Chapter 40:Shock Silent, everyone was silent! All eyes were blankly focused onto the golden words reflected on the black stone tablet above. On the Guests’ platform, the sharp clear ring of shattering tea cups falling to the ground resonated. The representatives from Wu Tan City were all dumbfounded, disbelief spread across their faces. The purpose of their visit was to confirm whether the rumors were true or not: to see with their own eyes if Xiao Yan really did jump up 4 Duan Qi in the span of a year. However, what they had just seen not only confirmed the rumours but had completely surpassed their expectations. 4 Duan Qi in a year? Now it turned into 5 Duan Qi... This training speed, it could only be described with a single word: Frightening! "The Xiao Clan has succeeded once more..." Everyone on the Guests’ platform couldn’t help but mutter under their breath. To have a clan member that jumped 5 Duan Qi in a year, the Xiao Clan’s future was looking bright. "If this rate of growth continues, then perhaps...perhaps in 10 years, the Xiao Clan will have a Dou Huang ranked member." Everyone on the Guests’ platform looked at each other as their hearts felt heavy at that thought. Dou Huang: if any clan in the Jia Ma Empire had a strong Dou Huang, their status would skyrocket within the Jia Ma Empire. Even the three largest Clans in the Jia Ma Empire, the Primer Clan, Nalan Clan and Ritter Clan, would respect that clan After all, there were only a handful of Dou Huang level Dou Zhes in the entire Jia Ma Empire. Each Dou Zhe who reached the Dou Huang rank had the power to topple over anything from the heavens to the oceans and to face ten thousands of enemies with ease. No sane empire would dare offend a Dou Huang without weighing the consequences! Three hundred years ago, Jia Ma Empire’s sole Dou Huang Dou Zhe had his family killed as a result of a war. As a result, the Dou Huang single-handedly massacred the enemy’s 10,000 elite knights in a fit of rage. Both empires were shaken in awe by the bloodshed caused. Since that moment on, no empire on the Dou Qi Continent dared to offend a Dou Huang Dou Zhe. At the same time, everyone saw how scary Dou Huangs could be. Therefore, everyone that saw Xiao Yan’s gift looked at the Xiao Clan with an extreme envy. At the center of the high platform, even Xiao Zhan was looking at the golden words on the monument with a his eyes slightly sour. After a while, he let out a lengthy breath and viewed his black clothed son with a look of gratitude.,"The best decision in my life was to not create uneasiness between Yan Er and me..." As Xiao Yan’s father, Xiao Zhan was well aware of his son’s temperament. He could still clearly remember that in Xiao Yan’s childhood, not long after his birth, how indifferent his son was to him. Xiao Yan would always look at him with a cold look, as if he were looking at a stranger and not his father. Fortunately, over the years, the cold and detached looks toward Xiao Zhan grew warm, as Xiao Zhan’s care and love... Thinking back to the time when Xiao Yan was a child, Xiao Zhan shivered. His mouth twitched while a gentle smile took over his face. "Xiao Clan Leader, young master Xiao Yan’s talent is truly mind blowing! This time the Xiao Clan will definitely have an amazingly terrifying Dou Zhe." Standing by Xiao Zhan’s side, Ya Fei’s beautiful eyes gazed at the very same person Xiao Zhan was looking at. Her face was still slightly red from her excitement while she said her thoughts. Xiao Zhan laughed loudly, pride and excitement clearly showing on his face. He cupped his hands together and with a courteous look to Ya Fei, he replied, "Ya Fei, that kid’s talent is sometimes a huge surprise but at other times, a huge letdown. You also know of how he fell from the spotlight three years ago and faced countless hardships. No one would have thought that he would regain his talent but here it is again...sigh!" Ya Fei’s eyebrows bent slightly with her feminine smile. Whether Xiao Yan’s talent was short lived or not, she didn’t know. Right now, the only thing that mattered to her was his potential, which would be enough for her. Giving an enchanting look downwards, Ya Fei’s heart had already formed a plan. In the future, she would be sure to come and do business with the Xiao Clan as much as possible! ...... Beneath the ceremonial platform, Xiao Yu opened her mouth with a stiff face. She stared at the Black Monument in shock while breathing heavily. Suddenly she snapped at Xiao Ning: “Didn’t you say that he was 7 Duan Qi? How is he higher?” Xiao Ning’s opened mouth a couple of times before he mumbled innocently, “Last month he was already 7 Duan.... This month, he, seems to have had a breakthrough?” “To go from 7 Duan to 8 Duan in one month... How is that possible? Even if that brat got his old talent back, he wouldn’t be able to train this fast!” Xiao Yu exclaimed. “To jump 5 Duan in a year? The little brat should die dammit! This kind of speed can rival that monster woman in Jianan Academy.” “How would I know...” Xiao Ning gave a bitter smile as he glanced at the far away Xun Er, only to see her gaze fixed on Xiao Yan below with eyes of admiration and didn’t paying attention to him at all. “F**king bastard!” After being ignored by the girl he favored over all others, Xiao Ning’s heart blazed with the fires of jealousy. Raising his head, he threw a ferocious glare at Xiao Yan that contrasted with his youthful face.