5: Chapter 5 Peak of Three-Star Dou Sheng

Soul Realm, Hall of Hun Tiandi.

Deep within the main hall, on the giant chair made of soul-devouring iron, Hun Tiandi was uncharacteristically not reading a book.

He rested his chin on one hand, his gaze falling upon the young figure in the hall. A meaningful smile hung on the corners of his lips—not the kind of creepy, fake smile, but one filled with genuine satisfaction.

Hun Feng stood in the hall, his robes still unchanged, the dust and the scent of blood from the Corpse Burial Mountain Range still clinging to the hem.

Yao Yao stood quietly half a step behind him, her peach-blossom eyes lowered; for once, she was not grinning.

Hun Qian stood to the side with a bow, having just finished reporting the entire course of the battle.

"The Sea Heart Flame is in hand, Yao Chen is heavily injured, Xiao Yan was crippled head-on by Yao Yao, and the Sky Mansion Alliance has suffered nearly half losses—while the Hall of Souls only lost a few peripheral protectors."

Hun Tiandi slowly repeated, his tone like he was commenting on the quality of a cup of tea, "Feng, you did well this time. Much better than I imagined."

Hun Feng bowed slightly, his expression unreadable, "The Clan Leader overpraises me. This victory was entirely due to the intelligence arriving ahead of time, and the coordination between Elder Hun Qian and Yao Yao was also indispensable. Xiao Yan's combat strength is indeed far beyond his peers. If not for Yao Yao using her blood-attribute Fighting Qi to suppress his Heavenly Flame, the outcome would have been uncertain."

His words were flawless—he didn't claim credit, didn't belittle others, spread the merit to his subordinates, and clearly explained the risks. The emotional intelligence he had cultivated after so many years of struggling in the workplace in his past life was just enough to deal with an old fox like Hun Tiandi.

Hun Tiandi was clearly satisfied with this attitude. He nodded slightly and shifted his gaze to Yao Yao behind Hun Feng, his eyes showing a touch of appreciation, "Little girl, I heard that when Xiao Yan unleashed four types of Heavenly Flames, neither the Great Creation Palm nor the Huangquan Heavenly Fury could do anything to you, and you even whipped his Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus until it exploded?"

Being named, Yao Yao's peach-blossom eyes brightened slightly. Her bowing posture remained obedient, but she couldn't hide a trace of pride in her voice, "Reporting to the Clan Leader, Xiao Yan is indeed troublesome. His Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus crippled the Three Great Dragon Kings in the battle at Ancient Dragon Island. If I hadn't interrupted his casting at the equilibrium node where his four Heavenly Flames merged, I fear I wouldn't have even left a whole corpse behind if I had taken that earth-shattering power head-on."

She spoke lightly, but Hun Tiandi could tell the girl was being modest—to precisely interrupt the casting at the node where his four Heavenly Flames merged required not only sharp eyes but also extreme sensitivity to the fluctuations of Heavenly Flame energy and precise timing. Looking across the entire Fighting Qi Continent, those who could do this when Xiao Yan unleashed the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus could be counted on one hand.

"Not bad." Hun Tiandi rarely showed an approving smile and turned back to Hun Feng, "Feng, this girl by your side is even fiercer than Hun Qian was back in the day. Use her well. The battle at the Corpse Burial Mountain Range was fought well, and it's not just a tactical victory—it lets the people of the Sky Mansion Alliance know that they are facing not just a Soul Clan that knows how to kill, but an opponent that knows how to use its brain. That is what is truly meaningful."

Hun Feng lowered his eyes and replied, "The Clan Leader is right. Although we succeeded in this battle, the Sky Mansion Alliance's vitality remains intact, and Xiao Yan is injured but not dead; he will return sooner or later. Next time we face him, he won't be as easy to figure out as he was today."

"That is why you must seize every opportunity you can get before he returns." Hun Tiandi suddenly stood up from his chair and walked slowly down the steps. He flipped his right hand, and a pitch-black storage ring appeared in his palm. The material of the storage ring was completely different from ordinary ones; it was pitch black yet emitted a faint deep blue glow, and a complex bloodline rune was engraved on the ring surface, radiating an extremely pure soul fluctuation.

