Wutan City — on the Xiao Clan's testing grounds, the crowd was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Children and youths filled the plaza, while a number of elders observed from the surrounding pavilions with calm, watchful eyes.
Today was the Xiao Clan's annual talent assessment. Every child between the ages of five and fifteen was required to attend and undergo a Dou Qi evaluation.
"Xiao Yan, Dou Qi: Stage Three! Grade: Low."
Beside the obsidian-colored testing monument, a middle-aged man stared at the glowing script on the stone and called out the result, his voice tinged with surprise.
"Hahaha! My boy Yan is amazing! Tell me, is there anyone else in the entire Jia Ma Empire who could reach Stage Three in just one year of cultivation? My son has the potential to become a Dou Emperor!" On the pavilion above, Xiao Zhan, patriarch of the Xiao Clan, beamed with pride as he addressed the three elders beside him.
"Indeed," one elder nodded, stroking his beard. "Xiao Yan's talent is truly extraordinary. His future is limitless."
The other two elders also offered nods of agreement. Though they usually didn't see eye to eye, when it came to a prodigy in the family, they stood united.
Down below, the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Stage Three at five years old? That's insane! Has anyone in Wutan City ever achieved that before?"
"Not just Wutan City! Even across the entire southeastern province, I've never heard of a five-year-old hitting Stage Three in Dou Qi! I always knew Young Master Xiao Yan was special!"
"A true genius! With this kind of talent, he'll lead our Xiao Clan to greatness. Wutan City won't be able to contain us!"
The praise rang out like waves across the crowd. The young boy on the stone platform soaked it all in, his chin lifting high like a peacock in spring.
"Big Brother Xiao Yan, you're amazing! I'm still only at Stage One!" A small child, around four or five, called out with wide, admiring eyes.
"Haha! Of course I'm amazing! I'm going to be the next clan leader. How can I lead without unmatched talent?" Xiao Yan laughed heartily, hopping down from the platform while surrounded by a gaggle of admiring children.
"Don't be too upset, Cousin Mei," he added with a smirk, turning to the girl who'd spoken up earlier. "Geniuses like me don't come around every day. It's not your fault you can't compare."
Several adults nearby glanced at each other and subtly rolled their eyes. But no one dared say anything. Xiao Yan wasn't just talented—he was the current patriarch's only son. Offending him meant social suicide.
And yet, not everyone in the crowd looked pleased.
"So smug... No wonder people turned on you when your Dou Qi vanished. You made enemies early."
Standing at the edge of the square, a boy named Xiao Yun watched Xiao Yan with an unreadable expression, his thoughts laced with dry amusement.
Like Xiao Yan, Xiao Yun wasn't originally from this world.
But unlike Xiao Yan—who was completely unaware—Xiao Yun knew exactly who his rival really was.
Back on Earth, he had simply dozed off in his dorm room one afternoon… only to wake up and discover he had been "gifted" with a one-way ticket to a new world. And not just any world, but one he recognized instantly: Battle Through the Heavens.
Well, lucky him.
Fortunately, the Xiao Clan here wasn't some cutthroat, backstabbing aristocracy. They treated even orphans within the clan fairly. And Xiao Yun wasn't just any orphan—he was the nephew of the current clan leader, Xiao Zhan.
There were no schemes or battles over inheritance here. The clan's territory was barely big enough to spit across, let alone stage a full-blown succession war.
Thanks to his bloodline, Xiao Yun lived a comfortable life under the clan's protection.
Grateful to Xiao Zhan and the family, he genuinely felt a sense of belonging in this new world.
Now, as he stood quietly at the back of the plaza, he watched the others take their turns for the test.
After Xiao Yan's flashy reveal, no other particularly impressive talents emerged. The best was a girl named Xiao Yu—eight years old and already at Stage Five. A solid talent… but still, she'd likely be overtaken by Xiao Yan in no time.
Eventually, it was Xiao Yun's turn.
He stepped up briskly, placing his small hand on the black monument, and slowly closed his eyes.
A moment passed. Then, the monument flared to life.
Dou Qi: Stage Nine!
The middle-aged examiner stared at the glowing letters in shock. His mouth moved, but no sound came out.
The noisy crowd fell completely silent.
The elders in the pavilions all shot to their feet, stunned.
"Xiao Yun… Dou Qi, Stage Nine! Grade: High!" the examiner finally roared, his face flushed with disbelief.
People blinked, their minds struggling to keep up. Some turned pale. Others began slapping their own faces in public, convinced they were dreaming.
Even Xiao Yun himself was caught off guard by their extreme reactions.
To be fair, in the original story, Xiao Yan became a Dou Practitioner at age twelve and was already considered a genius across the empire. Xiao Yun, on the other hand, was just seven—and he had already reached Stage Nine of Dou Qi.
At this pace, he'd break into the Dou Practitioner realm at eight. That wasn't just talented—that was monstrous.
He wasn't going to just shock the Jia Ma Empire. He'd probably rattle half the continent.
"W-wait, he's seven, right? Seven years old, and already Stage Nine?"
"Three years of training for nine stages? I've never heard of such a thing!"
"Forget Xiao Yan. Xiao Yun is the true genius of our clan!"
"Amazing… just amazing. With Young Master Xiao Yun around, the Xiao Clan will dominate Wutan City in no time!"
"Wait, whose child is he again?"
Xiao Yun's lips twitched as he listened to the crowd recycle the exact same lines they'd just used for Xiao Yan—only now directed at him.
Truly, the loyalty of the masses is as fickle as a leaf in the wind...
Unfazed, he walked off the platform with a serene expression.
Genius always attracted admiration. But Xiao Yun didn't care much for it.
After all, he wasn't really a kid—and he didn't crave empty praise.
Once the event wrapped up, Xiao Yun returned to his private courtyard in the heart of the clan estate. His house was modest but came with its own yard, a privilege reserved for direct descendants of the clan.
Though his parents had died years ago while fleeing the capital, he was still the grandson of the former patriarch, Xiao Lin. His lineage ensured he was treated with dignity.
Inside his room, Xiao Yun sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes.
In his mind, a translucent interface appeared before him—his golden cheat panel.
----
Name: Xiao Yun
Age: 7
Status: Healthy
Cultivation: Dou Qi – Stage Nine (99/100)
Technique: None
Dou Qi Attributes: Fire, Wood
Talent: Top-Tier
Soul Power: Mortal Rank
-----
Yes, this was his secret weapon—a cheat panel that tracked his stats like a character sheet from a game. He suspected it even semi-digitized his body.
Reaching Stage Nine at seven years old might be possible with some divine herbs or heavenly treasures… but he had none of those.
Clearly, it wasn't just top-tier talent carrying him. The panel was doing some heavy lifting.
At first, he thought it was just a status display. But then, when he began cultivating, his progress bar had shot straight through Stage One in a single breath.
Every time the bar hit 100, he advanced a level. Just like that. No bottlenecks. No need to "feel the breakthrough" or "sense the barrier."
On the Dou Qi Continent, most people had to forcibly break through their body's limitations to advance. Even legends like Jia Xing Tian and Yun Shan had long hit a wall at the Dou Zong level, despite their full reservoirs of Qi.
But Xiao Yun?
As long as the bar reached 100, he broke through—simple as that.
It wasn't some OP "press F to become Emperor" system, but hey, a cheat's a cheat. He wasn't complaining.
"Alright," he muttered, eyes snapping open. "Let's go ahead and break through to Dou Practitioner today. If this works like I think it does, then maybe… just maybe… I don't have bottlenecks at all."