The morning mist over the Jia Nan Mountains carried the heavy reek of battle. On White Jade Square at the former site of the Misty Cloud Sect, morning light spilled through the ruined dome, illuminating the wreckage strewn across the ground. Broken weapons, shattered armor, congealed blood, and lingering ripples of Dou Qi mingled together, silently recounting the brutality of yesterday's battle. Xiao Yan walked slowly over the rubble, damp stains still clinging to the hem of his blue robes. Although his aura as a Six-Star Dou Wang had steadied, it could not conceal the exhaustion between his brows.
"Young friend Xiao Yan, this way, please." President Fa Ma emerged from the ruins, leaning on his staff. The old man's white robes were covered in dust, and days of toil had deepened the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. "The Misty Cloud Sect's central area has been cleared, and the poisonous qi left by the Otherworldly Demons has mostly been purged. It's just..." He gazed at the collapsed Seclusion Hall, his voice sinking. "That old fox Yun Shan spent centuries building this place. Many important texts were destroyed when he blew himself up."
Xiao Yan nodded in understanding, his gaze sweeping over the busy figures in the square. Disciples of the Spirit Gatherer Association were using specially made Purification Talismans to clean away the bloodstains. Pale golden smoke from the burning talisman paper collided with the residual Dou Qi in the air, giving off soft hisses. Several Xiao Clan members carefully gathered scattered weapon fragments. These metals, tainted by Otherworldly Demon poisonous qi, required special treatment before they could be reused, or they would pose a hidden danger.
"Uncle Bo, how are our clansmen?" Xiao Yan approached Xiao Bo, who was directing the cleanup. Bandages wrapped the old man's arm, covering a wound sustained while defending against an Otherworldly Demon's tentacles. Xiao Bo lowered the list in his hand and smiled with relief. "Thanks to the association's healing pills, all the severely wounded are out of danger. It's just... fewer than thirty percent of the weapons we've recovered are usable. Rebuilding will require a great deal of resources."
Xiao Yan took a jade box from his Storage Ring and handed it over. "There are twenty Clear Spirit Pills and ten Intermediate Purification Talismans inside. Use these for now." He paused, then looked toward the Misty Cloud Sect's Main Peak. "I investigated earlier. The treasure vault on the Main Peak should still be intact. It holds the foundation of the Misty Cloud Sect's thousand years of accumulation. Perhaps we can find something useful there."
Xiao Bo's eyes lit up. "The treasure vault? They say the Misty Cloud Sect's vault holds the cultivation insights of its past sect masters, along with heavenly treasures!" President Fa Ma added, "I sent people to try, but a Special Formation guards the entrance. Opening it requires a core token of the Misty Cloud Sect. However, the shock wave from Yun Shan's self-detonation may have damaged the formation nodes. Perhaps..."
"I'll give it a try." Xiao Yan turned toward the Main Peak, Azure Luan Wings silently unfurling behind him. The currents stirred by his gold-and-blue wings scattered the smoke and dust along the way, exposing the mountain path ravaged by battle. The closer he came to the Main Peak, the more distinct the lingering Dou Qi fluctuations became. Among them were Yun Shan's purplish-black Dou Qi and the sacred aura left behind when the Soul Hall envoy burned his soul. These two utterly different powers had formed a strange balance here.
The treasure vault's entrance was hidden behind a waterfall. The formation's light screen, which should have been invisible, now flickered erratically. Pale blue runes brightened and dimmed, making it clear that, just as Fa Ma had said, the formation nodes had been damaged. Xiao Yan reached out to touch the screen. The moment his Six-Star Dou Wang Dou Qi made contact, it shuddered violently, its runes darting in all directions like startled fish.
"There really is a flaw." A keen glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as mysterious yellow flame gathered into an inch-long flame at his fingertip. The instant the golden fire touched the screen, the disordered runes suddenly grew lively and actually began gathering around it of their own accord. "This is... the Misty Cloud Sect's formation core actually shares its origin with wood-attributed Dou Qi?" An idea stirred in him, and green lotus core flame silently joined in. The gold-and-blue flames intertwined into a spiral.
Like a key, the flame spiral slowly turned into the light screen. The formation, which had resisted outside power, now resonated with it. Pale blue runes flowed along the flames' path, tracing an ancient pattern on the stone wall. As the final rune settled into place, the waterfall suddenly parted to either side, revealing a shadowy stone doorway. Portraits of the Misty Cloud Sect's past sect masters were carved into the door, their expressions solemn.
