Douluo Continent Chat Group: Building My Academy

Chapter 111 Bloodthirsty Audience

The Fighter, one star.

"Miss Xun'er, a one-star fighter!"

The four large, golden characters on the black stone tablet brought a slight silence to the training ground. The inspectors couldn't help but shake their heads in amazement, their voices echoing throughout the area.

"A fifteen-year-old fighter—truly worthy of the title—"

Xiao Zhan on the high platform also took a light breath, but as if recalling something, his voice became blurred at the end, "Yan'er, if you really—"

Xiao Xun'er was still some distance away from Xiao Yan becoming a Dou Zhe at the age of twelve, but the cultivation before becoming a Dou Zhe must be done step by step.

If Xiao Yan did not have a dual-world soul, things might be different.

It simply exists, just like the secret that Xun'er has hidden in secret.

Looking at the figure surrounded by admirers, Xiao Yan couldn't help but click his tongue. This girl was truly amazing; she could rival him, even with his teacher.

After the test was completed, Xun'er ignored the gazes of everyone else, turned around and walked back to Xiao Yan's side, pouting happily at his amazed expression.

"Brother Xiao Yan, is Xun'er amazing?"

Looking at the girl who was eagerly awaiting praise like a kitten, Xiao Yan originally wanted to say something to prevent her from becoming arrogant and complacent, but when he reached the corner of his mouth, he changed his mind.

"Impressive. This is Xun'er's talent. It's no surprise that she reached the Dou Zhe level within a year."

"whee."

Upon hearing this, Xun'er's face blossomed like a flower. She didn't lack praise from others, but the praise she wanted came from only one person.

Xiao Yan smiled. This girl is so easy to please. According to his teacher, she cares too much about him, so giving her anything will make her happy.

In that case—

Xiao Yan realized something. Even though Xun'er only cared about feelings and not about anything else, he didn't seem to have given her any valuable gifts over the years.

Looking directly at Xun'er, I noticed a smudge of blue on her wrist—a necklace worth three to five gold coins, which she always wore.

It was Xun'er who gave him the money in the first place, but he used borrowed money to buy necklaces and ornaments to please Xun'er. This is really outrageous.

Let's talk to the teacher about it later. He's not short of money now, thanks to selling medicine, so we must give Xun'er the most suitable gift.

With this in mind, Xiao Yan understood that it was time for him to respond to Xun'er.

The two sat cross-legged and continued to leisurely watch the black stone tablet test, ignoring any envious or jealous glances from others. Xiao Yan reached out and casually played with Xun'er's loose black hair, and Xun'er secretly leaned a little closer.

As more and more people failed, the atmosphere on the training ground gradually became somewhat somber, with those who did not pass all wearing long faces.

However, whenever another newcomer failed to meet the requirements, a subtle hint of schadenfreude would flash across these people's faces.

Upon seeing this scene, Xiao Yan's disgust intensified. What a bunch of rotten oranges! The Xiao family really needs a proper makeover.

Xiao Yan was too lazy to look at the remaining tests, since most of them were just formalities anyway.

Of the more than one hundred people tested, only one or two, like Xiao Mei, reached the eighth level of Dou Qi, while no one has yet reached the ninth level.

Fewer and fewer people were not called up, until finally only a handful of people, including Xiao Yan, remained.

The last boy not far in front of him also got up to take the test, but after a while, he also failed and returned dejectedly.

Everyone knew perfectly well that the last dozen or so spots were reserved for the lowest-ranked members of the family. Although the ranking wasn't entirely based on grades, the worse the student was, the lower they would naturally be placed.

So, for the past three years, the last person tested has always been—

"Xiao Yan!"

Beneath the black stone tablet, the tester called out the last spot with a somewhat complicated expression.

"Brother Xiao Yan, it's your turn~" The girl whispered, her delicate little hand gently covering Xiao Yan's palm, her eyes full of anticipation.

She already knew about Xiao Yan's true strength. Although she regretted that she could no longer let her brother be ignored by others and only she could accompany him, it was better this way so that they could be together openly and honestly.

No matter what, as long as Brother Xiao Yan stays by my side, that's enough.

"Um."

Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Yan slightly raised his head, opened his half-closed eyes, and ignored all the gloating gazes on the training ground.

Expecting someone to always be there for you at the bottom? Now shatter your illusions.

