First Meeting with Xun'er [Please Bookmark]

Ancient World, Gu Clan, Dou Qi Continent

Atop a steep mountain wreathed in clouds and mist stood an ancient altar roughly a hundred zhang wide.

At its center, a primitive yet ancient stone stele stood silently upon the altar. An archaic aura rippled between heaven and earth, inspiring reverence in all who felt it.

There were only three people before the stone stele. At that moment, a delicate little girl sat cross-legged before it, waiting for the next instruction from the man beside her.

"Xun'er... are you really ready? To be honest, Father doesn't want you to receive this inheritance. Although the object of inheritance no longer bears hostility toward our clan after the Gu Clan protected it for a thousand years, that thing... is still very dangerous, especially for a seven-year-old child."

The man was Gu Yuan, the girl's father. A Nine Star Dou Sheng and the Gu Clan's patriarch, even someone standing at the pinnacle of this world now wore a deeply furrowed brow.

"Father, don't worry. I'm already an outstanding Dou Qi cultivator. I'll definitely succeed!"

Xun'er's resolute tone left Gu Yuan somewhat helpless.

"But... sigh, you little girl. You're my only precious daughter. I truly don't want anything to happen to you."

"Don't worry, Father. Xun'er is the clan's little genius, hehe." Xun'er giggled sweetly.

Gu Yuan was just about to persuade her again when a pillar of light suddenly shot from the stone stele into the heavens. The clouds in the sky were pierced through, rippling outward in rings like the surface of water.

"Father, the inheritance has begun. You and Old Ling should go down first." Xun'er spoke as she gently pushed Gu Yuan.

"Alright. Ling Ying and I will wait for you below the altar. You must succeed." Since Xun'er had said so, Gu Yuan stopped trying to persuade her.

Yet despite his words, the worry between his brows did not lessen in the slightest.

Below the altar

"Patriarch, there is no need to worry. Miss possesses a God Grade Bloodline. She will surely succeed," Ling Ying said softly beside Gu Yuan.

"Sigh, you know as well that over the past several thousand years, countless Gu Clan prodigies have come before this stone stele to receive the inheritance, but all of them ended in failure... I am the patriarch. My wish is for the Gu Clan to grow strong once again. But I am also a father. I want my daughter to live a carefree life." Gu Yuan rubbed his temples.

"Wow! Is this the Inheritance Ground? It's so beautiful!"

The altar and plaza vanished, replaced by an endless starry sky. Xun'er floated amid the stars.

Countless streaks of light swept past her like meteors, each trailing a silken tail of radiance.

As she watched the streams of light continuously pass by her, Xun'er became so entranced that she failed to notice the sea of flames that had appeared ahead.

"Hm?" Finally coming back to her senses, Xun'er stared at the sea of flames before her in surprise.

Before she entered the inheritance ground, Gu Yuan had told her that when she encountered a Golden Sea of Fire, the inheritance would appear.

She no longer hesitated. Though still young, Xun'er understood the purpose of this journey. Taking slow steps, she cautiously and nervously approached the sea of flames.

"Why can't I feel anything from these flames? They're like clouds—I can't touch or feel them... Hm? Someone's there?!"

Xun'er, who had been marveling at the flames' wonder, stopped in her tracks when she saw a figure suddenly appear not far ahead. Yet unexpectedly, the figure also stopped.

"What's going on? Why did it stop moving?" Xun'er was utterly puzzled as she looked at the motionless figure ahead.

"Could it be?" She tentatively took a small step forward, and the figure indeed took a step forward as well. She took another small step, and the figure took one too.

After testing it many times, Xun'er finally noticed something strange.

Although the figure matched her pace, its direction was slightly off each time.

"Ahahaha, so that's it! This figure is leading the way for me." Having finally figured it out after so long, Xun'er felt immensely proud.

If anyone else had been there, they would surely have laughed and cried at once. Why was this girl so silly?

After walking for about half an hour, the originally red sea of flames gradually turned golden. At some point, the path beneath her feet had also quietly turned gold.

The figure grew fainter and fainter. After leading Xun'er to her destination, it completely dispersed.

"This..."

Before her floated a cluster of golden flames, silently suspended within the sea of fire. Eight illusory little Fire Dragons tumbled and played around it. If one listened closely, it almost seemed possible to hear low dragon roars coming from within the flames.

"This is the inheritance? This tiny little flame? Why can't I feel even the slightest heat from this close?" Xun'er's little mind could not solve these questions.

Staring at the flames, her gaze gradually turned unfocused. She sensed warmth coming from within them, along with a feeling of recognition and belonging.

Slowly closing her eyes, her small hand reached toward the flame of its own accord. As though it possessed some special treasure, the flame not only bore her no hostility at all, but even felt close to her. Otherwise, with the strength of Seven Stage Dou Qi, she would likely have perished from the tiniest spark at the outermost edge.

