Chapter 218: A Bunch of Old Perverts
Heavenly-tier techniques are one of the essential conditions for breaking through to Dou Sheng.
The technique Yao Yan practiced, Fendao, successfully evolved into a quasi-Heavenly-tier technique after devouring four types of heavenly flames. Given the uniqueness of Fendao, it might not be too different from a true Heavenly-tier technique. Moreover, Fendao could continue to evolve, which was what made it so terrifying and intimidating.
Yaolao sometimes wondered how this technique was created—could it have been passed down by some Dou Emperor?
But these were just speculations.
After all, Fendao was something Yaolao found in an Gu battlefield, and its origins were unclear. If Yao Yan hadn't successfully cultivated it, Yaolao might have just left it to gather dust in the Bone Flame Ring, because Fendao didn't seem like a conventional technique. It had a strange aura about it.
Even a serious technique that requires devouring heavenly flames to evolve?!
Especially when one is weak, encountering heavenly flames is practically suicide. Yet, before consuming heavenly flames, Fendao was just a yellow-tier technique. It couldn't possibly support a cultivator's breakthrough to Dou Wang. Even a Dou Ling would require years of grinding, and for those without talent, reaching Dou Shi would be the limit.
For Yao Yan to evolve Fendao into a quasi-Heavenly-tier technique in such a short time, his luck was truly exceptional.
If he told others about this, no one would believe it. Who could gather four types of heavenly flames in just a few years? It was far too exaggerated.
"I have a feeling that your chances of breaking through to Dou Sheng are very high!" Feng Zun, overhearing their conversation, couldn't help but express his amazement. However, he didn't say it with complete certainty. The Dou Sheng level was too abstract and elusive, something people could only hope for.
Even a prodigy like Yao Yan, Feng Zun wouldn't claim he had a 100% chance of breaking through to Dou Sheng.
"Dou Sheng is still too far for him. The path of cultivation is long, and he must take it step by step. First, get the Three Thousand Yan Yan Flame, and then we'll see what happens," Yaolao gently stroked his white beard and said slowly.
Yao Yan didn't reply directly. With his current capabilities, Dou Sheng was not a hurdle he couldn't overcome.
The only thing he needed to consider now was how to increase his strength to Nine-Star Dou Sheng in the shortest time possible. As for the rest, it didn't matter.
To have enough say in the Dou Qi Continent, the peak of Nine-Star Dou Sheng was the minimum requirement. Without it, one wouldn't even have the right to compete for Source Qi. In the original work, if it hadn't been for Xiao Yan's bond with Zi Yan and the pressure from the Hun Heaven Emperor, would Zhun Kun have ever offered up the legacy of the Gu Emperor Tuo She?
Did people really think Zhun Kun was a good person?
As Yao Yan meditated, the space ship gradually became calm again. Yaolao floated back into the Bone Flame Ring and returned to Yao Yan's possession. Zi Yan leaned on the side of the ship, blinking her big eyes, observing the silver lights flashing around them, seemingly sensing something.
Time passed slowly.
...
This was a world full of strange mysteries. Above the distant sky, endless clouds and mist lingered, resembling a paradise. These clouds were obviously formed from the local energies, showcasing just how dense the energy in this world was.
Even those without cultivation talent would probably find it easy to reach the Dou Shi level simply by staying here.
The area was full of countless steep mountains, and occasionally, flashes of light would streak across the sky, emitting strong energy fluctuations. If this were anywhere else, these energies would have drawn attention, as the weakest of the people radiating them were Dou Zong-level, and there were even some Dou Zun figures among them.
These beings, who would be considered strong in the outside world, were common here, like a wholesale market.
Beneath the clouds and mist.
On a steep mountain peak that resembled a giant sword, piercing into the clouds, the top was hidden by the swirling mist.
At this moment, a figure stood with his hands behind his back at the summit.
This figure exuded no aura, seemingly blending into the surrounding space. If someone were here, they would notice that this man was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. His plain hemp robe and the slight smile on his face made him seem somewhat reassuring.
His gaze was gently watching a little girl chasing butterflies, but soon, that smile faded.