Looking directly at Xiao Zhan on the high platform, Xiao Yan smiled slightly. Father and son exchanged glances, and Xiao Zhan nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that Yan'er had made progress.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yan strode towards the black stone tablet and arrived at its base under the complex gazes of the crowd.

Looking at the boy in black in front of him, the tester sighed inwardly.

He was the first to witness Xiao Yan's miracle back then, and he also personally witnessed the gradual fall of this genius over the next three years.

If no miracle occurs after today, this should be the last test the boy takes in the family.

Under the intense gazes of the entire audience, Xiao Yan's chest rose and fell slowly as he extended his hand and gently placed it on the cold black stone tablet.

All eyes were fixed intently on the stone tablet, and they knew very well that this test might be the last test for this genius boy who had once amazed the entire city of Wutan.

The stone tablet calmed down slightly, and then a bright light suddenly shone through!

The huge golden lettering reappeared, causing everyone present to freeze in their tracks for a moment.

"Power of Battle—Ninth Dan!"

The entire place was silent, deathly silent!

Everyone in the room stared in shock at the five large characters on the stone tablet, their expressions incredibly varied.

A moment later, rapid breathing, like the sound of a windmill, filled the training ground.

"Snap!"

On the high platform, Xiao Zhan crushed the teacup in his hand into powder with a single slap, and tea mixed with the powder dripped down his palm.

"Ninth Dan—Yan'er, you—you really—"

Looking at Xiao Yan beneath the black stone tablet, Xiao Zhan's eyes were slightly moist. He never doubted his child's talent and hard work; he only knew that everything for Yan'er had finally returned.

"Gulp, hehe—the Foundation Establishment Elixir that the clan leader bought—it's really powerful, hehe." The Second Elder swallowed hard, his earlier lingering sarcasm and blankness mixed together in a very interesting way. He chuckled dryly and said awkwardly.

"Second Elder, do you really believe that a second-grade Foundation Establishment Elixir could have such miraculous effects?"

Xiao Zhan's simple remark silenced the Second Elder.

If a bottle of second-grade pills has such power, then it must be more than just second-grade.

Everything now only proves one thing: just like Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, which he had suddenly lost, has suddenly returned.

Beside the black stone tablet, the tester stared blankly at the large characters on the tablet, his indifference long since replaced by shock.

"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi level nine, advanced!"

Has the young master's fighting spirit returned?

The already quiet training ground fell even more silent upon hearing the tester's announcement.

A year ago, no, eleven months ago, Xiao Yan only had three levels of Dou Qi. Now he has nine levels, a full six levels of Dou Qi improvement. He jumped directly from the beginner level to the advanced level. This speed is simply astonishing!

Even Xiao Yan, who was at his peak three years ago, couldn't have achieved such speed!

He's back! The genius has returned and reclaimed everything he had!

This somewhat heart-wrenching reality permeated everyone's minds.

As I said before, since he could lose his fighting spirit overnight, he could also regain it overnight.

At the edge of the training ground, Xiao Ning, who was preparing to watch Xiao Yan make a fool of himself, stared blankly at the large characters on the stone tablet, muttering in disbelief, "This—how is this possible?"

Has the guy who he could only look up to, who made him jealous to the point of ugliness, and who he could trample on at will, returned to his former self?

Looking up at the large golden characters on the stone tablet, Xiao Yan let out a soft breath. The suddenly complicated gazes around him reminded him of his spirited self three years ago.

However, that's all in the past now.

His current target is no longer these members of the Xiao family, nor does he care about them anymore. They all trust Xiao, and apart from that, their relationship is just so-so.

With a gentle smile, Xiao Yan walked slowly to the back of the crowd under the watchful eyes of everyone present. He met Xun'er's smiling gaze for a moment, then sat down cross-legged next to her.

Xun'er is prettier. Instead of caring about those guys, you should spend more time talking to Xun'er.

As Xiao Yan left, the arena fell silent, then whispers arose, some believing, some doubting, and many more at a loss.

Most of them had little connection with Xiao Yan; they had simply gone from silently admiring him to secretly looking down on him, gossiping about him, and secretly kicking him while he was down.

Although Xiao Yan's death affected Xiao Zhan, Xiao Zhan had more than one son. Even if Xiao Yan was truly gone, he could simply find his two older brothers. With their talents, Xiao Zhan's position as clan leader would remain as secure as Mount Tai.

