Chapter 1 The Two Prodigies of the Xiao Family, Fallen Geniuses.
"Battle Power, Level Three!"
Staring at the five large, almost blindingly bright characters on the testing stone tablet, the young man remained expressionless, his eyes filled with self-mockery.
He clenched his fists tightly, the force so great that his slightly sharp nails dug into his palms, yet he seemed oblivious.
How could physical pain compare to the wound in his heart!?
"Xiao Yan, Battle Power, Level Three!"
"Level: Low!"
Beside the testing stone tablet, the middle-aged man in charge of registration meticulously read out the information, his voice tinged with regret.
His gaze swept over the young man's dejected face, and he offered words of comfort: "Third Young Master, there's still a year until your coming-of-age ceremony; you still have a chance."
Xiao Yan nodded blankly and turned to walk off the stage.
At this moment, sighs of regret and sympathy echoed from all around.
"Still no change. I really don't know what strange illness Young Master Xiao Yan has contracted."
"Maybe some plagued deity saw how talented Young Master Xiao Yan was and cast a curse upon him?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Young Master Zhang Yuan has maintained his talent all along. This must be some kind of strange illness. After all, even the second-grade alchemist Young Master Zhang Yuan hired couldn't figure it out."
"Heaven is jealous of our Xiao family. Originally, we had two outstanding talents standing side by side. In a few decades, our Xiao family will surely return to the capital, and even reach unprecedented heights."
"Perhaps Young Master Zhang Yuan can find a way to help Young Master Xiao Yan?"
"Hopefully. Young Master Xiao Yan has used up a lot of the family's resources over the years. If it weren't for the fact that he's the patriarch... well, never mind."
These comments reached the young man's ears, making him feel as if he were carrying a mountain on his back, and the burden grew heavier and heavier.
He lowered his head, not daring to look at the faces of those around him, because he knew that his patriarch father had violated regulations by using many resources for him.
If his talent remained unchanged, no one in the family would say anything, because when he rose to prominence, the benefits would be even greater; this was one of the family's rules of inheritance.
But when everything is used to fill a bottomless pit of waste, it becomes a joke.
"Forget it, I'll just tell Father to stop giving me resources."
"Living an ordinary life isn't so bad either."
The boy thought bitterly, when he noticed a pair of exquisite shoes in front of him.
Although he could only see a bit of the instep, he could tell they were incredibly beautiful feet.
But the boy didn't look at them for long. Instead, he looked up and examined the girl in front of him.
She wore a purple dress, like a solitary orchid in a secluded valley. Her slightly immature face was exquisitely beautiful, and her skin was as white as jade. It was foreseeable that she would possess a beauty that could topple kingdoms in the future.
Upon seeing the girl, the boy seemed to remember something, subconsciously taking a step back and swallowing hard.
The girl smiled faintly and said, "Cousin Xiao Yan, Brother Yuan said that only by enduring hardship can one rise above others."
"He believes you will shine again. Xun'er hopes you won't disappoint him."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart clenched, a warm feeling spreading through his body.
He knew the girl didn't like him because of a childhood misunderstanding.
Her comforting him now must be because of his cousin Zhang Yuan, who had always been loyal to him even after he became a cripple.
"Don't worry, I won't disappoint my cousin!"
Xiao Yan nodded to the girl, turning to head towards the back mountain, intending to continue his efforts.
Behind him, the girl composed herself, taking small, graceful steps to the testing stone tablet. Her purple sleeves, inlaid with black and gold thread, slid down, revealing her delicate, snow-white hand.
As she channeled her Dou Qi, the black stone tablet, after a period of silence, emitted a dazzling light.
Dou Zhe: One Star!
The four large, gleaming golden characters instantly silenced the entire training ground.
A collective gasp followed, making many people's expressions look comical.
"Miss Xun'er, a one-star Dou Zhe!"
The examiner exclaimed, his voice trembling.
A one-star Dou Zhe at less than fourteen years old—this was the third genius in the Xiao family in a century.
But Xun'er remained composed, though inwardly she felt a little dejected: "If I hadn't had to adapt to the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, and only started cultivating a month ago, I wouldn't be this bad."
"If Brother Yuan knew, I wonder if he would laugh at me."
"It won't be long since Ling Ying sent his next message, will it?"
No one could know what the girl was thinking, otherwise countless people would have been captivated by her "Versailles" persona.
Xiao Yan was unaware of Xun'er's dazzling performance after he left. He had already reached the summit of a cliff in the back mountains, sat cross-legged on a rock, formed a strange hand seal, and began to cultivate earnestly.
His chest rose and fell slightly, forming a perfect cycle with each breath. White energy condensed and entered his body through his mouth and nose, flowing to his limbs and bones while gathering in his dantian.
"Hoo!"
This cultivation lasted a whole day, until the sun was setting before Xiao Yan opened his eyes again.
He didn't notice that the ancient black ring on his finger emitted a strange faint light before fading away.
The Dou Qi that had recently formed in his dantian was completely devoured by this ring, disappearing without a trace!
"Damn it, the Dou Qi I finally cultivated has vanished again!"
