
back the flying figure of Xiao Ning. The attractive and repulsive force on Xiao
Ning immediately turned his face ashen white.
“Pu-chi.”
The two forces battled against each other, bringing about a brief stalemate.
In the end, Xiao Ning was ultimately sent flying back, falling onto the ground
10 meters away. His body shook on the ground as he slowly spat out blood
from his mouth with a pitiful groan from him following.
Looking at Xiao Ning who had become completely paralyzed and then calmly
glancing around, Xiao Yan slowly put his hand down and quietly spoke: “You
lost… “
Chapter 43 – The Powerful Xiao Yan

Looking at Xiao Ning directly without saying anything, Xiao Yan quietly walked
off the stage. Quickly, a loud chatter arose from the audience, who was still
not completely over the previous shock; their heart slowly began to churn
quickly once more.
The younger Xiao Clan generation were all dumbstruck as they looked to Xiao
Ning who was vomiting blood. As peers, they were naturally aware of Xiao
Ning’s fighting capabilities. In the youngest generation of the Xiao Clan, aside
of Xun Er, very few could rival Xiao Ning. However at this moment, he was
utterly defeated by Xiao Yan. This unforeseen result had happened so
suddenly, catching everyone unprepared.
In the audience, Xiao Yu looked at the quickly defeated Xiao Ning, her pretty
cheeks showing a faint red hue as her mouth gaped open at the incredible
sight, even her heart was in shock.
After a while, Xiao Yu slowly recovered her composure, her slender white
neck regaining its natural rosy color. She murmured softly under her breath,
“This scoundrel, how did he get so strong? How could he have time to
practice new Dou Techniques while bitterly trying to regain his original Dou
Qi?”
“Hehe, not only is young master Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi quite powerful his Dou
Techniques are also very well practiced. Xiao Clan Leader must have spent a
lot of time on him?” In the Guest Platform, although Ya Fei was mentally
prepared from the start, she was shocked by Xiao Yan’s performance. She
seductively flashed her eyes as she faced Xiao Zhan who smiled widely.
If one wanted to learn deep Dou Techniques then one needed to have an
instructor who knew the tricks to that Dou Technique. It would seem that Ya
Fei believed that Xiao Zhan had taught Xiao Yan in private.
Hearing what Ya Fei said earlier, Xiao Zhan laughed bitterly, shaking his head.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to teach Xiao Yan Dou Ji, he couldn’t have
possibly teach Xiao Yan such interesting Dou Techniques. Even with his
understanding of the Dou Techniques in Xiao Clan, he had never seen a Dou
Technique like that.
Therefore Xiao Zhan could only come to one conclusion, the Dou Technique
Xiao Yan used was not from Xiao clan.
Since that isn’t a Dou Technique from our clan, where did Xiao Yan learn it
from? Xiao Zhan had his suspicions and looked towards the various experts in
the clan, searching for answers. But all he saw were somewhat strange looks
that they were aimed at him.
Looking at the gazes on their faces, Xiao Zhan stared blankly and before
realizing what the glances zes meant: they thought that he helped Yan Er!
Curling his lips, Xiao Zhan did not feel like giving an explanation and returned
his gaze to his son. “This brat, he certainly has no shortage of secrets.” He
murmured to himself.
There on the stage, remained the still collapsed form of Xiao Ning. The
second elder shook his head helplessly in shock and studied Xiao Yan with a
complex look.
The young man bowed his head briefly, his delicate but young face had a
tranquil look. No traces of pride or arrogance had appeared on his face, even
after his victory.
Letting out a sigh, the second elder raised a dry palm high and was about to
loudly proclaim that the match was over when his face suddenly turned to the
left.
In the distance, Xiao Ning, who was laying on the ground earlier, suddenly
leapt up like a jaguar. His faint Dou Qi dramatically rose as his feet stamped
firmly onto the wooden stage floor. Dashing forward, each time his foot
landed on the stage, wood splinters would jump up from the stage
Both his cold eyes focused once more on Xiao Yan and his bloodstained
mouth and face turned even more malevolent than before. “You bastard.
Time for you to go to hell!”
“Xiao Ning, stop!”
The sudden event left the second elder distracted but he immediately shouted
out. However, at this moment, Xiao Ning’s mind was filled with only rage and
hatred, he turned a deaf ear to the second elder. Taking advantage of the
Tier 2 “Qi Increasing Powder”, he gnashed his teeth together in fury while
glaring at Xiao Yan, and immediately rushed in to attack.
The sudden change on the field caused a disturbance amongst the audience.
On the Guest terrace, Xiao Zhan and the people around him were able to
detect what had just happened; Xiao Ning now had the strength of an Dou Zi!
“He took ‘Qi Gathering Powder’!” The knowledgeable Ya Fei exclaimed after
she saw the sudden sharp rise in strength of Xiao Ning, her charming face
changed as she spoke.
“You scoundrel!” Xiao Zhan’s expression turned bleak. He slammed his hands
against the table, hairline fractures radiated outwards from the impact. With a
fierce look, he glared at the first elder, “You old prune, if something happens
to my son then even your own grandson’s life won’t be enough
compensation!”
At the moment, Xiao Yan possessed far more potential than Xiao Ning. If Yan
Er suffered a serious injury in the match because of Xiao Ning’s violation of
the rules, even with Xiao Ning’s support from the first elder, the clan would
not easily let him off.
As Xiao Zhan glared at the first elder, the first elder’s wrinkled face started
trembling. He began to stutter. If Xiao Yan was the same weak Xiao Yan from
before, then a serious injury wouldn’t mean much. But now… the clan would
even turn their back on the first elder before giving up this person who had
the possibility of become a Dou Huang!
The second elder’s cry had no effect; Xiao Ning was already an arm’s length
away from Xiao Yan, and his hands were covered with a thick layer of Dou Qi
as he roared “Iron Mountain Fists!”.
With the increase in power, this time, the Iron Mountain Fists sent out a huge
shockwave, far larger than the one before.
The force blew back Xiao Yan’s hair, revealing a pair of calm but cold black
eyes.
Facing Xiao Ning’s strike, Xiao Yan unexpectedly did not step back. He
clenched his right hand and slowly got into a stance. Then, after a brief
pause, he shot forward like an arrow off a bowstring.
The second elder stomped his foot in anger when he saw Xiao Yan meet head
on with the incoming Xiao Ning and yelled out in frustration, “Idiot!”
“Octane Blast!”
Giving a suppressed shout in his mind, Xiao Yan’s fist collided with Xiao Ning’s
under the horrified gaze of the second elder.
“Bang!” The two fists met midair. Suddenly, Xiao Ning’s twisted face began to
turn deathly pale. Once again blood began to spill from his mouth, staining his
face.
With an apathetic look on his face, Xiao Yan’s sleeves fluttered as he
delivered another punch at Xiao Ning, smashing him out of the field like a leaf
in a gale.
Seeing this scene, the second elder on the platform suddenly squinted his
eyes. He could not help but flatly inhale a cold breath. From that moment on,
watching the backline of the young man in black, he seemed to become
mysterious.
Chapter 44 – You Want To Test Me?
Seeing Xiao Ning, who seemed as if he were teetering on the edge of life and
death, the audience went silent once more.
The audience members’ eyes gazed at the young man still standing on the
field, as if he were the devil himself. No one was completely sure about what
had just happened; they all saw Xiao Ning suddenly gain a boost in strength
and then saw him quickly defeated. They were not expecting to see Xiao
Ning, after a boost in power, to suffer an even more humiliating defeat with a
serious injury from one punch!
Looking at the field from the Guest platform, Ya Fei’s pearly white hands
covered her red lips, her ample breasts moved as her whole body shook in
excitement.
What a strong Dou Technique…What level could it be? Xuan level? How is
that possible? Ya Fei gasped, her heart fluttered as she gave the possibility
some thought. Xuan level Dou Techniques were not only rare but also difficult
to learn.
After a while, Ya Fei was slowly brought back to reality. Once more turning
her thoughts toward Xiao Yan’s previous of Dou Technique, her brow
furrowed as she thought of something: If I remember correctly, the Xiao
Clan’s highest Dou Technique is a Xuan Level Technique Fissure of the Lion
that goes with the Xuan Level Qi Method Raging Lion. Right?
Based on what I saw, that Dou Technique was definitely not ‘Fissure of the
Lion.’ Hmmm…” Ya Fei stared down at her jade teacup resting gently in her
lily white hands. Out of nowhere a thought occurred to her: Could it be… that
that Dou Technique, was not taught to him by Xiao Zhan?
Her beautiful eyes lazily fluttered as she glanced over at Xiao Zhan with an
inconspicuous tilt of her head. While looking, she was able to catch the
momentary shock on Xiao Zhan’s face as he also realized that the technique
was not a clan technique
If Xiao Zhan didn’t teach him…” Ya Fei mused, her well-developed chest
leaning downwards as her jade fingernails wrapped around her teacup. As she
recalled the proficiency Xiao Yan displayed with those Dou Techniques, she
couldn’t help but to inwardly think: Then this brat… he has a mysterious
teacher that teaches him behind his clan’s back? Otherwise, a Xuan Level Dou
Techniques can’t be mastered that quickly through trial and error with so little
experience.
To be able to teach Xuan level Dou Techniques… that mysterious man’s
strength must be at the Dou Ling stage! We have to investigate this matter!
Ya Fei considered,as she gracefully put down her jade teacup after wiping a
bead of cold sweat from her cheek. Observing Xiao Yan closely, she thought,
This little brat… he gets more mysterious with each passing day. I can’t help
but be curious.
TL: Dou Ling is the level above Da Dou Shi which is where Xiao Yan’s father is
at
Oh Dear…this Yan Er of mine, he’s harder and harder to see through. Beside
Ya Fei, Xiao Zhan couldn’t help but sigh silently. His son’s execution of the
previous Dou Technique was so well done that he silently cheered when he
saw that. From an damage point of view, that Dou Technique was on par with
Xiao Clan’s Xuan Level Dou Technique “Fissure of the Lion!”
Slowly shaking his head, Xiao Zhan exhaled deeply. With a sad look, he
thought, I’m afraid that there is someone teaching Yan Er behind my back.
But who is teaching him? Xiao Zhan answered while scratching his chin. He
couldn’t help but look to the far away Xun Er. At this moment, the little girl
was resting her cheeks on her hands, a faint smile on her face as she looked
at Xiao Yan standing in the limelight.
Could it be her? A seed of curiosity was planted into his mind. Thinking about
how close Xun Er and Xiao Yan were, Xiao Zhan forcibly justified that thought.
On the stage, Xiao Yan let out a breath of stale air as his rock hard arms
slowly reverted back to their original state. Even his sleeves were beginning to
slowly fall down and back into silky smooth fabric.
Twisting his head, Xiao Yan turned to face Xiao Yu, who was rushing forward
and picking up the unconscious Xiao Ning. Xiao Yan looked on with
indifference and his heart didn’t have the slightest sliver of pity. If he had not
learned two Xuan level Dou Techniques, then his own right hand would have
been broken by Xiao Ning’s attack. Since others did not show mercy to him
then he would have no reason to be an idiotic good person.
Putting his hands back into his pockets, Xiao Yan walked past the dumbstruck
second elder, asking “The battle has ended, right?”
Gulping, the second elder regained his senses and nodded once. As he started
to announce that the battle is over, he was interrupted.
“Hold it!” Under the platform, Xiao Yu was carrying a blood-covered Xiao
Ning. Her voice brimming with hatred.
The second elder creased his eyebrows, “Xiao Yu, what do you want?”
Handing the unconscious Xiao Ning to another clan member, Xiao Yu leaped
onto the platform vigorously. The grudge she held against Xiao Yan could
clearly be seen, “Xiao Ning is your older cousin, how could you beat him up so
viciously?”
Hearing Xiao Yu’s questioning, Xiao Yan sneered while a vicious smile
appeared on his face, “Although this was only supposed to be a challenge, he
violated the rules. After losing once, he ingested Qi Gathering Powder and
attacked me in that powered-up state. Do you really think he showed me
mercy? If I didn’t resist, would you be furious because I’m hurt? Is Xiao Ning
a human while I, Xiao Yan am not? Xiao Yu, aside from being biased against
me, what else are you capable of doing?”
Being bombarded with questions like firecrackers on rope, Xiao Yu’s mind
grew sluggish. Her pretty red cheeks turned white then quickly flamed red in
anger. With her arrogant attitude, she was never lectured in public before. As
she exhaled to calm her anger, she stated coldly, “I don’t care for your talk, I
only know that you have wounded my younger brother. So now, I challenge
you! If you have the skills, then accept my challenge!”
“Xiao Yu, withdraw your challenge, this is not your place! This is a
competition for those under the level of Dou Zhe, you don’t qualify!” The
second elder chided out from the side.
Xiao Yu refused to back down. She bit her lip in anger while glaring at Xiao
Yan, “Don’t tell me you don’t dare accept.”
This idiotic woman.
Inwardly fuming, Xiao Yan cursed in rage, his first battle with Xiao Ning had
already used up a lot of his Dou Qi and now he was going to be battling with
a 3 star Dou Zhe. He was clearly at a disadvantage.
“Don’t have the guts to accept a challenge from a woman?” Staring coldly at
Xiao Yan, Xiao Yu felt a hint glee and openly sneered at him.
Brushing his nose with his thumb, Xiao Yan’s mouth twitched slightly and his
black pupils shimmered ominously.
As Xiao Yan began to prepare himself to beat the long legged woman, a silver
bell like laugh sounded as someone softly floated onto the platform.
Suddenly, a voice was heard calling from the platform, “Cousin Xiao Yu,
brother Xiao Yan is already tired and yet you’re still challenging him. Are you
trying to take advantage of him? Cousin Xiao Yu, if you really want to fight
someone, then why don’t you let Xun Er play with you?”
Chapter 45 – The Finale
With everyone’s gaze on her, the young girl jumped onto the high platform
landing beside Xiao Yan. Her beautiful eyes moved gently while her pretty red
lips stretched into an elegant smile.
Seeing Xun Er jump up, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes helplessly and asked, “Why
did you have to run over here?”
Xun Er formed a slight smile. Not answering, her eyes glanced over to Xiao
Yu, whose face now had a complex look. With a smile, Xun Er said: “Xiao Yu
Biao-jie, in comparison to Xiao Yan, your age is a bit older and you even went
to Jia Nan Academy to train. Under these conditions, the challenge is a bit
unreasonable. If Xiao Yu Biao-jie needs someone to relieve stress then Xun Er
will happily help you.”
Hearing this Xiao Yu’s charming face became heavy while her eyebrows
wrinkled. Looking at Xiao Yan with cutting eyes she sneered and said: “Don’t
tell me, you only know how to hide behind a woman?”
Xiao Yan’s eyebrows twitched. In his eyes an ominous glint appeared. At that
moment, he just wanted to hold this woman to the ground and humiliate her.
“Enough!” While the three were arguing, the second elder let out an angry
shout, making the three of them swallow all the words they wanted to say.
With a gloomy expression, the angered second elder walked towards them.
Turning to Xiao Yu he shouted angrily: “On this stage, you do not have the
right to challenge anyone. Return immediately. If you obstruct the ongoing
ceremony anymore, you will be forced to stay within your house for a month!”
After venting his anger on Xiao Yu, the Second Elder let out a sigh of relief.
Turning his head, he helplessly watched Xun Er, who was twirling a strand of
her fine black hair as he forced a smile: “Young miss Xun Er, you should also
go down. Your challenge is also against the rules.”
Xun Er shrugged indifferently. Nodding her delicate chin, she turned around
to leave the stage. Then, she turned back to Xiao Yan and quietly pulled a
weird face leaving him unsure of whether to laugh or cry.
To be angrily rebuked by the second elder, biting her red lips, the charming
Xiao Yu felt wronged. After a short while, she stamped her feet a few times
then gave a sneer before leaving: “Little scoundrel, just you wait!”
Looking at the comical ending, the second elder released a long sigh. Turning
his head around, he looked at the perpetrator who wore an innocent face.
Forcing a small smile, the second elder stood on the stage and with a voice as
cold as ice, he shouted: “Xiao Ning illegally took a pill, therefore from today
on he will be locked indoors for 3 months!” After the elder finished speaking,
whispers erupted. He shouted once more: “The challenge has ended; Xiao
Yan has won!”
Regarding the unneeded explanation of what occurred, Xiao Yan actually did
not express an opinion. After hearing the declaration of the end of the
Coming of Age ceremony, he walked down from the platform.
All the members of the audience, in the stands, stared at the young man.
Looking back at the fearful eyes of his clansmen, Xiao Yan brushed his nose
laughing inwardly.
After Xiao Yan’s ceremony had ended, various clansmen went onstage.
However, under the shadow of Xiao Yan’s performance, the other clansman’s
achievements dimmed.
Finally, Xun Er appeared on stage and caused quite a large commotion. A 15
years old Dou Zhe, this achievement was just shy of Xiao Yan’s past
achievement. Although Xun Er’s achievement still quite remarkable, many
attending the ceremony knew that she was the clan’s brightest pearl.
Therefore, even though they were still shocked, they were much less
surprised compared to their shock at the end of Xiao Yan’s performance.
The Coming of Age Ceremony lasted from early morning until afternoon. In
the end, the field was filled with sounds of admiration before emptying
quickly. However, distraught pairs of eyes kept on staring at the youth in the
black garment who just made a miracle come true.
Looking at the end of the Coming of Age Ceremony, Xiao Yan let out a silent
sigh. All these stares were unbearable for him. Shaking his head, he stood up
to walk away.
“Today, Xiao Yan ge-ge’s display really made people gasp in amazement.” A
fragrant smell arrived nearby and Xun Er’s gentle laughter silver bell-like
laughter washed over Xiao Yan.
Touching his nose Xiao Yan began to laugh.
“Originally, I also believed that Xiao Yan ge-ge didn’t know any Dou
Techniques but who would have thought that you hid them so well.” Carrying
her delicate hands behind her back, Xun Er followed behind Xiao Yan while
tilting her head slightly to the side. Her smile was full of emotions
“Haha, I’m nowhere near as secretive as you, Xun Er. Last time at the Dou
Technique hall, that Dou Technique wasn’t too common either.” The corners
of Xiao Yan’s mouth arched up as he turned around and spoke.
Hearing that, Xun Er paused. Her beautiful eyes formed crescent moons as
she laughed loudly and said: “Xiao Yan ge-ge’s knowledge is really balance. If
you are really interested in those Dou Techniques then Xun Er can teach
you……”
Shrugging his shoulders, Xiao Yan shook his head and said: “It’s fine. To bite
off more than I can chew will not help. This is something I understand
clearly.”
“How about……Qi Methods?” Xiao Yan’s refusal was unexpected for Xun Er
but her black and intelligent eyes rolled before she got an idea.
Stopping, Xiao Yan squinted and said ambiguously: “ Won’t we be able to go
into the Qi Method Hall to look for Qi Methods in 5 days?……”
“The Xiao clan’s highest technique is just a Xuan middle level, Raging Lion.
Moreover, Xiao Yan isn’t qualified to practice it.” Xun Er used her small hand
to push a strand of her fine black hair aside. She pursed her tiny mouth and
she seemed like she was choosing her words carefully. A moment later, she
spoke softly: “Xun Er could try to get a high level Xuan Qi Method for Xiao
Yan ge-ge…….how about it?”
This girl……is really wealthy. High Xuan level……at the very least it would cost
a couple hundred thousand. Sighing inwardly, Xiao Yan forced a smile. If he
hadn’t coincidentally met with Yao Lao, perhaps it would have been quite
difficult for him to bridge the gap between Xun Er and him. Even if his innate
talent was not lacking, just Xun Er’s mysterious background was something
that he could not imagine.
He secretly stroked the simple and unadorned ring. Calm filled his heart as he
knew that the ring would be his secret to become strong again.
Looking down at Xun Er, Xiao Yan laughed. Shaking his head slightly, his soft
voice held a stubborn attachment: “No need. This ge will depend on his own
strength to become strong.”
TL: Ge – Brother
Xun Er stopped. Blinking her sharp eyes, she stared at Xiao Yan’s unstopping
back. Shortly after, she suddenly smiled: It seems…… in the end, Xiao Yan
ge-ge, you really have a mysterious person behind you. Yeah……Do I need to
check it?
With a somewhat pensive look she brought a finger to her forehead. After
standing still for a while, Xun Er helplessly shook her head. Best to leave him
alone. Brother Xiao Yan hates it when others try to meddle. Since this
mysterious teacher has taught him that much, he probably will not harm
brother
Chapter 46 - The Enraged Xiao Yan
After the Coming of Age Ceremony, Xiao Yan could finally take a breather. His
days, which were usually jam-packed with training, became relaxed.
Though the ingredients he had previously bought for the Foundation Elixir
were almost exhausted, Xiao Yan did not consider buying any more. The him
right now had finally stepped into the 8th Duan Qi and on this level the
benefits of the Foundation Elixir were next to nothing.
Now even though the Foundation Elixir had lost its use, Yao Lao refrained
from replacing it with a new one. Instead, he told Xiao Yan to use this period
of time to relax and calm his mental state. The true way of training is to to
train in bouts and take a break between them. Training yourself to death
might backfire and lead one down the wrong path.
During these relaxed and happy days, Xiao Yan, who was used to toiling
everyday, felt bored to death but he had no choice in the matter. Everyday,
he would only accompany Xun Er to roam about the city. However,
sometimes he would go behind the mountains to train his Dou Techniques.
The current Xiao Yan had undoubtedly become the focus of the Xiao family.
Wherever he went, gazes of reverence stuck to him him like shadows. And
the few respectful greetings here and there made Xiao Yan wonder at the
difference in treatment before and after his display.
“Peng!”
In the thick and lush forest of the back mountains, a strong looking monkey-
like shadow dodged and jumped with unbelievable speed. It moved through
the forest quickly and nimbly, dodging all obstacles in its path. Then, with a
heavy thud, a punch containing Qi and ferocious strength cracked a tree trunk
that was at least 2-3 metres wide. The crack on the tree spread out
continuously, and at last, with a “Bang!”, the tree snapped in half.
Nimbly avoiding the falling tree, Xiao Yan jumped on top of a rock. He aimed
his right hand towards his clothes which were hanging on the fallen tree and
a spiral of force suddenly appeared, pulling the clothes towards his palm.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Xiao Yan let out a puff of air and slowly put
his clothes on.
Wearing his clothes messily, Xiao Yan’s eyebrows suddenly perked up. He
squinted his eyes as he looked towards the outside of the woods and let out a
chuckle.
