The Falling Mountain Range—an isolated yet oddly bustling region of the Dou Qi Continent. Though technically located within the Central Plains, it extended to the very edges of that territory, a corner so remote that many considered it the armpit of the region.
Normally, aside from the occasional Magical Beast tribes native to this area, few humans would ever venture here. But the Falling Mountain Range was far from ordinary. Numerous earth-shaking battles had erupted here, and according to legend, many Dou Saints had perished within these mountains. The range derived its ominous name from that very tale.
Despite doubts about the legend's authenticity, treasure seekers from all over continued to flock here, hoping to discover remnants of the Dou Saints and ascend to glory in a single leap. Predictably, none had succeeded.
And yet, the failure of countless others never dampened the fervor. These seekers simply convinced themselves the treasures hadn't yet been discovered—not that they didn't exist at all.
At this moment, a black-robed young man was slowly walking along a path toward the summit. He had a handsome enough face, but the cold detachment in his eyes stopped even the boldest women from approaching.
What made him even more mysterious was his movement. Though his pace seemed unhurried, each step covered thousands of meters. And yet, no one in the mountain range noticed. A few passersby might blink and suddenly find that the figure walking beside them had vanished from sight.
"This is the place." The black-robed youth stared at the most treacherous peak in the range. With a single leap, he landed atop it.
This was the very center of the Falling Mountain Range—Falling Apex. With cliffs like blades and an altitude of ten thousand zhang, few dared approach.
Despite the steep terrain, the summit was unusually smooth, resembling a massive mirror embedded into the heart of the range. Sunlight streamed down and reflected straight back into the sky, forming a vertical pillar of radiance—an awe-inspiring sight.
"Looks like the trip wasn't in vain." The youth stared into the light, his deep black eyes—usually as calm as still water—flickering with a rare intensity. From within the pillar, he sensed an incredibly pure energy. Though faint, if he could absorb it fully, he just might reach that legendary realm.
He fixed his gaze on the glowing beam but didn't charge in recklessly. Instead, he looked to the air before him and spoke with mild disinterest, "Since you've come, why not show yourself? What's the point of lurking in the shadows?"
"Hehe… Truly deserving of your reputation as the Wrathful Saint, feared by all seven clans. That perception of yours is terrifyingly sharp." A light laugh echoed as a spatial vortex formed less than a kilometer away. From within emerged a lean silhouette.
It was a woman. She wore white robes that flowed like clouds and had a strikingly beautiful face. Despite the smile on her lips, the killing intent radiating from her felt like an ocean of blood pressing down. She looked at the composed man and smiled. "Long time no see, Xiao Yan."
"If you just came here for small talk, you're wasting your time. Hun Dai'er… no, I suppose 'Clan Leader of the Hun Clan' is more appropriate now." Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged. He'd crossed paths with her many times before and knew full well how dangerous she could be. She might seem elegant and gentle, but the corpses she'd left behind could probably fill the entire Falling Mountain Range.
Still, her record paled next to his. For no matter how ruthless she was, she still had limits. Xiao Yan, however, had long since cast his aside.
"You should already know why I'm here," Hun Dai'er said with a faint smile. "You're not the only one interested in that thing."
"Tch. As troublesome as ever." Xiao Yan shook his head and opened his palm. A pink flame quietly ignited in his hand. "It's been a while since we fought. Ever since you took over the Hun Clan, I've wondered—how do you compare to Hun Tiandi?"
"If you'd just handed over the Tou She Ancient Emperor Jade back then, none of this would've happened." Hun Dai'er's gaze shifted toward the flame in Xiao Yan's palm. A flicker of caution appeared in her eyes. Ranked third on the Heavenly Flame List, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame was nothing to underestimate—even for a peak Dou Saint like herself.
"Heh. I told you a hundred years ago—I destroyed it. If I can't have it, neither will you. We might as well break things off completely."
"I also told you then—if you chose to work with us, you'd always be a guest of honor in the Hun Clan. And once I broke through to the Dou God realm, I'd help you rise with me. That offer still stands."
"No need. One taste of betrayal is enough." Xiao Yan smirked coldly. "Why don't you call out the rest of your helpers? Coming alone doesn't suit your style."
"You really do know me well…" Hun Dai'er sighed, then raised her hand.
The skies above Falling Apex suddenly darkened. In just a few breaths, layer upon layer of black mist spread across tens of thousands of li, swallowing the entire summit.
Xiao Yan frowned slightly and looked up. The fog churned, and from it emerged four pitch-black gates, anchoring the four corners of the sky. Waves of deathly aura spilled forth, sealing everything within several thousand li.
On each gate sat a figure radiating power comparable to an eight-star Dou Saint. But something about them felt… off. Their energy wasn't quite human.
"The Gates of Death… Didn't think you could actually deploy these." Xiao Yan glanced at the deathly Qi swirling around him. His eyes remained calm. With the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's innate purifying ability, this level of death Qi posed no threat to him. Still, a formation formed by four Gates of Death—especially when manned by four peak experts—was nothing to scoff at.
