Word Count: 3,749 Words
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"Flame Dragon Fist!"
Dragon scales wrapped around Xiao Yan's fist, and atop those scales blazed a terrifying Heavenly Flame forged from six merged flames. Gu Qing Yang felt the horror gathered in that punch and no longer dared hold anything back. This battle had reached the point where he had to fight with his life on the line!
In that instant, everyone shared the same thought: When you fought Gu Yao, you were holding back an entire ocean, weren't you?!
Second General Gu Hua felt his heart race wildly under the pressure of Xiao Yan's invincibility. He finally understood that when Xiao Yan had said he could last ten moves, that had already been giving face to Xun Er. Otherwise, just like Gu Yao, it would have ended in a single strike!
Even Gu Qing Yang, having erupted with his Grade 9 Dou God Bloodline, couldn't hide the shock in his eyes. His expression changed drastically, and his heart pounded. Facing this Xiao Yan, he had no choice but to go all out!
He drew a deep breath, then let out a long roar as he steeled his resolve. The Silver Dragon Battle Halberd swept horizontally, both arms lifting to meet Xiao Yan's terrifying punch head-on.
BOOM!
The Silver Dragon Battle Halberd was a peerless divine weapon forged by the Gu Clan in ancient times, crafted from incomparably rare and sturdy materials. Yet under Xiao Yan's horrifying punch, it actually bent slightly, as if even this legendary weapon could not bear the force!
This was not strange. The new Heavenly Flame born from the merger of six different flames was likely no weaker than Xun Er's Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame.
And what did one rely on to temper weapons, if not the searing power of flames?
'So heavy!'
Gu Qing Yang's heart trembled violently. He clenched his teeth, but Xiao Yan's punch was simply too fierce. Even with both hands gripping the halberd, he still couldn't completely block it; his arms felt as though they were about to snap!
The fist erupted with devastating force, crushing through Gu Qing Yang's defense and slamming squarely into his chest. Dragon aura and Heavenly Flame exploded at once, surging into his body to tear and rampage within.
Pfft! Pfft!
Gu Qing Yang spat out mouthfuls of blood as the blow sent him flying skyward like a kite with a severed string!
Xiao Yan showed no mercy. He spread his wings and leaped into the air, pursuing Gu Qing Yang with another punch that tore through the air with a piercing whistle.
The Heavenly Flame Dou Technique unleashed with six merged flames drew out the truly frightening power of the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor. His descending fist was like a divine mountain pressing down. Under that blow, space itself seemed to cave in, and even the sky shuddered.
One punch to shatter everything!
CLANG!
The Dou God Bloodline within Gu Qing Yang boiled to its absolute limit. He roared, and the Silver Dragon Battle Halberd in his hands burst into a blinding white radiance. Terrifying Dou Qi surged into the weapon as he unleashed a Dou Technique, thrusting it straight out. The strike was like a true dragon leaping into the sky, its halberd force howling through the air.
"Silver Dragon Suppression!"
This was a weapon-based Dou Technique, much like the Flame Splitting Tsunami!
The halberd in his hands instantly became incomparably heavy as Gu Qing Yang prepared to meet Xiao Yan's punch head-on.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out as Xiao Yan's full-powered punch finally slammed into the halberd.
This time, it was Xiao Yan who was driven back again and again. Gu Qing Yang's halberd technique possessed a rebound effect similar to the Ancient Phoenix Bell, reflecting a portion of the force back onto his body.
The Three Thousand Burning Flame hummed, rapidly repairing his internal injuries. Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, and he charged up once more. Fist met halberd again. Sparks burst in all directions, scattering like stars as the terrifying Heavenly Flame burned everything without fear.
"This Xiao Yan is too ferocious! With the Three Thousand Burning Flame, he's practically immortal. How is Gu Qing Yang supposed to beat him?!"
Huo Xuan heard his companion's exclamation and shook his head. "No, you're wrong. Xiao Yan is actually the one at a disadvantage. He's relying on the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change and his Heavenly Flames to contend with Gu Qing Yang. Both the secret technique and the flames consume an enormous amount of Dou Qi. If he can't end this quickly, he'll run out."
