Word Count: 2,485 Words
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"Holy shit! What is that light?!"
Seven-colored radiance blazed forth like a divine beacon illuminating the eight directions, flooding the entire space with a power so overwhelming it made souls tremble.
"Xiao Yan! It's that brat Xiao Yan!"
Most eyes had been riveted on the stunning display from Little Fairy Doctor's trio, but this sudden eruption of strength left every observer dumbstruck.
They had always assumed Xiao Yan's true might lay solely in alchemy. Only now did they recall a detail from half a year ago, one most had glossed over. Before presenting his medicinal pills to propose marriage, Xiao Yan had first defeated the Gu Clan's First General, Gu Qing Yang.
His fearsome reputation wasn't built on alchemy alone. His combat strength was equally terrifying!
"That's… the power of a Clan Mark! It's the Clan Mark of a Dou God Clan!"
A white-haired peak Dou Venerate who had survived countless ages cried out in shock. Old monsters who had lived through centuries naturally understood the Dou God Clans. They knew those ancient lineages had once ruled the continent through their Dou God Bloodlines and the mysterious Clan Marks passed down through their blood.
"A Clan Mark? Is that the Gu Clan's?"
"No, the Gu Clan's Clan Mark doesn't look like that!"
As the dazzling Clan Mark materialized, every gaze locked onto the confrontation between Xiao Yan and Tian He Zi. Though the light was blinding, for Dou Venerates such brilliance posed no obstacle at all.
In a blur, an enormous fist appeared before Tian He Zi's face. The speed and force were so tremendous they warped space itself, bending even light into twisted streams.
BOOM!!
A single punch sent shockwaves through the surroundings. What looked like the most ordinary of strikes left this veteran Nine-Change Dou Venerate with blood streaming from his nose.
"Five-Change Dou Venerate?!"
Tian He Zi didn't even have time to wipe away the blood. Terror flooded his eyes as he stared at Xiao Yan, now wreathed in multicolored Heavenly Flames with vivid Clan Marks crawling across his skin. Flames coiled around him like the mantle of a fire-crowned emperor.
It wasn't just Tian He Zi. Even the spectating Dou Venerates stood slack-jawed in disbelief. From Two-Change to Five-Change in an instant? Even with a Dou God Bloodline, such a leap defied reason!
Typical Low Tian Class Secret Techniques could boost strength by two changes at most and were already considered extraordinary and costly. Yet Xiao Yan had jumped three full changes in a single breath. The absurdity of it left Tian He Zi completely stunned.
Did he sacrifice his life force for this power?!
"Do you remember, a thousand years ago, that there was a Dou God Clan whose Clan Mark could temporarily amplify Dou Qi cultivation by staggering amounts?" Old Man Bao Shan's expression grew grave as he addressed Venerable Di Xing, the Earth Walking Sect Master beside him.
Venerable Di Xing shot him a mildly exasperated look. "You're asking the obvious. Anyone who lived through Xiao Xuan's era remembers the once-glorious Xiao Clan!"
During the century when Xiao Xuan was alive, the Xiao Clan had ranked absolutely among the top three Dou God Clans. Many still recalled their legendary Clan Mark ability.
"I'd completely forgotten! This fellow is the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan!"
Xiao Yan carried so many titles that people often overlooked his true heritage: Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan!
That Dou God Clan which had once dominated an entire era, the Xiao Clan!
Now, they were returning!
Knocked back by a single punch, Tian He Zi's humiliation burned like acid. He wanted nothing more than to flay Xiao Yan alive! With a furious roar, he produced a massive spiked war mace without hesitation and swung it down.
"The Xiao Clan has already fallen! What's a mere Five-Change Dou Venerate?!"
"Scram!"
Xiao Yan instantly unfurled the Ancient Phoenix Wings before the weapon could descend. The Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor snapped into place across his body as dragon-phoenix cries split the sky.
BOOM!
Octane Blast erupted once more. Fist force surged like a storm, shaking the sky with a thunderous explosion. Fist met mace, and Xiao Yan sent Tian He Zi staggering backward using pure physical might alone.
"No wonder he bid on the Vajra Glass Body!"
Many observers now understood. While Xiao Yan's Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor was formidable, his hand-to-hand combat techniques were actually somewhat crude, almost like a child's brawling style. At the Dou Venerate realm, Octane Blast really was too basic.
Thud, thud, thud—
The collision forced Xiao Yan back several steps as well. He shook out his striking hand. Even with the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor's protection, a Nine-Change Dou Venerate still stood a cut above.
"Brat, die!"
The notion that Xiao Yan could match him blow for blow was intolerable to Tian He Zi. He bellowed in rage and unleashed a Dou Technique. One hand transformed into a demonic claw while a giant palm crashed down like a dragon suppressing all beneath it.
