Chapter 22 Conflict

Xiao Yan smiled as he looked at the young cultivator slowly opening his eyes. From Xiao Yan's perspective, this young man's cultivation was impressive—he could easily be considered a leader on the Dou Qi Continent and had reached the strength of a Seven-Star Dou Huang. The giant wolf he had fought before was a seventh-tier magical beast known as the Howling Moon Nether Wolf. In battle, this beast was ruthless: it charged without hesitation at every opportunity and never dodged, even when its opponent neared a vital point. Most fighters, knowing its life-for-life combat style, preferred to retreat and wait for an opening; few could withstand its relentless assault. Only those far stronger than the Howling Moon Nether Wolf would dare to engage it directly. Yet the young cultivator before Xiao Yan was different. Although Xiao Yan had seen many fallen foes, he sensed that this man's identity and strength exceeded his humble appearance, as if he had been drawn from within his own force.

When the young cultivator fully opened his eyes and saw Xiao Yan, he leaped up from the bluestone on which he had been lying, landing a few feet away and raising a cloud of gray mist. Quickly, he walked forward, bowed respectfully, and said,

"I am Liu Xiang. Thank you for saving my life. I didn't recognize you at first—please forgive me."

Liu Xiang's straightforward, cheerful tone left little room for doubt. Xiao Yan did not hold any grudge; after explaining his own intentions, the two left the forest together. However, to avoid unnecessary trouble and to learn more about this world, Xiao Yan did not accompany Liu Xiang out of the forest.

Along the way, Xiao Yan grew impressed with Liu Xiang. From their conversation, he learned that they were in the southwest of the continent, near the ancient southern forest. The area was filled with powerful monsters—some nearly matching peak human cultivators in strength—but they had a mutual understanding with humans. Otherwise, they would be hunted down by the strongest forces until none were left.

Liu Xiang came from Qingyang City, a modest city in the southwest. He belonged to the Liu family, one of two major families in Qingyang City, which had been locked in both open and secret conflicts with the Wu family for hundreds of years. The two families had long been evenly matched until ten years ago, when the Wu family's leader made a breakthrough and injured the Liu family patriarch, leaving him with lasting sequelae. Although the patriarch's condition slowly improved, the Wu family continued to dominate Qingyang City's textile markets. With the patriarch still weakened and vital medicinal herbs scarce, the Wu family prepared to attack the city. In desperation, Liu Xiang led his family members in search of these herbs. After two months and several battles, Liu Xiang finally pinpointed the locations of all the medicinal herbs, though the last herb—the Soul-Protecting Grass—remained elusive. This impending family war left Liu Xiang and his people anxious; if Xiao Yan had not arrived in time, Liu Xiang might have become another victim.

Time passed, and soon the two neared the city. Xiao Yan observed a dark line on the distant horizon; the ground below had long shifted from green grass to a solid, well-trodden road. He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar human energy among the elements, and smiled softly,

"It's much smoother among humans! Being alone is boring. Brother Liu, I have other matters to attend to—see you another day!"

As soon as he finished, Xiao Yan's figure flashed away, leaving Liu Xiang in stunned silence. After a long moment, Liu Xiang stepped forward, nearly losing his balance. Finding his legs numb, he circulated his fighting spirit to restore feeling and then continued toward Qingyang City. This time, his speed was enhanced by martial techniques, leaving streaks of light behind as he dashed off. Muttering to himself, he remarked,

"Great... so fast. Only the Patriarch at full strength can match this pace—his power must be at least equal to the Patriarch's. Truly terrifying. With such talent, he must be a disciple of a major sect. If my Liu family is on good terms with him, even the Wu family will show courtesy. This matter must reach the Patriarch soon."

Immediately, his speed increased, and he flew quickly toward the Liu family stronghold in Qingyang City.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan strolled through the bustling city streets, smiling as he observed the lively crowds. After wandering for a while, he discovered a chamber of commerce that specialized in information. Inside, he casually flipped through various documents about the continent and smiled. He selected a book, tossed a handful of gold coins onto the counter, and left. Outside, he carefully read the dust-covered book titled Detailed Explanation of the Continent.

The book explained many aspects of the continent, but Xiao Yan focused on the parts most important to him: the continent, known as Yuanwu Continent, is divided into a Central Region and an Outer Region. The Outer Region is split into four parts—east, west, south, and north—which are further divided into nine states, thirty-six counties, and seventy-two prefectures. The book offered little detail about the Central Region, which did not surprise Xiao Yan.

