“Three stages of Combat Strength!” The young man stared at the five glaring, almost blinding characters on the Test Magic Stone Tablet. His face was devoid of expression, a hint of self-mockery tugging at his lips. His tightly clenched fists, driven by force, caused his slightly sharp nails to dig deeply into his palms, bringing a sharp, piercing pain…
“Xiao Yan, three stages of Combat Strength! Rank: Low!” Beside the Test Magic Stone Tablet, a middle-aged man glanced at the information displayed and announced it with a cold, indifferent tone.
As soon as the words left the middle-aged man’s mouth, a mocking uproar predictably erupted among the bustling crowd in the square.
“Three stages? Hehe, just as I expected, this ‘genius’ has been stagnant for another year!”
“Ah, this waste has disgraced the family’s name.”
“If it weren’t for the fact that the clan leader is his father, such a useless person would have long been expelled from the clan to fend for himself, without any chance of mooching off the family.”
“Alas, how did that once-renowned genius youth of Wu Tan City fall so low?”
“Who knows? Perhaps he did something that displeased the gods, invoking their wrath…”
The disdainful jeers and sympathetic sighs from the surrounding crowd, falling upon the ears of the boy who stood rooted to the spot like a wooden stake, felt like a barrage of sharp needles piercing his heart, making his breathing slightly ragged.
The young man slowly raised his head, revealing a somewhat delicate, youthful face. His black eyes scanned the taunting peers around him, and the self-mockery on his lips seemed to grow more bitter.
“Are all these people so harsh and petty? Maybe because they once showed me the most humble smiles three years ago, they now want to take it back…”
A bitter smile appeared on Xiao Yan’s face as he turned away, quietly retreating to the last row of the line, his lonely figure standing out awkwardly from the world around him.
“Next, Xiao Mei!”
At the examiner’s call, a young girl quickly ran out from the crowd. As soon as she appeared, the chatter around quieted down, and a pair of eager eyes locked onto her face…
The girl was about fourteen years old, not exceptionally beautiful, but her slightly childish face held a faint charm. The contradiction between innocence and allure made her the center of attention…
She strode forward, her small hand deftly touching the black Magic Stone Tablet, then closed her eyes…
After a moment, the black Magic Stone Tablet lit up again…
“Combat Qi: Seven stages!”
“Xiao Mei, Combat Qi: Seven stages! Rank: High!”
“Yay!”
Hearing the examiner announce her results, the girl’s face broke into a smug smile…
“Tsk, tsk, seven stages of Combat Qi, truly impressive. At this rate, she’ll become a true fighter in just three years…”
“Indeed, she’s a seed-level character in the clan…”
Listening to the envious whispers from the crowd, the girl’s smile grew wider, her vanity piqued—a temptation few girls could resist.
Chatting and laughing with her sisters, Xiao Mei’s gaze suddenly landed on the lonely figure outside the crowd…
After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Mei dismissed the thought of approaching. The two were no longer on the same level. With Xiao Yan’s recent performance, he could only be a lower-ranking member of the clan when he grew up, while her excellent talent would make her a key cultivator, with boundless prospects ahead.
Sighing for no apparent reason, Xiao Mei’s mind suddenly flashed to the spirited young man three years ago—practicing qi at four, achieving nine stages of Combat Qi at ten, and breaking through to ten stages at eleven, successfully forming a Combat Qi vortex, becoming the youngest fighter in the clan in a century!
Back then, the young man was confident and full of potential, winning the hearts of many young girls, including Xiao Mei.
But the path of a genius was often winding. Three years ago, the peak of his reputation, the prodigy received the cruelest blow of his life. Not only did the Combat Qi vortex he had painstakingly cultivated over the years vanish overnight, but the Combat Qi within his body also began to dwindle mysteriously over time.
The direct result of the loss of Combat Qi was a steady decline in his strength. From the pinnacle of a genius, he fell to a level even below an average person, a blow that left him dispirited. His title of genius was gradually replaced by disdain and mockery.
The higher you stand, the harder you fall. This fall might mean he never gets up again.
“Next, Xiao Xun’er!”
In the noisy crowd, the examiner’s voice sounded again.
As the elegant name rang out, the crowd fell silent, all eyes shifting.
Amidst the converging gazes, a young girl in a purple dress stood gracefully, her calm, youthful face unchanged by the attention.
The girl’s cool, composed demeanor was like a lotus just beginning to bloom, already showing a refined aura at such a young age. It was hard to imagine how captivating she would be when fully grown…
This purple-dressed girl was even more beautiful and elegant than Xiao Mei, no wonder everyone was so moved.
Xiao Xun’er took a small step and walked to the Magic Stone Tablet. Her small hand extended, her purple sleeve with black gold thread sliding down, revealing a fair, delicate wrist, which then lightly touched the stone tablet…
A brief silence, and the stone tablet glowed again.
“Combat Qi: Nine stages! Rank: High!”
Staring at the characters on the stone tablet, the crowd fell into a hush.
“… Nine stages, unbelievable! The top young person in the clan must be Miss Xun’er.”
After the silence, the surrounding youths couldn’t help but swallow, their eyes filled with awe…
Combat Qi, a necessary path for every fighter. The initial stages of Combat Qi range from one to ten. When the body’s Combat Qi reaches ten stages, it can form a Combat Qi vortex, earning the respect of a true fighter!
In the crowd, Xiao Mei watched the purple-dressed girl before the stone tablet, jealousy flashing across her face…
Looking at the information on the stone tablet, the usually indifferent middle-aged examiner’s face also showed a rare smile, bowing slightly to the girl, “Miss Xun’er, in half a year, you should be able to form a Combat Qi vortex. If you succeed, you will be the second person in a century to become a true fighter at fourteen!”
Yes, the second person. The first was Xiao Yan, who had lost his genius status.
“Thank you.” The girl nodded slightly, her calm face not showing any joy at his praise. She quietly turned and, under the intense gaze of the crowd, slowly approached the despondent young man at the back…
“Brother Xiao Yan.”
Passing by the young man, the girl paused, bending respectfully towards Xiao Yan, her beautiful face displaying a graceful smile that made the surrounding girls envious.
“Do I still have the right to be called that?” Looking at the girl who had become the clan’s brightest pearl, Xiao Yan spoke bitterly. She was one of the few who still respected him after his downfall.
“Brother Xiao Yan, you once told me to let go before picking up, to act freely as a carefree person!” Xiao Xun’er smiled gently, her slightly immature voice warming the heart.
“Haha, a carefree person? I can only say it. Look at me now, do I look like a carefree person? Besides… this world was never mine to begin with.”
Xiao Yan laughed self-deprecatingly, his enthusiasm waning.
Facing Xiao Yan’s despondency, Xiao Xun’er’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, speaking earnestly, “Brother Xiao Yan, though I don’t know what happened, I believe you will rise again and reclaim your honor and dignity…”
Pausing, the girl’s fair face flushed slightly for the first time, “The Xiao Yan of those days was indeed very attractive…”
“Haha…”
Embarrassed by the girl’s candid words, the young man laughed awkwardly but said nothing more. Though he had no qualifications or mood for romance, he turned away, heading slowly towards the edge of the square…
Standing there, watching the young man’s solitary, almost otherworldly back, Xiao Xun’er hesitated for a moment. Then, amid the envious wolf whistles behind her, she quickened her pace, walking side by side with the young man…
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