Chapter 275: The Confident Young Man and the Tearful Young Woman
Xiao Yan certainly had the capital to be proud. He began cultivating battle qi at the age of four, reached the Ninth Stage of battle qi at ten, and broke through to the Tenth Stage at eleven, successfully forming his battle qi vortex, becoming the youngest fighter in his family in a hundred years. His genius reputation resounded throughout Wutan City, and even the Yun Lan Sect extended an olive branch, hoping to recruit him as an inner disciple, but he politely declined.
He didn't like the atmosphere of sects, and once you entered a faction, it was hard to leave.
Compared to these so-called sects, Xiao Yan preferred staying with his family, spending time with his loved ones. He had lived in Wutan City for over ten years, and he was very content with everything around him, not wanting to get involved in meaningless struggles.
In other words, he liked his current comfort zone and didn't want to step out for the time being.
As for the future…
Xiao Yan wasn't in a hurry. He was still young, his body hadn't fully developed, and his battle qi was steadily improving. There was no rush to think about the future. A few years later, perhaps he would follow Xiao Yu's advice and go to the Jia Nan Academy to study for a while.
But for now, his age and battle qi cultivation weren't enough to support him in exploring a broader world.
"Next, Xiao Xun'er!"
The voice of the examiner in the distance interrupted Xiao Yan's thoughts, causing him to involuntarily focus on a young girl. She was wearing a light purple dress, elegant and independent, with a calm and youthful face that radiated a sense of coolness and grace, like a lotus blooming for the first time.
At such a young age, she already had an extraordinary temperament. It was hard to imagine how stunning she would be when she grew up…
The moment she walked out, she immediately attracted everyone's attention. Many of the boys stared at her, captivated, unable to look away. Even Xiao Yan was no exception. After all, her beauty and aura far surpassed that of Xiao Mei, who was standing beside him.
No man, whether young or old, was immune to the allure of beauty.
"Mei'er, I knew it. Xiao Yan brother likes Xun'er sister more~" Xiao Mei noticed the change in the atmosphere around them, especially Xiao Yan's gaze, which made her feel a strong sense of jealousy. Her thin brows furrowed slightly as she said in a tone that was half coquettish and half aggrieved.
"Cough, what nonsense are you talking about!" Xiao Yan coughed and immediately looked away from Xiao Xun'er, trying to act calm.
However, his gaze still occasionally flickered toward her. To be honest, Xun'er was becoming more and more charming. He hadn't noticed it when she was younger, but now, she seemed much more graceful, and as a child with an adult's soul, he naturally took care of his "lonely" little sister.
As time went on, Xiao Xun'er became more graceful, both in her temperament and appearance. Many young masters in Wutan City had heard of her, and some even climbed over walls to secretly observe her. Her personality seemed to grow more reserved and serene.
When she was younger, he could interact with her more easily. But now, things felt a bit more distant.
Xiao Yan had also tried to approach her, to strengthen their bond, but Xun'er had never changed her attitude. She remained polite but rarely showed the expressions a girl her age should have.
After trying a few times, Xiao Yan gave up. He wasn't going to be charmed by a girl.
He had his own pride.
Xiao Mei smiled sweetly, not continuing to say anything that would embarrass Xiao Yan. As she looked at the girl walking toward the magic stone tablet in the distance, a bit of comparison crept into her mind. She said, "I wonder if Xun'er sister has improved her strength this time."
As soon as she spoke, Xiao Xun'er raised her little hand, and the purple sleeve, embroidered with black-golden threads, fell down to reveal her snow-white, delicate arm. She gently touched the stone tablet, and after a brief moment of calm, a blinding light burst from it.
"Battle Qi: Seven Stages! Level: Advanced!"
As the characters appeared on the magic stone tablet, the crowd fell silent.
"...She's not far from forming the battle qi vortex. In a year at most, she can try to break through to the Fighter stage. Wow, after Xiao Yan, she must be the second in the Xiao family!" After a brief moment, some noise emerged from the distant crowd.
The examiner in charge of the magic stone tablet smiled slightly and bowed to the young girl. "Xun'er Miss, if you break through to the Fighter level within a year, you will be the second person in the Xiao family in a hundred years!"
"Thank you~" The girl seemed indifferent, her gaze calm as she softly replied, then turned to leave.
As she walked away, some people tried to greet her, but her cold aura pushed them back.
Until someone blocked her path.
