Battle Through the Heavens: Top Talent

Chapter 11 Returning to the Xiao Family!

Time flows eastward like water, leaves fall in profusion, and fleeting moments slip away quietly.

Black Corner Region, Peace Town. This is the pre-entry checkpoint to Canaan City. Robbery, killing, and other such acts are not allowed here.

If anyone dares to violate this rule, the enforcement team belonging to Canaan College will come to kill the perpetrator.

"Please, spare me! I only killed a few insignificant ants with no cultivation. Why are you going to kill me? Your Canaan Academy's tyrannical behavior is going to incite public outrage!"

In a dark alley, a fierce-looking man with a face full of scars knelt on the ground. There was a hole in each of his wrists, from which blood was flowing continuously. His eyes were filled with pleading as he cried out to the people coming towards him.

"You must know that killing is forbidden in Peace Town, right? In your eyes they are ants, but aren't you the same in my eyes?"

A cold voice rang out, and a young man dressed in light blue clothes slowly approached, carrying a long spear. On the chest of his clothes was a blue badge with a dagger stained with a few drops of crimson blood.

"If I let you go, how am I supposed to face the people you killed? In your next life, remember to be a good person!"

Without saying much, the boy, having walked a sufficient distance, raised his arm, and his spear shot out like lightning, piercing directly through the burly man's throat.

Stepping out of the shadows, the soft light outside shone on the boy's face, revealing his sharp features, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes. His handsome face wore a cold expression, as if the person who had just died at his hands was not a human, but a beast.

After removing the storage ring from the burly man's finger, the young man vanished in a flash, leaving the alleyway.

"Junior Brother Xiao Yun, has that villain been brought to justice?" Outside the alley, a tall young man leaned against the wall and smiled as he looked at the boy who walked out of the alley.

"That's right, I've already completed this task."

The young man, Xiao Yun, said that since he was beaten up by Xu Ning last time and realized his shortcomings in combat, Xiao Yun applied to join the law enforcement team to hone himself in life-and-death battles. It has been a year and a half now.

"That's true. With your cultivation as a six-star Great Dou Master, plus this spear, dealing with a five-star Great Dou Master would be a piece of cake."

The young man nodded, his eyes filled with envy as he stared at the long spear in Xiao Yun's hand.

Hearing the young man's words, Xiao Yun smiled and looked at the spear in his hand. This weapon was given to him by Elder Huo when he heard that Xiao Yun wanted to join the law enforcement team.

The spear is named Crimson Blood. It is entirely fiery red and covered with battle qi inscriptions. Most importantly, a fifth-order fire-type magic core is embedded in the spearhead! With this spear, Xiao Yun can escape unscathed even when facing a Dou Ling expert.

"Alright, now that the mission is complete, let's return to the enforcement team," the young man said, his eyes no longer filled with envy.

"Senior Fang Xu, I won't be going back to the enforcement team. The inner academy selection competition is in six months. During this time, I want to cultivate diligently and strive to pass the selection to enter the inner academy."

"Oh? That's fine then. With your current cultivation level, passing the selection is a sure thing. It's just that you might suffer a bit when you enter the inner courtyard."

"If you can wait until next year to participate, with your talent, you won't suffer after breaking through to the Dou Ling realm." Fang Xu smiled and said, "But it's good to enter the inner courtyard sooner. I'll treat you to a meal once you're in the inner courtyard."

Xiao Yun nodded. He had longed for the Inner Academy for a long time, and the young man he called Senior Fang Xu was an Inner Academy student.

Previously, Xiao Yun didn't have the strength to enter the inner courtyard, but now that he has reached the level of a six-star Great Dou Master, he is basically the number one in the outer courtyard. If he doesn't enter the inner courtyard, who will?

The reason why Canaan Academy is famous throughout the continent is twofold: firstly, its dean, Mang Tianchi, is a half-saint; and secondly, the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower in the inner courtyard can accelerate cultivation speed, with the effect being stronger the lower the cultivation level!

As for the hardship Fang Xu mentioned, Xiao Yun knew it was the senior teams in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition. This was an old tradition of Canaan Academy. Regardless of whether you were a freshman or an inner student, you would be bullied by senior students once upon entering the academy.

However, Xiao Yun didn't care much about that little bit of fire energy. Now that he was a third-grade alchemist, he had a 20% success rate even with fourth-grade pills.

Once we enter the inner courtyard, we can sell some pills there, and make a fortune from fire energy!

……

Inside Canaan Academy, Xiao Yun, who had just returned from Peace Town, went straight back to his dormitory to wash off the smell of blood, changed into a clean set of clothes, and then headed straight to his teacher's residence.

Elder Huo's residence was a small courtyard built of green bamboo, surrounded by a large bamboo forest, which looked very quiet.