"This storage ring contains two hundred Soul Origin Pills, all of Ninth Grade quality or higher, refined by Void Swallowing Flame himself. You just finished a tough battle and your consumption was not light; these pills are enough for you to recover and advance further." Hun Tiandi flicked his finger, and the storage ring turned into a beam of black light and flew into Hun Feng's hand, "In addition, inside is a scroll of the Soul Clan's secret ancient Dou Technique—'Soul Devouring Seal'. It is a Heaven-Class Intermediate level technique, specializing in soul sealing, and is far more practical than those flashy things you practiced before. With your current cultivation paired with this Dou Technique, you can solo the half-crippled Yao Chen."

Hun Feng took the storage ring and felt the warm soul fluctuation on the ring surface, his heart skipping a beat. Two hundred Soul Origin Pills—this was a much larger gesture than he had anticipated. One must know that Ninth Grade Pills were already the top-tier grade on the Fighting Qi Continent, and ordinary super factions might not be able to scrape together dozens of them even with the strength of their entire clan. As for a Heaven-Class Intermediate ancient Dou Technique, that was something even the Ancient Clan would covet as a treasure.

"Thank you, Clan Leader." Hun Feng's voice remained steady, but his fingers, slightly tightening around the storage ring, betrayed his excitement at that moment.

"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me." Hun Tiandi smiled and took out a black-gold token and handed it over. The front of the token was engraved with the Soul Clan bloodline totem, and the back had only one character—Order. This was the troop mobilization token for the Young Clan Leader of the Soul Clan. Holding this token, one could mobilize all the experts of the Hall of Souls below the level of Heavenly Lord, as well as all forces within the Soul Clan except for the Elder Hall. Previously, Hun Feng needed Hun Tiandi's approval to mobilize troops, but now with this token, his authority was equivalent to the second-in-command of the Soul Clan.

"This token should have been given to you long ago, but with your previous temperament—I feared you would have taken people to attack the Ancient World the first day you held the token. Now that you understand strategy and know when to advance or retreat, I am at ease handing this over to you."

Hun Feng took the token, his fingertips tracing the raised patterns on it, and remained silent for a good while. Then he tucked the token into his sleeve, bowed deeply, and offered a solemn salute.

"Feng will not fail the Clan Leader's trust."

Hun Tiandi waved his hand, turned around, and walked back to his seat. He picked up the ancient scroll that seemed never-ending, his tone returning to his usual lazy casualness, "Go and refine the Sea Heart Flame. We have three pieces of the remnant map of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame; we cannot move against the one the Ancient Clan has for now, and the last piece's whereabouts are unknown. When the remnant maps are gathered, the day the Demon Flame appears will be the truly grand occasion."

"Yes."

Hun Feng exited the main hall. The hall doors closed slowly behind him. He stood on the steps and let out a long breath, the storage ring in his palm held so tightly it felt slightly scorching. Yao Yao poked her head out from behind him, her peach-blossom eyes shining as she stared at the token, and lowered her voice, "Young Master, the Clan Leader has truly delegated power this time. He never gave that token to anyone before, not even Soul Yuan Tian. Your status in the Soul Clan now is—"

"Second only to him," Hun Feng finished, his tone calm, but the sharpness in his eyes could not be hidden, "Let's go, let's go back and refine the Sea Heart Flame. With these pills plus the Heavenly Flame, if luck is on our side, 3-Star Dou Saint Peak is within reach."

Yao Yao's eyes brightened, and she chased after him, her strappy sandals clinking.

Deep within the sleeping quarters, Hun Feng sat cross-legged on the cold jade bed. The heaven swallowing mirror hovered in front of him, white light circulating on the mirror surface. The Sea Heart Flame sealed within was emitting a deep blue glow, and one could feel the vast, deep-sea-like fluctuation even through the mirror. Two hundred Soul Origin Pills were arranged neatly by his side, and the rich medicinal fragrance of the Ninth Grade Pills filled the entire sleeping quarters; just smelling that scent made one's meridians feel comfortable.