What Xiao Yan cared about most was strength—the key to the entire continent. He noted that while most power divisions on Yuanwu Continent were similar to those on the Dou Qi Continent, differences emerged beyond the Dou Sheng level. Beyond Dou Sheng, realms are divided as follows: Half Emperor, Dou Emperor, Transformation Realm, Return to Origin Mirror, Origin King, Origin Emperor, Origin Sect, Origin Reverend, Origin Saint, and Origin Emperor. These divisions mark the levels of power on Yuanwu Continent. Although many parallels exist between ethics and fighters up to Fighting Saints, the Source Transformation Realm and the Return to Source Mirror are distinct.

The book explained that the Huayuan and Guiyuan Realms do not exhibit the nine-star differences seen elsewhere; instead, each has three stages—early, middle, and late—with the late stage further divided into two phases: late and late peak perfection. Before reaching the Huayuan Realm, a cultivator can use the Emperor's Origin between heaven and earth for cultivation, provided they first adapt to the Zhoutian Source Energy. Xiao Yan recalled that his previous breakthrough had been hindered by an incompatibility between ** and the Source Energy. Without the jade bottle, he would have been lost.

Those born on Yuanwu Continent naturally adapt to the Source Energy, while someone like Xiao Yan will require time to adjust. The purpose of these realms is to help cultivators integrate the Source Energy of heaven and earth into their bodies, making it their own. In the Source Transformation Realm, one cultivates both Dou Qi and Source Qi; upon reaching the Return to Origin Mirror, the focus shifts to Source Qi.

No human body can grow indefinitely. Although Dou Qi strengthens the body, unchecked growth would disrupt life's natural cycle. Practicing Source Qi enables one to absorb and refine this energy to fortify the body, as Source Qi is milder and denser than Dou Qi, though less lethal. Fortunately, after reaching the Guiyuan Mirror, cultivators must use Source Qi, and even top Dou Di practitioners cannot match a strong man from the Guiyuan Realm. This realm gap cannot be bridged by raw power alone.

The goal of the Guiyuan Realm is to harmonize the body with the Source Energy of heaven and earth, achieving perfect unity by refining and condensing this energy into a pure white bead within the body—a milky white Source Energy bead. The purer this bead, the brighter the future; multiple super sects will vie for a disciple with such potential. This is why many remain in the Guiyuan Realm until they reach their moment of glory, securing not only personal power but also unparalleled honor for their families. The Guiyuan Realm is the ultimate foundation.

The Return to Origin Realm, the watershed between being a truly peak powerhouse and merely a peak powerhouse, is the realm everyone strives to inhabit, hoping to one day rise to the pinnacle.

Xiao Yan then read additional explanations about martial arts and fighting skills. As expected, even the martial arts and fighting skills on Yuanwu Continent were much more formidable than those on the Dou Qi Continent.

On Yuanwu Continent, martial arts and fighting skills are categorized into human level, spirit level, intention level, saint level, and saint-level taboos. Each level is further divided into elementary, intermediate, and advanced stages. Although there are five types, the saint-level taboos are rarely practiced casually.

The term "saint-level taboo" is not used lightly; the word "taboo" alone is enough to instill caution.

Forbidden saint-level techniques allow cultivators to practice more rapidly than ordinary saint-level techniques. When these techniques are perfected, a cultivator can seamlessly integrate the energy of heaven and earth into their body, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

However, forbidden saint-level techniques are even more potent. Not only do they possess all the characteristics of ordinary saint-level techniques, but their power surpasses them. When perfected, these techniques operate automatically within the cultivator's body and can even use the energy of heaven and earth to heal injuries quickly. Such a formidable ability has moved many cultivators, yet they only speak of it in hushed tones—because these forbidden techniques continuously drain the life essence from the body, eventually leading to death. It is no wonder that many promising young cultivators on Yuanwu Continent met premature ends after pursuing this path. Those who dare practice these techniques are often labeled as demon cultivators. While the outer domains scorn them, in the Central Domain, strength is all that matters.

Below the saint-level techniques are the mind-level techniques, which rely on merging one's thoughts with source energy. When practiced, one releases their soul power and combines it with the energy of heaven and earth to form a storm of energy—a process that feels like refining the entire cosmos and is utterly awe-inspiring.

Spiritual-level exercises require the use of the earth's energy veins to absorb the earth's energy and then draw in the energy of heaven and earth. This dual approach is immensely powerful, condensing a cultivator's aura and providing not only efficiency but also the potential to comprehend the mysteries of the cosmos.

For human-level skills, the practitioner becomes one with the technique, drawing on the energy of heaven and earth for personal use. These skills require little comprehension as they merge directly with the practitioner, allowing for rapid progress.

Xiao Yan was thrilled by the potential benefits of these practices, though he did not yet know when he would master his Burning Flame Art.

"Tsk tsk, these techniques are truly impressive—their supplementary abilities can be several times stronger than some heavenly-grade techniques! Tsk tsk," he murmured to himself in awe.