Xiao Yan cultivated the Intermediate Tian Class Flame Mantra, giving him exceptionally powerful Dou Qi, but even that couldn't sustain the continuous explosive output of six merged Heavenly Flames. Cultivation level was always the foundation of combat strength. Fighting above one's rank was difficult precisely because Dou Qi consumption was so enormous.
BOOM!
Another thunderous explosion resounded from high in the sky. This time, although Gu Qing Yang once more swept his halberd horizontally to block Xiao Yan's punch, he couldn't withstand the terrifying Heavenly Flame. He was blasted away, vomiting another mouthful of blood.
Whoosh!
A delicate six-colored fire lotus swiftly took shape in Xiao Yan's palm, condensing with astonishing speed.
"Fire lotus, go!"
The six-colored fire lotus transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the void to appear directly before Gu Qing Yang. His pupils shrank sharply at the terrifying power contained within it, and the lotus exploded the moment that shock fully registered in his expression!
BOOM!!
The lotus blossomed. Terrifying waves of fire poured down mercilessly, endless Heavenly Flame cascading like a flood that sought to drown the entire plaza. Without the protective barrier, the flames would have burned the whole ceremonial ground to nothing. Such was the might of Heavenly Flames; anything they touched would be reduced to ash!
"What a terrifying fire lotus Dou Technique!"
A strange light flashed through Huo Zhi's beautiful eyes. "He's using his Spiritual Strength to compress six kinds of Heavenly Flames, then detonating them to produce that fearsome destructive force."
The sight left everyone deeply shaken, unable to stop themselves from drawing sharp breaths.
"The First General won't really lose, will he?" For a moment, some soldiers of the Black Submerged Army began to doubt reality itself. Could their First General, Gu Qing Yang, bearer of a Grade 9 Dou God Bloodline, really be defeated by someone with a wasted bloodline?!!
Gu Zhen's jaw hung so wide it could no longer close. No matter who ultimately won or lost, his understanding of the world had already collapsed. Was the Dou God Bloodline really not that important???
Xiao Yan, with a mere One-Change Dou Venerate cultivation, had forced Gu Qing Yang, whose Grade 9 Dou God Bloodline had fully erupted, into such a state. At equal rank, wouldn't only someone with a Divine Grade bloodline be able to match him?!
The waves of fire gradually receded. The ceremonial plaza was already unrecognizable. Its exquisite stone pillars had been blasted to rubble, and a vast crater now marred the ground.
Xiao Yan slowly descended onto the ruined plaza and withdrew both his Ancient Phoenix Wings and Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor. He was clearly at the end of his strength. Great power always demanded a great price. Right now, he stood only because of the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Without it, his body would have shattered long ago under such high-intensity collisions.
As the dust dispersed, Gu Qing Yang came back into view. He was not dead, but he looked just as miserable. The armor on his body had been blown into tatters, the Silver Dragon Battle Halberd in his hand had gone dull and lusterless, and blood streaked down his forehead, arms, and the corner of his mouth.
It was clear that withstanding the fire lotus explosion had exacted an enormous toll on him as well.
Noting the flicker of hesitation in Gu Qing Yang's eyes, Xiao Yan spoke. "You still have a trump card, don't you?"
Gu Qing Yang's eyelid twitched. He sighed softly. "That technique…"
A faint smile curved Xiao Yan's lips. "You do. The one created by a Dou God, the Dou Technique that best represents your Gu Clan."
At those words, every member of the Gu Clan thought of the same Dou Technique. A worried light surfaced in Xun Er's beautiful eyes as she clenched her fists tight.
Xiao Yan was about to overturn the heavens of the Gu Clan!
"Qing Yang, use that move." Elder Tong Xuan's voice resounded from the void. "Don't worry, I'll be watching. There will be no deaths."
That last line was directed not only at Gu Qing Yang but also at Xiao Yan.
