BTTH: Death Letter From The Future

The testing in the martial arts arena continued, as always, with mixed emotions—some rejoicing while others despaired. Five years of hard work had yielded their results.

Chen Guan didn't join the crowd, uninterested in the outcomes. Instead, he sat alone on the steps of the main gate, lost in thought.

Nalan Yanran was about to take a master; how far off could the annulment be?

At this point in time, Xiao Yan was slightly older than Chen Guan, about ten years old. This meant that Xiao Yan would lose his Dou Qi in about a year, and after more than three years of struggle, he would rise again.

In just over four years, less than five, the main plot would officially begin.

"I have to train even harder."

Although he had reached the two-star Dou Practitioner level in just one month, which made Chen Guan secretly pleased, he had even shown off in front of Yao Ye.

But now, after calming down, he realized the road ahead was tough, and there was still a long way to go.

Although he had a head start by a few years, Xiao Yan had Yao Lao, his grandpa figure—this wasn't fair at all! Chen Guan felt strongly that there should be a rematch.

...

One year later.

Inside a sealed cage, a young boy in green wielding a long sword was fighting seven Gale Wolves.

Gale Wolves were low-tier second-level magical beasts, equivalent to two-star Dou Practitioners.

In fact, due to their innate physical advantages, most ordinary two-star Dou Practitioners would have no choice but to flee upon encountering them.

However, the scene inside the cage was anything but ordinary. After attacking for half an hour, the seven wolves were panting and drooling from exhaustion, yet they hadn't even touched the boy's clothes. It made them question their very existence as wolves.

On the other hand, seeing how weak his opponents were, the boy's face was full of disappointment.

"Bullying weaklings is so boring. Let's end this."

As he spoke, the boy stopped holding back. Using the Flowing Cloud Step, he took the initiative to attack, and in just over ten breaths, he ended their miserable lives.

Clap, clap~

A crisp applause echoed as Yao Ye stepped forward to open the cage and handed him a towel.

"You're truly a monster. I feel like in just a few months, you'll be stronger than me," Yao Ye sighed.

Even she, despite her talent, could only match Chen Guan when dealing with seven Gale Wolves.

She had personally witnessed Chen Guan's growth, which made her even more shocked.

When they first met, Chen Guan had nine stages of Dou Disciple, while she was a Dou Practitioner.

The second time they met, Chen Guan was a Dou Practitioner, and so was she.

She had barely advanced one stage ahead, but within less than a year, he had caught up again.

Having a little brother like this was really stressful!

"As strong as I may get, I won't bully you. By the way, shouldn't you be in the training grounds now? How come you're back?"

"I missed you, so I came to see you. Can't I?"

"Do you think I'd believe that?"

"So boring. Can't you at least pretend to be touched? Anyway, I just got news—the Xiao family you told me to watch over is in trouble. Xiao Yan, the so-called genius of the century, had a problem in his cultivation and dropped from Dou Practitioner to the eighth stage of Dou Disciple. The Xiao family tried to cover it up, but paper can't hold fire, and word got out."

Chen Guan froze for a moment, feeling a sudden sense of urgency.

"Got it. No need to keep watching."

"Do you have any ties to the Xiao family? Xiao Yan's talent was decent, but nowhere near yours. You wouldn't see him as a rival, would you?"

"No ties. I just found it interesting."

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Yao Ye, I want to leave the palace for some training. Hear me out before you say no."

"I know you're concerned about my safety, but I'm now a two-star Dou Practitioner. With the Thousand Flame Sword Technique and Flowing Cloud Step, no one below a Dou Grandmaster can threaten me. I also won't go to dangerous places, just the outskirts of the Magic Beast Mountain Range. I can defend myself. And if things go bad, I still have your token to summon reinforcements from the city lord's mansion."

Chen Guan spoke seriously, having thought it over carefully.

Yao Ye, knowing him well, could tell from his expression that it would be hard to persuade him otherwise, so she put away her playful attitude.

"Are you sure?"

"Yao Ye, you know me. Fighting these caged beasts doesn't give me any real sense of danger. I need to experience true bloodshed. You don't want me to be beaten up by other geniuses in the future and just become their backdrop, right?"

After a few seconds of thought, Yao Ye nodded slightly, indicating her approval.

After all, what Chen Guan said was true.

A Dou Practitioner who has crawled out of a pile of corpses is a completely different kind of fighter from one who has lived in luxury.

"Fine, but I'll send a few people to follow you. They'll always be a day behind. If you run into danger, go back and find them. No room for negotiation. They won't interfere with your training unless you seek them out."

"No problem."

"And you'll write once every half month. If I don't get your letter after that, I'll have someone bring you back."

"Also fine."

"Try to come back early. If you're not back by the time of my coming-of-age ceremony, you can expect trouble."

"..."

After signing a series of unequal treaties with Yao Ye, Chen Guan was finally allowed to leave.

To say he wasn't excited would be a lie. Having been in the Dou Qi continent for so many years, he hadn't truly experienced this world yet.

After packing his essentials into his storage ring, Chen Guan headed to Yao Yue's palace.

He intended to say goodbye, knowing that if he didn't, she might cling to him later. Unfortunately, she wasn't there.

Judging by the situation, she had likely been called to study alchemy by her teacher, Fa Ma, the president of the Alchemist Association of the Jia Ma Empire. It happened often, and every time she returned, she would complain to Chen Guan for a long time. She truly didn't appreciate her blessings.

Since he couldn't find her, Chen Guan didn't force it. He instructed the guards to inform her in the evening, then set off without any obstacles.

The capital was bustling, a stark contrast to the quiet of the palace.

Taking in the local customs, Chen Guan walked toward the city gates. Though he already knew where he would train, he chose to travel on foot, considering it a form of cultivation.

"Dou Qi Wings! A Dou King expert!"

"Hiss, who is that? Such powerful strength."

"Obviously not a local. You don't even recognize Old Master Nalan from the Nalan family? He's one of the empire's top ten experts!"

"Is he really that strong? Why does he look like he's flying so unsteadily? And his face is so dark."

"..."

Suddenly, there was a commotion. Hearing the crowd's chatter, Chen Guan quickly looked up and saw an elderly man with gray-white hair flying through the air, his face cold and expressionless.

And indeed, his face was very dark!

Nalan Jie, a Dou King expert and Nalan Yanran's grandfather.

Information about the elder flashed through Chen Guan's mind. Watching him struggle even with flying, Chen Guan couldn't help but speculate.

Could it be that the poison was set today?

This might also be a small opportunity, but only if one had a Heavenly Flame.

(End of chapter)