Chapter 269: Dou Emperor

Hun Xu Zi said he admired Xiao Yan out of sincerity.

Xiao Yan could have easily kept the Tuoshe Ancient Jade hidden, making the Soul Sovereign believe it was taken by the Gu Clan—diverting the trouble eastward to the Gu Clan, since both Gu Yuan and Gu Xun Er knew the Xiao Clan's location and could have taken the Ancient Jade long ago.

No one would suspect that the current Xiao Clan could deceive the Gu Clan.

And Xiao Yan knew the Tuoshe Ancient Jade granted access to the Dou Emperor Ruins; faced with the temptation of becoming a Dou Emperor, no one could resist—not even Xiao Yan, and now even Hun Xu Zi had considered hiding the Ancient Jade himself.

Yet Xiao Yan had so decisively abandoned the Tuoshe Ancient Jade.

From a rational standpoint, Xiao Yan's action was correct, but no human can remain rational before immense temptation.

Hearing Hun Xu Zi's words, Xiao Yan slowly said: "You're mistaken. I have no such courage—I simply have other pursuits beyond becoming a Dou Emperor."

Hun Xu Zi's withered face slowly twisted into an ugly smile, chuckling: "Jiejiejie, I have a premonition—Tong Xuan's old fool didn't kill you with one palm strike, and the Gu Clan will regret it in the future."

Hun Xu Zi appeared behind Xiao Yan like a phantom, his deep voice echoing: "Though my Soul Sovereign destroyed your Xiao Clan, it was the Xiao Clan of a thousand years ago. If my Soul Sovereign becomes Emperor, I guarantee there will be no more distinction between Dou Emperor Families, and no one will stand in your way with that Gu Clan heiress."

Hun Xu Zi's finger lightly brushed Xiao Yan's storage ring; a simple, ancient token slowly floated out. Hun Xu Zi's withered finger touched the Soul Token, and instantly—hum! —the token erupted with a powerful, mysterious soul force!

The four characters "Tian Ji Protector" on the back of the Soul Token gradually faded and vanished, replaced by a single character—"Zun"—covering the entire token.

The "Hun" character on the Soul Token seemed to come alive, shifting like a demonic, elusive spirit; the token continuously radiated a chilling aura.

Hun Xu Zi floated the Soul Token in his palm and said in a low voice: "Come. Join my Soul Sovereign. Rise again where you fell."

Xiao Yan glanced at the Soul Token, his eyes narrowing slightly, then looked at Hun Xu Zi and sneered: "Aren't you afraid my Xiao Clan will rise again?"

"Jiejiejie, your Xiao Clan was defeated by my Soul Sovereign in the past—if I fear even your current Xiao Clan, how could my Soul Sovereign ever claim the Emperor throne!" Hun Xu Zi said.

"I'll decline joining your Soul Sovereign—but, let's cooperate." Pah! Xiao Yan's lips curled slightly as he reached out and seized the Soul Token.

Wuuuwwww!!! The instant Xiao Yan gripped the Soul Token, it erupted with a chorus of ghostly foxes and wolf howls; a chilling, powerful soul power surged from the token and instantly drilled into the depths of Xiao Yan's soul.

Xiao Yan clearly felt the terrifying soul force enveloping him, an alien emotion spreading through his heart—his soul was forming a bond with the Soul Token. This was a soul imprint: the power was evil, cold, violent—and immensely strong!

A black "Hun" character appeared in Xiao Yan's left eye, then quickly vanished, hiding within his soul.

"So this is the ritual to activate the Soul Token and join the Soul Sovereign," Xiao Yan now clearly sensed his connection to the token—it was his. Even if he died, his soul body could reside within the token for centuries.

This Soul Token in Xiao Yan's hand was likely far more precious than ordinary ones in the clan—this activated token was a supreme treasure! The Soul Sovereign's depth of heritage could be glimpsed even through a crack in the wall!

