"Ah, my third brother... I could tell long ago!"
"Yet he has a proud disposition. Though we've met frequently over the past year, he never breathed a word of this to me."
Watching Xiao Yan's receding figure, Xiao Ze said with a helpless sigh.
"Indeed, cousin Xiao Yan is more mature than most, but he is also far more stubborn."
Xiao Xun'er nodded in agreement.
"He must be hurting terribly inside after suffering such a blow—falling all the way from a One-Star Dou Zhe to the fourth stage of Dou Zhi Qi."
"Brother Xiao Ze, aren't you going to go and comfort him?"
With a relaxed expression, Xiao Ze replied, "When he wants to speak of it, he will."
"Besides, a storm like this is nothing more than a minor setback for him before he soars."
Hearing Xiao Ze's words, Xiao Xun'er fell into deep thought as she watched the figure about to vanish from their sight.
Having grown up together as childhood sweethearts, she had realized long ago that Xiao Ze held an extraordinary, unshakable faith in cousin Xiao Yan.
He seemed utterly convinced that cousin Xiao Yan would eventually leap out of the shallow abyss, transform into a true dragon, break free from the tiny confines of Wutan City, and soar across this vast world.
Xun'er had originally assumed it was the dazzling talent Xiao Yan displayed that had led Xiao Ze to trust him so blindly.
Yet now, despite Xiao Yan's inexplicable decline in strength, Xiao Ze's confidence in him had only grown stronger.
This truly baffled Xiao Xun'er.
"Why does Brother Xiao Ze have such immense faith in cousin Xiao Yan?"
Xiao Xun'er asked in puzzlement, blinking her bright, clear eyes like a curious child.
Xiao Ze turned his head, looked at Xiao Xun'er, and said earnestly, "Naturally, because he is my third brother. Since I am already this much of a genius, how far behind could he possibly be?"
"You're just full of yourself!"
Xiao Xun'er shot Xiao Ze a disdainful glance. What inevitable connection was there between you being a genius and cousin Xiao Yan being a genius?
Yet, she didn't actually refute his claim of being a genius.
Although Xiao Ze had never undergone the testing, Xun'er knew that his strength had long since surpassed hers by a wide margin.
There were all sorts of rumors in the outside world as to why Xiao Ze refused to be tested, but the most mainstream theory was that Xiao Yan's genius aura was so overwhelming that it gave the Fourth Young Master an inferiority complex, making him fear his own talent might fall short and invite comparison.
Only Xun'er, who had cultivated alongside Xiao Ze all this time, knew just how formidable his true strength was.
His talent and comprehension were simply breathtakingly brilliant!
Even though they had begun cultivating at the same time, Xiao Ze's insights and comprehension were always many times superior to hers!
Xun'er had even shared some of these insights with her own bodyguard, Ling Ying—a high-level Dou Huang—who had been left utterly full of praise!
Ling Ying had even stated bluntly that he himself could never have attained such insights and comprehension!
To make a Dou Huang praise someone to such a degree, one could only imagine how astonishing Xiao Ze's talent truly was.
Even in that land where geniuses emerged like clouds, Xiao Ze's talent could undoubtedly be considered top-tier!
In truth, what Xiao Xun'er did not know was that Xiao Ze owed all of this incredible talent and comprehension entirely to her.
Xun'er herself was the foremost genius of the Ancient Clan in a millennium, possessing the Divine Grade bloodline. Even compared to the other ancient clans, she belonged to the absolute pinnacle of favored children of the heavens!
One could only imagine how terrifying the progress was when Xiao Ze received a tenfold feedback bonus from Xun'er!
This had caused Xiao Ze to marvel countless times that his choice had been entirely correct!
"Since Brother Xiao Ze refuses to tell me, then forget it. Why bother teasing me with such nonsense?"
Feigning anger, Xiao Xun'er crossed her arms and turned her head to the side.
"No, no, no, I really mean it!" Xiao Ze quickly protested. He couldn't possibly tell her that he knew the future plot, could he?
He could only brush it off as a gut feeling!
Seeing Xiao Ze explain himself in such a flustered manner, Xun'er, who had turned away, felt the corners of her lips curl up slightly.
Yet she still didn't turn back. Hesitating for a moment, she asked, "...Really?"
"Absolutely, truly. Ever since we were little, I've had the feeling that my third brother is a dragon among men, and sooner or later he will transform into a true dragon and soar into the heavens."
Hearing Xiao Ze speak with such conviction, Xun'er couldn't help feeling a bit curious.
What on earth was so special about Xiao Yan that she had failed to notice, yet warranted such unwavering trust from Xiao Ze?
