The Path to Dou Di Opens

The Xiao Clan's secret chamber lay buried three thousand zhang underground, built from a single mass of Annihilation Rock that blocked all soul probing, with nine layers of Dou Sheng-level sealing formations guarding it as well. This had once been where the Xiao Clan's ancestor entered secluded cultivation with no intention of emerging before a breakthrough. Now, it had become sacred ground for unlocking the Dou Di inheritance.

Xiao Ze stood at the center of the chamber, forming seals with both hands. Nine rings of flame, woven from spectral blue and dark gold, appeared around him—the Heavenly Flame Domain formed by the nine nether wind flame. Within this domain, time slowed, and soul perception was amplified without limit.

Xiao Yan knelt opposite him, his expression solemn, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead. Even through his protective Dou Qi, the pressure from the heavenly flame made him feel as though he stood inside a furnace.

"Yan," Xiao Ze began, his voice quiet yet exploding like thunder within Xiao Yan's sea of consciousness, "do you know why no Dou Di has appeared on the Dou Qi Continent in ten thousand years?"

Xiao Yan shook his head.

"It isn't because no one possessed peerless talent, nor because no one had astonishing perseverance. It's because—" Xiao Ze's gaze sharpened. "The path to Dou Di was sealed long ago!"

"Sealed?" Xiao Yan asked in shock.

"Exactly." Xiao Ze raised his hand, and an ancient Jade Slip appeared in his palm. Seven large characters in ancient seal script were engraved upon it: "Dou Di's Record of Bearing Heaven."

"In ancient times, many Dou Di coexisted, ranging freely across the eight wildernesses. But they were too powerful. They shook the laws of heaven and earth, provoking the Heavenly Dao's wariness. Thus, an 'Emperor-Banishing Lock' descended from the nine heavens, sealing the path of advancement through Dou Qi. From that day onward, no one could advance even an inch beyond Dou Sheng."

Xiao Yan's pupils contracted sharply. "So... Dou Zong, Dou Zun, Dou Sheng... are actually all incomplete realms?"

"Clever." Xiao Ze nodded. "And the Flame Mantra is precisely the heaven-defying cultivation art that ancient Dou Di created to break this ban. It isn't merely a cultivation art. It is also—the key to breaking the seal!"

He gently pushed the Jade Slip forward. It transformed into a streak of light and sank into Xiao Yan's brow.

"Now, I will impart the complete Flame Mantra to you—the ninefold Burning Heaven Art!"

In an instant, Xiao Yan's sea of consciousness exploded!

Countless pieces of information poured in like a raging flood—

First level: Meridian Burning, Foundation Building

Second level: Meridian Burning, Channel Opening

Third level: Soul Burning, Spirit Condensation

Fourth level: World-Burning, Domain Opening

Fifth level: Heaven-Burning Sage Attainment

Sixth level: Ban-Burning Lock-Breaking

Seventh level: Dao-Burning True Unity

Eighth level: Tribulation-Burning Emperor Transcendence

Ninth level: Heaven-Burning Firmament, Defying Reincarnation!

"This... this isn't a cultivation art at all. It's... it's a path that defies heaven!" Xiao Yan trembled all over, both terrified and consumed by fervor.

"Exactly," Xiao Ze said gravely. "Cultivating this art means walking a tightrope at every step. The slightest misstep will scatter your soul to the winds. But—"

His eyes blazed like torches as he looked straight at Xiao Yan. "Do you dare walk it?"

Xiao Yan slowly raised his head, flames rising in his eyes, and spoke each word with unwavering force:

"I, Xiao Yan, fear nothing!"

"Good!" Xiao Ze laughed heartily. "Then I will tell you the true secret of the Dou Di inheritance."

He formed seals with both hands, and a vast star chart suddenly appeared across the chamber's ceiling. Nine brilliant stars hung in the heavens, each radiating the aura of a flame with a different attribute.

"The Ancient Nine Emperors each wielded a flame, together forming the Nine Emperors' Heaven-Burning Formation. Only by gathering all nine heavenly flames and awakening the Nine-Star Resonance can the path to Dou Di be reopened!"

"And I, Xiao Ze—" He slowly raised his hand, the nine nether wind flame dancing in his palm. "Am the reincarnation of the Nine Nether Star Lord, Chief of the Nine Stars!"

[Ding! Main quest triggered: Dou Di Inheritance—The Nine Stars Return to Their Places]

[Quest objective: Collect nine heavenly flames, awaken the Nine-Star Resonance, and reopen the path to Dou Di]

[Current progress: 1/9 (nine nether wind flame obtained)]

[Quest reward: One wisp of Dou Di Origin (can help the host break through to the Dou Di realm)]

Xiao Yan stared at Xiao Ze in awe. "Uncle... are you saying that you... are the reincarnation of an ancient Dou Di?"

"Exactly." Xiao Ze nodded. "I was the Nine Nether Dou Di. After I fell, my soul survived, and I reincarnated to cultivate anew. In this life, I will not merely reach the summit myself. I will also lead the Xiao Clan to—ascend to the nine heavens!"

He abruptly brought his hands together. The star chart condensed into a golden pillar of light that poured straight into the crown of Xiao Yan's head!

"Now, with the blood of a Dou Di, I will unlock the first level of the Flame Mantra for you—Meridian Burning, Foundation Building!"

"Aah—!"

Xiao Yan roared in agony. Every meridian in his body felt as though it were being reforged in flame, while his bones rang with dragon cries and tiger roars. His Dou Qi soared from Two-Star Dou Zhe—three stars, four stars... only stopping once he reached Six-Star Dou Zhe!

"This... this is impossible!" Xiao Yan felt the earth-shaking changes within his body. "I actually jumped four stars in one go?!"

"How could the power of the Flame Mantra be ordinary?" Xiao Ze said calmly. "From today onward, you are no longer the trash whose engagement was broken. You are—the spark upon the path to Dou Di!"

He turned toward the ancient stone wall deep within the chamber. Eight large characters were engraved upon it:

"Burn the firmament to ashes; defy and rewrite reincarnation."

"Yan, remember—"

"It is time for the sky above the Dou Qi Continent to change."

Winds rose and clouds surged. The spark had been lit.

And at the farthest reaches of this ancient continent, nine stars were quietly beginning to resonate.

The path to Dou Di had officially opened.

And the legend of Xiao Ze and Xiao Yan had only just begun to—set the plains ablaze!

[Ding! Side quest "The Spark Awakens" unlocked]

[Quest objective: Help Xiao Yan cultivate to the Dou Wang realm and master the method of heavenly flame fusion]

[Quest rewards: Secret heavenly flame fusion technique "Heaven-Burning Flame Fusion Art," Dou Sheng-level secret soul technique "Soul Sacrifice Nine Revolutions"]

Xiao Ze gazed into the distance and murmured to himself:

"Hall of Souls, Misty Cloud Sect, Gu Clan of the Central Plains... just you wait."

"In this life, I will make you—watch on your knees as I ascend to Dou Di!"