Xiao Yan’s mouth twitched into a grim smile as he brushed aside the leaves
on his shoulders and started walking out of the forest.
Out in the woods, the light from the sun fell down onto his body, seeping into
his bones and imparting a warm cozy feeling deep down. Covering his eyes as
he adjusted to the sunlight, Xiao Yan slightly tilted his head and saw the form
of a woman on a rock not too far away from him.
The sun illuminated the tall graceful girl’s delicate figure, highlighting her
captivating curves – especially her pair of long, slender, sexy legs.
Looking over at Xiao Yu who was sitting quietly on the rock, Xiao Yan rested
his hands on the back of his head and slowly walked towards the giant rock.
He looked up at the impassive beauty; his gaze fell particularly long on her
pair of sensual legs, lingering there for more than a moment. He then sniffled
and let out a haughty comment, “Your legs are beautiful. No need to show
them off…..”
With just a few words, the cold Xiao Yu’s charming face turned dark.
Her chest heaving slightly, Xiao Yu bit down her teeth and coldly replied, “Do
you know why I came looking for you?”
“To beat me up?” Withdrawing his hands from his nose, Xiao Yan casually
guessed, laughing a little.
“My brother was seriously wounded by your punch and now is stuck in bed,
unable to move. Since you were so ruthless, I, as his sister, cannot let him be
thrashed without payback.” Xiao Yu’s beautiful pair of eyes glared at Xiao
Yan, full of malice.
His mouth forming into cynical grin, Xiao Yan slanted his head and sneered,
“Then tell me, from your point of view, in such an instance should I have
remained still and took his attack, letting him break my arm in the process?”
Xiao Yu bit her scarlet lips. She still stubbornly fixed her eyes on Xiao Yan, her
eyes filled with hatred not diminished in the slightest.
“No. If he really shattered my arm, your heart would only grieve for the
unlucky me for a few minutes at most. Then, you wouldn’t feel any guilt, you
wouldn’t even care if I were crippled for the rest of my life. Haha. It’s still that
same old story again. You, Xiao Yu, with a personality like yours, one that
enjoys discriminating without reason, what else can you do? I really freaking
hate people like you. If your brother is a human, am I not then a human
too?!” Xiao Yan’s anger rose with every sentence and in the end, he couldn’t
help but resort to vulgar language.
“F*** you. ‘A Big chest but no brains,’ that’s the best way to describe idiotic
woman like you.”
“Xiao Yan, you little bastard. Shut your mouth!”
Her face contorted in anger, turning green and white in frustration. Finally,
Xiao Yu lashed out, unable to endure Xiao Yan anymore after his last bout of
cursing.
Looking at Xiao Yu’s beautiful face turn ashen, Xiao Yan’s eyes filled with
burning anger as he sneered and smacked his lips: His heart held a hint of
glee.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yu slowly quelled the anger in her heart and used
her seductive long legs to jump down from the boulder. She gritted her teeth
as she said: “No matter what, I won’t let a little bastard like you off easy
today.” After saying that, she stepped forward with her left foot and,
gracefully moving her delicate body, her right leg stretched forward with air
whistles as she ruthlessly aimed a kick at both of Xiao Yan’s legs.
With her sudden movement, Xiao Yan could only curse and quickly jump
back, barely avoiding Xiao Yu’s kick.
“Hmph, no matter how talented you are, you are just an 8 Duan Qi. If I don’t
teach you a lesson today, your arrogance may reach as high as the skies.”
Looking at Xiao Yan, who was constantly dodging her attacks, she laughed
coldly as her long slender legs danced in the air like a hurricane. The violent
kicks brought about gusts of strong wind, tossing the leaves on the ground
about.
Xiao Yu, having the strength of a 3 Star Dou Zhe, was by far stronger than
Xiao Ning. In such a quick onslaught of attacks, Xiao Yan couldn’t even find a
chance to counter-attack; he could only dodge.
In spite only being able to dodge Xiao Yu’s relentless flurry of kicks, Xiao
Yan’s face retained its calm. He squinted slightly and with a sharp gaze he
constantly searched his opponent for weaknesses to exploit.
Xiao Yan blocked Xiao Yu’s continuous barrage of kicks with his arms, but
with each blow his arms grew a little more sore. Really, it seemed that Xiao
Yu wasn’t a complete idiot; she didn’t go all out to deal with Xiao Yan and
although her attacks seemed aggressive, they would at most cause short-
term injuries.
Looking at Xiao Yan’s hurriedly retreating figure, Xiao Yu’s red lips lifted up in
satisfaction. She tiptoed forward a little and once again ferociously prepared
to spring an attack.
But when she started her attacks, Xiao Yan, who has been evading her ever
since the start, suddenly went from a docile sheep to become a ferocious
wolf. With Xiao Yan’s curled palms pointing at her, Xiao Yu felt a strong
suction force suddenly pull her in and she stumbled forward.
As her body leaned forward, the Dou Qi in Xiao Yu’s body rapidly pooled at
her feet. She was about to stand firm on the ground, however, the suction
force abruptly disappeared and in its place was a powerful pushing force…..
With a pull and a push, Xiao Yu finally lost her balance and staggered back a
few steps, unexpectedly falling and landing on her butt.
Being suddenly pushed down by Xiao Yan’s sudden burst of skills, Xiao Yu
seemed extremely shocked. She actually forgot to quickly get back up and
when she finally snapped out of her daze and tried to react, a figure
resembling a ferocious tiger descended from the skies and pinned her fast to
the ground.
“Motherf***ker, this master is going to rape you today!”
TL: Note that this novel doesn’t… I’ll just let the next chapter explain it…
The bruises on his face and injuries all over his body made Xiao Yan suck in a
breath as his two hands pinned Xiao Yu’s pulse on her pale wrists.
 Chapter 47 – Blasphemy
Xiao Yu was startled after hearing Xiao Yao’s vulgar words. With each passing
second, as she struggled against her holder with all her might, her face grew
redder with exertion and anger. However, Xiao Yan proved to be stronger; he
began to clamp down more tightly onto Xiao Yu’s wrists, causing her hands to
slowly numb.
After uselessly struggling for another short period of time, Xiao Yu was forced
to give up her futile endeavor. She, feeling deep shame, glowered at Xiao
Yan, her ample chest heaving slightly, as she scolded him, “Little bastard. Let
me go!”
Xiao Yan opened his mouth, wincing at the waves of pain washing the bruises
caused him. He took a few deep breaths and looked down sneering.“Let you
go? Did I get hit for nothing? I said I was going to rape you today!”
To have someone many years younger than her pin her down and also have
that person threaten repeatedly to rape her, Xiao Yu didn’t know whether to
cry or laugh as she firmly believed that Xiao Yan would not do such a thing.
Twisting her wrists, Xiao Yu still couldn’t get away. She could only bat her
eyes at him and snort at the absurdity of the situation. “You little bastard, you
haven’t even grown yet. Say those things when you’ve actually matured”
With his manhood being called into question, Xiao Yan immediately furrowed
his brows. Lowering his head, he maliciously responded, “You want to try
me?”
Feeling somewhat threatened by Xiao Yan’s intense stare, Xiao Yu swallowed
heavily. Being the arrogant person she was, she wouldn’t submit. She instead
stubbornly lifted her snow white chin and with a cold smile taunted, “If you
dare try, I’ll castrate you!”
Pursing his lips, Xiao Yan felt frustration as he looked down at this woman. If
he were asked, Xiao Yan, even though terribly annoyed with Xiao Yu, didn’t
want to go as far as committing such a terrible crime like rape. No matter
how you said it, she was still his older cousin.
But, given the circumstances, if Xiao Yan were to back down, wouldn’t he
have suffered for nothing?
Eyes slightly narrowing, Xiao Yan bit his lips. Suddenly, fiercely, he pushed
her down and pressed himself tightly against her body.
Xiao Yan’s abrupt movement stunned Xiao Yu and her mouth opened slightly;
she still hadn’t registered the shock of being violated.
As Xiao Yan ignored the suddenly quiet Xiao Yu, he quickly pinned both of her
hands with his left to the ground. At the same time, his right hand snaked
down her long slender legs, caressing them. Xiao Yan had understood long
ago one thing: she placed a high value on her legs, abnormally high actually,
even when considering the fact that they ensnared the hearts of men.
At the feeling of Xiao Yan’s hand on her legs, Xiao Yu stiffene, before giving
off a violent screech.
With his ears slightly ringing, Xiao Yan finished touching her and jumped
away like a monkey, proceeding to quickly flee down the mountain. He knew
she would go crazy after such treatment.
The screams continued for quite a while before they slowly abated. Xiao Yu’s
face was flushed crimson with anger and her eyes blazed with white hot fury
as she stared down the barely visible blur at the foot of the mountain.
Gnashing her teeth, she sharpley yelled, “Xiao Yan, you little bastard. I’ll cut
you into ten-thousand pieces!”
The distant figure remained quiet, stealthy disappearing from her field of
vision soon after.
“Bastard, bastard, bastard!”
Watching Xiao Yan’s figure disappear, her face turned ugly as she smashed
the ground next to her with both fists.
After venting her fury by bashing the nearby scenery, for a good while, Xiao
Yu finally calmed down. She blushed looking down at the several indistinct
hand prints dotting her legs, each left a numbness in her legs.
Xiao Yu clenched her teeth and propped herself up, fighting the weak feeling
racking her body and wanted to cry upon seeing her messy clothes. Not only
had she failed to teach the little brat a lesson, she was taken advantage of by
him; the results of the encounter left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Thinking back on Xiao Yan’s actions, Xiao Yu felt shame and anger well up.
This time, however, she didn’t draw her sword and chase him like she did
years ago.
She was an adult now and naturally couldn’t act like before, letting everyone
in the clan know that her thighs had been touched by that brat. Xiao Yu stood
there thinking for a bit, before stomping her feet and cursing in a low voice,
“Little bastard, you better not give me an opportunity, otherwise it won’t be
pretty!”
Xiao Yu wrinkled her nose, letting her fine black hair drift in the wind. She
dusted off her messy clothes, straightening them up a bit then somewhat
dejectedly started slowly heading down the mountain.
After restlessly fleeing down the mountain Xiao Yan quickly behind a bush at
the foot of the mountain with cool beads of sweat running down his back. It
wasn’t until he saw Xiao Yu pass by that he could let out a sigh of relief.
He rubbed his nose and unconsciously swung his right arm across his chest
and grabbed his other arm. Looking off with a dreamy look on his face he
whispered, “Compared with a few years ago, touching her now feels much
better…”
“Ai, in front of this stupid woman I can never hold back my temper. It looks
like my childhood grievances really do run deeper than normal.” Xiao Yan
bitterly laughed as he twisted his neck. Taking a deep breath, he pushed
away the thought. After once again regaining his former tranquil state of
mind, he slowly headed out.
Walking away from his hiding spot, Xiao Yan suddenly stopped and somewhat
embarrassed turned his head to look at the black-clothed maiden leaning
against a tree in the distance. He awkwardly laughed, “Xun Er, what are you
doing here?”
The distant Xun Er was lazily leaning against the tree. The purple belt around
her small waist flowed freely in the wind as her beautiful eyes swept over
Xiao Yan. A fake smile was on her face as she said, “Xiao Yan ge-ge, I just
saw Xiao Yu angrily walking by. Could it be that you provoked her again?”
Embarrassedly touching his nose, Xiao Yan walked forward and dryly chucked,
“Who knows why she’s in a bad mood again…”
Watching the laughing Xiao Yan, Xun Er couldn’t help but shake her head.
“Whenever Xiao Yan ge-ge is around with Xiao Yu, he inevitably can’t think
clearly and does some shocking things.”
Hearing Xun Er’s words, Xiao Yan felt a little guilty but he innocently shrugged
his shoulders and said, “You know, I was forced to.”
Lightly laughing, Xun Er pursed her small lips. Her hands held behind her
back; her maiden’s graceful beauty was rather moving.
“Tomorrow is a day for going to the Qi Method Pavilion to look for new
techniques. Xiao Yan ge-ge should prepare.” She said as she left but the
sound lingered on.
Chapter 48 – Qi Method Pavilion

Standing within the group, Xiao Yan lifted his head to look at the colossal
pavilion in front of him and let out a sigh, marvelling at the amazing view
before him.
On the sign in front of the building were three engraved words – “Qi Method
Pavilion” – which exuded ancient grandeur. The signboard in front had a
slight yellow hue and coupled with the chips and dents that covered its body,
it was obvious that this place had gone through the vicissitudes of time.
This was the most important place in the entire Xiao clan: the Qi Method
Pavilion!
Every single Qi Method that the clan has gathered for the past hundreds of
years were all stored here. These techniques were the foundation on which
the Xiao Clan secured its status to this day.
As the most important place of the clan, the security on the pavilion was
extremely stringent. On every other day, it was essentially a forbidden place
that even Xiao clan members were prohibited from entering. It was only after
the Coming of Age Ceremony that this place would be temporarily opened to
the clan.
Squinting his eyes, Xiao Yan briefly swept his gaze across the several hidden
corners of the pavilion that were concealed by shadows. His keen soul
perception informed him that every movement made in this place was being
closely monitored by the guards that were concealing themselves.
In several hidden places within the pavilion, Xiao Yan noticed that powerful
auras were lurking unseen. It seemed that the clan really held this Qi Method
Pavilion in great esteem.
Slightly turning his head, Xiao Yan exchanged a quick glance with Xun Er.
Both of them noticed a hint of a smile in the other’s eyes. Clearly, the guards
that were hidden in the surrounding area had been detected by the two of
them.
“I have already announced the rules regarding entry into the Qi Method
Pavilion many times in the past, so I shall not repeat them in detail again. In
short, after entering the Qi Method Pavilion, all of you are to return within 2
hours, In addition, each person is permitted to only 1 Qi Method which is to
be compatible with their attribute. You may not take more than that. If
anyone tries to sneak away with more, that person will forfeit his or her right
to obtain a Qi Method. Therefore, all of you best take heed!” Standing at the
top of the stairs, Xiao Zhan’s commanding gaze swept across the youths
below him as he said this in a solemn tone.
“Yes!” The group shouted excitedly in reply. Everyone stared at the gigantic
pavilion with fiery eyed desire. Obtaining a better Qi Method was equivalent
to gaining a head start over one’s peers, directly putting themselves in the
lead. This had always been something that every clan member deeply
desired.
“Since you are all clear on the rules, let us begin then.”
Xiao Zhan nodded in satisfaction. He took a step back and revealed a stone
pillar that was in front of the pavilion’s doors. The pillar was around 1 meter
in height and atop it rested a clear crystal ball.
With a flourish of his hand, two guards that were behind started pushing at
the enormous black door, the doors produced a low creak as they slowly
opened.
“After determining your attribute, you may enter the pavilion. Remember,
upon entering, follow the passage marked with your corresponding attribute.
Do not accidentally wander onto the wrong path!” Nodding his head towards
the crowd, Xiao Zhan gestured for the test to begin.
Seeing Xiao Zhan’s signal, a youth in front excitedly jumped onto the stairs.
As he laid both of his hands onto the crystal ball, a faint green glow was
issued.
“Wind attribute. Ok, you may enter.” Xiao Zhan took a sideways glance at the
crystal ball and nodded with a smile.
Since someone had already taken the lead, everyone below could no longer
remain still. One by one, they rushed up the stairs, and upon determining
their attribute, swarmed en masse the Qi Method Pavilion.
Seeing the crowd thin around him around him, Xiao Yan touched his nose and
smiled at Xun Er, “Let’s go see what kind of technique we can get our hands
on.”
Xun Er cutely laid her hands out. The clan’s Qi Methods actually did not
attract her in the least. However. since Xiao Yan was interested, she would
happily accompany him.
Because the pair was not in any rush, it wasn’t until everyone else had
already gone in that they started to slowly walk up the stairs. Seeing this,
Xiao Zhan could only give them a helpless look.
Xiao Yan flashed a toothy grin at Xiao Zhan and touched the crystal ball with
his palm. A fiery red light, several times brighter than any before it, lit up,
signifying an affinity for the fire attribute.
Xiao Zhan had already known his own son’s attribute, so his expression
remained unchanged. With a slight nod, his eyes suddenly darted across the
surrounding area and then he inconspicuously took a step forward. Letting
out a cough, Xiao Zhan bent forward and uttered in a soft voice, “ Passage of
Fire, path 3, room 43!”
Upon hearing what Xiao Zhan said, Xiao Yan was initially shocked, but
immediately found it amusing as he came to to realize that his father was
actually abusing his authority for his son. After giving an almost unnoticeable
nod, Xiao Yan stood aside to observe. It was now Xun Er’s turn to be tested.
Xun Er looked at the shiny crystal ball and hesitated for a moment. Then, as
she shook her head with a reluctant look, she lightly prodded at the crystal
ball with a slim finger.
Following Xun Er’s touch, the crystal ball that had just quieted down suddenly
burst forth in red light again. For the briefest of moments, the ball became as
hot and dazzling as a fireball.
Astounded by the crystal ball that had now turned into a ball of flame, Xiao
Zhan’s mouth dropped open a little as he involuntarily took in a sharp breath.
The fireball persisted for a short period of time and it was only until Xun Er
retracted her finger that the flames slowly began to die. After the light died
down, one could see various thin cracks covering the entire crystal ball.
Bitterly looking at the crystal ball that was on the verge of shattering, Xiao
Zhan could only let out a sigh. Looking at Xun Er with a gaze that seemed to
be filled with some hidden meaning, he waved his arm and said, “Hurry up
and go in.”
“Tsk, such a pure body of fire. Such a shame that she was not born with an
affinity for the wood attribute. Otherwise, she would have been a natural born
Alchemist.” While Xiao Yan remained shocked from the incident that occurred
before him, he heard Yao Lao’s voice that was filled with amazement.
Nodding silently in his heart, Xiao Yan looked at Xun Er who was walking
towards him. Letting out a shrug, he turned around and walked into the Qi
Method Pavilion.
Xiao Zhan’s eyes lingered on the two people who walked into the Qi Method
Pavilion side by side and then returned to look at the crystal ball. It had finally
broken into several pieces with a “ka cha” sound. He stroked his chin and
mumbled to himself. “Sigh, this really is… this really is way too remarkable.
This girl Xun Er, not only does she have a good temperament, she is also a
real beauty too. But her background is also extremely terrifying. She is
incomparably better than that Nalan Yanran. If only Yan Er could have a bride
like her, how nice that would be……”
After saying his thoughts out loud, Xiao Zhan shook his head and burst into
laughter, ridiculing himself. He could not believe that he actually entertained
such a wild fantasy.
While Xiao Zhan was laughing at himself, he didn’t realize that Xun Er who
was about to enter the pavilion, stiffened while her delicate ears turned, just
like the crystal ball from earlier, fiery red and alluring.
Chapter 49 – Selecting a Qi Method
It was a little dim after stepping passed the pitch black door. Gentle lights
shone from within the fire pearls that hung on the surrounding walls, giving
the spacious pavilion a deep and quiet ambiance.
The pavilion had several wide passages branching out from the main
entrance. At the start of each passage, there were large inscriptions that
described the elements each passage was home to.
Xiao Yan’s eyes swept through each passage before they finally stopped on
the Passage of Fire on the far left. Slightly feeling his nose, he turned his
head sideways. However, what came into his view was a shyly blushing Xun
Er. Astounded, he asked, “Xun Er, what is it?”
“Ah?” Being brought back to her senses by Xiao Yan’s voice, Xun Er’s crimson
face actually reddened even more. It took her a few moments to gradually
recover before she wrinkled her nose at Xiao Yan and replied in an indifferent
tone, “It was nothing, let’s hurry up and look for a Qi Method.”
Xiao Yan made a baffled expression, but then pointed towards the Passage of
Fire and said with a smile, “Let’s go.”
Xun Er indifferently nodded while a hint of red still lingered on her face.
Glancing sideways at Xun Er’s attractive little face, Xiao Yan’s heart couldn’t
help but skip a beat. He hurriedly led the way, looking only straight ahead.
The Passage of Fire branched into five smaller paths. Within each path, the
shadows of several clan members could be vaguely seen.
“Passage of Fire, path three.” After a quick glance, Xiao Yan led Xun Er
directly into the third path.
What was within this path appeared to be a completely different world. On
both sides of the path, several meters apart from each other, were thick red-
colored wooden doors. At this moment, all the doors were wide open but
within each open door was a faint red light curtain.
This red curtain was a type of defensive barrier. At the same time, it also
served as the final test for the youths of the clan. If someone wished to
obtain the Qi Method within, they had to first break this barrier.
There were already quite a few clan members who had entered this path.
These people were now standing in front of several different wooden doors,
viciously striking at the red barrier with flushed faces. Occasionally, the
sounds of barriers breaking were heard, accompanied by celebratory cheers
that rang out from within the pavilion. During those times, those who were
still attacking the barriers with all their might couldn’t help but show faces full
of envy.
Xiao Yan and Xun Er slowly walked along the path, slightly enjoying
themselves, watching the clan members on both sides, who burned with
ardor.
After taking a turn at another corner, Xiao Yan looked at the number
engraved on the wooden door beside him. It showed number 37.
He touched his nose and smiled before hurrying ahead. Finally, he stopped in
front of the door marked with the number 43 and light-heartedly said, “So,
this is it.”
Within the path, there were still more than ten clan members around. All of
them were dumbfounded when they saw Xiao Yan stopping in front of room
Number 43. This room actually had the toughest barrier in that particular
path. Earlier on, several decently skilled clan members had tried to break the
barrier, however, all of them ran into a wall.
Unconcerned about the surprised gazes thrown his way, Xiao Yan slowly laid
his palm on the light barrier.
“Xiao Yan Ge-ge, by doing this, is what Uncle Xiao did considered abusing his
authority for personal gain?” Seeing Xiao Zhan’s actions, Xun Er playfully
winked her eye and softly asked with a bemused smile.
After having gauged the thickness of the barrier, Xiao Yan turned his head
around and answered with feigned ferociousness, “Little girl, you better act as
if you haven’t seen or heard anything. Otherwise……”
Amused by Xiao Yan’s expression, Xun Er flashed a smile and wrinkled her
exquisite face. This kind of girlish behavior instantly caused the surrounding
members to become goggle-eyed.
After returning a teasing smile, Xiao Yan took two steps back and stood with
his legs slightly apart. Slowly, he balled up his fist and closed his eyes. Then,
the Dou Qi inside his body started to circulate following a specific pathway at
a high speed.
Xun Er was lazily leaning against a wall, her beautiful curves perfectly
wrapped up in her tight fitting clothings. Currently her eyes were tightly
locked onto Xiao Yan who was gathering his Dou Qi. Inside those blinking
eyes, pale golden flames flickered.
