At noon, with Xiao Zhan's command, the Xiao family's coming-of-age ceremony officially began. As an ancient family, although the Xiao family is not large, the ceremonial procedures are extremely intricate.
At this time, Mo Yu, along with Xiao Yan and Xun'er, watched from the stage as a young man was put through the family ritual, manipulated like a puppet according to traditional rules. Mo Yu had little interest in these so-called family traditions. For the Xiao clan, one of the eight ancient families now in decline with its highest combat power being only the Grand Fighter, what was needed was not adherence to rules but actual strength.
Soon, Mo Yu grew bored of the tedious process on stage and shifted his attention to the audience and the VIP seats.
On the left side of the stage, a pair of long, sexy legs caught his eye. Under the sunlight, they formed a perfect arc, so long and straight that one might feel tempted to touch them. At the VIP counter, a voluptuous and charming woman with a waist as slender as a water snake captivated attention.
As Mo Yu admired her, Ya Fei at the VIP table seemed to sense someone watching her and turned her gaze towards Mo Yu. Seeing Ya Fei's reaction, Mo Yu remained unembarrassed and smiled at her openly. His smile, genuine and gentlemanly, combined with his gentle demeanor, exuded an innocent charm.
Ya Fei, observing Mo Yu's directness, gritted her teeth inwardly and muttered, "Little brat!" Yet, for some reason, Mo Yu's demeanor reminded her of the mysterious man in black robe from that day, causing her delicate legs under her red skirt to tighten instinctively.
At this point, as the coming-of-age ceremony neared its midpoint, it was finally Xiao Yan's turn. The shouts from the stage drew the audience's and VIPs' eyes towards the podium, as they were eager to see if the rumored "Twin Dragons" of the Xiao family lived up to their reputation.
Xiao Yan, one of the Twin Dragons, stepped onto the stage. The host, the Second Elder Xiao Ying, acted as the tester himself to prevent any bias from the clan leader. After completing the lengthy ritual procedures, the Second Elder wiped his sweat and approached the black stone test monument, declaring, "Retest the ritual!"
The retest was far more rigorous than the preliminary assessment. The Second Elder, a two-star Grand Fighter, personally supervised and tested, underscoring the importance of the ceremony.
As the Second Elder's shout echoed, the previously bored audience perked up, their attention riveted on the stage. In the VIP seats, representatives from various forces also focused intently on the black-shirted boy, keen to verify if this genius from Wutan City had truly regained his former talent.
Amid the crowd's skepticism and curiosity, Xiao Yan approached the black stone tablet and gently placed his palm on it. The stone tablet lit up with a golden glow, displaying the words:
"Dou Zhi Qi : Eighth Stage!"
The entire audience fell silent at this result. Xiao Yan had once again demonstrated that his talent had returned. The speed at which he progressed—from the fourth stage to the fifth stage of Dou Zhi Qi in a year—was nothing short of astounding.
"Ah, five stages of Dou Zhi Qi in one year? That cultivation speed is… terrifying." On stage, the Second Elder slowly came to his senses, gazing at Xiao Yan with a complex expression. His previous doubts dissipated completely in the face of such reality. The golden light on the black stone tablet gradually faded, returning to its deep, cold black color. The entire venue remained silent, still processing the shock.
"Ahem, next is Mo Yu!" the Second Elder's cough redirected everyone's attention back to the stage.
The audience, who had just recovered from the shock, tensed up again at the mention of Mo Yu's name. With Xiao Yan proving himself, all eyes were now on Mo Yu. Speculation ran rife about whether Mo Yu deserved his place as one of the Xiao family's twin dragons. After all, Xiao Yan's talent had been extraordinary. If Mo Yu couldn't match up, being labeled as one of the Twin Dragons alongside such a genius could turn into a lifelong embarrassment.
In the VIP seats, Ya Fei observed the calm-faced Mo Yu and felt her hands tighten unconsciously, her heart inexplicably nervous. There was an odd sense of concern for this handsome young man.
Ignoring the intense gazes around him, Mo Yu approached the black stone tablet and paused in front of it. The Second Elder, eyeing the young man with a hint of doubt, touched the stone tablet with his dry palm, infusing it with a trace of fighting spirit before stepping aside expressionlessly.
As Mo Yu placed his hand on the stone tablet, Xiao Yu, unable to suppress her curiosity, turned to Xiao Ning and asked in a low voice, "Did he really defeat you with one move?"
Xiao Ning, having recently returned to the family, hadn't seen Mo Yu's strength firsthand. She nodded reluctantly and replied, "Yes, he defeated me with just one move."
The confirmation of this rumor only intensified Xiao Yu's frustration. She glared at Mo Yu, stomping her long, sexy legs in annoyance, and stubbornly declared, "Even so, I won't marry him. What kind of genius is this guy?"
Before she could continue, her expression suddenly froze as she watched the scene unfold.
On the high wooden platform, the black stone tablet illuminated once more, and large golden characters appeared on its surface in a dancing style:
"Dou Zhe: One Star!"
The revelation stunned the crowd into silence once again.