Xiao Bai had no idea what Ling Ying was thinking. If he did, he would have told him not to worry—there was a character coming up that he would definitely like.
He continued telling the story until he reached the part where Shi Hao was afflicted with the Curse of Fallen Immortals and went to the lower realm with the women who accompanied him. At that point, Xiao Bai stopped.
He was feeling a bit hungry. By his calculations, he hadn't eaten in almost a full day and night.
"Xun'er, come with me to get something to eat. I haven't eaten since yesterday. How about we continue the story after we eat?"
"What? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Xiao Xun'er, who had been wondering why he had suddenly stopped telling the story, immediately stood up upon hearing this. She felt a little guilty and quickly grabbed his hand, pulling him along.
Xiao Bai had originally planned to go to the Xiao Clan's dining hall, but Xun'er wouldn't have it. She dragged him straight to the most prestigious restaurant in Wutan City—Yingbin Restaurant.
She ordered an entire table full of dishes in one go and even asked if it was enough, ready to order more if necessary.
Xiao Bai couldn't help but laugh. "Does she think I'm a pig? Isn't this enough?"
Looking at the more than ten lavish dishes on the table, Xiao Bai felt a pang of concern for his wallet. He wondered how much of his ten years of savings in gold coins would be left after this meal.
Without overthinking it, he picked up his chopsticks and started eating. Meanwhile, Xiao Xun'er didn't touch her food. She simply rested her chin on her hands, watching him eat with a smile.
She felt that Xiao Bai seemed a little different today.
There was a faint trace of dignity between his brows, and the two ribbons trailing from his forehead guard added a hint of carefree elegance.
She didn't know what had caused this change, but she liked it.
Xiao Xun'er wasn't aware that it was the effect of the Daoist Righteous Thunder of Yi Wood within Xiao Bai's body.
The Daoist Righteous Thunder of Yi Wood was the thunder of vitality, the thunder of awakening, and the thunder of revival. It was grand and upright. After Xiao Bai had assimilated it, an aura of majesty naturally exuded from him.
When a person possesses a special kind of charisma, even if their facial features are ordinary, they can still be attractive. Let alone someone like Xiao Bai, whose appearance was already far from ordinary. Of course, this charm only worked when the aura was righteous.
After he had eaten his fill, Xiao Bai found an excuse to step out for a moment.
Xiao Xun'er obediently agreed, watching his departing figure with a smile in her eyes.
A short while later, Xiao Bai returned and handed her a purple-gold card. She had given her card to the waiter earlier when ordering, and now he lightly patted her head.
"You little trickster, you're getting sneaky!"
"Lord Wang, this way, please. This restaurant recently introduced roasted Greenwood Lamb. You must give it a try today!"
"Since it's Young Master Nuo's treat, I won't hold back!"
Just as Xiao Bai and Xun'er stepped out of the restaurant, they saw two people walking in.
One was a well-dressed young man in his early twenties, and the other was a short, plump middle-aged man with a constant smile on his face.
The young man was speaking to the plump man as they approached the entrance.
While talking, he casually looked up and saw Xiao Bai and Xiao Xun'er stepping out of the restaurant.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
"Well, well, isn't this the Xiao Clan's 'genius,' Xiao Bai? Five years have passed, and you still haven't broken through? What's the matter? Can't bear to part with the ninth stage of Dou Disciple?"
"Then again, reaching the ninth stage of Dou Disciple at the age of ten is quite impressive. Of course, you'd want to linger at that level for a few more years and reminisce about your past glory!"
When he said the word "genius," his tone was especially sarcastic.
"Jia Lie Nuo, who do you think you are? Have you already forgotten how you were beaten so badly you couldn't even find your own teeth? A twenty-year-old getting beaten up and begging for mercy from an eleven-year-old Xiao Bai—do you even have the nerve to mock him?"
Before Xiao Bai could say anything, Xiao Xun'er had already stepped forward protectively.
Jia Lie Nuo's eyes lit up when he saw her.
"Well, if it isn't the Xiao Clan's precious gem, Miss Xun'er! Impressive indeed. He used to be strong, but unfortunately, he's just a useless waste now. Everyone in Wutan City knows about the Xiao Clan's 'fallen genius.' Do I even need to say it?"
"By the way, Miss Xun'er, my younger brother has been thinking about you ever since he saw you. His talent isn't bad, you know! At least he's managed to break through to Dou Practitioner, which makes him far better than this useless trash. Why don't you consider him?"
"You think I didn't hit you hard enough last time?"
