As the green-robed girl walked slowly forward, a hush fell over the training grounds. Intense gazes fixed upon her, unblinking. On the high platform, all the family elders ceased their whispered conversations, their eyes converging on this brightest gem of the Xiao family. Xiao Zhan and the three elders, their faces a mix of solemnity and curiosity, were also very eager to know how far this young prodigy of the family had come after a year of cultivation.
Under the scrutiny of everyone present, the girl approached the black stone tablet with measured steps. Her small hand extended, sleeves sliding down to reveal a slender, snow-white wrist. Her delicate fingers gently touched the cold stone tablet as she closed her eyes, and her Dou Qi surged rapidly within her.
As Dou Qi was channeled, the black stone tablet, which had been silent for a moment, suddenly flared with a brilliant light… Fighter: One Star!
Looking at the four gleaming golden characters on the black stone tablet, the training ground fell into a brief silence. Soon, a chorus of gasps filled the air, and the expressions of everyone froze in that moment.
“Miss Xuner, a one-star fighter!” The tester, awed by the shining golden characters, shook his head in amazement and shouted.
“Tsk, tsk… a fifteen-year-old fighter… truly deserving of…” High on the platform, Xiao Zhan took a deep breath. As he spoke, his words became indistinct.
The three elders nodded slightly, their faces equally full of shock. Although this achievement was still somewhat behind the accomplishments of Xiao Yan at twelve, this speed of cultivation was indeed exceptional.
In the training ground, Xiao Mei, surrounded by the crowd, was dazzled by the four glowing characters. Her gaze lowered, fixing on the elegant girl standing before the stone tablet, a sense of defeat rising in her heart. At fifteen, becoming a one-star fighter, such a brilliant achievement, was something she could never surpass.
At the back of the crowd, Xiao Yan whistled in amazement. He hadn’t expected this girl to not only enter the rank of a fighter within a year but also to reach one star, a cultivation speed nearly on par with his own when using the Foundation-building Spirit Fluid.
The girl beneath the stone tablet seemed not to enjoy the attention, her brow furrowing slightly in frustration. She turned and returned to the back of the crowd, playfully pouting at the astonished Xiao Yan.
“Don’t be too smug. With your talent, this achievement is nothing surprising. If you hadn’t entered the rank of a fighter within a year, then I would have been very surprised,” Xiao Yan said with a playful smirk.
Hearing this, Xuner’s face fell, and she shot him a reproachful glance.
Sitting down again, Xiao Yan propped his chin on his hand, watching the other clan members continue their tests. To cultivate Dou Qi to the seventh stage by around fifteen years old usually required a decent talent, and such talents were not common. Even with the power of the Xiao family, only two or three out of ten met the requirements.
As more people failed, the atmosphere in the training ground grew increasingly somber. Those who did not pass were crestfallen, but whenever someone else failed, a subtle look of schadenfreude crossed their faces.
Sitting on the floor, Xiao Yan was no longer interested in watching the tests. Out of the over a hundred tested, only one or two, like Xiao Mei, reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi. No one had yet reached the ninth stage.
There were fewer and fewer people left to be called. In the end, only a few remained, including Xiao Yan.
The last boy in front of them also got up to test, but soon returned dejectedly after failing.
Everyone knew the truth about the last few candidates; they were the weakest in the family. If not for fairness, these last few might have been disqualified outright.
“Xiao Yan!” The tester, with a complex expression, called out the final name.
“Brother Xiao Yan, it’s your turn…” The girl’s tender hand covered Xiao Yan’s, and she spoke softly.
Lifting his head slightly, Xiao Yan opened his half-closed eyes and scanned the training ground. The schadenfreude in the gazes made him sneer softly.
Rising slowly, Xiao Yan twisted his neck and looked up at Xiao Zhan on the high platform, smiling slightly.
Seeing his son’s smile, Xiao Zhan nodded approvingly, lifting his teacup and leaning back in his chair.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan strode towards the black stone tablet, the sudden spark of vitality in his eyes silencing those who wanted to mock him.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xiao Yan stood before the black stone tablet. The tester sighed inwardly, remembering when Xiao Yan had created a miracle, and later, how he had seen the genius fall. Today, if there was no miracle, this would be the boy’s last test in the family.
With everyone’s intense focus, Xiao Yan’s chest rose and fell, his palm extended, lightly touching the cold stone tablet.
All eyes were glued to the stone tablet, aware that this might be the last test for the once-shining genius of Wu Tan City.
The stone tablet was calm for a moment, then a strong light burst forth!
The large golden characters on the stone tablet made every heart in the field stop beating.
“Dou Qi… Seventh Stage!”
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