The stone door slowly opened, and a rich medicinal fragrance mingled with the scent of metal rushed out to meet him. Tightening his grip on his heavy sword, Xiao Yan cautiously entered the vault. The interior opened into a spacious chamber fashioned from a natural limestone cavern. Luminous pearls embedded in its walls lit the entire vault as brightly as day. Dozens of shelves lined the walls, displaying a dazzling assortment of objects, but nearly half had collapsed, evidently struck by the shock wave from Yun Shan's self-detonation.
"What a shame." Xiao Yan looked at the Jade Slips and medicinal herbs scattered across the floor. Many precious texts had shattered, while aged spiritual herbs had withered after losing the nourishment of spiritual energy. Even so, what remained was still enough to leave anyone speechless-gold coins and magic cores lay piled like small mountains in a corner, several precious weapons gleaming with Dou Qi rested on the shelves, and a few spiritual herbs glowing softly green stood on a jade platform at the far end.
"Thousand-year-old green spirit grass!" Xiao Yan recognized one of the herbs. Its leaves were a pure blue-green, and faint spiritual energy curled around its roots. It was one of the main ingredients for refining advancement pills. Beside it lay a piece of dark iron the size of a human head, its surface covered in natural Dou Qi patterns-an exceptional material for forging divine weapons. He carefully placed these heavenly treasures into his Storage Ring, his movements as gentle as though he were handling priceless rarities.
Venturing deeper into the vault, Xiao Yan discovered a black box beneath a collapsed shelf. Made from special ironwood, it bore fireproofing and moisture-repelling runes. Inside, thirty Jade Slips were neatly arranged. He picked one up and poured Dou Qi into it. The slip immediately lit up, revealing its contents-the cultivation insights of the Misty Cloud Sect's successive sect masters, with detailed records of breakthroughs from Dou Wang to Dou Emperor.
What an unexpected windfall. Wild delight filled Xiao Yan's heart. To him, these insights were more precious than any heavenly treasure. He quickly browsed the Jade Slips, and one account of breaking through a Dou Wang bottleneck caught his eye. "Advancement as a Dou Wang hinges on the circulation of internal energy and the refinement of Dou Qi. Special spiritual materials must guide the process, supported by insights gained in actual combat. Only then will success follow as naturally as water flowing into its channel..." This passage matched his current condition perfectly.
In the deepest part of the vault, Xiao Yan found a concealed compartment. It held no gold, silver, or jewels, only an ancient-looking cauldron and a yellowed beast-hide scroll. The cauldron had three legs and two handles, its surface covered in flame runes. It was none other than a Heavenly Flames Cauldron used to refine high-tier pills! The beast-hide scroll recorded a body-refining cultivation method called the Qi-Gathering Body-Refining Art. A line of small writing beside it read, "Must be practiced with upper-grade profound-rank spirit liquid. Can stabilize the foundation of Dou Qi."
"Upper-grade profound-rank spirit liquid?" Xiao Yan swept his gaze over the compartment and, sure enough, spotted a crystal bottle in the corner. It contained a pale golden liquid, and the bottle was labeled "Concentration Spirit Liquid." He pulled out the stopper, and a crisp fragrance instantly spread through the air. One breath left him refreshed, dispelling much of the exhaustion brought on by days of fighting.
After storing everything remaining in the vault in his ring, Xiao Yan began reviewing his haul: three stalks of thousand-year-old green spirit grass, one bottle of Concentration Spirit Liquid, one Heavenly Flames Cauldron, thirty accounts of cultivation from Dou Wang to Dou Emperor, twelve precious weapons of various kinds, more than two hundred magic cores, a hundred thousand gold coins... Such a haul would make any faction green with envy. No wonder the Misty Cloud Sect had stood unshaken in the Jia Ma Empire for a thousand years.
By the time he returned to the square, the setting sun was painting the sky gold and red. Xiao Bo and President Fa Ma immediately came to meet him. Seeing the fluctuations of spiritual energy spilling from Xiao Yan's Storage Ring, both looked pleasantly surprised. "How did it go?" Fa Ma asked eagerly. Xiao Yan described the vault's treasures one by one. When he mentioned the cultivation insights, the old man grew so excited that his beard trembled. "Wonderful! Think how many people these insights will spare from taking needless detours!"