"You damn heavens, are you playing with me?!"
Xiao Yan's face was ashen, consumed by rage and filled with desolation.
A once-promising genius turned into a cripple; he was destined to be the most miserable transmigrator from Earth.
Even though his memories of his past life were hazy, if being a cripple was the only option, the peaceful world of his previous life was far better.
"My cousin Zhang Yuan trusts me so much, even helping me find a cure; I can't lose heart!"
"I can't let Mother down either."
A handsome face flashed through his mind, and Xiao Yan clenched his fists.
The next moment, he suddenly turned his head in a certain direction and said, "Father, you've arrived!"
Although Xiao Yan only possessed the cultivation of the third level of Dou Qi, his soul power from two lifetimes was immense, making him extremely sensitive to fluctuations in power.
When he mentioned "Mother," he sensed a slight movement in the forest.
Considering the current time and setting, it could only be his father who had arrived.
"Yan'er, it's time for dinner. Why are you still here?"
A middle-aged man emerged from the woods, dressed in luxurious gray robes, his imposing gait exuding the aura of a superior. He was the current patriarch of the Xiao family, and also Xiao Yan's father, the five-star Great Dou Master Xiao Zhan!
"I'll cultivate diligently; I want to live up to all your expectations," Xiao Yan said earnestly.
"Even so, you should eat. You didn't have lunch," Xiao Zhan said with a gentle smile, his eyes filled with concern. He waved his hand and took out a lunchbox, placing it on the ground.
Storage rings exist in this world; different sizes have different spaces and prices, but they can only store inanimate objects. With Xiao Zhan's status and strength, he naturally possessed one.
Xiao Yan wasn't surprised; he simply sat down on the ground, took the food from the lunchbox, and ate with Xiao Zhan.
During the meal, the two chatted.
They mainly talked about Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, and Zhang Yuan, wondering how their adventures were going.
They also mentioned that Xiao Yan was now fifteen years old, and if he didn't reach the seventh level of Dou Qi by adulthood in a year, he would be sent away by his family.
Their conversation continued until the moon was as bright as a silver platter, and the sky was filled with countless stars.
Xiao Zhan put away the tableware and said, "You've had your fill of food and drink, and it's getting late. Go back and rest. We have distinguished guests coming to the clan tomorrow, so don't be impolite."
"Distinguished guests?" Xiao Yan asked curiously, "Cousin, could it be that you're back?"
"I'd like to think so too." Xiao Zhan shook his head, feigning mystery, "You'll find out tomorrow. Get ready."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan could only suppress his curiosity and followed Xiao Zhan's instructions to return to his room for a good night's rest.
The next day, he got up early, ate breakfast, and then returned to his room to cultivate, but still made no progress.
It wasn't until almost lunchtime that a servant came to inform him to go to the clan's main hall, saying that distinguished guests had arrived.
He rushed to the hall and was seated in a corner next to his cousin, Xiao Mei.
"Greetings, Cousin Xiao Yan," Xiao Mei greeted politely, her expression calm and composed.
She was only polite to Xiao Yan because the person she admired was extremely protective of this cousin.
"Greetings, Cousin Xiao Mei." Xiao Yan nodded in acknowledgment, then asked, "May I ask the identity of this distinguished guest?"
"Look over there, Cousin Xiao Yan." Xiao Mei pointed to the sleeve of someone's clothes, where a silver sword adorned with clouds.
Xiao Yan immediately recognized the person as a member of the Yunlan Sect of the Jia Ma Empire.
The Jia Ma Empire was the empire to which Wutan City belonged, and Wutan City was one of the less prominent cities among the dozens of large cities in the Jia Ma Empire.
The Yunlan Sect, on the other hand, was a powerful sect that even the Jia Ma Empire's royal family treated with respect, and its sect leader was a powerful Dou Huang expert.
Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised that such a sect would come to his family.
But he didn't know that this was the beginning of a turning point in his destiny.
At the same time, the ground outside the Xiao residence suddenly trembled.
Pedestrians on the street all looked in one direction and then scurried to the sides of the street.
Dozens of jet-black horses, over ten feet tall, with long horns on their heads, galloped from afar and stopped in front of the Xiao residence in the blink of an eye.
The riders were all dressed in black armor, with swords at their waists and carrying bows and halberds on their backs.
The leader was a handsome man with a resolute face, though upon closer inspection, he appeared somewhat youthful. Clearly young, he had been tempered by battlefield experience, exuding the powerful aura of a soldier.
Refined yet ruthless, youthful yet resolute, with a domineering presence as striking as thunder—all these contradictory qualities were perfectly embodied in him.
He dismounted, glanced at the plaque of the Xiao family residence, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
The guards at the Xiao family gate, dutiful and conscientious, stepped forward and inquired, "May I ask who you are, young general? Do you have a visiting card?"
"A visiting card?" the young soldier chuckled. "Xiao Boyuan, why would I need a visiting card when I go home?"
This young master?
Xiao Boyuan carefully examined the somewhat familiar face of the young man, and after a long while, he suddenly became excited.
"You are, you are Young Master Zhang Yuan!!!"
(End of Chapter)