Chapter 1: Xiao Bai
Northwest Region of the Dou Qi Continent, Jia Ma Empire, Wu Tan City, Xiao Clan
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Bang bang bang!
"Xiao Bai, come out!"
"I know you're in there! Don't hide and pretend you're not home!"
A black-robed youth stood at the entrance of a small courtyard, pounding on the gate and shouting loudly.
Creak.
The gate swung open, and the black-robed youth instinctively stepped back several paces, warily eyeing the entrance.
A young man emerged, his features refined and aloof, dressed in a snow-white robe. He held a book loosely in one hand, exuding a gentle and cultured aura, with a faint smile playing on his lips.
That familiar face, that familiar smile, and those deep, unreadable eyes that held no trace of amusement made the black-robed youth's heart skip a beat. This guy… the last two times he looked at me like that, I got beaten black and blue.
"Brother Xiao Yan, it's been a while!" Xiao Bai said, his tone light.
"Well, well? A Two-Star Dou Zhe now, huh? No wonder you're so bold—your voice is louder than usual!"
Xiao Bai leaned lazily against the doorframe, sizing up the cautious black-robed youth a few steps away.
His gaze subtly flicked to the black ring on Xiao Yan's finger, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. Has something happened to the old man in the ring? This guy's already a Two-Star Dou Zhe—why hasn't he been drained yet?
Xiao Yan bristled at Xiao Bai's nonchalant demeanor and mocking tone. Fury surged within him, drowning out his earlier apprehension.
Scared? Hmph! Today, I'll take him down!
A Two-Star Dou Zhe losing to someone stuck at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi? Impossible!
Today, I'll show this guy what true terror looks like!
"Enough talk! Take this—Rock Shattering Fist!"
Imagining the satisfaction of pummeling this infuriating guy into a swollen mess, Xiao Yan's excitement surged. He charged forward eagerly.
Xiao Bai watched the incoming fist with a faint shake of his head. Only when the punch was inches away did he leisurely raise a hand, effortlessly catching Xiao Yan's wrist.
The fist hovered mere centimeters from Xiao Bai's face, but to Xiao Yan, those centimeters felt like an impassable chasm. No matter how much strength he poured in, he couldn't advance an inch.
Xiao Bai tilted his body slightly, yanking Xiao Yan forward and off-balance. With a casual lift of his leg, he delivered a side kick that sent Xiao Yan flying.
Placing his book on a nearby stone lion, Xiao Bai meticulously adjusted his sleeves with unhurried grace.
He strolled toward Xiao Yan, who was scrambling to his feet, and with a swift kick, knocked him back down. Straddling him, Xiao Bai rained down punches.
"For yelling at my door!"
"For banging on my gate!"
"For peeping on the clan's women while they bathed! Die, you pervert!"
Not long ago, Xiao Yu had chased Xiao Yan through the clan with a sword, causing a huge uproar. Xiao Bai had heard the rumors.
"Xiao Bai, Xiao Yan, what are you two doing?"
A voice laced with authority rang out behind them. Xiao Bai froze, halting his punches. He stood, brushed off his disheveled robes, and turned to clasp his hands respectfully.
"Xiao Bai greets the Clan Leader!"
Xiao Zhan nodded at the young man before him.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing much, just having some fun with Brother Xiao Yan!"
"Fun?"
Xiao Zhan's lips twitched as he glanced at Xiao Yan, who was climbing to his feet with a bruised and swollen face. Seeing they were only superficial injuries, he didn't press further.
As both a father and the clan leader, Xiao Zhan knew that while the white-robed youth was an adopted son of the Xiao Clan, he was still family. Moreover, with Xun Er's protection, who in the clan would dare bully him?
At the thought of Xiao Xun Er's background, a trace of wariness flashed in Xiao Zhan's eyes.
"Xiao Bai, though you haven't broken through in three years, the elders and I have high hopes for you. You and Xiao Yan are the future of our Xiao Clan. You must support each other, understand?"
Xiao Bai slung an arm around Xiao Yan, who had just gotten up, and nodded to Xiao Zhan.
"I understand, Clan Leader. Rest assured, Brother Yan is my dearest friend, my brother in all but blood!"
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. A brother you beat up like this? He squirmed slightly, but the arm on his shoulder felt like an iron clamp, impossible to shake off.
"Good!" Xiao Zhan nodded approvingly, his smile warm as he looked Xiao Bai over.
"You may not have broken through to Dou Zhe, but your physical training rivals one. You've carved your own path!"
"The Clan Leader flatters me. I can only match a Dou Zhe at best—my path has no future. But Brother Xiao Yan, a Dou Zhe at eleven? He's a dragon among men, destined to bear the weight of reviving our clan. His potential is limitless—the Xiao Clan's great fortune!"
Xiao Zhan's smile widened at the praise for his son. He clapped Xiao Bai's shoulder heartily.
"Haha, Xiao Bai, you're only thirteen! Don't sell yourself short. I believe you'll break through!"
"Alright, you youngsters spend some time together. Yan'er, learn from your Brother Bai, and stop causing trouble all day!"
With that, Xiao Zhan turned and left.
Once Xiao Zhan was gone, Xiao Yan fixed Xiao Bai with a flat stare.
"Done with your act? Can you let go now?"
Xiao Bai released him, and Xiao Yan, finally free, leaped aside, glaring venomously.
"Hypocrite! Wait till I break through to Dou Shi—I'll teach you a lesson, hmph!"
He punctuated his words with a haughty snort.
Xiao Bai stared, speechless. Should I just kill this guy now and be done with it?
How shameless can you be? A Dou Shi bullying someone at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi? Have you no sense of honor?
But then he reconsidered. It'll take him at least five years to reach Dou Shi. With that, he dismissed the thought.
In his previous life, Xiao Bai had admired Xiao Yan while reading the original story. The man repaid kindness and stood apart from typical protagonists. But now, sharing the same world with this unpolished, pre-hardship Xiao Yan, Xiao Bai found him… irritating.
As for Xiao Yan's ring, Xiao Bai had no designs on it. His lightning affinity meant the ring's greatest treasure was useless to him.
Still, he wasn't sure when Yao Lao would awaken. Since meeting Xiao Yan, Xiao Bai had felt an occasional, faint sense of being watched—whether real or imagined, he couldn't tell.
The last two times he'd beaten Xiao Yan, though, he'd distinctly felt eyes on him.
Was the old man doing it on purpose, or is my soul just naturally sharp enough to sense it?
Xiao Bai closed his eyes, calming the restlessness that had stirred within him. His consciousness sank into his sea of awareness, where he sensed the ancient talisman floating there.
In his past life, he'd suffered from chaotic dreams that ruined his sleep. Countless medicines failed, so he turned to a Taoist temple, hoping mysticism could succeed where science hadn't.
After hearing his plight, the old Taoist stroked his beard calmly and claimed a single talisman could fix everything.
The Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Talisman—placed by the bed, it would ward off immortals and demons, repel all evils, and work without fail.
Skeptical but desperate, Xiao Bai gritted his teeth and spent two thousand yuan on the ancient-looking talisman. Eagerly, he brought it home, stuck it by his bed, and lay down to test its effect.
The talisman worked. Too well. Xiao Bai could've wept.
The dreams stopped—but his reality shifted.
He woke up in the Dou Qi Continent, in the body of a five-year-old, with the talisman inexplicably following him, now floating in his sea of awareness.
Since arriving, the talisman had been largely dormant. Only once, when he reached the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi at ten, did it stir, shooting five differently colored thunderbolts into his five organs. Since then, it had remained silent.
And Xiao Bai's cultivation? Stuck at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi for three years.
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