Word Count: 2,977 Words
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"An entire vial of Dou God Blood!"
The moment Xiao Yan produced the blood vial, its faint yet surging might instantly set the Dou God Bloodline within countless Hun Clan common descendants ablaze. Mouths went dry across the plaza as innumerable eyes locked hungrily onto the vial in his hand.
They all knew exactly what it was!
Everyone in the Hun Clan understood the rules: if you performed meritorious deeds, cleared clan trials, brought back resources from ancient secret realms, or captured members of other Dou God Clans, you might be rewarded with a blood vial to strengthen your own Dou God Bloodline!
The Hall of Souls hunted soul bodies throughout the Dou Qi Continent. What, then, did the members of the Hun Clan itself do?
The answer was obvious: they targeted other Dou God Clans!
Where else would Dou God Bloodline come from? This explained why the Hun Clan had always been at odds with the other ancient clans and why Yao Li had trembled at its mere mention.
Hun Clan members also hunted soul bodies!
Take the Heavenly Tomb, for instance. That ancient secret realm had once marked the border between the Xiao and Gu Clan territories. Similarly, other Dou God Clans had their own boundary realms, and those secret places became battlegrounds where the scions of the great clans fought bitterly for resources. It was in such places that the young heirs of the ancient clans most often clashed.
Members of the Dou God Clans rarely appeared on the wider Dou Qi Continent for a simple reason: they disdained its resources, which paled in comparison to those found in the ancient secret realms born when Dou Gods first shaped creation.
Only a handful of truly rare treasures such as Heavenly Flames or the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree could catch their attention. As for places like the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool or the Pill Realm, these held no appeal whatsoever.
Hun Feng and Hun Yu, both possessing Divine Grade bloodlines, glanced at Xiao Yan before quickly looking away. Such a small amount of Dou God Bloodline was worthless to them.
For those with Grade 6 bloodline or lower, however, it was a treasure beyond measure.
"The Tenth Tianzun is ranked last?"
"An entire vial… that should be enough to raise one's Dou God Bloodline to Grade 5 or even Grade 6, right?"
"But he's only a 3-star Dou Venerate."
Several Dou Venerates with Grade 6 bloodlines swallowed hard. Though they were only 1-star or 2-star Dou Venerates themselves and knew Xiao Yan was not weak, they could not suppress their covetous desires. One muttered, "Though the Hall of Souls is our clan's force, still..."
The sight of Xiao Yan producing an entire vial drove countless onlookers to the brink of madness with envy. Aside from Hun Feng, Hun Yu, and a few powerful Dou Saint elders, who could possibly produce an entire vial at once?
Yet this Tenth Tianzun, an outsider from the Hall of Souls, possessed one. How could that not drive people to distraction?
Even the three elders were momentarily taken aback when Xiao Yan produced the entire vial of Dou God Bloodline, for they understood its true value.
Hun Lao Gui had once told Xiao Yan that a full vial required soul points equivalent to a Half-Saint's soul body. The value was self-evident.
The three elders exchanged glances, a trace of greed lurking in the depths of their eyes. The main issue was that Xiao Yan was not a Hun Clan member by birth; he had joined through the Hall of Souls.
You show off like this the moment you arrive… You're making things difficult for everyone.
'No wonder the Hall of Souls has such an atmosphere. The Hun Clan is even worse,' Xiao Yan thought to himself. This was truly a den of wolves, all of them ravenous!
Fortunately, he was a wolf himself.
BOOM!
A deafening boom suddenly erupted from within Xiao Yan. The sky darkened abruptly, and all surrounding light began to dim. In that moment, the shadow beneath his feet expanded like the Nine Serene Abyss itself, engulfing the entire plaza.
Within those depths seemed to dwell an ancient, terrible Asura demon.
His perfected Soul State Spiritual Strength surged forth like dreadful demonic energy, raging across the plaza. The terrifying Spiritual Strength pressed down upon space itself, as though some primeval demon had awakened after countless eons of slumber.
"Perfected Soul State Spiritual Strength?!"
BOOM BOOM!!