Moreover, Xiao Yan's soul force had benefited from that immense power, fully entering the Spiritual Force Realm: Commoner Full Completion—the soul force of a Seventh-Rank Alchemist. If he could cultivate to Spiritual Force Realm: Commoner Full Completion, he could use the Soul Gathering Technique to break into the Spirit Realm!

If the Gu Clan was comparable to the Soul Sovereign as a Dou Emperor Family, then their heritage was unimaginable. No wonder even the deputy commander of a mere clan guard unit dared to be so arrogant—such heritage made arrogance inevitable.

Give him this, and he'd be even more arrogant than Ling Quan.

"Is that all?" Xiao Yan looked at Hun Xu Zi. He had handed over the Tuoshe Ancient Jade not only to prevent the Soul Sovereign from discovering the jade still lay within the Xiao Clan and drawing unnecessary trouble, but also because Xiao Yan now needed immense power.

He had still lost.

Four years of effort and struggle had indeed let him defeat Ling Quan, but the result remained: the Gu Clan's refusal. Elder Tong Xuan's shaking head and sigh pierced Xiao Yan's heart like a blade.

The Gu Clan still would not approve of Xiao Yan and Xun Er's relationship—Xiao Yan's power was still far, far too weak.

A genius with potential is still only potential; whether that potential will ever materialize is uncertain, and moreover, Xiao Yan's potential had not reached the level to make the Gu Clan take notice.

Hun Xu Zi smiled a knowing smile, chuckling: "Jiejiejie, greed is a good thing. Without greed, how can one strive forward?"

"Regardless, this Ancient Jade was delivered by you—it counts as a great merit. Speak: what do you desire?"

In the past, Hun Tian Di had lost countless clan members to this single Ancient Jade—countless Dou Zun, Dou Sheng perished—and still, they never obtained it.

Hun Tian Di probably never imagined that a thousand years later, the Ancient Jade of the Xiao Clan would still fall into the hands of the Soul Sovereign—and all because of the Xiao Clan's ally, the Gu Clan.

The affairs of the world are indeed so wondrous.

Xiao Yan's lips curled slightly, his eyes revealing unhidden greed—the craving for power, the most primal drive of any cultivator.

"Di Hun Jue."

Upon hearing those three words from Xiao Yan, Hun Xu Zi's aged eyes flashed with sharp light, and he asked: "Do you know what Di Hun Jue is?"

Xiao Yan recalled the description he had once read: "A cultivation method created by the Soul Emperor: one soul extinguishes ten thousand souls, ten thousand souls command the heavens. When perfected, the soul shatters but does not die; one can tear apart one's own soul to exist independently, bestowing upon all things in the world the will of an Emperor—this is Di Hun Jue."

Hun Xu Zi slowly shook his head, his aged eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, speaking calmly: "Your Xiao Clan has indeed lost too much. Dou Emperor Families value Dou Di Bloodline not only because it accelerates disciples' cultivation speed, but more importantly, the Dou Techniques, Cultivation Methods, and Secret Techniques created by Dou Emperors can only be cultivated and fully unleashed by those with Dou Di Bloodline."

!!?

"What you saw of Di Hun Jue was merely the upper volume. Di Hun Jue itself is not divided into upper and lower volumes—it was split only because its cultivation is extraordinarily strict."

"Even the split upper volume requires a Six-Star Dou Di Bloodline to cultivate; even within the Soul Sovereign, only dozens have completed the upper volume."

"The complete Di Hun Jue demands Divine Grade Bloodline to cultivate. Only four in the entire Soul Sovereign can cultivate it—and only the Clan Leader, Hun Tian Di, has perfected it."

Hun Xu Zi flicked his finger; the Imperial Seal Scroll given by Xun Er floated out from Xiao Yan's storage ring.

"Your Imperial Seal Scroll is a degraded version—a product the Gu Clan forged over countless ages by modifying the true Imperial Seal Scroll. The true Imperial Seal Scroll also requires Gu Clan Dou Di Bloodline to cultivate; the modification was made to allow lower-bloodline disciples to practice it."

