Yao Chen looked at the System Panel. Just before leaving the Miteer Auction House, he had walked through the air.
He hadn't made much of a show of it, but walking through the air was the clearest and simplest proof that someone had reached the Dou Zong realm.
After completing the task, he looked at the rewards displayed on the System Panel.
[Current Task: Reveal Dou Zong-level strength and shock Nalan Jie.]
[Task Reward: One Orange Treasure Chest.]
[Task completed. Host has received the reward. Distribution successful.]
After receiving the Orange Treasure Chest, Yao Chen opened his system inventory.
He opened it at once, choosing to draw the chest's reward.
[The host opened an Orange Treasure Chest and obtained the first transformation of the Xiao Clan secret technique, Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations.]
Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations was a secret technique created by Xiao Xuan, the ancestor of the Xiao Clan. It could greatly increase one's strength, granting the power and means to challenge and defeat opponents of a higher level.
No wonder Xiao Xuan, at the Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint level—
With three Heavenly Flames and the secret technique Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, he had been called a Half-Step Dou Di, even though his attempt to break through to Dou Di had failed.
Aside from his Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Yao Chen now also had the Sea Heart Flame granted to him by the system.
If he acquired another Heavenly Flame, he would have to cultivate Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations properly.
Although he lacked the Xiao Clan's Clan Mark and couldn't unleash the secret technique's true power, the fact that the Burning Flame Valley held an extraordinary position in the Central Plains was proof enough of how powerful it was.
Although Yao Chen had only recently entered the Dou Sheng realm, in the Jia Ma Empire, he could be considered an unstoppable force.
However, across the Central Plains as a whole, there was still plenty of room for his strength to grow.
The Ancient Clan alone had more than a dozen Dou Sheng-level powerhouses.
And that didn't even include the Soul Clan, or Hun Tiandi, Gu Yuan, and the old Dragon Emperor, all at the Peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng level.
After receiving his reward, Yao Chen turned to Xiao Yan, who immediately spoke to him.
"Teacher, I never imagined that, while you were alive, your strength had already reached the Dou Zong level!"
Xiao Yan stared at Yao Chen in shock.
"Just now, you walked through the air in front of Nalan Jie. That's clearly a power possessed by Dou Zong-level experts."
Xiao Yan's face was full of astonishment, and he grew more and more excited.
He had never imagined that his teacher had been so powerful in life. Now he felt even more confident that he could defeat Nalan Yanran.
Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan, knowing what he was thinking, and said,
"What's so special about a mere Dou Zong? Does that even count as being strong?"
"Dou Zongs don't even count as strong?"
Xiao Yan was dumbfounded. Hearing Yao Chen say that, he found it unbelievable.
It had been countless years since a Dou Zong-level expert had appeared in the Jia Ma Empire.
He couldn't believe that such astonishing strength was so insignificant in his teacher's eyes...
Xiao Yan could hardly believe it. He murmured to himself, trying to guess,
"Could it be that, when he was alive, Teacher reached a realm even higher than Dou Zong?"
"Above Dou Zong... Could that be Dou Zun?"
Dou Zun!
Those two words were like a great mountain, crushing Xiao Yan until he could barely breathe.
Compared with his own meager Eighth Stage Dou Qi, the possibility that his teacher had possessed Dou Zun-level strength seemed utterly unbelievable.
After claiming his reward, Yao Chen closed the System Panel and began urging Xiao Yan to train.
He told him to raise his Dou Qi as quickly as possible and break through to the Dou Zhe realm soon, so Yao Chen could earn more task rewards.
At the same time, two days later, Nalan Jie and Nalan Su set out from Wutan City.
They returned to the Imperial City of the Jia Ma Empire.
At first, the father and son had wanted to persuade Yao Chen to serve as the Nalan Family's chief Alchemist.
They had even promised him a High Xuan Tier Dou Technique as compensation.
But now, Nalan Jie felt like a clown.
He'd actually gone and said something like that to a Dou Zong. It was laughable.
Why would a Dou Zong-level expert go and serve as some measly Dou Wang family's damned Alchemist? Did they think they were worthy?
Did the Nalan Family have any right to ask?
After returning to the Imperial City, the father and son sent someone to the Misty Cloud Sect to notify Nalan Yanran.
They asked her to return to the Nalan Family as soon as possible.
At that moment, Nalan Yanran was far away at the Misty Cloud Sect, busy cultivating and vowing to defeat Xiao Yan three years later.
As soon as she received the family's letter, she set out and returned to the Nalan Family.
When she entered her home and stepped into the main hall, Nalan Jie suddenly told her to make a trip to Wutan City.
Before her grandfather could explain why, she assumed it had something to do with Xiao Yan again and immediately grew annoyed.
"Grandfather, you're not going to ask me to go to Wutan City and find that good-for-nothing Xiao Yan so I can take back my decision to break off the engagement, are you? That's impossible!"
"I'm not going to Wutan City!"
"Grandfather, if you called me back just for this, then I can only say that I refuse!"
Nalan Yanran turned to leave the hall and return to the Misty Cloud Sect.
But as she turned, she heard Nalan Jie and Nalan Su briefly recount everything that had happened in Wutan City over the past few days.
"What? This tiny place like Wutan City has a Dou Zong-level expert?"
"How is that possible? Grandfather, you're not joking, are you? I don't believe it." Nalan Yanran's first reaction was disbelief.
Aside from her, probably no one would believe it if they heard the story.
"Yanran, the main reason I want you to make a personal trip to Wutan City is that, while our Nalan Family is already a formidable force in the Jia Ma Empire, there's still a significant gap between us and the Misty Cloud Sect."
"I want you to go to Wutan City as Sect Master Yun Yun's personal disciple."
"Mr. Yao is a Dou Zong-level expert, so naturally he wouldn't think much of our Nalan Family. But the Misty Cloud Sect is different."
"After all, the Misty Cloud Sect is a transcendent power in the Jia Ma Empire. And since you're Sect Master Yun Yun's personal disciple, you'll certainly become the next sect master."
"You must find a way to befriend Mr. Yao."
"A Dou Zong-level expert might be able to protect our Nalan Family someday. If you can do this, I'll let the matter of your broken engagement with Xiao Yan go. I won't force you to take back your decision to break off the engagement with that boy from the Xiao Clan."
Still reeling from the shock, Nalan Yanran fell silent.
She remained stunned for a long while.
The words "Dou Zong expert" carried too much weight.
She couldn't help wondering what kind of person could break through the Dou Emperor barrier and advance to Dou Zong.
Wutan City.
At the Xiao Clan, Yao Chen had just read the updated description of a new task on the System Panel.
[Current Task: Reveal Dou Zong-level strength and earn the admiration of Yun Yun, Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect.]
[Task Reward: One Exotic Flame Lucky Bag. A Heavenly Flame can be drawn from it.]