In the Guardian Spirit realm, Ethan sensed Xena's emotional stir.
"What's wrong, Xena?" he asked, curious about her mood.
"Nothing much, just bumped into someone who always irritates me," Xena replied.
"Who?"
Xena sighed and began, "Liana Xiao—a main-line family member who awakened a high-level Guardian Spirit. She's the same age as me. Because I'm beautiful and she…well, isn't, she feels it's unfair and has always been jealous, constantly finding ways to pick fights. When I failed my Guardian Spirit awakening twice, while she succeeded on her first try with a high-level Spirit, she became insufferable, taking every chance to mock me. There's no love lost between us."
"Got it," Ethan said confidently. "Don't worry, this time you'll turn the tables on her!"
Liana Xiao had been through the family trials twice before, and her Guardian Spirit's rank and potential were well-known. Her Spirit matched Toby Xiao's in grade and potential, but he held an edge in strength with his peak ninth-level physique, whereas Lingyan was still at the eighth level.
When Liana Xiao descended the stage, she deliberately paused near Xena, whispering, "Xena, you managed to awaken a Guardian Spirit this time, so you finally have to compete. I can't wait to see how you embarrass yourself!"
"You'll be disappointed," Xena replied coolly.
Liana Xiao sneered, "We'll see just how calm you are once it's your turn."
With a dismissive flick of her sleeve, Liana Xiao walked away, leaving Xena's younger brother, Leo, fuming beside her.
"Lingyan's too much! We're family—why does she always have to pick on you?" Leo muttered.
"Don't worry, little brother. This time, she'll find I'm not so easily bullied," Xena replied, brimming with confidence.
Soon after, the side branches' tests were completed, leaving only the main line.
"Leo, you go first," Xena encouraged.
"Are you sure, Sis? You're going last?" Leo asked, surprised.
Being the last to test carried more pressure and scrutiny. Xena, with her "common" Guardian Spirit, would inevitably draw judgmental stares. Why volunteer for that?
"Go on; don't worry about me!" Xena said with a reassuring smile.
"Alright," Leo nodded, steeling himself as he approached the Guardian Spirit Stone.
As Leo's projection appeared on the stone, the family members exchanged murmurs. Though many knew Leo's Guardian Spirit was mid-tier, his potential was still unknown. Typically, mid-tier spirits maxed out around level four in potential.
Under the Guardian Spirit Stone's influence, Leo's Guardian Spirit—a figure from thousands of years past, whose name had been lost to history—manifested above the stone. Though few knew its identity, Leo alone understood its true origins.
The Guardian Spirit glowed brightly, revealing its tier to be mid-level. Seconds later, the potential measurement emerged as a single digit.
"Six!"
An audible gasp swept through the crowd. The Xiao family elders were visibly taken aback, and even the head, Xiao Batian, stood up with an expression of barely contained excitement.
"Well done!" Xiao Batian praised, unable to hide his joy as he looked at his grandson.
"This can't be! How can a mid-level Guardian Spirit have level-six potential?" Toby Xiao and Liana Xiao's faces twisted in shock, unwilling to accept the reality before them. Their own high-tier Guardian Spirits should have been the center of admiration, but now they'd been upstaged by a mid-level Spirit.
Xena beamed with pride. "Leo's Spirit must have hidden depths—no wonder it's so remarkable!"
Though potential wasn't the same as strength, it indicated the promise of greater heights. With a mid-level Guardian Spirit boasting six-level potential, Leo now seemed to be on par with the other talents in the family.
Leo himself was astonished by the result. "A six-level Spirit...I never expected this!" He remembered his Guardian Spirit hinting at a powerful heritage—a being with a formidable bloodline who had met an untimely end, only to become his Guardian Spirit millennia later.
The high-tier Spirit users might have been jealous, but the Xiao family elders were thrilled by Leo's unexpected potential. As he continued to excel, he could restore faith in the main branch, preserving their influence within the family.
Meanwhile, Liana Xiao cast a furtive look at Xena, thinking, So Leo has six-level potential. But the Xiao family isn't skilled at developing Spirit potential. If Xena performs poorly, it will still reflect badly on the main branch. Let's see if she can avoid disgrace today!
With Leo finished, it was time for Xena's test. She walked to the Guardian Spirit Stone under a sea of scrutinizing gazes. Many family members wore expressions of thinly veiled amusement, clearly anticipating a show of her supposed mediocrity.
Standing calmly before the stone, Xena projected an air of composure.
"Alright, Ethan, it's showtime. Let's see if your potential really lives up to your words," she murmured.
"My potential is sky-high, Xena. Maybe I'll even shatter the stone!" Ethan replied, half-serious, half-joking.
A beam of red light surged into Xena's forehead, beginning the Guardian Spirit assessment.
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