The lingering glow of sunset gilded Wutan City, bathing the buildings on either side of the streets in warm hues.
Xiao Yan carried a heavy storage bag, his black robe stirring in the evening breeze. As its folds fluttered, the hilt of the Black Iron Heavy Sword hanging at his waist occasionally came into view. Traffic streamed along the street outside the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, with vendors' cries and cheerful conversations rising one after another, yet the din could not conceal the murderous intent quietly spreading through the air. He could clearly sense at least five hostile gazes fixed on him, like venomous snakes lurking in the darkness, flicking their tongues as they waited for the perfect moment to strike.
Without slowing, Xiao Yan turned into a secluded alley with apparent nonchalance, though he had already taken in every detail of his surroundings. High courtyard walls flanked the alley, their tops lined with broken glass and spikes. The ground was uneven and strewn with discarded junk. A cold smile curled his lips. These people had been following him since he left the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Their auras were disordered and greedy; clearly, they coveted the treasures he had won at auction.
"Sir, please stop!" An urgent shout came from behind him, accompanied by a jumble of footsteps and the crunch of pebbles underfoot.
Xiao Yan slowly turned, his gaze beneath the black robe as cold as ice, seemingly able to pierce straight into the heart. A group of men in close-fitting martial attire had caught up with him, each wearing a vicious expression. The two at their head had the strongest auras, with obvious Dou Qi fluctuations surrounding them. Both had reached the Da Dou Shi realm. The man on the left was tall and thin, wielding a curved saber whose blade gleamed coldly. He was Jia Lie Bi, a core member of the Jia Lie Family. The man on the right was short and stout, his fists clenched and his knuckles prominent. He was Oba Pa, an elder of the Aoba Family. More than a dozen clan members followed them, all carrying sharp blades and staring greedily at the storage bag in Xiao Yan's hand, like starving wolves sighting a fat piece of meat.
"You just bought quite a few fine things at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Why not take them out and broaden our horizons?" Jia Lie Bi said with a savage grin. His curved saber flashed coldly in the sunset as he deliberately released the pressure of his Da Dou Shi Dou Qi, hoping to intimidate his target.
Oba Pa chimed in sinisterly, "No one in Wutan City dares dig up the earth over our two families' heads. Hand over the storage bag if you know what's good for you, and perhaps we'll spare your life!" Earth-yellow Dou Qi flowed faintly around him, and even the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly.
Xiao Yan's low voice emerged from beneath his black robe, slightly hoarse yet exceptionally clear. "You're from the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family?"
"You know who we are, yet you still won't obey?" A trace of smugness flashed through Jia Lie Bi's eyes. He thought his opponent was frightened. "Kneel and beg for mercy now, and we'll give you a quick death!"
Xiao Yan shook his head slightly and tightened his grip on the Black Iron Heavy Sword behind him, his fingers rubbing over the patterns on its hilt until they were smooth. "You think you're enough?"
"You're courting death!" Jia Lie Bi roared and attacked first. His figure moved like lightning as Dou Qi erupted beneath his feet, leaving two shallow footprints in the ground. He became a blur, his curved saber slashing toward Xiao Yan with fierce Dou Qi. A piercing whistle rang out as the blade sliced through the air, and the wind of its passage sent Xiao Yan's black robe snapping.
Not to be outdone, Oba Pa rapidly formed hand seals while muttering under his breath. Earth-yellow Dou Qi condensed into a massive earthen shield before him. At the same time, several sharp earth spikes rose from the ground like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, sealing off every route of retreat.
The surrounding clan members closed in as well, attacking with swords and sabers. Flashes of Dou Qi wove a dense net of attacks as they tried to hack Xiao Yan to death in the alley.
Xiao Yan snorted coldly and advanced instead of retreating. He abruptly drew the Black Iron Heavy Sword, which released a clear dragon's cry as it left its sheath. A steady torrent of Dou Ling-level Dou Qi poured into the weapon, instantly coating its blade in a faint golden flame-the Mysterious Yellow Flame! The golden fire appeared gentle, yet it radiated a heart-quaking heat that warped the surrounding air.