Thunder roared continuously as a terrifying soul storm formed around Xiao Yan. The invisible tempest raged wildly, accompanied by crackling sounds as lightning actually began striking from the heavens.
Xiao Yan slowly turned his head to face the pack of wolf-like Hun Clan members behind him. His eyes had darkened to absolute blackness. Though his irises had always resembled black pearls, they now seemed even more pitch-black and terrifying.
The moment his gaze fell upon them, everyone who met those eyes felt as if their very souls were being cleaved apart. Those eyes seemed capable of devouring all souls, sending a chill down every spine.
"Jie Jie Jie… Do you all wish to become soul points?"
Pu!
As his gaze swept over them, those whose Spiritual Strength had not reached the Soul State instantly suffered devastating blows to their souls. Blood sprayed from their mouths as though their hearts had been pierced.
Even Dou Venerates with Soul State Spiritual Strength and Grade 6 or 7 bloodlines felt ice run down their necks. They unconsciously touched their throats, feeling as if an invisible blade were pressed against them.
Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength had reached the perfected Soul State, and he had cultivated the Asura Soul Reaping Technique, a High Di Class Soul Skill that approached the Tian Class, to its limit. Its power was not something ordinary people could withstand.
Even those with Grade 8 bloodlines like Hun Ya wore solemn expressions. Perfected Soul State Spiritual Strength was more than enough to make them set aside their contempt.
The three elders also suppressed the greed in their eyes, recognizing Xiao Yan's value.
If Xiao Yan could enter the Hun Realm, he must have received the Hall Chief's approval.
There could be only two explanations for a 3-star Dou Venerate outsider joining the Hun Clan: either Hun Mie Sheng was a fool who admitted anyone, or this person possessed impressive abilities that even impressed the Hall Chief.
Hun Mie Sheng was obviously no fool. The Hall of Souls served as the Hun Clan's 'subsidiary,' and its fearsome reputation had been established single-handedly by Hun Mie Sheng himself!
How could such a person be foolish?
Xiao Yan clearly belonged to the second category. Even without a Dou God Bloodline, someone like him was a valuable asset to the Hun Clan.
He slowly withdrew his Spiritual Strength. He had not come here to fight, but to obtain the Hun Clan's Dou God Bloodline and Clan Mark.
Once calm returned, he smiled brightly. "Elders?"
The three elders nodded, acknowledging Xiao Yan as a clan member.
The leading elder addressed everyone in the plaza in a deep voice. "Those who have completed the coming-of-age ceremony may leave now. Return and focus on your cultivation."
Although many were curious as to how this Tenth Tianzun of the Hall of Souls would claim the Dou God Bloodline, none dared defy the elder's command. Soon, the plaza emptied, leaving only the three elders and Xiao Yan.
"Since you have obtained a blood vial and are now one of us, you naturally qualify to receive a Clan Mark through the ceremony," the leading elder said with a nod. He waved his hand, and lines of an ancient formation lit up across the plaza, emanating powerful soul energy that covered the entire area.
The ceremonial formation carried a strange quality that resembled the Dou God Bloodline itself! This was likely a formation created by the Hun Clan's Dou God!
Xiao Yan looked at the ancient ceremonial formation and knew that the moment had come!
Just as he composed himself to face the Dou God ceremonial formation, a voice came from the plaza entrance.
"Let me handle this."
The moment the voice rang out, all three elders' expressions changed dramatically. Terror flickered in their eyes, and without even daring to look at the newcomer, they dropped to one knee and shouted in unison, "We respectfully welcome the Clan Head!"
"Clan Head?!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened as he watched the man slowly approach from the edge of the plaza.
The first impression Xiao Yan had upon seeing him was that of a refined and handsome man. Give him a book, and he would be a scholar; give him a fan, and he would be a noble young master from the secular world.
Hun Tiandi. The Clan Head of the Hun Clan!
Hun Tiandi smiled as he gazed at Xiao Yan. "According to Dou God Clan rules, each clan's Little Clan Leader's coming-of-age ceremony should be personally conducted by the Clan Head."