Looking at the small courtyard in front of him, Xiao Yun sniffed himself and, finding no smell of blood, went inside with peace of mind.

"My dear disciple, you've come to see your master?"

Inside the room, Elder Huo lay leisurely on a bamboo chair, flipping through a book.

He was extremely satisfied with his disciple Xiao Yun. Xiao Yun was exceptionally talented, humble, and respectful of his teachers. Elder Huo could hardly find any flaws in Xiao Yun.

Hearing his teacher's words, Xiao Yun scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, "Teacher, I didn't come to see you, I'm here to say goodbye."

Today is the day the academy instructors go out to recruit students. I want to go back to my clan with them and pass on some of the cultivation techniques and combat skills I've acquired over the past year and a half in the enforcement team.

After studying away from home for two years, Xiao Yun switched to a low-level Earth-rank cultivation technique, but he still remembered the hard times when he could only cultivate high-level Yellow-rank techniques back in the Xiao family.

During his year and a half in the law enforcement team, he had acquired dozens of Xuan-rank cultivation techniques and combat skills. Although most of them were of little use to him, they were a tremendous treasure for the Xiao family, which only had one Xuan-rank cultivation technique.

"Alright, you've been at Canaan Academy for two years now, it's good to come home for a visit. But the Inner Academy Selection Competition is in six months, so remember to come back in advance."

Elder Huo nodded, not saying much about Xiao Yun's return home, only reminding him not to forget the Inner Court Selection Competition.

"I remember, teacher. I'll go back and pack my things now."

"Go out and close the door behind you."

After bidding farewell to Elder Huo, Xiao Yun hurried towards the flight station in Canaan City. He rushed all the way and finally caught up with the academy's recruitment team. After explaining the situation to the teacher in charge, Xiao Yun boarded a griffin bound for Wutan City.

……

Two months later, in Wutan City, at the Xiao family residence.

Standing in front of the Xiao family's gate, Xiao Yun looked at the Xiao family, which he had left two years ago but which had not changed much, and couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

The Xiao family is still the same Xiao family, but I am no longer the Xiao Yun I once was.

Walking quietly along the path leading to the Xiao family's residence, Xiao Yun's return this time was entirely impromptu, and he hadn't told any member of the Xiao family.

So the entire Xiao family was unaware that Xiao Yun had returned until he walked to his courtyard and encountered Xiao Zhan and three elders who were about to go out to visit the academy's admissions office.

"Xiao, Xiao Yun!" Xiao Zhan and the three elders were stunned for a moment before they reacted and exclaimed in surprise.

"Uncle Xiao Zhan, Elders, it's been a long time." Xiao Yun smiled and nodded, greeting them.

"Haha, it's been a long time, two years, and you're only just coming back."

Xiao Zhan laughed and stepped forward, patting Xiao Yun on the shoulder. "Weren't you studying at Canaan Academy? Why did you suddenly come back? You should have told us so we could have picked you up."

"I'm only back to give some things to the family, and I know the way myself, so there's no need to make a big fuss."

"What are you saying? We're all family, why make such a fuss? This isn't the place to talk, let's go to the main hall," the elder said with a smile, squeezing forward.

In the hall, Xiao Zhan and the others sat at a round table with Xiao Yun, inquiring about Xiao Yun's recent situation.

"I heard from Xiao Long and Xiao Hu that you've not only broken through to the Dou Shi realm, but you're also an alchemist now?"

"I heard you studied under a master alchemist at Canaan Academy. Was your alchemy skill taught by that master?"

……

Xiao Zhan and the others asked all at once, "In the past two years, Xiao Yun has not returned to the family or written to them. They have written several letters, but have not received a reply."

The only way to get information about Xiao Yun was through the Xiao brothers, Xiao Long and Xiao Hu, who were also at Canaan Academy. However, since Xiao Yun joined the enforcement team, he rarely returned to the academy, and the two brothers didn't know much about his situation.

This resulted in Xiao Zhan and his group still having outdated information about Xiao Yun from a year ago.

Hearing their questions, Xiao Yun didn't answer. Instead, he took out his alchemist badge from his storage ring and threw it on the table.

"A third-grade alchemist!" Looking at the badge on the table, which was meticulously decorated with three silver ripples, Xiao Zhan and the others gaped in disbelief.

It should be noted that none of the three major families in the entire Wutan City have any alchemists. The only alchemist is Master Gu Ni from the Mittel Auction House, who is someone that Xiao Zhan and his companions usually have to curry favor with.

But Master Gu Ni was only a second-grade alchemist, while now, a ten-year-old child in his own family had already become a third-grade alchemist!

"This... this can't be fake, can it?" Even the usually hot-tempered Second Elder was frightened. Forging an alchemist's badge would offend the Alchemist Guild.

