Chapter 7: Reactions from All Sides, A Distinguished Guest for the Xiao Family?

Xiao Clan. The back mountains.

Xiao Yan lay on the grass, raising his hand to let the sunlight filter through his fingers and spill across his face. Whenever he felt down, he would choose to come to the back mountains. It was quiet here, undisturbed by others, and he did not have to face the cold glares or mockery of those people.

Times had changed. Today, Xiao Yan looked completely relaxed and happy.

Whoosh!

A rustle came from the woods in the distance, the leaves swaying. Shortly after, a figure leaped out and headed straight for Xiao Yan.

"Father," Xiao Yan said, his tone firm without turning his head.

"Haha, I asked Steward Mo to look for you, but he said he couldn't find you. I guessed you had run off to the back mountains again. What is it? Still worried about the test?" Xiao Zhan asked with concern.

Xiao Yan replied easily, "No."

"Sigh..."

Xiao Zhan let out a soft sigh. He wanted to say that he knew his son better than anyone, but fearing it would only cause him more pain, he switched topics. "A Dou Wang has arrived in the city. I wanted to seek him out to see if he could resolve the issue of your disappearing Dou Qi, but alas, your father is too insignificant."

"There is no need, Father." Xiao Yan scrambled to his feet and stood before Xiao Zhan with a bright smile. "I have already resolved the hidden danger causing my Dou Qi to vanish."

"Really?" Xiao Zhan’s eyes widened. "What was the cause? How did you do it?"

"Father, that is a secret. You will know in a couple of days anyway." Xiao Yan gave a mysterious smile, wondering what expression his father would wear if he knew that the Dou Wang was actually his own eldest son.

Xiao Zhan looked at him deeply and sighed, "You've grown up... you have your own secrets now."

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward. He thought to himself, *What are you talking about? If you add up my two lifetimes, I’m older than you.*

Not wanting to dwell on this, Xiao Yan changed the subject. "Father, did you come to find me for something?"

Xiao Zhan chuckled. "There is an honored guest arriving at the clan tomorrow. It concerns you, so be prepared and don't lose your manners when the time comes."

"An honored guest? Who is it?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

Xiao Zhan smiled mysteriously. "You will know tomorrow." With that, he prepared to leave.

***

*He just wouldn't tell me how I solved the problem of my disappearing Dou Qi...* Xiao Yan pouted. *A grown man, acting petty with a child like me.*

Just then, a powerful surge of Dou Qi suddenly erupted outside Wutan City. A massive vortex formed, as if the very sky were being pulled down.

"Such terrifying pressure..." Xiao Zhan’s expression turned solemn. What on earth was happening in Wutan City lately? First, a Dou Wang arrived looking for someone, and now, this terrifying commotion outside the city.

"Father, is someone fighting?" Xiao Yan, having limited experience, asked Xiao Zhan, who had been cultivating for much longer.

Xiao Zhan stared into the distance. After a few seconds, he said uncertainly, "It doesn't look like it. I feel more like someone is breaking through..."

"What level of power would cause such a massive disturbance upon breaking through?" Xiao Yan murmured in shock.

The next second, as if something had occurred to him, Xiao Yan turned sharply to look at his father, only to find that Xiao Zhan was also looking at him.

"A Dou Wang breaking through to Dou Huang?!" they said in unison.

It was not hard to guess; after all, the only powerful figure who had recently arrived in Wutan City was the one who called himself the Cang King.

"Yan'er, I am going out for a moment." Xiao Zhan took a deep breath, made his decision, and leaped away from the back mountains.

Meanwhile, in a pavilion within the Xiao Clan, a refreshingly elegant and beautiful young girl stood by the window, holding an ancient book. Sensing the commotion, she turned her head to look at the massive vortex outside the city.

"Ling Lao..." Xiao Xun'er whispered to herself.

In an instant, a figure emerged from the shadows and bowed respectfully. "Young Miss."

"What is that outside?" Xiao Xun'er asked, pointing a finger.

Ling Ying swept a glance over it and said calmly, "The Dou Wang from the other day is breaking through to the rank of Dou Huang. Young Miss need not worry; he is no match for this old servant."

"If you can do so without alerting him, try to find out his purpose for coming to Wutan City!" Xiao Xun'er’s beautiful eyes narrowed as she gave the order.

"As you wish."

Ling Ying nodded. After a few seconds of silence, seeing that Xiao Xun'er had no further instructions, he vanished into the air like a shadow.

Xiao Xun'er rested a hand on the window sill, frowning. "Could he also be here for that thing... But the information stating that the Wutan City Xiao Clan is one of the eight ancient clans has long been lost. Even my own clan only found a relevant clue in a tattered notebook."

Inside Wutan City, as Xiao Zhan approached the area, he noticed that Jia Lie Bi, Gu Ni, and others were also rushing toward it.

***

The group did not speak, tacitly increasing their speed. After a while, they could finally see the scene at the center of the vortex.

They saw Hun Cang with his eyes closed, suspended in the air. Dou Qi swirled around him, condensing into crystal-clear liquid that seeped into his body from the top of his head. With every breath, mist sprayed from Hun Cang’s nostrils.

"Just an unconscious breath feels like a sharp arrow against me, impossible to resist. Is this the terror of a Dou Huang powerhouse?" Jia Lie Bi trembled, his face turning pale.

"What is so surprising about this? A Dou Huang is someone capable of founding a sect. If you ask me, the most terrifying thing is the Cang King’s age. He looks like he isn't even in his twenties yet, and he is already breaking through to Dou Huang! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it!"

Gu Ni looked at Jia Lie Bi with disdain. He had lived in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire and had been fortunate enough to see Dou Huangs before. Therefore, he was less shocked than Jia Lie Bi. However, among all the Dou Huangs he had ever met, none were as young as Hun Cang. This person’s future was bound to be limitless!

*If I could establish a relationship with him...* Xiao Zhan, beyond his shock, couldn't help but fantasize. At such a young age, to be able to break through to Dou Huang—aside from talent, the backing of a powerful force could not be ignored, as the resources required for such cultivation were no small sum.

"Pfft..." A scoff came from the side. Xiao Zhan turned to see Jia Lie Bi looking at him with disdain. "Your Xiao Clan wants to associate with a Dou Huang? That’s hilarious. You’re dreaming in broad daylight."

Xiao Zhan said coldly, "And is your Jia Lie clan any better?"

"Shh! Keep quiet! Do you want to die? If we disturb the master's breakthrough, none of us will make it out alive!" Gu Ni whispered a scolding.

Reminded, Jia Lie Bi and Xiao Zhan suddenly woke up and quickly fell silent.

Others soon arrived, watching Hun Cang in the midst of his breakthrough, their eyes overflowing with envy.

In the crowd, there was a beautiful woman, curvaceous and mature, radiating a unique charm. Even in the crowd, she was the type of person you could spot at a single glance.

"If I could..." Ya Fei murmured softly. She had been sent by her clan to manage the auction house in Wutan City, which in a sense meant she had been abandoned. After all, this place was too backward; without outstanding achievements, returning to the capital of the Jia Ma Empire in the future was impossible.

Ya Fei had originally resigned herself to her fate, but seeing Hun Cang now, that sense of unwillingness suddenly flared up again.

"Whether it succeeds or not, trying can't possibly be wrong!"