"You are the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, so naturally, I shall perform it."
Xiao Clan?!!!
The three elders' hearts thundered with shock! Hasn't the Xiao Clan been annihilated? By our Hun Clan, no less! The leading elder was especially stunned, as he had participated in that extermination!
He had merely been a Dou Venerate then, serving as cannon fodder, and had survived only by sheer luck!
And this youth is the Xiao Clan's Little Clan Leader???
The Xiao Clan's Little Clan Leader joining the Hun Clan?! Preposterous!
Despite being Dou Saints, the three elders' minds were spinning in confusion. What madness was this!
Yet none dared speak, question, or even look up, for these were the words of Hun Tiandi himself!
Hun Tiandi waved his hand. The three Dou Saint elders who had commanded respect from countless Hun Clan members fled as if pardoned, each using their own methods to escape, leaving only Xiao Yan and Hun Tiandi.
Xiao Yan relaxed his posture after a brief surprise. It was pointless to be vigilant before someone of this caliber. He had known the risks when entering the Hun Clan.
He could stand tall before Hun Tiandi only because he currently had no conflicts of interest with the Hun Clan, had already handed over the Tou She Ancient God's Jade to Hun Huzi, and still held value to them. Otherwise, he would already be dead.
"You possess many Heavenly Flames. Your Qi Method is most unusual," Hun Tiandi remarked casually, seeing through Xiao Yan's secrets at a glance.
Xiao Yan spread his hands and shrugged. "What of it? Do you want them?"
Hun Tiandi smiled and shook his head. "These Heavenly Flames hold no value for me. Compared to your Qi Method, your alchemy skills are infinitely more valuable."
Even the Xiao Clan's Dou God Qi Methods and Dou Techniques held no allure for Hun Tiandi. His heart yearned for only one thing, and for that thing, he could sacrifice even the entire Hun Clan.
What he valued most about Xiao Yan was his alchemy.
Hun Tiandi looked at the blood vial on the ground and pointed through the empty space. The vial exploded with a bang, and drops of blood scattered across the ground.
When the Dou God Bloodline merged with the formation, the entire array emitted waves of blood-red light. The bloodline seemed to come alive, writhing on the ground like a living creature!
Pu pu pu!!!
The writhing blood transformed into countless needle-thin streams that shot toward Xiao Yan's body. They brutally forced their way through his pores and rushed into his soul.
!!!!
The soul-rending pain of ten thousand piercing arrows turned his face pale as he sucked in a sharp, cold breath.
Hun Tiandi smiled. "The strength of my Hun Clan's bloodline naturally lies in the soul."
Though Xiao Yan had been prepared, the excruciating pain still contorted his face, his veins bulging! He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to endure the tearing agony even as his eyelids began to droop.
Xiao Yan immediately sat cross-legged and waved his hand, summoning the scroll containing the Emperor Soul Technique. He unfurled it with a sharp movement.
Rustle!
The scroll spread open, and an incredibly powerful stream of spiritual information shot directly into his brow.
Xiao Yan knew he absolutely could not fall asleep now. Though Hun Tiandi had not explicitly stated it, this transformation from nothing to having Dou God Bloodline was essentially a rebirth. Falling asleep would mean failure.
He chose to endure the extreme pain while simultaneously studying the Emperor Soul Technique to divert his attention.
He had attempted such dual-tasking once before, while refining pills!
Hun Tiandi watched him endure such suffering while cultivating the Emperor Soul Technique, then smiled faintly and left the plaza.
He naturally would not offer assistance. If Xiao Yan could not handle even this simple task, he would never be capable of refining the Di Tier Pill.
Time flew swiftly in the quiet plaza. Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and Xiao Yan remained seated with his legs crossed the entire time.
His gaze remained fixed on the Emperor Soul Technique scroll. The terrifying spiritual information nearly overwhelmed his mind. Without perfected Soul State Spiritual Strength, cultivating the technique would have been impossible.
Even though this was merely the first volume, this Soul Training Method was at least Low Tian Class, and its cultivation difficulty was evident. Even Xiao Yan needed a full ten days just to read through it completely.