“Hah!” His eyes suddenly opened. Following that, Xiao Yan’s feet abruptly
kicked off the ground. With a quick rotation of his body in midair, his back
now faced the barrier. Next, his right elbow retracted as a mild wind piercing
screech sounded. Finally, he heavily punched the red light barrier as he
twisted himself.
“Octane Blast!”
Giving a suppressed shout in his mind, Xiao Yan’s fist violently pounded
against the barrier. Immediately, ripples started to quickly spread out from
the center of the barrier.
“Break!” Following his shout and witnessed by more than ten shocked
onlookers, the red light curtain shattered like glass!
Xiao Yan slowly exhaled his breath. With a shake of his arms, multiple
popping sounds came from under his sleeve, before his sleeve softened.
Off to the side, watching the now shattered red barrier, Xun Er lightly clapped
her hands and nodded with pouted lips before she said, “That is a good battle
technique. The attack power is very strong!”
Xiao Yan cracked his neck and stretched his arms before he replied
indifferently, “It was only so-so.”
Having heard Xiao Yan’s statement, those other members in the path
suddenly felt their chest tightening. Such a ridiculous battle technique was
only so-so? Truly a trauma inducing statement……
“Hehe, let’s go and see what kind of technique is kept inside.” Xiao Yan
turned his chin towards the room that had a slightly reddish hue before taking
the lead to enter.
The inside of the room was considerably brighter but it was not a very
spacious room. In the center of the small room was a stone table, where a
dark red colored scroll quietly laid.
Xiao Yan walked up to the scroll and picked it up with a hint of amusement.
He read the words written at the back of the scroll, “High Huang Qi Method:
Incinerating Flame!”
“This is indeed not bad. It is actually the clan’s best Fire Attribute Qi Method.
Hehe, seems like Uncle Xiao has spent a lot of effort for the benefit of Xiao
Yan Ge-ge.” Soft laughter came from behind him.
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. He felt a sense of warmth in his heart.
A snow white hand suddenly shot out from behind Xiao Yan and took away
the dark red scroll from his hands. With her head tilted as she held the scroll,
Xun Er said softly, “Xiao Yan Ge-ge, even though you might be able to obtain
higher leveled Qi Method in the future, the fact is, your progress in the future
will be determined by the level of training technique that you used when you
first started. High Huang Qi Method… it is actually a bit low.”
Xiao Yan nodded with a faint smile.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s calm expression, Xun Er slightly frowned, then let out a
sigh. With a flick of her fingers, an ancient looking scroll appeared in her
hand. The scroll’s color was like that of a red agate.
“This is a fire attribute High Xuan Qi Method: Flame Manipulation!”
Xun Er fondled the scroll and said softly, “Xiao Yan Ge-ge does not need to
reject my offer to save face. Xun Er also knows that you are not someone
who is overly pedantic. A high leveled Qi Method is extremely beneficial for
your future, so……”
Looking at Xun Er who was holding a scroll in each hand, Xiao Yao let out a
bitter laugh and shook his head. He extended his hand to pat her on the
head, then proceeded to take back the scroll with the High Huang training
technique. This was done under Xun Er’s somewhat hurt expression.
“Xiao Yan Ge-ge……” Xun Er curled her mouth and showed a saddened
expression. Her watery eyes were mesmerizing to behold.
“Hehe, thank you Xun Er. I am not rejecting your offer to preserve my
reputation.” With a gentle smile, Xiao Yan leaned forward and spoke softly
into her ear.
“Xiao Yan Ge-ge can obtain an even better Qi Method……”
Chapter 50 – Help?
Watching Xiao Yan leave the room with the Qi Method, Xun Er shook her
head. With helplessness in her voice, she said, “I’ll believe you for now.”
Xiao Yan looked at the other clan members, each shocked, while walking out
of the room.. With a gentle shrug of his shoulders, he waited for Xun Er
before the two aimlessly wandered forward, casually chatting away.
Since they had two hours together, Xun Er and Xiao Yan were not in a rush to
head outside. Because the Qi Method Pavilion was normally forbidden to
everyone, it was a rare opportunity to be in it today. Thus, they decided to
satisfy their curiosity.
Right when they were about to leave the pathway of fire, Xun Er casually
entered a small room and fetched Low Xuan Qi Method scroll. Accompanying
Xiao Yan, they then continued on down the other hallways.
Today would be the noisiest day of the year in the Qi Method Pavilion. Every
single hallway had a great multitude of people packed between its walls while
each person had a markedly excited look in their eyes as they smashed
against the red energy curtains. Every time a curtain broke, another shout of
excitement could be heard.
In this enjoyable atmosphere, even Xiao Yan had a faint smile on his small
face.
Walking out from another hallway, Xiao Yan took a look at the time.
Stretching, he laughed while looking at Xun Er, “We should be going; it’s
almost time.”
Nodding indifferently, Xun Er followed Xiao Yan around a corner before
heading directly towards the exit of the Qi Method Pavilion.
After walking by one of the paths, Xiao Yan’s eyebrows rose up in surprise.
Not too far away, he could see a red dress that belonged to Xiao Mei. Her
charming face blushed as she wandered continuously around the front of the
barrier. Based on her appearance, it looked like she was trying everything she
could to get the Qi Method but wasn’t able to break the barrier…
Today, Xiao Mei was wearing beautiful red clothing with a slightly tight skirt
and a ribbon around her waist; which tied itself closely around her waist.
Right now, her pure and lovely face looked anxious as her eyebrows knitted
together cutely. The clansmen around her were practically falling over
themselves trying to talk to her.
Xiao Mei’s mood was getting worse by the second; she was basically near
desperation. Before today, her father had secretly told her a room number,
telling her that it was imperative to grab hold of that Qi Method. After
conceiving every method possible and spending hours and hours, he finally
got a snippet of information from the ones responsible for the arrangement of
the Qi Method Pavilion. He knew that if Xiao Mei could get a Wind Attribute
High Huang Qi Method, then she would be ahead of everyone else in the race
for power.
Although Xiao Mei’s father got the right room number, he neglected to take
into account the sturdiness of the barrier on the room. Xiao Mei had been
outside of the room for an hour straight but she had been unable to break
through its protections and even though other clansmen were drooling at the
thought of helping her, they couldn’t even shake it. The protective curtain
could only be attacked by one person at a time and if the barrier detected two
or more people trying to break through it, it would boost its defenses. In the
end, it was like trying to draw water using a bucket with a hole.
By now, two hours had already gone by. If she couldn’t break the protections
on the room soon, then Xiao Mei would end up leaving empty handed.
Thinking about the consequences of not being able to get a single Qi Method,
Xiao Mei’s lovely eyes could not help but begin to water.
With a misty gaze, she shook her head with a bitter smile. Looking around,
her beautiful eyebrows rose up as she saw someone familiar.
Not too far away was a black clothed young man holding both of his hands
behind his head with a tranquil look on his face.
Wiping at her face in a hurry, Xiao Mei had already given up but the
appearance of Xiao Yan had brought new hope. Erasing any traces of her
tears, her teeth bit into her red lips as she walked over to Xiao Yan in hopes
that he would help her.
The other clansmen around Xiao Mei looked at her new change in appearance
and followed her gaze to find Xiao Yan. Their low chatter slowly died down as
their gazes had a hint of respect.
For a moment, the originally noisy walkway immediately became silent.
Even under a dozen or so gazes, Xiao Yan still walked forward with a look of
indifference. Without even a sideways glance towards Xiao Mei who couldn’t
formulate her words, he walked past her…
With her red lips slightly open, Xiao Mei looked at Xiao Yan who had just
ignored her, stunned at the treatment she received. After a while, her
beautiful face became filled with self deprecation, as she gently shook her
head. The anger that rose in her dissipated quickly as she remembered the
attitude she had shown towards Xiao Yan for the past three years.
“Ha ha, this must be retribution, I really am a loathsome person. You reap
what you sow…..” Xiao Mei gently squatted down to the ground. Her
shoulders were twitching slightly as a stifled cry echoed throughout the quiet
passageway.
Looking at Xiao Mei who looked like an abandoned kitten as she sat on the
ground, the surrounding young clansmen sighed sadly while shaking their
heads.
Xiao Mei sobbed lightly as she squatted on the ground. But she suddenly
sensed something wrong in the atmosphere and slowly lifted her crying face
only to be startled.
The youth who had been walking away had turned back and was walking
slowly towards Xiao Mei with his hands behind his head.
“Get out of the way.” Xiao Yan said indifferently as he glanced at Xiao Mei.
“Ah? Oh…….” The startled Xiao Mei recovered immediately with joy returning
to her pretty face and like an obedient child she made way for him.
Under the curious yet grateful gaze of those who were present, Xiao Yan
stood before the curtain which guarded the door. With his palm extended, the
boy breathed in lightly.
Everybody remained silent. Then suddenly like thunder, he moved. Twisting
his body, Xiao Yan lifted his foot and like a whip, it went forward. Making a
‘Kaka’ sound, it tore through the surrounding air.
“Bang!” The ruthless kick landed on the barrier causing ripples to rapidly pulse
through it. Finally, it broke under the shocked gaze of everyone.
His foot remained in the air for a while before Xiao Yan slowly brought his leg
down to the ground. Twisting his neck a little, he turned away and then
walked towards the far away Xun Er.
“Biao-ge … … Thank you … … I am sorry.” Xiao Mei timidly thanked Xiao Yan
passing by her.
“Yeah.”
Xiao Yan glanced at the girl who had lost all of her arrogance and gave her a
slight nod before disappearing from the admiring eyes of the other clansmen.
Chapter 51 – Relief
Nearing the heavy door, there were more than 10 guards with indifferent eyes
standing firmly before the gate, barring it. At one corner of the gate in a
chair, sat an aloof looking man. In his hands was a pen and a thick book.
At this moment many clansmen lined up in a row in front of the old man, each
one of them had brought whatever Qi Method to him so they could sign it out.
After doing so, they carefully left the pavilion under the cold stares of the 10
or more guards.
This was the procedure to leave the Qi Method Pavilion. Before entering the
Qi Method Pavilion, Xiao Yan and everyone else was informed about the
procedure, therefore it was not something unexpected.
The Qi Method Pavilion was a place where all of the clan’s Qi Methods were
held; methods that were acquired painstakingly by the clan for over dozens of
generations. These Qi Methods were the foundation of Xiao Clan, thus the
clan had extremely protective measures on the methods.
The Clan had their Qi Method scrolls made out of a special type of bamboo.
The bamboo could be defined as a mother-son. The mother part was the size
of the palm while the son part would be able to grow as large as a dozen
meters. Since the technique scrolls were made from this special material, as
long as the clan chief held onto the mother part, there was no way that
anyone could sneak away with a scroll. The moment one left the area with a
son scroll, the mother scroll would notify everyone.
The Parent’s area of influence just happened to cover the entire Xiao Clan.
Therefore, once a technique scroll leaves the Xiao Clan, it is detected. Of
course, nothing is absolute in this world. An individual with powerful enough
Dou Qi could forcefully destroy the connection between the scrolls. However,
with power at that level, why would one bother to steal Huang level Qi
Methods…?
It was finally Xiao Yan’s turn after waiting in line for a period of time. Walking
to the front, he withdrew a Qi Method from his pocket and gave it to the old
man.
Receiving the dark red scroll from Xiao Yan left the old man slightly surprised.
His eyes quickly appraised the boy as he thought to himself “This, the
[Burning Flame Refinement], was protected by a shield with the power of a
9th Duan Qi. This little brat, to think he could actually get through it…. It
would seem he has some skills after all.”
After recording that Xiao Yan had that scroll, the old man returned it to him
and indifferently cautioned, “I think you know the rules, right?”
“The scroll can’t leave the clan, otherwise there will be severe consequences!
You must return the scroll after one year! There must be no damage to it.”
Casually nodding his head, Xiao Yan moved to the side. He leaned on the
front door and waited for Xun Er’s scroll to be recorded.
Flashing Xiao Yan a light smile, Xun Er extended her snow white wrist and
took out her scroll.
Seeing Xun Er standing in front of him, the emotionless face of the old man
suddenly let a out a hint of a respectful smile. Using both hands to receive the
scroll, he then quickly recorded the borrower of the scroll.
Standing off to the side, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes at the old man after
seeing the change in his attitude. Xiao Yan fingers curled instinctively slightly.
Since this old man was in charge of the Qi Method Pavilion, his position in the
clan was comparable to that of one of the 3 elders.
Xiao Yan had heard that this old man’s nickname in the clan, Cold hearted
Xiao Han. This old guy, even if it was to his own father, would still talk in a
foreign manner. An old emotionless face, like the muscles of the recently
dead, stiff with rigor mortis. .
This cold faced old man, who didn’t even respect the clan elder, was acting so
respectful before Xun Er. This once again kindled Xiao Yan’s interest in Xun
Er’s identity.
Rubbing his nose, he thought about how each time Xun Er was silent about
her identity. Lifting his head, he saw Xun Er coming over with a smile on her
face. With a shrug of his shoulders, he left with her through the front door.
Bursting out from the crowded entrance, Xiao Yan breathed fresh air. The
atmosphere inside the Qi Method Pavilion was far too oppressive to breathe
normally.
“What’s wrong, Yan Er?” Low laughter greeted Xiao Yan as a figure came into
view. Looking through the Qi Method Pavilion’s door, the figure asked with a
smile.
Tilting his head to smile at his father, Xiao Yan nodded back with a smile of
his own. A red scroll came out from inside his sleeves, “I got it.”
Seeing the red scroll, Xiao Zhan gave a sharp intake of air, “It’s a good thing
you were able to get it.” He said in a low voice.
Seeing his father’s expression, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but roar with pride filled
laughter alongside him.
Extending his arm to clap Xiao Yan’s shoulder, Xiao Zhan smiled, “Now that
you have a Qi Method, once you become a Dou Zhe, then you’ll be able to
practice Dou Qi for real.”
Xiao Yan nodded obediently as he returned the red scroll back up his sleeves.
He could not help but think softly, “Hmm, I don’t know what’s that special
about that Qi Method. A Qi Method that can evolve…is that even possible?”
“It’s even stranger than a Tian level Qi Method…” Trying to recall the strange
yet arrogant words of Yao Lao. Xiao Yan shook his head with a bitter laugh.
He had just come across one of the finest Qi Methods in his life: Xun Er’s High
Xuan level Qi Method: Flame Manipulation. To be honest, he had an internal
struggle when he declined it. After all, Qi Methods of that caliber were not
only expensive but extremely rare.
Massaging his forehead with an open palm, he was starting to regret declining
Xun Er’s kindness but the deed had already been done, it was too late. Xiao
Yan did not have the face to ask Xun Er again for it, so he had no choice but
to pray that Yao Lao was not playing around with him. Otherwise, he would
be the biggest loser out of everyone.
“Hmph, it’s only High Xuan, there’s nothing special about that. Even though
she isn’t normal, her collection of Qi Methods can’t possibly compare to mine.”
Right when Xiao Yan was praying that Yao Lao didn’t deceive, Yao Lao gave a
slight humph and started speaking.
“At last you say something…” Hearing the voice within his own thoughts, Xiao
Yan scratched his nose. His mouth twitched upwards into a pleasant smile as
he spoke; his point of saying so much was so that he could force that old
geezer to say something calming.
“Ai…you tiny brat, trying to deceive me…” An echo came out from within Xiao
Yan’s mind. Yao Lao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and instead said,
“Brat, keep on practicing Dou Qi. Qi Methods are not something for you to
worry about: mine won’t be shabby. In the future, your achievements won’t
be lower than that little girl. Her clan is only… Ahem.”
Even though Xiao Yan was disappointed that the last sentence was
incomprehensible, he still nodded with a smile; he was given an answer to his
question so he could concentrate on practicing Dou Qi so that he could
become a Dou Zhe. This was the first step he had to take in order from him
to become strong and…for him to find Nalan Yanran who has been on his
mind for quite some time…
Chapter 52 – Breakthrough
After the Qi Method selection, the entire clan seemed much emptier than
usual. The young clansmen who were unable to achieve 7 Duan Qi had been
assigned to various clan businesses outside of the clan home, where they
would learn their respective tricks of the trade. The talented members of the
clan, those who had successfully obtained a Qi Method, started to immerse
themselves in rigorous training, in hopes of learning their Qi Method skill as
fast as possible.
As the burning sun rose high in the sky, rays of heat baked the earth like an
oven. Heat waves bled out of the ground causing ripples in the air, making
the air distorted and blurry.
Within the dense forest atop the mountain bordering the Xiao Clan…
Sunlight trickled through the dense foliage, splattering the leaf-matted ground
with tiny droplets of light –like a sky full of stars.
In the small forest two shadows weaved and crossed about, explosions
rippled the air whenever their palms met. Violent winds gushed forth from
each exchange, rushing through the fallen leaves and tossing them into the
air.
Engaging in another fierce flurry of blows, Xiao Yan used both palms to parry
Xun Er’s fair hands and a muffled ‘boom’ sound rang out with each counter.
Though each attack looked light, in actuality whenever one landed it would
instantly turn vicious and powerful.
The corners of Xiao Yan’s mouth twitched as he was hit by a strong force,
strong enough to cause him to stumble back two steps. Xun Er, on the other
hand, was starting to get bruises on her delicate palms because of all the
times she got hit..
Seeing Xiao Yan stumble backwards, a slight smile formed on Xun Er’s lips as
her fair hands slowly danced in the air, her fingers wrapped in a golden silky
glow.
“Tsk tsk, so strong… ” Settling down, the slightly shocked Xiao Yan inwardly
shook his head and directed his eyes at Xun Er, she had a slight smile on her
face. She then licked her lips, emitting a strong battle lust.
He abruptly pushed himself off the ground with the soles of his feet and
dashed forward, specks of mud scattered in his wake.
With a glance at the incoming Xiao Yan, the corners of Xun Er’s dainty mouth
lifted up as the golden glow on her hands intensified.
A small crater was left after Xiao Yan had started rushing forward. He
suddenly stopped a meter away from Xun Er. So perfect was his stop, it
seemed as if Xiao Yan had never moved at all.
Seeing the depth of control Xiao Yan possessed over his movements, Xun Er’s
autumn water eyes couldn’t help but betray a sense of admiration.
“Octane Blast!”
As his running figure suddenly came to a halt, his right foot pushed off the
ground causing his body to spin: increasing the force of his attack. Filled with
power his left leg arced through the air, bringing forth an ear piercing shriek
of wind. Fiercely, he angled his blow at Xun Er.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s fierce incoming attack, Xun Er slightly nodded her exquisite
chin in response. her dainty hands formed into a strange semicircular shield of
light that slammed against Xiao Yan’s left leg without hesitation.
“Bang!”
A muffled boom resounded from the clash causing the leaves on the ground
to be swept up into the sky, before scattering about.
Leg met fist in a momentary collision and a split second later, the two figures
were pushed back.
The strength of the blow was enough to push Xiao Yan’s body four to five
meters into the air. As his body fell downwards, he angled his right hand to
face a nearby tree and emitted a suction force to negate the force of the fall.
Jumping off a tree branch, he landed steadily onto the ground.
Lifting his head to look at Xun Er who was likewise pushed back a few steps,
Xiao Yan smacked his lips and laughed, asking: “What was that Dou
Technique you used?”
“High level Xuan Dou Technique: Swallow’s Return…… When mastered, it is
able to return the force of an opponent’s attack. I am only at the beginner’s
level, thus I can only return about 10% of the power.” Xun Er smiled while
replying.
Having understood, a thought emerged from within Xiao Yan: “Borrowing a
force to counter another……”
“This Dou Technique that Elder Brother Xiao Yan used is not bad either. If
Xun Er was not a one star Dou Zhe with a power beyond yours, I would be
unable to withstand the strong force from that attack.” Xun Er smiled, her
eyes forming two crescent moons.
Xiao Yan shrugged without commenting, lazily twisting his neck. A high level
fight caused muscle fatigue and mental exhaustion to build up.
Rubbing the sweat that was pouring like water off his face, Xiao Yan silently
cursed the hot and humid weather before he stripped off his shirt.
Under the shirt, his young, somewhat tanned and fit physique was revealed.
Even though it was not considered muscular, his small body hid an explosive
power.
Enjoying the half naked Xiao Yan, Xun Er’s beautiful face flushed.
Xiao Yan grabbed his clothes and leaned tiredly against a limestone rock.
Facing Xun Er, he let out a bitter laugh, “Sigh, it’s already been two months,
yet I am still stuck at the 8 Duan Qi……”
Looking at the somewhat helpless Xiao Yan, Xun Er pursed her lips and
giggled. Gracefully sitting down, she joined Xiao Yan and leaned against the
limestone rock. She retrieved the sweat filled clothes from Xiao Yan before
gently drying the sweat off his body. Consoling him, she said, “The 8th to the
9th Duan Qi is the beginning of Dou Qi bottleneck stage. Xiao Yan ge-ge
should not be impatient. When the time is right, all that should be, will be……”
At this point, Xun Er suddenly sensed a heated gaze and looking up, she
found Xiao Yan staring at her. Flushing red, she pouted playfully: “Xiao Yan
ge-ge……”
The young maiden’s gentle and playful tone was like a refreshing breeze in
the humid jungle.
Because of the hot weather, Xun Er wore a short, light-green apron that
exhibited a lovely patch of white skin below her long, alluring nape. In
addition to that, the developing marshmellows of the young maiden were
revealed by the tight contours of her clothing, causing a sense of beauty in
the youthful body. Faced with such a beautiful scene, it was no wonder that
Xiao Yan felt slightly absent-minded.
Awakened from his stupor by Xun Er, Xiao Yan’s face flushed slightly. Letting
out an embarrassed laugh, he lay on the cooling limestone, slowly closing his
eyes, allowing Xun Er’s pair of tiny hands to gently rub across his body.
The corners of her rosy lips slightly tipped upwards as Xun Er helped wipe
Xiao Yan’s body. Without turning, she secretly swept a glance across his body,
only to be startled to find that unknowingly, he had fallen asleep.
Helplessly shaking her head, Xun Er also understood that today’s high level
fight had caused him to be exhausted. Wrinkling her nose, she put down the
clothes as a soft golden glow started to gather at her fingertips……
Sneakily taking another glance at the unresponsive Xiao Yan, Xun Er laid a
finger on Xiao Yan’s skin. Golden light followed the path along the finger and
seeped into Xiao Yan’s body……
As golden light was transferred, beads of sweat started to roll down Xun Er’s
forehead and she could be seen slightly gritting her teeth. Just as she
prepared to continue the transfer, a surprised look flashed across her face.