"Is my meaning still unclear?"
"Leader, this is what the elders think. The Hun Clan has been making more and more moves in recent centuries, and there's even a faint intention to take action against the various clans. Over the past few years, many talented younger members from various clans have mysteriously disappeared. We must be cautious."
A figure appeared behind the man at some point, respectfully addressing him.
"What does this have to do with the Xiao Clan? That clan perished over a thousand years ago... Why are we still entangled with them?" The middle-aged man furrowed his brows and spoke in a low voice.
"Because the Xiao Clan perished, we should take back the Gu jade of the Gu Emperor Tuo She. This will also protect the continuation of the Xiao Clan's branch."
"That sounds good, but it's still about seizing. The events from back then left me with some guilt, and I can't bring myself to take the Gu jade from the Xiao Clan. I won't do it. If they want it, they can take it themselves." The middle-aged man said淡淡, his tone calm.
The leader of the Gu Clan , now the strongest of his clan, had difficulty humiliating himself to steal or ask for the Gu jade.
Moreover, with the current strength of the Xiao Clan's remaining strongest members being only a great Dou Shi, he couldn't bring himself to steal the jade.
"Of course, the elders wouldn't let the leader do it. But perhaps we can have the young miss do it."
As soon as the words left the man's mouth, the space around him suddenly solidified, and the once ordinary middle-aged man now exuded a terrifying authority. His tone was calm, but the man felt drenched in sweat.
"I didn't send Xun'er to the Xiao Clan to do things like this."
His eyes once again turned to the little girl in the distance. His intention in sending her to the Xiao Clan was to give her a peaceful childhood, and it also alleviated the pain caused by the bloodline force awakening within her.
The small world within the Gu Clan had an abundance of energy. Even without deliberately absorbing it, the dense energy there would stimulate the awakening of Xun'er's bloodline power. While it brought her strength, it also burdened her body immensely. Such suffering was unbearable for a child.
With his current status and strength, he didn't want his daughter to suffer. He wanted to give her a normal childhood, and no one in the Gu Clan dared say otherwise.
As his direct daughter, even if Xun'er were delayed for a few years, it wouldn't hinder her future breakthrough to Dou Sheng.
This confidence, Gu Yuan still had.
"The elders think that staying in the Xiao Clan might be a bit boring for the young miss. How about finding something to do? Whether it succeeds or not doesn't matter; it's just to give the young miss some fun." The man, under great pressure, wiped the sweat from his forehead and laughed awkwardly.
The clan leader, who usually seemed very gentle, now gave off an oppressive air when he became serious.
"A bunch of old perverts," Gu Yuan chuckled, shaking his head. He waved his hand, distorting space and sending the man away, not wanting to listen to more of his suggestions. They had never been able to convince him, but now they were resorting to trickery, hoping to involve his daughter.
He smiled, shaking his head, and walked towards the little girl.
"Father?" The little girl, no more than six or seven years old, looked like a delicate doll with rosy lips and white teeth. Her bright eyes looked up at her father quietly, calling out softly before going back to watching the butterflies flutter around her.
"Have you gotten used to staying at the Xiao Clan?" Gu Yuan asked softly, standing next to his daughter.
"It's a bit boring~" Gu Xun'er tilted her head and pouted, giving her evaluation.
Even though the Xiao Clan people treated her well, she felt they were from a completely different world. Some of their flattering behaviors seemed quite childish to her. The only person around her age who seemed interesting was a boy who didn't act like a child, but rather like an adult.
But he was the only one.
Gu Yuan smiled and said softly, "How about I find you something to do?"
"Like what?"
"Do you remember the Gu Emperor Tuo She I told you about? He once left behind a secret realm, which is said to have the inheritance of a Dou Emperor. The key to open this realm was split into eight pieces during a great battle, and one of them is in the Xiao Clan."
"Father wants me to steal it?" Gu Xun'er blinked in surprise.
"Don't say it like that. Just take it casually. If you can't get it, then it's fine~" Gu Yuan said with a slightly embarrassed expression, urging his daughter to steal something from a great Dou Shi family. It felt harder than fighting the Hun Heaven Emperor.
