c1: Desolation
"Xiao Yan, Dou Zhe One-Star, Level: Advanced."
Silence fell, the entire arena descending into a deathly stillness.
Almost everyone stared blankly at the magic stone tablet on the high platform, which shimmered with a faint green glow as the four large characters appeared clearly before their eyes.
"Gulp." After the initial shock, they swallowed hard.
Eleven years old, Dou Zhe One-Star, what did that mean?
The youngest Dou Zhe in the entire Xiao family, and even the entire Wutan City, in a century.
"With such a child, the Xiao family is likely to soar to great heights." In the VIP section, a leader of a major power uttered a slightly envious voice, his gaze lingering on the platform.
Four years old to sense Dou Qi, ten years old to reach the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi, eleven years old to condense a Dou Qi vortex within his body and step into the Dou Zhe realm such a genius, why wasn't he his son?
This wasn't just the thought of this leader of a major power, but also the thought in the hearts of all the middle-aged and even older generations present, especially those from clans comparable to the Xiao family.
At the same time, the young men and women of the Xiao family in the square also began to discuss among themselves, their voices filled with admiration and awe.
"Xiao Yan truly deserves to be called the number one genius of our Xiao family in a hundred years, no, it should be called the number one genius of Wutan City in a hundred years."
"Tsk tsk... As expected of the young master of the Xiao family, the son of the clan leader, the title of genius is well-deserved. Xiao Yan will definitely lead our Xiao family to glory and restore its former prestige..."
On the high platform, beside the testing magic stone tablet.
Hearing the waves of envy and praise from below, Xiao Yan's lips curled up slightly, his vanity greatly satisfied as he stood tall under countless gazes.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary young man who, by chance, transmigrated to this vast Dou Qi Continent.
Relying on the strength of the soul of a reborn person, Xiao Yan became a rising star of the Xiao family, and this star became increasingly dazzling, even showing a tendency to outshine all his peers.
Obviously, the one most pleased to see this happen was his father.
Because that man was Xiao Zhan, the head of the Xiao family.
With his son being successful, the father naturally had face.
Staring blankly at the four large characters "Dou Zhe Yi Xing" flashing on the testing magic stone tablet, the middle-aged tester remained dazed for a long time before finally recovering and respectfully saying to Xiao Yan, "Young Master Xiao Yan, congratulations on becoming a Dou Zhe. In accordance with clan rules, you may enter the Dou Technique Pavilion to choose a cultivation method and Dou Technique."
"Hmm." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, clearly satisfied with the middle-aged tester's respectful attitude. With a slight smile, he turned around and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, slowly walked towards the two young women...
However, at the very back of the queue in the square, there was a solitary figure standing out from the crowd.
It was a handsome young man, dressed in ordinary Xiao family disciple attire. He was the same age as Xiao Yan, yet his presence was far less noticeable.
While everyone's attention was focused on Xiao Yan...
Only he remained calm and composed, leaning against the tree trunk behind him, his eyes slightly closed, as though everything happening before him had nothing to do with him...
He glanced at Xiao Yan, who was surrounded by numerous female disciples of the Xiao family, led by Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun'er, and a faint, almost mocking smile appeared on the young man's lips.
As the saying goes, cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is inevitable.
Xiao Yan's prestige within the Xiao family had reached its peak; aside from his father, he unconsciously carried a sense of pride in his dealings with others.
No wonder he would suffer the scorn and ridicule of almost everyone in the Xiao family during the three years his Dou Qi mysteriously disappeared.
"Next, Xiao Se," the middle-aged tester's voice rang out again from the platform, breaking the lingering atmosphere of admiration.
Unsurprisingly, everyone's attention was still immersed in Xiao Yan's brilliance; no one paid any attention to this almost invisible young man in the Xiao family.
Hearing the middle-aged man's call, the young man raised his eyes and slowly walked towards the platform, his steps steady and unhurried.
Then, with practiced ease, he placed his hand on the testing magic stone tablet, channeling a small portion of his Dou Qi into it before stopping at a precise point.
The next second, five large characters flashed on the magic stone tablet—"Five Stages of Dou Qi."
"Xiao Se, Five Stages of Dou Qi, Level: Intermediate."
Compared to when he tested Xiao Yan, the middle-aged tester's attitude was noticeably more indifferent. However, he didn't show any mockery, as such results were still acceptable.
At eleven years old, five stages of Dou Qi, while not exactly a peerless genius, was enough to rank him in the upper-middle tier within the Xiao family.
"Your talent is quite good. With the remaining five years, as long as you can break through to the seventh stage of Dou Qi before you turn sixteen, you can stay in the family to continue your cultivation."
The middle-aged tester, as usual, offered a routine word of encouragement, his tone neither warm nor cold.
"Thank you." The young man nodded slightly, his calm face unchanged by the middle-aged tester's words. He quietly turned around and walked down from the testing platform without drawing attention.
Passing the crowd surrounding Xiao Yan, he returned to the tree trunk he had been leaning against, resuming his previous posture as if nothing had happened, waiting for the testing ceremony to end.
However, unbeknownst to anyone, when the boy passed by a girl in a purple dress beside Xiao Yan, the girl cast a scrutinizing glance at him, her clear eyes flashing with curiosity.
She thought to herself, "He's clearly at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi, yet the test only showed him at the fifth stage. Is he deliberately hiding his strength?"
Leaning against the tree trunk, the boy, whom the middle-aged tester called Xiao Se, broke off a drooping branch and sighed softly, "Sigh, has eleven years already?"
