Inside a cultivation chamber at the Spirit Gatherer Association in Jia Ma City, pale golden Dou Qi flowed through the air as Xiao Yan sat cross-legged, refining a Heavenly Flames Crystal Core. Mysterious yellow flame and green lotus core flame intertwined into a spiral in his palms, slowly drawing the core's energy into his body. His Six-Star Dou Wang aura was steady and deep, like a tranquil lake. In a few more days, he would fully stabilize his Peak Dou Wang cultivation, leaving him only one step from Dou Emperor.
Bang! The chamber door burst open, and Xiao Bo staggered inside, his graying beard covered in dust and his clothes splattered with blood. "Young friend! Something terrible has happened! The Xiao Clan... the Xiao Clan is in trouble!" His voice was hoarse, and he tightly clutched a shattered Communication Jade Talisman. Its light had dimmed, clearly damaged after being forcibly activated.
Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open. Both heavenly flames instantly went out, and his Dou Qi surged violently. "Uncle Bo! What happened? How are my father and the others?" He grabbed Xiao Bo's arm and questioned him urgently, his knuckles whitening from the pressure. Tears streamed down Xiao Bo's aged face as he choked out the horrors that had unfolded in Wutan City. "The Misty Cloud Sect... they sent two hundred men to besiege the Xiao Residence. The Defensive Array Disk was broken, and our clansmen suffered terrible casualties... the clan head... a mysterious man in black robes took him away!"
"What?!" Xiao Yan felt as though lightning had struck him, his mind buzzing. His father's gentle smile, the youths cheering on the training grounds, his mother's final words... countless images flooded his heart, overlapping with the blood-red sunset Xiao Bo had described. Savage fury erupted from deep within him. His Six-Star Dou Wang Dou Qi burst out uncontrollably, instantly covering the chamber's stone walls with cracks. Tables and chairs flew into the walls under the shock wave and shattered.
"The Misty Cloud Sect... Yun Shan... Yun Leng!" Xiao Yan spoke each name one syllable at a time, every word squeezed through clenched teeth. His eyes were bloodshot, and mysterious yellow flame danced wildly in his palm, its golden flames almost setting the air alight. "I'll kill you all!"
President Fa Ma and Elder Lin Xiu rushed over at the noise. Their expressions changed sharply when they saw the ruined chamber and Xiao Yan's state. "Calm down, young friend!" Fa Ma hurriedly circulated his soul power to soothe him. "Rushing into things won't solve anything. The Xiao Clan still needs you to rescue them!" Elder Lin Xiu added, "Xiao Bo said that man in black robes was at least a Dou Emperor. For the Misty Cloud Sect to act so brazenly, there must be a conspiracy behind this!"
Xiao Yan drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his churning rage. His two heavenly flames gradually subsided, but the chill around him only intensified. He helped Xiao Bo sit down, his voice cold as iron. "Uncle Bo, stay here and recover. Tell me, what did the man who took Father look like?" Xiao Bo recalled, "Black robes covered him, so I couldn't see his face. His fingers had prominent joints, and there was a cold, sinister aura around him. When he took the clan head away, he turned into a streak of light and headed toward the Jia Nan Mountains..."
"The Jia Nan Mountains... the Misty Cloud Sect!" A cold gleam flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. Azure Luan Wings instantly spread behind him, their gold-and-green feathers whipping up a gale. "I'm going to the Misty Cloud Sect right now!" Fa Ma hurriedly tried to stop him. "You mustn't, young friend! If they dared to attack, they must have prepared well in advance. Going alone is too dangerous!" He took out a Spirit Gathering Badge. "With this badge, you can mobilize the association's Dou Huang experts for support..."
"No need!" Xiao Yan interrupted, his voice resolute. "This is between my Xiao Clan and the Misty Cloud Sect. I'll win justice with my own hands!" He snatched up the Heavy Sword, beat his Azure Luan Wings, and burst through the roof, vanishing into the sky. Watching him leave, Fa Ma turned anxiously to Lin Xiu. "Quickly, mobilize every force we can muster and send them secretly to support him in the Jia Nan Mountains. We must ensure Xiao Yan's safety!"