As he was in a deep sleep beside the limestone, an unfathomable sucking
force suddenly originated from within Xiao Yan’s body. Lines of Dou Qi
gathered from the surroundings and started to quickly flow into his body……
“Oh…… Is it a breakthrough?”
A gasp of shock and awe could be heard as Xun Er’s small mouth formed into
the shape of an O and she quietly watched Xiao Yan as he unknowingly
absorbed Dou Qi.
Chapter 53: 9 Duan Qi
In the small lush forest, threads of white Dou Qi flowed through the air, continuously absorbed
by Xiao Yan’s body as he slumbered.
Looking at Xiao Yan, who had practically become an energy sink, Xun Er felt pleasantly
surprised. Quietly putting some distance between him, she stood in silent vigil and guarded the
area. If Xiao Yan were to be roused from his state of training mediation, he would lose a chance
to advance another level.
The success of Xiao Yan’s advancement could be said to be almost certain.
As the Dou Qi was absorbed, the faint traces of fatigue on Xiao Yan’s face gradually faded away.
Like a piece of warm jade, his delicate and pretty face glowed with a pale light.
For the next hour these events carried on continued within the small dense forest, until at last
coming to the end.
Finally, when the lasts wisps of Dou Qi entered Xiao Yan, the small forest regained its original
calm; the sun’s burning rays continued to shine down on the forest.
Even though Xiao Yan’s eyes were tightly shut, his chest rose and fell in a smooth and steady
manner. Xun Er, seeing this, let out a sigh of relief, relaxed and laughed gently: “He has finally
reached the 9th Duan Qi. Maybe in half a year, Xiao Yan ge-ge will be able to condense a Dou Qi
Cyclone and become a true Dou Zhe.”
A light hearted smile on her lips, Xun Er leaped onto a nearby limestone and sat down in a
crosslegged position. Elbows on her knees, palms supporting her chin while her fingers lay on
her cheeks, she waited for Xiao Yan to wake up.
The sky had gradually turned to dusk when Xiao Yan finally arose from his deep slumber.
Blinking his eyes in confusion, Xiao Yan stared blankly about before regaining his wits. Lifting his
head, his sight came to rest upon a figure clothed in the golden rays of the setting sun. Bright
and clear like liquid water, a pair of eyes met his. He smiled.
“Is Xiao Yan ge-ge finally awake?” Xun Er let out a lovable laugh as she posed the question to
the recently-awakened Xiao Yan.
Smiling with a nod of his head, Xiao Yan got up. Twisting his numb neck about, he lazily
stretched. “Pi Li Pa La” the satisfying sounds of bones cracking against each other could be
heard from a body that had just raised a Duan Qi.
Dazed at the feeling of achieving a breakthrough, Xiao Yan curled his hand in to a fist before
uncurling it again, his jaw slightly slackened and he tilted his head; his face filled with equal
parts of doubt and uncertainty and he uttered: “What…… I seem to have reached the 9 Duan
Qi?”
Staring at Xiao Yan’s look of bafflement with an interested look, Xun Er started to laugh.
Upon seeing Xun Er’s nod, Xiao Yan’s lips curled upwards into a smile. His heart was pleasantly
surprised, though he still didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The last time he made a
breakthrough, it was when he was sleeping. This time he made another breakthrough while
asleep. This way of breaking through was a bit too comical.
Vigorously punching at the air a few times in rapid succession and feeling Dou Qi that was
stronger than a few hours ago, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh.
After getting all of his pleasant surprise out of his mind, Xiao Yan was finally aware of the murky
sky color. Giving an apologetic smile to Xun Er, he knew that she had been waiting for him this
whole time.
While putting his clothes back on, he began to crack jokes with Xun Er, “Not leaving? Today’s a
good day so why don’t you let ge treat you to a nice meal in Wu Tang City.”
TL: Ge = Brother and Ge-ge = Brother
“Xixi, I want the most expensive meal then…” She responded with a light laugh of her own.
Tiptoeing on the limestone for a while, she gingerly dropped down next to Xiao Yan, emitting a
faint bell laugh that scatter across the gingerly green forest.
In order to thank Xun Er for waiting the whole afternoon, Xiao Yan took care to take Xun Er on a
stroll around Wu Tang City before parting with her in the clan.
Dragging his still somewhat excited legs back to his room, Xiao Yan dropped down heavily onto
his bed and hugged his quilt. With a soft murmur to himself, he said, “At last, I am finally going
to become a Dou Zhe once more…”
“Hey, this breakthrough you just managed… it was due to that little girl.” From the midst of the
room, the laughter of an old man suddenly sounded.
Raising a single eyelid, Xiao Yan stared lazily at Yao Lao and furrowed his eyebrows, “What does
Xun Er have to do with this?”
“Eh, she definitely had a part, otherwise you would had taken a week to breakthrough by
yourself.” Yao Lao’s transparent body sat down on a chair, his casual tone ringing throughout
the room.
Begrudgingly shrugging his shoulders, Xiao Yan threw his head back into his quilt. “Right now
I’m already at 9 Duan, if I want to breakthrough to become a Dou Zhe, I’m afraid it’ll take me
another half year or so…” After saying that, he momentarily paused and threw off his quilt. His
previously focused face became gloomy, his voice now revealing a cold tone, “One year has
already passed and yet I am still not a one star Dou Zhe. If things keep on going at this rate…I’m
afraid I won’t be able to catch up to Nalan Yanran in three years.”
Upon hearing this, Yao Lao raised an eye to look at him but remained silent.
“Nalan Yanran is being trained to be the Faction of Misty Cloud’s next Faction leader. Her talent
cannot be said to be low at all and the Faction of Misty Cloud is quite strong as well. They even
have the formidable alchemist Pill King Gu He amongst their ranks…if he were to help Nalan
Yanran, her speed would be terrifying. It would be no slower than my training speed.” Xiao Yan
thought aloud to himself.
Yao Lao tilted his head at Xiao Yan and saw Xiao Yan’s bright crystal like eyes focus closely on
himself. Yao Lao immediately started to laugh but still made no comment.
Looking at Yao Lao’s face, Xiao Yan could only roll his eyes. His words were pointless…
“Heh…”After staying silent for some time, Yao Lao slowly sighed. Standing up to walk towards
Xiao Yan, his lips began to curl into a smile: “That Gu He fellow isn’t anything more than a 6th
tier Alchemist. Is he even worthy to be called a Pill King? Other than refining pills, what else can
he do?”
Hearing Yao Lao talk in this manner, Xiao Yan’s face suddenly adopted a smiling expression. At
this moment, he knew that the mysterious teacher was finally about to show his hand…
“Tomorrow, you will go buy some materials. Qi Gathering Powder, you will be eating it like it’s
candy… I don’t believe that this Nalan will have this sort of treatment!” With both hands behind
his back, Yao Lao sneered proudly.
Chapter 54: Raising Money

Of course, saying that he would be able to eat Qi Gathering Pills like candy
was a somewhat boastful claim. However, given the skills of Yao Lao, with
enough materials, helping Xiao Yan refine tens of Qi Gathering Pills was not a
problem.
However, even with all the boastful claims of Yao Lao, Xiao Yao had no time
to feel any excitement. With each and every required material uttered by Yao
Lao, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel his heart sink lower and lower.
“Tomorrow, prepare for me four 50 year old Inky Leaf Lotus flowers, two
Ripened Snake Venom Fruits, one bundle of 20 year old Spirit Gathering Grass
and a Rank 2 Water Attribute Magic Stone,” Came Yao Lao’s indifferent voice
and when he saw Xiao Yan’s stiff and distant look, he couldn’t help but be
startled. “What’s the matter?”
“50 year old Inky Leaf Lotus? Flowers that age are sold for 3000 gold coins
and that’s just for a single blossom! Ripened Snake Venom Fruit? That’s
considered one of the top lower grade alchemy ingredients, even the
pharmacies don’t carry them, it would have to be through sheer luck if one
were to ever obtain one and at the very least 8000 gold coins would be
needed to buy just one. And the 20 year old Spirit Gather Grass? Dear god, I
have only heard of this item appearing in auctions only once and the starting
price was at 10,500 gold! Even the Rank 2 Water Attribute Magic Stone, the
cheapest of all the materials, would require at least 2000 gold pieces.” Xiao
Yan’s wiped his sweaty brow and painfully let out a groan, “These ingredients
alone would cost me around 50,000. Where in the world would I get such a
large sum of money?”
“Eh…” On hearing Xiao Yan whine, Yao Lao just rolled his eyes and shrugged
his shoulders mockingly, “Obtaining those ingredients is your problem. It has
nothing to do with me; I will only be in charge of refining the ingredients.”
“Dammit. The cost for everything is going to be way too high. If I’m really
going to eat Gathering Qi Powder like candy, I’m afraid that even the Xiao
Clan’s wealth would be unable to cover the costs.” Scolding himself, Xiao Yan
fingered the green card he had hidden under the pillow with some regret.
Helplessly, he said, “I only have 10,000 gold left from selling the Foundation
Elixir, nowhere near enough to buy the ingredients you need.”
Yao Lao laughed while leisurely sitting down onto a chair; showing that the
matter of obtaining the ingredients was of no concern to him.
Kneading his head, Xiao Yan grimaced in pain as he continued his line of
thought, “First, I`ll just use this money to buy ingredients for the Foundation
Elixir. Then I’ll just sell that at the Auction House; otherwise, I’ll never get
enough money.”
Yao Lao gave a smug nod. For him, refining something as low-grade as the
Foundation Elixir was nothing strenuous. Letting out a short breath, Xiao Yan
flopped back onto his bed and bitterly laughed, “Being poor is extremely
annoying…”
The next morning, Xiao Yan secretly slipped away from the clan to Wu Tan
City’s pharmacies and bought all of the materials needed for the Foundation
Elixir. Afterwards, Xiao Yan searched for a tavern in an isolated area and
entered.
Because he would be selling the elixirs for other people to use, he could let
Yao Lao mix the ingredients together without a single care. So, just like last
time, Xiao Yan bought the cheapest and lowest quality materials.
Because he desperately needed money, Xiao Yan bought enough materials to
make 7 Foundation Elixirs, which which had completely drained the green
card of money.
While waiting for Yao Lao to refine the ingredients, Xiao Yan began to flick
the green card around his hands. Absentmindedly shaking his head, Xiao Yan
came to realize that he had once again returned to his original poverty
stricken state.
This time, Yao Lao had spent an entire hour to create all of the Foundation
Elixirs. Arranging each of the seven white jade bottles neatly onto the table,
Xiao Yan couldn’t help but smile widely. Carefully wrapping each bottle up in
cloth, he secured them tightly to his back.
Gently patting the elixirs on his back, Xiao Yan swung a huge black cloak over
himself to hide both him and the elixirs from view before laughing to himself
as he exited the tavern.
At the Primer Auction House inside the treasure inspection hall.
Primer Auction’s top auctioneer, Ya Fei, was staring at 7 small jade bottles full
of Foundation Elixir in front of her in shock. Her eyes had lost her usual
sparkle and she leaned forward at a precarious angle.
“Cough…”Sitting not too far away from Ya Fei with his black pouch, Xiao Yan
coughed, bringing her back to attention.
Her pale white hands tenderly groped the jade bottles while she sniffed it to
try and authenticate the elixirs. After a while, she handed the bottles to Gu Ni,
the alchemist expert of the auction.
Taking the Foundation Elixir from her, Gu Ni began to inspect the bottle
closely and then remarked, “All of these are truly Foundation Elixirs…”
Upong hearing Gu Ni’s confirmation, Ya Fei’s eyebrows leapt up in surprise.
She observed the black cloaked figured before her and her face carried a
smile. Bringing out the most appeal she could muster, she said, “I didn’t think
half a year later, uncle would bring us such a large business.”
“When will the elixir be sold?” The cloaked figure asked with the voice of Yao
Lao.
“Does uncle need money right away? If you are not that busy, then I suggest
waiting for 1 or 2 days. 7 bottles of Foundation Elixir rarely come onto the
market at the same time. If you would let the Auction House publicize this
then your profits will surely be a lot higher…” Ya Fei smiled sweetly while
suggesting her idea.
Hearing this, the cloaked figure went silent momentarily and just for a
moment, a light groan in confirmation was heard.
Hearing his response, Ya Fei’s smiling face slipped for a second. Her white
hands reached for her teacup and she brought it to her lips. She could now
ascertain that this black cloaked figure was a rank 2 alchemist, if not a rank 3
alchemist!
Taking a sip from the teacup, the cloaked figure spoke once more with an
elderly voice, “Perhaps your auction house could assist in helping me procure
some alchemy ingredients as well?”
The bright eyes of Ya Fei twinkled as she sat down on top of a chair. Smiling
even brighter, she said, “What ingredients does uncle want?”
“Four 50 year old Ink Leaf Lotuses, two Ripened Snake Venom Fruit, one
bundle of 20 year old Spirit Gathering Grass and a single Water Attribute Rank
2 Magic Core…”
By the side of Ya Fei, Gu Ni’s face changed drastically upon hearing the
ingredients listed. His eyes had a hint of confusion as he watched the black
cloaked figure.
“Hehe, Ya Fei will definitely help uncle find those materials. The moment I
hear a single mention of any of the items, I will inform uncle immediately.
But, where does uncle live I wonder? How will we keep in touch?” As Ya Fei
asked, she glanced at Gu Ni and saw shock etched on his face. Seeing that
her heart gave a violent leap but she didn’t show her surprise on her face.
“There is no need to try to contact me. If any of the ingredients appear,
deduct the costs from the Foundation Elixir. I will visit again.” Under the black
cloak, a wizened voice rang out. “I also have other matters to attend to that
cannot be postponed. I will be back in two days.” With that said, the cloaked
man stood up and walked out of the Auction House.
Watching him disappear as he turned around the corner, Ya Fei’s eyes
narrowed. “Was there something wrong with the ingredients he asked for, Gu
Ni shu-shu?”
Gu Ni shook his head and exhaled before laughing bitterly, “If I remember
correctly, these are the ingredients to refine and make the Qi Gathering
Powder.”
Ya Fei’s face changed immediately after hearing that, “Doesn’t one have to be
a Rank 4 alchemist before attempting to create the Qi Gathering Powder?”
Nodding his head, Gu Ni continued, “That would appear to be the case.
However, within the Jia Ma Empire, there are no more than 20 Rank 4
alchemists. How is it that we’ve never heard of this mysterious cloaked person
before?”
Ya Fei gently shook her head, her eyes were brimming with curiosity as she
spoke, “A Rank 4 alchemist…if I ever get the chance, I’ll definitely have him
owe a favor to me!”
Chapter 55: Accident
Looking at the Primer Auction House’s ability to circulate information, one
cannot help but admit that it was extremely effective. It had barely been a
day since Xiao Yan had handed over his Foundation Elixirs to the Auction
house, and yet almost every influential clan in Wu Tan city had already heard
the news causing a great disturbance.
The only thing different between this auction and the last was the star of the
show. The previous auction showcased the High Level Xuan Dou Technique, a
piece which would fetch a sky-high price any day; because of that only the
major powers had the qualifications to bid, those of lesser ranks could only
watch in longing.
But to many people, the Foundation Elixir was a more realistic goal. To help
their children become a Dou Zhe as quickly as possible, many elders of
various clans were willing to spend quite a bit on advantageous items like the
Foundation Elixirs.
Word of the Foundation Elixirs had spread enough to send the city of Wu Tan
abuzz with excitement, even Xiao Yan, deeply secluded within his clan, caught
wind of the news. Seeing the commotion over a mere seven bottles of impure
Foundation Elixir had caused, though shocked, Xiao Yan was grateful for the
being able to confirm the unique charm that the pills had on this continent.
On the second day, the Xiao Clan also received an invitation from the Primer
Auction House. Most likely because Xiao Zhan had previously bought a
Foundation Elixir. Several elders of the clan were interested in the appearance
of the Foundation Elixirs, especially those who still had children whom had yet
to achieve the level of Dou Zhes.
Xiao Yan had originally planned to sneak out in the afternoon, but before his
plan came to fruition, he was stopped by a messenger from Xiao Zhan. Xiao
Yan had no choice but to follow behind the messenger and walk towards the
entrance of the clan.
At the entrance, Xiao Yan found not only Xiao Zhan, but also several elders
that were gathered there, all bustling with excitement.
Raising his head to find the leisurely approaching Xiao Yan, a grinning Xiao
Zhan urged Xiao Yan to come forward with a gesture of his hand.
Xiao Yan let out a sigh, seeing his father beckon him. As he walked forward,
his glance fell upon the two figures next to Xiao Zhan and his eyebrows
furrowed at the sight.
“Dilly-dallying, just like a woman……” Xiao Yu taunted the frowning Xiao Yan.
She had been made to wait all day for the ‘princess,’ for this she was slightly
angered.
“Are you really in such a rush to your funeral?” Xiao Yan rebutted in a matter-
of-fact manner; Xiao Yu to ground her teeth in anger, almost chipping a
tooth.
“Pffffttt.” Within the crowd, a young maiden’s mocking laughter rang out like
a silver bell.
Tilting his head, Xiao Yan looked to see Xun Er standing in the middle of the
crowd. Shrugging his shoulders at her, he smiled back, “Are you going to the
Auction House too?”
“Staying within the clan grounds is really boring. I might as well go look
around any time I can…” Xun Er squeezed her way through the crowd to
stand at Xiao Yan’s side; her beautiful laughter echoing behind her as she
walked.
“What’s there for you anyways, except for, well… really at best only a few
Foundation Elixirs? Nothing that would be of any use to you will be there.”
Xiao Yan asked with a pleasant smile on his face.
“Hmph, YOU still dare to talkback? If it weren’t for those Foundation Elixirs,
you’d be no where near my level?” retorted Xiao Ning bitterly, his feet still
slightly unsteady since he had had only recently fully recovered. He had just
healed from the fight he had with Xiao Yan 2 months ago, but now, as he
looked at the two people being ridiculed standing so close to each other, his
cheeks reddened with jealousy. It was as if he forgotten the lesson Xiao Yan
taught him, after all that pain.
“You still itching for a fight?” Lifting his head to look at him, Xiao Yan’s
expression was dangerously unclear, no one could tell if he was smiling or
not.
“You…”Xiao Ning’s wrath grew along with the clenching of his fists, but
slowly, his fists relaxed and returned to their original state. With a sneer, he
followed with: “Don’t be so proud of yourself, although you managed to injure
me that time, I still have to thank you for the experience. If it weren’t for this
period of healing, I would not have even been able to get close to the 9 Duan
Dou Qi. Within 7 days at most, I’ll be able to breakthrough to 9 Duan! After
that, we’ll see who’ll be wanting to fight again and who will be the winner!”
Hearing Xiao Ning, some of the surrounding older clansmen couldn’t help but
look astonished at his claim. Even the first elder nearby couldn’t hide the
pleasant look of pride from his face. Really, this grandson of his never ceased
to amaze him.
Xiao Zhan’s eyebrows wrinkled with some annoyance as he looked at the first
elder. When he was about to wave his hand to signal for everyone to prepare
to leave, he stopped as he saw Xiao Yan’s smiling expression towards Xiao
Ning and was momentarily stunned with the words he was about to say died
in his mouth.
Facing Xiao Ning, whose face still had that arrogant sneer, Xiao Yan yawned
after a moment of silence. Then he shrugged his head and spoke with a
neutral tone, “Well…this is quite embarrassing. Just a few days ago, I
accidentally…entered the 9 Duan Qi. I’m afraid that it seems like you’re still a
step behind.”
“Eh…”
Right after hearing Xiao Yan, all of the surrounding clansmen went silent.
Looks of shock and astonishment appeared on everyone’s faces as they
watched the impassive face of Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan had said he broke
through…by accident?
Not knowing if they should either laugh or cry, everyone all had a similar
thought. This kid had deliberately hit Xiao Ning where it hurt most, poor, poor
Xiao Ning…
Xiao Ning’s arrogant smirk went rigid as he heard Xiao Yan. His mouth began
to twitch slowly, and his throat was trembling. With an unwavering stare at
Xiao Yan that lasted for some time, Xiao Ning finally backed down with a
dejected look. He had thought that he could gain some face with his expected
breakthrough but who would have thought that he was met with an even
more shocking statement.
Jade-like hands supported a rather downtrodden Xiao Ning as Xiao Yu glared
furiously at Xiao Yan, as if trying to burn holes into him. Surprisingly, she did
not say anything to mock him, only thinking to herself: “How exactly does this
little bastard train? It was only two months…… how could he have achieved
9th Duan?”
Even though there was bad blood between them, Xiao Yu was still mind-
blown at Xiao Yan’s rapid progress.
“Haha ……” A peal of laughter thundered from Xiao Zhan, his previous
annoyance fading away as he saw the surprised faces of his clansmen.
Casting a glance towards the First Elder, he smiled and said: “Let’s get going,
the auction is about to start, any more delays and we’ll miss our chance.”
Watching the elders walk out the main door, Xiao Zhan could not help but
turn around and happily ruffle his son’s hair. He praised Xiao Yan in a happy
tone: “Not bad, you have done your father proud yet again. That old fogey,
the first elder, kept going on and on about how much talent his grandson
until I almost felt like killing myself in irritation; he obviously wants the clan to
invest in a bottle of Foundation Elixir for his grandson. Beating around the
bush like that, what a super annoying old cheap-skate.”
With his hair ruffled into a mess, Xiao Yan forced a smile. He innocently
spread his hands while taking a step out of the main door as he grudgingly
replied: “Originally, I didn’t want to reveal it but he just had to force my
hand……”
At a distance from the door, hearing Xiao Yan’s words, Xiao Ning’s mouth
twitched as his heart became heavy with gloominess and depression.
Chapter 56: Jia Nan Academy
For the Primer Auction House, today was definitely the busiest day in the past
half a year. Inside the expansive and spacious reception lounge, many people
were chattering away and moving about which made Xiao Yan’s group head
hurt with all of the noise. It was as if a large buzzing insect was flying around
in their ears and wouldn’t leave.
Looking at the crowd so densely packed together that even an ant couldn’t
get through, Xiao Zhan shook his head helplessly. It would be for the best for
the auction house security guards to help escort his group through the VIP
entrance. That would be the best way to get in.
Inside the Auction House, although the number of people was definitely not
too few, compared to the lounge outside, it was relatively peaceful. Xiao Zhan
looked around the bustling floor as he walked along casually with Xiao Yan
and some other clan members to find their seats.
