Looking at the information on the Magical Testing Mo, the middle-aged examianding beside it, who had been indifferent, also revealed a rare hint of a smile. He spoke respectfully to the girl, "Miss Xun Er, I believe you will reach the Dou Master realm soon."

  "Thank you." The young dy nodded slightly, her pin faot showing any joy in respoo his praise. She turned quietly and, amidst the admiring and passionate gazes of tless men, walked slowly to the genius youth at the very end of the crowd.

  The young dy stopped iracks and bowed slightly toward Xiao Yan with a geilt of her head. With a smile that curved her eyes and brows, she said, "Xiao Yan ge-ge."

  Her pretty face broke into a smile, ohat made the surrounding girls envious.

  "Xun Er, I almost got surpassed by you again."

  Looking at the girl who had grown to be the most dazzling jewel in the o matter how much Xiao Yan's strength had increased over the years or how mature he had bee, the girl in front of him who had been with him since childhood remaihe softest spot in his heart.

  It was true that he often liked to boast and show off his strength, and revel in the cries of adoration and the worship he received from little fans like Xiao Mei.

  However, his feelings for Xun Er had never ged.

  "The aplished lead the way; it looks like I'll have to call you 'Senior Sister Xun Er' iure."

  "Xiao Yan ge-ge, you're teasing Xun Er again," Xiao Xun Er's small face puffed up slightly. Her slightly immature voice was warm and endearing.

  Xiao Mei watched them flirt. She ughed self-depregly and thought with a hint nation, 'I ever pare to her. No matter how hard I try, I just 't surpass her.'

  The fairy is willing, but King Xiang doesn't dream. The falling flowers are yearning for love, but the heartless brook ripples on.

  TL/N: Both were idioms to refer to the ued love of a woman.

  "The Little Leader and Miss Xuruly seem like a match made in heaven."

  "Ihey've been childhood sweethearts, and both of them have such strong strength and are so immealented."

  "Why does everyone like the Little Leader so much? Leave some for us too..."

  Amidst the envious howls from behind, Xiao Yan and Xun Er walked side by side away from the square. Waiting in line for the results? It was just an excuse; waiting for the beautiful dy was the real purpose.

  Along the way, Xun Er was stantly amused by Xiao Yan's jokes and smiled beautifully. Only in front of her did Xiao Yan behave like a carefree, humorous fifteen-year-old boy.

  The Elders and Head Xiao Zhan watched them ily on the high ptform.

  The Grand Elder stroked his beard, finding the pair more and mreeable, "I think this Xiao Yan boy and Xun Er are quite well-matched."

  The Sed Elder nodded slowly and said, "If those two were to marry, given time, our Xiao would undoubtedly bee the most powerful Wu Tan City."

  The Third Elder also nodded in approval.

  Only Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan's father and the Head, wore a worried expression. "Xun Er is not from our Xiao after all. It's difficult to make decisions about such matters."

  Only he khat even though he had only met Xun Er's father once, he uood that the man's strength was undoubtedly superior to his oossibly even far beyond. If things were to escate and take a turn for the worse, the entire Xiao could potentially face a catastrophic disaster...

  …

  The moon hung in the sky like a silver ptter, with stars scattered across it.

  At the top of a mountain cliff, Xiao Yan stood bare-chested. He was repeatedly practig his Dou Teiques on the hard rocks. Punch after punch, kick after kick, he relentlessly attacked the sturdy boulders until his Dou Qi was depleted. His strength was not gained without reason; apart from cultivation, he uood the importance of Dou Teiques.

  Strength without teique was nothing more than brute force.

  "It's hard to believe that fifteen years have already passed," Xiao Yan exhaled, looking up at the bright moon as he murmured to himself.

  Xiao Yan was just an ordinary person among many in his previous life. Wealth, beauty… Such things were like parallel lihat never intersected with his life. Thus, having learned from his past, he resolved to cultivate diligently upon arriving in the Dou Qi ti.