The sunset dyed the clouds and mist over the Jia Nan Mountains blood-red. In the Misty Cloud Sect's White Jade Square, Yun Leng was addressing the disciples with a vicious smile. "...The remnants of the Xiao Clan are no longer a threat. Xiao Zhan was taken away by 'that lord.' Even if Xiao Yan returns, he won't be able to turn the heavens upside down!" His words had barely faded when a savage mass of golden Dou Qi crashed into the center of the square like a meteor, throwing dust into the sky.
"Yun Leng, you old dog! Get out here!" Xiao Yan's furious roar echoed through the valley like thunder. As the dust cleared, he stood with his blue robes whipping in the wind and the Heavy Sword planted against the ground. Mysterious yellow flame burned around him, and his Six-Star Dou Wang aura seethed like boiling magma, forcing the disciples to retreat with pale faces.
"Xiao Yan?!" Yun Leng was both startled and delighted, then sneered. "You actually dared to come back? Good, that saves me the trouble of finding you! Seize him!" Dozens of disciples immediately surrounded him, their green Dou Qi shining like a rising tide. Killing intent surged in Xiao Yan's eyes as he swept the Heavy Sword sideways. "Burning Heaven Art Third Form, Flame Tide Rend!" Gold-and-green waves of fire roared outward. The disciples screamed as the flames engulfed them, their Dou Qi barriers tearing like paper before they were instantly burned to charcoal.
"Stop!" Nalan Yanran rushed down from the Viewing Platform, blood from the Xiao Residence still staining her white clothes. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the carnage. "Xiao Yan, listen to me. This wasn't what I wanted..." Xiao Yan gave her a cold glance, his gaze utterly devoid of warmth. "Move! Or I'll strike you down too!" Nalan Yanran staggered back as though struck by lightning, her heart twisting as if beneath a blade.
Yun Leng roared, "How dare you, Xiao Yan! Do you think the Misty Cloud Sect has no one to defend it?" His Dou Wang Dou Qi erupted, and a sweep of his dark green sleeve sent several wind blades straight toward Xiao Yan's vital points. Xiao Yan neither dodged nor retreated. The Dou Qi inside him suddenly soared-the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations First Form, Body Burning, silently activated!
A humming vibration rang out as golden and green flames exploded inside him. His Six-Star Dou Wang aura shot upward like a rocket-Peak Dou Wang, One-Star Dou Emperor... before finally stabilizing at Two-Star Dou Emperor! His savage Dou Qi formed a golden pillar of light that pierced the clouds. The square's paving stones shattered inch by inch, and the overwhelming pressure forced the Misty Cloud Sect disciples flat against the ground, leaving them without even the strength to lift their heads.
"A... Two-Star Dou Emperor?!" Yun Leng turned deathly pale and staggered backward, disbelief filling his eyes. "Impossible! How could you reach Dou Emperor in so little time?" The elders on the Viewing Platform also rose in shock. Dou Huang experts could be counted on one hand throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire. One so young could overturn the balance of power across the empire!
Xiao Yan wasted no words. In a flash, he appeared before Yun Leng, the Heavy Sword aimed straight at his throat. "Where is my father? Speak!" Dou Emperor pressure bore down like a mountain. Yun Leng felt his bones creaking, and cold sweat soaked his brocade robes. "I don't know... it... it was the former sect master's order!"
"Yun Shan?" Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward the Seclusion Hall behind the Viewing Platform. Shrouded in clouds and mist year-round, it was where Yun Shan cultivated. "Tell him to come out!" Trembling, Yun Leng shouted, "Former Sect Master! Xiao Yan has attacked our gates!" His voice had barely fallen when the Seclusion Hall's stone doors exploded with a thunderous crash, and an aura far mightier than Xiao Yan's swept over the square.
A gray-robed figure slowly emerged from the mist-the Misty Cloud Sect's former sect master, Yun Shan. His hair and beard were white, yet his face was rosy as an infant's. His Dou Qi was no longer green, but marked with strange purple-black patterns. With every step, faint black mist rose from the ground, filling the air with a sinister chill.
"Xiao Yan?" Yun Shan's voice was hoarse and uncanny. His gaze settled on Xiao Yan with undisguised greed. "An excellent prospect indeed. No wonder you can command heavenly flames... unfortunately, you should never have made an enemy of the Misty Cloud Sect." Xiao Yan shouted furiously, "Yun Shan, you old dog! Where is my father? Hand him over, or I'll raze your Misty Cloud Sect today!"
