After an awkward but entertaining chat with Xiao Zhan and the others in the courtyard, where they swapped wild stories of their time wandering the martial world, the sky had already darkened before the group reluctantly took their leave.
Once he'd seen them off, Xiao Yun returned to his room, feeling rather satisfied with the day's haul. Not only had he earned himself a hefty sum of 100,000 gold coins, but he also obtained a high-tier Yellow Grade fire-attribute cultivation method, along with several Yellow Grade battle techniques. That alone saved him a trip to the Technique Pavilion.
After breaking through to the rank of Dou Practitioner, one became qualified to cultivate a proper energy method. Once cultivated, the previously attribute-less milky white Dou Qi in the body would transform into attribute-specific Dou Qi.
This first transformation didn't take much time. After merely two hours of practice, Xiao Yun had already completed the conversion of all his Dou Qi.
By now, the sky was fully dark, yet he could clearly see everything inside his room. That enhanced perception was a direct result of cultivating his new energy method.
Stretching out his palm, he could see a faint glow radiating from it—a deep yellow hue—the telltale sign of successful cultivation.
Still, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Too bad I've got no chance to train that legendary Flame Mantra… Is Yao Lao really still asleep? I'm talented as hell over here, and he won't even come out to take me in as a disciple?"
The Flame Mantra, a rare and mystical technique that could evolve on its own, was something Xiao Yun coveted deeply.
Unfortunately, Yao Lao had been betrayed in life by Han Feng, whom he had treated like a son. That betrayal made him unwilling to trust anyone again. Even Xiao Yan, the protagonist of this world, had his Dou Qi secretly siphoned off for three years before Yao Lao finally deemed him worthy of the Flame Mantra. Even Han Feng only got half of it.
"Well, I'm finally a true Practitioner now. Pity my cultivation method is on the weaker side. With the amount of Dou Qi I have now, running into someone training with a Black Grade method or higher would be like walking into a buzz saw."
With that rather grim thought, Xiao Yun closed his eyes and began to consolidate his Dou Qi.
The next morning, Xiao Yun got up bright and early and made his way to the Xiao Clan's communal dining hall for orphans.
Given his performance yesterday, Xiao Zhan and the others had actually planned to assign him a steward and some servants to make his daily life more comfortable. But Xiao Yun had politely refused, saying he was used to living on his own.
As he found a seat and prepared to eat, the nearby chatter immediately caught his attention.
"Hey hey, did you hear? Important guests arrived at the clan today! The Patriarch himself went out to welcome them!"
"Seriously? The Patriarch's a Dou Grandmaster level powerhouse. Anyone he greets personally must be at least the same level!"
"Right? I even saw him walk into the main hall with some unfamiliar middle-aged guy. The guy looked strong, like really strong. Oh—and he had a little girl with him, too. Looked about five or six."
Xiao Yun's ears perked up.
So… Gu Yuan has arrived, huh? And brought his precious daughter along. Of course, no one in the Xiao Clan realizes that he's not just some Dou Grandmaster—but a peak Dou Saint-level powerhouse!
And that little girl, Gu Xun'er? She was one of the main heroines from Battle Through the Heavens, a classic cold beauty and peak-tier young heiress. There was no denying her charm. As the beloved daughter of the ancient Gu Clan, her "soft rice" was especially tasty—meaning, she was the type of girl worth leaning on, not literally eating her food.
Still, liking her was one thing. Daring to act on it? Now that was asking for trouble.
Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not some creepy lolicon, alright? Anyone thinking like that, step forward for a slap!
After finishing his breakfast, Xiao Yun planned to head to his secret training spot in the rear mountains. But halfway there, he ran into none other than Xiao Yan—who was, much to his annoyance, currently playing tour guide.
Beside Xiao Yan stood a pale-skinned, doll-faced young girl with an icy expression.
Xiao Yan looked rather exasperated.
To be honest, he hadn't wanted to play chaperone to this so-called cousin. Guiding someone around the clan was the sort of job you handed off to a servant, not the clan's (former) number one genius.
Yet, his cheap old man had specifically told him to be polite, not to offend her under any circumstances.
She's just a brat! Why should I bend over backwards for her?
Xiao Yan had grown up spoiled as the Xiao Clan's young master. He wanted to throw a tantrum and refuse. But recalling the stern look on Xiao Zhan's face when giving the order, he decided to swallow his pride—for now.
"Cousin Xiao Yun, what a coincidence. I'm showing our cousin Xun'er around the clan and happened to run into you," he called out.