"I intend to enter seclusion here tonight." Xiao Yan pointed to a relatively intact stone chamber beside the square. "The Concentration Spirit Liquid and cultivation insights from the vault are just what I need to consolidate my realm. Perhaps... I can even use them to break through my bottleneck." Fa Ma immediately said, "I'll have my disciples stand guard around the perimeter. No one will be allowed to disturb you!" Xiao Bo added, "I've already had our clansmen prepare protective formation disks. We'll make certain nothing goes wrong."
By nightfall, three layers of defensive formation disks had been set around the stone chamber. Xiao Yan sat cross-legged before the Heavenly Flames Cauldron, poured the Concentration Spirit Liquid into it, and took out the three stalks of green spirit grass. As he infused his Six-Star Dou Wang Dou Qi into the cauldron, it hummed. Mysterious yellow flame ignited beneath it, the golden fire licking its body as though alive, slowly extracting the essence of the spirit liquid and herbs.
"Qi-Gathering Body-Refining Art, activate!" Xiao Yan formed seals with both hands and circulated his Dou Qi according to the beast-hide scroll. The golden medicinal liquid refined within the cauldron became a thin stream, flowing into his body through his fingertips. Warmth spread through his meridians wherever it passed, and the hidden injuries left by his battle with Yun Shan gradually healed under its nourishment.
At the same time, he took out the Jade Slips recording insights into Dou Wang breakthroughs and immersed his mind in them. The cultivation insights of successive Misty Cloud Sect Masters surged into his mind like a tide. "To advance from a Three-Star Dou Wang to four stars, spiritual herbs must be used to temper the purity of Dou Qi..." "The Six-Star Dou Wang bottleneck lies in the speed of Dou Qi circulation. External forces can be used to stimulate the expansion of the meridians..." "The pressure of life and death in actual combat is the finest catalyst for breaking through a bottleneck..."
These insights confirmed the lessons of Xiao Yan's recent battles, deepening his understanding of the Dou Wang realm. His battle against Mu Chen, a Dou Emperor, the life-and-death struggle in the Misty Cloud Sect's square, the circulation of Dou Qi while purifying Otherworldly Demon poisonous qi... Scene after scene replayed in his mind. Every circulation of Dou Qi, every use of heavenly flames became extraordinarily clear.
So that was it. Understanding dawned on Xiao Yan. He had always felt that his Six-Star Dou Wang realm was insufficiently stable because he lacked systematic theoretical guidance and enough spiritual materials to support it. Now, with the Misty Cloud Sect's cultivation insights, the Concentration Spirit Liquid, and the experience accumulated in actual combat, all the conditions for breaking through his bottleneck had fallen into place.
He drew all the remaining medicinal liquid from the cauldron into his body and circulated both heavenly flames, accelerating the flow of Dou Qi along the route prescribed by the Qi-Gathering Body-Refining Art. Golden and blue flames intertwined into spirals within his meridians, repeatedly scouring the barrier of the Dou Wang realm. The pure energy supplied by the Concentration Spirit Liquid acted like a lubricant, allowing his Dou Qi to flow more smoothly. Waves of tingling arose at the once-sluggish bottleneck.
"Now!" A sharp light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. He summoned the conception of life and death he had grasped in battle and fused it into his Dou Qi. His Six-Star Dou Wang aura suddenly surged, forming an enormous vortex inside him that ravenously absorbed the spiritual energy remaining in the cauldron. At the vortex's center, his Dou Qi gradually changed from pale gold to deep gold, its purity increasing severalfold.
Crack! A faint sound like breaking glass echoed inside him, and the barrier of the Six-Star Dou Wang realm shattered! His Dou Qi surged like floodwaters bursting through a dam. After completing a full circuit through his meridians, it gradually settled. Xiao Yan could clearly sense that the total amount of Dou Qi in his body had nearly doubled, while its circulation speed had increased by thirty percent. His Six-Star Dou Wang realm was completely stabilized, and he could already feel it beginning to push toward Seven-Star Dou Wang.
But he did not stop. Riding the momentum of his breakthrough, he continued circulating his Dou Qi to assault the next bottleneck. The breakthrough techniques recorded in the Misty Cloud Sect's Jade Slips now proved their worth. He guided his Dou Qi along a special route, avoiding fragile junctions in his meridians and concentrating his power against the barrier to Seven-Star Dou Wang. The residual energy of the Concentration Spirit Liquid erupted at that moment, injecting fresh momentum into his Dou Qi.