  Moreover, the bination of his two lives made his soul surprisingly strohan an ordinary person's, which was another important reason why he could achieve twice the results with half the effort in his cultivation.

  The soul was innate on the Dou Qi ti. Perhaps it could bee a little stronger with age, but it seemed that there was no longer any teique to specifically cultivate the soul.

  Xiao Yan had grown with the reputation of being a genius, yet he had always remairict with himself and never dared to sck off. After all, this Xun Er girl wasn't a reinator, yet her cultivation speed astonishingly kept pace with his.

  This made Xiao Yawice the pressure. He naturally uood the principle of the sky from the bottom of a well.

  Not to mention that Wu Tan City was just a small border city of the Jia Ma Empire, there were much more powerful fas in the imperial capital.

  Xiao Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened as he quickly turned his head. However, his guard dropped upon seeing the figure behind him. He warmly smiled towards the dark forest and said, "Father, you've e?"

  His Spiritual Perception was much sharper than that of a Dou Master or even a Dou Grandmaster. Xiao Zhan hadn't even approached closely when he already sehe slight rustling in the forest.

  In the forest, after a moment of silence, Xiao Zhan's voice came with a touch of helplessness, "Yan Er, you… Do you not know how to take care of your own body? Every day you practitil te at night, and in the m, you get up early to tinue your cultivation. Do you think you are made of iron?

  The branches swayed for a moment as a middle-aged man emerged. Although he was scolding Xiao Yan, an unceable smile of satisfa appeared at the ers of his mouth as he looked at his son standing in the moonlight. The more he looked, the more pleased he became.

  Giving up halfway or being arrogant and self-satisfied was the worst thing to do in cultivation. As a loving father, he was naturally happy to see that his son did not bee ceited with his genius status and tio cultivate with diligence.

  The man was dressed in luxurious gray clothing. He had an imposing presence as he walked. His thick eyebrows added a touch of boldo his face. He was the current Head of the Xiao , as well as Xiao Yan's father, a 5-star Dou Grandmaster, Xiao Zhan!

  "Father, aren't you also up te without rest?"

  Xiao Yan's mature demeanor disappeared instantly as he looked at the middle-aged man. His smile on his face became even more pronounced. Although he had memories from his previous life, this father before him had showered him with endless affe since his birth. Such aade Xiao Yan wholeheartedly address him as "father."

  "You're already fifteen, right? In another year, we hold your ing-of-age ceremony, and then you'll officially bee the Little Leader."

  Although Xiao Yan was already referred to as the Little Leader by the members of the , the official annou would have to wait until his ing-of-age ceremony.

  "It's not really a big deal, is it? After all, everybody is already callihat."

  "This is different. Once you bee a Little Leader, you'll have access to the more powerful Xuan Css Dou Teiques. Our 's highest Dou Teiques are of Xuan Css. Yan Er, if you want to bee stronger, having access to more powerful Dou Teiques and Qi Methods is essential. It's better for you to start training with more advanced Dou Skills as soon as possible."

  Xiao Yan just smiled and didn't say much. He touched the ring on his right hand. In truth, he didn't ck powerful Dou Teiques and Qi Methods.

  "Alright, enough with the smiling. I'm just here to make sure you go back to rest soon. We have an important guest arriving tomorrow."

  "Hehe, I'll practice a little more..."

  "You little rascal, get back to your room and sleep right now!"

  …

  The m, Xiao Yan was stretg his body in his room when an aged voice called from outside, "Third Young Master, the Head requests your presen the hall!"

  Xiao Yan was the you in the family, with two older brothers above him. However, they had long since go to gain experiend would occasionally return home, usually at the end of the year. In general, his two older brothers were quite good to Xiao Yan, this you brother of theirs.

  "Uood," Xiao Yan replied casually and ged into fresh clothes. He then walked out of the room and smiled at an elderly man in a green robe waiting outside, "Let's go, Steward Mo."

  Xiao Ya a surge of curiosity stirring within him. What kind of important guest could cause his father to make such meticulous preparations?