Stars filled the sky, the moon glowing like a silver disc.
Standing atop the peak of Yunlan Mountain, Yun Xian gazed down at the sea of clouds below.
Twenty years already…
As a transmigrator, Yun Xian was keenly aware of the harsh reality of the Dou Qi Continent.
Strength reigned supreme; the weak were as disposable as blades of grass.
He began to ponder the path ahead.
To alter Yunlan Sect's doomed fate, two options lay before him.
First, eliminate Xiao Yan.
Second, befriend Xiao Yan.
The first option seemed straightforward, but was fraught with complications.
For one, there was Xun Er, the young lady of the Gu Clan. The forces behind her could crush Yunlan Sect as easily as squashing an ant.
Moreover, if Xiao Yan were killed, who would stand against Hun Tiandi in the future? Himself? Yun Xian had no interest in playing the savior—a troublesome role if ever THERE was one.
That leaves befriending Xiao Yan as the best choice.
But that girl Yanran is dead-set on breaking off the engagement.
Yun Xian felt a headache coming on.
He'd painstakingly molded Nalan Yanran into an obedient disciple, compliant in all things—except this. When it came to her engagement with the Xiao family, she refused to budge, no matter what.
Fine. I can't exactly tie Yanran up and drag her to the Xiao family to force her on Xiao Yan. That's not befriending; that's groveling…
Yun Xian shook his head.
Though a pragmatist, he wasn't so callous as to disregard the wishes of those close to him for the sake of gain.
Looks like I'll have to visit the Xiao family myself.
In Yun Xian's view, Nalan Yanran's refusal to marry a stranger wasn't inherently wrong. The problem was her approach—storming in to break off the engagement in a way that utterly trampled the man's dignity, sowing irreconcilable enmity between the two families.
Yun Xian believed a peaceful dissolution was entirely feasible. Preserve the Xiao family's face, offer appropriate compensation, and both sides could part amicably.
And then there's one other person…
Yun Xian's eyes narrowed, his mind conjuring Yun Leng's repulsive sneer.
Across the entire novel, Yun Leng was a top contender on the list of those who courted disaster!
In the original story, under Yun Leng's protection, outer sect deacon Mo Cheng ran rampant under Yunlan Sect's banner, wreaking havoc and tarnishing the sect's reputation.
The Three-Year Agreement was meant to be a simple duel between two young juniors, Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan. But when Yun Leng couldn't accept defeat, he tried to detain Xiao Yan, escalating the matter until Ice Emperor Hai Bodong and Ling Ying, the Gu Clan's strongest Dou Huang, got involved. He even roused the secluded Yun Shan, turning a petty squabble into a full-blown sect crisis!
When Queen Medusa, in her Heaven Swallowing Python form, appeared, both sides reached a temporary truce, and Yun Shan allowed Xiao Yan to leave. The matter could have ended there. But Yun Leng, still scheming, sent forces to massacre the Xiao family in Wutan City… pushing both sides into a deadly, irreconcilable feud!
In short, Yun Leng bore at least half the blame for Yunlan Sect's downfall!
Whoosh!
The clouds churned.
Speak of the devil, and he appears. Heh.
Yun Xian's eyes flickered, reverting to his usual languid demeanor. "What brings Senior Brother Yun Leng to me?"
Whoosh!
Dou Qi wings flared as Yun Leng soared into the sky, hovering above with a condescending glare.
"Hmph! Yun Xian, your Dou Qi is pathetic, but your senses are sharp enough."
"Too bad you lack fire or wood attributes, so you're doomed never to become an alchemist."
A glint of surprise flashed in Yun Leng's eyes, though he dismissed it quickly.
"And?"
With hands behind his head, Yun Xian sprawled leisurely on the grass, legs crossed, chewing on a flavorful spirit herb.
Yun Leng's irritation flared at the sight, and he barked, "Yun Xian! You bear the title of Yunlan Sect elder, yet you slack off instead of cultivating. Still stuck at Dou Zhe— you're a disgrace to the sect!"
"Hm, fair point. Go on."
Yun Xian nodded with a smile.
"Today, as Grand Elder of Yunlan Sect, I order you to leave the sect immediately. From now on, you're forbidden to act in the sect's name!"
No pretense, no subtlety—Yun Leng's goal was to expel him outright!
"Senior Brother Yun Leng, does our teacher know of this decision?"
Yun Xian's expression remained calm as he met his gaze.
"The old Sect Leader was so furious with you, he's been in seclusion for years. I'm merely easing his burdens!"
Yun Leng's words dripped with righteous indignation, but he was overstepping, acting without authority.
"And does Senior Sister know?"
Yun Xian pressed further.
"The Sect Leader is focused on her cultivation. All sect affairs are under my sole authority."
Yun Leng snorted, then sneered pointedly, "And I'd advise you not to harbor any delusions about the Sect Leader! Back then, the old Sect Leader misjudged you, taking a useless fool like you for something special!"
It was no secret among the sect's upper echelons that Yun Shan had once tried to pair Yun Xian with Yun Yun.
"And if I refuse? What can you do, Senior Brother Yun Leng?"
Yun Xian's tone remained carefree, as if he'd never taken Yun Leng's threats seriously.
Yun Leng froze, then laughed in fury. "Ha! Hahaha!"
"Yun Xian, oh, Yun Xian, where do you get the gall to challenge me?"
"With your hollow title as a Yunlan Sect elder?"
"Or do you think I'd hesitate to strike because of our shared sect ties?"
"How naive…"
As he spoke, Yun Leng's hands surged with thick, earthen Dou Qi, his robes billowing without wind.
"Let me make this clear, Yun Xian!"
"In the Dou Qi Continent, rank, reputation, and bonds mean nothing!"
"Everything boils down to strength…"
"Even if I killed you here and now, the old Sect Leader would only scold me lightly— nothing more!"
Yun Leng unleashed his Dou Qi without restraint, aiming to crush Yun Xian with his aura.
Crack, crack, crack!
The grass, trees, and rocks around Yun Xian shattered under the pressure, yet his spot remained untouched. An invisible aura shielded him, holding Yun Leng's Dou Wang-level Dou Qi at bay, not yielding an inch!
"Is that… soul force?"
Yun Leng's pupils contracted, his face a mix of shock and bewilderment.
"Why so surprised?"
"Have I ever hidden it?"
Yun Xian's lips curled into a playful smirk.
"Could it be… a Dou God inheritance?!"
Yun Leng swallowed hard, his mind flashing back a decade. Yun Xian had claimed to possess a Dou God inheritance, but no one—not even the old Sect Leader—had believed him.
"Impossible!"
"Utterly impossible!"
"No Dou Di has appeared in the Dou Qi Continent for tens of thousands of years. How could there be an inheritance?"
Yun Leng roared, his voice hysterical, his heart gripped by panic.
"You're not wrong there."
Yun Xian nodded in agreement.
In the original novel, the last Dou God of the Dou Qi Continent was Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, whose true form was the top-ranked exotic flame. To claim his inheritance, one needed to practice the Flame Mantra to absorb the flame seeds from the Flame Plaza, evolving them into "Emperor Flame."
Yun Xian's Dou Qi attribute was wind, so the Flame Mantra path was closed to him.
But as a transmigrator, wasn't it only reasonable that he'd have a golden finger?
One day, ten years ago, after a grueling effort, Yun Xian condensed his Dou Qi cyclone and became a Dou Zhe.
That's when his golden finger activated, granting him the Ling Clan's Dou God inheritance, instantly elevating his soul force to the Emperor Realm!
It was… abrupt, to say the least.
No finesse, no technique—just raw, overwhelming power!