The Founding of the Flame Emperor Sect

"This is the place? Not bad."

Yang Xiu looked at the mountains in the distance. It was not just a mountain, but a stretch of mountain range. Though it was not particularly large, it was more than enough for a sect headquarters.

"Dragon One, why was the empire willing to sell it? It must have cost a lot. It's bigger than I expected."

"Maybe they wanted to get on our good side. They only charged a token hundred thousand gold. It was just me and my two brothers who went. Poison Douluo was there, and he noticed our strength. Spirit Hall has been making the empire uneasy these past few years."

"True. But none of that concerns us. If anyone crosses us, we kill them, whoever they are."

"Let's head up." Yang Xiu had only just reached the summit when—

"Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. Rewards issued."

Inside the System Inventory were a gift pack, a Formation Disk, a black hole resembling a space-time gate, and a hazy cluster of energy. Those were the rewards.

First, I'll set up the Formation Disk and hide this place. Yang Xiu considered the people already here. They were all Sect disciples. At most, they would be surprised to see buildings appear out of thin air, but they would neither ask questions nor tell anyone. But how would I explain it if a passerby saw? He took out the Formation Disk and used Detection Technique.

Heaven-Masking Grand Array Formation Disk: Place it in one location, and it will automatically absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, form an independent space within a fixed area, and generate various mazes and illusions. Any unauthorized intruder who is not a Flame Emperor Sect disciple (the system marks every disciple upon joining, allowing the array to identify them automatically) and is below God-Tier will be lost inside forever.

That's powerful. Yang Xiu waved his hand, and the Formation Disk landed on the ground. A burst of mist rose, then everything fell still. Nothing seemed to have changed, except that the disk was absorbing spiritual energy.

Yang Xiu took out the Sect Building Gift Pack, summoned his Soul Bone, and flew into the air. At the same time, he had everyone else move away.

"System, use the Sect Building Gift Pack."

Buildings of every kind sprang up out of thin air. The mountain range was reshaped, its contours shifting. Soon, it was done.

"A paradise on earth!"

Even those who had hovered on the brink of death for years were stunned.

Before them stood the Sect's Main Hall. Behind it, the land had been transformed into a chasm nearly a thousand meters deep. Above the hall's entrance were the words "Flame Emperor Sect." A Plaza spanning several thousand square meters lay before it, with a Spiraling Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Statue nearly a hundred meters tall at its center. At the far end of the Plaza, a path descended the mountain: three thousand White Jade Steps laid from top to bottom.

All kinds of Sect buildings stood along the Plaza's right side...

On the other side stood only a Nine-Story Tower, covering roughly four to five hundred square meters.

Behind the tower rose rows of tall buildings that could serve as residences. Nearly a hundred old-style villas dotted the slopes and summit of a mountain a hundred to three hundred meters higher than this one. The villa at the summit was half again as large as the others. That one's probably meant for me, the Sect Master.

He took out the Sect Secret Realm, which looked like a Space-Time Black Hole. In the blink of an eye, it flew off on its own and entered the ninth floor of the Nine-Story Tower. Through the window, he saw it floating motionless inside.

Finally, the Spiritual Energy Cluster scattered downward. Throughout the array, spiritual energy thickened into mist visible to the naked eye, and the plants on the mountain grew as wildly as if they had gone mad.

"Find your own rooms. Titled Douluo may live in the Villa District. Dragon One, you and your brothers will guard the Sect Secret Realm. No one may enter floors six through nine of the tower without permission."

"Have people collect books on general knowledge of the continent and put them on the bottom three floors."

"Collect the continent's cultivation methods and secret teachings for the fourth and fifth floors. You should also put some of your less important cultivation methods, martial techniques, and cultivation insights on the sixth floor."

"On Douluo Continent, your martial techniques and cultivation methods are the equivalent of Self-Created Soul Skills. Only loyal disciples may read them."

"Yes, Sect Master."

They dispersed to carry out his orders.

Yang Xiu flew beyond the array. At the foot of the mountain, he saw a huge boulder inscribed with "Flame Emperor Sect." The mountain itself looked just as it had before he arrived.

This array is good. No one outside can tell what's in here.

Unless they're from the Sect. Back at his villa on the summit, Yang Xiu felt as if he had returned to Azure Planet.

"I miss it. Too bad I can't go back."

After a moment of reflection, he said, "System, use the Random Summoning Card."

"Congratulations, Host. You have summoned Xue Li, the War God of the Tang dynasty."

Name: Xue Li (Rengui)

Soul Power: Level 98; yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black, black, red, red

Martial Soul: Sky-Piercer Halberd

Trait 1: Three Halberds Stabilize the World. Adapted by the system from his famous feat of pacifying Tianshan with three arrows. Summons three Sky-Piercer Halberds and hurls them. Each strike is stronger than the last. If the opponent dodges the first two, the third is guaranteed to hit.

Trait 2: Fight While Injured. Injuries and negative effects do not hinder his ability to unleash his strength. Against a powerful enemy, he can unleash 120%–150% of his strength.

