Journey to the Northwest Continent

After leaving the Ancient Dragon World, Ao Qing did not choose to tear through space and head directly to the Northwest Continent. Instead, he wandered at an unhurried pace, taking in the customs and scenery of the Dou Qi Continent along the way.

Like an ordinary person, he did not look down on common folk simply because he was strong. On the contrary, he sampled the unique foods of this continent and admired its unusual architecture...

All of it mended Ao Qing's heart, which had once been on the verge of shattering.

Perhaps Ao Qing did not understand why the clothing of different continents varied so greatly. He simply assumed that such differences existed because different peoples had different aesthetics, or because different peoples wished to display their uniqueness.

But only after learning about them did one realize that the dazzling variety of ethnic clothing across different continents was not merely for beauty. There were deeper reasons behind it.

Different regions chose different materials and styles of clothing in order to better adapt to their natural environments and places of residence. The Snake-People Race was an excellent example.

It was through the unceasing efforts of countless generations that the distinctive clothing Ao Qing now saw had gradually taken shape.

These were the fruits of their wisdom, as well as traces of their constant struggle against nature. Clothing did not merely reflect the unique character of the Dou Qi Continent; it also allowed Ao Qing to see the enduring vitality of the entire continent.

It also truly allowed Ao Qing to begin integrating into this wondrous continent. Peace of mind was home. Only by developing feelings for this land could he better love himself and better face life.

Along the way, Ao Qing encountered many interesting things. However, where there was good in the world, there was evil as well. Conflicts always existed.

There were always some people who overestimated themselves and wanted to challenge Ao Qing. Some tried to rob him midway through his journey, while others simply disliked the sight of him. All kinds came and went, without end.

Ao Qing rarely took them to heart. He had killed quite a few people along the way as well. Such was the law of the jungle.

More than two months passed before Ao Qing arrived at the Northwest Continent. The moment he set foot upon this wondrous land, he could clearly sense that the density of Dou Qi here was far inferior to that of the Central Continent and the Beast Realm.

The land nurtured its people. With Dou Qi this thin, let alone producing a Dou Saint-level expert, even becoming a Dou Zun was unimaginably difficult.

No wonder Yun Shan of the Misty Cloud Sect had cultivated for so many years in the original work before barely stepping into the Dou Zong realm. Meanwhile, the Gama Royal Family had never possessed a Dou Zong-level expert. This also reflected, from another angle, the many unfairnesses of heaven and earth.

In contrast, among the sects and Dou God Clans of the Central Continent, even the younger generation possessed the strength of Dou Zuns. Sending just one person here would be enough for them to dominate the Northwest Continent.

Yet it was precisely because of this that the forces of the Central Continent had little desire for a place like the Northwest Continent. As a result, its residents did not live quite so miserably.

On this continent, not everyone possessed the talent for cultivation. Even among a hundred people, it was difficult to find one who could break through to the Da Dou Shi realm.

Xiao Yan's father was proof enough. With the strength of a three- or four-star Da Dou Shi, one could become the head of a clan in a fairly sizable area.

To ordinary people, even a Da Dou Shi was an impossibly distant existence. Before cultivators, they were as powerless as ants, incapable of resistance.

There was no rule of law in this world. One relied only on one's fists. If you were strong, your word was law. Without strength, even if you died, no one would care to know why, because it held no meaning.

Every year, countless residents of the Dou Qi Continent began cultivating Dou Qi. The cycle repeated endlessly, perhaps because all living beings possessed an unyielding will buried deep within their bones.

Even if you told them they could never become a Dou Emperor, even if you told them that more than half who embarked on this path would die miserably, they would still press forward without hesitation.

Were they driven by greed? No. This was life—always yearning for a stronger self and a brighter future!

Compared to the Great Thousand World.

Even those with exceptional talent on the Dou Qi Continent found it difficult to break through the limits of the Dou Emperor realm. Yet for those races in the Great Thousand World, breaking through to the Dou Emperor realm was so effortless.

A leaf blocking one's vision—perhaps that was what it meant.

Though Ao Qing was filled with emotion, he had not forgotten the purpose of his journey.

The Heavenly Flames and the Ancient Jade.

After arriving here, Ao Qing did not hurry to the Xiao Clan. The reason was simple: he did not know the way and could not find it. This was an unfamiliar place, and searching would take some time.

Moreover, he did not know whether people from the Gu Clan had already arrived at the Xiao Clan. Ao Qing did not wish to deal with those Emperor Clans for the time being, so there was no need to rush there.

Thus, Ao Qing chose the Misty Cloud Sect as his first destination. Since its founding by Yun Potian, the Misty Cloud Sect had enjoyed considerable fame throughout the Northwest Continent. It would be easier to find as well.

