The Misty Cloud Sect Was About to Prosper

"Dou Zun?"

Yun Shan uttered the words in a trembling voice. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the Misty Cloud Sect would truly flourish under his leadership one day!

Even if it meant submitting to someone else.

But so what? A Dou Zun!

A level that countless cultivators might never come close to reaching despite a lifetime of toil, whose occupants appeared as rarely as divine dragons on the Dou Qi Continent!

The most lenient condition alone, becoming an outer faction, was nothing. Yun Shan felt that if it could truly be confirmed that submitting would bring such rewards,

the factions coming to pledge allegiance would probably form a line stretching from the Jia Ma Empire all the way to the Central Plains.

"Senior, I, Yun Shan, thank you for your kindness. From this day forth, I will do everything in my power and brave boiling water and fire for the Xiao Clan!"

He really was overcome with excitement.

After receiving the Dou Qi Seed, Yun Shan had chosen not to suppress how effectively it aided his cultivation, accepting its blessings in full.

Yun Shan knew what he was capable of. Becoming a Dou Zun was enough for him,

and judging by the energy within the Dou Qi Seed, it could probably support his cultivation to at least three-star or four-star Dou Zun.

Even among Dou Zun, he would not be considered weak.

He was completely satisfied!

"The Xiao Clan is still very weak at present. Just keep an eye on it. Your main task is to monitor everything happening throughout the Jia Ma Empire."

"And conceal the existence of my Xiao Clan!"

"Once you become a Dou Zun, you'll have a little more strength to protect yourself. Taking over the Jia Ma Empire will be more than manageable."

Xiao Xuan spoke slowly, but he felt this was not enough. After all, if the Misty Cloud Sect could cover the sky with one hand and faced no checks on its power, it would probably grow arrogant very quickly.

"Call the person in charge of the Jia Ma Imperial Family here! They can enter the service of my Xiao Clan as well."

Xiao Xuan made the proposal casually, not thinking it would be difficult to accept.

"Senior, this..."

A troubled look appeared on Yun Shan's face. This opportunity had originally belonged to the Misty Cloud Sect alone, and he could not stomach letting the Jia Ma Imperial Family learn of it!

But after hesitating for only a moment, Yun Shan settled into his role as a subordinate.

"Yes! I will make the Jia Ma Imperial Family pledge allegiance to the Misty Cloud Sect!"

Of course, he had his own little scheme. If the Jia Ma Imperial Family insisted on refusing to submit, then that would be another matter.

The ancestral teachings forbade the sect from meddling in the empire's power, but as long as they did not establish an empire and maintained Jia Ma's original framework, it would be all the same.

The ancestral teachings no longer suited the present situation. He had to apply them flexibly.

"As you wish! From now on, this forbidden ground of your sect will be my abode."

"As for the Gate of Life and Death, I still need to make some adjustments to it. You can forget about using it for the time being."

Xiao Xuan moved slightly and vanished without a trace, showing no intention of asking Yun Shan's opinion.

The Gate of Life and Death, which had stood among the rolling mountains behind the Misty Cloud Sect, gradually disappeared into a bank of mist.

No one could find it, and no one could enter it.

Not without Xiao Xuan's permission.

Xiao Xuan built a thatched cottage and secluded himself there for the time being. He still needed some time to digest what he had gained in the Misty Cloud Sect's small world.

"Why didn't you show yourself just now? Do you look down on Yun Yangtian's descendants?"

Xiao Xuan chuckled softly, paying no mind to Mo Xuan's earlier concealment.

It was only natural for a being at the Dou Sheng level to have ideas of his own.

"Them? Heh, heh!"

Mo Xuan curled his lip. Yun Yangtian had not treated him particularly well back then. If their interests had not aligned, he would never have worked for Yun Yangtian.

Besides, Mo Xuan truly did look down on his descendants.

It had not been that long, had it? Yet they had fallen into such a sorry state, barely managing to produce a Dou Zong cultivator, and one who was so servile at that.