Yao Yao stood guard at the hall entrance, her bone whip lying across her knees. There was no trace of her usual playfulness in her peach-blossom eyes, only full seriousness. She knew too well how important this seclusion was for the Young Master—although Xiao Yan had been crippled, given that person's recovery speed, he would be back to full health in less than a month. The Young Master had to cross this threshold before Xiao Yan recovered, otherwise, the next head-on confrontation would not be as easy as today.

"Go ahead and enter seclusion with peace of mind; I will guard the outside." Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself, but every word was spoken with great steadiness.

Hun Feng closed his eyes. He crushed the seal of the heaven swallowing mirror with one hand, and the Sea Heart Flame gushed out from the mirror surface. The deep blue flames exploded in the sleeping quarters, and the entire room instantly turned into a deep sea—the flames flowed like water, carrying the unique briny scent of the ocean and the crushing water pressure of billions of tons, engulfing Hun Feng completely.

Refining the body with Heavenly Flame had always been an extremely painful process.

The Sea Heart Flame appeared gentle, but it was actually extremely domineering. It contained the weight of an entire ocean, and every wisp of flame carried the water pressure of the deep sea, weighing heavier than a mountain when pressed onto a person. Hun Feng's robes turned to ash the moment they touched the flames, and dense blood streaks emerged on the surface of his skin—the marks of capillaries bursting from the water pressure.

But he did not make a single sound. Black and blood-colored Fighting Qi erupted from his body simultaneously. The child fire of the Void Swallowing Flame was the first to meet the source of the Sea Heart Flame—the devouring power activated, forcibly tearing an opening in the violent energy of the Sea Heart Flame. Then, the blood-attribute Fighting Qi surged into that opening like a tide, beginning to subdue this fifteenth-ranked Heavenly Flame inch by inch.

In his past life, he was a corporate slave who couldn't even stick to a gym routine, but now he was the Young Clan Leader of the Soul Clan with a God-Grade Bloodline; he could endure any hardship. As long as he could subdue the Sea Heart Flame, this bit of pain was nothing.

Time became blurred during the seclusion. One day, two days, three days—the Fighting Qi within Hun Feng's body was constantly expanding, compressing, expanding again, and compressing again. Two hundred Soul Origin Pills hung above his head, forming a large array, and the pure soul origin power poured into his meridians like a waterfall, intertwining and merging with the Heavenly Flame power of the Sea Heart Flame, pushing his cultivation up inch by inch.

Three-Star Dou Sheng Early Stage, broken through. Three-Star Dou Sheng Middle Stage... broken through. Three-Star Dou Sheng Late Stage—

With a low hum, the entire sleeping palace trembled. A deep blue pillar of fire erupted from Hun Feng's body, shattering the dome of the palace and shooting straight into the sky above the Soul Realm. A pressure, like the weight of billions of tons of water at the bottom of the ocean, radiated from the fire pillar. Wherever it passed, the void twisted and the black mist dispersed, even triggering the soul defense formation above the Soul Realm to activate automatically.

Yao Yao, who was guarding the door, stood up abruptly, her peach-blossom eyes widening. She looked at the figure slowly rising within the deep blue pillar of fire, her lips parted slightly, then curved into a beautiful arc.

Hun Feng walked out of the fire pillar. He was wrapped only in a black robe, his soaked black hair plastered against his cheeks. Faint red patterns from the burning of the Sea Heart Flame remained on his skin, slowly fading away. Deep blue flames danced in his palm, quiet and docile, like a deep-sea behemoth that had been thoroughly tamed. The aura he radiated was as heavy as the sea and as deep as an abyss; as his Fighting Qi circulated around him, the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore could be heard.

3-Star Dou Saint Peak.

"Young Master!" Yao Yao pounced on him, nearly knocking Hun Feng back into the fire pillar. She clutched his sleeves with both hands, stars in her peach-blossom eyes, and even the silver bells on her ankles jingled joyfully. "3-Star Peak! You skipped an entire major rank! I knew the Young Master was the most formidable!"

"Alright, alright, stop shaking me." Hun Feng pressed down on her head, peeling her off his body, though he couldn't suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth. "It's just one major rank. The Sea Heart Flame is ranked fifteenth, its energy level is right there, and with two hundred Ninth Grade Soul Yuan Pills piled up, this breakthrough was to be expected. However, subduing the Heavenly Flame was truly painful. My whole body felt like it had been crushed by water pressure, like being shoved ten thousand meters to the bottom of the sea and then fished back out."