Xiao Bai pulled Xun'er back, looking at Jia Lie Nuo with an expressionless face.
Five years ago, this guy had been at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi. He had harassed a female member of the Xiao Clan in the streets of Wutan City. Coincidentally, Xiao Bai and Xun'er happened to be passing by and saw everything. They couldn't ignore it, and Xiao Bai had beaten him up. Jia Lie Nuo had begged for mercy before he was let go.
Now, upon meeting again, he was acting arrogant once more. Xiao Bai wasn't surprised that Jia Lie Nuo couldn't see through his cultivation. After all, the soul energy concealment he used was meant to deceive powerful figures like Yao Lao and Ling Ying.
A piece of trash like Jia Lie Nuo probably didn't even know what soul energy was, let alone detect someone's cultivation level. In fact, even Dou Zhi Qi stage levels required a strong soul perception to be identified—otherwise, one had to rely on a Dou Qi testing monument. Jia Lie Nuo assuming that Xiao Bai was still at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi was simply a continuation of his outdated understanding.
"Hahaha… Beat me up? You think I'm still at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi?" Jia Lie Nuo laughed smugly. "Look carefully! I am now a Six-Star Dou Practitioner! Do you even know what a Six-Star Dou Practitioner is?"
"Oh, wait! I almost forgot! You're still at the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi! How could you possibly know?"
As he spoke, he turned toward the short, chubby middle-aged man beside him.
"Protector Wang, you've seen a lot in your years. Have you ever heard of a ninth-stage Dou Zhi Qi fighter defeating a Six-Star Dou Practitioner?"
Protector Wang was a Jia Lie Clan enforcer, a Three-Star Dou Master. He had heard of Xiao Bai's name before, but he was happy to humor the young master of the Jia Lie Clan. Smiling, he replied,
"Young Master Nuo, you flatter me. I am but a man of limited knowledge, having lived for forty-two years. Yet, I have never heard of someone at the ninth stage of Dou Qi being able to fight a Six-Star Dou Practitioner, let alone defeat one!"
"Hahaha! Did you hear that, Xiao 'Genius'?" Jia Lie Nuo burst into laughter.
Xiao Bai coldly watched the two of them putting on their act. Xun'er, looking a little worried, wondered if she should call Ling Ying to deal with these two clowns.
"You really have wasted your years. Forty-two years old and still just a Three-Star Dou Master? At the same age, you wouldn't even be qualified to look up to me."
Xiao Bai clasped his hands behind his back and spoke calmly.
Not far away, Ling Ying's eyes lit up. Here it comes, here it comes! The legendary "arrogant king's" quotes were back! He immediately pulled out paper and pen from his storage ring, jotting it down at lightning speed.
"How dare you speak to me like that, you arrogant brat!"
Protector Wang's once-smiling expression vanished. A yellowish Dou Qi battle aura surged around his body as he stepped toward Xiao Bai. He didn't use any Dou Techniques—he didn't dare to kill Xiao Bai outright. After all, Xiao Bai was a member of the Xiao Clan. But he intended to teach him a lesson.
He wanted to show this boy that in the Dou Qi Continent, strength commanded respect. How dare a mere ninth-stage Dou Zhi Qi fighter speak so insolently to a Three-Star Dou Master? Even if the Xiao Clan supported him, so what? The Jia Lie Clan had his back.
As long as he didn't kill the boy, breaking a few bones wouldn't cause too much trouble. The Xiao Clan wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
"You dare!" Xun'er shouted angrily, stepping in front of Xiao Bai.
Seeing her stand protectively before him without hesitation, Xiao Bai felt a little touched. He knew that the opponent wasn't a threat to Xun'er, but it still moved him.
However, as he watched Protector Wang approach step by step, his eyes flickered with excitement. He gently pulled Xun'er behind him—he couldn't let her ruin this opportunity.
Jia Lie Nuo was worthless, but this Three-Star Dou Master was different. He could be useful.
Xiao Bai wasn't planning to use his Dou Qi cultivation or soul energy in this fight. If he relied on those, what was the point of hiding his power?
Since his body had been tempered by the Daoist Righteous Thunder of Yi Wood, he still didn't know how strong his physique had become. A Three-Star Dou Master—especially one with an earth attribute—would be a perfect test subject.
As for any trouble that might come afterward, Xiao Bai had already considered it. The Jia Lie Clan and the Xiao Clan were of similar strength, posing no real threat to him.
Even though his cultivation was currently only at the Eight-Star Dou Practitioner level, his soul power had already reached the Later Stage of the Mortal Realm.