Xiao Yan...
Xiao Xun'er's eyes shifted slightly, and as she looked at him, some interesting memories from her childhood resurfaced, causing the corners of her mouth to curl into a faint smile. She softly asked, "Xiao Yan brother, is there something you need?"
She smiled... She smiled!
This scene made many people pause for a moment before looking enviously at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan was also taken aback by the girl's smile. For some reason, he found himself speaking without thinking, "You're not far from forming the battle qi vortex. If you encounter any problems, feel free to ask me. I have some insights in this area."
After he spoke, he inexplicably felt his face grow hot. Forming the vortex was typically something that the elders guided, and his own strength was still lacking. Saying this felt somewhat self-serving.
"Mm~" Xiao Xun'er responded softly, then took her leave.
"Ha~" Xiao Yan watched as Xiao Xun'er walked away, letting out a deep breath. It felt like he had been a little overwhelmed. It wasn't just his imagination, but this girl's aura was much stronger than that of Xiao Mei and the other girls.
Xiao Mei, standing next to Xiao Yan, muttered softly, "Xun'er sister really doesn't understand good intentions. Xiao Yan brother cares about her so much, but she doesn't appreciate it."
"This girl has always been like this~" Xiao Yan said indifferently.
"Isn't it time for your test, Xiao Yan brother? Tell me quietly, what's your current strength? Have you broken through to the Fighter stage?!" Xiao Mei asked, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she stared at Xiao Yan.
"I don't need to take tests anymore~" Xiao Yan smiled confidently.
The spirited youth he was, he made no effort to hide his pride.
Now, he was no longer just a Fighter, but a solid Two-Star Fighter. Even in the Xiao family, only a few people had higher cultivation than him, and he could even be considered a strong man in Wutan City!
Xiao Mei looked up at Xiao Yan with admiration and sweetly said, "As expected of Xiao Yan brother!"
...
The family test in the Xiao Clan didn't seem to have any effect on Xiao Xun'er. She leisurely strolled in the back mountain, holding an Gu book in her hands, reading through the cultivation insights from the Gu Clan . It included detailed introductions on battle qi, Hun realms, and more.
As she grew older, the hidden dangers in her body gradually faded, and the power from her Dou Emperor bloodline began to recover steadily. This was evident from her increasingly fast cultivation speed, which didn't cause her any pain, suggesting that her body had already adapted.
She could even briefly tap into her bloodline power to greatly enhance her strength... but doing so placed a considerable burden on her body, leaving her weakened for a while.
This reflected how high her Dou Emperor bloodline concentration was! After all, without a high bloodline concentration, she couldn't do something like this, akin to activating the clan's secret patterns. She could even feel the terrifying strength of her bloodline. If she didn't care about the consequences, she could push her strength to unimaginable levels.
At the same time, the space beside her suddenly twisted, and a middle-aged woman dressed in a black gown walked out. Her gaze was gentle as she looked at the young girl, and after a moment, a hint of pity appeared in her eyes. She quietly said, "Miss, there's a message from the clan..."
"Mm? What is it?" Xiao Xun'er paused, her clear eyes looking over as she asked.
"They hope you're mentally prepared... the clan has decided to arrange a marriage with the Hun Clan." Hua Yi hesitated before slowly delivering the message. After speaking, she didn't dare look into the young girl's eyes. With her wisdom, she would immediately understand what she meant.
Xiao Xun'er froze for a moment, a visible panic flashing in her eyes. Her usual cold, quiet demeanor was just to keep those people away, but in reality, she was still a thirteen-year-old girl with an immature heart. Hearing that her family wanted her to marry suddenly, how could she not feel scared and confused?
"Why... Why would this happen? Isn't our relationship with the Hun Clan always bad? And father... How could he agree?" Xiao Xun'er lightly bit her lip, looking like a small, abandoned beast. She whispered.
"The Hun Clan has a peerless genius. The clan leader personally came to propose. As for the rest, I don't know." Hua Yi said, her heart aching as she looked at the fragile girl.
She was only at the Dou Zun level and clearly wasn't informed of the reasons behind the clan's decisions.
What she couldn't understand was why the clan leader would offer his daughter for marriage!
"What is the clan leader thinking?"
Xiao Xun'er bit her lip, her eyes filled with heartbreaking weakness, but this weakness was soon buried deep in her heart. After a moment, she calmed herself, looked up at Hua Yi, and said in a low voice, "I want to go back!"
