As the young man approached slowly, the group of Xiao Mei and her companions all halted, their playful voices gradually fading. The several graceful young women beside Xiao Mei stared at him in wide-eyed wonder, their expressions filled with a mixture of regret and other emotions. Xiao Mei stood still, her mind somewhat conflicted—though in her heart she had long wished to engage in a deep conversation with this young man who once had captured her admiration, reality now suggested that the gap between them had grown ever wider. It seemed unwise to now devote her attention to someone who had fallen into such decline. Gently furrowing her brows, she then relaxed them, silently sighing to herself, "Just say hello. After all, he is still my cousin." Unaware of Xiao Mei's inner thoughts, Xiang Yan walked forward with his arms resting behind his head, his demeanor relaxed and carefree. Gazing at the close-proximity Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei's delicate features were just about to bloom with a smile—yet the young man's actions caused that smile to freeze mid-air, appearing somewhat comical. With both arms resting against the back of his head, Xiao Yan walked straight past several young girls, completely indifferent, showing no trace of lingering affection. Staring softly at his back with a slightly flushed, pink-lipped expression, Xiao Mei was momentarily stunned. With her striking beauty, when had she ever received such treatment? A quiet sense of embarrassment and indignation stirred within her, prompting her to call out, "Uncle Xiao Yan." Her steps paused slightly, but Xiao Yan did not turn around. His tone remained calm and distant, as though speaking to a complete stranger: "Is there something?" The understated, unfamiliar tone left Xiao Mei momentarily speechless. She shook her head hesitantly, "Um... nothing..." Xiao Yan slightly raised his brow, then dismissed her with a wave of his hand, continuing on his way. Staring at the figure fading into the distance down the path, Xiao Mei stomped her small foot in frustration, then followed the same path up. Turning a corner, Xiao Yan looked up at the spacious room before him, with a scroll bearing the three bold, flowing blood-red characters—"Dou Ji Tang"—painted across its entrance. Hearing the lively calls and cheers coming from within the Dou Ji Tang, Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised. The hall was usually quiet, but today it was bustling with activity. Shrugging it off, he casually thought it over and then stepped inside. As soon as he entered, the cheers and applause from the young men and women poured in. The Dou Ji Tang was divided into eastern and western sections. The eastern part housed the family's combat techniques, while the western section featured a large training ground. At the moment, many heads were gathered around the training ground, eagerly watching the two combatants engaged in a match. "Looking at Xiao Ning uncles' concentration of battle energy, I'd say he must already have reached the eighth stage of battle energy!" "Hey, two months ago, Xiao Ning uncle had already advanced to the eighth stage of battle energy." "Though he's at the eighth stage, Miss Xun has already reached the ninth stage. It seems, then, that Xiao Ning uncle really has little chance of winning." "Good luck, Miss Xun!" Hearing the astonished exclamations from the crowd, Xiao Yan finally paused his steps, scanning the training ground before stopping with interest on the graceful purple-dressed young woman. "Why does this girl have time today to engage in a match?" murmuring to himself, Xiao Yan stopped at the eastern end of the hall, casually took a black scroll from the nearby shelf, and slowly unfolded it. As the scroll unfolded, yellow characters appeared on its back. Yellow Stage, Intermediate: Stone Palm! Leaning casually against the bookshelf, Xiao Yan read through the cultivation techniques of the Fragmented Palm, occasionally glancing toward the training field where the battle was intensifying. The spacious hall seemed divided into two distinct worlds—the west side bustling with activity, while the east remained calm and serene. Xun'er's opponent was also a young man, around seventeen or eighteen, with a notably handsome appearance, quite similar to the one seen the previous day, Galio. The youth was named Xiao Ning, the grandson of the senior elder of the Xiao family. He possessed strong cultivation potential, having reached the eighth segment of the Battle Qi at just seventeen years old—within the family, only Xun'er could match him. Xiao Yan didn't have a strong impression of his cousin. When they happened to meet, they would merely exchange a polite greeting and then part ways. Perhaps it was due to the somewhat strained atmosphere between their grandfathers and his father, Xiao Yan always sensed that his cousin didn't particularly appreciate him. Moreover, considering his own apparent decline in the previous few years, his cousin had never made a special effort to find him during the past three years. Gazing at the young man seated against the bookshelf in the eastern corner of the hall, a gentle, refined smile played softly on Xu'er's calm face. Among the onlookers, the youthful spectators were all momentarily stunned by the fleeting elegance of that smile. "Sister Xu'er, watch out!" Suddenly, a voice cried out from the crowd as Xu'er slightly diverted her attention. Feeling the powerful force rushing toward her from behind, Xu'er raised her elegant brows, yet her gaze remained fixed on the young man beneath the bookshelf. At the same time, Xiao Yan lifted his head, observing Xu'er suddenly attacked, furrowed his brows, shook his head with a touch of resignation, and conveyed a quiet concern in his eyes. Gazing at Xiao Yan's expression of mild annoyance and concern, Xun'er playfully blinked her beautiful eyes, then suddenly took a small lateral step—just that one step, yet strangely, it perfectly deflected Xiao Ning's attack without deviation. As she moved, the delicate, jade-like hands of Xun'er emitted a soft glow of golden light, flowing through Xiao Ning's clasped palms as if weaving through flowers and plucking leaves, finally gently landing on Xiao Ning's chest. With a light tap of her toes on the green stone floor, Xun'er gracefully spun in a circle, dissipating the counterforce, and then calmly watched as Xiao Ning retreated several steps before finally stepping out of the training ground. The surrounding area of the training field fell momentarily silent after seeing Xun'er's single palm defeat Xiao Ning, then erupted into loud applause. "Heh, Xun'er, truly no one can surpass her among the younger generation of our family—she's growing stronger every day," said Xiao Ning, who had been knocked off the platform, still smiling warmly as he approached, his voice gentle and kind. Gazing steadily at the beautiful maiden before him, resembling a lotus in grace, Xiao Ning's admiration was nearly impossible to conceal. Though they were named cousin and cousin, Xiao Ning knew that most of the family members did not share close blood ties, and indeed, Xiao Xun'er had no familial connection to him at all. Unaware of Xiao Ning's intense gaze, Xun'er politely yet somewhat reservedly shook her head slightly, murmuring, "Xiao Ning, you're being too kind." Without waiting for Xiao Ning to continue his attempts to engage her, she smiled warmly and walked toward the young man seated intently over a scroll in the eastern corner of the hall. As the focal point of the hall, Xun'er's movements naturally drew everyone's attention, and their eyes followed her path, ultimately settling on the young man beneath the bookshelf. Undisturbed by the warm glances pouring in from across the training ground, the young man remained immersed in his own world, as if completely unaware.