Chapter 2: Without Small Streams, There Are No Rivers or Oceans
Chapter 2: Without Small Streams, There Are No Rivers or Oceans
Xiao Realm, Tiance Mansion.
The Tiance Mansion was the name Xiao Tiance had given to his residence. In truth, it was less a mansion and more of a towering structure. The tower stood several hundred meters tall and was divided into nine levels.
Each level served a unique purpose: receiving guests, drinking tea, playing chess, admiring the scenery, sleeping, reading, storing treasures, practicing combat, and refining pills.
Each floor spanned thousands of square meters, fortified by Xiao Tiance himself using the power of a Dou Sheng, making the structure incredibly durable.
During his coma, the Tiance Mansion had remained sealed. Only upon his awakening had its restrictions been lifted.
Ascending from the first floor to the ninth, Xiao Tiance was filled with emotion. He recalled how, in the original novel, the Xiao Clan of Wutan City had nothing more than Xuan rank cultivation techniques, and their strongest members no matter how numerous would be nothing more than ash under the strength of a single finger of his current self.
Reflecting on this disparity, Xiao Tiance couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
*"A dragon trapped in shallow waters is mocked by shrimp; a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs. When times are good, even a cat might overshadow a tiger; when down and out, even a phoenix is no better than a chicken.
How far the mighty Xiao Clan, an ancient imperial family, has fallen to the point of migrating to Wutan City and fighting with petty clans over scraps. Truly pitiful.
No wonder the internet often says: 'Never gloat when you're on top; the future is unpredictable.'"*
After this lament, he walked to the window and gazed at the lively, thriving Xiao Realm. With a deep breath, he resolved:
*"Since I've come to this world, I'll ensure that the Xiao Clan stands forever atop the Dou Qi Continent.
Such a magnificent, unpredictable world how dull it would be without me, Xiao Tiance!"*
In that moment, Xiao Tiance fully embraced his new reality. His once refined demeanor now carried an unyielding, domineering presence.
"Clad in white, unmatched in the world. No gods nor immortals shall I revere.
Stop me, and I'll slay ten thousand. Obstruct me, and gods and immortals will perish alike."
Determined, Xiao Tiance wasted no time in finding ways to strengthen himself. Despite inheriting the memories and Five Star Dou Sheng power of his original self, his soul belonged to a modern man. Many aspects of this body required mastery, not just possession.
To start, he sealed his own cultivation, intending to temper himself from the very beginning as a Dou Zhe, step by step, until he could fully command this body's potential.
Taking action immediately, he descended the tower and began relearning all the techniques and cultivation methods stored in his library. While he couldn't guarantee this would grant him complete control over his strength, he firmly believed: "Without small streams, there are no rivers or oceans."
On the Dou Qi Continent, techniques were divided into four ranks Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang each further subdivided into low, mid, and high levels.
Heaven rank techniques were the most powerful, capable of harnessing the forces of nature to unleash devastating attacks. However, only Dou Zun practitioners could barely manage them, as they consumed immense amounts of Dou Qi.
Earth rank techniques, slightly less powerful than Heaven rank, were still formidable. In the original novel, techniques like Emperor Seal Technique and Five Wheel Flame Technique were Earth rank and could rival Heaven rank techniques when fully unleashed.
Xuan rank and Huang rank techniques were primarily used by those below the Dou Zong level.
Xiao Tiance's plan was simple: start from Huang rank techniques, move up to Xuan rank, then Earth rank, and finally master Heaven rank techniques all while gradually unsealing his cultivation.
Years passed like fleeting clouds. Three years of relentless training allowed Xiao Tiance to fully master all the techniques in his library, wielding them effortlessly.
On this particular day, as Xiao Tiance finished his practice and exhaled a deep breath, Xiao Xuan's voice echoed through the air.
"Tiance, come see me!"
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance changed out of his training robes, took a quick bath, and neatly combed his long hair. He adorned himself with a dark green jade pendant, his appearance resembling that of a celestial being descended to the mortal realm.
"A man as elegant as jade, unmatched in the world," was what anyone who saw him might say.
Admiring his reflection in the mirror, Xiao Tiance admitted to himself that his looks were, indeed, top tier.
In a flash, his figure disappeared.
Moments later, he appeared at Xiao Xuan's residence.
"Brother Xuan."
"You're here, Tiance. Sit."
After exchanging greetings, Xiao Xuan personally poured him a cup of tea. The tea was initially bitter but soon turned sweet.
"This tea is mediocre," Xiao Tiance remarked casually.
Hearing this, Xiao Xuan chuckled and shook his head. "You're as picky as ever!"
"When it comes to what I consume, it must suit my taste. Why settle for less?" Xiao Tiance replied nonchalantly, taking another sip.
Xiao Xuan shook his head again. Though he wasn't fond of such luxuries, he had prepared this tea specifically for Xiao Tiance, knowing his preferences.
"I heard you've spent the past three years training in your Tiance Mansion?" Xiao Xuan asked, simultaneously gauging Xiao Tiance's strength.
"Indeed. After a hundred years in a coma, my body felt stiff. I needed the activity," Xiao Tiance replied with a smile.
"Yet I sense your cultivation hasn't improved in the slightest."
"That's true. I've spent these three years re training all the techniques in my library, so my strength hasn't increased," Xiao Tiance confirmed with a nod.
Xiao Xuan was taken aback but quickly praised him. "Your talent is second only to mine within the Xiao Clan, and you possess a divine grade bloodline. If you had shown this level of dedication back then, not even Hun Tiandi's ambush could have left you helpless.
After a century in a coma, to wake up with such calm and focus this shows great growth."
Seeing Xiao Xuan's roundabout way of speaking, Xiao Tiance smiled and said, "Brother Xuan, there's no need for pretense between us. Just say what's on your mind. If I agree, I'll support you without hesitation. If I don't, I hope you won't hold it against me."
Hearing this straightforward response, Xiao Xuan laughed heartily and said, "You're as direct as ever. Fine, I won't beat around the bush. You're the smartest of our clan's Three Prodigies, so I've called you here to hear your opinion."
"It's happening," Xiao Tiance thought, his expression unchanged as he gestured for Xiao Xuan to continue.
"As the Xiao Clan's leader, I constantly worry about our future. The eight imperial clans are locked in alliances and rivalries, keeping each other in check.
I fear that as time passes, our strength will dwindle.
In the past hundred years, only you and I have awakened divine grade bloodlines. The strongest bloodline among our clansmen now is at the ninth rank enough to reach Dou Zun but far from producing new Dou Shengs.
We both know: below the Dou Sheng level, everyone is an ant.
If this continues, our clan risks becoming subservient to others."
Xiao Tiance listened silently, knowing Xiao Xuan had already made up his mind. He asked calmly, "So, what's your plan?"
"I propose concentrating the bloodline power of all our clansmen into myself. With that, I will attempt to break through to the Dou Di realm.
If I succeed, our clansmen will experience a bloodline resurgence. Divine grade bloodlines will no longer be rare we'll have hundreds, if not thousands, of them," Xiao Xuan said, his eyes alight with fervor.
The determination in his gaze made it clear: he was ready to go through with this plan.
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