Twenty-four soul lamps flared to life atop the bronze candlesticks in the Xiao Clan's council hall, their light reflecting off Xiao Feng's newly made Dou Qi spectrum analysis chart and bathing it in a deep blue glow. Xiao Zhan stared at the projection of the periodic table of elements flickering on the wall, his fingers unconsciously gripping his newly replaced Xiao Zhan Blade. The blade was embedded with nan alloy exchanged through the system, sharp enough to cut through iron like mud.
"With this ratio, the clan's disciples can improve their cultivation progress in the Flame Mantra by 47%." Xiao Feng pointed to the curve for Fire Spirit Grass on the spectrum chart. "Combined with the improved Qi Gathering Pill, we can train ten Dou Wang experts within ten years."
The First Elder cleared his throat, evidently still unused to these strange terms. "But these 'catalysts' and 'molecular rearrangements'... are they really more effective than the methods of our ancestors?"
Xiao Yan pushed open the door, carrying a steaming celadon bowl in his palm. "Third Brother, try my improved Fire Spirit Grass porridge. I added three grams of that 'glucose' you mentioned." A faint golden-red light flickered in the boy's eyes. Ever since awakening his Flame Emperor Bloodline, the phantom image of a Fire Lotus had often appeared in his pupils.
Xiao Feng took the bowl, then suddenly felt a sting in his fingertips. The system alarm sounded sharply. He and Xiao Yan looked up at the same time, only to see the Clan Mark on the council hall's dome suddenly glow. Two pillars of light shot into the sky: one a purplish-black Emperor Flame, the other a golden-red Flame Emperor Fire.
"This is... bloodline resonance!" Xiao Zhan cried. "This happened once when Father joined forces with Uncle Xiao Chen, but it's never been this strong!"
The pillars of light coalesced in the air into a Taiji diagram. Xiao Xuan's voice echoed in Xiao Feng's mind: "Hear me, descendants of the future. The space-time turbulence has arrived. Only by gathering all twenty-four Space-Time Fragments can we mend the rift in the plane. My son, Xiao Feng, your Emperor Scale can locate the fragments; my grandson, Xiao Yan, your Flame Emperor Fire can refine them."
The Fire Lotus in Xiao Yan's palm suddenly left his hand and unfurled in the air into a map, marking seven shining points—the locations of the seven great ancient clans on the Douqi Continent. The patterns of Xiao Feng's Emperor Scale heated in response, revealing the corresponding stellar coordinates.
"System, detect the energy of the Space-Time Fragments," he ordered inwardly.
Ding! Space-time fluctuations detected in the Gu Clan's Armory Pavilion, the Soul Clan's Soul Realm, the Thunder Clan's Thunder God Hall, and other locations. Recommend prioritizing recovery of the Xiao Clan's lost Burning Heaven Ruler Fragment.
"Father, Xiao Yanzi and I need to go to the Gu Clan." Xiao Feng clasped Xiao Yan's hand. Their bloodline resonance formed a closed loop between their Dou Qi. "Back then, Old Ancestor Xiao Xuan made an agreement with Gu Yuan. There may be clues in the Armory Pavilion."
Xiao Zhan gazed at his sons' clasped hands and remembered the carving beside the crystal coffin in the ancestral grounds: "Two Emperors descend, the plane begins anew." He gave them both a firm clap on the shoulders. "We leave tomorrow. Take thirty elite members of the Xiao Clan. Remember, the Gu Clan may not be our enemy, but the Soul Clan's eyes and ears are everywhere."
Late that night, Xiao Feng was testing his newly exchanged "antimatter bomb" on the training ground when Xiao Yan came over with a jar of wine. "Third Brother, have a drink with me? Xun'er said people from Earth like to numb their nerves with alcohol when something's troubling them."
The boy pried off the clay seal. The wine's fragrance mingled with a faint scent of Fire Spirit Grass. Xiao Feng took the bowl and suddenly thought of beer and barbecue back on Earth. A bitter taste rose in his throat. "Xiao Yanzi, you... know we can't go back, right?"
Xiao Yan tipped his head back and drained his wine. Firelight shattered into flakes of gold in his eyes. "If we can't go back, then we won't. But Third Brother, have you ever wondered why our systems activated on the same day? Why Hun Dan happened to know Xiao Xuan's secret?"
The question struck Xiao Feng like a heavy hammer. He activated Soul Movement Three Thousand and sent his soul power into Xiao Yan's mind sea. To his surprise, a silver jade slip lay dormant in the other's system space—the very Blood Sacrifice Jade Slip Hun Dan had used before!
"When did you get that?" he demanded.
Xiao Yan shook his head. "It was by my bed when I woke up this morning. Third Brother, I feel like this jade slip is calling to me, just like... just like Mother's voice."
The system's warning suddenly sharpened:
Warning! Space-time virus detected. The jade slip inside Xiao Yan is actually Hun Dan's consciousness carrier!
