The night passed without incident.
The next day, the annual Xiao Family Competition arrived, a grand occasion for all branches of the Xiao family. Members returned from far and wide to participate and witness the events. As one of the most influential families in Feilan City, the Xiao family comprised both the main line and several branch lines.
Xena Xiao, part of the main lineage, held a distinguished position as the eldest daughter of the current head. However, the family's leadership was not permanently fixed; if the main branch failed to produce outstanding successors, the next generation's leader could easily come from one of the other branches. Each year, the family competition served as a proving ground for talent—and a chance for various branches to showcase their strength.
For Xena, today's competition was critical. Her younger brother had only awakened a mid-level Guardian Spirit, and Xena herself was initially judged to have a mere common-grade Guardian Spirit. By contrast, other branches had produced heirs with high-level Guardian Spirits. If neither Xena nor her brother showed exceptional promise, their family's standing could soon be eclipsed, and they'd risk losing resources and influence.
Though Xena didn't care much for the family's resources, she was determined to prevent her lineage from declining. Most importantly, she didn't want her future controlled by family decisions, particularly not through an arranged marriage. She intended to use today's competition to prove herself once and for all.
On the Xiao family's grand plaza, Xena stepped forward, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Ethan's voice echoed through the Guardian Spirit space to reassure her: "Xena, you're more than prepared. With your abilities, you'll crush the competition."
"I know," she replied mentally. "But I can't help feeling nervous. This competition is crucial. Some of the elders are pushing to have me married off to another family to 'strengthen alliances.' If I don't perform well, they might succeed in forcing that decision."
Just then, a boy with a handsome face approached her, smiling. "Sister, you're here!"
It was her younger brother, Leo Xiao, who had recently awakened a mid-level Guardian Spirit. Given his limited strength, Leo's participation today was mostly ceremonial; his Guardian Spirit was ordinary by family standards, barely allowing him to reach the third level of the Body Refinement stage.
From the elevated platform, Xena's father and grandfather watched over the proceedings alongside other family elders. One of them, a white-bearded elder named Elder Xiao Fei, gave Xena's grandfather, Xiao Batian, a sly look and chuckled, "Master Xiao, how has your precious granddaughter's training gone? After three failed awakenings, she only managed to summon a common-grade Guardian Spirit. At this point, investing more resources into her is just a waste. Why not skip the embarrassment today and instead arrange her marriage to the Zhao family's third son? It'd benefit your branch and strengthen our family's alliances."
Xiao Batian gave a low snort, his gaze steely. "My granddaughter is still young, Elder Fei. There's no need to rush. Who's to say she won't surprise us today?"
"Ha! You think she'll impress us, with a common-grade Guardian Spirit?" Elder Fei laughed openly, waving his hand dismissively. "Very well, I won't argue. I'll be waiting eagerly to witness her 'remarkable' performance!"
Though Xiao Batian appeared calm, his expression couldn't hide a trace of worry. As the family patriarch, he had reached the pinnacle of the Blood Exchange Stage, a step away from the Innate Stage, where he could gain an extended lifespan. Yet he was aging, and in a few years, he'd have to step down from his position.
"If only one of my grandchildren had awakened a high-level Guardian Spirit, the other branches would have no choice but to support our lineage. But with one mid-level and one common-grade Guardian Spirit… there's hardly any hope," he thought, sighing inwardly.
Finally, the ceremony began. The entire Xiao family gathered to pay homage to their ancestors, kneeling in solemn respect as they honored the family's legacy.
After nine rounds of ritual kneeling, the ceremony concluded, and a steward of the family stepped forward to announce, "Today is the day of the Xiao family's annual competition. All family members aged sixteen to twenty will participate. The first round will test both the level and potential of each participant's Guardian Spirit!"
Guardian Spirits were typically classified by level—common, low, mid, and high—but there were also differences in potential. Normally, higher-level Guardian Spirits showed higher potential, but sometimes rare exceptions appeared: certain unique Guardian Spirits, though low-level, possessed great potential. Such cases were incredibly rare, akin to winning a cosmic lottery.
"Level… and potential," Xena murmured to herself, considering the weight of those two factors.
She turned her thoughts inward. "Ethan, what do you think your potential is?"
Ethan chuckled. "Potential? I'd say it's limitless."
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