Sitting on one of the edge seats, Xiao Yan looked around the hall with a bored
expression while leaning back in his chair without a care in the world,
“Elder Sister, in another half a year, the enrollment period of Jia Nan
Academy will start right?” Xiao Yan was leisurely sitting and almost fell asleep
when his ears picked up the question Xiao Ning had asked. The mentioning of
that special name caused his eyebrows to raise slightly in interest.
Jia Nan Academy, a famous Dou Qi Academy in the Dou Qi Mainland, was
armed with a strength that wildly exceeds the common man’s imagination. It
is said that one has to be about Da Dou Shi level to become a teacher in Jia
Nan Academy. And, even the famous Misty Cloud Faction cannot match up to
the might of Jia Nan Academy.
In the Dou Qi Mainland, Academies are somewhat different from clans. If one
joins a clan, he would not only be restricted by the clan but would also have
to watch his every action as it would reflect back on the clan. An academy
was different since all ties would be cut off after graduation!
Even though that is said, humans are not unfeeling animals. In an ivory tower
like the academy, students become easily attached to the academy. After
graduating, these faint feelings will become the reason why graduates are
willing to support the academy to the best of their abilities.
One person’s help might not make much of a difference but if there were
thousands or tens of thousands of people helping, that would be quite a scary
force….. and this, was the aim of every academy.
Enrolling into an academy was also the best shortcut in obtaining Dou
Techniques and Qi Methods. At an academy on the level of Jia Nan, if one’s
performance was stellar, he might catch the eye of a teacher, which would
open up doors to high level Qi Methods and Dou Techniques. With these two
in hand, the distance to becoming a strong Dou Zhe would be shortened by
quite a bit.
Qi Methods, Dou Techniques and Alchemy Pills are the three most sought
after commodities in the Dou Qi Mainland. Jia Nan Academy dominates in two
of these fields, thus people all over the mainland believe that if one were able
to enter Jia Nan Academy, one would never again need to worry about their
future. Everyone who graduates from Jia Nan Academy is a highly sought
after talent with bright prospects.
Therefore, every year, countless youths from all over Jia Ma Country try all
sorts of ideas in hopes of somehow getting into Jia Nan Academy.
Thus, Jia Nan Academy is definitely a great place, however it’s enrolment
criterias are extremely strict: To reach the 9th Duan Dou Qi before the age of
18!
These requirements bar many of the less talented people and thus only the
truly gifted are left to enter Jia Nan Academy.
Having heard Xiao Ning’s inquiry, Xiao Yu gave a slight nod. With a quick
glance at Xiao Yan, she proudly replied: “Fret not, you have already fulfilled
the criteria. Furthermore the one in charge of recruitment in Wu Tan City is
my teacher, who is a 5 star Da Dou Shi. Together with the fact that I am here
to put in a word for you, there is definitely no problem for you at all.”
“Haha, that’s great.” Having heard her reply, Xiao Ning’s face lit up like
fireworks and nodded his head in excitement.
Hearing their conversation, Xiao Yan’s mouth slightly twitched. If it was
before, he could only enter Jia Nan Academy in hopes of obtaining higher tier
Dou Techinques and Qi Methods. But now, since he had Yao Lao, whose
origins remained a mystery, as a teacher, Jia Nan Academy no longer
interested him.
“Does Xiao Yan ge-ge not plan to take the entrance test for Jia Nan Academy
in half a year?” Xun Er softly asked, having picked up Xiao Yan’s lack of
interest.
At Xun Er’s question, Xiao Yu raised her brow and cast a gaze towards the
two, she had already made up her mind that if the little bastard was going to
try to go to Jia Nan Academy, she would tell her teacher to make him suffer a
bit.
Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and lazily replied: “Not interested. What could I
possibly learn with a bunch of wimpy kids? If I wanted Dou Techniques,
jumping off cliffs in search for hidden treasures would be more exhilarating.”
“Humph, what a boastful tone. Do you really think an Academy would beg for
you to join? Don’t be so arrogant just because you’re blessed with a bit of
talent; there are many in Jia Nan Academy who could easily match you. In
fact, not entering would be better for you, given your hateful character, all
you would find there is a world of beatings.” At Xiao Yan’s belittlement of the
academy she was intensely proud of, Xiao Yu interjected icily as her
expression turned frosty.
Xiao Yan turned his sight to sweep over the indignant Xiao Yu, the sides of his
mouth slanted downwards, yet he could not be bothered with her. His
promise with Nalan Yanran would need to be fulfilled in less than two years.
The only goal he had now was to surpass that woman.
There was not much time left but the difference between them was still too
vast. Xiao Yan did not believe that there was anyone in Jia Nan Academy who
would be able to help him surpass Nalan Yanran in the two years left.
Since they could not help him, why would he bother to enroll into that lousy
academy? Unless they could instruct him in the Alchemy Arts like Yao Lao?
But even if they could, could they match up to Yao Lao’s skills?
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan decided not to debate with her about academies
anymore. Taking a look around, he found that two other large clan’s members
had also entered the auction.
After yet another crowd had passed by, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a cold gaze.
Briefly turning, he realised the owner of the gaze was the one he had clashed
with in the marketplace: Jia Lie Ao.
Currently, the young master of the Jia Lie Clan was staring at him with
malicious intent while occasionally sneaking lustful glances at the exquisite
figure of Xun Er beside him. This caused Xiao Yan to stare back, eliciting an
evil smile from the young master.
Coolly staring at Jia Lie Ao whose mouth kept opening and closing, Xiao Yan
was barely able to decipher his intentions: “Little useless trash from the Yan
Clan, you have finally completed your Coming of Age ritual right? Better not
let the young master see you in Wu Tan City or else….. heh heh!”
Slightly squinting at Jia Lie Ao who had burst out into laughter, Xiao Yan
faintly smiled as a viscous light flashed in his eyes.
Chapter 57: Advertisment

Releasing his chilly gaze, Xiao Yan did not act but rather curled all ten fingers
while a strange push-and-pull force began to gather in his palm; it was if his
hands were alive and breathing.
After refining “Vacuum Hand” and “Fire Palm” for more than a year, Xiao Yan,
though unable to say his skills had reached perfection, could confidently say
that he was able to switch between the two skills much more smoothly. If
Xiao Yao sparred with someone, it was assured that he could quickly release
the two Dou Techniques together and harm the other party.
Beside him, Xun Er gave a quick glance towards Jia Lie Ao, a small smile
creeped onto her lips: “Xiao Yan ge-ge, that guy seems to be a lot stronger
than before……”
Xiao Yan inclined his head in agreement, coolly replying: “Last time at the
auction, his father managed to win a Wind-Attribute High Xuan Level Qi
Method. It’s been a year and that certainly has been enough time for Jia Lie,
who is of the wind attribute, to change his old Dou Qi into the new Method’s
Dou Qi and thus making him stronger than before.
“Hehe, no wonder he’s become so arrogant. Does he really think that a High
Level Xuan Technique is something so rare?” Xun Er was all smiles as she
remarked. Within her crystal-clear eyes a light golden blaze danced wildly.
Xiao Yan smiled as he shook his head and with a hint of playfulness he
replied: “To a wealthy young girl like you who can pull Qi Methods of High
Level Xuan quality out of thin air, of course something like that isn’t rare.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s teasing words, Xun Er wrinkled her lily-white nose. Rolling
her eyes, she replied with some bitterness: “Even though it’s rare, didn’t Xiao
Yan ge-ge still reject it?”
Having heard what she said, Xiao Yan smiled in embarrassment. Pointing his
chin towards the stage, he said: “The auction is about to start ……”
Seeing Xiao Yan feign ignorance, Xun Er could only shake her head grudgingly
as she cast her gaze towards the auction stage which suddenly lit up.
Under the attention of countless eyes, Ya Fei, dressed in a red dress, stepped
up onto the stage. The red dress tightly wrapped around her body, causing
the audience’s gazes to blaze with passion.
Ya Fei, wearing a lovely expression, veiling her ever so slightly sensual lips
behind a hand, faced the audience below and let out her lovable laugh as she
said a few words to the crowd. With her charm, she easily drove the auction
into a frenzy of desire.
Feeling the growing excitement in the air, even Xiao Yan could not help but
smack his lips together. Ya Fei was indeed worthy of the title of Primer
Auction House’s Chief Auctioneer; with just a few words, she had turned
weaker willed men into beasts and filled their heads with passion. At this
point, if Ya Fei were to try and auction off a pebble, many people would value
the pebble as a priceless treasure to be bought.
Looking at the intense atmosphere in the hall, Ya Fei was slightly pleased with
herself. Her years of training had enlightened her on how strongly her beauty
effected men. Her red lips formed an inviting smile as her gaze shifted around
the room taking in everything around her. When her eyes swept over a young
man sitting behind Xiao Zhan, she could not help but be faintly surprised.
Though the youngster’s gaze was on the platform, those ink-black eyes which
danced around let Ya Fei know that this young man was not swayed by her
alluring performance which caused her black eyebrows to lift slightly in
astonishment.
Moving her gaze away from Xiao Yan, Ya Fei’s red lips slightly parted as a soft
laugh escaped. Clapping her hands, she smiled and said: “Ya Fei knows what
has brought everyone here today, thus the usual appetisers will be left out.
Instead, we will start right away with the main event.”
As she ended her speech, Ya Fei lightly waved her hands, dimming the lights
on the stage. Bowing to the crowd, she took out a jade plate and at the
middle of the plate laid a tiny White Jade Bottle.
At the appearance of the tiny White Jade Bottle, the audience’s gaze heated
up with longing. One by one, they rubbed their hands together in anticipation
of obtaining the bottle for themselves.
“Does anyone remember the Foundation Elixir from our last auction? The
ones we are offering now are made by the same alchemist. Our Auction
House’s grandmaster Gu Ni has assured us that the effectiveness and quality
are also the same, so everyone need not worry about that.” Ya Fei said as she
gently smiled. Suddenly turning towards Xiao Yan, with a charming and lovely
smile, she added: “Previously, the Foundation Elixir was bought by the Xiao
Clan Leader, Xiao Zhan and after this purchase, Young Master Xiao Yan
managed to jump from the 3rd to the 8th Duan Dou Qi in one year, whether
this was due to the Foundation Elixir….. Haha, Ya Fei can only guess.”
Towards the end, within Ya Fei’s beautiful eyes, a flash of craftiness could be
seen.
Hearing Ya Fei’s words, all eyes shifted to the front row until they laid upon
the slightly overwhelmed figure of Xiao Yan. Gasps of surprise could be heard
all around and although word of Xiao Yan’s monstrous training speed had
long ago spread throughout Wu Tang City, many had not been able to
personally see it. Thus having the chance to see Xiao Yan in person, many
could not help but sigh in amazement. At the same time, it strengthened
everyone’s conviction to obtain the Foundation Elixir for themselves.
Not far away, seeing Xiao Yan in the spotlight, the corners of Jia Lie Ao curled
into a sneer as his face became filled with disdain.
Under the crowd’s attention, Xiao Yan twisted uncomfortably in his seat; in his
heart he could not decide whether to cry or laugh. This woman was brilliant,
she actually used Xiao Yan himself as a free advertisement. With Xiao Yan
here as a living specimen, the price of the Foundation Elixir would rise by at
least 20% to 30%.
“Sigh, this woman….. it’d be a waste if she weren’t a merchant.”
Sighing yet again, although Xiao Yan was disturbed by the surrounding gazes,
he remembered that the items on auction were actually his and thus he could
only shake his head in frustration and give a death stare to the smiling Ya Fei
on stage.
Ya Fei fearlessly ignored Xiao Yan’s stare and instead brazenly replied with a
mature, lovely and alluring smile, causing a few men behind Xiao Yan to
swallow a mouth of saliva.
“For the first bottle of Foundation Elixir, the auction price starts at 15 000!”
On stage, Ya Fei was all smiles as she asked for such a huge amount; she had
pushed the price of the Foundation Elixir to twice the original value.
“What viciousness……” Below the stage, having heard the price, Xiao Yan’s
mouth split open in amazement as he inwardly shook his head. As expected,
women were the most vicious beings there were.
Chapter 58: A High Price
Even though everyone in the hall quieted down after Ya Fei announced the
starting price, soon, a young man who had been distracted by Ya Fei hurriedly
yelled: “16,000!”
Immediately after calling out his price, the slightly pale faced young man tried
to act gracefully by faking a bow towards Ya Fei. However, he missed the fact
that his eyes were giving conspicuous lust-filled looks at her well formed
chest.
Internally sneering at the young man, whose thoughts were obviously fixed
on her body, Ya Fei continued to keep her smiling expression and asked the
rest of the crowd, “Do we have any other offers?Are there any other takers?”
“17,000!”
“19,000!”
The crowd under the stage erupted with people calling out their prices after
that initial offer. The first buyer looked embarrassed after his initial price had
been beaten by two or three other people and promptly sat down.
Hearing the nonstop stream of prices, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel shocked
and could only let out a gasp in his surprise. The buyers wanted the
Foundation Elixir to a degree that was far greater than he had anticipated. It
would appear that letting the Primer’s Auction House spread word of the
Foundation Elixir had been a wise decision after all.
The three major clans held an spectator stance in regards of this Foundation
Elixirs and thus weaker parties seized the opportunity and began to scramble
to name whatever they would pay. They all wanted to snatch a Foundation
Elixirs because, after all, something, such as a Foundation Elixir, that could
increase one’s Dou Qi was rare even within the whole of the Jia Ma Empire.
After half an hour of prices being called , the first Foundation Elixir was sold
after the bids began to stall at around 47,000.
Looking at the happy look on the fat buyer’s face, Xiao Yan was truly
speechless. He didn’t think that anyone would want a Foundation Elixir more
crazily than his father had… It costed around 1000 gold coins to make just
one Foundation Elixir, but here one just sold for ten times that amount. At
such large profit margins, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but salivate.
Xiao Yan took a moment to ponder, scratching his chin and blinking: if he had
never met Yao Lao, would he ever have had the luxury of being able to use
the Foundation Elixir every day?
Seeing that the first Foundation Elixir had been sold for such a large price, Ya
Fei could only let out a sigh of relief and think to herself, “With such a price,
will the mysterious alchemist be satisfied? It would be great if the mysterious
alchemist had even a slightly better impression of the Primer Auction House!”
Ya Fei turned back to look at all the people who filled the auction house, after
shaking her head out of her thoughts. With a laugh, she stared at the white
jade bottles in her hands, “The last 6 Foundation Elixirs will be divided and
sold as 3 groups of 2. Each group will have a starting price of 30,000 gold!”
Eyeing each of the two bottles of Foundation Elixir, the people all became
strangely quiet. They looked at the 3 major clans standing a distance away
for only a moment. But that short moment was all they needed to know that
the 3 clans were about to make their move.
“31,000.” The Jia Lie clan leader Jia Lie Bi was silent for a second after the
price was announced, and then slowly called out his bid.
“Hehe, Jia Lie Bi, did the Qi Method you buy last time empty your clan
treasury? How is it that you’re so stingy now? Can you even spare 1,000 gold
now?” Ao Ba Pa suddenly jeered after hearing Jia Lie Bi’s price.
His face twitching slightly, Jia Lei Bi glared at Ao Ba Pa with a single eye.
Instead of firing back an insult, he turned his cold gaze back to the white jade
bottles onstage.
“35,000.” Yelled out Ao Ba Pa. He mockingly looked at Jia Lei Bi as he gave
his bid.
“38,000.” Jia Lei Bi followed suit.
“45,000.” Ao Ba Pa continued to provoke the other clan leader.
“50,000.” By the time this price was called, Jia Lie Bi’s hand had started to
tremble. Although it was hard for him to admit it, as Ao Ba Pa had said
before, the Jia Lie Clan had used several years of savings to buy the High
Level Xuan Qi Method. Thus recently, Jia Lie Clan’s income had already
shrunk by more than 20% to 30%.
“55,000.”
“56,000…”
The rest of the audience members could only sigh regretfully at the sight of
the two, even if they had enough funds, they still lacked the might to
challenge the three great clans. After all, each of the three great clans of Wu
Tang City had at least three strong Da Dou Shi level practitioners!
Though economic power was an important pillar that supported a clan, if
there was no military might to protect this economic power, with the riches of
the world, they would still not be powerful.
Therefore, the rest of the audience tactfully avoided entering the auction
battle between these two clans, while occasionally glancing towards the Xiao
Clan, who were still sitting on the fence.
When the Foundation Elixir price raised to 73,000, an ashen-faced Jia Lie Bi
finally withdrew. With his clan’s current circumstances he could not afford to
continue squandering money.
At the sight of the ashen faced Jia Lie Bi, Ao Ba Pa joyfully pulled back his
body, a splendid smile lighting up his face.
While the two were battling, Ya Fei observed from the stage while
maintaining her alluring smile. Her gaze was similar to that of a wolf eyeing a
fat sheep. It was only when the final auction price had been settled that Ya
Fei reluctantly let the smaller hammer in her hand smash downwards.
When Ya Fei once again pushed forward another set of two Foundation
Elixirs, the silent Xiao Zhan finally made his move. His indifferent tone
sounded out before anyone else, causing the already crestfallen Jia Lie Bi to
fall further into depression.
“70,500!” A voice filled with the determination to win flatly resounded
throughout the hall.
On the stage, even Ya Fei was taken aback by Xiao Zhan’s drive, taking a little
while to recover from her daze, she finally smiled and asked: “Is there anyone
else?”
Sitting on his chair, Jia Lie Bi fiercely glared at the smiling Xiao Zhan, cursing
in fury to himself: “Bastard, if it was not for him, how would my Jia Lie Clan
have fallen to this embarrassing state?”
Flames of rage flickered within his eyes as Jia Lie Bi grinded his teeth and he
abruptly shouted with a voice full of bitterness: “85,000!”
“95 000!” Not even bothering to glance at Jia Lie Bi, Xiao Zhan waved his
hand, giving the impression that he would be more than able to keep up with
any amount Jia Lie Bi could bid.
Seeing that Xiao Zhan was determined to win at all costs, the corners of Jia
Lie Bi’s mouth twitched, yet one could see that deep within his eyes, he was
happily sneering. It was though he had a bit of hesitation as he clenched his
jaw: “100,000!”
Hearing Jia Lie Bi’s bid, the entire hall erupted, using 100,000 gold coins to
buy two bottle of Foundation Elixir is insane. It was clearly a big loss.
Carefully scrutinizing Jia Lie Bi who looked like he was ready to fight to the
death, Xiao Yan lightly smiled. Shaking his head, he spoke to Xun Er in a low
voice: “I bet that if father bids once again, that guy would wash his hands
clean of this money loser transaction.”
Xun Er blinked her long eyelashes, she had not payed close attention to the
struggle between the two and somewhat startled, she said: “But he looks like
he wants it a lot.”
“Hehe” Xiao Yan smiled, he did not need to say another word.
Xiao Zhan sat silently in the front row after having heard Jie Lie Bi’s latest bid.
Abruptly standing up, he gave Jia Lie Bi a funny look. At the next instant, the
suddenly grinning, Xiao Zhan’s next words stupefied Jia Lie Bi: “You win… ”
TL: Great dad
Chapter 59: End of the Auction
As the words left Xiao Zhan’s mouth, the whole hall fell silent. A while later,
one by one, everyone’s gazes turned towards the ashen faced Jia Lie Bi,
gleeful at the calamity that had befallen him.
“Haha, 100,000 gold coins for two bottles of Foundation Elixir… this guy is
truly extravagant.” Watching as Jia Lie Bi’s face cramped up, Xiao Yan bowed
his head in an effort to hide a cheeky smile and muttered.
Seeing the gloating Xiao Yan, Xun Er smiled and, softly laughing, she said:
“Normally, a second rank pill would have a market value of at most 30,000
gold. The Foundation Elixir is a wonder drug that is able to increase the speed
of Dou Zi Qi training and is relatively rare, thus it’s price should be much
higher than a second rank pill. However… using 100,000 gold to buy it, this
Jie Lie Bi is seriously “extravagant”.”
Xiao Yan laughed as he nodded in agreement. He licked his lips in yearning
before he smiled and said: “If a bottle of second grade Foundation Elixir could
be sold for tens of thousands of gold, doesn’t this mean that those great
alchemists would be able to swim in gold?”
“Alchemy is the continent’s most wealthy profession, this is a fact, every
Alchemist owns a generous amount of property.” Xun Er was all smiles as she
nodded her head. Shifting her gaze towards the Foundation Elixirs on stage,
she continued: “As an Alchemist’s rank rises, they don’t auction off their
products often. Instead they would rather choose to engage in bartering, as
money no longer has value to them…”
“Bartering?” Xiao Yan’s eyebrows perked up and realized that he gained a
little insight as to why Yao Lao had such an abundant secret treasure stash.
“Yeah, they use things like Dou Techniques, Qi Methods, rare alchemy
ingredients or high level Monster Cores to trade for such pills.” The corners of
her rosy lips tilted upwards, forming a smile as Xun Er continued her lecture,
“As a result, it is often said that the Alchemist is the most envied profession in
the continent. All people dream to become an alchemist but those dreams are
often shattered by the harsh and unreachable requirements.”
Eyeing the somewhat regretful Xun Er, Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, grateful for
the mutation in his soul.
Deciding not to further the conversation, Xiao Yan turned his sight towards
the ashen faced Jia Lie Bi.
Similarly, Jia Lie Bi was shocked into a daze by Xiao Zhan’s words, he stared
stupidly at Xiao Zhan who had so easily given up on the bidding war as the
corners of his eye’s twitched in disbelief. It felt like half a day had passed
before it finally dawned upon him. Jia Lie Bi hoarsely croaked: “Bastard, you
tricked me again! It was all an act!”
“Hehe, weren’t you trying to do the same, except that recently your mind was
a tad distracted and your acting, it’s…… too fake.” Xiao Zhan smugly laughed,
his tone full of mockery.
“Good, good, very good, extremely good, the best, Xiao Zhan, I, Jia Lie Bi will
remember those words!” Jia Lie Bi continued to gasp out a few breathes in
fury, his gaze cold and venomous.
Xiao Zhan ignored his threat, with a final sneer he turned to face Ya Fei and
said: “Mistress Ya Fei, let us start the last auction.”
Nodding her head, Ya Fei smiled as she maintained her impartial expression.
Yet inside, she was giddy with laughter at this turn of events. This auction
had exceeded her wildest expectations and the better the profits, the more
the mysterious alchemist would favor the auction house.
Gracing the ashen faced Jia Lie Bi with a consoling smile, Ya Fei once again
bent to retrieve the last two bottles of Foundation Elixir. Complementing her
rosy lips with a dazzling smile, she announced: “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is
the last batch of elixirs, likewise, the starting bid is 30 000.”
