Chapter 4: The Story Begins
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
In the Xiao Clan's square, a loud voice suddenly rang out.
"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi level: 3rd Stage! Rank: Low!"
At the center of the square, beside the testing monument, a middle-aged man glanced at the information displayed on the stone and announced it indifferently.
The moment the words left his mouth, a wave of mocking murmurs rippled through the crowd gathered at the square.
"3rd Stage? Haha, just as I expected. This 'genius' hasn't progressed at all this year!"
"If his father wasn't the clan leader, this waste would have been kicked out of the family ages ago, left to fend for himself. There's no way he would still be allowed to freeload in the clan."
"Who knows, maybe he did something terrible, and the gods cursed him."
...
"It looks like the original storyline is finally beginning," a boy muttered quietly to himself in a secluded corner of the square. He stood there, watching the lively scene and listening to the endless mockery.
After mastering the Vermillion Burning Sky Thunder, Mo Yu had spent most of his time meditating in seclusion, only emerging for food and drink. With the help of the Vermillion Burning Sky Thunder and his past life's experience, his strength had further increased, reaching the 7th stage of Dou Zhi Qi, high rank.
Just as Mo Yu was about to continue his seclusion, his grandfather, the steward Mo, personally requested permission from Clan Leader Xiao Zhan for Mo Yu to participate in the clan's exclusive testing ceremony.
Mo Yu didn't refuse. In the path of martial arts, blind seclusion was ill-advised. He knew the importance of balance, and after three days of isolation, he figured it was a good time to come out and relax.
Besides, he was quite curious about the future 'Flame Emperor', Xiao Yan. Recalling the iconic moments from his first life, Mo Yu followed his memories and arrived at the Xiao Clan's square.
Sure enough, not long after his arrival, he witnessed the famous scene, which perfectly overlapped with his memories from the first life.
As the mocking voices continued to spread around him, Mo Yu couldn't help but smirk in disdain.
Human nature to elevate the strong and trample the weak never changes. Reflecting on both the original body's and his first life's memories, Mo Yu was well aware of how terrifying Xiao Yan's talent truly was.
At the age of four, Xiao Yan started training. By ten, he reached the ninth stage of Dou Qi, and by eleven, he became a true Dou Zhe!
Such talent would be considered top-tier across the entire Dou Qi continent. Even the Xiao Clan's ancestors, from the prime era of the ancient Eight Great Clans, might have found it hard to produce a talent like this.
Mo Yu even speculated that even without the help of Yao Lao, Xiao Yan's future achievements, while perhaps not as grand, would still be extraordinary.
The entire Xiao Clan had once fawned over this genius child. But once he fell from grace, they all mocked him in unison. Truly, human nature is fickle.
However, Mo Yu knew that Xiao Yan was merely a hidden dragon waiting for its moment to rise.
Though Xiao Yan had lost his strength and glory, the three years of hardship had forged a heart of steel within him, laying a solid foundation for his future meteoric rise.
And soon, with the appearance of Yao Lao, one of the continent's top alchemists, Xiao Yan would soar to new heights, shocking the world!
Thinking about this, Mo Yu couldn't help but sigh. The "child of destiny" was not a mere title, and Xiao Yan certainly lived up to it—just like Mo Yu himself in his past life.
Yet, with his twelve Innate Thunder Source and the experiences of his previous life, Mo Yu had no doubt that he would be more than a match for the combined force of Xiao Yan and Yao Lao.
As Mo Yu pondered, the testing continued in the square.
"Xiao Mei, Dou Qi level: 7th stages! Rank: High!"
A coquettish young girl heard her result and a proud smile blossomed on her face.
At the same time, a wave of admiration spread through the crowd.
Watching the conceited girl basking in the attention, Mo Yu shook his head indifferently. "A shallow and foolish woman," he muttered.
"Next, Xiao Xun'er!"
Amidst the noise, the tester's voice rang out again.
As soon as this elegant name was mentioned, the previously noisy square suddenly quieted down. All eyes immediately shifted in one direction.
Even Mo Yu's eyes involuntarily followed the gaze of the crowd. He was eager to see the future 'Mistress of the Endless Fire Territory,' Xiao Yan's official partner from the original story.
At the center of everyone's attention stood a girl in a purple dress, serene and composed. Her youthful face remained calm, unaffected by the crowd's scrutiny.
Her aloof and elegant demeanor was like a lotus in full bloom. Despite her young age, she already exuded a transcendent grace. In terms of beauty and temperament, she clearly surpassed Xiao Mei.
Even Mo Yu, who had encountered countless demonesses and celestial maidens in his past life, couldn't help but marvel at Xiao Yan's fortune. To have won over such a brilliant and beautiful girl at such a young age was truly extraordinary.
With beauty, talent, and a strong background, not to mention a personality that mixed pride with a touch of sweetness, it was no wonder Xun'er captured the hearts of so many.
In the square, Xun'er gracefully approached the testing monument. Her small hand extended, the black-gold trim of her sleeve slipping down to reveal a pale, delicate wrist as she touched the monument.
After a brief moment of silence, the stone shone brightly once again.
"Dou Qi level: 9th stages! Rank: High!"
The crowd was momentarily stunned by the result.
As admiration filled the air, Mo Yu shook his head dismissively. He knew that Xun'er had deliberately suppressed her breakthrough. With the resources of the Gu Clan and her natural talent, her strength was certainly far greater than this.
As the crowd looked at Xun'er with awe and admiration, she calmly walked through them and stopped beside the boy who had been the target of ridicule.
This scene immediately provoked howls of jealousy.
The boy was, of course, Xiao Yan. At this moment, he looked nothing like the confident and powerful figure he would become. Instead, he seemed dispirited and downcast, like someone who had spent three days and nights at an internet café.
Learning about Xun'er's result only made Xiao Yan's already despondent figure even more dejected. After exchanging a few casual words with her, he turned to leave the square.
But just as he was about to go, another voice called out.
"Mo Yu, Dou Qi level: 7th stages! Rank: High!"
The tester's voice echoed once again.
"Mo Yu? Who is that? I've never heard of him, yet he's at the 7th stage of Dou Zhi Qi!"
"Isn't this test for the Xiao Clan members only? How could someone with a different surname be part of it?"
"I think I've heard of Mo Yu. He's the grandson of Steward Mo, but I thought his talent wasn't that great. How did he become so strong?"
Beside the testing monument, the middle-aged man looked at Mo Yu's result. His usually stern face broke into a rare smile. "Not bad, Mo Shu has a fine grandson."
Hearing this somewhat stiff compliment, Mo Yu was momentarily surprised. Then he realized that the man must be a friend of his grandfather. He responded politely, "Thank you for the praise. It's a modest achievement."
Of course, in Mo Yu's mind, this level of strength wasn't even worth mentioning. His response was just a formality.
The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback by Mo Yu's calm and detached tone. He smiled even more and added, "Not arrogant nor impatient, very good. It seems the Xiao Clan has gained another genius."
His words startled the crowd. The Xiao Clan members looked curiously at the young man on the platform, wondering how this outsider had earned such praise.
Even Xiao Mei, who had the same level of strength as Mo Yu, cast a curious glance at him, puzzled by why she hadn't received similar recognition.
Facing the mixture of admiration, envy, and jealousy from the Xiao Clan members, Mo Yu remained composed. Having lived two lives, he was no longer a naive young man.
Just as Mo Yu was about to leave, a soft, raspy voice called out behind him.
"Cousin Mo Yu, congratulations."