Liu Xi's mind was immersed in a boundless ocean of fire. Inside his body, his Dou Qi surged continuously, and the growing energy in turn tempered his physique further. The surging medicinal power of the Zong Breaking Pill was eventually exhausted—it wasn't enough alone to push him into the Dou Zong Realm. As the power faded, his pace slowed. Yet the medicinal force had already cleared every barrier in his path; all that remained was for his Dou Qi to fill the channels completely. The Dou Zong Realm was right before him.
Sensing his rising Dou Qi begin to stagnate, Liu Xi regained a sliver of awareness and gave a mental command to the Fallen Heart Flame at his heart. The invisible serpent-shaped flame coiled in place, its dark markings already fading by more than half—and under the pure yang energy gathering within the Sun Fire Ancient Altar, that process was accelerating rapidly.
At his command, the small flame serpent lifted its head and hissed, releasing waves of Dou Qi mixed with invisible fire—the refined energy of Xie Bi Yan's Dou Qi. The torrent of energy roared through his meridians like a tidal wave, so pure and immense that Liu Xi frowned, a faint groan escaping his throat.
This energy was so condensed and vast that it even surpassed his own Dou Qi. After all, this was the life's accumulation of a peak 3-Star Dou Zong—the pure essence of Xie Bi Yan's poisonous Dou Qi.
The storm of power surged through his body, following the circulation path of the Nine Nether Ghost Flame Technique, steadily transforming into Liu Xi's own energy. His Spiritual Power deepened as the breakthrough process refined both body and soul.
Time passed without notice—ten days, twenty, a month, then a month and a half. When the second month arrived, the silent Sun Fire Ancient Altar finally stirred.
---
Outside the altar, Zi Yan sat idly on a thick tree branch, one hand propping her cheek while her small, pale legs swung lazily back and forth. Her bright eyes stared vacantly toward the altar.
'64 days since big brother went in... I miss him.'
"Xian'er Sister," she called softly, "how much longer do you think big brother will take to finish his breakthrough?"
Under a towering pine tree, Xiao Yixian sat cross-legged atop a boulder, her posture graceful, her gray-violet eyes glimmering with a faint smile.
"Zi Yan, that's the 63rd time you've asked me that," she teased gently. "But this time, I think it's really soon. I can already sense a powerful aura bursting from within the altar."
---
Moments later, in a secluded corner of the Ye Clan estate, the wind and clouds began to shift. The forces of heaven and earth gathered violently, black clouds rolling across the sky.
At the center of the storm lay the Sun Fire Ancient Altar, from which a vast and majestic aura surged into the heavens, stirring the world itself.
---
In his study, First Elder Ye Zhong raised his head from the alchemy scroll he'd been reading, eyes flickering with astonishment.
"There's no mistaking that aura. The young friend has broken through to the Dou Zong Realm already. Such astounding talent... to reach this level in both alchemy and Dou Qi cultivation at his age—truly remarkable."
He stood abruptly, setting his scroll aside. "Perhaps... this might not be a bad thing for the Ye Clan." His form blurred and vanished from the room, leaving only silence behind.
---
Elsewhere in the Ye Clan estate, murmurs rose among those aware of the situation.
"What a disgrace—an outsider breaking through to Dou Zong in our clan's sacred ground! How shall we face our ancestors a hundred years from now?"
"Disgrace or not, what's done is done. Let's just hope that young man doesn't damage the altar—and that he remembers the favor the Ye Clan has shown."
"The First Elder's judgment is rarely wrong. That youth's talent truly defies reason. Even among us, few can refine a Zong Breaking Pill besides the First Elder himself."
"Ah... if the Ye Clan still stood at its former height, we wouldn't have to bend our rules for anyone."
Across Ye City, the commotion spread. Noble families and minor clans alike turned their eyes toward the Ye Clan's estate, sensing the vast energy wave in the distance.
"Another Dou Zong emerges from the Ye Clan," some whispered with awe.
---
Inside the altar, Liu Xi suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze blazed like lightning, his long hair billowing behind him as his aura merged with heaven and earth.
In one fluid motion, he shot upward from his seated position, a storm of energy surging from his body. The pressure of his aura was overwhelming, enough to shake the heavens—the very air twisted, the space itself rippling into dark spiderweb-like distortions.
Then, the thick black clouds that blanketed the sky split apart as if torn by an invisible hand. A pillar of light descended, enveloping Liu Xi's tall figure as he floated in midair, his stance straight as a spear, the air around him trembling beneath his power.
"Dou Zong…" he murmured, a faint smile curling his lips. His fists clenched tightly, and the strength flowing through his body felt boundless—enough to shatter the void itself.
He extended a hand, and ripples of space spread outward from his body, smoothing the chaotic distortions in the air. This… was the power of a Dou Zong.
Before, he could break space with sheer destructive force. Now, he could control and stabilize it.
Traces of silvery light flickered within his Dou Qi. Just a light movement of his palm could bend the void; with a sweep of his energy, the distortion would smooth again.
But even beyond the Dou Zong breakthrough, the greatest gain was within his soul.
His Spiritual Power slowly spread outward, and in this serene awareness, he sensed something new—besides the boundless energy of heaven and earth, faint ripples of spiritual resonance shimmered through the void.
It was like the first breath of life at the dawn of creation—pure, delicate, filled with nascent awareness.
Humans, too, were born with such a spark of spirit, which gradually dispersed over time until death, when it faded completely. Even with his soul at the peak of the Mortal Realm, Liu Xi had never perceived this before. Only with this breakthrough had his soul entered this mysterious, higher state.
Within it, the invisible waves of spirit across the world were being drawn toward him, merging gently into his soul. It wasn't merely stronger—it was transforming in essence, becoming alive with true spirituality.
"No wonder I've been unable to reach the Spirit Realm Soul," Liu Xi murmured. "Without fate or opportunity, the soul cannot evolve beyond the Mortal Realm. Still… at this rate, who knows when I'll truly reach the Spirit Realm? I'll need to accelerate my plan."
Descending slowly to the altar, he replaced the black stone tablet over the ground eye. The circular walls around him rumbled open again, flooding the chamber with light.
Liu Xi stepped forward and walked calmly out of the Sun Fire Ancient Altar.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.