Chapter 1

"Three stages of Combat Power!"

Staring at the five large, dazzlingly bright words on the testing magic stone, the young man's face was expressionless, a hint of self-mockery at the corner of his lips. His tightly clenched fists, due to the force, caused his slightly sharp nails to dig deeply into his palms, bringing a piercing pain.

"Xiao Yan, Combat Power, three stages! Level: Low!" Beside the testing magic stone, a middle-aged man glanced at the information displayed on the stone and announced it with an indifferent tone.

As soon as the middle-aged man's words were out, a wave of mocking commotion predictably arose in the crowded square.

"Three stages? Hehe, just as I expected, this 'genius' has been standing still for another year!"

"Ah, this good-for-nothing has really disgraced the family."

"If it weren't for the fact that the clan leader is his father, this good-for-nothing would have been expelled from the clan long ago, left to fend for himself, instead of being allowed to freeload here."

"Alas, how has the famous young genius of U坦 City fallen to such a sorry state?"

"Who knows? Perhaps he did something to anger the gods..."

The disdainful laughter and pitying sighs from the surroundings pierced the ears of the young man standing there like a wooden stake, as if sharp needles were stabbing his heart, making his breathing slightly rapid.

The young man slowly raised his head, revealing a somewhat delicate and youthful face. His dark eyes scanned the mocking peers around him with a wooden expression, and the self-mockery on his lips seemed to become even more bitter.

"Do these people all have to be so cold and calculating? Perhaps it's because they once showed the most humble smiles in front of me, so now they want to get even..." With a bitter smile, Xiao Yan turned away, quietly returning to the last row of the queue, his lonely figure standing out from the surrounding world.

"Next, Xiao Mei!"

Hearing the tester's call, a girl quickly ran out of the crowd. As soon as she appeared, the nearby discussions quieted down, and a pair of slightly heated eyes locked onto the girl's face...

The girl was only about fourteen years old. Although she wasn't a beauty, her youthful face exuded a faint charm, a combination of innocence and allure that made her the focus of everyone's attention...

The girl quickly stepped forward, her small hand skillfully touching the black magic stone, then slowly closed her eyes...

A moment after the girl closed her eyes, the black magic stone lit up again...

"Combat Power: Seven stages!"

"Xiao Mei, Combat Power: Seven stages! Level: High!"

"Yay!" Hearing the tester's announcement, the girl's face lit up with a proud smile...

"Tsk tsk, seven stages of Combat Power, truly impressive. At this rate, it will probably take her no more than three years to become a genuine Fighter..."

"Truly a seed-level talent in the clan..."

Hearing the envious voices from the crowd, the girl's smile grew even wider. Vanity, a temptation that many girls find hard to resist...

Chatting with a few of her usual companions, Xiao Mei's gaze suddenly stopped on a lonely figure outside the crowd...

Furrowing her brow for a moment, Xiao Mei dismissed the thought of approaching him. The two of them were no longer on the same level. With Xiao Yan's performance over the past few years, he would at most become a low-level member of the clan after adulthood, while she, with her excellent talent, would become a key figure in the clan, with an unlimited future.

"Alas..." Sighing softly, Xiao Mei's mind suddenly recalled the confident and promising young man from three years ago. At four years old, he began practicing Qi, at ten, he had seven stages of Combat Power, and at eleven, he broke through to ten stages of Combat Power, successfully condensing a Combat Power vortex, becoming the youngest Fighter in the clan's history within a hundred years!

The young man back then was confident and had boundless potential, making many girls swoon, including the young Xiao Mei.

However, the path of a genius is often fraught with twists and turns. Three years ago, this young man, at the peak of his fame, suddenly received the most brutal blow of his life. Not only did the Combat Power vortex he had painstakingly cultivated for over a decade vanish overnight, but the Combat Power in his body also mysteriously diminished over time.

The direct result of the disappearance of Combat Power was a continuous decline in his strength.

Falling from the pedestal of a genius to a level below that of an ordinary person, this blow made the young man lose his spirit, and the name of a genius was gradually replaced by disdain and mockery.

The higher one stands, the harder one falls. This fall might mean he would never rise again.

"Next, Xiao Xun'er!"

