The morning dew at the Spirit Gatherer Association had yet to dry when Xiao Yan put the last Clear Spirit Pill into his Storage Ring. The bronze lamp on the windowsill flickered faintly, illuminating the Dou Qi flowing around his fingertips. After a full night of regulating his breathing, his aura at the peak of Da Dou Shi had grown even more solid. In the Dou Qi Continent's hierarchy of cultivation, Dou Ling came immediately after Da Dou Shi. He had already brushed against that threshold; all he needed was an opportunity to break through.
"Young friend Xiao Yan, here is a route map to the Misty Cloud Sect." President Fa Ma pushed open the door and entered, carrying a parchment scroll marked with safe routes in cinnabar. "There are many ancient ruins along the Jia Nan Mountains. Most have fallen into disuse, but dangers remain. Keep this Spirit Gatherer Badge safe. Show it if you encounter disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect, and you can avoid unnecessary trouble."
Xiao Yan accepted the badge, brushing his fingertips over its flame pattern. "Thank you, President. I must honor the Three-Year Agreement, but I won't go looking for trouble." He kept his aura steady at the peak of Da Dou Shi, deliberately suppressing the signs of his impending breakthrough. Until he reached the Misty Cloud Sect, he needed to keep a low profile.
President Fa Ma studied his composed profile and nodded in approval. "With your temperament, you should be able to handle the situation. Remember, although Nalan Yanran is the Misty Cloud Sect's young sect master, she is also bound by the sect. In your match, stop once the outcome is clear. Don't damage relations." He turned and fetched a brocade box. "There are three doses of Qi Gathering Powder inside. They can rapidly replenish your Dou Qi and may prove useful at a critical moment."
At the first light of dawn, Xiao Yan was already on the main road outside the imperial capital. Rather than fly, he chose to walk toward the Jia Nan Mountains. Dew on the bluestone paving soaked his shoes, but left his mind all the clearer. In the hierarchy of cultivation, Da Dou Shi and Dou Ling were entirely different realms. The former could move by harnessing Qi, while the latter could condense Dou Qi into tangible forms. He had to find an opportunity to break through along the way.
By noon, the blazing sun hung overhead. Xiao Yan stopped to rest beside a mountain stream. Just as he scooped up some spring water, he noticed something strange beneath the surface-a faint golden glow shone between the pebbles. Looking closely, he discovered fine patterns covering the rock face underwater. Sunlight refracted through the flowing water onto those patterns, forming a peculiar flame totem.
"Are these... natural flame patterns?" Something stirred in Xiao Yan's heart, and he sent his Da Dou Shi Dou Qi into the water. The moment his fingertips touched the rock face, the entire stream shook violently. Every pattern beneath the water lit up, and golden light pierced the surface, forming an enormous phantom flame in midair.
More astonishing still, the rock wall at the end of the stream slowly slid aside, revealing a deep, dark cave. Scorching heat drifted out, accompanied by the faint crackle of burning flames. Gripping his heavy sword, Xiao Yan cautiously entered the cave and discovered a naturally formed volcanic cavern. Its stalactites gleamed crimson in the firelight.
At the center of the cavern, a damaged stone altar floated above the magma, its sides covered in ancient writing. As Xiao Yan approached, the altar suddenly erupted with brilliant golden light, resonating powerfully with the mysterious yellow flame within him. The green lotus core flame stirred as well. The two heavenly flames circled inside his body as though trying to burst free.
"Could there be a heavenly flame legacy here?" Xiao Yan circulated his Dou Qi to resist the burning sensation and slowly approached the altar. A black stone box rested on top, engraved with three ancient seal-script characters spelling out "Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations"! Holding his breath, he opened the box. Inside lay only a beast-hide scroll, its edges badly tattered, yet radiating an immense aura of flame.
He unrolled the beast hide, and ancient words met his eyes: "Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, a secret legacy of the Yan Clan. First transformation: Body Burning. Temper the body with fire to temporarily raise one's cultivation realm. A Da Dou Shi may leap into Dou Ling for half an hour. Aftereffects: burning pain in the meridians for three days..." Xiao Yan's heart shook. This was precisely the opportunity for a breakthrough he desperately needed!
According to the scroll, cultivating Body Burning required two heavenly flames as catalysts to drive the body's Dou Qi beyond its limits. Xiao Yan sat cross-legged before the altar, intertwining the mysterious yellow flame and green lotus core flame into a spiral in his palm. As soon as he set the flames in motion, they scorched his meridians like red-hot branding irons. The agony instantly covered his forehead in cold sweat.
"Focus the mind, still the breath, draw the fire into the meridians." Gritting through the pain, Xiao Yan guided the flames along his meridians. Wherever the golden and green flames passed, blocked Dou Qi nodes opened one after another, and the barrier at the peak of Da Dou Shi began to loosen. As though answering a summons, flames from the magma pool transformed into fire dragons and plunged into his body, merging with the two heavenly flames.
Crack! The barrier shattered, and vast Dou Qi surged through his body. His aura at the peak of Da Dou Shi soared at a visibly perceptible rate. Xiao Yan could clearly feel his Dou Qi growing purer under the flames' tempering. Faint flame patterns even appeared on his skin-a sign of the Dou Ling level!
"Body Burning!" With a low shout, he activated the first transformation of Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations. The Dou Qi within him instantly swelled, and his Da Dou Shi aura leaped straight to Peak Dou Ling! Though he knew the boost was temporary and would last only half an hour, the power still filled him with wild joy.
