Xiao Yan!
This name seemed to possess some kind of magic. As soon as it left the Third Elder's mouth, the scene instantly became lively. Heads turned everywhere, searching for that figure, but no matter how they looked, they couldn't find him.
The Third Elder waited for a moment after calling the name, and when he heard no response, he finally shifted his gaze from the list. He scanned the crowd, and upon not finding the figure, his heart stirred, but his face remained impassive. He called out again:
"Xiao Yan!"
Still no response. He muttered to himself:
What's going on with this little guy? The coming-of-age ceremony is just a test at adulthood to allocate resources. There's no rule saying you're not an adult or won't be dealt with if you don't test. He wouldn't be that naive, would he?
Thinking this, he looked up at the high platform and saw Xiao Zhan, who was clearly of his nephew's generation but whose face looked not much different from his own. He sighed in his heart. Those two, father and son, had ultimately sacrificed too much for this family.
With this thought, he withdrew his gaze, cleared his throat lightly, and skipped Xiao Yan, calling out the next name:
"Xiao Mei'er!"
Hearing this, a woman in a bright red dress pushed through the crowd and leaped onto the high platform with a light step.
As she moved, most of the attention in the arena focused on her. As one of the few well-known individuals in the Xiao Family, she always attracted considerable attention.
After all, she was less than fourteen years old. Under everyone's gaze, she was inevitably a bit nervous. After taking a few deep breaths, she placed her hand on the Stone Tablet, and then Dou Qi surged into her palm, injecting into the Stone Tablet.
"Dou Qi Stage, Seventh Stage! Grade, High Grade!"
The Third Elder smiled and nodded, announcing the result.
Xiao Mei'er heard this and was ecstatic, holding her head high, no longer showing any of the previous nervousness.
The Third Elder offered a few words of encouragement and continued calling names. The subsequent tests went smoothly, but as Time passed, the list was nearly finished, and there was still no sign of Xiao Yan in the crowd. He shook his head slightly. That little guy, does he ultimately not want to face this?
Just when only one person remained, he saw two figures walking side-by-side from a distance under the setting sun. He couldn't help but start muttering to himself:
I wonder what kind of charm this kid has. Even after three years in the depths, he can still make that girl fall for him.
He was already old, so how could he not know that Xun'er's feelings for Xiao Yan had surpassed ordinary liking? However, neither he nor the other Elders of the Xiao Family had paid too much attention to it.
After all, for children, liking comes and goes quickly. Xiao Yan's former halo made him popular. When the halo faded, that liking would also disappear. It was normal for children to act like Xiao Mei'er: You're amazing, I admire you and want to be close. You're not amazing, so I won't play with you anymore.
This should have been correct, but Xun'er was, after all, someone whose Talent and cognitive growth had astonished many Dou Sheng existences in the Gu Clan. She wasn't old, but her heart was already mature, not that of an ordinary thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl.
What a pity. Xiao Yan was supposed to be the hope for our Xiao Family's resurgence, but now...
The Third Elder sighed in his heart, feeling deeply regretful. The Xiao Family had indeed been glorious. Everyone in the Xiao Family, including him, had felt joy because of Xiao Yan's Talent. With the kind of Talent Xiao Yan had displayed, he could definitely have led the Xiao Family back to the Imperial Capital.
But it was as if the heavens were playing a joke on them. Three years ago, Xiao Yan's Dou Qi Cyclone collapsed overnight, and his Cultivation Level also disappeared overnight. Since then, no matter what, he showed no progress.
At first, it was fine. The Clan still held hope for him and didn't have any strange opinions of him. Resources and such were never discounted. But as Time passed, he remained stuck at the Dou Qi Stage Third Stage. Everyone completely gave up hope, and it was from that point on that Xiao Yan truly became a laughingstock.
As the Third Elder was lamenting, Xiao Yan and the other person had already walked side-by-side and stopped at the edge of the crowd. When the young people nearby saw the two of them, they couldn't help but cast fierce gazes at Xiao Yan.