The Ancient Phoenix Bell rang out in response. The massive palm struck the bell, instantly unleashing a powerful wave of reflected sound that surged into a raging tempest. The sonic blast sent Tian He Zi reeling backward. Though the impact knocked Xiao Yan away as well, his double-layered protection left him completely unharmed.
"For a Nine-Change, you're really not that impressive!" Xiao Yan laughed. His Ancient Phoenix Wings flared as he charged forward bare-handed like a rampaging dragon.
The wings flashed amid rumbling thunder. He hurled his entire body forward as a living weapon.
CRASH!
Xiao Yan's shoulder drove into Tian He Zi's chest with tremendous force. The unmistakable crack of splintering bone rang out as the old man was flung through the air, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.
"Not only is Xiao Yan's physique monstrous, but the Qi Method he cultivates far surpasses Tian He Zi's."
"Indeed. He can fight four changes above his level because of the enhancement from his cultivation technique. I'd wager it's at least Intermediate Tian Class."
Xiao Yan pressed his advantage relentlessly. He activated a Heavenly Flame agility technique in an instant and drew a massive breath that expanded his chest.
Heavenly Flame Dou Technique—Three Thousand Dragon Flame!
ROAR! BOOM!
He exhaled violently. Purple-black Three Thousand Burning Flame condensed into a colossal fire beam. Its destructive power amazed even experts like Old Man Bao Shan as it streaked directly toward Tian He Zi, who had barely recovered from being slammed skyward.
The terrifying flames had been compressed to their absolute limit. With his cultivation temporarily boosted to Five-Change, Xiao Yan channeled all his massive Dou Qi into the Three Thousand Burning Flame. The devastating force of such an attack defied imagination.
A deafening explosion shook the earth. The fire beam blasting from Xiao Yan's mouth pierced straight to the sky like a true dragon's breath. That pillar of flame possessed overwhelming might, burning space into absolute nothingness, capable of obliterating everything in its path. The ground beneath Xiao Yan melted into a vast crater while waves of searing heat swept outward.
Such a spectacular display left mouths agape across the battlefield. No one had expected Xiao Yan to wield such terrifying techniques.
How can someone play with Heavenly Flames like this?! It was simply outrageous!
"Cloud Rain Sky Shield!"
Tian He Zi shouted desperately at the critical moment. A towering barrier materialized before him. The instant it formed, even Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame technique noticeably weakened. The flames crashed against the shield, their power absorbed and neutralized.
The sight made Xiao Yan and the other observers all frown deeply.
"That's a special Dou Technique Tian He Zi developed by absorbing the essence, spirit, and Dou Qi of countless human cauldrons. Its defensive capabilities rank among the finest of Low Tian Class techniques."
Even Xiao Yan felt revulsion rise in his heart. The Hall of Souls hunted soul bodies everywhere, but at least they followed the bloody law of the jungle: the strong devouring the weak. I kill you, you can kill me.
The Cloud Rain Sect was different. They deceived young girls into cultivating sinister Qi Methods from childhood, only revealing the truth when their cultivation neared completion. At that point, the victims would have all their cultivation absorbed and die in despair and premature old age.
Xiao Yan's expression darkened. Forming a hand seal, he ignited a wisp of black flame behind him.
Heavenly Flame Dou Technique—Void Flicker!
Whoosh!
The black flame instantly swallowed Xiao Yan. In the next moment, he reappeared directly behind Tian He Zi.
"Xiao Yan, don't think I won't dare kill you just because you have the Gu Clan's protection!" Tian He Zi snarled while trading blows, apparently forgetting he had struck first.
Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly. Lightning crackled beneath his feet as he lashed out with a whip-like leg strike, but Tian He Zi managed to block it.
"Huh? Why has Xiao Yan's strength dropped?"
"Yeah, he's back to Two-Change level. Did the Clan Mark fade?"
Old Man Bao Shan and the others frowned in confusion. Before they could react, however, 'Xiao Yan' grinned wickedly as terrifying silver lightning erupted from his entire body and then exploded in a blinding flash.
"A clone?!"
"That looks like Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body, but how can a clone be so realistic?!"
"Wait, where's the real Xiao Yan?!"
"It must have happened when he entered the void. He swapped his real body at that instant!"
The moment the lightning clone detonated, everyone felt the entire space begin to warp and distort. Where Xiao Yan had originally vanished, the surroundings started melting!
BUZZ!!
A magnificent eleven-colored fire lotus appeared, cradled in Xiao Yan's palms. The Angry Buddha Lotus Flame forged from eleven different Heavenly Flames left every person present stunned!
The instant the space-melting Angry Buddha Lotus Flame materialized, Tian He Zi didn't even have time to scream. Xiao Yan flicked his finger, and the lotus, trailing wisps of flame, shot toward him at incredible speed.
