Three days later, in the main hall of the Xiao family
After agreeing with Xiao Yan to attend the family dinner, Mo Yu kept his promise and finished his training early.
As the grandson of the housekeeper, Mo Yu had never attended a family dinner before. Even ordinary members of the Xiao family were not typically invited to such events.
However, as Mo Yu began to demonstrate his talent, he gradually gained recognition from the family's upper echelons, who sought to win him over.
When Mo Yu arrived, the dinner was already prepared. Xiao Yan's father, now the head of the Xiao family, was seated solemnly at the head of the table.
To his left and right sat the three elders and other senior members of the Xiao family, with the outstanding younger generation of the family positioned behind them.
Xiao Yan, Xun'er, Xiao Ning, and others were also present.
As Mo Yu entered, the middle-aged man sitting in the first seat noticed him immediately.
The man was dressed in luxurious grey attire, looking both dignified and commanding. With his thick eyebrows and imposing presence, he was the current patriarch of the Xiao family, a five-star master fighter named Xiao Zhan.
"Is that Mo Yu? I haven't seen you in years. I didn't expect you to have grown so much," Xiao Zhan said, standing up and walking over to Mo Yu. He patted the boy's shoulder and smiled.
Upon his standing, Xiao Yan, Xun'er, and the others also stood and greeted him.
"Greetings, Clan Leader," Mo Yu said with a respectful bow.
The Xiao family's continued strength after the previous patriarch's death was closely tied to the hard work of the man before him. Xiao Zhan was not only a competent patriarch but also a devoted father, earning Mo Yu's deep respect.
"Your mother is my sister, Mo Yu. You should just call me Uncle," Xiao Zhan said, looking at the composed young man before him with a hint of admiration.
Breaking through to the eighth level of fighting power at such a young age and defeating Xiao Ning with a single move was remarkable talent. This was why Xiao Zhan had personally taken an interest in him.
"Yes, Uncle Xiao Zhan," Mo Yu replied, accepting the address.
"Alright, Mo Yu, you can sit next to Yan'er," Xiao Zhan said, pointing to a nearby seat.
At the dinner table, Mo Yu noticed Xiao Ning, who was eating with a grim expression, and chose to ignore him.
Despite Xiao Ning being the grandson of a family elder, he was clearly not allowed to act arrogantly on such an occasion.
Mo Yu scanned the room with mild boredom, observing the serious faces of the family leaders and others. He turned to Xiao Yan, who was standing next to him, and asked, "Aren't family gatherings typically held during certain festivals? Is there a special reason for this gathering?"
Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "It seems that the Miter Auction House in Wutan City is holding an auction soon. There will be some interesting items up for bid, and my father and others are preparing family funds for it."
In reality, Xiao Yan had another reason for the dinner that he didn't mention. Originally, the family gathering was to be a routine meeting, but after learning of Mo Yu's victory over Xiao Ning, Xiao Zhan had raised the event's status to show his appreciation for Mo Yu.
Xiao Yan chose not to comment on his father's actions. He understood that Mo Yu, like himself, was destined to outgrow the Xiao family eventually. Nonetheless, using this opportunity to bring Mo Yu closer to the family was beneficial.
Hearing Xiao Yan's explanation, Mo Yu's bored expression shifted to one of interest.
Auctions were popular in the Shenxiao Continent. Mo Yu had participated in many in his previous life and had occasionally obtained fascinating items.
Since his realm had been stabilized recently, he was considering attempting to break through to the ninth level of fighting power that night. Attending the auction might offer a chance to advance further.
The dinner proceeded in a slightly serious atmosphere. When it ended, Mo Yu politely bade farewell as Xiao Zhan waved, then he quickly exited the hall and headed straight to his room without looking back.
…
Back in his room, Mo Yu did not fall asleep immediately.
When night fell and everything was quiet, Mo Yu nimbly got out of bed, retrieved the three magic cores hidden in the cabinet, and placed them carefully on the table.
These three magic cores were the first-level fire and lightning magic cores left over from his previous efforts.
Nearly two months had passed since Mo Yu broke through to the eighth level of fighting power. During this period, he had not only initially mastered the Lei Gang Body but also completely stabilized his realm. It was now time for another breakthrough.
The three magic cores on the table were the key to this breakthrough!
With a determined mindset, Mo Yu summoned the Suzaku Burning Sky Thunder within him and tossed one of the magic cores onto the table into it.
As before, the core began to melt under the combined influence of thunder and flames, with the violent energy inside starting to leak out. However, it was quickly absorbed by the surrounding red thunder.
As the Vermillion Bird Burning Sky Thunder grew, it became faster at devouring first-level magic cores. Within two hours, one thunder-type magic core was completely absorbed.
Mo Yu showed no change in his expression and calmly threw the remaining two magic cores onto the table.
At this point, the Suzaku Burning Sky Thunder had expanded enough to accommodate and consume two magic cores simultaneously.
The addition of the two cores excited the Suzaku Burning Sky Thunder, and the room was filled with the crackling sound of electric currents and the melting of the magic cores, which lasted for several hours.
Three hours later, just as the sky was beginning to lighten toward noon, the two magic cores were fully absorbed.
The Suzaku Burning Sky Thunder had grown even more powerful, emitting a formidable and shocking aura.
Seeing this, Mo Yu couldn't help but smile.
Absorbing the energy from the magic cores was indeed an effective way to advance Suzaku Burning Sky Thunder. However, after this time, first-level magic cores would likely offer diminishing returns.
To continue growing, he would probably need at least a second-level magic core, which was often dozens of times more valuable than a first-level core.
Contemplating this, Mo Yu felt a headache about his future. Maintaining one mysterious thunder was challenging enough, let alone eleven within him.
Shaking his head, Mo Yu set aside these concerns. Regardless of the future, it was time for him to break through again.
With experience on his side, Mo Yu was now familiar with the process.
Half an hour later, Mo Yu emerged from his room with a refreshed demeanor. A night of breakthrough training had proven more satisfying than a night of passion.
Dou Zhi Qi, ninth level!