Chapter 29: Dou Qi Pavilion
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"You!"
Upon hearing Mo Yu's shameless words, Xiao Yu's delicate eyebrows furrowed instantly, and a flicker of anger flashed in her beautiful eyes.
The young man before her, who just moments ago seemed so pure and graceful, had stirred a hint of affection deep within her heart. But now, she found him utterly shameless.
"Don't even think about it! I'd rather die than agree to marry you!" Xiao Yu fumed.
Mo Yu raised an eyebrow at her reaction. Xiao Yu was indeed different from Xiao Mei. The latter was a bit materialistic, while Xiao Yu's straightforwardness was quite endearing.
Add to that her long, slender legs and her graceful figure — her appearance was undeniably striking. Marrying her might not be a bad idea.
In his past life, Mo Yu had encountered countless beautiful women, so neither family background nor talent mattered much to him when it came to women.
Of course, this was just a fleeting thought; settling down was still a long way off for him.
Seeing that Xiao Yu was genuinely upset, Mo Yu retracted his joking tone. His expression returned to its usual calm, and his eyes became as still and deep as a tranquil pond.
"Hehe, I was just teasing, Sister Xiao Yu. I have no plans to start a family anytime soon. You don't need to worry about that. I'll personally speak to the clan leader about this."
Xiao Yu was stunned, and a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes. She couldn't believe what he had just said. "Are you… serious?" she asked in disbelief.
Though Xiao Yu wasn't one to rely on her beauty to charm others, she had always been quite confident in her appearance. In all of Xiao Clan and even Wutan City, only Xun'er could rival her in terms of beauty.
Even though Xun'er had the advantage of youth, Xiao Yu prided herself on her more developed figure.
Even at Jia Nan Academy, she was pursued by many. Yet, in Mo Yu's words, all of that seemed to be meaningless.
"I have no reason to deceive you, Sister Xiao Yu," Mo Yu said, spreading his hands casually.
Xiao Yu was taken aback. Seeing how indifferent he seemed, a strange feeling stirred within her — a mix of relief and disappointment.
Thinking of how dazzling and impressive Mo Yu had been during the recent test, living up to his title as the dragon of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yu felt a growing sense of loss.
Mo Yu, uninterested in whatever complicated emotions Xiao Yu was feeling, waved his hand and said goodbye before leaving.
Watching him walk away into the sunset, his slender figure exuding a carefree charm, Xiao Yu was momentarily dazed.
One moment playful and frivolous, the next mysterious and calm — which version was the real him?
...
After leaving the mountainside, Mo Yu had barely reached his house when a servant from the clan leader arrived, informing him that tomorrow was the day to select techniques from the Dou Qi Pavilion.
Although Mo Yu wasn't particularly interested in the clan's techniques, as none of them really impressed him, he decided to attend the event out of courtesy. After all, the cultivation techniques he practiced were hard to explain.
The next morning, after practicing his movement technique in his courtyard, Mo Yu was visited by Xiao Yan and Xun'er.
"Cousin Mo Yu, today's the day to choose techniques. Don't forget about it," Xiao Yan said with a smile, clad in his usual black attire. He had caught a glimpse of Mo Yu's graceful movements, and a hint of amazement flickered in his eyes.
Mo Yu smiled and looked at the pair, remarking, "I assume you two aren't particularly interested in the clan's techniques either, right? This trip is probably just to put Uncle Xiao Zhan at ease."
Xun'er merely smiled softly, as graceful as a lotus. Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly; Mo Yu always seemed to know what he was thinking.
"I can't let Father's good intentions go to waste," Xiao Yan replied ambiguously.
Mo Yu waved his hand nonchalantly. "Let's get going, then. It's almost time."
A quarter of an hour later, Mo Yu found himself standing among the crowd, gazing at the massive pavilion before him with a sense of awe.
The huge plaque hanging above the pavilion's entrance bore the ancient characters for "Dou Qi Pavilion," slightly yellowed with age. The grooves in the plaque revealed the wear of time.
The calligraphy exuded a lingering sense of power, likely left by a strong practitioner from the Xiao Clan's past.
This pavilion, the Dou Qi Pavilion, was undoubtedly one of the Xiao Clan's most important places, housing their treasured cultivation techniques amassed over centuries.
With his sharp spiritual senses, Mo Yu detected several hidden but powerful presences lurking in the shadows of the pavilion, indicating the presence of guardians.
However, he knew that these experts weren't overly powerful; after all, the Xiao Clan had been in decline for far too long...
As the young members of the Xiao Clan gathered, the clan leader, Xiao Zhan, explained the rules for entering the Dou Qi Pavilion.
"Now that you all understand the rules, let's begin," Xiao Zhan said with a nod of approval, stepping aside to reveal the stone pillar standing before the pavilion's massive doors. Atop the pillar was a transparent crystal ball.
With a wave of Xiao Zhan's hand, two guards stepped forward, and with a low, creaking sound, the heavy black doors slowly opened.
"After testing your elemental attribute with the crystal ball, you may enter. Remember, follow the path corresponding to your attribute and don't go astray!" Xiao Zhan instructed, gesturing for the participants to start.
The first boy to test his attribute eagerly stepped forward. Placing his hands on the crystal ball, a soft green light emanated from it.
"Wood element. You may enter," Xiao Zhan nodded approvingly, allowing the boy to proceed.
Seeing the first person enter, the others couldn't contain their excitement and rushed forward to test their attributes before flooding into the Dou Qi Pavilion.
Watching as the crowd around them thinned out, Mo Yu turned to Xiao Yan and Xun'er, smiling. "Shall we go in and take a look?"
Xun'er smiled gently and shrugged, uninterested in the clan's techniques. Xiao Yan felt the same and nodded quietly.
Since none of them were in a hurry, they waited until everyone else had entered before leisurely approaching the crystal ball under Xiao Zhan's resigned gaze.
Xiao Yan tested his attribute first. A blazing red light, even brighter than those before him, shone from the crystal. Unsurprisingly, he had the fire attribute.
But just as Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhan passed each other, Mo Yu's keen senses noticed Xiao Zhan whisper something secretly into his ear.
Clearly, the clan leader was bending the rules in favor of his son.
Mo Yu shook his head slightly but said nothing. After all, such things were common in his previous lifetimes.
After Xiao Yan, it was Xun'er's turn.
When Xun'er placed her delicate finger on the crystal ball, it remained calm for a moment before suddenly bursting into a fiery red glow, almost like a blazing fireball.
The light continued to intensify until tiny cracks began to spread across the surface of the crystal ball. As Xun'er withdrew her hand, the ball was covered in a web of fine cracks.
Seeing this, Xiao Zhan shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly at Mo Yu. "It seems Xun'er's physique is truly unique. Since the crystal ball is broken now, there's no need for you to test. I remember that you have a lightning attribute, so go on inside."
Mo Yu grinned, happy to avoid the test. Given his unique physique, the result might have been even more shocking than Xun'er's.
"Lightning Path, Room 31 on the second floor!" Xiao Zhan whispered just as Mo Yu was about to enter.
Mo Yu paused for a moment before a smile tugged at his lips.
It seemed he and Xiao Yan had received the same special treatment...
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