Yun Shan chuckled, and purple-black Dou Qi erupted, several times stronger than Xiao Yan's Dou Emperor aura. "Raze the Misty Cloud Sect? A mere Two-Star Dou Emperor like you?" The purple-black patterns around him lit up, and his aura soared again, breaking through the limits of Dou Emperor to reach the legendary One-Star Dou Zong realm! "Can you feel it? This is the power of a Dou Zong, the power the Otherworldly Demon Lord bestowed upon me!"
"Otherworldly Demon?!" Xiao Yan's heart shook. He finally understood why Yun Shan's breakthrough was so bizarre-he had colluded with an Otherworldly Demon! The surrounding Misty Cloud Sect disciples cried out in alarm as well. They had never seen their former sect master unleash such a terrifying aura. The sinister chill within that purple-black Dou Qi made their hearts shudder.
"Xiao Zhan is in my hands." Yun Shan held out his palm, and purple-black Dou Qi condensed into an illusory image of Xiao Zhan, who had been taken by the black-robed man. "If you want him alive, surrender your heavenly flames and cripple your own Dou Qi. Perhaps then I'll spare the remnants of the Xiao Clan." Xiao Yan's eyes nearly split with fury. "Dream on!" Gold-and-green flames surged over his Heavy Sword. "Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record Sixth Form, Twin Flames Shatter Illusion!"
The flames formed a giant fist and blasted toward Yun Shan with purification power. Yun Shan made no attempt to dodge. A casual sweep of his purple-black Dou Qi forcibly scattered the flaming fist. "The gulf between Dou Emperor and Dou Zong is a heavenly chasm. Your paltry strength is nowhere near enough!" He pointed a finger, sending a streak of purple-black Dou Qi shooting out like lightning. It instantly pierced Xiao Yan's left shoulder.
Xiao Yan spat out a mouthful of blood. His left shoulder was a mangled mess, and purple-black Dou Qi writhed through the wound, steadily corroding his meridians. What bizarre Dou Qi! Alarmed, he hurriedly circulated mysterious yellow flame to purify it. The golden flames collided with the purple-black Dou Qi, producing a sizzling hiss.
"Xiao Yan!" Nalan Yanran cried out and tried to rush forward, but Yun Leng firmly blocked her. "Young Sect Master, don't let him deceive you! He's the sect's mortal enemy!" Yun Shan sneered. "Since you refuse to obey, I'll cripple you first!" His figure flashed. Moving with the ghostlike speed of a Dou Zong, he instantly appeared before Xiao Yan, condensed purple-black Dou Qi into a palm, and struck toward his heart.
Xiao Yan raised his sword across his body to block. The Heavy Sword collided with the palm strike, producing a piercing metallic clang. A tremendous force crashed into him, sending agony through his arms and nearly tearing the Heavy Sword from his grip. He was hurled backward into the stone monument at the center of the square, shattering it on impact. Coughing up blood, Xiao Yan looked up at Yun Shan, unyielding flames burning in his eyes.
"Give up. You can't defeat me." Yun Shan approached slowly, purple-black Dou Qi swirling in his palm. "The Otherworldly Demon Lord said your heavenly flames are very useful to him. Hand them over, and I can give you a quick death." Xiao Yan struggled to his feet, his two heavenly flames circulating wildly inside him. Despite his disadvantage, his gaze remained sharp as a blade. "You think you can take my heavenly flames?"
Just as Yun Shan prepared to deliver the killing blow, a black-robed figure appeared like a ghost at the edge of the square, sinister soul qi radiating around him. "Yun Shan, bullying a junior is hardly fitting for a Dou Zong." The black-robed man spoke hoarsely while toying with a Black Soul Pearl. He was a Soul Hall Steward.
"Someone from the Soul Hall?" Yun Shan frowned slightly, reining in his purple-black Dou Qi a little. "This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!" The Soul Hall Steward chuckled. "The Soul Hall is interested in Xiao Yan's heavenly flames too. Why don't we make a deal?" He looked at Xiao Yan. "I'll hold him off for you. Afterward, you must tell me the Otherworldly Demon's whereabouts."