The terrifying Heavenly Flame aura permeated the world, making even the spectating Dou Venerates break into cold sweats. Locked onto by the attack, Tian He Zi went numb with terror, his face draining of all color as the stench of death enveloped him completely.
"Scum like you can only be cleansed by Heavenly Flame."
"Cloud Rain Sky Shield!" Tian He Zi's hands flew through frantic seals as torrential Dou Qi poured out. He summoned his defensive technique once more.
Xiao Yan gazed coldly at that defensive Dou Technique built atop the lives of countless human cauldrons, then at Tian He Zi, whose eyes held barely concealed panic.
A cold smile curved his lips. "Void Flicker."
Whoosh!
The black flame within the eleven-colored Angry Buddha Lotus Flame suddenly pulsed. In the next instant, it pierced through the void and appeared directly behind Tian He Zi.
Behind him—where defensive techniques couldn't protect. Scorching flames rose up, illuminating the pale, despairing face of Tian He Zi as he turned around.
Under his hopeless gaze, the fire lotus bloomed instantly. A force like pure calamity exploded forth.
BOOM!
The entire desert world trembled under the impact. Within a radius of a thousand feet, every mountain peak shattered into powder in an instant. An entire mountain range transformed into desert wasteland as sand and debris filled the skies, smoke billowing across the land.
Nearby Dou Venerates panicked and scrambled to activate defensive techniques, terrified of being caught in the devastating blast.
The eleven-colored fire lotus's might left everyone present thoroughly shaken.
"Intermediate Tian Class… absolutely top-tier Intermediate Tian Class Dou Technique."
"He possesses techniques of this caliber, so why did he purchase so many Low Tian Class scrolls? For collecting?!"
Everyone stood dumbfounded. You have techniques like this and still buy so many Dou Technique scrolls? What for?! Though they didn't realize it, he really was just collecting them.
Xiao Yan's expression remained solemn as he watched the fire lotus blooming in the sky above. His terrifying Spiritual Strength monitored all directions while locking down the surrounding space. That Flood Serpent Demon Venerate had escaped previously thanks to a life-saving treasure. Otherwise, Qing Lin would have gained another Five-Change snake slave by now.
As the saying went, experience was the best teacher. Xiao Yan had learned his lesson.
Of course, such high-level protective treasures weren't something everyone possessed. Perhaps Tian He Zi had already traded all his wealth for medicinal pills.
Meow!
A cat's cry split the void as a black cat tore open a spatial rift and then obediently dropped a storage ring into Xiao Yan's palm.
'Sigh, the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame is so destructive it obliterates even soul bodies. A Nine-Change Dou Venerate's soul, gone without a trace.' Xiao Yan shook his head regretfully. What a waste!
The problem lay in controlling the technique's power. Holding back enough to merely wound opponents risked letting them escape like the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate. Going full power meant that without protective treasures, they would end up like Tian He Zi, not even a soul remaining.
After all, Intermediate Tian Class Dou Techniques served as trump cards even for Dou Saints.
Poor Tenth Tianzun hadn't had much business lately.
"How are you all? Any injuries?" Xiao Yan flew to the other battlefield. Naturally, after he had blasted Tian He Zi into nothingness with his eleven-colored fire lotus, both Ren He Zi and Di He Zi had fled immediately.
Little Fairy Doctor shook her head, though her expression remained dark. "We let that scum escape."
Cai Lin's face also showed frustration. They had been unable to stop two Dou Venerates determined to flee. No matter how flawed their Qi Methods or how their Dou Qi foundation relied on absorbing human cauldrons, they were still Eight-Change Dou Venerates. Once committed to escape, stopping them was impossible.
Only Tian He Zi, caught off-guard by his initial setback, hadn't managed to react before Xiao Yan's stealthily condensed Angry Buddha Lotus Flame obliterated him.
Xiao Yan smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, they can't escape."
He had prepared contingencies long ago. Both fleeing enemies now carried Asura Soul Chasing Marks. With those marks in place, they could hide even in spatial voids and would still be found.
"Anyone else feeling lucky?" Xiao Yan maintained his Clan Mark. His early Heavenly State Spiritual Strength instantly locked onto the surrounding 'spectators' who appeared to be watching but were actually waiting for opportunities.
On the Dou Qi Continent, opportunistic jackals were never in short supply. If Xiao Yan showed even the slightest exhaustion or weakness, his background might suddenly prove insufficient.
Those targeted by Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength felt their hearts clench. Early Heavenly State spiritual power already surpassed everyone present. Even a mysterious Half-Saint concealed nearby couldn't escape his spiritual detection.
"Another Xiao Xuan…"
"It seems the Xiao Clan has truly returned."