The instant her jade-like little hand touched the flame, a small cut opened across it. As her blood dripped in, the flame slowly traveled up her arm before merging into her body. A tiny golden flame mark flashed briefly across her smooth forehead.

Only a few minutes later, she opened her eyes. The sea of flames had already disappeared, and Xun'er, once again standing within the starry sky, seemed to have undergone some imperceptible change.

"Hm? Is it over?"

Looking at the streams of light passing beside her and the teleportation array ahead, she understood that the inheritance had ended—and that she had not disappointed her father's expectations.

"Why hasn't that girl come out yet? Did something happen?" Gu Yuan was frantic. He glared at the stone stele. "If anything happens to my daughter, I'll seal you away forever!"

At that moment, the formation lit up. When he saw Xun'er at its center, Gu Yuan finally let go of the heavy burden in his heart.

"Xun'er, you... you succeeded?" Although Gu Yuan had already guessed the outcome, he could not help asking.

"Hehe, Father, look." As she spoke, she circulated her Dou Qi. A layer of golden flames immediately covered her small, delicate hands, while the faint flame mark on her forehead gave the already sweet-looking Xun'er a unique sort of beauty.

Looking at the golden flames covering her hands, Gu Yuan murmured, "Golden Emperor Burning Flame..." Then he looked at the completely unharmed Xun'er and understood something. "So it truly was the Ancient God Bloodline..."

Long ago, Gu Yuan had entered as well. Yet for various reasons, not only had he failed to subdue it, he had even been left covered in wounds by the violent Heavenly Flame. Now, it seemed that bloodline was the reason.

Gu Yuan possessed a ninth-grade bloodline, yet he had still felt rejection during the inheritance. Xun'er, with her God Grade Bloodline, had not felt the slightest pressure.

"Father, it wasn't as difficult as you said. I just closed my eyes, then opened them, and the inheritance was over."

"Girl, these flames are no ordinary thing. Once you return, you must refine them into your natal source flame. By the way, girl, do you know about Heavenly Flames?" Gu Yuan asked gravely.

"Heavenly Flames? Those flames formed by gathering Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi?" Seeing Gu Yuan's serious expression, Xun'er did not dare fool around as usual.

"That's right. It is said that there are twenty-three kinds of Heavenly Flames in the world. If an ordinary person is fortunate enough to obtain even one, they can rise to the heavens in a single step." Gu Yuan spoke with deep pride, but moments later, his expression became despondent.

"The flame you inherited is called the Golden Emperor Burning Flame. It was left behind by the Gu Clan's ancestor, the Burning Sky Saint Emperor. Back then, in order to resist an invasion by foreign races, the Old Ancestor burned his Dou Di Body, leaving only this Heavenly Flame behind. From then on, as the years passed, the Gu Clan gradually declined as well..."

"Alright, no more of that. Xun'er, let's go home first."

"Mm..." Looking at her father's shadow stretching long beneath the setting sun, Xun'er felt an inexplicable ache in her heart.

Night fell.

Within a Bamboo House deep in the Ancient Saint Mountain Range, Xun'er sat cross-legged, searching inside her body for traces of the inheritance.

Her consciousness traveled along her meridians before finally reaching the Dantian in her lower abdomen. Looking at the nine points of light within it, Xun'er said in surprise, "Why am I at Nine Stage Dou Qi?" Just as she was about to think it over, she suddenly discovered a golden flame at the center of the nine points of light.

"So it's here." Looking at the Heavenly Flame coiled around by a Fire Dragon, Xun'er could not help murmuring.

Suddenly, her consciousness trembled as she stared at the Heavenly Flame, and a feeling of terror quietly spread through her heart.

There was actually a figure seated cross-legged within the Heavenly Flame!

Xun'er stared blankly at the seated figure inside the Heavenly Flame before dropping onto the floor. The fear in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

Just as she was about to cry, the figure instantly appeared at her side and dropped to one knee. One hand covered her little mouth while the other held her small hand. He said gently, "A little genius can't cry. You won't look pretty if you do."

Tears shimmered in her eyes as Xun'er stared blankly at the white-robed man before her. Not only did she not sense any hostility from him, she instead felt a sense of closeness. It was exactly the same feeling she had toward the Heavenly Flame in the inheritance space during the day.

"W-who are you?" Xun'er finally asked through a trembling voice. Though she could sense that he meant her no harm, what she had just seen had still frightened her.

The man in white wiped the tears from the corner of Xun'er's eyes and said softly, "Hm... My name is Yun Xi. I'm your Strange Flame Guardian Spirit. What's your name?"

"I... I'm Xun'er..."