Following the martial arts section, the book discussed fighting skills. Ever since Xiao Yan had seen the Mysterious Soul Devouring Palm used by the old Flame Demon, he had been fascinated by the martial arts on Yuanwu Continent. Moreover, Gu You had mentioned before that his Buddha's Wrath of Reincarnation was a human-level fighting skill, which only deepened Xiao Yan's interest.

The book's explanation of fighting skills paralleled that of martial arts techniques.

Human-level fighting skills produce a human-shaped phantom after execution. The more proficient one is, the more solid and powerful the phantom becomes, representing the creator of the skill.

Spiritual-level fighting skills draw on the earth's energy to amplify their power. The longer one performs them, the more energy is absorbed, increasing their might.

Intention-level fighting skills combine soul power and source energy; the soul power targets the body's essence, inflicting devastating damage.

For example, the Mysterious Soul-Devouring Palm used by the old Flame Demon was an intention-level fighting skill—a level that even Yuan Qing had found shocking. Based on Yuan Qing's condition at the time, an intention-level technique is not easily attained, even for formidable cultivators.

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up at the thought—it was a rare treasure. If he could seize this skill from the old Flame Demon, it would be an invaluable trump card. Once a saint-level fighting skill is unleashed, the very heavens and earth tremble; mountains and rivers would collapse, and all things would fear its power. Such a technique is said to burn the sky and boil the sea, capable of destroying everything—even the heavens and earth. Xiao Yan's lips smacked in admiration and fear; he truly did not know how potent this forbidden saint-level fighting skill could be.

The final category was the holy forbidden fighting skill—presented on its own page, beginning with six large, bright red characters. Their solemn emphasis immediately made Xiao Yan's face grow serious. Forbidden saint-level fighting skills are even more powerful than ordinary saint-level techniques, with the ability to destroy worlds. If performed by a super-strong cultivator, even an opponent of equal strength could be killed instantly; at worst, the adversary would be gravely injured and left to die. These techniques are so ruthless that many call their practitioners demon cultivators. While the outer domains scorn such methods, in the Central Domain, only strength matters.

Xiao Yan's mind raced with the thought of how great the power of such a fighting skill might be if wielded by a super strong person—perhaps even at the Yuanzong level. The idea was almost too terrifying to imagine. Overwhelmed, Xiao Yan decided he needed to rest and find an inn.

A short while later, Xiao Yan stood in front of an inn called Wanfulou. Smiling slightly, he entered and took in the bustling scene on the crowded first floor before ascending to the second floor. Near a window, he found a guest table and sat down. Soon after, a waiter approached with a smile, asking, "Sir, what would you like?"

Xiao Yan ordered a few side dishes and settled quietly. Not long after, two people—a young man and a woman—descended from the stairs. The young man had a handsome face with casually disheveled black hair, though a hint of femininity and cunning marred his heroic aura. Dressed in green with golden threads entwined in his sleeves forming the semblance of a giant golden python, he carried an emerald-green jasper fan with a gold edge that emitted a cyan-gold light. The woman, clad in snow-white, had pretty cheeks and waist-length purple hair adorned with gold and silver jewelry. Though she appeared delicate and worthy of protection, her haughty expression quickly diminished that sentiment.

The two, exuding arrogance, walked straight to the guest table where Xiao Yan was seated. The young man glared at Xiao Yan with disdain as if to claim the table exclusively for himself and his companion, stating,

"Hmph! Where did you come from, you wild boy? Don't you know this table is reserved for me and Rong Mei? Get out now, or don't blame me for being merciless!"

As he spoke, he waved his jasper fan, which creaked irritably. At that moment, everyone in the inn noticed a dry-faced old man in a black robe appear behind the young man.

Xiao Yan remained indifferent and continued eating his side dishes. He harbored no ill will; he had learned much today and was in a good mood, so he didn't wish to start a fight. To him, the young man was nothing more than an ant-like existence, and the old man behind him was merely a two-star Dou Zong—hardly worth his attention.

However, the young man did not share Xiao Yan's indifference. His expression soured, and he brandished his fan angrily as the old man in black advanced toward Xiao Yan. Sneering, the old man said,

"You won't blame me for your death today. Why did you have to provoke my young master when you could have provoked someone else? Now that he's angry, let your blood settle his fury!"

The young man in green smiled coldly and remarked to the advancing old man in black, "Mr. Mo, be careful not to dirty the table, or our meal will be spoiled."

The old man in black nodded slightly and punched at Xiao Yan's head.

"Bang!"

A dull thud echoed as the old man's skinny fist was blocked by a white hand. The fist halted beside Xiao Yan's head. Changing his expression, Xiao Yan pushed with his palm, sending the old man in black crashing against a pillar. Though he did not vomit blood, his face grew solemn, and he stared at Xiao Yan as if he were a devil—with deep fear in his eyes.