The massive, iron-reinforced gates of Wu Tan City cast long, imposing shadows in the crisp morning light.
Standing just inside the archway, Clan Patriarch Xiao Zhan and Gu Xun'er watched the solitary figure of a youth walking down the dusty merchant road, heading toward the distant, jagged peaks of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Xiao Yan did not look back. His steps were calm, measured, and brimming with the fierce, unyielding confidence of a young dragon finally breaking free from its shallow pond.
Xiao Zhan let out a long, shuddering sigh, his broad chest falling heavily. He placed a large, calloused hand on Xun'er's delicate shoulder, offering a comforting pat.
"Do not worry, little Xun'er," Xiao Zhan murmured, his voice thick with a mixture of fatherly sorrow and immense, burning pride. "The wilderness is cruel, but my son is no longer a fragile bird. He has tasted the bitter ashes of humiliation. When he returns from that crucible, he will be a true dragon, capable of soaring above the heavens."
Xun'er nodded silently, her golden eyes fixed on the vanishing silhouette of her Xiao Yan ge-ge. She blinked rapidly, managing to hold back the hot tears threatening to spill over her eyelashes.
She knew the brutal harshness he was about to face, but she also held an absolute, unbreakable belief that he would return to shock the entire Misty Cloud Sect and clear his name.
Internally, however, Xun'er had already taken absolute precautions.
Just the day before, she had issued a strict, unyielding command to her Dou Huang shadow guard. Ling Ying was to secretly follow Xiao Yan into the mountain range. He was absolutely forbidden from interfering in the boy's standard trials or battles, but if Xiao Yan ever fell into a genuine, inescapable life-or-death situation, Ling Ying was to step out of the shadows and annihilate the threat.
Because Teacher Ruo Lin and the Jia Nan Academy delegation were currently residing in the city, and she would soon be traveling to the heavily fortified academy itself, Xun'er felt completely assured of her own safety and she also have some life-saving artifacts.
Thus, Ling Ying had accepted the command with his usual grave seriousness, departing before dawn to shadow the young master. Even if she called for him now, her uncle Ling would not be present.
Miles down the dirt road, hidden safely within the black ring on Xiao Yan's finger, Yao Chen suddenly drifted out, manifesting his ethereal, ghostly upper body.
The former ancient Dou Zun did not look ahead at the mountains. Instead, he turned his spectral gaze back toward Wu Tan City, specifically fixing his eyes on the distant, mist-shrouded peaks of the Xiao Clan's private back mountains.
Yao Chen stroked his translucent white beard, his eyes widening in profound, absolute disbelief.
Unlike ordinary cultivators who sensed raw Dou Qi, Yao Chen possessed a supreme, monstrously powerful Spiritual Perception. And right now, he was feeling a ripple in the ambient worldly energy that defied all common logic.
It was a frequency of pure, unadulterated natural harmony—a resonance so profoundly peaceful that it was actively drawing the chaotic spiritual energies of the region into a state of perfect stillness.
'Such a ridiculous thing is actually happening in this backwater town?' Yao Chen thought, his spectral heart trembling slightly. His mind flashed to the stoic, red-haired youth who had blocked his Heavy Xuan Ruler bare-handed days ago.
'That unique, terrifyingly pure aura... it belongs to him. I severely underestimated that boy. His physical strength is a joke compared to the terrifying state of his Dao Heart.'
"Master?" Xiao Yan asked, slightly surprised by his master's sudden manifestation and his intense gaze backward. "What is it? Did you forget something in the city?"
Yao Chen blinked, instantly snapping out of his profound shock. He smoothly brushed off the phenomenon, turning back to his disciple with a casual, teasing grin.
"Nothing of importance, Xiao Yan," Yao Chen chuckled, seamlessly shifting the topic. "I was just admiring the scenery one last time before I throw you into a valley full of Rank 1 poison scorpions to temper your fire control."
Xiao Yan's face instantly paled, his focus violently snapping back to his own immediate, terrifying future.
Back at the city gates, Xiao Zhan and Xun'er finally turned around, walking in companionable silence back toward the heart of the Xiao Clan estate. The morning market was just beginning to open, the streets filling with the lively shouts of vendors.
They had just reached the outer courtyard of the estate when the peaceful atmosphere was violently shattered.
"Patriarch! Patriarch Xiao Zhan!"
A loud, panicked shout echoed across the stone pathways.
Xiao Zhan stopped, his brow furrowing deeply. Rushing toward him at an undignified, frantic sprint was the Xiao Clan's Head Commander. The man was a seasoned, grizzled veteran and a high-tier Dou Shi, known for keeping his cool even during bloody skirmishes with rival mercenary bands.
But right now, the old veteran's face was pale, and he was sweating profusely, his heavy iron armor clanking loudly with every step.
"Commander Li? Why the panic?" Xiao Zhan asked sharply, his Da Dou Shi aura flaring instinctively. His mind raced through a dozen disastrous scenarios. Had the Jia Lie Clan launched a desperate, suicidal ambush? Had a powerful magic beast breached the city walls?
The Head Commander slid to a halt, bowing hastily, struggling to catch his breath. "Patriarch... an emergency! You need to come with me immediately and see it for yourself!"
Xiao Zhan's expression hardened into granite. "What is it? Speak clearly, man! Is the clan facing an attack?"
"No, sir... well, I am not entirely sure," Commander Li stammered, wiping his brow. "It is in the back mountains. Near the secluded hot springs. The First Elder is already there managed to control the situation, but he specifically ordered me to fetch you. You need to see this."
Xiao Zhan was genuinely surprised. The secluded hot springs? That was an isolated training area deep in their territory; nobody usually went there except for a few specific individuals.
Standing beside him, Xun'er raised an elegant eyebrow. Her brilliant mind instantly connected the dots.
'The secluded springs... isn't that Xiao Ning's preferred training spot?' Xun'er thought, a spark of intense curiosity replacing her lingering sadness. 'Did that enigmatic guy do something strange again?'
Xiao Zhan turned to the girl, his face adopting a gentle, protective expression. "Xun'er, listen to me. Uncle has an important clan task to attend to. You should go back to your courtyard and rest. Do not worry about Xiao Yan; that lad will come back safely."
Xun'er, however, gracefully shook her head. "Uncle Xiao, I have no classes to prepare for and nothing else to do. I would like to come with you."
She turned her golden eyes to the sweating Head Commander. "It wouldn't be terribly dangerous, right, Commander Li?"
The old veteran frowned, looking highly conflicted. "Uhm... for now, it does not seem immediately dangerous, Miss Xun'er. But the situation is... highly unstable. Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes," Xun'er nodded, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Let us go. We cannot waste any more time."
Seeing her persistence, Xiao Zhan sighed but gestured for the Commander to lead the way. The three of them immediately launched into a rapid, sustained sprint, blurring past the inner courtyards and heading straight for the dense, misty pine forests of the back mountains.
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Guys, I started a Douluo fanfic... u can check it...
I had wanted to write both series simultaneously so if I publish late u can read other also.
So see if u like it!
Will soon release on p@treon...