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**
Within the Star Region.
The raging sea of fire gradually began to calm.
"Peak Nine-Star Dou Zun!"
By refining the flame into his blood, merging two forces as one, he had stepped into the peak Nine-Star Dou Zun. Moreover, the accumulation of energy within him had reached a critical point of qualitative change.
If he wished, he could at any time initiate the Nine Changes to turn Sheng.
"Unknowingly, it's already been over twenty years since I came to this world."
"Now, I've reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou Zun, about to step into the first transformation stage."
Wei Yang slowly exhaled a long breath.
No old man in a ring, no system, no golden finger. He started only with a bit of innate talent and a mere Yellow Grade cultivation technique, yet he had clawed his way up from being a six-year-old orphan in Wu Tan City to where he stood today.
Should he be proud?Perhaps.
Looking back on everything he had gone through along the way—there were surely things he hadn't done perfectly. But people need to experience, to struggle, before they can grow, right? No one is born strong.
Whether in heart or in power.
"More than half of the blood within me has now transformed into the bloodline of the Hou."
Half human, half beast?
He looked down at the fine, dense black scales that covered his hands. Then, he let out a free and easy laugh. Even so, what of it?
Only power is the true foundation of everything. Everything else is but a minor flaw. Mere appearance—hardly worth mentioning.
"But, it's a pity that Wei Ye and Wei Shuo didn't inherit my Hou Bloodline. They were born before that."
"So, they didn't inherit the Death Life Flame that now flows in my blood. In the future, when I ascend to the Dou Di realm, the bloodline blessing they receive will be less."
Of course, there will still be some bloodline fortune.
After all, even then, Wei Yang wouldn't have completely become a pure Hou. Within him would still flow both human and Hou Bloodlines. So, when Wei Yang one day becomes an Emperor, his son and daughter would naturally receive the blessing of his bloodline.
It's just that the blessing might be smaller. Perhaps not as exaggerated as Xiao Yan's. When Xiao Yan became Emperor, his bloodline daughter, Xiao Xiao, had directly ascended to Dou Sheng on the spot.
If one wished to have a child with such fortune—to fully inherit Wei Yang's Hou Bloodline and the Death Life Flame—he would need to have another child.
But that, he suspected, would be difficult. Fortunately, the two little ones already possessed remarkable talent, both born with special physiques.
With such constitutions, becoming Dou Shengs wouldn't be difficult. So, bloodline fortune wasn't all that important for them. As for the Dou Di Realm—that wasn't something bloodline alone could decide.
"Brother Wei."
Xiao Yan stepped lightly over the sea of fire, his eyes full of envy as he cupped his hands with a smile. "Congratulations, Brother Wei, on reaching the peak of Nine-Star Dou Zun. You're about to step into a whole new realm."
Wei Yang gathered his thoughts and smiled faintly. His gaze swept over Xiao Yan. "You've made good progress too—already at Four-Star Dou Zun so soon."
"Broke through thanks to the Purple Azure Supreme Pill." Xiao Yan shrugged. "From now on, breakthroughs won't come so quickly again."
The Purple Azure Supreme Pill could only be used once in a Dou Zun's lifetime—taking it again would have no effect.
"At the Dou Zun realm, this speed of advancement is already quite impressive. You should be satisfied." Wei Yang laughed.
"Indeed." Xiao Yan nodded with a faint smile.
In just one year, he had leaped from the peak of One-Star to Four-Star. Across all Dou Zuns, such a pace was already astonishing.
Many Dou Zuns wouldn't even rise one star in eight or ten years. Yet, compared to Wei Yang, Xiao Yan's progress still seemed modest.
Peak Nine-Star Dou Zun!
From his initial breakthrough into the Dou Zun realm until now, it had been barely over two years. Looking at Wei Yang now—his body covered in fine black scales, his aura divine yet demonic—Xiao Yan's gaze grew complicated. "Brother Wei, this is…?"
"I fused an ancient bloodline. This is the transformation after awakening it." Wei Yang said calmly.
Xiao Yan nodded and didn't press further.
Everyone had their own path. Though he felt a faint unease toward such a transformation, he could understand. He himself was only able to pick and choose because of the Flame Mantra.
Otherwise, in order to fight against the Hall of Souls, he might've resorted to even more extreme methods without hesitation.