Xiao Yan froze briefly, then realized that the Soul Hall also had a feud with the Otherworldly Demon. "Deal!" he said coldly. The Soul Hall Steward's soul qi surged. He, too, possessed Peak Dou Emperor strength! "Yun Shan, take my Ten Thousand Souls Devour!" Countless soul phantoms flew from his black robes and pounced on Yun Shan, shrieking with piercing anguish.
Yun Shan's expression darkened. "You're courting death!" His purple-black Dou Qi erupted and collided with the soul phantoms. Just then, the purple-black patterns around his body suddenly lit up, and an even mightier power poured out from within—the otherworldly demon power lurking inside him had activated! "The Otherworldly Demon Lord's power... it can actually grow stronger during battle!" Both shocked and delighted, Yun Shan unleashed an even more savage Dou Zong aura, forcibly driving back the Soul Hall Steward's soul phantoms.
The Soul Hall Steward's expression shifted slightly. "You've actually fused so deeply with an Otherworldly Demon?!" He turned to Xiao Yan. "With that demon empowering this old bastard, I can only hold him off for a short while. Think of something, quickly!" Xiao Yan clenched his teeth. The power of the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations inside him was nearly exhausted. Its half-hour limit was almost up, and his Two-Star Dou Emperor aura began to decline.
Yun Shan looked at Xiao Yan with a savage grin. "Without your secret art to support you, let's see how you keep jumping around!" His purple-black Dou Qi formed a giant claw. Ignoring the Soul Hall Steward's attempts to stop him, he struck straight at Xiao Yan's head. Resolve flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as he poured his remaining Dou Qi into the Heavy Sword, intertwining his two heavenly flames into a spiral. "Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"
Boom! The giant claw collided with the flaming spiral. A savage shock wave tore up the entire square, forcing the Soul Hall Steward back several steps. Nalan Yanran screamed as the blast swept her away. Struck by the giant claw, Xiao Yan flew backward like a kite with its string cut and slammed into the ground. Blood covered his body, and his consciousness gradually blurred.
Hovering on the brink of death, he seemed to see his father's smile and hear the cheers from the training grounds. "Father... I've failed you..." Xiao Yan murmured, the light of his two heavenly flames growing dimmer and dimmer. Yun Shan slowly approached him and raised the giant purple-black claw again. "It's over, Xiao Yan!"
At that critical instant, a streak of golden light shot down from the sky and landed precisely on Xiao Yan. It was President Fa Ma's soul power! "Yun Shan! Stop!" Fa Ma arrived with the association's Dou Huang experts. "By colluding with an Otherworldly Demon, you've made yourself an enemy of the empire. Today, I'll mete out justice on Heaven's behalf!" Yun Shan looked at the arriving reinforcements, then at the barely breathing Xiao Yan. A trace of resentment flashed in his eyes. "You're lucky!" He gave Xiao Yan a long look, then swept up his purple-black Dou Qi and vanished into the mist surrounding the Seclusion Hall.
The Soul Hall Steward also seized the chance to retreat, leaving only a few words behind. "Don't forget our agreement." Silence finally settled over the square. Only shattered paving stones, burning flames, and the gravely wounded Xiao Yan remained. Nalan Yanran rushed to his side, her tears falling onto his wounds. "Xiao Yan, hold on... I'll save you..."
Xiao Yan opened his eyes with difficulty. Looking at her pale face, he managed a bitter smile before losing consciousness completely. President Fa Ma hurried forward to examine him and breathed a sigh of relief. "He's still breathing. Get him back to the association for treatment!" Elder Lin Xiu picked Xiao Yan up, and the group hurried away.
The sun sank completely behind the western mountains, and darkness enveloped the Jia Nan Mountains. Within the mist surrounding the Seclusion Hall, Yun Shan stared at the purple-black Dou Qi in his palm, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes. "Xiao Yan, the next time we meet will be the day you die!" Within the black mist around him, a distorted Otherworldly Demon's face faintly emerged, grinning savagely without a sound. The unconscious Xiao Yan had no idea that this battle was only the beginning. His entanglement with the Misty Cloud Sect, the Otherworldly Demon, and the Soul Hall had only just entered its most dangerous phase.
Before you continue