Chapter 17: Ten Thunder Patterns 

At this moment, Mo Yu naturally had no idea that the flirtatious words he learned back on Blue Star would have such a lethal effect on Ya Fei, a woman who had been emotionally barren for so long. 

After leaving the auction house, he immediately returned to the clan. After organizing his gains, he stored some important items into his Na Ring. 

The Na Ring, which had only three or four square meters of space, was of the lowest grade. However, even so, it couldn't be purchased without at least 100,000 gold coins. 

The cost of this Na Ring, combined with the Mountain River Stone and the two second-tier magic cores, nearly consumed the 150,000 gold coins he had just earned from the auction. He was left with only 10,000 to 20,000. 

Mo Yu didn't care about this at all. Money was useless to him—resources were what he truly valued. 

The next day, Mo Yu deliberately took out 1,000 gold coins from his Na Ring and gave them to his grandfather, Steward Mo. He didn't give more because the source of the coins would have been difficult to explain. 

As for the Na Ring, because his identity was still too sensitive at the moment, he didn't wear it on his finger but kept it hidden inside his clothes. 

After this trip out, Mo Yu resumed his secluded lifestyle. 

... 

Time flowed like water, slipping away quietly and unnoticed. 

The sweltering summer had been replaced by the coolness of autumn, and the once lush green treetops now bore hints of withering yellow. 

"Thunder Body!" 

At this moment, a sharp, cold shout suddenly echoed from a small forest atop a mountain far from the Xiao Clan. 

A nimble figure darted agilely between the trees, the dense thorns posing no obstacle to him. 

In the next moment, the figure abruptly halted in front of a boulder as large as a reclining tiger. His feet shifted, his body tilted, and he slammed his fist into the stone. 

"Boom!" A dull sound reverberated, and stone chips flew in all directions. Spider-like cracks spread from the point of impact. 

"Crack..." The boulder, now riddled with cracks, emitted a loud boom before finally shattering completely. 

As the boulder broke apart, the agile figure, as swift as a spirit monkey, retreated a step ahead and then lightly landed on another stone. 

Looking at the result of his effort, a smile appeared on Mo Yu's handsome face. 

After breaking through to Dou Zhi Qi 9th Duan, although he had two second-tier magic cores, Mo Yu didn't immediately use the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder to absorb them and break through to the Dou Zhe stage. Instead, he continued to come to this secluded spot to hone his dou techniques. 

He understood that the more critical the moment, the more one had to endure loneliness. 

At the Dou Zhi Qi stage, the most important thing was laying a solid foundation. Rapid breakthroughs, on the other hand, were a grave mistake. 

In the past three months, he hadn't advanced a single stage of Dou Zhi Qi, which seemed slower compared to the previous months. However, Mo Yu was extremely satisfied because he could feel that through these months of steady progress, his Dou Qi foundation had become terrifyingly solid. 

Moreover, in these three months, he hadn't been without gains. His right arm, now etched with thunder patterns, had accumulated ten in total, barely reaching the level of a Xuan Class Dou Technique. 

Just now, Mo Yu had only used the power of five lightning marks to completely shatter a boulder. If he unleashed the full power of ten lightning marks, the force could likely kill a Dou Zhe on the spot. 

Having displayed his Thunder Body, Mo Yu nodded in satisfaction before heading home to prepare for the next day's prediction event. 

One month before the coming-of-age ceremony, all of the clan's younger generation had to participate in a prediction test. The purpose of the prediction was naturally to eliminate those whose Dou Qi was substandard. 

Since the clan had taken notice of Mo Yu, he had been recognized as a member of the Xiao Clan. Of course, with his strength, attending the prediction test was merely a formality. 

The next morning, after changing into fresh clothes, there was a light knock at the door. 

"Brother Mo Yu, are you there?" 

Hearing the girl's crisp voice, Mo Yu raised an eyebrow. After fastening his clothes, he leisurely walked to the door and pulled it open. 

As the door swung open, warm sunlight immediately poured in, casting a golden glow on the boy in the green robe, making him look especially radiant. 

Outside the door, the girl stood gracefully. Although she wasn't a great beauty, her youthful face still carried a hint of charm. The combination of innocence and allure gave her a unique appeal. 

Looking at the charming girl at the door, Mo Yu smiled and said, "Ah, it's Xiao Mei. What brings you here today?" 

Ever since Mo Yu had defeated Xiao Ning and earned the attention of the clan's upper echelon after attending a clan gathering, Xiao Mei's attitude toward him had done a complete 180. 

She often found reasons to visit him, whether to ask about dou techniques or simply to chat, clearly growing closer to him. 

Mo Yu was well aware of this but didn't mind it. He wasn't smitten with her or anything; he simply understood that human nature was to seek out and attach to the strong. Xiao Mei was just an ordinary person—there was no need to dislike her. 

Besides, after a hard day's training, it wasn't so bad to have a pretty girl around to look at. 

Under the sunlight, Mo Yu's handsome appearance caused Xiao Mei's fox-like eyes to blink as she took in his appearance. 

After spending more than half a year in this world, Mo Yu had undergone significant changes. 

His once delicate face had matured, his body had grown a few centimeters taller, and most importantly, his demeanor had shifted from that of a cautious, obedient servant of the Xiao Clan to that of a confident, mysterious, and powerful young genius. 

It was undeniable that Xiao Mei valued Mo Yu's talent and strength, but his good looks were also a considerable bonus. 

As he stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him, Mo Yu noticed Xiao Mei staring at him unblinkingly and jokingly said, "What's the matter? Did I get even more handsome today?" 

Xiao Mei's charming face flushed slightly. Though she was usually bold, she hurriedly averted her gaze at such teasing, replying with a bit of envy, "Let's go, Brother Mo Yu. Today is the preliminary test. After you defeated Xiao Ning last time, the clan has high hopes for you." 

Mo Yu casually waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's go. This time, something interesting might happen." 

A playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as if he had thought of something amusing. 

If he wasn't mistaken, this was the moment when Xiao Yan would begin his rise...