"Is this another suggestion from the elders? Father, you're the clan leader. Why do you always listen to those old men?" Gu Xun'er said, somewhat dissatisfied.
"I'm just saying it~" Gu Yuan coughed, trying to change the topic.
"Okay, as an exchange, make them give me the Golden Emperor's Heavenly Flame. It's my mother's thing!" Gu Xun'er said with a sweet smile in her eyes, her voice soft and adorable.
"That's yours anyway. No one in the clan can take it from you." Gu Yuan patted his daughter's head, speaking softly. "When you turn twelve, I'll give it to you... but not yet."
"Mm~" Gu Xun'er nodded obediently, then after a pause, she continued, "If Father agrees, then whether I get it or not will depend on my mood. That way, they won't keep bothering you about it."
"Smart daughter~" Gu Yuan said with a joyful smile, looking at his daughter with warmth in his heart.
Gu Xun'er gave a sweet smile, her eyes shaped like crescent moons.
"By the way, something else reminded me. The Hun Clan has been making a lot of moves lately, and many talented members of various clans have mysteriously disappeared. We must stay vigilant. I'll get you a new bodyguard." Gu Yuan said, as if thinking of something.
"I don't like being watched. Old Ling is fine." Gu Xun'er muttered quietly.
"His Dou Qi cultivation is still a bit weak," Gu Yuan shook his head and said gently.
At the Dou Huang level, he was strong in the Jia Ma Empire, but compared to such a large clan, he wasn't enough. The previous arrangement was simply to avoid the elders noticing anything. Since they had already discovered it, there was no need to hide anymore.
As for how long it would last... that depended on how long his obedient daughter wanted to play.
The Gu Jade wasn't impossible to find, but Gu Yuan had never bothered to look for it. After all, he needed eight pieces for it to be useful. One or two pieces were meaningless, but the elders couldn't see this, and they were blinded by the title of Dou Emperor.
"Let your Aunt Hua accompany you~"
"Alright~"
Gu Xun'er hesitated for a moment, then responded softly.
...
...
Several days later.
A vast stone square, with a massive stone platform at the center. At the top of the platform, a nearly hundred-foot-tall black vortex was slowly rotating, emitting a shocking spatial fluctuation.
From time to time, figures would fly out from the vortex, curiously observing their surroundings. These people were obviously newcomers to the Central Plains.
"Whoosh~"
A plain space ship flew out, slowly hovering in mid-air.
"This place is?" Yao Yan curiously observed his surroundings, asking Feng Zun beside him.
"This should be the exact center of the Central Plains. I didn't expect it to be unchanged after all these years. It's quite nostalgic," Feng Zun said as he looked around, unable to contain his emotion.
The Central Plains was vast and endless, with its edges divided into the four major regions of the East, South, West, and North. The central area was controlled by several super forces.
The most prominent of these was naturally the Pill Tower.
"This place is just the center of the Central Plains, also known as the Middle Domain. The Pill Domain lies at the very center of the Middle Domain," Yaolao's voice entered Yao Yan's ears, his tone tinged with nostalgia. It had been decades, and returning here now felt bittersweet.
After a pause, Yaolao continued, "This place is supposed to be controlled by the Burning Flame Valley. If nothing has changed, they should have a legendary heavenly flame here, the Nine Dragons Thunder Flame."
"I'm not interested in stirring up trouble with them," Yao Yan rolled his eyes in irritation.
Among the forces in the Central Plains, Burning Flame Valley was the most low-key. Despite having a Dou Sheng-level ancestor, they had never made their presence known. To offend them for something like the Nine Dragons Thunder Flame was clearly not something a smart person would do.
Besides, Yao Yan's current goal was the Three Thousand Yan Yan Flame. All other heavenly flames had to step aside.
"Don't rush, kid. I did some research recently. The current leader of Burning Flame Valley has only one daughter. If you're willing to trade some beauty, it wouldn't hurt~" Yaolao suddenly spoke up, encouraging Yao Yan.
(END CHAPTER)
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