Chapter 3

Lying on the bed, the young man sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his hands forming a strange seal in front of him. His chest rose and fell gently, forming a perfect cycle with each breath. During this cycle, a faint white aura flowed through his nose and mouth, entering his body to nourish his bones and flesh.

While the young man was meditating with his eyes closed, the ancient black ring on his finger glowed faintly again, then fell silent...

"Phew..." He slowly exhaled a turbid breath, his eyes suddenly opening, a faint white light flashing in his dark eyes. This was the fighting qi that had just been absorbed but not yet fully refined.

"The hard-earned fighting qi is disappearing again... Damn it!" Sensing the situation within his body, the young man's face suddenly turned angry, and he cursed in a sharp voice.

Clenching his fists tightly, after a while, the young man shook his head with a bitter smile, climbed off the bed, and stretched his slightly numb ankles and thighs. With only three stages of fighting qi, he had no ability to ignore various forms of fatigue.

After a simple stretch in the room, an elderly voice came from outside: "Third Young Master, the Clan Head asks you to the main hall!"

Third Young Master, Xiao Yan was the third son in his family, with two older brothers who had long left home for training and only returned occasionally at the end of the year. Overall, the two older brothers were quite good to their younger brother, Xiao Yan.

"Okay." He responded casually, changed his clothes, and walked out of the room, smiling at the elderly man in a green robe outside: "Let's go, Steward Mo."

Looking at the young man's youthful face, the elderly man in the green robe nodded kindly. As he turned, a faint trace of regret flashed in his cloudy old eyes. Sigh, with Third Young Master's former talent, he should have become an outstanding fighter long ago. What a pity...

Following the old steward through the back courtyard, they finally stopped outside the solemn reception hall. After knocking politely, he gently pushed the door open and entered.

The hall was spacious, with quite a number of people inside. Sitting at the top were Xiao Zhan and three elderly men with indifferent expressions. They were the clan's elders, whose power was no less than that of the Clan Head.

Below the left of the four, sat some influential and powerful elders of the clan. Beside them, there were also some outstanding young members of the clan.

On the other side, three strangers were seated, who were likely the distinguished guests Xiao Zhan had mentioned the previous night.

His gaze swept over the three strangers with some confusion. Among them was an elderly man in a moon-white robe, his face full of smiles and vitality. His small eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp light. Xiao Yan's gaze slightly lowered, finally stopping at the old man's chest. His heart suddenly tightened. On the old man's robe, there was a crescent moon in silver, surrounded by seven shimmering golden stars.

"Seven-star Great Fighter! This old man is actually a Seven-star Great Fighter? Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance!" Xiao Yan was greatly surprised. The old man's strength was even two stars higher than his father's.

Those who could become Great Fighters were at least renowned strong figures in their regions. Such strength would make any force eager to court them. It was no wonder Xiao Yan was surprised to suddenly see such a powerful figure.

Beside the old man, a young man and woman were seated, both wearing the same moon-white robes. The young man was around twenty, with a handsome face and a tall, well-built figure, making him quite charming. Most importantly, there were five golden stars on his chest, indicating his strength: a Five-star Fighter!

To become a Five-star Fighter at around twenty years old indicated that the young man had exceptional talent.

His handsome appearance and considerable strength had not only captivated some naive young girls in the clan but also made Xiao Mei, who was sitting nearby, look at him with a hint of admiration in her beautiful eyes.

Although the young girl was sending him flirtatious glances, it seemed to have no effect on the young man. At this moment, he was focusing all his attention on the beautiful girl beside him...

The girl was about the same age as Xiao Yan. To his surprise, her beauty surpassed even Xiao Mei's. In the clan, perhaps only Xiao Xun'er, who was like a lotus, could compare. No wonder the young man was indifferent to the clan's other girls.

The girl's delicate earlobes were adorned with green jade pendants, which jingled softly as they moved, adding a touch of nobility...

Additionally, there were three golden stars on the girl's developing, delicate chest.

"Three-star Fighter, this girl... If she hasn't relied on external means to enhance her strength, then she is a supreme genius!" Xiao Yan took a deep breath, but his gaze only lingered on the girl's cold and beautiful face for a moment before moving away. No matter how immature he looked, he had a mature soul. Although the girl was beautiful, he didn't want to appear like a drooling fool and annoy others.

Xiao Yan's actions seemed to slightly surprise the girl. Although she wasn't the type to think the world revolved around her, she was well aware of her beauty and charm. Xiao Yan's casual behavior truly caught her off guard, but that was all.

"Father, Elders!" He quickly approached and respectfully bowed to Xiao Zhan and the three elders above.

"Hehe, Yan'er, you're here. Come, sit down." Seeing Xiao Yan arrive, Xiao Zhan stopped his conversation with the guests, nodded at him, and gestured.

Smiling and nodding, Xiao Yan ignored the impatience and slight disdain from the three elders, scanning the hall. To his surprise, he found no seat for himself...

"Sigh, my status in this clan is really getting lower. In the past, it was fine, but now they're embarrassing me in front of guests. These three old men..." He gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head.

Seeing Xiao Yan standing there, the young people of the clan couldn't help but laugh mockingly, clearly enjoying his embarrassment.

At this moment, Xiao Zhan also noticed Xiao Yan's awkward situation, a flash of anger crossing his face. He frowned at the old man beside him: "Second Elder, you..."

"Cough, I'm truly sorry, I forgot about Third Young Master. Hehe, I'll have someone prepare a seat right away!" The old man in the yellow robe, who was being glared at by Xiao Zhan, smiled faintly, "blaming" himself by patting his forehead, though the mockery in his eyes was not well hidden.

"Xiao Yan brother, sit here!" The girl's gentle voice suddenly rang out in the hall.

The three elders were slightly stunned, their gazes shifting to the quiet Xiao Xun'er in the corner. Their mouths moved, but none of them dared to speak...

In the corner of the hall, Xiao Xun'er smiled and closed the thick book in her hands, her demeanor elegant and composed. She winked at Xiao Yan cutely.

Looking at Xiao Xun'er's smiling face, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, touching his nose. He walked over and sat down beside her, drawing envious glances from the other young men.

"You've helped me out again." Inhaling the faint fragrance from the girl beside him, Xiao Yan chuckled.

Xiao Xun'er smiled faintly, her face showing cute dimples. Her slender fingers flipped open the ancient book in her hands. Despite her young age, she had a graceful beauty. After a moment, she said softly, "Xiao Yan brother, it's been three years since we've sat together alone, right?"

"Uh... Now that you're a genius in the clan, isn't it easy to make friends?" Seeing the girl's slightly reproachful side face, Xiao Yan laughed dryly.

"From the time I was four to six years old, someone would sneak into my room every night and use a clumsy technique and not very strong fighting qi to nourish my bones and meridians. Each time, he would leave exhausted and drenched in sweat. Xiao Yan brother, who do you think it was?" Xun'er was silent for a while, then suddenly turned her head and smiled at Xiao Yan, her unique charm making the surrounding young men's eyes light up.

"Cough... How would I know? We were so young, we were still crawling on the ground. How would I know?" His heart skipped a beat, Xiao Yan chuckled awkwardly, then shifted his gaze to the hall, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Hehe..." Seeing Xiao Yan's reaction, Xiao Xun'er's lips curved into a gentle smile. Her gaze returned to the book, and she murmured softly, "Although I know he meant well, I'm a girl, after all. How can someone secretly touch a girl's body? If I find out who it is, humph..."

Xiao Yan's lips twitched, feeling somewhat guilty. He kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, and remained silent...

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