He, Mo Xuan, despised them!

"What about you? Why are you hiding away in this remote corner? How about we go to the Central Plains?"

Mo Xuan spoke somewhat ingratiatingly. Having just scorned Yun Shan's fawning behavior, he began his own performance.

The Central Plains were where the finest things gathered. Even in ancient times, when Dou Di appeared frequently, the Central Plains had been the most prosperous and vast region on the continent.

What heavenly treasures could there be in other places?

A pill that had gained sentience had aspirations too, and could also advance.

But the price required made that nearly impossible in a barren place like the northwest.

"Don't be in such a hurry! The Central Plains aren't a peaceful place either. Although the continent today can't even compare to what it was a thousand years ago, there should still be two or three Peak Dou Sheng left."

Without probing extensively, Xiao Xuan could only estimate the number of Peak Dou Sheng.

A thousand years ago, although things had been declining compared to earlier times, there had still been four or five Peak Dou Sheng, and Peak Dou Sheng had also appeared among the unaffiliated cultivators.

Things probably would not be too different now!

Of course, among those Peak Dou Sheng, Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan presumably would not have died so soon.

As for breaking through to Dou Di within a thousand years?

Xiao Xuan did not believe they were capable of it.

"Peak Dou Sheng?"

Mo Xuan shrank back, then straightened up again. It was not as if he had no one to protect him. "Aren't you a Peak Dou Sheng too? What is there to be afraid of?"

If a fight really breaks out, why don't I see you stepping in?

Xiao Xuan gave the arrogant Ninth-Tier Xuan Pill a sidelong glance, and Mo Xuan immediately behaved himself.

No hurry!

"You go cultivate! I'll have a look around the Misty Cloud Sect."

If I can't afford to offend him, can't I at least avoid him?

"Mm!"

Xiao Xuan answered, unconcerned that the fellow would run off on his own.

What a joke. He had placed a Soul Imprint on Mo Xuan long ago. Could Mo Xuan possibly run beyond the heavens and infinitely far away, somewhere beyond his senses?

If he really could, then Xiao Xuan would have to admit he was capable.

He would go into seclusion for a little while.

Xiao Xuan needed to give careful thought to how spatial power could help with a breakthrough to Dou Di.

His original plan had been to incorporate the powers of earth, fire, water, and wind into the reconstruction of his physical body.

Legend had it that the four combined possessed the mighty power to recreate heaven and earth.

And a breakthrough to Dou Di was probably comparable to the birth of a world.

Otherwise, if it had still been confined to the Dou Sheng level, with no qualitative change, Xiao Xuan could never have failed to break through.

What was more, the Emperor's Origin required to break through to Dou Di could only be bestowed by a complete and flawless world.

Xiao Xuan could not see anything unusual about the present Dou Qi Continent, and crucially, he could not compare it with the continent of ancient times.

But he could still tell, to some extent, that the present world was incomplete, and the reason was surely connected to the disappearance of the Dou Di.

That was a serious problem.

Xiao Xuan needed to create an Emperor's Origin of his own out of the impossible.

Using the powers of earth, fire, water, and wind to recreate heaven and earth amid the boundless chaos.

Of course, it could not compare to a world like the Dou Qi Continent, which had flourished for countless ages. But if it could provide even a little of what he needed for his breakthrough, that would be enough.

With that as his basis, the powers of earth, fire, water, and wind were necessary.

But what about space?

Without space, where could heaven and earth exist?

Somewhat puzzled, Xiao Xuan needed to go into seclusion and work it out.

Ideally, he could avoid using something as intangible as space.

Otherwise, if he truly had to combine space with earth, fire, water, and wind, the difficulty would be beyond imagination.

Besides, if spatial power was needed, what about the power of time?

That was even more elusive, which was why Xiao Xuan needed to rule out their importance.

At least in his simulation of the very earliest creation of heaven and earth from chaos, neither space nor time existed as a concept.