All Beings Equal

"Sister, thank you."

Yun Zimo gently kneaded Yun Yun's shoulders, helping her relax the muscles that had grown sore from handling trivial matters.

"Between you and me, why the need for thanks?"

"However, let the matter of the Mo Clan end here. Striking the mountain to shake the tiger is enough."

Yun Yun spoke softly; she did not want Yun Zimo to offend too many people, as it would do no good for him now that he had just taken office.

Although Yun Zimo felt helpless, he knew there was no other way. While the Misty Cloud Sect was not exactly riddled with factions, if they were to bicker amongst themselves because of this, he would find it difficult to act further—he couldn't just kill them all, could he?

"Sister, you must take what I said to heart."

"I know, I know. You remind me every year. I'm just curious, why does Ancestor Po Tian not appear in the dreams of the current Sect Master, but instead tells you? Is it just because you are a descendant of Ancestor Mo Li?"

Yun Yun rolled her eyes at Yun Zimo and said with a huff.

Mo Li, the sworn brother of Yun Po Tian, the first Hall Master of the Misty Cloud Sect's Punishment Hall, and the ancestor of Yun Zimo.

"Sigh, I don't know about that. Anyway, the ancestor told me that within two years, the sect will face a great disaster, and the Misty Cloud Sect may be on the verge of annihilation."

Yun Zimo scratched his head and said honestly, though his heart was quite bitter. In truth, he didn't want to hide behind the words of his ancestors, but who could blame him when the Soul Hall protectors who appeared were high-level Dou Ancestors of the seven-star rank? Even if there were only three of them operating in this Northwest Continent...

In his past life, he was a rural child raised by the village, who had been admitted to university as the provincial liberal arts top scorer. After finishing college and serving in the military, he had inexplicably drowned while saving someone, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already emerging from his mother's womb.

Knowing that he had transmigrated into the Misty Cloud Sect, the first minor villainous faction in the Dou Qi Continent, he had considered many ways to escape. Run away? Ha, his father's Judgment Sword, which never missed a traitor, would not be so easily fooled.

As for borrowing the advantage of foresight to snatch the protagonist's opportunities and reach the pinnacle of life, that dream had been extinguished the moment he discovered his Dou Qi attribute.

Six full years had passed, and he had long since abandoned any fantasy of having a golden finger.

However, he was a person of firm resolve. Since fate was bound to descend, he would fight it with all his might!

From the age of three, when he began his studies, he had frantically learned all kinds of classic knowledge. For the sake of a brighter future, he even asked his father to request a foundation-building medicine from Gu He, soaking in it for three years before he began his cultivation at the age of six.

He didn't know if it was because the transmigration had strengthened his brain, but he could quickly digest and absorb any knowledge; even the photographic memory that was practically a standard feature for transmigrators was just a small surprise to him.

It wasn't until Gu He examined his body and marveled at his soul strength—which far exceeded that of an ordinary person—while lamenting that he couldn't become an alchemist, that Yun Zimo realized the many benefits brought by a powerful soul might be the best golden finger heaven had bestowed upon him.

Combining methods from his past life with the cultivation notes of the sect's ancestors, Yun Zimo formulated a cultivation method for himself that was vastly different from traditional practices.

However, because it was too resource-intensive and self-torturous, Yun Yin had no choice but to ask the secluded old Sect Master to personally build Yun Zimo's foundation and complete the accumulation of Dou Disciple energy, strengthening his five senses until he barely met the standard.

From then on, attending classes in the morning, cultivating in the afternoon, and soaking in medicinal baths at night became the main theme of Yun Zimo's life.

What Yun Zimo didn't expect was that his desperate state of mind would inadvertently spark a new atmosphere of cultivation within the sect; the relationships between fellow disciples became harmonious, and they all learned from one another.

In a trance, it felt as if he had returned to his old school, the only difference being that the people in the sect had simpler minds, and there were no teachers urging them on every day.

"I really like this home..."

As for the matter with Yun Yun, he swore that time was purely an accident.

Because his cultivation required it, Yun Zimo would bury himself in books every morning and go to Sect Master Yun Yun for sparring in the afternoon. Under the tutelage of a peak Dou King expert, his own strength naturally progressed by leaps and bounds, but through their frequent interactions, their relationship naturally became very close, and they even privately addressed each other as sister and brother.

But when he was fifteen, because he encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation, he arrived a little earlier than usual and accidentally stumbled upon a scene of a beauty emerging from a bath. Heaven be my witness, in his past life, he had been so buried in his studies that he hadn't even held a girl's hand, and in this life, he had been obsessed with cultivation—where would he have seen such a scene? So, he shamefully had a nosebleed, and that time, Yun Zimo was hung up and beaten by his father for dereliction of duty (he was still registered in the Law Enforcement Team)...