"Burning Heaven Art, first form-Sparks Set the Plain Ablaze!" Xiao Yan shouted in a low voice infused with Dou Qi, making the surrounding air hum. Gripping the heavy sword with both hands, he swept it fiercely across. Like gasoline touched by a flame, the golden fire instantly exploded into a sky full of sparks that surged toward his enemies. They fell as densely as rain, each spark carrying a pure power of purification.
Jia Lie Bi's curved saber struck the sparks and immediately began to sizzle under their heat. The Dou Qi barrier coating its blade shattered like paper. His face drained of color. He hurriedly circulated his Dou Qi and retreated, but several sparks still splashed onto his arm. Heart-piercing pain shot through him as his sleeve instantly caught fire, exposing charred skin that trailed wisps of bluish smoke.
Oba Pa's earth spikes also caught fire. Before the Mysterious Yellow Flame, the solid spikes were like ice and snow meeting fire, rapidly melting into muddy water. His expression changed drastically, his eyes widening in disbelief. He had never imagined this mysterious black-robed man would be so powerful. The earth-element Dou Qi he took such pride in could not withstand a single blow from his opponent.
"Attack together! There's only one of him!" Jia Lie Bi shouted through the pain. Gritting his teeth and enduring the agony in his arm, he brandished his curved saber and charged again. Dou Qi condensed along the blade, even fiercer than before.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. He flitted through the crowd like a phantom, using the intricate footwork he had developed through his understanding of Dou Techniques. In his hands, the Black Iron Heavy Sword moved so tightly that not even wind could penetrate it, forming a golden wall of fire. Every slash carried golden flames; at best, they burned away an enemy's weapon, and at worst, they reduced the person directly to charcoal.
"Aah!" Screams rose one after another. The clan members were utterly helpless, their Dou Qi barriers no better than empty gestures before the Mysterious Yellow Flame. One man's longsword melted the instant it touched the golden fire, splashing molten iron onto his face and sending him rolling across the ground in agony. Another was struck by a sweep of Xiao Yan's sword and engulfed in golden flames, instantly becoming a human torch whose piercing screams echoed throughout the alley. Before long, more than half the clan members lay in pools of blood.
Jia Lie Bi and Oba Pa exchanged a glance, each seeing fear and the desire to retreat in the other's eyes. They had never imagined their carefully planned ambush would turn into a one-sided slaughter. This black-robed man's strength far exceeded their expectations, and the pressure of his Dou Ling cultivation left them struggling to breathe.
"Retreat!" Jia Lie Bi made the decision at once. He knew that fighting on would only lead to death. He turned to flee, no longer even sparing a thought for his injured arm.
"Trying to leave? Too late!" Xiao Yan had no intention of letting them escape. Dou Qi erupted beneath his feet, and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow, catching up to Jia Lie Bi in an instant. Grasping the heavy sword with both hands, he raised it high and brought it down with tremendous force. The golden flames left a long afterimage in the air, and the strike tore through the air itself.
Desperate, Jia Lie Bi raised his curved saber to block. With a sharp crack, the saber snapped, its broken blade flying away and embedding itself deep in the nearby courtyard wall. The heavy sword fell upon him without resistance, and golden flames swallowed him instantly. He let out a scream so harrowing it scarcely sounded human. His body rapidly shriveled in the fire, and the scream soon cut off, leaving only a pile of charcoal trailing bluish smoke.
Seeing Jia Lie Bi killed frightened Oba Pa almost out of his soul. He drove his Dou Qi with all his strength, his obese body bursting forth with astonishing speed as he sprinted toward the alley entrance, still forming earthen shields to block pursuit as he ran. Xiao Yan gave him no chance. Stopping in his tracks, he pointed a finger, and a concentrated streak of golden flame shot like a long serpent toward the center of Oba Pa's back.