At the sight of the final batch of elixirs, the few elders in Xiao Zhan’s vicinity
trembled and hurriedly gazed at Xiao Zhan with obvious intentions.
Calmly sitting in his chair, Xiao Zhan took no notice of the elders signals.
Instead his gaze looped around the auction house, coming around full circle
before he finally announced in an icy tone: “50 000.”
Having heard Xiao Zhan’s bid, Jia Lie Bi’s face tightened as his mouth
instinctively started to open, yet at the thought of his current financial crisis,
he could only shut it regretfully.
In another corner Ao Ba Pa kept eying the stoic Xiao Zhan. Furrowing his
brow and thrumming his fingers against the back of his hand, Ao Ba Pa’s eyes
faintly flickering in movement of revelation. In a moment, he faintly smiled
and said “55,000”
The three great clans of Wu Tang City had a strange relationship, each
wanted to consume the other two’s businesses, yet each feared to act out
against the other clan, for the neutral clan would gain from them doing so.
Yet even if two of them joined hands, they could not avoid suspecting their
‘partner’. Thus unless they were assured of completely wiping out one party,
all three sides could only continue in this complicated and brittle stalemate
that had formed between them.
Each of the three great clans had their own set of grudges; each could not
stand the sight of another. Even though before, Ao Ba Pa had mocked and
ridiculed Jia Lie Bi and now that Xiao Zhan was bidding, Ao Ba Pa was more
than willing to compete with Xiao Zhan so that Xiao Clan would lose a bit
more money.
Ao Ba Pa’s bid didn’t make Xiao Zhan face change expression. With a casual
glance, Xiao Zhan called out, “65,000.”
65,000 was a bit too much for the regular market price for a Foundation Elixir
but Xiao Zhan was also knew in deep down that in this 3 way struggle
between the clans, it would be impossible to buy a Foundation Elixir for a low
or even fair price.
“Hehe, the Xiao Clan Leader sure is extravagant but I’m afraid of being be
tricked by you. I already have Foundation Elixir, so I’ll give this one to you.”
After Xiao Zhan’s bid, Ao Bo Pa had started to hesitate. It would seem that
after the Jia Lei Bi’s huge loss, he had become even more cautious.
Xiao Zhan gazed at Ao Ba Pa and relaxed in his chair while giving out a laugh.
The smile, or whatever Ao Ba Pa had plastered on his face was obviously not
what the man was feeling. Regardless, Xiao Zhan still let out a grumble
afterward: “Dammit, I had to pay an extra 10,000. This bastard is nothing
good.”
Hearing those words, Xiao Yan thought that it was comical. In this kind of
battle, were there any good men? If the other party did not fear of ending up
in a predicament like Jia Lie Bi, he would have definitely continued to raise
the bid even more before finally letting the matter drop.
Tapping his fingers, Xiao Yan directed his gaze upon the stage at Ya Fei, who
had just brought down the small hammer, signalling the end of the auction.
Inwardly, he let out a sigh of relief, this sum of money would be enough for a
period of time. Now, all that was left were the alchemy ingredients and for
Yao Lao to refine the Qi Gathering Powder…
“Soon, I’ll be a Dou Zhe…”
Xiao Yan licked his lips and let out a long sigh, the first obstacle in his training
journey was about to be overcome!
Chapter 60: Ingredients Obtained

Seeing that the auction was about to end, Xiao Yan found an excuse to sneak
away.
After carefully leaving the auction floor, Xiao Yan walked along a nearby
street for a little bit. He made his way towards a secluded corner and donned
the big, black cloak he had previously purchased. Wrapping himself up in the
bulky cloak inhibited his movements, so he could only slowly return to the
auction floor.
Ever since Ya Fei had identified him as a 4th tier alchemist, she had stationed
an informant on the auction floor to watch for any signs of the mysterious
man.. Consequently, as soon as Xiao Yan arrived, there was already a delicate
and pretty maiden that had been waiting who led him to the back and
carefully waited on him.
Silently sitting in his chair, Xiao Yan lifted the teacup on the table to his lips
and took a sip. He took a quick glimpse at the timid maiden next to him and
faintly nodded his head. The voice of an old man could be heard even though
Xiao Yan’s lips never moved: “How much longer until the auction ends?”
“Ah!” The sudden question made the maiden jump. Xiao Yan, enshrouded
behind a large black cloak, was given a concealed look by the girl. She then,
with a pale face, tightly clenched her small hands and nervously replied., “Sir,
the auction has already ended; Ya Fei is handling the transfer procedure.”
Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel puzzled when he saw the maiden; she looked
like a startled hare. He wasn’t that scary, was he? Reluctant to accept that
possibility, he shook his head and continued in silence.
Standing to the side with her head bowed, the girl looked at the once again
silent Xiao Yan and secretly let out a breath. She had been warned by Master
Gu Ni, when she had taken on this task, to never hesitate to satisfy any
request this mysterious person may have –even if that request was to do
something ‘extra’.
Having worked at the auction floor for a year, the young girl obviously
understood what these ‘extra tasks’ would require. This was why, everytime
Xiao Yan spoke, she would shiver from head to toe. She was afraid that this
mysterious man might request one of those… ‘extra tasks’.
The girl stood trembling for about 10 minutes, after which footsteps could be
heard outside the door. She was finally able to relax a little bit.
“Oh, sir, you arrived really early. Xue Li should’ve entertained you properly
right?” Ya Fei’s serpentine waist swayed and she released an alluring
demeanor as she slowly walked into the room. Her curvy figure could make
men with little self-control feel fiery impulses.
“Succubus…” His heart once again cried out. Xiao Yan withdrew backwards,
and lightly nodded.
Watching Xiao Yan nod, the maiden standing to the side once again released
a breath. She respectfully bowed and quickly left.
Seeing that Xiao Yan’s appearance had no trace of dissatisfaction, Ya Fei felt
relieved. She gave him a smile that contained heaven’s charm.
Her smile gave Xiao Yan an electrifying jolt. When interacting with this
enchantress, Xiao Yan didn’t dare let down his guard. Under the cloak, he
stroked the unadorned black ring, hurriedly handing over the responsibility of
speaking to Yao Lao.
“Has the auction ended?”
“Yes.” Ya Fei wore a smiling expression as she nodded her snow white chin.
Ya Fei waved her hand and a light blue jade card appeared in her hand. She
laughed, “Sir, these 7 foundation elixirs, all together auctioned off for 285,000
gold coins. After deducting taxes, the rest of the money is on this card.”
Xiao Yan reached forward and took the card. It rested comfortably in his hand
and was clearly expensive to make. He lightly caressed the jade card and
nodded.
Looking at the pair of young and fair palms, Ya Fei once again had a strange
feeling.
“This price is beyond my expectations. I am very satisfied…”
Yao Lao’s voice made Ya Fei feel pleased. She quickly discarded any strange
thoughts. Staring with her alluring eyes, she pursed her rosy lips and laughed,
“If you still want to auction medicine later, please come to the Primer Auction
House; we will definitely strive to get you the best price.”
Nodding his head, Xiao Yan put away the jade card. After a slight hesitation,
Yao Lao’s voiced inquired, “The ingredients I requested, did you find them?”
Her long and narrow eyebrows bent in a beautiful arc, Ya Fei lightly laughed.
The lovable tone made Xiao Yan feel somewhat pleasantly surprised.
“Yes, our auction house naturally fulfilled your request.”
Ya Fei clapped her hands, and Gu Ni personally stepped forward holding a
jade plate. Then he stopped by Xiao Yan’s side and bowed. He carefully
placed the jade plate onto the table and laughed, “Sir, the ingredients you
have requested are all here.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes lit up in happiness when he looked at the plate full of
ingredients beside him. This auction house’s power was nothing small. If he
were to try and buy these ingredients himself, he would have wasted a lot of
time and energy. But here, this auction house was able to gather everything
in a single day. This left Xiao Yan overjoyed at his unexpected fortune.
“Hmm, sorry for the trouble…” Seeing all the materials for Qi Refining Powder
gathered, even Yao Lao’s indifferent voice grew a little soft.
Having interacted with many people at the auction floor for many years, Ya
Fei was naturally able to distinguish Yao Lao’s softer tone. She was pleasantly
surprised. This transaction was the right decision!
“I don’t want to take advantage of you. The money for these ingredients;
subtract it from this card.”
Seeing that Xiao Yan was about to bring out the card again, Ya Fei
immediately laughed, “Sir, we obtained these ingredients internally. The price
is much cheaper compared to what you would find outside. Your two auctions
gained a lot of reputation for our auction house. How could we dare take
money for these things?”
“Fine, let’s do it your way. If I need more ingredients in the future, I will
exchange pills with you.” Nodding his head, the astute Yao Lao understood
that she wanted to create a good relationship. Not wanting to argue with her,
Xiao Yan carefully picked up the jade plate and stored its contents away.
“Okay, I have other business to attend to and will not stay any longer.”
Seeing that everything had been stored, Xiao Yan stood up. He shook his
hands and headed directly outside.
“Sir, Ya Fei will accompany you.” Ya Fei winked at Gu Ni. The two of them
stepped forward to lead the way.
Xiao Yan followed these two auction managers who graciously led the way
and walked out of the back room. He raised his head and slowed down.
As they were leaving the back room, a group of three people across the
auction floor also emerged. Sweeping his eyes over the three people, Xiao
Yan couldn’t help but nervously tug on his cloak. He realized that the person
in the middle was his father Xiao Zhan.
“Please don’t let him see me…” Prayed Xiao Yan.
Chapter 61: Disguise

While the three clans began to leave through the entrance of the auction
house, the respective clan leaders gave phony smiles and unpleasant laughs;
as they left each other’s sights, a trace of hostility and mockery appeared on
their faces.
The three clans swaggered across the hall as they left and whenever they
passed by, the people would quickly move aside.. In Wu Tang City, there
were virtually no other powers that could rival the three great clans.
Once again, Xiao Zhan half-heartedly said a few words to the nearby Ao Ba
Pa. Suddenly, Xiao Zhan’s movements stiffened and his footsteps halted.
Looking at Xiao Zhan’s movements, everyone shifted their gazes to his line of
sight, and their bodies could not help but tremble slightly. Even Jie Lie Bi and
Ao Ba Pa’s faces changed a bit.
At the hall’s other entrance, three figures slowly walked out. The person
leading them was unexpectedly Primer Auction House’s chief auctioneer Ya
Fei. As frequent customers of the auction, Xiao Zhan and others all knew this
woman’s true face. Although this woman usually puts on an appearance filled
with smiles, everyone knew that this woman was actually very arrogant.
Previously, Ao Ba Pa wanted to invite her to have a meal but was directly met
with an exceptionally “polite” refusal. From this incident, people understood
that this woman, unlike her outward appearance, was not easy to get close
to.
Today however, this haughty woman, contrary to her normal self, was
respectfully guiding guests. This really did make Xiao Zhan and the others
amazed.
Eyes blinking a little, Xiao Zhan and the others’ gaze shifted once more to the
rear and their faces continued to change.
At the back of the group of three, the Auction’s alchemist elder Gu Ni was
smiling and said a few words into the ears of a mysterious black-hooded
person. His smiling expression was all over his face, so much so that a trace
of flattery could be seen.
If Ya Fei’s deferential attitude had caused Xiao Zhan and the others to feel
amazed, then the attitude Gu Ni displayed made them feel stunned.
As Wu Tan City’s highest ranked alchemist, usually only the three clan heads
could meet him. When they did, they were respectful and did not dare to be
impolite in the slightest.
As a 2nd tier alchemist, Gu Ni maintained that pride of being an alchemist.
When he spoke, he spoke indifferently, making others revere him even more.
But this type of person, he unexpectedly showed such respect without even
trying to hide his flattering smiles. That … … that person he’s trying to win the
favor of.. Who could this person be?
The sight brought shock. Finally, their gazes slowly shifted onto the center’s
black-cloaked figure.
Sweeping over the shadowy figure’s plump stature, Xiao Zhan anxiously
thought in his mind, “Who is this person? Someone who can make Primer
Auction House’s most important people respectfully send him off? What would
a person of this level come to Wu Tan City for?”
Licking his somewhat dry lips, Xiao Zhan looked around from left to right and
actually found that Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa were also curious and shocked.
Raising his eyes expectantly at the three incoming people, Xiao Zhan’s face
squeezed out a small smile, walked forward two steps, and smiled: “Lady Ya
Fei, Gu Ni elder. Ha ha. It really is rare to see you two appear together.”
When Ya Fei and Gu Ni came out earlier, the two had already caught sight of
the clan leaders. Looking at Xiao Zhan coming out to speak, their movements
were still the same. But only after the black-cloaked person stopped did they
heave a sigh of relief.
“Ha ha. We’re sending off a precious guest, that’s all.” Ya Fei lightly laughed.
“Oh. Ha ha…” Jia Lie Bi also approached smiling. Shortly after, his gaze
shifted from Ya Fei to the black-hooded person and politely asked: “Ha ha. I
don’t know if this mister … … is also from Wu Tang City? Ha ha, you look
somewhat unfamiliar to me.”
“Cough … Jia Lie Clan Elder, this mister is Primer Auction House’s precious
guest … ….” Gu Ni elder’s eyebrows furrowed and coughed to warn Jia Lie Bi
to not ask questions carelessly .
Hearing Gu Ni elder’s warning tone, Jia Lie Bi’s complexion slightly changed
and whispered to himself: “Even Gu Ni elder acts this fearfully? What is this
person’s identity?”
Seeing how Jia Lie Bi was met with a tactful retort, Xiao Zhan swallowed what
he was about to say. Looking at Gu Ni’s cautious stance, this black-cloaked
person was obviously on a completely different level of existence from them.
At the moment, he had no choice but to laugh a bit and then tactfully
withdraw.
“You …. …. are Xiao Zhan of the Xiao Clan, right?” Just when Xiao Zhan was
about to withdraw, the silent black-cloaked person suddenly asked in a dull
tone.
Hearing this elderly voice, Xiao Zhan stared blankly a bit. Soon after, he
hesitated and then nodded.
“I heard that the young master of your clan relied on this Foundation Elixir to
leap to the 9th Duan Qi. Ha ha, this really causes me to be in awe.” The
black-cloaked person laughed dully.
Met with this sort of courteous treatment, Xiao Zhan felt delight in his heart
and smiled: “My son has good luck.”
Waving his hands in a carefree manner, the black-cloaked person smiled:
“Luck is also part of one’s power. In the future if there is ever an opportunity,
I would like to meet him. Maybe he can even become an alchemist.”
In a somewhat stunned manner, Xiao Zhan appeared as if he did not
understand what the elder was saying.
“Ok…. …. in the future if there is ever an opportunity, I will look for your Xiao
Clan to collaborate together.” Smiling, the black-cloaked person turned
around to face Ya Fei and Gu Ni: “There’s no need to send me off, I still have
some business to do. I will leave first.”
After speaking, Xiao Yan didn’t wait for their reactions and walked in big
strides out of the auction house.
Stroking his face in an ineffable way, Xiao Zhan turned his head and actually
saw Ya Fei and Gu Ni staring at him, faces filled with envy.
“Xiao Clan Leader, do you recognize that old mister?” Ya Fei asked.
“It was my first time seeing him.” Xiao Zhan forced a smile and shook his
head nervously towards Ya Fei and Gu Ni, who held strange expressions on
their faces.
“Sigh, the Xiao family has been blessed.”
Gu Ni gently shook his head. He shot a glance at the Foundation Elixirs, which
Jia Lie Bi held tightly to his chest as if they were precious treasures, and said
indifferently: “Those things were refined by him.”
Having heard what was said, the complexions of the three family heads
changed wildly.
After a short while, Xiao Zhan’s face lit up with delight; he hadn’t expected
that the black-cloaked elder would be an alchemist. Looking at Gu Ni’s
previous attitude, it was clear that the elder was a much higher ranked
alchemist than even Gu Ni!
If a second tier alchemist was able to make them courteous and modest, then
what about a third or even a fourth tier alchemist?
Heavens, his kind of clan did not have the qualifications to even meet this
type of senior.
“We’ve profited greatly this time….” Thinking back to when that black-hooded
person offered to collaborate in the future, Xiao Zhan’s two eyes immediately
lit up and he involuntarily mumbled to himself.
To the side, after their shock faded, Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa’s eyes flashed
with envy as if they were like rabbit’s eyes.
TL: Rabbit eyes are red = red eyes = envy
Chapter 62 – Slap

Leaving the auction house, Xiao Yan wandered the streets for some time.
When he saw that there weren’t too many people around him, he slipped into
a nearby alley. Taking off his black cloak, Xiao Yan grumbled: “Teacher, you
almost exposed me back there.”
“Hehe, what I just did; wasn’t that what your heart desires as well?” From the
unadorned, pitch-black ring resounded an amused Yao Lao’s laugh.
These words caused Xiao Yan to helplessly shake his head, but it was true
that he felt a bit apologetic towards his father. Twice he had auctioned some
products and thus twice he had extorted money from Xiao Zhan. He kicked
the cloak into the gutter, whispering: “I’ll make it up to him by finding an
opportunity to collaborate with the Xiao Clan in the future. That should net
him a bit of compensation.”
With prized ingredients in hand, Xiao Yan stuffed them inside his bosom. After
exiting the alley, he practically flew back to the Xiao Clan’s residence.
Since Xiao Zhan and company weren’t back yet, the place felt kind of empty.
The guards at the gate, seeing the Xiao Clan’s super-duper talented young
master, didn’t dare obstruct him. Seeing their behavior, the young master
flashed a smile and then dashed in.
With a vigorous dash, Xiao Yan arrived at his own room and took out the
ingredients out of his bosom. He treated the ingredients as one would
treasure. Cupping his hand, he scooped them out and placed them on the
table.
The first was a withered yellow plant with five ink-black leaves. That was the
Inkleaf Lotus; each leaf represented 10 years of age.
The Snake Venom Fruit was round and about as big as half a fist. If the dark-
green fruit was put beneath the nose, one would smell a sweet and sour
tanginess. The Snake Venom Fruit was quite rare, being found only near the
lairs of 5th Rank or above snake magical beasts! Due to the fruit’s association
with the snake, the fruit’s cold yin element was abundant and as a result, the
fruit was frequently used as a mediator for the effects of a medicine.
TL: Yin and Yang, Yin is the “dark” side.
Spirit Gathering Grass, despite mostly looking like normal grass, had a small,
yellow light at the tips. The stronger the light, the more pure the grass’
energy.
The Rank 2 Water Attribute Magic Core had a rich, azure-blue color. When put
on the table, it not only moisturized the surrounding air but also drenched the
table! Needless to say, the water property of the core was evident.
After his eyes swept across the ingredients once more, Xiao Yan used a low
voice to impatiently ask: “Teacher, all the ingredients are present. Can we
start refining?”
“Why are you so impatient, it’s not like the ingredients are going to sprout
feet and run away. We can’t be interrupted while refining, it’s still light out.
What if by some off-chance, somebody comes in and we’re interrupted?
Someone would learn about me and the ingredients would go to waste.”
Within the ring, Yao Lao rang out: “It’s better to refine at night.”
Hearing these words, Xiao Yan dejectedly shook his head and let out a sigh.
What else could he do other than hide the ingredients in a cupboard, lie on
his bed and wait for night to descend?
After lying for about half an hour, his door was abruptly kicked open with a
“bang!”
A pair of sexy, slender legs walked in. Turns out it was Xiao Yu. She scanned
the room and seeing that Xiao Yan was napping, she coldly injected: “Young
master, dinner isn’t going to eat itself. Do you expect to receive an invitation
or something?”
The process of Xiao Yan shifting from nap mode to full alert barely took a
moment. Sitting upright on the bed, he looked dazedly at Xiao Yu and after
quite a while, he broke into a cold sweat: “Damn it, damn it, good thing
teacher didn’t start the refining process a while ago; this b*tch…”
Thinking about the “what if” situation caused Xiao Yan’s heart tremble; one
could almost hear the “gulp” resounding from his throat. However, after
shifting his gaze to Xiao Yu, he started to feel rage boil from within.
The corners of his mouth twitched, and then Xiao Yan took a long breath,
finally calming down. As for the fear he felt a while ago, it was converted to
fury: “Idiot, do you know what manners are? Are you smart enough to enter
but too dumb to knock?! Where’s your upbringing?!”
This was the first time Xiao Yu saw an outwardly furious Xiao Yan and as a
result she could only look on like an idiot. His stream of verbal abuse caused
her charming face to ashen and at the same time she nipped her silver tooth.
Then the pair of sexy legs moved, in fact charged, directly towards Xiao Yan:
“Little bastard, I kicked your door down. So what? From now on I’ll be kicking
it down every day!”
With Xiao Yu charging at him, wanting to teach him a lesson, Xiao Yan was
ashen-faced as well. He lifted up his palm and clenched it: “Vacuum Palm!”
A strong suction force rushed towards Xiao Yan’s palm, causing the assaulter,
who attempted to stop just in front of the bed to instead land on top of it.
After attaining 9 Duan Dou Qi, Xiao Yan’s Vacuum Palm’s suction strength
increased by quite a bit. A few days ago, moving the body weight of a person
was simply unfathomable, but now it was quite possible.
Although Xiao Yan was a bit surprised by the increase in efficacy, the feeling
didn’t last long and quickly turned into indignation. With a flip of his body, he
managed to subdue that pair of sexy legs and shortly after, he ruthlessly
pressed his butt against her flat and smooth, jade-like underbelly and then
quickly leaned over to press down both of his hands to restrain her hands.
Finding herself once again in such an embarrassing posture with Xiao Yan
caused Xiao Yu to feel a bit dazed. After a moment, that attractive face
flushed red in a most alluring fashion and a violent struggle ensued. Xiao Yu
once again bit her silver tooth, cursing in a rage: “Little bastard, go away!”
Due to the struggle to lock her two palms in place, Xiao Yan’s also felt quite
tired. At the start of another bout, he suddenly gave way and pulled Xiao Yu’s
palm, causing her to flip over.
After the flip, Xiao Yu’s back was arched as her long legs stretched out over
the bed.
But Xiao Yan wasn’t in the mood to check them out. He gnashed his teeth,
raised up a hand, and without hesitation, slapped downwards
“Pa!”
The crisp sound fluttered inside the room and then into oblivion.
“Learned your lesson yet? Don’t enter my room without knocking first!”
