Silence. The entire venue fell silent!
After a brief moment of stupefaction, all eyes were fixed in a blank stare on the stone tablet that had just glowed golden.
In the VIP section, the continuous sound of teacups shattering could be heard. At this moment, the representatives of the various powers in Wu Tan City were all wide-eyed and open-mouthed, their faces etched with disbelief.
Their purpose for coming this time was to ascertain whether Xiao Yan had truly, as rumored, advanced four stages of Dou Qi in a single year.
However, the situation unfolding before them not only confirmed the truth of the rumors but also far surpassed their wildest expectations.
Four stages of Dou Qi in one year? Now it seemed to have become five stages of Dou Qi in one year… This kind of cultivation speed could only be described by two words in everyone's minds: Monstrous!
"The Xiao family has truly struck gold this time…" In the VIP section, everyone drew a sharp breath, muttering to themselves. A clan member continuously advancing five stages of Dou Qi in a single year – one could only imagine how brilliant their future would be.
"At this cultivation speed, perhaps… in a few decades, the Xiao family might even produce a super expert of the Dou Huang rank." In the VIP section, everyone exchanged glances, and a terrifying thought simultaneously surfaced in their minds.
A Dou Huang! As long as any small family in the Jia Ma Empire produced a Dou Huang-level expert, that family, regardless of its previous standing, would see its status skyrocket. By then, even the three great families of the Jia Ma Empire would not dare to overly offend them. After all, Dou Huang-level experts within the empire could be counted on one's fingers. Moreover, each of them possessed the power to overturn mountains and seas, capable of fighting one against ten thousand. No rational empire would easily provoke a Dou Huang expert!
More than three hundred years ago, the Jia Ma Empire's sole Dou Huang expert, enraged when neighboring countries launched a war that led to the deaths of his other relatives, single-handedly massacred ten thousand of the enemy's elite cavalry. That slaughter saw blood flow like rivers, and his fearsome reputation sent shockwaves through other nations.
From then on, the empires across the Dou Qi Continent rarely chose to offend a Dou Huang expert! This clearly demonstrated just how formidable Dou Huang-level experts truly were on this continent.
It was precisely because of this that, upon witnessing the talent Xiao Yan displayed, everyone felt an intense envy towards the Xiao family.
At the center of the high platform, Xiao Zhan also felt his eyes sting slightly from the large golden characters on the stone tablet. After a long while, he slowly exhaled, turning his joyful gaze towards the black-robed youth standing in the arena. He chuckled softly and said, "The best thing I've ever done in my life, I fear, is not creating any estrangement between Yan'er and a father like me…"
As Xiao Yan's father, Xiao Zhan understood his son's personality extremely well. He still remembered how cold his newborn son had been towards him back then, those icy eyes looking as if at a stranger, not his own biological father.
But thankfully, that coldness from back then was slowly melted away by the genuine care and affection emanating from Xiao Zhan's heart…
Remembering the "cold war" he once had with the little fellow, a gentle smile spread across Xiao Zhan's lips.
“Patriarch Xiao, Young Master Xiao Yan’s cultivation talent is truly astonishing. Your Xiao family, I suspect, will produce a renowned powerhouse this time.” Beside Xiao Zhan, Ya Fei’s beautiful eyes stared intently at the black-robed youth in the courtyard, her rosy lips parting slightly as she chuckled.
Xiao Zhan let out two hearty laughs, the pride and excitement on his face almost impossible to conceal. He politely cupped his hands towards Ya Fei, then, as if casually, sighed:
“Miss Ya Fei, you flatter me too much. This little fellow’s cultivation path has always been fraught with difficulties. Three years ago, he suffered a great setback, and no one knows if such a reversal could happen again. If it were to… Ah!”
Ya Fei’s captivating eyes curved as she chuckled charmingly. Whether Xiao Yan’s talent would last or merely be a fleeting phenomenon, she didn’t know yet. She only cared that the current Xiao Yan possessed the potential to make her value him; that was enough.
Her captivating gaze shifted slightly. Ya Fei had already made up her mind: from now on, she would interact more with the Xiao family and do her best to foster good relations!
…
Below the platform, Xiao Yu’s lips twitched slightly, her cheeks somewhat stiff. She looked up at the stone tablet. After a long moment, her ample chest heaved once. She lowered her head and said to a shocked Xiao Ning: “Didn’t you say he was only at seven segments? How did he advance?”
Xiao Ning gasped, mumbling innocently: “He was only at seven segments last month… This month, he broke through again?”
“From seven segments to eight segments in one month, how is that possible? Even if this fellow recovered his former talent, he couldn’t progress this quickly!” Xiao Yu frowned and cursed. “Five segments of Dou Qi in one year? That damned little bastard, this kind of speed could truly rival that monstrous woman from Jia Nan Academy.”
“How would I know…” Xiao Ning said with a bitter smile. His gaze immediately turned to Xun Er, who stood far away. He clearly saw her staring intently at the youth on the platform, without so much as a glance in his direction.
“That damned bastard!”
Being ignored so completely by the girl he admired, the flames of jealousy in Xiao Ning’s heart unexpectedly flared up fiercely. He glared at Xiao Yan, his teeth gnashing, which made his somewhat delicate face appear a little vicious.