Gu Qing Yang nodded. He stooped to retrieve the halberd embedded in the ground, then lightly slit his palm and slowly began forming hand seals. Most of the Gu Clan recognized this sequence. Xiao Yan did as well.
The God Seal Technique!
As Gu Qing Yang's hand seals took shape, the Clan Mark on his forehead shone ever more brilliantly. From his palm seeped droplets of purple-gold blood tinged with a faint, multicolored glow. Open Mountain Seal, Sea Flipping Seal, Overturning Land Seal, Sky Burying Seal... as the four seals layered upon one another, the clouds above began to churn like a vortex, and the surrounding space twisted frantically.
At last, Gu Qing Yang gritted his teeth and exhausted every last trace of his Dou Qi and Dou God Bloodline to finally condense the Ancient God Seal!
'This is the true God Seal Technique!'
Xiao Yan had also cultivated the God Seal Technique. The first seal, the Open Mountain Seal, required one to reach Dou King to train, and the second, the Sea Flipping Seal, required Dou Emperor. But when he had cultivated it to the Ancient God Seal, he had come to understand that the true measure of the God Seal Technique corresponded not to Dou Qi cultivation, but to the grade of one's Dou God Bloodline.
To unleash the Open Mountain Seal's true might required a Grade 5 Dou God Bloodline. The Sea Flipping Seal demanded Grade 6. And the strongest, the Ancient God Seal, could only display its full power in the hands of someone with a Grade 9 Dou God Bloodline.
Without a Dou God Bloodline, the God Seal Technique was merely a High Di Class Dou Technique. With one... who could say?
This was an unparalleled Dou Technique that required a Dou God Bloodline!
It had been created by the Gu Clan's own Dou God ancestor!
The Ancient God Seal glowed with a faint purple-gold light. Gu Qing Yang's face was deathly pale as he looked at Xiao Yan with a wry expression. "Brother Xiao Yan, I haven't fully mastered this Ancient God Seal. I can only unleash ten or twenty percent of its power, and... I can't control its might."
A Dou Technique created by a Dou God! Xiao Yan might not have fully grasped the weight of those words before, but now he understood them perfectly.
This was what it meant to be a Dou God Clan, to be a clan that possessed the inheritance of a Dou God. They wielded the power of a Dou God!
A Dou Saint could create Tian Class, even High Tian Class Dou Techniques. So what level could a Dou God reach?!
And this was only a Grade 9 Dou God Bloodline. What about a Divine Grade? Xiao Yan didn't dare dwell on that. If he could not overcome the obstacle in front of him, everything else was nothing but empty talk.
The terrifying power of the Ancient God Seal in Gu Qing Yang's hand was so evident that even those fellows from the Hun Clan sensibly fell silent. After the Xiao Clan's destruction, the Gu Clan had become their greatest opponent.
The moment the Ancient God Seal appeared, Xiao Yan understood that even an eleven-colored fire lotus might not be enough to prevail. The Angry Buddha Lotus Flame's ability to merge Heavenly Flames depended on the Flame Mantra; it was essentially a derivative technique of that Qi Method. However strong the Flame Mantra was, that was how strong the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame could be. An Intermediate Tian Class technique might not be enough to win.
The Angry Buddha Lotus Flame was an incomplete Dou Technique he had created in his youth based on the Flame Mantra. When two sets of merged Heavenly Flames collided, they could trigger the energy of the world, unleashing an extremely powerful explosion. Back then, even with only a Dou Master cultivation, as long as he had the right Heavenly Flames, the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame could still create a massive explosion capable of heavily injuring even a Dou Emperor.
But the further he advanced, the more its shortcomings became apparent. A Di Class Dou Technique could already stir the energy of the world. Tian Class Techniques could draw it in from ten, or even a hundred, miles around.
No matter how many Heavenly Flames he stacked, they were still only additions. The fundamental framework of the technique remained the crude, simplistic structure he had devised in his younger days. Now, having not refined a new Heavenly Flame in a long time, his Flame Mantra had been stuck at the Intermediate Tian Class for quite a while. In a sense, the Flame Mantra had stagnated, and the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame could no longer keep pace with the opponents he now faced.