"The true Imperial Seal Scroll unites five seals into one, its power piercing heaven and earth—it is a supreme Dou Technique surpassing Heavenly Rank. Legends say that in the ancient era of the myriad Emperors, the Ancient Emperor used the Imperial Seal Scroll to slay a Dou Emperor. The Imperial Seal Scroll is a Dou Technique that slays Emperors."

!!!!! Xiao Yan's pupils widened in shock—he remembered Xiao Xuan's desperate effort to preserve Po Cang Qiong, and this unknown technique also required Xiao Clan Dou Di Bloodline to cultivate!

"The Dou Techniques created by ancient Demon Saints like Huang Quan and Pure Lotus were already high-grade Heavenly Rank. If a Dou Emperor's creation were merely low-grade, wouldn't that be laughable?" Hun Xu Zi flicked the scroll, sending the so-called Imperial Seal Scroll flying toward Xiao Yan.

A Dou Emperor's casual creation could never be as low as low-grade.

"This is the true gap in heritage between Dou Emperor Families and other clans or factions. Without Dou Di Bloodline, the body cannot withstand the power of these Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques—not only can they not be cultivated, but forcing them is suicide."

"Heavenly Rank is the peak of the Dou Qi Continent—but for Dou Emperor Families who once touched that level, Heavenly Rank is not the end."

Dou Emperor Families possess not only small worlds created by Dou Emperors, independent of the Dou Qi Continent—living in another realm like the legendary Celestial Court.

And these Dou Emperor Families, whose lineages have never been broken since the era of the myriad Emperors, possess the Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques created by Dou Emperors—they hold the very heritage of Dou Emperors!

"If you wish, I can transmit to you my entire lifetime of Pill Alchemy knowledge, and even forge for you a Ji Pin Dan Yao to elevate your alchemical talent further." As Hun Xu Zi spoke, suddenly—a flash of Black Flame appeared in Xiao Yan's hand, and a jade bottle materialized.

Xiao Yan had learned wisdom: he no longer stored truly important items in his storage ring—he entrusted them to Mao Wu, who possessed the Void Space.

Such as Fen Jue and this jade bottle.

Xiao Yan used the Black Flame's sub-flame to safeguard these items, preventing soul force from spying—something even Hun Xu Zi had not anticipated.

In just three years, Xiao Yan had already begun to master the sub-flame's abilities.

When the jade bottle appeared, Hun Xu Zi's aged eyes flashed with cold sharpness—he knew perfectly well what was inside!

"Do you know what lies ahead is the endless Shen Yuan?" Hun Xu Zi's eyes narrowed slightly—he roughly guessed what Xiao Yan intended to do.

The Jade Bottle contained precisely that single drop of blood Mao Wu had refined from YaoLi.

Xiao Yan now naturally knew what it was—the Dou Di Bloodline purified by Void Swallowing Flame.

Xiao Yan said nothing, but Hun Xu Zi had already seen the answer in Xiao Yan's eyes.

Enter Shen Yuan!

With a grin, Hun Xu Zi turned his hand and drew forth a dark Scroll, wrapped in countless Spiritual Souls, from which intermittent wails of ghosts echoed; he flicked it gently toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan did not open the Scroll immediately, but instead stored it within his Void Swallowing Flame subfire—he currently lacked the ability to even open the Emperor Soul Scripture.

"Jie jie jie, you may be more like the Soul Sovereign than the Soul Sovereign itself."

Whoosh—the moment Hun Xu Zi's voice faded, Xiao Yan returned from the Void Space to Jia Nan Academy.

With Hun Xu Zi's power, not even a trace remained, as if nothing had just occurred.

Xiao Yan slowly raised his head; the moon in the sky tonight was unusually dim and lifeless.

"Xun Er… wait for me."

【You are not yet qualified to cooperate with me unless you have the Emperor Soul Scripture】

Suddenly, a strange voice reached Xiao Yan's heart, yet strangely, hearing it did not alarm him—he walked slowly down the hillside.

"I know."

The faint breeze stirred by a butterfly's wings had now become a cataclysmic hurricane capable of overturning the world's fabric.

(End of Chapter)