What Ao Qing did not know was that Xiao Yan was not yet even seven years old. There was indeed no need to seize the Xiao Clan's Ancient Jade immediately. At this time, the Gu Clan had already arrived at the Xiao Clan. Finding the Xiao Clan through the Misty Cloud Sect and beginning to lay his plans seemed like a good choice.

At this moment, the Misty Cloud Sect had no idea that a supreme existence was about to descend upon them. They were instead busy preparing for the Sect Leader Succession Ceremony.

Yun Yun wore a plain dress, her graceful figure full and voluptuous. Her three thousand strands of dark hair were gathered into the shape of a phoenix crying out, falling to her slender waist. Her peerless face resembled a flower fairy in the mountains, untouched by worldly affairs, filled with a captivating, ethereal beauty. Yet she was also like a clear spring amid secluded mountains, inspiring reverence because of her noble status while making one unable to resist a trace of romantic longing.

Many people felt especially heartbroken over Yun Yun and Xiao Yan's final ending. A poem bore witness to it!

A lone cloud falls into my palm; where does it drift across ten thousand miles? I remember only you at parting, still young and high-spirited.

With one turn, you vanished beyond the horizon. May I be the wind of those days, brushing away worldly names as I gently hold you.

The flute's notes fade beneath the blue heavens; a meeting upon the vast sea is hard to find again. Ahead lie Mountain Ranges, and you will no longer walk beside me.

No need for anyone's proof, no need for wild songs or bitter drinking. I only hope we meet again, when I return like a weary bird to its forest.

How pure was she? Like spring plum blossoms blooming upon snow.

How clean was she? Like autumn orchids draped in frost.

How radiant was she? Like rosy clouds reflected in a clear pond.

How divine was she? Like moonlight shining upon a cold river.

Yun Yun was a character dearly beloved by many. She was Xiao Yan's first love after he left home to make his way in the world. Her beauty, her stubbornness, her devotion, her persistence... along with countless other qualities, were priceless treasures.

She held everything she had in her palms, wishing to entrust even herself to that man who always wore black robes. But that man had other ties, and could no longer spare even a fraction of his feelings to answer hers. From then on, neither owed the other anything.

Xiao Yan and Yun Yun's meeting was perhaps the most romantic: falling in love under false identities, healing wounds, roasting fish, aphrodisiacs, flying while held in each other's arms to the Lion King's cave dwelling, violet flames, and the Sea Heart Armor.

Do you still remember the Monster Mountain Range? It was where the dream began for a young Dou Shi training alone and a peerless Dou Emperor beauty. Yao Yan and Yun Zhi, as they called themselves, were a man and woman from different worlds with vastly different strengths. Deep within that perilous forest, they fell in love by chance, only for it all to become a mirage. The tender intimacy within that cave seemed no more than a dream. Though everyone believed that Xiao Yan, as the protagonist, would surely grow into a man stronger than Yun Zhi, no one knew who the hurriedly departing Yun Zhi truly was, nor what kind of entanglement would bind the two of them.

Conflict was the most crucial factor. The Misty Cloud Sect was the greatest conflict between Xiao Yan and Yun Yun. One wished to destroy the Misty Cloud Sect, while the other wished to protect it. This conflict became a massive boulder blocking the path of their feelings. Xiao Yan and Yun Yun's love began in the Monster Mountain Range and was witnessed in the Tagor Desert, while the Misty Cloud Sect, the central conflict, came to the forefront after Xiao Yan's clansmen were killed.

The second battle at the Misty Cloud Sect was actually Yun Yun's choice—between her duty as the Misty Cloud Sect's leader and her feelings for Xiao Yan. In the end, Yun Yun chose to spare Xiao Yan. The third battle at the Misty Cloud Sect was Xiao Yan's choice. Their positions of strength had reversed, and he had to choose between massacring the Misty Cloud Sect and his feelings for Yun Yun. In the end, Xiao Yan chose Yun Yun.

Many people truly felt heartbroken for Yun Yun. Only she understood Xiao Yan best. They loved each other, yet because of their identities, they had no choice but to forget one another in the martial world. When he destroyed the Misty Cloud Sect and rose to prominence in the Jia Ma Empire, she chose to journey far away to the Central Continent. When he stood alone and helpless in the Central Continent, she stepped forward and joined the Flower Sect to support his alliance. When he refined flames and became an Emperor, her strength was too insignificant, and she could only pray for him from behind, looking up at him.

When Xiao Yan was at his lowest, he met Yun Yun. Their feelings were the truest and most precious, especially when their backgrounds were completely unequal. Yet Yun Yun fell for that young Dou Shi with whom she spent every day. Looking back, when one was just beginning to struggle forward, having such a beautiful woman by one's side made her all the more precious.

But now, there was still time for everything. Yun Yun had not yet met the Xiao Yan who would leave her wounded to the core.

And at her Succession Ceremony, she would meet the man who would change the fate of her entire life!