As he spoke, he reached out and pinched Yao Yao's cheek, his tone suddenly becoming languid: "How many days have I been in secluded cultivation?"

"Ten days." Yao Yao let his hand wreak havoc on her face, her peach-blossom eyes brimming with pride. "The commotion from the Young Master's breakthrough was too great; half the continent of the Soul Realm saw it. Elder Hun Qian just came to ask, saying that the Clan Leader had also noticed." Her voice suddenly dropped a few notches as she leaned close to Hun Feng's ear, her sweet voice laced with a playfulness that only he could detect. "Young Master, you are now at 3-Star Peak. Next time you face Xiao Yan, won't you be able to handle it without my help?"

Upon hearing this, Hun Feng chuckled. "He probably gets a bigger headache seeing you than seeing me now." He released Yao Yao and gently stroked the obedient deep blue flame in his palm. "But next time, I will meet him personally."

Yao Yao tilted her head to look at him. After the breakthrough, the Young Master's entire aura had deepened, like a blade that had been re-tempered, its sharp edge restrained yet even more dangerous. She liked the Young Master like this the most—confident but not arrogant, composed but not dull. He was a completely different person from the reckless brute who only knew how to shout about killing before.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away, at Starfall Pavilion.

If the atmosphere in the Soul Realm was one of cold triumph, the atmosphere at Starfall Pavilion at this moment was one of oppressive silence.

Xiao Yan lay on his sickbed, his chest wrapped in thick bandages, with bloodstains faintly seeping through from underneath. The injuries left by the backlash of the four Heavenly Flames were far more severe than they appeared on the surface—the Green Lotus Core Flame had scorched his meridians, the Bone Chilling Flame had frozen thirty percent of his blood, the Three Thousand Burning Flame had burned the periphery of his dantian, and the Fallen Heart Flame had directly scorched his soul origin. Added to this were the external wounds left by Yao Yao's seventy-two blood blades and the soul tremors caused by the backlash of the Huangquan Heavenly Fury; that he could keep his life was entirely due to the monstrous recovery ability of his Dou Di Bloodline and the Ninth Grade healing pill that Yao Chen had risked his life to refine.

But keeping his life did not mean preserving his prestige. Inside the council chamber of the Sky Mansion Alliance, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead. Dozens of high-ranking alliance members sat on both sides, each with a cloud of gloom hanging over their faces. Yao Chen sat at the left of the main seat, his face still pale. Although the wounds on his flank and shoulder had healed, the hidden injuries left by the soul piercing could not be cured in the short term. His aura was significantly weaker than it had been before the Corpse Burial Mountain Range, and his voice was three parts softer than usual.

"In the battle at the Corpse Burial Mountain Range, our Sky Mansion Alliance suffered heavy losses." An elder of the Pill Tower stood up. This Ninth Grade alchemist grandmaster had extremely senior qualifications and a status in the Sky Mansion Alliance second only to Yao Chen, and he never beat around the bush when speaking. "According to post-battle statistics, we lost thirty-seven elite experts, including eighteen above the peak of Dou Zun and nine half-step Dou Sheng. Although Mu Gu is dead, the Sea Heart Flame was snatched away by the Hun Clan, the Young Alliance Master is seriously injured, and Yao Lao is also..." He glanced at Yao Chen's pale face and did not continue, but the meaning was already very clear.

Flower Sect Master Yun Yun was silent for a moment before taking over the conversation. Yun Yun had always been known for her gentleness, but at this moment, her tone carried a rare hint of solemnity: "The Flower Sect lost four elders in this battle; they were all sisters who had accompanied me since the most difficult times of the Flower Sect. I am not questioning Xiao Yan's command, but the plan for this operation was clearly understood by the Hall of Souls from the very beginning—the Grand Heavenly Lord and the Deputy Hall Master withdrew in advance, a 4-Star Dou Sheng was secretly in command, and the Hun Clan's Young Master arrived in person. We were not attacking a branch hall; we walked into a trap that had been dug long ago."

