The final assessments on the training ground were still underway, the results a mix of jubilation and sorrow. Five years of arduous work had culminated in this single moment.
Chen Guan felt no desire to join the crowd. He wasn't particularly interested in the outcome. Instead, he sat alone on the steps near the gate, his mind miles away.
Nalan Yanran is about to become Yun Yun's disciple. That means the annulment of the engagement isn't far behind.
At this point in time, Xiao Yan was about ten years old. In another year, his Dou Qi would begin to mysteriously vanish, marking the start of his three-year-long ordeal. In just over four years, the grand story would officially begin.
I have to practice harder.
The memory of boasting to Yao Ye after reaching the four-star Dou Zhe realm in a single month brought a flicker of embarrassment. He had been proud then, but thinking about it calmly now, he knew the road ahead was long and treacherous.
I may have a few years' head start, but Xiao Yan has an ancient master in his corner. That's a cheat of another level entirely. The race is on.
One year later.
Inside a closed fighting cage, a young man in azure robes, sword in hand, moved like a phantom amidst seven snarling Gale Wolves.
Gale Wolves were low-level, second-tier Magical Beasts, each comparable in strength to a two-star human Dou Zhe. In fact, due to the inherent physical advantages of a Magical Beast, an ordinary two-star Dou Zhe would have no choice but to flee for their life.
But the scene in the cage defied all convention. For a full quarter of an hour, the seven Gale Wolves had surrounded the youth, launching a relentless assault. Now they were exhausted, their tongues lolling and saliva dripping, yet they hadn't even managed to touch the corner of his robes. The experience was enough to make them doubt the very nature of being a wolf.
Across from them, seeing his opponents' pathetic state, the young man's face was a mask of disappointment.
"This game of bullying the weak is truly boring. Let's end it."
With those words, he showed no more mercy. Activating his Wandering Cloud Steps, he took the initiative, weaving through their attacks. In just over ten breaths, their painful lives were over.
Clap! Clap!
Crisp applause rang out. Yao Ye walked forward, opening the cage and handing him a towel.
"You're such a monster," she sighed, shaking her head. "I feel like in a few more months, you'll be stronger than me."
Even she would find it a challenge to dispatch seven Gale Wolves with such effortless grace. She had witnessed Chen Guan's growth firsthand, which only made his progress all the more shocking.
When they first met, he was at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi while she was a Dou Zhe. The second time, he had become a Dou Zhe, but she still held the advantage. She had finally won a battle against him, but her lead hadn't even lasted a year before he had caught up and surpassed her again.
Having a younger brother like this is far too stressful!
"No matter how powerful I become, I would never bully you, sister," he said with a smile. "Shouldn't you be at the training grounds today? Why did you have time to come here?"
"I missed you. Can't I come and see you?"
"Do you really think I'd believe that?"
"Hmph. So boring. Can't you at least pretend to be touched? I just received news about the Xiao family you asked me to keep an eye on. It seems Xiao Yan, that supposed once-in-a-century genius, has a problem with his cultivation. He has fallen from a Dou Zhe all the way back to the eighth stage of Dou Zhi Qi. The Xiao family tried to hide the news, but paper can't contain a fire. It's already spreading."
Chen Guan froze for a moment, and a sudden sense of urgency gripped him.
"Alright, I understand. You don't need to pay attention to it anymore."
"Are you somehow connected to the Xiao family? Xiao Yan's talent was good, but he's still far inferior to you. He shouldn't even be considered your opponent, right?"
"It doesn't matter. I just find it interesting." He changed the subject. "Let's not talk about this, Sister Yao Ye. I want to leave the palace and go out for some real-world experience. Don't refuse yet—hear me out first."
"I know you're worried about my safety, but I'm a three-star Dou Zhe now. With the Thousand Flames Sword Art and Wandering Cloud Steps, no one below the Da Dou Shi realm can threaten me. I won't go to dangerous places, just the outer edges of the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training. Self-protection won't be a problem. Worst case, I still have your token and can go to the local City Lord's mansion for help."
He said this with the utmost seriousness. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, but one he had carefully considered.
Yao Ye knew him well. Seeing the look on his face, she knew it would be difficult to persuade him otherwise and her playful demeanor vanished.
"You have to go?"
"Sister Yao Ye, you know me. I never feel a true sense of danger fighting these beasts in a cage. I need to experience a real baptism of blood. You don't want me to get hammered by some other genius of the same level in the future and become a stepping stone for someone else, do you?"
Yao Ye thought for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. She agreed. What he said was true. A practitioner who had clawed their way out of a pile of corpses and one who had lived a sheltered life were two completely different creatures.
"Alright," she relented. "But I will send a few people to follow you. They will always be one day behind. If you encounter danger, you can go back and find them. This is not negotiable. They will not affect your experience. As long as you don't actively seek them out, they won't interfere with anything you do."
"No problem."
"Also, write to me once every two weeks. If I don't receive a letter on time, I will have someone drag you back."
"No problem."
"And try to come back as soon as possible. If you're not back for my coming-of-age ceremony, you can just wait for death."
"…"
After being forced by Yao Ye to sign a series of unequal treaties, Chen Guan was finally released. It would be a lie to say he wasn't excited. After so many years on the Dou Qi Continent, he had never truly experienced this world.
After packing his necessities into his storage ring, Chen Guan went to Yao Yue's palace to say goodbye, lest the little princess hunt him down later. Unfortunately, he couldn't find her. He knew at a glance that she was probably with her teacher, Fa Ma, learning alchemy. It was a familiar routine; every time she returned, she would complain to him for ages, completely unaware of how lucky she was.
Since he didn't see her, Chen Guan didn't force it. He asked a guard to pass on the message and then set off directly, his journey unimpeded.
The imperial capital was bustling and prosperous, a world away from the tranquility of the palace. Experiencing the local customs and culture, Chen Guan walked toward the city gate. Though he had a destination in mind, he chose to walk. The journey itself could be a form of practice.
"Dou Qi wings! A Dou Wang powerhouse!"
"Hiss—who is that? Such incredible strength!"
"You can tell he's not from the capital. That's the old man of the Nalan family, one of the ten strongest experts in the empire!"
"Is he really that powerful? Why does he look so unsteady when he flies? And his face… it looks so dark."
A sudden commotion erupted. Listening to the discussions around him, Chen Guan quickly looked up. He saw an old man with gray hair flying through the air, his face cold and expressionless.
And it was, indeed, unnaturally dark.
Nalan Jie. A Dou Wang powerhouse. Nalan Yanran's grandfather. The information flashed through his mind as he watched quietly. Seeing the man's difficulty maintaining flight, he couldn't help but speculate.
Could this be the day he was afflicted with the Branding Poison? This seems like a small opportunity… but solving it requires a Heavenly Flame.
***********
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