BTTH : The Fallen Genius

Chapter 6: The Phantom Woman

"Today's training ends here. Everyone, go back and rest."

In the evening, Xiao Yan dismissed the Xiao family disciples and bid farewell to each one. The once-crowded training ground now only had a handful of people left.

"Brother Xiao Yan! Let's head back too!"

Xiao Mei excitedly jumped onto Xiao Yan's back. Xiao Yan gently loosened her arms from his neck and smiled at her.

"You guys go ahead. I'll take a walk in the back mountain."

"Huh? Why..."

Before Xiao Mei could finish her question, Xiao Xun'er reached out and pulled her back, smiling at Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan ge ge, be careful."

"Ah," Xiao Yan nodded slightly and slowly walked away from the training ground.

Watching his desolate figure, a trace of heartache flickered in Xiao Xun'er's eyes.

Xiao Mei, being naturally careless, didn't notice anything unusual, but Xiao Xun'er could clearly see the deep bitterness hidden in Xiao Yan's earlier smile.

Indeed, no one in the Xiao family had looked down on Xiao Yan. His position among them had always been exceptionally high.

However, the more this was the case, the more Xiao Yan felt the pain in his heart.

The more kindness the Xiao family showed him, the more Xiao Yan felt his own uselessness.

How could a failure like him be worthy of so much trust?

Under the faint moonlight, Xiao Yan arrived at an open area in the back mountain of the Xiao family.

A closer look revealed that the surroundings of this clearing were littered with shattered rocks.

This was Xiao Yan's personal training ground.

But today, Xiao Yan wasn't here to train.

He merely found a relatively intact boulder, lay down on it, and felt the hard, cold surface. His gaze quietly rested on the crescent moon, his eyes reflecting endless sorrow.

The love and teachings of his late mother had planted seeds of integrity and kindness in Xiao Yan's heart.

Yet this world was entirely opposite to what his mother had taught.

The strong were never wrong, and the weak were always at fault. Trust was even built upon power. The strong, relying on their might, arbitrarily trampled on the powerless, taking away their efforts, their dignity, and even their lives without any reason.

As long as they had the desire, the strong could do anything to the weak without justification. Most people sought strength not for self-preservation but to trample the weak from a position of power.

Kindness became a luxury, a great tragedy, reflecting the universal belief of the entire continent.

Power was justice.

Xiao Yan despised this deeply.

Yet this belief was etched deeply in everyone's heart and couldn't be changed by mere words.

To challenge it required tangible actions.

Thus, Xiao Yan worked hard to cultivate, becoming a genius admired by all through his talent and extraordinary effort.

At the same time, Xiao Yan never neglected his fellow family members. Regardless of how mediocre their talent was, he never gave up on them, encouraging them to strive and not abandon themselves. He wanted them to understand that Dou Qi wasn't everything and that there were many things in the world more important than the pursuit of power.

To treat others with leniency while being strict with oneself—this was the foundation of Xiao Yan's unanimous recognition in the Xiao family.

During this time, Xiao Yan used the prestige brought by his excellence to spread his beliefs.

What an irony. He despised those who bullied the weak, yet to promote his ideals, he had to continuously strengthen himself to approach their level.

Without power, no one would listen to a word you said.

Eventually, through Xiao Yan's efforts, he succeeded in influencing the beliefs of the Xiao family disciples and even the three elders. Xiao Yan became the backbone of the Xiao family disciples.

However, the heavens seemed unwilling to tolerate Xiao Yan's defiance. His attempts to challenge the rules of the continent were thwarted three years ago when he lost his Dou Qi and became the "failure" he was today.

Even after Xiao Yan became a failure, the Xiao family never reverted to their previous disdainful mindset. Instead, they adhered even more closely to the principles Xiao Yan had taught them.

This brought immense comfort to Xiao Yan's heart.

His past efforts were not in vain.

Yet since then, Xiao Yan had stopped preaching his ideals.

The words of a failure would only irritate and disgust others.

The fact that everyone still upheld his beliefs despite his current state moved Xiao Yan deeply. How could he ask for more?

But deep in Xiao Yan's heart, he was unwilling.

He didn't want the change to be limited to the Xiao family.

He hoped the righteous path he believed in would be recognized by everyone on the continent. He wanted the world to know it could be a better place.

A world where strength didn't determine respect, where mutual understanding prevailed, where no one regretted being born into it—a gentle world.

But achieving this dream required qualifications.

And the current Xiao Yan didn't have them.

In the future, perhaps he still...

"Yo~ kid, feeling unwilling?"

?!

The sudden voice interrupted Xiao Yan's thoughts. He sprang up onto the boulder, his brows tightly furrowed as he scanned the dark forest.

That voice—he had never heard it before.

This meant it wasn't from the Xiao family. Yet this was the Xiao family's back mountain.

"Who's there?!"

"Hmph, not even scared. That's a bit disappointing," the voice sounded again, sending a tremor through Xiao Yan's heart.

A fear stemming from his very soul!

This was something Xiao Yan had never experienced before—not even from the Yun Lan Sect elder Ge Ye today!

The owner of this voice was undoubtedly an unfathomable powerhouse!

Realizing this, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and cupped his fists toward the empty space ahead.

"Junior Xiao Yan greets Senior."

"Oh?" The voice showed a hint of surprise. "You calmed your mind so quickly. Kid, you're something."

In the face of this remark, Xiao Yan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Although my strength is insignificant, I trust my intuition. From your voice alone, Senior's power is clear. Not only the Xiao family, but even the entire Wu Tan City couldn't produce someone of your caliber. Panicking would be meaningless, so I might as well face it openly and ask for your purpose with the resolve to die."

"Hahaha! Excellent! No wonder you're respected by everyone in the Xiao family. This mindset surpasses even many seasoned experts." The voice burst into laughter. "I initially intended to test your temperament further, but it seems I was the immature one."

Suddenly, a white light flickered before Xiao Yan, forcing him to close his eyes.

When his vision cleared, a semi-transparent figure appeared, sitting cross-legged in mid-air, leaning slightly as she gazed at the stunned Xiao Yan.

She was an extraordinary woman, her silver-white hair like snow, her ruby-like eyes gleaming, and her face adorned with an uninhibited, heroic smile.

"Nice to meet you, Xiao Yan~"

The phantom woman spoke, looking at the dumbfounded Xiao Yan.

(Chapter End)

For very 100 power stones = 1 chapter

300 power stones = 5 chapter

500 power stones = 8 chapter