Chapter 1: The Natural Born Waste
"Fighting Power, Third Rank."
Looking at the five glaring words on the testing magic stone tablet, the young boy's face remained expressionless, with a hint of self-mockery on the corner of his lips. He tightened his hand slightly, but soon relaxed it, exhaling a breath of frustration.
This result was completely expected.
He just didn't know what his third brother would think later.
"Xiao Yan, Fighting Power, Third Rank! Level: Low!" The middle-aged man beside the testing stone looked at the information displayed and announced it indifferently.
As soon as the middle-aged man spoke, a wave of mocking disturbance spread throughout the crowded square.
"Third rank? Heh, as expected, this 'genius' has once again made no progress this year!"
"If it weren't for the fact that the family head is his father, this waste would have been driven out of the family long ago and left to die. How does he still get to stay in the family and eat for free?"
"Sigh, that once-famous genius from Wutan City, how did he end up in such a sorry state?"
The disdainful ridicule and pitying sighs that surrounded Xiao Yan fell on his ears but didn't stir any waves. These years, mockery like this had long become a part of his daily life.
As his third brother would say, there was no need to let the comments of a bunch of snobbish idiots affect your mood; life always had to go on.
Xiao Yan slowly lifted his head, revealing a slightly delicate and youthful face. His pitch-black eyes scanned over the mocking peers around him indifferently.
"How boring!"
Xiao Yan shook his head, turned around, and quietly returned to the last row of the team, crossing his arms and standing there shamelessly.
"Next, Xiao Yuan!"
Hearing the tester's call, a handsome young man with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes leisurely walked out from the crowd. The discussions nearby gradually quieted, and many different gazes were directed toward his white-robed figure.
The boy's face looked somewhat similar to Xiao Yan's, but the remaining seven parts of his features made him exceptionally handsome. Many girls in the crowd couldn't take their eyes off his good-looking face.
Although he hadn't fully grown yet due to his young age, his handsome and three-dimensional features formed a perfect combination. His smiling eyes had no idea how many young girls' hearts they had captured.
The well-fitted white robe enhanced his celestial-like, otherworldly temperament. In Wutan City and the surrounding regions, Xiao Yuan had earned a reputation far and wide.
But...
In front of everyone's eyes, Xiao Yuan strolled up to the testing stone, casually touching it.
"Fighting Power!"
"Xiao Yuan, no fighting power detected!"
"Wow!"
The moment the tester announced the results, the crowd was immediately thrown into an uproar!
"Haha, as expected. After all these years, the third young master of the Xiao family hasn't improved at all! He's even worse than Xiao Yan, a bigger waste!"
"Heh, in my opinion, it's probably a good thing. With Xiao Yan, the former genius, attracting all the fire for him, Xiao Yuan probably has no idea how happy he must be!"
"Shh, don't speak recklessly. Xiao Yuan is the master of the Xiao family's marketplace. Be careful, or he might not sell you anything!"
"Tch, there are so many markets, who cares!"
"If Xiao Yan is a fallen genius, then Xiao Yuan is definitely a born waste! Hahaha!"
Hearing the mocking voices around him, Xiao Yuan didn't react at all.
Is this it?
He had dealt with keyboard warriors who had insulted him far worse than this. Whoever got worked up first would be the loser.
"Damn it, three years ago when I was a fighter, did you dare talk like this to my third brother?"
Suddenly, the boy's angry curse exploded like thunder, and the entire arena fell into dead silence.
Xiao Yuan turned his head and saw Xiao Yan, who had jumped off the stage without anyone noticing. He was grabbing the person who had mocked him the most, his eyes red, his face twisted with anger, as if he wanted to eat him alive.
"Xiao Yan!"
Seeing this, Xiao Yuan immediately shouted sternly, then jumped off the stage, pulling Xiao Yan away.
Although the opponent was only a nine-stage fighter, his upper limit was a fighter, and he wasn't someone Xiao Yan could deal with at the moment.
"Brother!"
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, his face filled with unwillingness and shame. If his strength hadn't regressed, these guys wouldn't have dared to be so reckless in mocking his third brother.
Although Xiao Yuan was only a few minutes older than him, when he started cultivating at the age of three and was discovered to be unable to absorb fighting energy to form a fighting cyclone, he was still able to cultivate to a fighter at an impressive speed. This wasn't just due to talent; it was also due to the resources the family provided Xiao Yuan.
Later, when Xiao Yan's strength started to regress, third brother even applied to his father to enter the marketplace early and participate in management, yet still bore the criticism and received family resources to support his cultivation.
Not only that, but third brother would often advise him when he was feeling frustrated, encouraging him and giving him strength.
Among the family, only five people treated him the same after his downfall. But no matter what, his father, elder brothers, and Xun'er were all inferior to the position third brother held in his heart.
Mocking Xiao Yan, that didn't matter, but if anyone dared to mock third brother, they were asking for death!
"Heh, you and I are still young, but some people may end up dead in the streets before they see our future. There's no need to be angry with him."
Xiao Yuan smiled and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. He then took him by the arm and walked back to the end of the team, never once looking at the person who had spoken arrogantly.
Naturally, Xiao Yan listened to his brother. He suppressed his anger and followed Xiao Yuan.
"Hmph!"
Seeing that the Xiao brothers ignored him, the person who had spoken arrogantly was seething with anger. When Xiao Yan had grabbed him by the collar and scolded him earlier, he had seemed like the once-famous young genius who had become a fighter at the age of eleven.
Although he was unwilling to admit it, he had indeed been intimidated by the boy's courage.
The crowd didn't pay much attention to the previous commotion. The deep brotherly bond that had just been displayed made many people admire the two brothers more. One was fiery, the other composed. If both of them could cultivate properly, the Xiao family would definitely become famous not just in Wutan City but across the Jia Ma Empire.
As for the clown who was ignored by the Xiao brothers, no one cared about his feelings.
The man with the sly eyes lowered his head as he felt the disdainful stares from the surrounding people. A flash of venom appeared in his eyes.
But he didn't notice that on the stage, a scorching, faintly golden-eyed gaze swept over him.
The small commotion was soon forgotten by the crowd when Xiao Mei, who had the seventh-stage fighting energy, took the stage.
Soon after, Xiao Xun'er, a more important figure, took the stage. Her reputation was second only to Xiao Yuan, and her talent was only second to Xiao Yan.
Fourteen years old, ninth-stage fighting energy! In the Xiao family, she was the genius just below the "fallen" Xiao Yan.
As expected, such a result immediately caused an uproar in the crowd.
However, Xiao Xun'er didn't care. Few things and people could make her care.
She calmly turned around and walked toward the two brothers, who were now standing at the back of the team, arm-in-arm.
"Xiao Yan, Xiao Yuan!"
Everyone saw Xiao Xun'er, who usually appeared indifferent, now slightly bowing her head and showing respect to the two boys, and they couldn't help but think: these two really should die!
(END CHAPTER)
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