Half an hour later, his Dou Qi slowly subsided, finally settling at the peak of Da Dou Shi, though more solid than before. Xiao Yan let out a long breath. Stabbing pain pulsed through his meridians, but it could not dim the joy of his breakthrough. He had reached the threshold of Dou Ling; a little more cultivation would be enough to stabilize his realm.
After carefully putting away the beast-hide scroll, Xiao Yan surveyed the cavern again. With its energy depleted, the stone altar gradually sank into the magma, and the rock wall began to close. He hurried out of the cave. The mountain stream had returned to normal, as though everything that had happened was merely an illusion. Only the lingering heat in his palm reminded him that this extraordinary encounter had been real.
As he continued on his way, Xiao Yan felt noticeably lighter on his feet. His peak Da Dou Shi Dou Qi flowed more smoothly, and his control over the two heavenly flames had improved considerably. At dusk, he reached Welcome Guest Town at the foot of the Jia Nan Mountains, found an inn, and began consolidating the day's gains.
The inn buzzed with voices, most discussing the next day's Three-Year Agreement. Warriors at a neighboring table were deep in heated conversation. "I heard Young Sect Master Nalan has already reached the peak of Da Dou Shi, just one step away from Dou Ling. No one can withstand her Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!" Another chimed in, "That Xiao Yan only had three-stage Dou Qi three years ago. No matter how gifted he is, he could only have reached mid-stage Da Dou Shi at best. He's probably doomed to lose!"
Xiao Yan turned a deaf ear to them and focused on circulating his Dou Qi to break into Dou Ling. Cultivating Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations had deepened his understanding of flame energy. The mysterious yellow flame flowed through his body, continually nourishing his Dou Qi meridians. Late that night, he suddenly felt his Dou Qi stir again. The barrier to Dou Ling began loosening on its own-the day's extraordinary encounter, followed by a night of cultivation, had allowed him to break through naturally!
"I've finally reached Dou Ling!" As Xiao Yan felt the solid Dou Qi within him, he could clearly sense that it could now condense into tangible forms. In the cultivation hierarchy, Dou Ling did indeed follow Da Dou Shi. Now, not only had he firmly established his breakthrough, but he also had Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations at his disposal. He was ready for any situation.
The next morning, crowds already thronged the mountain path from Welcome Guest Town to the Misty Cloud Sect. Xiao Yan mingled with them as he made his way uphill. His Dou Ling cultivation lent wings to his steps. Seeing his composed bearing, the Misty Cloud Sect disciples along the way did not question him closely. When he reached the Cloud Sea Terrace halfway up the mountain, he finally saw the familiar figure he had not encountered in three years.
Nalan Yanran stood in white robes at the center of the white jade plaza, her dark hair tied in a high ponytail. Her longsword pointed diagonally toward the ground, and her peak Da Dou Shi aura flickered faintly around her. When she saw Xiao Yan, surprise flashed in her eyes. The young man before her had a steady aura and had already reached Dou Ling! This far exceeded her expectations.
"You came." Nalan Yanran's voice remained cool, but lacked some of its former arrogance. "Father said that as long as you concede, all our past grievances will be wiped clean." Xiao Yan shook his head. "How could I concede in the Three-Year Agreement?" He deliberately released an early-stage Dou Ling aura, neither more nor less-just enough to surpass Nalan Yanran by a notch.
"You've reached Dou Ling?" Disbelief flashed in Nalan Yanran's eyes. She had cultivated bitterly for years just to reach the peak of Da Dou Shi, yet Xiao Yan had already broken through to Dou Ling. Xiao Yan replied mildly, "I've made some progress." He made no mention of Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations. That was his trump card.
An uproar instantly erupted across the plaza. No one had imagined that Xiao Yan had already reached Dou Ling. The Misty Cloud Sect elders wore varying expressions, clearly just as unprepared for this outcome. Sitting in the seat of honor on the viewing platform, Yun Shan regarded Xiao Yan with newfound gravity. Dou Ling and Da Dou Shi might seem only one rank apart, but the actual gulf between them was as vast as heaven and earth.
"In that case, let's fight as agreed." Nalan Yanran drew a deep breath and unsheathed her longsword. "We stop once the outcome is clear." With his heavy sword in hand, Xiao Yan gathered mysterious yellow flame at its tip. "Please show me your skill." At the referee's command, the match of the Three-Year Agreement officially began.
Nalan Yanran struck first, turning green Dou Qi into wind blades that slashed toward Xiao Yan, fully displaying her strength at the peak of Da Dou Shi. Xiao Yan neither dodged nor retreated. His Dou Ling Dou Qi condensed into a shield, easily blocking the attack. Rather than rush to counterattack, he silently circulated the method of Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations. Although he had no need to use it now, he wanted to ensure he could unleash it at any moment.
The spectators across the plaza exclaimed in astonishment. Xiao Yan's calm composure far exceeded their expectations. The longer Nalan Yanran fought, the more alarmed she became. Every attack she launched was effortlessly neutralized, laying bare the gulf between Dou Ling and Da Dou Shi. When Xiao Yan's heavy sword came to rest against her throat, she finally understood that she was no longer his match.
"I lost." Nalan Yanran put away her longsword, her face pale. Xiao Yan withdrew his heavy sword, Dou Qi flowing steadily within him. His Dou Ling aura left the entire plaza silent. He knew that victory in this match was not merely proof of his strength-it was also the best possible answer to the humiliation he had suffered three years ago.
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