Chapter 63: The Heavenly Flames Ranking
At the dining table, Xiao Yan shot a crooked glance at the ferocious eater
sitting in front of him. As Xiao Yu ate, her silver teeth made crunching sounds.
Curling his lips, Xiao Yan recalled the previous peculiar yet splendid feeling
and his right hand’s fingers couldn’t help but stroke the hollow of his palm.
Seated across from him, Xiao Yu, who had been staring maliciously at Xiao
Yan the entire time, saw his movements and her charming face turned red
again.
Looking weirdly at Xiao Yu grinding her teeth, and then seeing the nearby
Xiao Yan’s nonchalant attitude, Xun Er wrinkled her eyebrows in suspicion.
Soon after, she shook her head helplessly, and little by little swallowed the
food in front of her.
Xiao Yan’s gaze skipped over Xiao Yu and stopped on the body of Xiao Ning.
At this moment, Xiao Ning’s face was filled with joy; the curves on his mouth
almost extended halfway across his face. Fingers lightly tapping the edge of
the table, Xiao Yan, taking delight in other people’s misfortunes thought to
himself: “This guy should have already received the Foundation Elixir, right?
Little does he know, the elixir doesn’t have much of an effect to those at 8th
Duan Qi or above…”
Laughing quietly to himself, Xiao Yan’s line of sight swept over the
surroundings in a somewhat bored manner. Looking at his smiling father, his
heart was bewildered: “The family communal meal, isn’t it only held during
certain holidays? What’s there to be so festive for today? Could it be that
spending a large amount of money to buy the Foundation Elixir is an event
worthy of being celebrated?”
Letting his imagination run wild, Xiao Yan naturally didn’t know that this
family communal meal was because of the words said by the mysterious
black-cloaked person about collaborating with Xiao Clan if there was ever an
opportunity to.
Working together with a second tier or higher alchemist would earn them
profits that would make most people’s eyes red with envy. It was even
possible that the family could thereby leap up in rank, rising higher than the
other two great families. Thus, it was no surprise that the usual steady and
calm father would be so happy. And for those several other elders, they were
even more so, grinning from ear to ear. Looking at their half closed old eyes,
it was evident that this good fortune that had dropped out of the sky made
them somewhat dazed.
The festive mood at the communal meal slowly faded and upon seeing his
father’s wave of farewell, Xiao Yan promptly jumped out of his chair. He then
rushed out of the hall and went straight to his room.
Not long after Xiao Yan left, Xiao Yu clenched her teeth and chased after him
but could not find a single shadow. Helpless, she could only stamp her feet in
hatred and left with a heart filled with rage.
Returning to his room and having learned the hard way from his own personal
experience, Xiao Yan did not yet ask Lao Yao to immediately refine the
medicine. After closing the door and window, he lazily rolled onto his bed and
feeling muddle-headed, fell asleep.
Late at night, after everyone had fallen asleep, lying on the bed, Xiao Yan
opened his two eyes. He eagerly jumped off the bed and took out the hidden
away ingredients from the cupboard. Carefully placing them on the table, he
turned his head. Looking towards Yao Lao, the ghost that was floating a foot
off of the ground, Xiao Yan gently asked: “Teacher, you’re ready now, right?”
“At long last you’ve learned how to be a bit careful; refining pills requires an
extremely quiet environment. If I am disturbed, the consequences are very
severe. Right now, I won’t feel any retaliation damage, but later when you
begin learning alchemy, if you continue to be careless, then I’m afraid you will
lose your little life a bit sooner rather than later.” Yao Lao walked to one side
of the table and gently touched each ingredient with his ghostly palm.
Nodding his head slightly, his dull tone of voice carried a little bit of severity.
Lowering his head in shame, Xiao Yan scratched his head as he received the
instructions.
Only after seeing Xiao Yan’s obedience, did Yao Lao heave a sigh of relief. He
drearily spread out his palms and a white flame burst forth.
With his soul perception continuously controlling the fire’s temperature, Yao
Lao took advantage of the idle time and cast a glance at Xiao Yan who was
staring curiously at the fire in Yao Lao’s palm. Slightly hesitating, Yao Lao
quietly whispered: “The ranks of most alchemists can be distinguished from
the color of their flame.”
“Ordinary alchemists have flames with a faint yellow color. As their rank
increases, the flame color turns darker and the strength of the flame grows
stronger.”
Having heard what was said, Xiao Yan blinked, pointed at the flame in Yao
Lao’s hands and asked: “Then teacher, why is yours white?”
“Haha, what I previously said was for the commonly-seen alchemist flames.
However within the alchemist circle, besides relying on Dou Qi as a catalyst
for the flame, there is also another method….” Yao Lao smiled with a hint of
pride.
“That is, borrowing the flame!”
“Borrowing the flame?” They weren’t unfamiliar words. He understood what
each word meant, but Xiao Yan was at a loss. How can one borrow the flame
needed to refine pills?
“That’s right, borrowing the flame.” Nodding his head, Yao Lao chuckled:
“Within this boundless world, there exists some heaven and earth Heavenly
Flames. Perhaps the flame came from within a meteor that fell from the
heavens or perhaps the flame came from the depths of a volcano, forged
through hundreds of thousands of years by the lava… the power of these
Heavenly Flames is many times greater than the power of flames created
through Dou Qi. Refining pills with these flames can even increase the
effectiveness of the medicine. Only, these heaven and earth Heavenly Flames
are exceedingly violent and are seldom to come by. And even if you see one,
it is extremely difficult to control.”
“A lot of alchemists spend their entire lives searching for these Heavenly
Flames and still fail to obtain one. After all, in order to control a Heavenly
Flame, you need to bring the flame into your body; however, the nature of
the flame is wildly destructive. Even the Magic Gold Diamond which is one of
the hardest metals, is unable to contain the Heavenly Flame’s heat and your
fragile human body …. You would burn yourself alive. Therefore, only the
extremely few lucky winners can, by chance, refine a small amount of
Heavenly Flame. Once the flame join together with the body, these types of
people, without an exception are people of outstanding talent within the
alchemist world.”
Stunned for a long while, Xiao Yan licked his lips, his gaze was closely
watching the white flame in Yao Lao’s palm and could faintly feel an ice-cold
sensation.
“Teacher’s flame must be a type of Heavenly Flame, right?” Xiao Yan inquired.
“He he.” Lifting up his flame, Yao Lao’s face gave off a light glow. Eyes
blazing, he spoke: “In the Dou Qi Mainland’s alchemist society, the known
Heavenly Flames are ranked in the “Heavenly Flames Ranking”. There are a
total of 23 types and my flame is ranked 11, known as the “Bone Chilling
Flame”. This type of Heavenly Flame only appears every hundred years, when
the eclipse occurs in the extreme cold and extreme Yin intersect……”
“Bone Chilling Flame?”
Without blinking, Xiao Yan stared at that surging white flame and softly
murmured to himself.
Chapter 64: Creation of the Qi Gathering Pill
“To obtain the “Bone Chilling Flame”, I had waited in a place without light for
eight long years, and when the moment to assimilate the flame finally came,
despite all my preparations I was nearly burnt to ashes……” Yao Lao sighed
as he shook his head; a rare lingering fear could be seen on his normally
serene face. Looks like that encounter had left a strong impression on him.
“Hehe, although it was extremely dangerous, having obtained the “Bone
Chilling Flame” in the end, it was all worth it.” Yao Lao proudly declared as he
waved about the white flame in the palm of his hand as if showing it off to a
large crowd. He then smiled as he continued to elaborate: “With a Heavenly
Flame, not only can you refine pills of better quality, but also, when
encountering a foe of the same level he would not be a match for you.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan gazed at that raging dull-white flame, his face filled
with envy.
Seeing that envious look on Xiao Yan’s face, Yao Lao let out a laugh as a
devious expression flashed across his face. His tone changed as he said:
“Something like a Heavenly Flame is still a long way off for you. For now, your
greatest wish should be to become a Dou Zhe as soon as possible.”
Feeling regretful, Xiao Yan nodded his head. He could only temporarily slurp
back the drool that had formed due to his longing for the Heavenly Flame and
drag himself back to face reality.
Yao Lao lightly smiled at the sight of Xiao Yan coming back to his senses. At
the center of his hand, the white flame continued to burn as wisps escaped to
soar up into the air, only to dissipate shortly after.
A dry hand picked up a stalk of Ink-leaf Lotus and gently dropped it into the
flame.
As the Ink-leaf Lotus came into contact with the “Bone Chilling Flame”, it was
instantly burned into the form of an ink-black liquid which rolled about within
the flame, revealing its hidden luster.
The white flame churned as it grew more and more intense, yet Xiao Yan
noticed that strangely, the air surrounding the white flame grew colder and
colder.
Yao Lao was concentrating all his attention into controlling the temperature of
the flame within his palm. If the temperature were just a slight bit higher, the
ink-black liquid would be evaporated into nothingness.
After the temperature of the flame was maintained at a certain point for a
period of time, specks of yellow impurity suddenly appeared within the ink-
black liquid.
Gazing at the yellow specks of impurity, Yao Lao finally gave a slight nod.
With a light flick of his finger, the yellow specks gathered and separated with
some of the ink-black liquid into a smaller ball of liquid and was expelled from
the main body.
After expelling the yellow impurities, other tiny light yellow impurities started
appearing one after another. Likewise, these impurities were cleaned up by
Yao Lao.
The white flame continued to burn, within it, the ink-black liquid which was
originally half a fist large had shrunk to a mere thumb size amount.
Deep black liquid rolled about at the center of the white flame, like a black
pearl, serene and mysterious.
When the first stalk of Ink-leaf Lotus was the size of a thumb, Yao Lao finally
stopped calcining. He continued by dropping the other four stalks into the
flame, calcining them into four black pearl-like balls of pure liquid.
After a long period of purification by the “Bone Chilling Flame”, five small
bodies of fluid slowly fused together. At the moment of fusion, the volume
expanded by a large extent, however, a split second later, it shrunk to only a
thumb size.
Having spent a long time rolling about in the white flame, it was as if within
the inky-blackness of the liquid, a small white flame could be seen dancing
about.
Seeing this, in one fluid motion Yao Lao quickly grabbed the Snake Venom
Fruit on the table and threw it into the flame.
Once the Snake Venom Fruit entered the flame, it was transformed into a
dark green fluid which emitted traces of icy air. Removing the impurities from
the dark green fluid, Yao Lao gradually covered the dark green fluid with the
now burning ink-black fluid.
“Zi! Zi!……”
Strange noises echoed about as the two liquids of different attributes met and
a white smoky plume rose from within the raging flame.
As the plume of smoke given off gradually decreased, a rough pill-like object
started to form from within the flame.
Gazing serenely upon the almost formed pill, Yao Lao slightly inclined his
head. Once again he threw the Spirit Gathering Grass and the Water Attribute
Rank 2 Magic Stone into the flame.
Melt into liquid, remove impurities, fuse together…… these three types of
actions were complicated procedures which required a meticulous effort. Yet
Yao Lao managed to accomplish all of them as if they were a single fluid
motion, not even stopping a single time.
Having seen Yao Lao’s sharp and precise movements, even Xiao Yan, an
outsider to the Alchemist ways who had yet to understand even the basics of
the art could not help but praise Yao Lao in his heart.
Neutralizing the rampaging power in the Magic Stone with the Spirit Gathering
Grass, the pure light blue energy was poured into the pill-like object as it was
still forming.
When the last drop of blue energy entered into the pill, the bumpy-looking
pill-like object was restored into a smooth and slippery shape. A dull blue
gleam could be seen hovering on the surface of the pill, making it look both
splendid and magnificent.
Though finished with all the steps, Yao Lao did not stop there. Instead he
warmed the pill in the flame for almost ten minutes before finally
extinguishing the white flame within his palm.
When the flame died away, Yao Lao’s left hand swiftly sucked a jade bottle
from the table towards him and fluidly stored the pill, colored in shades of
dark green and light blue, into the bottle.
“Phew……” A long sigh escaped his lips as Yao Lao threw the jade bottle to
Xiao Yan. He then proceeded to smugly say: “Take a look.”
Carefully accepting the jade bottle, Xiao Yan excitedly brought it under his
nose to take a whiff. A familiar fragrance entered his nostrils which made him
feel renewed with energy.
While eyeing the bluish green pill within the bottle, Xiao Yan’s outstanding
soul perception let him vaguely know that this Qi Gathering Powder was
better than the one previously brought by Nalan Yanran in both quality and
effectiveness!
At the thought of Nalan Yanran’s look and tone as she held the pill, Xiao Yan
let out a mocking smile.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan tightly gripped the warm jade bottle, heavily
heaving out a breath. It had been four years, now he could finally once again
step into that level……
Chapter 65: Dou Zhe Advancement
Though Xiao Yan had obtained the Qi Gathering Pill, he did not immediately
consume it. Rather, he let out a deep sigh as he forcefully suppressed his
impatience and made himself get into bed to rest.
Xiao Yan knew that if he started the process to become a Dou Zhe in his
current state, the chances of failure were over 70%. Although Yao Lao could
easily create another Qi Gathering Pill, Xiao Yan did not want to take an
unnecessary risk that could be easily avoided.
Seeing that Xiao Yan was able to resist the enticement of immediately
breaking through the Dou Zhe level, Yao Lao nodded his head with a sense of
satisfaction. With that gratified look on his face, his body dazzled as he
transformed into ray of light and disappeared into the ring.
After the completion of the Qi Gathering Pill, Xiao Yan’s training pace
gradually slowed into a stable rhythm. Everyday, he did an hour of Dou Qi
training before going to the mountains at the back of the Xiao Clan to practice
his Dou Skills. If he had time, Xiao Yan would accompany Xun Er to stroll
about Wu Tang City. All in all, an extremely satisfying leisurely life.
When five days of this easy going life had passed, Xiao Yan finally felt that he
was at the peak condition. It was now the best time to try to become a Dou
Zhe.
In the mountains behind the Xiao Clan estate, there existed a hidden cave
under a cliff. This cave was about a meter wide and had been specially
chosen by Xiao Yan as his training ground. On the other side of the cliff were
misty clouds while further down under the mist was the Devil Beast Mountain
Range, filled with many fierce beasts. Below the cliff was a precipice so deep
you could not see into its depths. The only entrance to the cave was a narrow
trail which had already been concealed by Xiao Yan using branches and
stones. Thus Xiao Yan was very sure that if he chose this place to make a
breakthrough, he would not be interrupted by anyone.
Slowly breathing in, Xiao Yan brought out the jade bottle. Tilting the bottle, a
blueish green pill rolled out.
Gazing upon the glossy and smooth Qi Gathering Pill, a small smile formed on
Xiao Yan’s face. He once again inhaled the fragrance that would ease one’s
heart. Licking his lips, Xiao Yan unhesitantly popped the pill into his mouth.
As the Qi Gathering Pill entered his mouth, an ice-cold sensation could be felt
transmitting from his mouth. A split second later, a luke warm pure energy
essence started transferring from his mouth into his body, eliciting a violent
jerk of Xiao Yan’s body.
With a serene face, Xiao Yan used both hands to quickly form the hand seal
of absorbing Dou Qi. His breathing steadily eased as the Dou Qi within his
body responded to his thoughts and started to rapidly tangle with the strong
and pure essence from the pill to rapidly refine it.
Within the small cave, the originally tranquil air suddenly heaved as lines of
white Dou Zi Qi gathered from the air and surged continuously into Xiao Yan’s
body.
Biting his lip in pain, the two energies collided within his body and caused
waves of pain to emanate from the channels all over his body. Thankfully,
Xiao Yan’s channels were much tougher than an ordinary person’s and thus
even though it was painful, it would not cause too much damage to him.
In his body, the Dou Qi surrounded the pure green energy essence, rapidly
refining it. Green energy was continuously being changed into white Dou Qi
and with the newly formed Dou Qi to propel the process, the Dou Qi within
Xiao Yan’s body rapidly expanded to the point where it could be seen growing
with the naked eye.
Even though the pure essence from the pill was being refined unceasingly,
the essence kept flowing endlessly. Everytime the Dou Qi managed to refine a
batch of essence, a new and bigger batch of green energy would gush
forward.
With both Dou Qi being refined within his body and absorbed from outside,
the Dou Qi within Xiao Yan’s body gradually filled a large portion of his body’s
channels.
As before, the refining process continued. When the pill essence finally
started to diminish, Xiao Yan who was drunk on the rapid growth of his power
suddenly realised that the Dou Qi in his body had swelled to a critical point
and could no longer be increased.
The increasing Dou Qi caused Xiao Yan’s channels to twitch as the corners of
Xiao Yan’s mouth split open in response to the waves of intense pain.
“Quick! Condense the Dou Qi cyclone! Before it explodes!” Yao Lao shout was
like a clap of thunder, exploding out in Xiao Yan’s heart.
Taking in a deep breath of cool air, Xiao Yan’s hand seals suddenly changed
in a flash of understanding. Touching his thumbs and middle fingers at the
same spot, the ten fingers in his hand formed a weird hand seal.
Xiao Yan had taken this step years before and therefore when he used it once
again, it flowed like water, smooth and undeterred.
Following the change in hand seal, the surging Dou Qi within Xiao Yan’s body
suddenly flooded downwards under a wild and ferocious sucking force from
the abdomen.
When all of the Dou Qi had gathered into the abdomen area, the white Dou
Qi started turning to a milky white color.
“Quickly compress the Dou Qi! Use your soul perception to compress it, if the
Dou Qi fails to be condensed into a cyclone, you will once again drop to the 8
Duan Qi!” Yao Lao’s shout resounded once again in Xiao Yan’s heart.
Slightly nodding his head, Xiao Yan concentrated his mind to the task. In an
instant, his outstanding soul perception acquired control over the Dou Qi. The
rapid compression started……
The milky white Dou Zi Qi resisted the guidance of the soul perception,
violently churning about.
Though the resistance was in no way weak, Xiao Yan’s soul perception had
shocked even Yao Lao. Thus the Dou Qi resistance was akin to a praying
mantis trying to block a car, only slightly resisting before grudgingly pulling
back.
When the Dou Qi was compressed to the size of a palm, it froze and stopped
moving.
“Compress again!” Yao Lao shouted.
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan screwed his eyes shut. The spiritual perception
surrounding the white Dou Qi abruptly peaked in power before ruthlessly
pressing down!
“Bang!”
A light muffled noise quietly sounded within Xiao Yan’s body……
Following this, the resistance from the Dou Qi finally dissipated, leaving
behind a drained Xiao Yan.
A heavy sigh escaped as Xiao Yan fell powerlessly to the ground, his chest
rose and fell rapidly due to exhaustion.
As he laid on the cold floor of the cave, Xiao Yan yet again experienced
abundant energy that he had not felt for four years. A smile floated upon his
lips, growing wider and wider until at last it became a chuckle, a hearty
laughter, a howling laughter……
Chapter 66: Flame Mantra
After lying on the icy, cold, rock floor for a long time, Xiao Yan finally
managed to catch his breath. The genuine happiness plastered across his face
was hard to conceal as he tested out his numb legs before once again
entering a training posture.
Xiao Yan breathed out gently and slowly closing his eyes he let his thoughts
gradually delve into the mysteries of his body.
Inner View: a support technique unique to those of Dou Zhe level and above.
The greater one’s strength, the deeper one would be able to explore and
penetrate the deeper mysteries of one’s body.
His thoughts ventured into his abdominal area, where a milky white palm-
sized Vortex slowly stirred. Cream-white energy swirled around the Vortex in
a nebulous mist.
Observing the tiny Vortex with his thoughts, Xiao Yan nodded his head –he
was satisfied. Although the Vortex was tiny, the energy contained within it
was more than ten times more potent than what he had when he was 9 Duan
Qi!
Dou Zhe and 9 Duan Qi had different natures. The energy assimilated before
becoming a Dou Zhe was actually called Dou Zi Qi, after becoming a Dou Zhe,
the assimilated energy was now known as true Dou Qi!
Though there was but a one word difference between their names, the true
difference was more like comparing heaven to earth: completely
incomparable.
Xiao Yan consciously directed his thoughts to take control of the Vortex.
Under its control, a thread of milky white Dou Qi was swiftly extracted from
the Vortex and allowed to swirl around.
Continuously controlling the Vortex, making it spew forth and absorb back the
Dou Qi with his thoughts, Xiao Yan’s mastery slowly increased. Only when he
was satisfied did Xiao Yan finally stop this game-like training and withdraw his
thoughts out of his body.
His tightly shut eyes suddenly opened, revealing a milky white light that
lingered for about ten seconds before fading away within his black pupils.
Xiao Yan then opened his mouth to spit out a mouthful of murky and impure
air, after which his complexion brightened noticeably.
Rolling his head from side to side to stretch his neck, cracking sounds could
be heard which drew out a grin from Xiao Yan. As he lifted his head to gaze
at the ghostly figure of Yao Lao who was floating just outside the cave, Xiao
Yan smiled brightly and said: “Success.”
“Hmpf, it is your good fortune to have successfully condensed a Qi Vortex on
your first try.” Yao Lao replied in an indifferent tone as he nodded his head.
“More like I depended on my own abilities?” Xiao Yan retorted as he loosened
his shoulders. Suddenly, he remembered something as a fawning look
appeared on his face. Stretching out a hand, he asked somewhat bashfully:
“Teacher, I have already reached the Dou Zhe level, isn’t it time to give me a
Qi Technique?”
Yao Lao rolled his eyes. His body floated into the cave and he slowly sat
before Xiao Yan. He thought for a while before he asked with a solemn
expression: “What Qi Technique do you want?”
“Well, the……the thing that’s more strange than a Heaven Tier Qi Technique,
the one that can.. that can evolve.” Xiao Yan scratched his head and asked in
a somewhat embarrassed tone.
Hearing Xiao Yan, a look of conflict flashed across Yao Lao’s face and
unexpectedly, he remained silent.
“Master, what’s wrong? Did you lie about that Qi Technique?” Seeing the look
on Yao Lao’s face, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but nervously ask.
“The Qi Technique that I told you about, can indeed evolve, I didn’t fool you.”
Yao Lao whispered.
Hearing Yao Lao confirm his question, a sense of happiness rushed to Xiao
Yan’s face. Twisting his hands, he carefully asked: “Then can you let me use
it?”
“This strange Qi Technique can indeed evolve but the risk is very high.” Yao
Lao exclaimed after being silent for a long time.
Seeing the look on Yao Lao’s face, Xiao Yan slowly pulled his hand back and
asked, “How high?”
Yao Lao smiled bitterly, “In my life, I have never seen anyone train this Qi
Technique or heard about anyone that uses this Qi Technique. So, I don’t
know how high the risk is, however, with my experience and upon seeing the
difficulty of this Technique, I would say that the maximum success rate would
not be more than 20%…. ”
“20%?” Xiao Yan’s face stiffened, “It’s that low?”