"Hehe. After what happened with the second Xiao Xuan, we've learned our lesson," one of the elders seated atop a gate said with a dry laugh.
"I remember you—Hun Yuan Tian, right? Weren't you the one my ancestor Xiao Xuan killed back in the day? Never thought you'd return. Looks like the Hun Clan's been hiding quite a few tricks…" Xiao Yan chuckled. The pink flame in his eyes flared. "But you're not the only one with hidden cards."
"Come forth—Heaven Refining Grand Array!"
With a flick of his wrist, two massive flaming formations—each tens of thousands of zhang wide—appeared in the sky. The pink flames they emitted spread like wildfire, burning away the black mist. Even Hun Dai'er's eyes flickered with fear.
"The Heaven Refining Grand Array of the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint?! Damn it—you inherited that too?!"
"Just a bit of luck." Xiao Yan's voice was calm. "Now let's see—which is stronger? Your Death Domain, or my Heaven Refining Grand Array?"
As his words fell, the two flaming arrays descended, targeting the four black gates. The eight-star Dou Saints seated atop them scrambled to activate the domain and fend off the fire's corrosive force.
"No one will disturb us now." Xiao Yan looked up at the clashing domains. His tone was flat. While the array's power was diminished without his direct control, it was more than enough to hold off those four.
"Show me what else you've got," he said, slowly extending his hand. A brilliant lotus of flame formed in his palm, glowing with intense radiance.
"You think I'm scared of that thing?" Hun Dai'er stomped the ground. A tidal wave of energy—so vast it reached the clouds—surged toward Xiao Yan. Space shattered in its wake. Even an eight-star Dou Saint would struggle to survive such a force.
Xiao Yan remained calm. With a gentle toss, the flame lotus flew forth.
Though no larger than a hand, the lotus struck the tidal wave—and within mere breaths, the towering sea of energy was completely incinerated.
Hun Dai'er's eyes narrowed. Seeing the lotus continue toward her unabated, she bit her finger and traced a strange rune in midair. A blood-red sigil appeared before her, colliding violently with the lotus.
The world went silent.
Then came a faint ripple—soundless, yet utterly devastating. Everything within tens of thousands of li vanished into void. Even the entire Falling Mountain Range below was obliterated.
"A Blood Soul Demon Sigil… No wonder it blocked the Flame of Destruction." Xiao Yan's voice held surprise. Just as he prepared another strike, the beam of light above them suddenly flared.
"What the…?" Both he and Hun Dai'er froze. Before they could react, the light exploded outward, engulfing them both.
"Damn it—what is this?!"
They struggled with everything they had, but the energy within the beam vastly surpassed theirs. Even their Emperor-tier soul power couldn't resist its pull. Their consciousnesses began to fade.
When Xiao Yan next opened his eyes, he no longer saw white light. Before him stood an ancient, majestic palace. He glanced around. Hun Dai'er was nowhere in sight.
'Seems I've got no choice but to move forward.' He took a deep breath and sprinted down the palace corridor. Xiao Yan was never one for hesitation. The palace's aura made even a peak Dou Saint like him feel uneasy. Only a Dou God could emit that kind of pressure.
This palace might offer a path to the realm he'd always yearned for…
Or lead to his eternal doom.
Just then, a streak of black light shot toward him. Alarmed, Xiao Yan summoned a defensive barrier using his Heavenly Flame. But the light stopped midair, hovering quietly.
'That's… a flame?' he thought, astonished. Floating before him was a black flame, its aura not weaker than any known Heavenly Flame.
'Could this be… the top-ranked flame?' The thought flashed through his mind but was quickly dismissed. He had never seen the top-ranked Heavenly Flame before, nor had any records described it—but it surely wouldn't look like this.
'Maybe it's an undiscovered one?' After all, the Heavenly Flame List only recorded twenty-three. Many believed others still awaited discovery. And given this palace's connection to a Dou God, it was plausible.
Just as he pondered, the black flame darted forward—straight into his body.
"Shit!" Xiao Yan cursed, unleashing his soul power to locate it. But no matter how hard he searched, it had vanished without a trace.
Then, space before him twisted. A white vortex appeared. As he stared at it, a voice echoed in his ears:
"Step through this gate… and you shall behold what you cherish most."
'What I cherish most…?' For a moment, Xiao Yan hesitated. He had no family, no attachments. 'Is it a Heavenly Flame?'
Almost involuntarily, he stepped through the vortex.
The moment he entered, his power began to fade. His Dou Qi, his soul strength—even the Heavenly Flames he'd bonded with—quietly vanished. His body began to shrink.
At last, a blinding white light appeared ahead. He instinctively closed his eyes.
Then, a joyous voice rang out by his ear:
"Madam! You've given birth! It's a boy!"
(End of Chapter)
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