106: Fallen Genius

“Qi Refining, Third Level!”

Listening to the four loud, almost grating, words from the testing Elder, the young man’s face was expressionless, a self-mocking smile playing on his lips. His tightly clenched fist dug his sharp nails into his palm, bringing waves of biting pain...

“Yan Xiao, Qi Refining, Third Level!”

Beside the testing stone platform, the Elder’s face was devoid of emotion. Perhaps fearing that someone hadn’t heard clearly, he announced it again in a detached tone, clearly tinged with disdain...

As soon as the Elder’s words left his mouth, they predictably stirred up a commotion of mocking and ridiculing discussions among the bustling crowd in the square.

“Third Level? Haha, just as I thought, this ‘Genius’ has indeed made no progress this year, just treading water!”

“Sigh, this good-for-nothing has completely shamed our Yan Family over the years.”

“If he weren’t the Clan Chief’s son, a good-for-nothing like him would have been expelled long ago. How would he still have the chance to stay in the Family and Cultivate in seclusion?”

“What a pity, how did the once famous Genius of Wu Ta City fall to such a state?”

“Who knows? Perhaps the previous Genius just used some medicine and is now suffering from the backlash?”

The surrounding taunts and conjectures, falling into the ears of the young man standing still like a wooden stake, transformed into thorns fiercely piercing his heart, making his breathing slightly rapid.

The young man slowly raised his head, revealing a delicate and youthful face. His deep eyes blankly swept over the mocking peers around him, and the self-mockery on his lips seemed to grow even more bitter.

Yan Xiao turned away dejectedly, returning to the last row of the line without a word. His solitary, lonely figure seemed out of place with the surrounding liveliness.

“Next, Yan Wu!”

Hearing the tester’s call, the young girl Yan Wu quickly ran out from the crowd. As soon as she appeared, the mocking laughter nearby subsided significantly, replaced by slightly fervent gazes, fixed firmly on the girl’s face.

It was a pretty face, not quite a beauty, and still clearly immature, but it possessed a charm that her peers lacked. The girl’s innocence, coupled with an incongruous allure, instantly made her the focus of attention for the entire audience.

Yan Wu confidently stepped forward, extended a hand, placed it on the testing jade tablet, and slowly infused her spiritual power.

A moment later, the testing jade tablet once again lit up. The Elders responsible for the test immediately brightened, their indifferent expressions turning to joy, which even infused their tone:

“Qi Refining, Seventh Level!”

“Yan Wu, Qi Refining Seventh Level!”

Hearing the result, the girl showed no surprise, merely giving the Elder a charming nod, a triumphant smile on her face. She deliberately paused on the stone platform, enjoying the envious expressions of the crowd below.

“It’s actually Qi Refining Seventh Level? That’s truly surprising.”

“Did Yan Wu just Breakthrough Spirit Nurturing last year? To Breakthrough to Seventh Level in one year, how can it be so astonishing?”

“Weren’t there several others who rapidly Breakthrough in one year before? It seems our Yan Family is truly on the rise.”

“Hehe, if it weren’t for so many true Geniuses, that good-for-nothing Yan Xiao might still be able to flaunt his Qi Refining Third Level strength.”

Listening to the various voices from the crowd, Yan Wu’s smile deepened. This feeling of being praised brought her immense vanity, something she could never achieve in the real world.

The girl lightly stepped down from the stone platform, enjoying the adulation of those around her. Her gaze inadvertently passed through the crowd, landing on the back row of the line, stopping on that solitary figure.

Frowning in thought for a moment, Yan Wu still dismissed the idea of going over.

The former Yan Wu was almost the childhood sweetheart of that Family Genius, but the current Yan Wu only felt that the two were no longer on the same level. A Qi Refining Third Level who couldn’t Breakthrough would only fall to the lowest rung, while she, with her Golden Finger, would become a core member of the Yan Family, with limitless prospects.

Yan Wu chuckled inwardly, then recalled the memories she had previously reviewed.

In the past, the young Yan Xiao had astonishing talent, boundless potential, and exuded a dazzling aura of confidence. Countless young girls were smitten with him, naturally including the former Yan Wu.

However, this Genius suddenly suffered the most brutal blow of his life several years ago; his painstakingly Cultivated cultivation was instantly shattered, and he remained at Qi Refining Third Level ever since. As time passed, not only did he show no signs of advancement, but his spiritual power within him became increasingly scarce.

And his title of Genius naturally turned into ‘good-for-nothing’, suspected by countless people of having used some secret medicine to overdraw his potential and feign being a Genius. This brought him endless disdain and mockery, and the young man’s confidence also collapsed, leaving him dispirited.

‘What a pity, I wasted the status of a childhood sweetheart for nothing, it can’t help me at all. Perhaps he’ll even come begging me in the future, a troublesome good-for-nothing.’

Yan Wu cursed inwardly, her gaze already leaving the solitary figure and returning to the testing platform.

Another Yan Family member walked up.

“Qi Refining, Fourth Level!”

“Qi Refining, Fifth Level!”

“Qi Refining, Third Level!”

“Qi Refining, Seventh Level!”

“Qi Refining...”

As each voice sounded, the Elder responsible for the test became increasingly joyful, his face flushed.

The observing Yan Family members were also somewhat excited, feeling that the number of Geniuses produced by the Yan Family this year was truly high. Many of them were even mere Spirit Nurturing last year, yet this year they had continuously Breakthrough several levels of Qi Refining cultivation. Such speed, no one would doubt even if it were said they had Cultivated for ten years.

The increase in Geniuses brought satisfied and confident expressions to the faces of the Yan Family Elders, and their gazes towards Yan Xiao also carried unconcealed disdain and mockery. The Yan Family Clan Chief, at the highest position, also had an extremely complex expression.

And beside the Elders, there were also Yan Family Guest Elders, who were all smiling as they watched the testing platform, discussing among themselves in private:

“It seems many of us players have transmigrated into Yan Family members. That makes it much easier for us who are physically present to act.”

“Good thing, after all, we’ve already discussed it well: we’re going to usurp the Yan Family and turn it into a players’ Yan Family. With the help of these Yan Family Geniuses, the success rate greatly increases.”

“The first step is to unseat the Clan Chief and let the Elder who supports us take over.”

“That’s simple, the Clan Chief’s son is a good-for-nothing, and he has deep father-son affection, always letting that good-for-nothing stay in the Family. If we attack from this angle, we can definitely bring the Clan Chief down.”

The Guest Elders discussed quietly.

And the Yan Family’s Family test finally ended. This year, too many Geniuses emerged, making the fallen Genius appear even more desolate, hanging lonely at the very back of the crowd, a bitter smile on his lips, leaving alone in solitude.

Outside the Yan Family, Murong Shusu (Wang Huohuo), who came to annul the engagement, and two Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators, had already arrived at Wu Ta City.