As her voice fell, there was another awkward silence in the council chamber. Everyone unconsciously looked at Xiao Yan, who was sitting in the main seat. Xiao Yan did not defend himself. He leaned back in his chair, the bandages wrapped around his chest still seeping with faint bloodstains, and the aftereffects of the four Heavenly Flames' backlash made every breath he took accompanied by the scorching pain in his meridians. His gaze swept over every high-ranking alliance member present, and then he slowly stood up, enduring the severe pain to bow slightly.

"The defeat in this battle is my responsibility. The intelligence was insufficient, I was reckless and underestimated the enemy, and I failed to discover the Hall of Souls' troop rotation plan in time. The lives of thirty-seven comrades, the injuries my teacher suffered, the loss of the Sea Heart Flame—these are all my, Xiao Yan's, faults. I will not shirk them, nor will I make excuses."

He straightened up, his gaze steady and open, without a hint of evasion: "But please give me some time. Hun Feng is indeed a more troublesome opponent than we anticipated; we underestimated him. Next time, I will not let him retreat unscathed."

After he finished speaking, the council chamber was silent for a long time. Then Yao Chen was the first to stand up, patting Xiao Yan's shoulder with his aged palm, and said in a deep voice: "I was also careless. The soul trap that the brat Hun Feng set in the side hall was precise and vicious, aimed entirely at me. If this person is not removed, none of us will be able to eat or sleep in peace."

The Great Elder of the Pill Tower pondered for a long time before finally nodding: "Since the Young Alliance Master has spoken to this extent, the Pill Tower will not be shaken by a single defeat. The Hall of Souls has been tyrannical for more than a day or two. Previously, we were riding high and destroyed several of their branch halls, so we were indeed a bit complacent. This lesson is beneficial for the entire alliance."

Hua Jin was silent for a few moments, then slowly nodded.

The atmosphere in the council chamber finally loosened a little. The heads of the various sects expressed their stances one after another—although there was still dissatisfaction and worry in their words, the reason the Sky Mansion Alliance was formed was to resist the Hall of Souls. Everyone present knew in their hearts that no single force could face the terrifying foundation of the Hall of Souls alone; unity was the only path.

After everyone dispersed, only Xiao Yan and Yao Chen remained in the council chamber. Xiao Yan leaned back in his chair, slowly closed his eyes, and remained silent for a long time before speaking, his voice much lower than before.

"Teacher, these injuries are only skin-deep. The real stumble happened in one place—the first time I faced him head-on, from the first step to the last, every step of the battle's rhythm was in his hands." He suddenly opened his eyes, casting his gaze toward the pitch-black night sky outside the window. "That Hun Feng, what kind of person is he exactly?"

Yao Chen was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "The Young Clan Leader of the Hun Clan, God-Grade Bloodline, twenty-five years old. It is not strange that the Hun Clan, having lain dormant since being heavily damaged by Xiao Xuan a thousand years ago, has cultivated such an heir. What is strange is his style of taking action this time—it does not resemble the Hun Clan's usual style. The Hun Clan has always liked to suppress people with power, with Dou Sheng crushing Dou Zun, and high-ranking crushing low-ranking. But Hun Feng's layout this time is a completely different way of playing: advance troop rotation, precise ambush, luring the enemy deep, intercepting the Sea Heart Flame, seriously injuring you and me, and retreating unscathed. Every node was calculated to death, and from beginning to end, he did not give us any chance to turn the tables." Yao Chen paused, his voice sinking. "This method is more insidious and more troublesome than the arrangements Hun Tiandi made back in the day."

Xiao Yan was silent for a long time, then slowly nodded. A villain who can calculate is more troublesome than ten villains who only know how to act recklessly combined. Even more troublesome is that woman in the black dress holding the bone whip—the whip she used to interrupt his Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus was so precise that it made his hair stand on end. It was not luck; it was a precise grasp of the Heavenly Flame fusion node. That kind of insight, that kind of timing, is rare in the entire continent.

"Next time, I won't let him calculate against me again. And that woman by his side..." Xiao Yan's fingers gently stroked the handle of his xuan heavy ruler, and deep in his eyes, that faint, ghostly blue flame ignited once again.