At their age, they naturally wouldn't think as much as the Clan Elders. They only knew that when Xiao Yan was a Genius, they were overshadowed, and now that he was behind them, they wanted to step on him and say:
"Xiao Yan, weren't you amazing? Why are you only at the Dou Qi Stage Third Stage now?"
It seemed that such words could greatly satisfy the vanity in their hearts and become Capital for them to show off to others. After all, not everyone had the opportunity to step on a Genius like this.
As for the bonds of kinship, perhaps they would only understand that when they grew older or experienced some changes.
Xiao Yan felt those gazes filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, and shook his head helplessly, but there was a hidden sense of satisfaction in his heart. That satisfaction came from the fact that they wanted him to sink into despair, but he hadn't fulfilled their wishes.
He actually wasn't unaware that if he just continued to be silent, they would gradually lose interest in stepping on him. After all, for these people, only stepping on the Genius Xiao Yan could satisfy their inexplicable psychology, not a complete and utter waste.
But the stubbornness in his bones made him refuse to admit defeat just like that. For three years, even though he hadn't made any progress, he hadn't given up on Cultivation for a single day, even though he knew that he might never have a chance to recover.
A thought stirred in his heart. Since others thought he was a waste and didn't deserve to be with a Heavenly Pride like Xun'er, he would specifically do the opposite...
Thus, he suddenly took Xun'er's small hand and walked towards the crowd, calling out as he went:
"Excuse me, excuse me."
He wasn't a Sage, and in fact, he considered himself just a Mortal. If others couldn't stand him, he wouldn't put down that inexplicable arrogance in his heart to cater to them.
Xiao Yan didn't notice that the action he took out of a nearly rebellious mindset brought a smile to Xun'er's eyes. It had been a long time since she had seen Xiao Yan make such an intimate gesture towards her, and moreover...
Brother Xiao Yan is still as confident as he was when he used to command the world...
Xun'er whispered in her heart, a smile appearing on her little face, making the eyes of those around them look even fiercer at Xiao Yan. If looks could kill, Xiao Yan might have already turned to dust.
But neither Xiao Yan nor Xun'er cared much. Xiao Yan even deliberately tightened his grip on the soft hand in his.
Xun'er was extremely cooperative. A surge of Dou Qi quietly spread from her, running ahead of Xiao Yan to clear a Route for him.
She was no longer a child, so she knew what attracted her to Xiao Yan, and she knew that that quality had actually never disappeared from him. Instead, after several years of tempering, it had gradually integrated with him.
He was no longer as sharp as he once was, but he was like a green bamboo, firm and unyielding after countless trials, no matter the Wind from east, west, south, or north.
The actions of the two caused a considerable stir in the crowd, which naturally caught the eyes of the Elders on the high platform. The Third Elder felt that the atmosphere was gradually exceeding the scope of ordinary rivalry. He cleared his throat and said:
"What kind of behavior is this, making such a fuss? Quiet down, everyone!"
In other places, his words as a mere Dou Spirit wouldn't have much effect, but in the Xiao Family, as the Third Elder, he still had a lot of authority. Not long after his voice fell, the previously noisy crowd actually quieted down.
Seeing this, he continued:
"The test continues. This time, there are only two of you left for the test. Xiao Yan, you weren't here when I called your name earlier. Now make up for it. You go first."
Xiao Yan had no objection. It was the same whether he tested or not, and he didn't want to cause any trouble and waste Time. After responding, he released Xun'er's small hand and walked around to the side of the high platform.
Seriously, why is this Testing Platform built so high? Are all the juniors in the Clan little Geniuses, with everyone having Sixth Stage Strength?
Xiao Yan complained in his heart. He really couldn't understand why the Testing Platform had to be built two meters high. How could ordinary people jump up there? Not to mention the height, there wasn't even a ladder in the front, so he had to go around to the side.
In the crowd, everyone was almost holding their breath, but when they saw Xiao Yan slowly walking towards the stairs, a burst of laughter finally erupted!
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