She wanted to ask her father for an explanation!
"It's better if you don't go back for now..." A familiar sigh suddenly sounded in Xiao Xun'er's ear. She looked over and saw the one person she was most familiar with. He was standing by her side, looking at her apologetically.
"Father?!" Hua Yi was startled when she saw the person and quickly bowed.
"You leave first, I need to talk to Xun'er." Gu Yuan spoke softly.
Hua Yi nodded, turned, and left.
Gu Yuan looked at his daughter with heartache. Even with his peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng strength, he couldn't maintain his composure in front of her. Especially when he saw the tears in her eyes, he wanted to ignore the decisions of the clan's elders.
"Why are you crying? Just listen to the news and don't take it to heart." Gu Yuan said awkwardly, looking at the tears falling from Xiao Xun'er's eyes. He would rather go and fight with Hun Tian Di than see this scene.
Xiao Xun'er didn't speak, just silently shed tears. Even when crying, she remained very composed, her tears a quiet sign of helplessness and grievance, which made her even more pitiful.
"This matter is complicated. My agreeing to it was just a stalling tactic, not that I truly want you to marry!" Gu Yuan said with a headache.
Xiao Xun'er, with her elegant eyes, silently stared at her father, waiting for more.
Gu Yuan spoke slowly, telling her all the information about Yao Yan: "The Hun Clan has a peerless genius, possessing five different Dou Emperor bloodlines: from the Medicine Clan, Hun Clan, Spirit Clan, Stone Clan, and Flame Clan. At only twenty-seven, he has reached the peak of Nine-turn Dou Zun. He is just a few years away from becoming a Dou Sheng. According to the recent investigations, he is also an Eighth-Rank Senior Alchemist and has five different heavenly flames... The most important thing is that he didn't rely on the Hun Clan's strength to reach this point!"
Gu Yuan sighed with some emotion, clearly surprised by these findings. After the information was verified, he had been astonished, and it was easy to confirm the authenticity of it... Yao Chen was currently the Tower Master of the Pill Tower, and the Pill Tower had the support of the Gu Clan .
"Now he has become the Young Clan Leader of the Hun Clan. His strength will only increase by leaps and bounds, and his future achievements will not be lower than that of Hun Tian Di!" Gu Yuan said solemnly.
"So my father has sold me off?" Xiao Xun'er asked coldly after hearing Gu Yuan's words.
"If it were just that, I would never agree... The main issue is that Hun Tian Di's idea is very dangerous. He wants to open the Tuo She Gu Emperor's cave. The Gu jade fragments are controlled by the major imperial clans, and now, with Yao Yan's existence, he can use Yao Yan's five bloodlines as leverage to unite the other clans to open the cave and uncover the mystery of the Dou Emperor!"
Gu Yuan's eyes darkened with helplessness and hesitation. He continued:
"The Dou Emperor bloodlines of the various clans are gradually diminishing. If no new Dou Emperors emerge from the clan, the Xiao Clan's future is tied to the other clans. Even if the Dou Emperor cave is not opened this generation, it will still happen in the future, leading to a grand war among the imperial clans... Now, we have the chance to open it peacefully, and all the elders of the clan have agreed."
In the end, it was a matter of trading a marriage for benefits, but Gu Yuan didn't want to say such blunt words to his daughter.
Xiao Xun'er had stopped crying. The sight of her father had made her emotions break down momentarily, but she had already calmed down. After a while, she spoke softly: "Can I still choose?"
"Yes!" Gu Yuan took a deep breath and looked at his daughter, his voice firm: "As the clan leader, I can only agree to this matter... but as your father, I support any choice you make. What I agreed to is only for us. If you have enough strength in the future, you can choose to reject it!"
Xiao Xun'er's eyes flickered slightly, and she understood what her father meant. Her heart warmed a little, and after some thought, she slowly said: "Then, doesn't that mean father is betraying him? If he really takes that step, then..."
"Then whether the Tuo She Gu Emperor's cave holds the method to become an Emperor is still uncertain. If it does, he might not be the first to become one!" Gu Yuan's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. He spoke slowly, "For my daughter, I've decided to take this chance."
Xiao Xun'er understood her father's intentions. She paused and said, "I want to meet him."
"…Alright!" Gu Yuan looked at his daughter, paused for a moment, then nodded slowly.
(END CHAPTER)
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