A country has its laws, and a family has its rules.
According to a rule passed down from the Xiao family ancestors, if a Xiao family disciple does not have cultivation potential at the age of sixteen, he will be disqualified from entering the Dou Qi Pavilion to find Dou Qi cultivation techniques.
They were then assigned to various businesses within the family to manage the family's assets, thus ending their remaining years.
No one can change this clan rule, not even the clan leader Xiao Zhan!
In other words, if one does not become a Dou Zhe before the age of twenty-five, they will not be recognized by the Xiao family!
The only option is to drive them out, making them marginal figures in the family, with no possibility of ever advancing further in their lives.
The Dou Qi Continent is vast, with a strong tradition of cultivating Dou Qi. It is home to many powerful individuals and operates under the law of the jungle, making it a bloody and violent place.
In order for a family to survive and thrive, it must implement a strategy of streamlining its administration and personnel. Otherwise, distributing limited resources equally to all family members would be the greatest unfairness to those with exceptional talent.
For a family, the only role of a disciple without cultivation talent is perhaps that of a human seed-planting machine, contributing their remaining energy to the family's prosperity and expansion.
How could Xiao Zhan and his son not understand this principle? It's just a pity that they were powerless in the face of the clan rules.
After offering a few words of comfort, Xiao Zhan turned and left, knowing that Xiao Yan had inner conflicts and that letting him bear everything alone would allow him to grow.
"Don't worry, Father, I will do my best!"
Stroking the antique ring on his finger, Xiao Yan glanced in the direction where Xiao Zhan had disappeared, then looked up and murmured to himself.
Time flies, and a night passes in the blink of an eye.
The next morning, in Xiao Ning's private courtyard.
"call!"
Xiao Ning exhaled a breath of stale air, opened his eyes, and awoke from his meditation.
"A mere night of cultivation has yielded results equivalent to a month of arduous training in the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber world—it's terrifying!"
Getting off the bed, Xiao Ning focused his mind and looked behind him, making an astonishing discovery that made him let out a low growl.
"If I stayed in this world for ten or twenty years, burying myself in arduous cultivation, what level would I reach?"
Wow! Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter!
A hint of excitement appeared on Xiao Ning's face.
After his time in prison, he realized the importance of strength and influence. If he had possessed his current Grandmaster-level martial arts cultivation or had a powerful force backing him up, he could have acted secretly without giving others cause for criticism or leaving any evidence to use against him, thus avoiding this misfortune.
However, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise!
It was this ordeal in prison that made Xiao Ning truly recognize himself and change his previous arrogant and domineering ways.
As the saying goes, "A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit!"
Xiao Ning's current idea is to play it safe and survive, and not to be reckless until he becomes invincible.
"I wonder where my cultivation level compares to battle qi, or if I'll only know after we fight?"
A thought flashed through Xiao Ning's mind, and then she thought that today seemed to be the auspicious day for the protagonist Xiao Yan to annul his engagement. This exciting plot was not to be missed!
"Speaking of which, that phrase that has spread throughout the myriad realms and inspired countless people to imitate it, seems to have been uttered by Xiao Yan today, right?"
Thinking of this, Xiao Ning could no longer sit still. He stepped out of the courtyard and headed to the family's council hall.
The hall was very spacious and there were quite a few people inside. Sitting at the head of the table were Xiao Zhan and three indifferent-looking old men. They were the clan elders, whose power was second only to the clan leader.
To the left of the four sat some influential and powerful elders of the family, with some outstanding young disciples beside them.
On the other side sat three strangers, presumably the main supporting characters in today's scene.
Upon seeing Xiao Ning enter, the expressions of the people sitting in the chairs varied: some looked calm, some looked ingratiating, and some pretended to be deep in thought.
Xiao Ning went straight to the back of the Grand Elder, bowed to the Grand Elder in name only, and then stood still.
"Ning'er is here!"
The First Elder smiled and stroked his long beard. Xiao Ning's publicly displayed cultivation level was the eighth stage of Dou Qi, which was considered top-tier among the Xiao family's peers. Therefore, he was very much liked by this adoptive grandfather.
After exchanging polite greetings, Xiao Ning looked up and saw that among the three strangers was an old man dressed in a moon-white robe.
The old man had a big smile on his face and looked very energetic. His small eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp light.
On the chest of the old man's robe, there was a crescent moon painted on the front, surrounded by seven glittering golden stars.
"Is this the Yunlan Sect elder named Ge Ye? Is this the strength of a Seven-Star Great Dou Master? It seems quite ordinary!"
Xiao Ning thought of the cultivation level division in the original work, and then focused his mind to sense the battle qi sea in the old man's body, which made him very puzzled.
Beside Ge Ye sat a young couple, both dressed in the same moon-white robes.
The man was around twenty years old, with a handsome face and a tall, well-built physique, making him quite charming.
Of course, the most important thing is the five gold stars painted on his chest, which represent the young man's strength as a five-star Dou Zhe!
Xiao Ning had long forgotten what the name of this minor character was.
He glanced at the extra and then looked at the girl.
The girl's appearance was even more beautiful than Xiao Mei's. A green jade pendant hung from her delicate earlobe, which made a crisp sound when it swayed slightly, suddenly revealing a touch of nobility.
In addition, three gold stars are drawn in gold thread next to the girl's small, developing breasts, representing that her strength is already that of a three-star fighter.