Others possessed their own supreme Dou Techniques and Qi Methods!
"The Dou God Bloodline really is something marvelous. And to think you're not even the strongest in the Gu Clan." Xiao Yan turned his head and caught the pleading look in Xun Er's eyes. She didn't want to see him hurt.
Though he was now challenging Gu Qing Yang across ranks, at equal cultivation, he might not even be able to defeat Xun Er. Not to mention that the Hun Clan still had two prodigies with Divine Grade bloodlines, and who knew what terrifying realm their clan head, Hun Tiandi, had reached.
He smiled at Xun Er, and memories surged within him. From those memories rose a courage that burned bright!
He had come to the Gu Clan to do one thing!
So he could not lose here!!!
Determination and fighting spirit flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. His hands blurred through seals with lightning speed. The sight made even Elder Tong Xuan freeze in the void, because Xiao Yan was actually executing the God Seal Technique!
"The God Seal Technique?!"
"No, that's impossible! Xiao Yan doesn't have the Gu Clan's Dou God Bloodline!"
"Something's strange!"
Hearts jolted across the plaza. After watching the entire battle, everyone had come to understand Xiao Yan's character. This man would never act without purpose!
"The Dou God Bloodline is indeed powerful, but it's only a force that accelerates cultivation, a shortcut for you to walk," Xiao Yan said calmly. A nascent seal appeared in his hands as he raised his head toward Gu Qing Yang with a faint smile. "Those who always look to shortcuts, however, will lose the ability to blaze new paths."
"And your Gu Clan are merely the descendants of Emperor Gu. Even if you possess his bloodline and power, you are not him. Walking the same road he did will not make you a Dou God!"
BOOM! BOOM!
No sooner had his words fallen than the surrounding world shook. The entire ceremonial plaza trembled as if struck by a massive earthquake.
Gu Clan elders who had not come to watch the coming-of-age ceremony rushed out from their cultivation sites. Even the Black Submerged King and the Three Gu Immortals burst into the open. Everyone lifted their gazes toward the distance.
Above the ceremonial grounds, right over Xiao Yan's head, a strange phenomenon had appeared!
Five colossal fire beasts manifested in the sky, each seated atop a fire lotus of a different color, as if each ruled over its own divine kingdom. Formed entirely of flames, all five fire beasts held their hands in strange seals!
From the heavens drifted waves of sound like celestial music, setting the blood of all who heard it boiling with excitement.
"This phenomenon… could a new Tian Class Dou Technique be emerging?!!"
Faces across the plaza changed color at the sight. Even Gu Qing Yang and Elder Tong Xuan were moved, their gazes locked on the spectacle above. This was the first time they had ever seen such an omen, and they could not help but lose themselves for a moment.
"It's Xiao Yan! It's his Dou Technique!!"
Every gaze snapped toward the seal floating in Xiao Yan's palm. Only upon closer inspection did they realize that his 'Ancient God Seal' was completely different from the original. It had been fused with the five Heavenly Flames from his Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique!
And these five Heavenly Flames had not only formed a seal but had also merged with one another into a formation. Within that small seal lay staggering complexity and exquisite precision. Xiao Yan had poured every drop of his Dou Qi and Spiritual Strength into it without wasting a single shred of energy, condensing everything into one unified whole!
This was a brand-new Dou Technique, the culmination of his entire life's experiences and insights, the fruit of his journey. It fused the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique, the five stacked seals of the God Seal Technique, and the mysterious fusion principles of the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame into one!
"Take this."
BOOM!
Xiao Yan's right foot stomped down hard. Before the eyes of the dumbstruck crowd, he took the initiative to charge at Gu Qing Yang. He raised his right hand, and in his heart, he murmured:
Fusion Dou Technique—Flame God Seal!
Even Elder Tong Xuan, a high-level Half-Saint, felt his scalp tingle at the terrifying power gathering in that seal. He flickered through space and appeared before Gu Qing Yang, pulling him behind his back. Gu Qing Yang could not withstand this strike!!