Xiao Yan didn't know much about Xiao Yun. All he knew was that they were close relatives from the main family line. Xiao Yun's parents had died early, and beyond the occasional holiday gathering—usually when his father dragged Xiao Yun along—he didn't have much contact with him. The guy was always nose-deep in training anyway.
"Yeah. I'm heading to the back mountain to cultivate. You two have fun touring the place," Xiao Yun replied with a nod, making it very clear he wasn't in the mood for small talk.
As he walked away, Xiao Yan clenched his fists in frustration.
Just yesterday, he'd finally shown signs of his talent returning—he was this close to reclaiming his title as the clan's number one genius. But then Xiao Yun had to show up and steal the spotlight with a jaw-dropping performance.
Worse yet, Xiao Yun was only two years older, and already at Dou Qi Level Nine. Xiao Yan didn't have the confidence to say he could reach that level by age seven himself.
He gets to train while I'm stuck playing babysitter… this is so unfair.
"Xun'er, let's go check out the Technique Pavilion. They've got a bunch of beginner-level Yellow Grade skills you can look at," he said with a forced smile, pushing down his growing irritation.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yun didn't spare them a second thought. He dashed off toward the rear mountain.
To cultivate well, one needed a strong body. Before every training session, Xiao Yun would jog for half an hour to get his blood pumping before sitting down to refine his Dou Qi.
Xiao Yun's reputation as a genius had set all of Wu Tan City abuzz for nearly a week. But the excitement faded fast—people had already moved on to a new, hot topic:
The upcoming recruitment by Jia Nan Academy.
As one of the most prestigious institutions on the Dou Qi Continent, Jia Nan Academy was a dream destination for countless young cultivators. Those who graduated from there were practically guaranteed a smooth path ahead—nobles, clans, and sects would fight tooth and nail to recruit them.
The Academy was located in the Black-Corner Region, a lawless area on the border of the Jia Ma Empire. There, Jia Nan Academy stood like a sleeping dragon—no one dared provoke it. Even nearby nations rolled out the red carpet for its recruitment teams, offering full protection along the way.
All of this only added to the Academy's mystique. Every year, they sent out dozens of instructors to recruit talent from surrounding nations.
And they didn't care about status—be you beggar or thief, as long as you had the talent, you were welcome.
Every year, countless hopefuls waited eagerly, dreaming of passing the tests and stepping through those hallowed gates.
Now, even in Wu Tan City, the fever was spreading like wildfire. The energy in the air was more intense than during a major festival. People stood watch at the city gates every day, waiting for the Academy's emissaries to arrive.
As Xiao Yun strolled through the clan grounds, he couldn't help but sigh at the sudden crowds packing the training field.
The news of Jia Nan Academy's upcoming recruitment had stirred the entire Xiao Clan into a frenzy.
The training field was packed with sweaty young cultivators, pushing themselves to the limit in hopes of reaching the required standard in time.
Standing outside the field, Xiao Yun spotted a few familiar faces among the crowd. In one corner, a boy and a girl were squaring off in preparation for a sparring match.
"Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu? Makes sense for Xiao Yu to be here. But Xiao Yan? Don't tell me he got so rattled by me that he's finally training seriously for once…"
In his memories, Xiao Yan had never been the hard-working type. It was always two days of goofing off for every one day of practice. He relied entirely on his talent, treating cultivation like a side hustle at best.
After watching them exchange a few moves, Xiao Yun lost interest quickly. The gap between them and himself was simply too large now. Their sparring looked more like child's play than an actual battle.
Most of the people on the field were last-minute crammers, hoping to make a breakthrough with just days to go before the test. Xiao Yun didn't have much sympathy for them.
Sure, he had excellent talent—but he'd also worked harder than anyone else. Never slacking, never coasting.
Most of the others in the clan? Mediocre talent, cushioned by the family's resources, and spending most of their time chasing skirts or stirring up trouble.
To him, they were no better than the young wastrel villains you'd see in low-quality web novels.
The entry requirement for Jia Nan Academy wasn't even that high—just reaching Dou Qi Level Eight before turning eighteen. Yet even that modest bar would eliminate most of the people here.
Looking around, Xiao Yun estimated only two people on the entire field had a real shot at passing.
With his hands behind his back, he shrugged off their fate.
Not my problem whether they make it or not.
Shaking his head, he resumed his leisurely walk around the clan grounds, already mentally preparing for his next round of cultivation.