Title: War God (SSS-rank), not yet unlocked

"Ah, happiness comes so suddenly. Am I the goddess of luck's son? But I've killed plenty of Soul Beasts. Why haven't I seen a Soul Bone?"

It had never occurred to him that, aside from the Soul Beasts he had killed to obtain his own Soul Rings, he had only watched others do the killing. He himself had killed no more than a handful of thousand-year Soul Beasts.

"Summon him, System."

"Greetings, Sect Master." All future summons would address him that way.

The voice was a little wooden, giving the impression of someone solemn and honest.

The man before him looked to be in his thirties. Though sturdy, he seemed slightly sickly and somehow gave the impression that he would be easy to push around.

"Brother Xue, no need for formalities. Most of the Sect's people are our kin, and everyone is easy to get along with. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask someone."

"Pick an unoccupied house outside. It'll be your home from now on."

"Thank you, Sect Master. I will." Xue Rengui left. After searching the System Shop for a while, Yang Xiu sat down cross-legged and swallowed the pill in his hand.

Soul Ring Experience Pill (Ten-Thousand-Year): Increases the age of one Soul Ring under ten thousand years by ten thousand years. (10,000 Soul Coins each)

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Yang Xiu's second Soul Ring had turned black. Its skill damage had changed, and his Soul Power had risen by one level.

"System, open my status panel."

Name: Yang Xiu (15 years old)

Soul Power: Level 47

Martial Souls: Divine Shadow Leopard (purple, black, purple, black); Dragon Soul Spear

Defense: Level 59

Mental Power: Level 66

First Soul Skill: Berserk. Increases all attributes by 100% for one minute.

Second Soul Skill: Claw of Fate. Transforms both hands into leopard claws. Increases attack speed and attack by 100%. Attacks that hit have a 30% chance to land a critical strike. Duration depends on Soul Power.

Third Soul Skill: Pursuit of Fate. Increases speed by 150% and guarantees one dodge against a small-area attack (mental power level 66 × 10%). If the opponent's Soul Power Level exceeds his mental power level, whether he dodges depends on his own strength.

Fourth Soul Skill: Shadow Clone Technique. Summons two clones, increases speed by 150% and attack by 200%. Duration depends on his Soul Power. Clones vanish when struck. He can swap places with a clone within fifty meters; clones beyond that range vanish automatically. The first attack by him or a clone afterward is guaranteed to be a critical strike, including skill attacks. (Critical damage: n × 250%)

External Soul Bone: Wind-Thunder Wings. Trait: Increases affinity with the wind in the air, making him feel as though he has become the wind and granting him the ability to soar through the nine heavens. He can fly as fast as his body can endure.

Skill: Nine Heavens Thunderclap. Condenses nine Thunder Dragons, which can merge into one to deal a devastating blow to an enemy. Ignores part of their defense and cannot be dodged.

Condenses nine Thunder Dragons to damage enemies within an area, also ignoring part of their defense.

"Huh? Have I been thinking about the goddess of fate too much? Claw of Fate? Whatever, it's just a name. Its critical-hit chance went up by ten percent, and its attack and attack speed rose by fifty percent. A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill really is something."

"I've grown so much stronger without even noticing. But I can't slack off. I have to keep working hard."

"System, besides its traits, what else can people get from the Sect Secret Realm?"

"Soul Rings, Soul Bones, Immortal Herbs, Soul Ring Experience Pills, Soul Power Pills, and similar items... as well as weapons like those used by the generals."

"And everyday necessities."

"The better an item is, the harder it is to obtain. Each person can enter at most three times in their life: at levels 30, 70, and 90."

"Only at those three levels?"

"Yes, Host."

"Hmm... did I miss one chance?"

The system fell silent for quite a while.

"Whatever the Host says is correct."

Yang Xiu froze. Then he reacted as though a dog had bitten him.

"Correct, my ass, you damned mutt!"

"Have you no shame? You just swallowed one of my chances!"

"Can't we negotiate?"

"Those are the rules."

"Fine."

"Is there compensation?" Yang Xiu abandoned all concern for saving face.

The system crashed...

"In light of the Host's shamelessness, which has left the system utterly ashamed, three choices are offered."

1: Xiaoyao Ford Warrior Puppets (100; levels 31–49)

2: White Horse Volunteers Puppets (100; levels 31–49)

3: Flying Bear Army Puppets (100; levels 31–49)

"Puppet troops level up through killing, to a maximum of level 49. They have some capacity for thought. When fighting outside alongside their commander, they increase the commander's morale by 20%. In the General System Space, they can also increase a general's Soul Power to some extent."

"Host, please choose. These options will disappear in ten seconds."

"Huh? This mutt has learned to threaten people?"

"But which one should I choose?"

"They're obviously troops for those three. Forget it. Hua Xiong is the weakest, and he was the first to follow me. System, I choose the third."

"The troops have been delivered to General Hua Xiong's General System Space."

"...They don't even have to pass through my hands?"

"Mutt, you've changed."

"Right now, Old Zhao is the only one who can enter the Secret Realm. But his injuries haven't healed. Hmm, I'll go find him at Hua Xiong's place first."

A few days later...