Xiao Yan seemed to have anticipated Elder Tong Xuan's appearance. A cold smirk curved his lips. "You've appeared before me again."
Those words sent waves crashing through Elder Tong Xuan's heart. Years ago, when Xiao Yan had defeated Ling Quan, he had emerged. And now, once again, Xiao Yan had defeated Gu Qing Yang!
Xiao Yan did not hold back. He roared and brought the Flame God Seal crashing down toward the Half-Saint expert! Elder Tong Xuan hurriedly raised his hand to meet it, palm colliding with palm.
"Xiao Yan ge-ge!!"
BOOM!!!
An earth-shaking explosion erupted as terrifying energy detonated. The world turned brilliantly bright as an unimaginably powerful force burst forth. Endless radiance bloomed as the Flame God Seal in Xiao Yan's palm released a torrent of energy that instantly engulfed Elder Tong Xuan!
A devastating wave of Heavenly Flame power surged skyward, punching through the protective barrier and slamming into the Gu Realm's celestial barrier before exploding into countless drops of fire rain.
The light faded quickly, as if being drawn back. Elder Tong Xuan, as a high-level Half-Saint, naturally could not be truly defeated by Xiao Yan's strike. After all, the gap between a Half-Saint and a Dou Venerate spanned nine full changes, and moreover, he was only a step away from becoming a 1-star Dou Saint.
Yet even so, his arm was charred black. His sleeve had been completely incinerated, and his skin was badly burned. He had sustained no light injury.
"He wounded Elder Tong Xuan..."
"That's impossible! Elder Tong Xuan is an elite Dou Saint!"
Even Mang Tian Chi couldn't help but swallow hard, his heart surging with shock. This Dou Technique was even stronger than he had imagined!
'If it were fully perfected… it might reach High Tian Class! Good heavens, a Dou Venerate created such a technique!' Mang Tian Chi felt his mind go numb. What kind of monster is this?!
Xiao Yan had not emerged unscathed either. He had exhausted all his Dou Qi and Spiritual Strength, and only a faint flicker remained of the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Blood covered his body, and his right hand—the one that had unleashed the Flame God Seal—looked like a piece of charcoal, kept intact only by the protection of the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
The entire plaza fell silent. Everyone stood staring at the battered man in the center of the arena. No one dared make a sound. In their hearts, there was only boundless respect.
He had shattered the legend of the Dou God Bloodline!
He had done it!
He had overturned the heavens of the Gu Clan!
Yet at this moment, Xiao Yan felt no joy in victory, only nervousness and anticipation.
Dragging his scarred body, he walked toward Xun Er one step at a time. His voice was quiet, but every word was firm.
"I, Xiao Yan, did not come to the Gu Realm to defeat anyone..."
!!!!
The crowd listened in absolute silence. No one dared make a sound; even their breathing grew carefully light.
"...Nor did I come here to trample on anyone's pride, or to prove how strong I am."
"Nor for a spot in the Heavenly Tomb."
He stopped before Xun Er. Under countless watching eyes, he straightened his back as best he could, his tattered clothes dyed red, his right hand trembling faintly.
"I, Xiao Yan, came to the Gu Clan for only one thing."
He slowly drew out a brocade box from his storage ring with his uninjured hand. His fingers shook from exhaustion, but he held it steadily. When he opened it, a snow-white butterfly lay quietly inside, pure and immaculate against the silk lining.
It was a Pill Beast! The Nine Revolutions Heaven-Changing Pill that had attracted nine-colored Pill Lightning!
He looked into Xun Er's tear-bright eyes and smiled.
"Xun Er... will you marry me?"
He, Xiao Yan, had come to the Gu Clan for this one purpose alone: to formally propose marriage, to take Xun Er as his wife. For so many years, this had been the greatest wish burning in the heart of this bloodied and battered man.
At his words, tears instantly flooded Xun Er's beautiful eyes. She rushed forward without the slightest hesitation, throwing her arms tightly around him. Pressing her face against his chest, she sobbed like a child.
"Yes."
She had always believed in him.