Those who are truly affected and worried —

For some reason, someone suddenly turned their gaze to Xiao Ning, whose body was trembling slightly, and that bloodthirsty look of watching a spectacle reappeared.

"Ahem—" On the high platform, Xiao Zhan, with a smug look on his face, stood up, coughed, and ended the commotion below.

"The test is over. Let's move on to the next item. Those who did not pass have the right to challenge those who passed once. Remember, you only have one chance!"

Upon hearing this, those who were just a hair's breadth away from qualifying immediately turned their fervent gazes toward the group of qualified clansmen.

There's always something exciting to see, but now it's time to decide your own fate.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Xiao Yan suddenly raised an eyebrow. He found it somewhat amusing that many of those people's gazes were actually fixed on him.

Although there was some fear or trepidation, a gambler's burning desire for the worst was still evident in their eyes.

Without compulsory education, they grew up wildly, relying entirely on their individual talents. In a sense, these Xiao family kids were not much different from those hooligans and gangsters.

Children from poor families mature early, as do those who grow up wildly; they are mature yet immature.

"It is indeed very shocking that Brother Xiao Yan has recovered his talent. However, it is precisely because of this shock that many people have a misconception deep down that they do not want to believe it. Therefore, they naturally regard Brother Xiao Yan as the best challenger."

Beside her, Xun'er chuckled softly, but she wasn't annoyed at all, because she was really looking forward to the next scene. "It'll be really cool, right, Brother Xiao Yan?" she thought.

"Is that so? Is it because you don't want to believe it, so you choose to deceive yourself? Or is it a hopeful expectation? It doesn't matter, let the facts speak for themselves."

If he's really provoked, his Fire Fist, which his teacher said has at least the power of a Great Dou Master, won't even hurt him unless one has absolute awareness or extremely strong control over their Dou Qi.

Xun'er smiled faintly and nodded slightly. She was about to see her brother Xiao Yan show off his power in front of others!

Finally, after a brief moment of calm, someone couldn't help but stand up.

A burly young man, under the watchful eyes of everyone, strode quickly to Xiao Yan, bowed slightly, and said loudly, "Cousin Xiao Yan, please!"

Although the young man appeared respectful, a hint of doubt would always flash in his eyes when he looked at Xiao Yan, and his face held a subtle disdain.

Looking at the robust young man who took the challenge first, the other clansmen who had not yet qualified sighed with regret, seemingly quite envious of the first person to try something new.

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes and looked the person in front of him up and down.

Although he didn't know all the members of his clan, he did have some impression of this guy. He remembered him as a simple-minded but physically strong person. He used to want to follow him, but when he failed, he went to follow Xiao Ning instead. Since his cultivation level was not good, he started to train his muscles, probably hoping to turn the tables at this time.

After gathering intelligence, Xiao Yan smiled with a pleased smile. You want to use me as a stepping stone to kill me, but I also want to use you as a stepping stone.

Otherwise, with so many people questioning him all day long, he wouldn't have the time to respond.

Turning his head to look at Xun'er, whose eyes were full of amusement, Xiao Yan smiled slightly. This girl is also bloodthirsty.

"Okay, I accept."

Seeing Xiao Yan agree so readily, Xiao Ke suddenly felt a chill down his spine and a slight regret. However, the die was cast and there was no time to back out.

Improving one's battle qi by six levels in a year is simply impossible, even if he regained all his former talent and battle qi.

No way, he'll really come back?

After his self-deception, Xiao Ke not only failed to motivate himself, but instead became even more guilty.

If it were level seven or eight, that would be fine, indicating he could pull it off. But it's level nine, the closest stage to a Dou Zhe (Battle Master). Xiao Yan was a Dou Zhe before, so maybe...

No, I can't keep thinking like this, otherwise I won't even have the courage to stand in front of him!

Seeing Xiao Ke's expression change faster than a short-circuited television, Xiao Yan smiled silently, stood up, and walked into the training ground in full view of everyone. Then he gestured for Xiao Ke to enter.

Seeing Xiao Yan's calm expression, Xiao Ke chuckled awkwardly and walked slowly into the arena with somewhat stiff steps.

He'd made up his mind: if they really came back, he'd surrender immediately and try to slide on his knees on the spot.