The news that Young Master Xiao Yan's talent had vanished spread through Wu Tan City like a whirlwind.
The once-celebrated genius of the Jia Ma Empire, Xiao Yan, had turned into a wastrel!
This was the hottest topic in Wu Tan City recently.
Although the Xiao family initially tried to keep the news under wraps, the elders who had been suppressed by Xiao Zhan were not happy about it.
As the saying goes, "Every man for himself." The resources the Xiao family had poured into Xiao Yan over the years were considerable.
From Kurumi and Xun'er's perspective, the resources were minimal, but for the Xiao family and the stingy elders, it was a massive expenditure.
If Xiao Yan had continued being a genius, they wouldn't dare say a word and would even allocate more resources as he grew older.
But now, Xiao Yan was nothing! He had become a waste! A disgrace to the family!
Thinking about the resources spent on him, the elders felt heartache.
They began squeezing Xiao Zhan for benefits, almost taking half of his power within the Xiao family!
The children who once surrounded Xiao Yan gradually left, including Xiao Mei and Xiao Ning.
"Pah!"
Standing by the cliff in the back mountain, Xiao Yan spat angrily over the edge.
The little loli, Xiao Mei, who used to cling to him, changed her attitude as soon as his talent disappeared and his strength regressed!
Thinking of Xiao Ning's reluctant expression when he left, Xiao Yan wanted to strangle that elder!
Although Xiao Ning's sometimes feminine actions were hard to accept, living and playing together for so many years had created a bond.
He still remembered that when his cultivation fell, Xiao Ning was the first to care for him and even gave him half a year's worth of cultivation resources.
Later... that beautiful cousin with long legs went to Jia Nan Academy, and Xiao Ning was scolded by his elder grandfather!
He remembered that night well; Xiao Ning cried a lot. It was the only night in years that Xiao Yan didn't go to nourish "Xun'er's" meridians.
The next day, Xiao Ning moved out, to the place where his sister used to live.
Supposedly to cultivate well, but to Xiao Yan, it was no different from being confined!
Thinking about his recent visits to Xun'er, Xiao Yan felt utterly defeated.
Being repeatedly outsmarted by that little girl Mo'er made Xiao Yan lose all his dignity as a man.
Standing up, Xiao Yan grabbed a few stones and threw them fiercely off the cliff!
His chest heaved violently, and after calming down, he sat cross-legged on the spot.
Gathering his insufficient third-stage Dou Qi, he sensed the faint energy around him.
The free energy was drawn into his body, quickly filling his third-stage Dou Qi to the brim.
"Boom~"
A small stream of air rose and quickly dissipated. Xiao Yan clenched his fist; he had broken through to the fourth stage of Dou Qi again.
There was no joy on his face because he knew that no matter how hard he cultivated, by nightfall, all the Dou Qi he painstakingly gathered would mysteriously disappear.
If he hadn't persisted, he would have long become an ordinary person with no Dou Qi!
"Ahhh!"
Pulling his hair, Xiao Yan soon turned it into a mess.
Still feeling agitated, he stood up and punched a nearby tree.
"Boom!~"
The tree shook slightly, and Xiao Yan's face turned red with pain in his hand!
Looking at his bloodied right hand, Xiao Yan felt foolish. Why did he think of fighting with a tree trunk?
He wasn't the same-spirited Dou Zhe anymore...
"Who do we have here?"
Xiao Yan quickly turned around to see two girls emerging from the distant woods. One had crimson eyes and a charming smile, covering her mouth in surprise at what he was doing.
Xiao Yan lowered his hand and turned his gaze to the other girl with long hair down to her waist. Whether on Earth in the 21st century or on the Dou Qi continent, it seemed girls developed faster than boys.
The twin sisters were almost taller than him, which annoyed Xiao Yan.
He remembered that when he was younger, he could look down on both of them!
The girl wore a long blue dress, her sleeves revealing fair wrists. Her eyes, unlike her sister's red ones, were blue like the ocean, calming anyone who looked into them.
"Good afternoon, Cousin Xiao Yan."
The girl's etiquette was impeccable, so much so that Xiao Yan couldn't find a single flaw. It was so perfect that it made him feel cold!
"Haha!" Xiao Yan forced a laugh, and just as he was about to scratch his head, the pain in his right hand made him flinch.
"Catch."
"Huh?"
Xiao Yan reflexively caught the small jade bottle Kurumi tossed.
"These are Qi-nourishing pills. I hope they help."
Kurumi's smile didn't waver as she looked at Xun'er, hinting, "These are special, with added sugar~"
As Xiao Yan stood there in confusion, he noticed that Xun'er's face turned red, her small fists hitting Mo'er lightly without any force.
"Stop it~ Don't bring up Xun'er's embarrassing past."
Watching the sisters playfully bicker, Xiao Yan felt his heart calm down unknowingly, gripping the jade bottle tighter.
These two sisters, besides Xiao Ning, were the only ones who didn't see him differently.
Perhaps they didn't care? Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, staring at Xun'er. Had all his years of nourishing her meridians been in vain?
'Should I find a chance to tell her the truth?'
Xiao Yan quickly dismissed the thought. Now that he had lost his strength, and after being tricked several times by that little girl Mo'er...
He had to admit, as they grew up, the differences between Mo'er and Xun'er became more apparent. For a man, Mo'er might be more attractive.
Although both sisters were equally beautiful, Xiao Yan still preferred Xun'er. He didn't know why, but it felt like an obsession.
While Xiao Yan clutched the Qi-nourishing pills and resolved to work hard, Kurumi and Xun'er diligently cultivated, far away in the Central Plains, in the Yan clan's territory.
A tall, handsome young man held a ball of pitch-black flame, attacking a huge beast in front of him!
The black flames swept through the Eight Desolations, and the massive, ferocious beast only let out a cry of sorrow before its rich life force dissipated.
"Hehe~"
A girl's bell-like voice sounded, "Brother Ao, to kill a peak Dou Wang beast as a Dou Ling, you truly are the best of our Yan clan's younger generation!"