Yao Lao sighed and nodded, “I’m afraid that it is that low.”
Smiling bitterly and massaging his forehead, Xiao Yan was still reluctant to
give up on the chance to learn an evolving Qi Technique. The temptation for
a Qi Technique that could evolve into a Heaven Tier Qi Technique was simply
too big.
“Teacher, can you give me an overview of this Qi Technique?”
Yao Lao rubbed his palms together and whispered after a while, “This Qi
Technique’s requirements to “evolve” is related to the Heavenly Flames that
I’ve told you before.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed and he kept silent while listening carefully.
“Okay, I obtained this Dou Qi technique through an accident. This Qi
Technique originally was nameless. However, I gave it a name called “Flame
Mantra”. Speaking up to here, Yao Lao tried to hide the mixed expression on
his face. It seemed the process to obtain this Dou Qi technique was not as
easy as he had told previously.
“Flame Mantra can indeed evolve, but one of its preconditions is that it needs
a “Heavenly Flame” as raw material. With each evolution, it needs to swallow
one type of “Heavenly Flame”!” Yao Lao’s voice became somewhat rough:
“You need to know that “Heavenly Flames” are some of the most violent
forms of energy in this world. Even if you find it, no one can guarantee that
you will be able to swallow it. In the past when I discovered this “Bone
Chilling Flame”, I was almost burned alive to nothingness by it…
“The scariest part of this Method is the need to assimilate the various
“Heavenly Flames” …… any one of the Heavenly Flames could place a Dou
Huang on the precipice between life and death, I dare not imagine what
would happen to a person who had two types of Heavenly Flames in their
body……”
Gazing at the unfathomable look that Yao Lao had, Xiao Yan was also
frightened stiff, swallowing Heavenly Flames to evolve? God dammit, you
can’t even be sure of whether you will be able to consume the flame or if the
flame will consume you! The creator of this Qi Method must have be one
crazy person.
“Although this Technique is dangerous beyond your wildest dreams, I do not
doubt its potential. If it is truly mastered…… in the Dou Qi Continent, with the
exception of a few irregulars…… no one else would be your match.” Yao Lao
sighed.
Xiao Yan nodded, slightly awed at its potential. If someone were able to
control a few types of Heavenly Flames, even a Dou Sheng would not dare
take that person lightly. Of course that is only if that someone does not first
get consumed by the Heavenly Flames……
Eyeing Xiao Yan, Yao Lao hesitated for a while before asking: “Now, do
you…… still want to learn it?”
Xiao Yan slightly shivered in silence.
Chapter 67: Choice

Regarding the “Flame Mantra”, Xiao Yan truly did not want to abandon it.
After all, to be able to evolve to a Tian Dou Qi technique, the ability was really
enticing. On this enormous Dou Qi continent, a Tian Rank Dou Qi Technique
would be equal to a ticket to become the strongest.
Although the Qi method was powerful, the success rate was not even 20%.
This fact would discourage most people. With his 10 fingers intersecting
tightly together, Xiao Yan’s face changed continuously, bouncing between
hesitation and distress.
Watching the apprehension on Xiao Yan’s face calmly, Yao Lao’s old face also
showed a mixed expression. After a while he sighed softly: “This matter can
only be decided by yourself. I also do not want to meddle too much.
However, I want to ask you one thing……What are your feelings toward the
girl Xun Er?”
“Eh?” To be asked about this issue by Yao Lao startled him. Xiao Yan’s face
blushed somewhat. Opening his mouth after a while and with a forced smile,
he said: “Teacher, why do you suddenly ask about this? Xun Er is my younger
sister. Towards her……what feeling could I have?” At those last words, Xiao
Yan seemed to feel somewhat weak.
“Hehe, sister? You also know that you do not have the slightest blood relation
to her. This beautiful girl is only about 15 or 16 years old, yet the Xiao clan’s
young generation already admires her endlessly. When she is grown up, what
is there to say anymore?” Speaking up to here, Yao Lao shot a glance to Xiao
Yan. Smiling dimly he said: “If you think about the possibility that one day
another man might marry her. How would you feel?”
Forcing a faint smile on his face, Xiao Yan pursed his brows slowly. He let out
a light breath and whispered: “Seems……a little hard to accept.”
“Hehe, since you can feel that it is somewhat hard to accept then in your
heart you don’t simply think of her as only your younger sister……” Yao Lao
was smiling yet not smiling as he spoke.
His face red once more, Xiao Yan was speechless and he mumbled somewhat.
Spreading out his arms helplessly with a forced smile, he said: “Teacher, what
do you actually want to say?”
“All of that was to clear your mind about what feeling you have towards
her……Since you and her already have unclear thoughts, you should judge
your own strength and your development potential.” Congealing his face, Yao
Lao gulped and somewhat doubtfully spoke: “The girl’s background is a little
frightful. I do not know the exact truth about her background. Somehow, the
small Xiao Clan has some kind of a relationship of with them. However, only
this cannot fill the wide gap between you. The gap of status between you two
is really too immense. Even if the girl likes you, those people behind her can
not agree to it in any way!”
Closing his eyes, Xiao Yan intersected his palms together and held them
tightly.
“This continent is a world where strength is respected. To have strength is
also to have dignity. Previously you saw the behavior of Nalan Yanran. The
reason as to how she is capable of acting so haughty and how she was able
to look down on you is because of her background: her strength is greater
than yours!” Looking at Xiao Yan’s appearance, Yao Lao sighed with sincere
and earnest words.
“The power behind Xun Er is more frightening than the Faction of the Misty
Cloud. Therefore, in their eyes, you are only but a worm. Even though you
have outstanding talent, they are unlikely to see you as anything important.
Truly, through the years, they have already seen many extremely gifted
talents……only if you are able to make them fear your strength , will you have
fulfilled your wish.”
Xiao Yan touched his nose and with a shrug, he asked softly: “Will practicing
‘Flame Mantra’ give me that kind of power?”
“Actually, only by successfully practicing ‘Flame Mantra’ will you have that
chance!” Yao Lao shook his head and he stared again.
Sighing lightly, Xiao Yan braced his chin. The smile of that elegant girl in the
former days appeared ineffably before his eyes slowly. The silver bell-like
laughter hovered in his ear.
Taking a long breath Xiao Yan smiled bitterly and said: “Teacher has said this
much and still calls it not meddling with my decision?”
“Hehe……” Yao Lao stroked his withered and aged face as he let out an
awkward laugh. Slightly embarrassed, he replied: “Okay, I admit I may have
had some intentions of goading you, but from my point of view, I really hoped
that you would practice this ‘Flame Mantra’.”
“You should know that I am currently just a mere spirit right?” Yao Lao
spread out his arms as he asked.
Xiao Yan nodded.
“Other people may have died, but since my soul perception is much stronger
than others, I have somehow strangely survived in this form……” Yao Lao
smiled bitterly as if he was mocking himself.
“I do not like to live this way, each day feels like a fake and empty illusion to
me. I still have things that I must personally accomplish, therefore, I need to
leave this spirit state.”
“Teacher wants to revive?” Xiao Yan blinked in slight disbelief. Stunned, he
continued: “In this world, there should be nothing that would be able to
revive the dead right?”
“Under normal circumstances, it is so.” Nodding in agreement, a passionate
expression appeared on Yao Lao as he continued: “Yet according to some
obscure descriptions of the ‘Flame Mantra’, if successfully mastered, one
would be able to blend a few types of Heavenly Flames together to forge a
body that could house a spirit. Obtaining such a body, would be a sort of
rebirth for me……”
“In the ring, I have endured countless years in a world without daylight all in
hopes of one day meeting a person who has a strong enough soul perception
that is able to meet my requirements. I am very lucky to have finally met
you.” A deep sorrow was etched into the lines of that wrinkled and aged face,
though it could only be perceived by a very observant person.
Yao Lao gazed into Xiao Yan’s pitch black pair of eyes that stared back at him,
smiling bitterly, he continued: “Heh, just take these words as the idle
rumblings of an old man. Alas, though I’ve said that I would not interfere, in
the end, I could not help but speak, I am truly……”
Sadly shaking his head, Yao Lao stretched forth his gnarled hands. With a
small wave, one black and one red scroll faintly glimmered as they appeared
in each hand.
“The red scroll is a fire attributed Low Di Qi Method while the black scroll is
the ‘Flame Mantra’…..” Yao Lao smiled as he raised both hands. His withered
face softened slightly as he gently said: “Make your own choice and think
about the factors that drive you, as long as you remember that whatever your
choice, you will always be my disciple and I will never blame you for it.”
Xiao Yan’s palm supported his chin as he stared blankly at the two glittering
scroll in front of him. A long time later, he licked his lips and raised his
shoulders lazily while smiling: “Although I am afraid of death, without power
there is no honor. I refuse to go through the kind of humiliation that Nalan
Yanran gave me that day ever again. And still, even if it does not go well, I
can always change to another Qi Method.”
Shaking his head, a brilliant smile lit up Xiao Yan’s already delicate face. In
Yao Lao’s slightly red and moist eyes, the figure of Xiao Yan could be seen
stretching out his hand to firmly grab the black scroll.
When his hand touched the scroll, it transformed into a stream of information
which poured directly into Xiao Yan’s head.
Chapter 68: Fallen Heart Flame
In the narrow cave, Yao Lao watched with closed eyes as Xiao Yan trained his
Dou Qi. Rubbing his reddish eyes with his hands, Yao Lao knew that he was
one of the reasons why Xiao Yan had chosen this dangerous technique.
Emotions welled up within his old heart as he turned to face the sky. With a
low sigh, he murmured: “Rest assured, I will definitely nurture you into the
most outstanding Alchemist……”
After making the breakthrough to become a Dou Zhe, one would possess the
qualifications to practice a Qi Method. After practicing a Technique, the
attributeless milky white Dou Qi within the body would change into the same
attribute as the practiced Technique.
One did not need too much time for the first Dou Qi change, thus barely two
hours later, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes from his cross legged sitting
position.
Having practiced the Dou Qi Technique, Xiao Yan looked full of vitality and
vigor compared to before. In high spirits, his delicate face shone even more
with the glossiness of a beautiful piece of jade.
Xiao Yan blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the lighting in the cave
which had become much brighter than before. Lightly smiling, he knew that
this increase in sensitivity was due to the practice of the Qi Method.
“Have you succeeded?” Yao Lao asked with a smile on his face.
“Yeah.” Xiao Yan nodded as he held out a fair palm. The Qi Vortex within his
body swirled, as a stream of pale yellow Dou Qi left the vortex before finally
stopping at an acupuncture point on his palm.
Materializing Dou Qi could only be achieved by those who had attained at
least the Da Dou Shi level. The current Xiao Yan obviously did not possess
that level of strength, thus the Dou Qi in his body was unable to emerge from
the acupuncture point on his palm. The Dou Qi stayed stuck causing Xiao
Yan’s fair palm to be gradually suffused in a light yellow glow, like an almost
burnt out candle, barely able to scatter away the darkness.
Light yellow was the color of a fire attributed Low Huang Qi Method. The
higher the rank of the Qi Method, the deeper the color.
As his eyes gazed upon the meager yellow light on his palm, Xiao Yan
helplessly shook his head. Lifting his head, he forced a smile as he said:
“Before this “Flame Mantra” evolves, my Dou Qi would be of a lower rank
than almost everyone else. No need to consider those of a higher level, I can’t
even be sure of winning over someone of the same level who had practiced a
Xuan Level Method…”
“Though the “Flame Mantra” is only at the Low Huang now, its might would
not lose to that of a Middle Huang. Moreover, although the Qi Method is
weak, don’t you still have your Dou Techniques? Three Xuan Level Dou
Techniques are enough to make up for the gap in your Method.” Yao Lao
smiled as he consoled Xiao Yan. Shortly after he added a warning: “Since
your Qi Method is inferior to others, it also means that your endurance levels
cannot compare to theirs. Therefore, in future battles, you need to be more
efficient, no more wasted movements and every move must contain your full
force behind it! Make sure to end each fight quickly!”
Xiao Yan nodded in understanding, however his face puckered as if still
somewhat depressed.
Seeing this look on Xiao Yan and knowing his personality, Yao Lao helplessly
shook his head. With no other alternative, he could only pay the price and
say: “When you have thoroughly mastered the three Dou Techniques you
now possess, I will once again give you a new Dou Technique. You’ll be biting
off more than you can chew right now, you should understand this principle
right?
“What rank?” Xiao Yan’s eyes lit up as he very carefully inquired.
Angry yet happy at Xiao Yan’s cautious appearance, Yao Lao stroked his
beard and coldly snorted: “All I’ll say is that it won’t be lower than the level of
“Octane Blast”.”
At these words, Xiao Yan face immediately lit up like the sun. Octane Blast
was a High Xuan Dou Technique, what could be higher than that?
Di Level!
Though Di Level was only one grade better than High Xuan Level, the
distance between the two was as wide as the grand canyon. With enough
wealth and a bit of luck, one could occasionally obtain a High Xuan Dou
Technique from a high-ranking auction. Yet a Di Level Dou Technique could
be said to be priced beyond the market as it was once heard that in the
imperial capital of Jia Ma Empire, the price of a Di Level Dou Technique had
rocketed to a sky-high price of about ten million, which was equivalent to an
entire year of taxes from the entire Jia Ma Empire.
Although it was merely one grade of difference, the price between the two
was more than a hundred times. From this it could be seen that Xuan Level
and Di Level were two completely different concepts.
Thinking about this almost legendary level, Xiao Yan’s feelings boiled over,
wishing he could compel Yao Lao to teach it to him straightaway. However,
after considering the status and relationship between the two of them, he
decided to obediently give up on that comical idea.
“Teacher, when will you teach me Alchemy?” Temporarily letting go of the
thoughts of the Di Level Dou Technique , Xiao Yan asked yet again.
“Alchemy is not meant to be learnt in this small and tiny clan.” Yao Lao
answered as he shook he head. Smiling, he continued: “In addition, almost
half the time has passed since you made the three year bet between yourself
and Nalan Yanran. It is foolish to stay in Wu Tan City any more, the training
speed here is too slow. Furthermore, I am unable to utilise some training
methods due to complicated and various reasons. Thus I want to bring you on
a training trip for slightly over a year.”
“More than a year?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan was somewhat hesitant, however
when he thought about that haughty woman, he resolutely nodded his head
and replied: “Okay, a year, so be it. When do we leave?”
“Let us wait for two months.” Yao Lao smiled and said.
“Why wait for so long?” Xiao Yan asked in bewilderment.
“Because one month later is the time for Jia Nan Academy to enroll new
students and you need to go register.” Yao Lao lightly smiled as he replied.
Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan forced out a smile and questioned: “What do I need
to do there? I am not lacking in Qi Methods or Dou Techniques, what else can
they teach me?”
“I’m not asking you to learn something there.” Yao Lao gave him ‘the eye’ as
his eyebrows creased. Lowering his voice, Yao Lao said: “You need to go to
Jia Nan Academy to search for a type of “Heavenly Flame”, I had previously
obtained intelligence that in Jia Nan Academy there should be a type of
Heavenly Flame called “Fallen Heart Flame”. This Heavenly Flame is ranked
14th on the “Heavenly Flames List”! If you are able to obtain this Heavenly
Flame, “Flame Mantra” could possibly evolve……”
“Fallen Heart Flame?”
Xiao Yan softly whispered this queer name to himself as his eyes gradually lit
up.
Chapter 69: The Furious Xun Er
After settling everything, Xiao Yan slowly emerged from the cave. Following
the mountain path, he sneakily climbed to the mountain top and glanced
about to check that no one else was around. Finally, letting out a sigh of
relief, he took large strides as he walked directly towards the clan home.
Leisurely returning to the clan, Xiao Yan chanced upon the three Clan Elders
who hurriedly rushed past as they brushed shoulders with him in the front
courtyard. Pausing his step, Xiao Yan was somewhat puzzled at the gloomy
yet furious faces of the three Elders who had just left.
“Who has offended them now?” Amazed, Xiao Yan shook his head and turned
around to find a green clothed young maiden scuttling out from a side path to
stand, slender and elegant, before him.
At the sight of the adorable Xun Er who wore a smiling expression on her
face, Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Thinking back on what Yao Lao had
asked in the cave, his face grew hot as he somewhat guiltily turned his gaze
to the sky to act as if he was in thought.
Slightly dazed by Xiao Yan’s unusual behaviour, it was only a moment later
that Xun Er shook her head as she could not make heads or tails of the
reason behind this change. Taking a step forward, she fluidly glanced over
Xiao Yan as a look of surprise appeared on her delicate face. Both hands on
her back, she leaned forward until there was only 1 cm between them, she
feigned a smile and said: “Elder Brother Xiao Yan, you’ve advanced to Dou
Zhe?”
Overwhelmed by the fragrant, warm breath that blew onto his face, Xiao Yan
momentarily lost his wits. Furiously shaking his head to break the spell, he
firmly forced down his fluttering heart. Patting the head of the young maiden
who was as tall as him, he grudgingly said: “Why can’t you let me say it
myself to satisfy my conceited tendencies?”
Hearing this, Xun Er’s eyes slightly curved into the shape of a beautiful
crescent moon. Like always, She extended out a fair, delicate hand and
started to earnestly smooth the creases on Xiao Yan’s clothes.
In the past, when Xiao Yan was treated this way by Xun Er, he did not think
twice about it. Yet today, after the feelings in his heart had been exposed by
Yao Lao, he was now suddenly disturbed by this gesture.
Near this path, other clansmen occasionally passed by. At the sight of Xun Er
helping Xiao Yan to tidy his clothes like a wife, they could not help but be full
of envy.
As he inclined his head to look upon her delicate and flawless face, a strand
of fine black hair fell across her forehead. It emphasized the largeness of her
eyes which fluidly wandered about, an exceedingly touching sight.
Staring blankly at Xun Er, the pace of Xiao Yan’s breathing gradually
increased as his gaze heated up with passion.
“Xiao Yan ge-ge……you, what are you looking at.” Xun Er quietly grumbled
after she patted down the creases on Xiao Yan’s clothes. She had finally
become aware of his passionate gaze, her cheeks reddening in response.
“Ah? Oh……” coming to his senses, Xiao Yan’s face also turned a shade of
pink. Luckily his skin was much thicker than Xun Er’s, after faking two coughs,
he nonchalantly replied: “Nothing much, it’s just that Xun Er has become
more and more pretty.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, Xun Er did not reply and gently snorted. However,
her rosy lips lifted to form a pleased expression.
“Oh, right……” Recalling something, Xun Er abruptly cast a glance over Xiao
Yan’s body again before gently asking: “Since Xiao Yan ge-ge has already
advanced to Dou Zhe, then a Qi Method has also be learnt?”
Xiao Yan’s expression stiffened as he embarrassedly nodded in affirmation.
Slim fingers pressed against her snow white chin, Xun Er laughed merrily and
said: “Would you let Xun Er see what level Qi Method it is?”
“*Coughs*…..uh Qi Methods…are just objects, that aside……As long as one
works hard, won’t the level not matter?” Xiao Yan replied as he gave out a
hollow laugh.
Observing Xiao Yan’s expression, a dangerous glint slowly appeared in Xun
Er’s eyes, yet her tone remained gentle as she said: “Xiao Yan ge-ge, just let
Xun Er take a look……”
At the obstinate Xun Er, Xiao Yan could only helplessly shrug his shoulders as
he stretched out a hand. A moment later, a weak light yellow glow appeared.
“Xiao Yan ge-ge, this is the better Technique that you talked about?” Staring
at the light yellow glow that looked as if it would be extinguished at any
moment, Xun Er’s face turned a little unsightly. Her rosy lips pursed,
displaying the indignation in her heart.
Xiao Yan awkwardly laughed, unsure of how to explain.
“You clearly know that if you possess a high-grade Qi Method in the initial
stages, it goes without saying that it would benefit your future training. Yet
you rejected me, Xun Er was not trying to give you charity. Worst case
scenario, you could have returned the Qi Method when you got a better one.
However, now you’re practicing the lowest tier of Qi Methods, is this not to
spite me?” Xun Er’s eyes widely opened as she glared at Xiao Yan in anger.
Her long eyelashes sparkled with moisture.
Being capable of making the sweet-natured Xun Er use this manner of
speech, it is possible to imagine just how much Xun Er was puzzled and
furious at Xiao Yan’s actions.
As his eyes fell upon a Xun Er who was biting her lips while stubbornly hoping
for an answer from him, Xiao Yan helplessly shook his head. He forced a smile
and replied in a low voice: “We have lived together for ten years, do you still
not understand me? Do you really think that I would be the kind of person
that would let go of a high level Qi Method and instead practice the lowest
level of Qi Methods like an idiot?”
“But your Method…is undoubtedly of the Low Huang Level, I can feel it.” Xun
Er obstinately insisted after hearing Xiao Yan’s reply; though the anger on her
face had already slightly dissipated.
“A book cannot be judged by its cover, currently it is not convenient for me to
tell you in detail about the reason but someday in the future, you will
understand. The present me is definitely not letting my emotions cloud my
judgement……” Xiao Yan said as he smiled.
“Really?” Gazing at the serious look on Xiao Yan, Xun Er mulled in silence for
awhile before hesitantly asking once again.
“Yes, it’s true, of course its true……” Xiao Yan hastily nodded his head.
Fearing that she would continue to ask about the issue, he quickly changed
the topic by asking: “Did something happen in the clan recently? How come
the elders had such uncomfortable expressions?”
“Yea, recently the Jia Lie Clan managed to invite a first tier Alchemist from
god knows where. At present, their marketplace has a new remedy called
‘Return of Spring Powder’. This remedy is cheap yet effective, making it
extremely well received and loved by the mercenaries in Wu Tan City.” Xun Er
nodded as she furrowed her eyebrows and continued explaining: “Because of
the influence from the ‘Return of Spring Powder’, the traffic in the Xiao Clan
marketplace has been cut by almost half and because of this loss, the
merchants from the marketplace have relocated to the Jia Lie Clan’s
Marketplace. Though it had only been a few days, the Xiao Clan has already
suffered economically by quite a bit, causing Uncle Xiao to worry about this
event.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded his head in understanding, no wonder the
three Elders had such gloomy expressions.
Xiao Yan slightly narrowed his eyes as he rubbed his nose, sneering in his
heart: “Just a mere first tier Alchemist, does Jia Lie Clan really think he’s
something?”
Chapter 70: Investigation