Xiao Feng's pupils contracted. His Emperor Scale instantly covered his arm. He swung his blade at the jade slip, but Xiao Yan suddenly clutched his head and screamed, golden blood seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth—the sign that his Flame Emperor Bloodline was being corrupted!
"Xiao Yanzi!" Xiao Feng forcibly suppressed his murderous intent and instead injected Dou Qi into him with the healing technique of the Great Dao Pill Universal. The jade slip let out a piercing shriek, then turned into a stream of data and burrowed into Xiao Yan's brow. Hun Dan's virtual projection appeared on the system panel:
"Xiao Feng, surprised? My consciousness had already taken root in the Xiao Clan's bloodline." The projection licked its lips. "The resonance between the Flame Emperor and the Emperor Scale is just what I needed to open a space-time rift to the Gu Clan. Go ahead to the Armory Pavilion. I'll be waiting to close the net."
The moment the projection disappeared, Xiao Yan abruptly opened his eyes. A trace of purplish black mingled with the golden light in his gaze. He reached out and took Xiao Feng's blade, a strange smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "Third Brother, let's go to the Gu Clan together. I really want... really want to see Gu Xun'er's true face."
Xiao Feng's heart pounded wildly. That smile was exactly like Hun Dan's! He immediately activated the system's "soul purification" function, only to find Xiao Yan's mind sea wrapped in a quantum barrier, completely beyond his reach.
"System, what's going on?"
Ding! Hun Dan used the space-time turbulence to alter Xiao Yan's causal line. He is currently in a "partially infected" state. You must find the Space-Time Purifier as soon as possible.
By daybreak, the Xiao Clan's convoy had reached the Gu Clan's border. Xiao Feng rode at the very front, his gaze repeatedly shifting to Xiao Yan in the middle of the group. The boy was speaking quietly with Xun'er, the purplish black in his eyes temporarily hidden, as if the recent change had been nothing but an illusion.
The guards at the Gu Clan's city gate saw the Xiao Clan insignia and immediately let them through. Xiao Feng noticed the walkie-talkies at their waists. Hun Dan's technological infiltration had gone deeper than he'd imagined. The Armory Pavilion stood in the Gu Clan's rear mountains. Twenty-eight constellations were carved into its enormous bronze doors, perfectly matching the star chart on Xiao Feng's Emperor Scale.
"Those with the Emperor Scale bloodline may enter," the Pavilion Elder said coolly. His gaze lingered on Xiao Yan. "The Flame Emperor Bloodline... it's been a long time."
The instant the stone doors opened, Xiao Feng felt countless gazes trained on them from the void—the Gu Clan's quantum surveillance. He secretly crushed an "anti-tracking chip" and pulled Xiao Yan inside.
The Armory Pavilion had three levels. The first displayed all kinds of Dou Technique jade slips, the second contained fragmented maps of Heavenly Flames, and the third held a huge crystal sphere suspended in the air, filled with countless points of light—the Space-Time Fragments!
"Watch out!" Xiao Yan suddenly shoved Xiao Feng aside. A laser beam grazed his ear and scorched a hole in the stone wall. The lights inside the pavilion went out. The emergency system activated, and countless mechanical puppets sprang from the walls, holding modern firearms.
"This is... the Gu Clan's space-time defense system?" Xiao Feng cried. He swung his blade, cutting down a puppet charging at him, but bullets ricocheted off his Emperor Scale and sparked against the floor.
A Fire Lotus surged from Xiao Yan's fingertips, burning an entire row of puppets into scrap metal. "Third Brother, look up!"
The crystal sphere suddenly cracked. A fragment engraved with the words "Burning Heaven Ruler" shot out and merged directly into Xiao Yan's brow. The boy threw back his head and let out a long howl. His Flame Emperor Bloodline fully awakened, and the phantom image of a twelve-foot Fire Lotus appeared behind him, burning out every part of the mechanical puppets' control system.
At the same time, Xiao Feng's Emperor Scale resonated with the crystal sphere. Twenty-four points of starlight descended from the sky and gathered in his palm, forming the Space-Time Compass. The system chimed repeatedly:
Ding! Recovered the Burning Heaven Ruler Fragment. Unlocked the first stage of Xiao Yan's Flame Emperor Bloodline. Ding! Activated the Space-Time Compass. Fragment coordinates located in the Soul Clan's Soul Realm. Ding! Hun Dan's consciousness inside Xiao Yan is merging. Recommend immediate use of the Causality Modifier.
Xiao Feng turned around and saw Xiao Yan cradling the fragment and muttering to himself. The purplish black in his pupils had spread to the whites of his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Feng took out the modifier and sent it streaking into the boy's brow. But the instant it made contact, he heard Hun Dan's laughter:
"Too late! The bloodline resonance between the Xiao Clan twins has already opened a space-time gate to the Soul Realm. Xiao Feng, come see how your clansmen die!"
The floor of the Armory Pavilion suddenly split open, revealing a bottomless black hole. A tremendous force dragged Xiao Feng down. The last thing he saw was the icy smile on Xiao Yan's face as he turned around—and the smartphone in his hand, dialing the Soul Clan's extermination order.
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