Wei Yang slowly curled his ten fingers into claws, retracting them as the black, fine scales covering his body faded and finally disappeared, restoring him to his normal form.
The two sat cross-legged above the sea of fires, chatting idly. Over the past year, whenever they felt fatigued from cultivation, they would sit together like this, talking and resting for a while.
"Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, it's already been five or six years since we left the Jia Ma Empire. I wonder how things are over there now." Xiao Yan's gaze turned toward the northwest as he spoke softly.
"Missing your wife and kid?" Wei Yang asked with a smile.
"Yeah." Xiao Yan chuckled, not embarrassed at all.
"Your family's all around you, unlike me." A faint look of longing flickered in Xiao Yan's eyes. "My daughter, I wonder how she's doing now."
"When we're done with what's in front of us, you can go back and visit them." Wei Yang said.
"Mm. Once I help Master come back to life, I'll return." Xiao Yan nodded slightly.
"It's been a year. I imagine Yao Lao should've almost recovered by now," Wei Yang said. "How about we go out and take a look?"
"Sure. Anyway, I won't be making much more progress in a short time. It's time to head out for a bit."
"Then let's go. I should visit my kids too."
"Let's."
Northwestern Region of the Dou Qi Continent.
Jia Ma Empire, Imperial Capital.
The Imperial Family still existed and technically held the reins of government. But every citizen of the Jia Ma Empire knew that the true ruling power was no longer the Imperial Family—it was an alliance.
That alliance was called: Yang Yan Alliance.
The empire's highest decision-making authority was in the hands of the alliance's Elder Council, no longer a matter of the Imperial Family's sole rule. The two founders of this ruling power of the empire were two young men—
Wei Yang and Xiao Yan.
These two legends, both born in border cities, had personally ended the age of the Yun Lan Sect and ushered in the era of the Yang Yan Alliance. To the younger generation of the Jia Ma Empire, their names represented glory and aspiration.
Everyone hoped that one day, they could become like Wei Yang and Xiao Yan—men whose personal power could command the winds and summon the storms. Across the entire empire, among billions of lives, there was no one who dared defy their will.
A true man should be like this.
In the very heart of the Jia Ma Imperial Capital stood a grand and towering palace. The palace was so high that from its summit, one could overlook the entire city. This was the place that now held the highest authority in the Jia Ma Empire.
At this moment, atop the heavily guarded palace stood a woman in a brocade robe, hands clasped behind her back. Her figure was stunningly seductive—even the loose robe couldn't conceal those alluring curves.
Moonlight spilled gently from the sky, illuminating her breathtaking face. Her first impression was one of dangerously enchanting allure Crimson lips slightly parted, her faint smile enough to captivate all beings.
Yet upon her lingered an air of authority and a chilling aura that warned others to stay away. Charm and majesty coexisted within her. She was none other than Queen Medusa.
At this moment, she gazed up at the bright moon, a faint trace of complicated emotion flickering within her eyes. No one knew what she was thinking.
With Wei Yang and Xiao Yan, the two Alliance Masters, away, the Yang Yan Alliance was now effectively under Medusa's command. Minor affairs aside, for major decisions, she alone had the final say.
Medusa's eyes narrowed slightly as her slender jade hand clenched softly. "I wonder how far they've come now."
Those two young men she met back in the Tagore Desert had risen at an astonishing speed.
Suddenly—
"Mother!"
A tender, milky voice sounded from behind her.
The moment that voice reached her ears, the icy chill on Medusa's face melted away in an instant, replaced by a gentle, tender smile that she had never shown before others. She quickly turned toward the source of the voice.
There, at the top of a flight of stone steps, stood a little girl about two years old, walking barefoot. What was strange was that she was floating half a foot above the ground, walking through the air effortlessly.
Walking on air—something only a Dou Zong powerhouse could accomplish.
The little girl's face was like a carved piece of jade—exquisitely delicate, like a porcelain doll that made one's heart melt. Her bright, dark eyes sparkled under the moonlight, filled with mischief and spirit.
As Medusa looked over, the little girl's clothes stirred slightly—from within crawled out a small seven-colored serpent, flicking its tongue with a soft hiss hiss. It looked exactly the same as the ancient Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python of the past.
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