Amidst the noisy crowd, the tester's voice rang out again.

As the somewhat elegant name echoed, the crowd suddenly fell silent, and all eyes turned.

At the focal point of everyone's gaze, a girl in a purple dress stood gracefully, her calm and youthful face unchanged by the attention.

The girl's cold and composed demeanor was like a lotus in full bloom, and even at her young age, she already possessed a transcendent aura. It was hard to imagine how breathtakingly beautiful she would become when she grew up...

In terms of beauty and demeanor, this purple-dressed girl undoubtedly surpassed the previous Xiao Mei, which was why everyone in the crowd reacted this way.

Taking a small step forward, the girl named Xiao Xun'er approached the magic stone, her small hand reaching out, the black-gold-threaded purple sleeve sliding down to reveal a segment of snow-white, delicate wrist, then gently touching the stone...

After a brief moment of silence, the stone lit up with a blinding light.

"Combat Power: Nine stages! Level: High!"

Looking at the words on the stone, the crowd fell into a silence.

"... Already at nine stages, truly terrifying! Among the young generation of the clan, Miss Xun'er is undoubtedly the first." After the silence, the surrounding young men involuntarily swallowed their saliva, their eyes filled with awe...

Combat Power is a necessary path for every Fighter. The initial stages of Combat Power are divided into ten levels. When the Combat Power in the body reaches the tenth stage, one can condense a Combat Power vortex and become a respected Fighter!

In the crowd, Xiao Mei frowned, staring at the purple-dressed girl in front of the stone, a hint of jealousy flashing across her face...

Looking at the information on the stone, the indifferent face of the middle-aged tester even showed a rare smile, and he respectfully said to the girl, "Miss Xun'er, in half a year, you should be able to condense a Combat Power vortex. If you succeed, you will become a genuine Fighter at the age of fourteen, the second person in the Xiao family in a hundred years!"

Yes, the second person. The first person was Xiao Yan, who had lost his genius status.

"Thank you." The girl nodded slightly, her calm face showing no joy at his praise, and she quietly turned around, then slowly walked to the dejected young man at the back of the crowd...

"Brother Xiao Yan." As she passed by the young man, the girl paused, bowing respectfully to Xiao Yan, her beautiful face showing a refined smile that made the surrounding girls envious.

"Do I still have the right to be called that way?" Looking at the girl who had grown into the brightest star in the clan, Xiao Yan said bitterly. She was one of the few who still treated him with respect after his fall.

"Brother Xiao Yan, you once told Xun'er that one must let go to gain, and only those who can do both are truly free!" Xiao Xun'er smiled and said softly, her slightly childish voice warming the heart.

"Ha ha, free? I can only say it, but do I look like a free person now? And... this world doesn't belong to me." Xiao Yan laughed self-mockingly, his interest waning.

Faced with Xiao Yan's dejection, Xiao Xun'er's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she said earnestly, "Brother Xiao Yan, although I don't know what happened to you, I believe you will stand up again and reclaim your glory and dignity..." Pausing for a moment, the girl's fair face turned slightly red for the first time: "The Brother Xiao Yan of the past was indeed very attractive..."

"Ha ha..." Faced with the girl's frank words, the young man laughed awkwardly but said nothing more. Youth is wasted without passion, but he no longer had the qualifications or mood for it. Turning away dejectedly, he slowly walked out of the square...

Standing there, watching the young man's lonely back, which seemed to be isolated from the world, Xiao Xun'er hesitated for a moment, then, amidst the envious howls of the crowd, quickly caught up, walking beside the young man...

(Potato's new book is out. If you find it satisfactory, please click to collect and support the book. Potato is very grateful. Also, don't forget to vote. Thank you to all the loyal readers who have followed me. I love you all. Whether or not my new book will continue to receive your support, I still want to say thank you. As I always say, without your support, Sword Saint would have been abandoned last May. The earthquake in Sichuan at that time made it impossible for me to update, but because of your support, I never missed an update. I even got kicked out of the internet cafe by a cowardly manager. I despise that coward. With your support, Sword Saint has weathered the storm. The last few days of updates have been slow, and I apologize. However, Sword Saint will have a perfect ending within two days, with no loose ends!)