After that, he didn't see Yun Yun for several days, and he didn't dare to go looking for her. Later, when he cautiously went to apologize, Yun Yun was only slightly shy and annoyed, which left Yun Zimo confused. And so, in that year, he had somehow managed to "conquer" his own sweet and naive Sect Master?

Perhaps it was out of sentimentality, or something else, but after Yun Yun opened her own residence to take in disciples and lectured Nalan Yanran, Yun Zimo requested to go down the mountain to travel. Over the next five years, he ran across the entire Jia Ma Empire, raided nests in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, played in the water in the vast desert, and even spent a year in the Black-Corner Region.

Facing death became a daily routine, but fortunately, his self-healing ability was astonishing, and he ultimately survived.

In the face of countless death threats, Yun Zimo learned to be tactful, learned to be cunning, and even learned to be ruthless...

"Come, you haven't properly sparred with me since you got back. It just so happens that today, Sister will accompany you for a round."

As Yun Yun spoke, her Dou Armor instantly manifested. The sea-blue, tight-fitting armor highlighted her exquisite figure to the fullest, and her heroic appearance left Yun Zimo, who had just returned from his memories, stunned in place once again.

"Such surging momentum..."

Yun Zimo muttered in a daze, but the sword light flashing toward his face brought him back to reality instantly, and he dodged with a swift lunge.

"Cough, cough, cough... Sister, that... I, uh..."

Looking at Yun Yun's blushing face and the Dou Armor covering her entire body, Yun Zimo scratched his head in embarrassment.

Cyan and white armor covered Yun Zimo like flowing water, and his previously evasive gaze instantly returned to calm, his sharp eyes reflecting a deep pool that had remained unmoved for eons.

He raised his hand and gripped the air, and the black-and-white Judgment Sword appeared in his hand. The sword and his attire complemented each other, adding a touch of indescribable dominance.

A hint of a smile flashed in Yun Yun's eyes. With a slight flick of her three-foot blade, her body rose like a willow catkin in the wind, reaching Yun Zimo in an instant.

"Clang!"

The two swords collided. Zimo took the opportunity to slash diagonally, trying to knock the longsword from Yun Yun's hand, but she twisted her wrist, parried the Judgment Sword, and thrust straight at Zimo's chest.

Both of them revealed murderous intent in every strike. Although neither used Dou Qi, the powerful physical fitness they possessed resulted in a dazzling array of overlapping sword shadows.

After dozens of rounds, the two remained locked in a stalemate. They were too familiar with each other; often, as soon as one raised a hand, the other already knew what the next move would be.

"Zimo, be careful!"

Yun Yun suddenly gave a soft shout to warn Zimo, and strands of cyan airflow swirled around her raised blade like swallows returning to their nest.

"Extreme Wind: Sun Flare!"

Brilliant light bloomed, and Yun Zimo instinctively closed his eyes and retreated violently.

"With the help of a favorable wind, I shall ascend to the azure clouds!"

Yun Zimo whispered softly, and a surge of azure clouds rose from the ground, a white tornado howling as it collided with the Sunlight Sword Light descending from the sky.

"Clang!"

The two clashed once more amidst the layers of white mist, their azure and white Dou Qi constantly colliding, sometimes striking on the ground, other times leaping into the air to unleash their Dou Skills.

"Sister, it's over!"

As the two collided again, Yun Zimo spoke calmly. Yun Yun felt a jolt in her heart, and after flashing dozens of meters away, she heard Zimo's gentle voice drifting from the mist.

"Beneath my sword!"

Zimo's eyes closed slightly, and a phantom of the Xiezhi appeared between his brows. In a single breath, he unleashed thirty-six sword shadows that streaked across the sky, sealing off every path of escape for Yun Yun.

"All Beings Equal!"

Yun Yun frowned slightly; breaking through this obstruction was not difficult, but those one or two seconds were enough for Zimo to defeat her. Left with no choice, she turned to face the sword Zimo had already raised.

That sword was not actually very fast, yet in Yun Yun's eyes, it carried a sense of helplessness, as if it were impossible to avoid.

The light, drifting sword thrust slowly toward her, yet it seemed to span the distance between them in an instant. An indescribable, elusive aura lingered within the sword light, leaving Yun Yun feeling vaguely uneasy.

"Oh no!"

Just as the sword reached her, Yun Yun did not hesitate to unleash the full power of a Dou Emperor to forcibly block Zimo's attack, then countered by manifesting her Dou Qi into a massive palm of azure wind to swat him out of the air.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Sister, you..."

"Alright, alright, I'll count it as my loss."

"What do you mean 'count it as,' hey!"