Naturally, Xiao Ze couldn't offer any concrete reasoning; after all, this was merely his own intuition.
The two of them bantered back and forth, feeling no awkwardness whatsoever, thoroughly enjoying each other's company.
Suddenly, two youths of the Xiao Clan hurried past in the distance, muttering urgently:
"Hurry, hurry! Young master Xiao Yan and cousin Xiao Ning are fighting!"
"Really? Let's go take a look and see if that genius has truly fallen!"
On the hillside, Xiao Ze snapped up to a sitting position. Seeing this, Xun'er asked, "Brother Xiao Ze, shall we go take a look?"
"Of course!"
Xiao Ze replied, quickly leaping to his feet. He followed closely behind the two youths, rushing toward the scene of the incident.
Xiao Xun'er smiled faintly and followed right behind him.
***
After completing his test, Xiao Ning had also left the plaza shortly after.
Yet his mind kept replaying Xiao Yan's test result: the fourth stage of Dou Zhi Qi!
Xiao Ning was a few years older than Xiao Yan, but as Xiao Yan had risen aggressively to prominence, his grandfather had frequently used Xiao Yan as an example to spur him on in his cultivation.
This had made it very difficult for Xiao Ning to accept.
The resentment that had accumulated over a long period erupted completely when he happened to block Xiao Yan's path.
In the past, when facing Xiao Yan—who enjoyed the status of a One-Star Dou Zhe—Xiao Ning had been timid and submissive.
Now, facing Xiao Yan, who possessed mere fourth-stage Dou Zhi Qi, Xiao Ning chose to throw heavy punches!
The battle between the two quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers, and even the elders of the clan were alarmed.
By the time Patriarch Xiao Zhan hurried over in a rush, the situation in the arena had already shifted.
Xiao Yan was sprawled on the ground, covered in dirt and grime, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ning stood proudly to one side, looking immensely pleased with himself.
Had it not been for his arrival, Xiao Ning probably would have gone on mocking him for a while longer.
Frowning, Xiao Zhan was just about to help Xiao Yan up when a voice rang out.
"Father, let me."
Seeing Xiao Ze help Xiao Yan to his feet, Xiao Zhan's expression eased slightly.
Xiao Ze sized Xiao Yan up; his injuries weren't too severe. Though the two had clashed, they had still minded their status as fellow clansmen.
Xiao Ning hadn't dealt a fatal blow either; he had simply knocked Xiao Yan down and stopped.
"Xiao Ning, why did you inflict such heavy blows on Xiao Yan, who is also a member of the Xiao Clan?"
Xiao Zhan demanded, suppressing his anger.
"Aiyah, Xiao Zhan, this was merely a spar between juniors. Why fly into such a rage?"
An aged voice suddenly interjected, and everyone present turned their gazes toward the newcomer.
It was none other than the First Elder, whose authority within the Xiao Clan rivaled that of the Patriarch.
"A spar? Dealing such heavy blows during a spar between fellow clansmen! First Elder, your skin is certainly thick!"
A flash of anger crossed Xiao Zhan's face, though he still maintained his composure.
Earlier, he had seen the signal Xiao Ze passed to him, knowing Xiao Yan was in no serious danger.
"Hehe, Xiao Ning simply didn't know the situation. After all, he still thought he was facing the clan's genius, the One-Star Dou Zhe Xiao Yan, so naturally he had to give it his all."
"Who would have thought that Xiao Ning's full-strength strike would knock Xiao Yan flat on the ground? We can chalk that up to an unintentional mistake, can't we? Besides, matters between the clan's juniors are not really something you and I should meddle in, right?"
The First Elder openly and covertly mocked Xiao Yan for his current decline in strength, his status falling far below what it used to be, to the point where he couldn't even match the First Elder's grandson, Xiao Ning.
Just as Xiao Zhan was about to retort, Xiao Yan's voice suddenly sounded.
"Father, my skills were inferior in this spar. I accept it."
Xiao Yan knew that dragging this matter out further would only result in endless bickering between the Patriarch and the First Elder.
If the commotion continued, it would only make the situation even more humiliating!
Better to let this farce end right here, officially categorized as a sparring match between juniors rather than a deliberate act of vengeance against a fallen genius.
"Yan'er..." Xiao Zhan understood what Xiao Yan was thinking.
He was not only Xiao Yan's father, but also the Patriarch of the Xiao Clan!
"Since the principal party, Xiao Yan, has said so, let's drop this matter."
The First Elder spoke preemptively, setting the final verdict.
"This is merely a matter between the younger generation of the clan; there is no need for us to interfere. Would you not agree, Patriarch Xiao Zhan?"