As the green-robed maiden stepped forward with unhurried grace, a hush fell over the training grounds. Pair after pair of burning gazes fastened upon her, unblinking, as though they could not bear to lose sight of her for even an instant.
On the high platform, all the clan's high-ranking heads had stopped their low murmurings, their eyes converging upon this, the most resplendent pearl of the Xiao Clan. Xiao Zhan and the Three Elders wore expressions grave yet tinged with curiosity, for they too wished to know just how far the foremost of the clan's younger generation had journeyed after a whole year of cultivation...
Under the gaze of the entire assembly, the maiden walked at an even, measured pace to the black stone tablet. She extended a small hand; her sleeve slipped down, baring a length of snow-white, slender wrist. The jade-like palm brushed gently upon the ice-cold black stone, and Xun'er slowly shut her eyes as the Dou Power within her surged in a swift, torrential tide.
At the influx of Dou Power, the black stone tablet was still for a moment — then a powerful radiance burst forth with sudden violence.
Dou Warrior: One Star!
Staring at the four great golden characters that blazed across the black stone, the training grounds fell still for a moment, and then a vast chorus of sharply inhaled breaths rose from the crowd like the panting of a windlass, and every face present froze in the same instant.
"Miss Xun'er — One-Star Dou Warrior!"
Taken aback by the four characters of blazing gold, the tester could not keep from shaking his head in astonishment as he shouted the result aloud.
"Hmph, a fifteen-year-old Dou Warrior... there's truly no one who..."
At the tester's announcement, Xiao Zhan on the high platform drew a quiet breath; when his words reached the very end, however, they abruptly grew vague and indistinct.
The Three Elders nodded slowly, their faces equally filled with shock. Though there still remained some distance between this and the achievement Xiao Yan had reached at twelve, a rate of progress such as this could well be called monstrous.
In the training grounds, Xiao Mei, surrounded by her bustling crowd of admirers, felt her eyes dazzled by those four blazing golden characters upon the black stone. Her gaze drifted downward to rest upon the serene maiden standing before the tablet, and a wave of defeat rose unbidden within her heart. To have become a One-Star Dou Warrior at fifteen... such a radiant glory was one she had no hope whatsoever of surpassing.
At the back of the crowd, Xiao Yan clicked his tongue in astonishment. The girl had truly not only broken into the rank of Dou Warrior within a single year, but even climbed a further star beyond it. A pace of cultivation such as this could almost rival his own when he made use of the Foundation Liquid.
The maiden beneath the tablet seemed little pleased to be the center of such attention. Frowning her delicate brows, she turned and slipped back through the crowd, then, reaching Xiao Yan — who stood gaping in amazement — playfully pouted her small lips at him.
"Don't get so conceited. With your talent, this result is hardly anything to be surprised about. If you had NOT reached the rank of Dou Warrior within a year, now that would be what truly astonished me." Xiao Yan shrugged and remarked in a tone of light-hearted mockery.
At his words, Xun'er's small face instantly fell, and she cast a reproachful, pouting glare his way.
Pulling Xun'er down to sit again upon the ground, Xiao Yan propped his chin in his palm and watched, bored, as more and more of his clansmen stepped up to be tested.
To have cultivated Dou Qi all the way to the seventh rank by around fifteen years of age generally demanded no small measure of talent before it even became possible. Yet people of fine talent could not be found everywhere; even with the might of the Xiao Clan, only ten or twenty out of every hundred this time met the required standard.
As the number of those who failed continued to grow, the atmosphere upon the training grounds slowly grew somber. Those who had not passed wore grim, tearful faces, and yet whenever yet another newcomer fell short, a faint flicker of smug satisfaction would steal across these same faces...
Seated cross-legged upon the floor, Xiao Yan had grown too weary to bother watching the remaining trials. Of the hundred-odd who had come up to be tested, only one or two aside from Xiao Mei had reached the eighth rank of Dou Qi, and as for the ninth rank — not a single one had yet appeared.
Fewer and fewer of those in the field had yet to be called. When it came to the very last, there were no more than a handful of them left, Xiao Yan among them.
The final youth standing not far before them rose at last to be tested, but after a short while he too returned, downcast and dejected, his attempt having failed.
As for those last dozen or so names, everyone present understood the truth of the matter well enough: these were the most hopeless members at the very bottom of the clan, and had it not been for the sake of fairness, they might well have been struck off the roster entirely.
"Xiao Yan!"
Beneath the black stone tablet, the tester called out this last remaining name, his gaze troubled and complex.
"Xiao Yan-gege, it is your turn now..." A tender, delicate little hand came to rest lightly upon Xiao Yan's, and the young maiden spoke in a soft voice.
Raising his head by a fraction, Xiao Yan opened his half-shut eyes and swept his gaze once around the training grounds. The string of smug, mocking stares this brought him drew a low, contemptuous laugh from his lips.
Slowly he rose to his feet, and, turning his head, cast his gaze up toward Xiao Zhan upon the high platform, offering the man a faint smile.
At the smile his son sent his way, Xiao Zhan nodded in relief and contentment. Picking up his teacup, he leaned back gently into his chair.
Drawing in a deep breath, Xiao Yan walked with long, confident strides toward the black stone tablet, and the sudden blaze of high spirits that flared across his brow made several clansmen who had been about to laugh embarrassingly shut their mouths.
Under the weight of all those complicated gazes, Xiao Yan came to stand before the black stone tablet.
Looking at the black-robed youth before him, the tester sighed softly within his heart. Years ago, it was he who had first borne witness when Xiao Yan worked his miracle; and over the space of three years, it was also he who had watched, with his own eyes, the slow and agonizing fall of a genius. Today, unless some miracle took place, this would likely be the final time the young man stood trial before the clan...
Beneath the fixed stares of the entire assembly, Xiao Yan's chest rose and fell gently, and he stretched his palm out flat until it rested lightly upon the ice-cold black stone.
At that very moment, every gaze was frozen tight upon the tablet, for all present understood full well: this test might well be the very last the young man would ever take — he who had once dazzled the whole of Wutan City.
The tablet lay still a short while. Then, after a moment, a fierce light burst forth!
Upon the face of the black stone, great, bloated golden characters brought every heartbeat in the training grounds to a dead halt.
"Dou Power... the seventh rank!"