Humm- The Dou Qi vortex accelerated once more, and a faint sheen appeared within the deep golden energy. Fine beads of sweat emerged over Xiao Yan's body. Under the heat of the heavenly flames, they turned into white mist, carrying impurities out of him. As the last junction opened, his Seven-Star Dou Wang aura stabilized. Immediately afterward, it began charging toward Eight-Star Dou Wang!
This breakthrough went even more smoothly. With the experience of the previous two breakthroughs and an abundant supply of spiritual energy, his Dou Qi grew like a rolling snowball. Xiao Yan pushed both heavenly flames to their limits. The golden and blue fires not only tempered his Dou Qi but also forged his flesh, allowing his body to withstand greater power. When the first ray of dawn slipped through a crack in the stone, his aura finally settled at Eight-Star Dou Wang-a full two stars above his previous level!
"I finally succeeded." Xiao Yan slowly ended his cultivation and exhaled a breath of turbid air, threaded with faint black wisps-the last impurities in his body. He stretched, his bones giving off soft crackles. Vast power filled his every movement. The sluggishness he had felt as a Six-Star Dou Wang had vanished completely, replaced by a fluid ease like drifting clouds and flowing water. His control over his two heavenly flames had also become more effortless.
When he pushed open the stone chamber's door, the sight outside made him pause. Xiao Bo and President Fa Ma had actually fallen asleep while guarding the entrance. Dew covered them both; they had evidently kept vigil through the night. The square had been cleared, and disciples of the Spirit Gatherer Association were erecting temporary tents while Xiao Clan members repaired the damaged defensive formation disks. Everything proceeded in orderly fashion.
"Young friend, you're awake!" Fa Ma was the first to notice the movement. He opened his eyes, sensed the Eight-Star Dou Wang aura emanating from Xiao Yan, and sprang to his feet in delighted surprise. "You broke through?!" Xiao Bo hurriedly awoke as well. Seeing Xiao Yan looking so refreshed, tears streamed down his aged face. "Wonderful! Heaven truly watches over our Xiao Clan!"
Xiao Yan helped the two old men up, his eyes filled with gratitude. "It was thanks to the treasures from the Misty Cloud Sect's vault and the two of you standing guard that I could break through so smoothly." He looked toward the rising sun, his Eight-Star Dou Wang aura gleaming in its light. "With this strength, I'll have a better chance of finding my father and rebuilding the Xiao Clan."
A gathering horn sounded in the distance. The Spirit Gatherer Association's disciples began forming ranks, preparing to return to the imperial capital. President Fa Ma patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. "I've cataloged the treasures from the vault. Apart from the portion set aside for you, the rest will go toward rebuilding the empire and supplying the Resistance Army. As for the Misty Cloud Sect's former site... what do you intend to do with it?"
Xiao Yan gazed at the Main Peak wreathed in clouds and mist, then said thoughtfully, "This place is steeped in too much blood and Otherworldly Demon aura. It's no longer suitable as a sect headquarters. Why not... convert it into the Otherworldly Demon Defense Fortress, jointly garrisoned by the Spirit Gatherer Association and the Xiao Clan, as an outpost against future threats?" Fa Ma and Xiao Bo immediately approved the proposal.
The morning sun rose fully, its golden light bathing the Misty Cloud Sect's former site, illuminating both the shattered walls and the hope in everyone's eyes. Standing in the center of the square, Xiao Yan felt the Eight-Star Dou Wang Dou Qi surging inside him, his heart filled with unprecedented resolve. The Misty Cloud Sect's thousand years of treasures had not merely increased his strength. They had also taught him the meaning of inheritance-true wealth lay not in gold, silver, or jewels, but in the experience left by those who came before and the responsibility of protecting one's home.
With the cleanup complete, the group began withdrawing in orderly fashion. Xiao Yan was the last to leave the Misty Cloud Sect's former site. Before departing, he glanced back at the treasure vault hidden behind the waterfall. What he had gained there would become an important cornerstone of the road ahead. His Azure Luan Wings unfurled, carrying him toward the imperial capital. The Eight-Star Dou Wang's figure cast a long shadow in the sunlight, heralding the beginning of a new journey. Amid the embers of war, Xiao Yan's legend continued to write a new chapter.
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