Whoosh! The flame pierced Oba Pa's Dou Qi barrier and earthen shield, plunging into his body. He jerked to a halt and staggered. Looking down at the charred hole that had appeared in his chest, his eyes filled with terror and unwillingness. He slowly collapsed, his body gradually turning to ash in the golden flames until not a single trace remained.
In mere moments, Xiao Yan had killed every one of his pursuers. The alley was a scene of devastation, littered with charred corpses and fragments of weapons. The thick stench of burning flesh and blood hung in the air, enough to turn the stomach. The blood on the ground had been scorched black by the intense heat, standing in stark contrast to its surroundings.
Xiao Yan put away the heavy sword. The Mysterious Yellow Flame quietly died out, instantly burning away the blood on the blade and restoring its original appearance. His gaze swept over the bodies scattered across the ground without the slightest ripple of emotion, as though he had done something utterly insignificant. He stepped forward to search them and found tokens identifying Jia Lie Bi and Oba Pa's family affiliations, each engraved with the crest of the Jia Lie Family or the Ao Ba Family.
"The Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family..." Xiao Yan murmured, placing the tokens in his storage bag. By killing his attackers, he had forged an irreconcilable blood feud with both great families, but he felt no regret. On this Dou Qi Continent, where the weak were meat for the strong, mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself. Strength alone was the foundation of survival.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. City guards had come to investigate the commotion, their torches illuminating the alley entrance as their footsteps drew closer. Unwilling to expose his identity, Xiao Yan swiftly circulated his Dou Qi. With a few leaps, he vanished soundlessly across the rooftops deep within the alley like a night owl, leaving only a few scraps of black fabric fluttering down.
When the city guards arrived and saw the bodies strewn across the ground, along with the tokens of the Jia Lie and Aoba families, they froze, their faces filled with fear and shock. The captain swallowed, forced down his unease, and hurriedly sent someone to report to the city lord. The news soon spread throughout Wutan City, stirring towering waves of uproar. Everyone was talking, speculating about the mysterious black-robed man's identity.
When the Jia Lie Family and the Aoba Family learned that their core fighters, Jia Lie Bi and Oba Pa, had been slain, they immediately descended into chaos. Jia Lie Bi had been an outstanding figure among the Jia Lie Family's younger generation, while Oba Pa had been one of the Aoba Family's pillars. Their deaths dealt both families a devastating blow. Panic spread through their ranks, and rival factions began undermining one another, fighting over the remaining power and resources. Long-standing conflicts erupted in full, and the families soon fell into decline. Their once-glorious estates became so deserted that sparrows could have been caught at their gates.
Meanwhile, with Xiao Yan's rise and the collapse of the Jia Lie and Aoba families, the Xiao Clan became Wutan City's sole great clan in one leap. Xiao Zhan stood before the Xiao Clan's gates, watching the reverent gazes of the passersby, his heart filled with countless emotions. The Xiao Clan had once suffered endless oppression, but now it ruled Wutan City. None of this would have been possible without his son, Xiao Yan. He knew the Xiao Clan's glory had only just begun.
As the night deepened, Xiao Yan returned to his private chamber. It was brightly lit, with a faint medicinal fragrance lingering in the air. He took out the Dou Techniques and medicinal ingredients he had obtained at auction, arranging them neatly on the stone table. The incomplete Burning Heaven Art scroll emanated an ancient aura, the Black Iron Heavy Sword lay quietly beside it, and a dazzling assortment of rare medicinal ingredients filled the table. Xiao Yan sat cross-legged and began studying and cultivating. As he circulated his Dou Qi, feeling the increasingly pure power within his body and the warmth of the Mysterious Yellow Flame, a resolute smile appeared on his lips.
He knew that killing his pursuers was only the beginning. Many more challenges awaited him: the Soul Hall's missions, the threat of the Otherworldly Demons, and even stronger enemies lay ahead. But he was ready. With the Mysterious Yellow Flame and numerous treasures in hand, supported by an unyielding will and steadfast conviction, he was confident he could face every hardship, travel farther along the path of the strong, and explore the deeper mysteries of the Dou Qi Continent.
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