''Dou Qi: Level Three."
Staring at the glowing words on the stone testing monument, the boy's face remained expressionless.
At the corner of his lips, however, there was a faint trace of self-mockery.
His clenched fist tightened slightly before relaxing again.
He let out a long breath of suppressed frustration.
Such a result was exactly what he had expected.
He only wondered what his third brother would think later…
"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi: Level Three! Rank: Low tier!"
Beside the monument, a middle-aged man read out the words with an indifferent tone after glancing at the result.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a wave of ridicule rippled through the crowded square.
"Level three? Heh, just as I thought....this so-called 'genius' hasn't moved a single step forward this year!"
"If his father weren't the clan leader, a useless thing like him would've been thrown out long ago, left to fend for himself.
Who would let him stay here, eating for free?"
"Alas… who would've thought? The once-famous prodigy of Wu Tan City has fallen to this pitiful state."
The scornful laughter and sighs of pity around him stirred no waves in Xiao Yan's heart.
He had long since grown used to such ridicule over the years.
As his third brother often said, "Don't let a pack of short-sighted dogs ruin your mood. Life goes on."
Xiao Yan slowly raised his head, revealing a youthful yet handsome face.
His black eyes swept indifferently across the mocking peers around him.
"How boring."
Shaking his head, he turned away and quietly walked to the back of the line, arms folded across his chest, standing there as if nothing had happened.
"Next, Xiao Jian!"
At the tester's call, a handsome boy with sword-like brows walked out from the crowd at an unhurried pace.
The murmurs of the crowd died down, and many gazes, filled with various emotions, fell upon his white-robed figure.
His features bore a faint resemblance to Xiao Yan, but the differences only heightened his charm.
Many young girls stared at him, entranced by his handsome face.
Though still young, his well-defined features already hinted at an extraordinary appearance. His smiling eyes captured many hearts.
His well-fitted white robe further accentuated his refined, otherworldly aura.
Within Wu Tan City and the surrounding towns, Xiao Jian's name was well known.
Under everyone's gaze, Xiao Jian calmly approached the monument, his movements practiced.
He placed his palm lightly against the stone.
"Dou Qi!"
"No Dou Qi detected!"
"What?!"
The crowd erupted in shock.
"Hah! Just as I thought! After all these years, the Xiao family's third young master hasn't made any progress. He's even more useless than Xiao Yan!"
"Hehe, works out well, doesn't it? With Xiao Yan as a fallen genius to draw the fire, he must be glad!"
"Shhh! Don't talk nonsense.....Xiao Jian is the market master of the family's trading square. Watch your tongue, or he might refuse to sell you anything!"
"Bah, plenty of markets around, who cares!"
"True enough. If Xiao Yan is a fallen genius, then Xiao Jian must be a born failure! Hahaha!"
The mocking voices rang out, but Xiao Jian showed no reaction at all.
Really? That's it?
He had dealt with far harsher words from keyboard warriors before. Whoever lost their cool first, lost.
"Motherf....! Three years ago, when I was already a Dou Zhe, would you have dared to insult my third brother like this?!"
Suddenly, Xiao Yan's furious roar cracked through the air like thunder. The square instantly fell silent.
Xiao Jian turned his head, only to see Xiao Yan had leapt off the platform at some point.
He had grabbed the collar of the loudest heckler, his eyes bloodshot and face twisted with rage, as though he wanted to tear the man apart.
"Xiao Yan!"
Xiao Jian hurriedly shouted and jumped down, pulling his brother away.
The man might only be at ninth stage Dou Qi, destined never to advance beyond Dou Zhe, but he was still more than Xiao Yan could handle now.
"Brother!"
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, his face full of shame and anger.
If not for his own decline in strength, these people would never have dared to insult his third brother.
Though Xiao Jian was only his twin by a few minutes, when he was discovered at age three to be unable to absorb Dou Qi or form a Qi cyclone, it was Xiao Jian who had still fought his way to the rank of Dou Zhe with both talent and resources allotted to him.
When Xiao Yan's strength began to decline, his brother requested to manage the family market early, enduring insults while secretly channeling his resources back to Xiao Yan's training.
He also constantly encouraged and comforted Xiao Yan when he was down.
After Xiao Yan's fall, only five people in the clan had treated him the same as before.
Among them, Xiao Jian's place in his heart even surpassed his father, elder brothers, and Xun Er.
Insult him if you must. But insult his third brother.....then you've signed your death warrant!
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