Xiao Yan's initial excitement gradually faded, replaced by concern over the situation.
His heart tightened, and he quickly apologized to Xiao Zhan.
“Father, I acted recklessly today!”
Xiao Zhan waved his hand, his tone gentle.
“This matter isn’t your fault. Nalan Yanran came here to break off the engagement anyway. You merely spoke before her, which helped save the Xiao Family’s face. No need to blame yourself.”
Just as he was feeling uneasy, Xiao Xun’er’s crisp voice rang out by his ear.
“Brother Xiao Yan, don’t worry too much. Xun’er won’t let anything happen to you or the Xiao Family.”
Hearing this, warmth rose in Xiao Yan’s heart, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew well the strength of the power behind Xun’er. Within the Xiao Family now resided a Dou Huang expert dedicated to protecting Xun’er’s safety.
With the power of the Yunlan Sect and other families of the Jia Ma Empire, they stood no chance against a Dou Huang.
Unless the old Sect Master Yun Shan of the Yunlan Sect's back mountain emerged, there was nothing to fear.
Still, Xiao Yan didn’t want to place all his hopes on Xun’er. He was making plans.
Now that his cultivation had been revealed, he could go to the Scripture Pavilion to choose more techniques. Even if the grade wasn’t high, he could sell them to the chat group for points and rapidly enhance his strength!
“Xun’er, thank you.”
Xiao Yan sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Xun’er was slightly stunned, not expecting Xiao Yan to place such trust in her. Then she smiled and said,
“What are you saying, Brother Xiao Yan? Your matters are my matters.”
Xiao Yan was filled with relief. He turned to Xiao Zhan.
“Father, my cultivation has recovered. I’d like to go to the Dou Technique Pavilion and pick some techniques to train.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan looked toward the three elders. The three of them fell into thought upon seeing this.
Now that Xiao Yan's talent had returned, his strength as a Seven-Star Dou Practitioner was nothing to scoff at. His future potential was boundless.
If they offered him a favor now, perhaps he would help them rise when he achieved greatness.
Moreover, they were all part of the Xiao Family. Despite their differences, they all wished to see the family flourish.
Xiao Yan’s request wasn’t unreasonable.
The Grand Elder was the first to speak.
“We naturally agree.”
Xiao Zhan nodded in approval.
“In that case, you may browse the Dou Technique Pavilion freely. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to consult the elders or other experts in the family.”
Xiao Yan was filled with gratitude.
“Thank you, Father!”
He then bowed to the three elders.
“Also, thank you, Elders, for your support.”
The three elders shook their heads.
“No need to be so polite.”
Now that everything was settled, Xiao Yan’s gaze turned toward the chat group.
Xiao Yan: “Everyone, today’s engagement annulment is over. I’m going to close the live stream window.”
Lu Yu: “Alright, go ahead, Xiao Yan. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders now. Breaking off the engagement was satisfying, but you’ve also offended the Yunlan Sect and the Nalan Family. You’ll need to grow stronger quickly.”
Xiao Yan: “I understand. I plan to head straight to the Xiao Family’s Dou Technique Pavilion, copy all the techniques, and upload them to the chat group for points. That way, I can rapidly improve my strength.
As long as I’m strong enough, I can handle any danger. Plus, there’s still Xun’er in the Xiao Family. She won’t let anything happen to us.”
Lu Yu: “Damn it, I smell the sour stench of romance! Why does Xiao Yan have a childhood sweetheart, while I’m all alone? I’m so jealous!”
Huang Rong: “Brother Lu Yu, you can also go out and find someone! You’re already at the Seventh Level of the Mortal Realm. You can definitely protect yourself. If you reveal your talent, you won’t have trouble finding someone you like!”
Lu Yu: “Let’s talk about this later. I’m logging off to cultivate.”
With that, before anyone could reply, he logged out of the chat group, and his avatar turned gray.
Lu Xueqi withdrew her gaze and closed the chat panel, then turned her eyes toward the shopping mall.
Although there were now many techniques in the mall, few suited her. Most were low-grade techniques.
Techniques like Xiong Ba’s signature Threefold Return to Primordial Qi weren’t even for sale. What Xiong Ba had listed were just some low-tier martial skills.
Looking at these uninspiring low-grade martial skills, Lu Xueqi was uninterested. Still, she purchased a few Wuxia techniques to study, hoping to comprehend stronger techniques and sell them for points.
To her, the most important thing right now was to raise her strength with full effort in preparation for the Seven Peaks Tournament.
The moment Lu Xueqi thought about how a transmigrator had already appeared in this world—and how more might arrive in the future—she felt an intense sense of crisis.
If one day a powerful transmigrator emerged from the Demonic Path, equipped with an overpowered cheat…
She might not be able to compete, and the future would be all the more precarious.
As a woman, she had no intention of falling into such a passive situation.
Harboring this concern, Lu Xueqi stopped thinking about it, closed her eyes, and entered a state of deep meditation.
* * *
Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, six months had flown by.
Inside the Black Wind Cave at the back of Longshou Peak, Qi Hao’s face was dark and bruised, but his eyes shone with unconcealed delight.
Today marked the end of his six-month confinement—he was finally free.
Thinking back on the past six months, Qi Hao ground his teeth in hatred.
At the beginning, he had readily agreed to serve his time in the Black Wind Cave, assuming that with his profound cultivation, it would be nothing more than a formality.
He had even plotted to slip away from Longshou Peak at the right time to visit Xiaozhu Peak and see Lu Xueqi—hopefully to bond with her.
But who could have predicted that the heavens seemed intent on toying with him?
Every time he even entertained the thought of leaving the cave and tried to act on it, he would be discovered by Cang Song and ruthlessly forced back inside.
This left Qi Hao filled with frustration and confusion.
Now that the day of release had finally arrived, Qi Hao let out a long breath of relief. His face still livid, he glanced around the gloomy environment of the Black Wind Cave, eyes filled with unwillingness, then quickly strode toward the exit.
Outside the cave, Lin Jingyu was hiding quietly in the shadows, his gaze locked tightly on Qi Hao as he emerged.
Seeing Qi Hao’s bruised and swollen face, Lin Jingyu couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.
When he realized that Qi Hao’s strength hadn’t improved at all, a smug look spread across his face.
Lin Jingyu quietly speculated that Qi Hao’s cheat—his “golden finger”—might not be the type that directly increased cultivation, unlike his own Heaven Rewards Diligence System.
However, what exactly that golden finger was, he had no way of knowing.
At that thought, Lin Jingyu felt the strength within himself and couldn’t help but let a faint smile curl on his lips.
After six months of dedicated training, he had already broken through to the Seventh Level of the Jade Purity Realm.
At this rate, he was confident he could reach the Eighth Level of the Jade Purity Realm before the Seven Peaks Tournament.
By then, his strength would rival Qi Hao’s.
Lin Jingyu silently schemed.
After the Seven Peaks Tournament, once he, Qi Hao, Lu Xueqi, and the others left the Qingyun Sect, he would find an opportunity to eliminate Qi Hao.
Moreover, he longed to have more interaction with Lu Xueqi along the journey—and hopefully win her heart.
Once Qi Hao was far enough away, Lin Jingyu flickered from view and quietly disappeared into the back mountain, returning to his own room on Longshou Peak.
Meanwhile, Qi Hao straightened his robe and headed toward the Discipline Hall, preparing to meet with Cang Song.