Like Xiao Yan, Xiao Se harbored a secret unknown to everyone: he was a transmigrator from Earth. In his previous life, he was a front-end programmer who, after finishing work, died suddenly after reading a Douluo Continent fanfiction, "Douluo: Stealing the System of Myriad Realms," all night.
When he awoke, he found himself transmigrated into the world of the novel Battle Through the Heavens, which he had read in his previous life, and had even become a member of the Xiao family located in Wutan City.
Most importantly, his parents were both Great Dou Master level experts, a level already considered quite powerful within a small place like Wutan City.
Unfortunately, when he was three years old, the former head of the Xiao family, Xiao Lin, perished, and the Xiao family completely lost the protection of a Dou Wang level expert.
As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down. When you possess immense wealth but lack the strength to protect it, the outcome is predictable, especially in the harsh cultivation world of the Dou Qi Continent.
The Xiao family was forced to evacuate to Wutan City, a small border town of the Jia Ma Empire.
From once being a clan sheltered by a Dou Wang expert, they were reduced to one of the so-called three major families of Wutan City, barely maintaining their former prestige.
Xiao Se's parents perished while escorting the women, children, and elderly of the Xiao family to safety, covering the family's retreat in a desperate battle.
Tragically, because Xiao Se's father was in charge of the Xiao family's criminal law and was too ruthless and impartial, he offended many people within and outside the clan.
As a result, when one of Xiao Se's parents' loyal stewards risked his life to protect the young Xiao Se and return to the Xiao family in Wutan City, a villain interfered and refused them entry.
Helpless, the elderly steward had no choice but to raise Xiao Se alone, relying on meager resources to survive.
This lasted for three years.
It was during these three years that Xiao Se missed the opportunity to intercept Xiao Xun'er.
Of course, Xiao Se didn't dwell on it much.
He's just someone who would later rely on Xiao Yan for growth over two years, not worth excessive attention.
As Xiao Se grew older, under the steward's careful tutelage, he learned to cultivate Dou Qi and displayed extraordinary talent far beyond ordinary disciples.
He began practicing Dou Qi at four and reached the third stage of Dou Zhi Qi by six, which was already considered quite impressive within the Xiao family.
This news soon reached the ears of the Xiao family elders, who had long been in subtle conflict with Xiao Zhan. Overjoyed, they immediately welcomed Xiao Se back to the Xiao family.
Xiao Zhan's prestige had risen too high in recent years, almost suppressing the authority of the elders. This was
because he had a gifted son, Xiao Yan, who also began practicing Dou Qi at four and reached the fourth stage of Dou Zhi Qi by six, slightly surpassing Xiao Se.
Therefore, when they learned that Xiao Se had reached the third stage of Dou Qi at six with only a low-level servant as guidance and without sufficient cultivation resources,
they realized that this was an opportunity to check Xiao Zhan's growing influence.
Thus, with the elders' combined efforts, Xiao Se was deliberately pushed forward to be compared with Xiao Yan, in an attempt to undermine Xiao Zhan's prestige within the Xiao family.
As a transmigrator, Xiao Se naturally couldn't sit idly by and become a pawn in the struggle between the elders and the clan leader.
Moreover, he deeply understood the principle that "the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind," especially in a world where strength determined everything.
Therefore, for the past five years, Xiao Se had deliberately concealed his true talent.
He only improved his Dou Qi by one level every two years, keeping his displayed ability mediocre neither attracting disdain nor drawing excessive attention like Xiao Yan.
It was precisely because of Xiao Se's restraint that the Xiao family elders' plan to counter Xiao Zhan ultimately failed to produce any meaningful results.
Now, Xiao Se's Dou Qi had actually reached the ninth stage. He was only one step away from breaking through to the tenth stage, condensing his Dou Qi vortex, and stepping into the Dou Zhe realm.
...
Casually waving the willow branch in his hand, Xiao Se glanced at Xiao Yan and sighed, "This Xiao Yan is really lucky."
Recalling how Xiao Zhan had secretly used clan resources not long ago to obtain a Qi Gathering Powder for his son, Xiao Se couldn't help but feel a trace of envy.
And that mysterious black ring, which contained the greatest opportunity in Doupo the soul of Yao Chen was something Xiao Se deeply coveted.
But unfortunately, Xiao Yan wasn't foolish.
As a relic left behind by his mother, he cherished that ring far more than anyone else could imagine.
Xiao Se couldn't possibly risk attacking the other party and seizing it. Even if
he had the ability, there was still Xiao Xun'er, who constantly stayed by Xiao Yan's side with unwavering attention.
(Xiao Se: Of course, if she were to show that kind of attention to me, that would be quite enjoyable!)
If she discovered he had attacked Xiao Yan, the consequences would likely be fatal given her mysterious background and hidden strength.
As for attempting to take the ring during Xiao Yan's three-year decline period like other transmigrators,
Xiao Se wouldn't even consider it.
The old man Yao Chen had already awakened; if he tried any trick, Yao Chen might mistake him for another Han Feng and eliminate him without hesitation. Xiao Se knew this old man had become extremely cautious after being betrayed by his disciple.
Even when accepting Xiao Yan, Yao Chen had secretly observed him for a long time before truly trusting him.
Over time, Xiao Se completely abandoned the idea of seizing the ring.
"Fine, even without Yao Chen, I can still become stronger. With my knowledge of the future, I'll seize the opportunities I know about first."
Suddenly, a clear and melodious female voice rang in Xiao Se's mind.
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