Yet he had no time to complain about the difficulty. What had begun as the pain of ten thousand arrows had transformed into the maddening itch of a thousand ants crawling over his body. His soul felt as if countless ants were crawling across it, yet he could not scratch the itch.
ROAR!!!
A mighty bellow erupted as a massive Asura shadow appeared behind Xiao Yan. The asura manifestation conjured a long sword and thrust it into Xiao Yan's soul body with a squelching sound!
The heart-piercing pain provided some relief from the itching sensation, helping Xiao Yan maintain his focus on the Emperor Soul Technique.
Some twenty days later, the flickering formation finally dimmed and went out. Xiao Yan, still seated cross-legged, stabilized his breathing.
At last, a faint sound rang out, and an unimaginably powerful soul storm erupted from his body. His Spiritual Strength exploded outward, soaring into the sky!
An invisible soul vortex formed, with the Tenth Tianzun of the Hall of Souls at its center!
"What in the world? Whose terrifying soul vortex is that?!"
"It's coming from the plaza! Could it be that Tenth Tianzun from a month ago?!"
All at once, the entire Corpse Soul City seemed to sense it. Everyone looked toward the city center, and for once, even the common descendants could not remain indifferent.
Even for them, such a terrifying soul storm was a rare sight!
The massive vortex engulfed the entire Corpse Soul City as countless soul light clusters from all directions surged into Xiao Yan's body!
This was the Hun Realm, after all, where soul light clusters far outnumbered ordinary natural energy!
Just seeing these dense currents made it clear why the Dou God Clan members grew so powerful. The entire Hun Realm was a sacred ground for soul cultivation!
The Emperor Soul Technique was a Tian Class Soul Training Method, and the hallmark of such techniques was their ability to absorb the energy of the world from a hundred miles around!
Xiao Yan's absorption continued for three days and nights. Finally, on the fourth day, he abruptly opened his eyes.
The moment they opened, every common descendant in Corpse Soul City experienced a mental blank. Their soul bodies involuntarily emerged from the crowns of their heads, rose a head's height, and bowed in Xiao Yan's direction!
Ten Thousand Souls Bow Their Heads—Heavenly State Soul!
"Ten Thousand Souls Bow Their Heads... This is the Heavenly State." Around Corpse Soul City, Hun Clan members who had reached Dou Venerate all looked gravely toward Xiao Yan in the plaza.
Though he had only advanced from early to late 3-star Dou Venerate during this period, his soul advancement was truly terrifying! The Dou God Bloodline was just bloodline, after all. Without natural energy present, he had only managed to raise his cultivation slightly through the Flame Mantra and Fallen Heart Flame.
But his Spiritual Strength enhancement was extraordinary!
This was the Hun Realm, where soul cultivation progressed twice as fast with half the effort. Now, Xiao Yan had obtained the Hun Clan's Dou God Bloodline and the Emperor Soul Technique, allowing him to shatter the barrier and reach the Heavenly State!!!
Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, those whose Spiritual Strength reached the Heavenly State were vanishingly rare. Of course, within the Hun Clan, Xiao Yan was not quite so extraordinary.
The Hun Clan specialized in soul cultivation first and Dou Qi second. Some 8-star and 9-star Dou Venerates, aided by their Dou God Bloodlines, had reached the perfected Soul State, and a few had even broken through to the Heavenly State.
Hun Yu, for instance, naturally possessed Heavenly State Spiritual Strength.
But Xiao Yan was an outsider—and now, he had reached the Heavenly State as well!
"Hah," Xiao Yan exhaled, the sound like a celestial being's sigh. Everyone whose soul had emerged felt their hearts tremble, and they snapped back to their senses, confused about what had just happened.
Xiao Yan's gaze lifted and swept the surroundings. Though no one hovered in the sky, he knew countless eyes were watching him.
"What's this? Has the mighty Hun Clan never seen Heavenly State Spiritual Strength before?" Xiao Yan laughed coldly. So many gathering just to witness his breakthrough to the Heavenly State. Don't act like you've never seen one before.