Alchemist Guilds are located all over the continent. If they find out that Xiao Yun forged the alchemist badge, there will be no place for Xiao Yun to hide in the entire Dou Qi Continent.

"What are you saying! How could this be fake? The quality, the ripples, it doesn't look fake at all, right, Xiaoyun?"

Xiao Zhan immediately reprimanded the Second Elder. He also understood the serious consequences of forging the alchemist's badge. He pointed to the ripples on the badge, trying to prove that it was real.

Although he also thought it was a bit far-fetched that Xiao Yun had become a third-grade alchemist at the age of ten, he still believed in his genius nephew and turned to Xiao Yun for confirmation.

Seeing the disbelieving expressions on their faces, Xiao Yun said helplessly, "My teacher is Elder Huo of the Alchemy Department of Canaan Academy, a fifth-grade alchemy master."

With him around, how could I dare to forge a badge? Besides, I'm not only a third-grade alchemist, I've also broken through to the Great Dou Master level.

He circulated his internal fighting spirit, gently bent his palm, and a faint red light emanated from his fingertips. After a moment, he flicked his fingers, and the red energy shot out like a sharp arrow, shattering a vase on the side of the hall.

"You've released your battle aura! You really have broken through to the Great Battle Master level! Then it must be true that you've become a Rank 3 Alchemist. I knew Xiaoyun wouldn't do something like that."

The ability to project one's battle qi is a major characteristic of a Great Dou Master. At this level, battle qi can leave the body. Xiao Zhan and the others have been Great Dou Masters for many years, so naturally they would recognize this ability.

"Alright, Uncle, Elders, I have returned this time to express my gratitude for the family's cultivation of me. Now that I have achieved some success, I have brought some cultivation techniques and fighting skills to repay the family."

After Xiao Yun finished speaking, he waved his hand lightly on the table, and a large pile of scrolls appeared on the round table.

Upon seeing the scroll before them, Xiao Zhan and the three elders stared wide-eyed, no longer caring whether Xiao Yun's alchemist badge was genuine or not.

"These are all the cultivation techniques and combat skills I obtained at Canaan Academy. There are only three mid-level Xuan-rank techniques among them, namely fire, water, and wood-type. The rest are low-level Xuan-rank techniques."

Upon hearing Xiao Yun's words, Xiao Zhan and the others could no longer sit still and quickly stood up to look at the three scrolls of cultivation manuals in Xiao Yun's hand.

It should be noted that because the Xiao family had offended a powerful enemy, they fled all the way from Jia Ma Holy City to Wu Tan City, losing almost all of their high-level cultivation techniques and combat skills, leaving only a Xuan-level cultivation technique.

Even so, only the patriarch of the Xiao family can cultivate, while the others, including the three elders, can only cultivate those Yellow-rank combat techniques.

Now, the cultivation techniques and fighting skills that Xiao Yun brought back have directly strengthened the Xiao family's foundation.

Leaving aside how much Xiao Zhan and the three elders and other experts in the clan have improved their combat skills by practicing these techniques, the future achievements of the younger generation in the clan have been greatly enhanced.

A member of the Xiao family with normal talent can only cultivate Yellow-level techniques, and may be stuck at the Great Dou Master level for life, unable to break through to Dou Ling.

However, if he can cultivate a Xuan-level technique, then he may be able to break through to the Dou Ling level, and there is even a sliver of hope that he can become a Dou Wang.

"Xiaoyun, this reward you gave us is truly invaluable. It's only thanks to the blessings of our ancestors that our Xiao family has produced such a genius as you!" Xiao Zhan said excitedly.

"Don't worry, besides cultivation techniques and combat skills, I've also prepared some pills for you."

Xiao Yun waved his hand again, and six jade bottles appeared on the table. "There are two Qi Gathering Powders here, low-grade fourth-rank pills. Their effect is to allow a person with nine-stage Dou Qi to condense a Dou Qi vortex and become a Dou Zhe. They were made by me."

The other four are Purple Heart Breakthrough Pills, high-grade fourth-rank pills. A person at the Great Dou Master level who takes them can generally increase their strength by one star. They were obtained from my Canaan City.

Of these six pills, the Qi Gathering Powder was something Xiao Yun had practiced making, while the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill was something he obtained from the storage rings of those who committed evil deeds while killing them in the enforcement team. In a year and a half, Xiao Yun had only obtained four of them.

"The Qi Gathering Powder can be reserved for those with good talent within the clan. As for the Purple Heart Breakthrough Pill, Uncle Xiao Zhan, the three elders, each of you can have one."

Xiao Yun casually distributed the six pills, as if he were taking out six eggs instead of fourth-grade pills.

Xiao Zhan and the others felt an immense sense of happiness enveloping them, so much so that they could hardly breathe.

(End of this chapter)