Volume 3 (Chapters 21-30): Fortuitous Encounter
Chapter 21: Alone
Yao Chen charged into the Bitter Flower Yard. He took a deep breath. This battle could be considered his first true battle! This would not be him fighting against others trying to kill him; this would be him taking the initiative!
This battle was definitely extremely important to him. He knew very clearly that if he never fought then he would only ever be able to flee. In this world, the only path to survival was to become strong.
Dozens of figures charged over, completely cutting off Yao Chen's retreat path.
"Die intruder!"
Over ten Dou Shis swarmed over him.
Yao Chen smiled. Unless a Dou Ling came, the only result was…
BOOM!
Flames shot forward. Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique, Dou Flame Fist!
A green, purple, and blue flame formed in front of him and shot towards those Dou Shis, causing their body's to spontaneously combust. Their Dou Qi was directly ignited in front of the Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique. It was as if Yao Chen was treating them like precious ingredients and he was refining them. Heaven and earth was the great cauldron he was using to refine living people.
BOOM…
In just one move, those Dou Shis had all their Dou Qi burnt away and the smell of cooked meat came from their bodies. In an instant, ten black corpses fell to the ground. They didn't even have the power to scream.
"What a vicious technique."
The head guard came out. Although it was just a group of one star Dou Shis, to burn ten Dou Shis to crisp with just one effortless fist was something that was difficult for even his nine star Da Dou Shi self.
"Bring out the Violet Fiend Gang. I don't care about you guys."
Yao Chen's only weakness was a lack of experience. But he wasn't stupid. It was obvious to him that these weren't the Violet Fiend Gang's people.
Who knew why, but this sentence of his caused the head guard's expression to change. He sent out some hand signals and even more Dou Shis came from all around, completely cutting off any path Yao Chen could take.
"Friend, who are you? What do you know?"
The Violet Fiend Gang had secretly entered the city along with a dozen other gangs through a secret path of the Mu family's. Even in the Mu family this was secret, so much so that even the current family head didn't know about it.
Yao Chen was a bit stumped and helplessly laughed. He had only wanted to use the Violet Fiend Gang as an offering. Yao Chen might be rather naive, but it was obvious to him that he had ended up entering some kind of hidden conspiracy.
"I've only come for the Violet Fiend Gang. What you guys want to do has nothing to do with me."
"Is that so? Capture him alive."
With a wave of the leader's hand, over a hundred Dou Shis attacked at the same time. All kinds of different Dou Qi shot towards Yao Chen.
Yao Chen's expression changed. Spreading his hands, he began to spin around. Dou Technique, Eight Point Flame Resistance!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM…
Over a hundred rays of Dou Qi wildly attacked Yao Chen.
However when the dust settled, Yao Chen was as steady as a large mountain and only his outer clothes had become a bit torn. Dou Flame completely protected him; whenever those Dou Qis had come near his body, they were directly refined!
BOOM!
At this time, the aura that exploded of Yao Chen's body was that of a nine star Da Dou Shi!
Taking five pills, he could combine them with his Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique to explode out with a strength that completely outclassed his own.
This strength wasn't really his body's. It was from using the Violet Flame Pills' energy as a foundation and then using the Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique to swallow heaven and earth's energy.
Yao Chen's true strength was only that of a three star Dou Shi! However the power he could explode with was already incredibly close to a Dou Ling expert.
"This is my last warning. I'm only looking for the Violet Fiend Gang. I don't care who you guys are, but anyone who blocks me again will…"
Yao Chen took a deep breath, and a domineering expression appeared on his face. He coldly said, "Die!"
Yao Chen clenched his fists, feeling his current energy. A nine star Da Dou Shi's strength was his limit. At this moment he thirsted for an even greater strength. Only by battling could he truly learn to control this power for his own, and only then could he control an even greater force. Battle could make him advance. Just like refining a pill; through tempering himself hundreds of times, he could increase his strength.
"Rise!"
The head guard had already probed Yao Chen's strength to be just that of a nine star Da Dou Shi. This time he sent an order out before personally going out.
"Spearpoint Art, kill!"
The head guard exploded out with rays of golden light. It was actually a gold attribute Dou Qi. Combined with the Spearpoint Dou Technique, his whole body emitted a destructive killing intent. It was as if his entire body had become a killing spear as he charged towards Yao Chen.
At the same time, there were also twenty Dou Shis that also possessed gold attribute Dou Qi that joined him. This was something they had drilled many times and was a Dou Formation they had often used to contend against Dou Lings.
Yao Chen took a deep breath, feeling their dense killing intent. But at this time he had no retreat path and nowhere to dodge, so he could only take it head on. His Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique began to operate extremely quickly. The five Violet Flame Pills' energy, under the Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique's pull, began to draw in heaven and earth's spiritual energy, combining into the strength of a nine star Da Dou Shi. A Dou Qi armor that alternated between green, purple, and blue appeared over his body with hidden Dou Flames within it. These Dou Flames were his true strength. Only by condensing these Dou Flames could he who was in the Dou Shi realm control a nine star Da Dou Shi's strength.
BOOM!
When both sides collided, fists met palms, and dozens of moves were exchanged in an instant.
Yao Chen was forced into a disadvantage. Despite being hit several times, the Dou Armor with the burning Dou Flames inside only shook a couple times to completely refine away all the gold attribute Dou Qi.
"You are an alchemist?!"
The head guard was shocked. From his experience he had managed to realize that Yao Chen's fighting techniques weren't normal battle skills, but that of a powerful alchemist refining... he was treating them as the medicinal ingredients to be refined to death. This was something he had never seen before! In his moment of distractedness, Yao Chen took advantage and punched at his stomach. With a cracking sound, the gold attribute Dou Armor around his body twisted and tore; with just one punch of Yao Chen's Dou Flame, it completely melted and split open.
"Kill!"
The other twenty Dou Shis all shouted and joined hands. They managed to merge their powers into one, sending an attack that was not inferior to that of a nine star Da Dou Shi towards the back of Yao Chen's head.
Their combined attack had completely locked the space, making it so Yao Chen was unable to escape. Yao Chen snorted and turned, using his shoulder to block their combined attack.
His Dou Flame sprung into action. The attacking Dou Qis were all treated like energy coming from medicinal ingredients when refining. One strand was transformed, one was suppressed, and many were refined, so that in just the blink of an eye, a golden-colored ball of Dou Qi had appeared beside his head. A dominating killing intent circulated within it.
Yao Chen paused slightly. Even he felt this was a surprise. He had actually forcefully refined the energy within enemy attacks into energy he could control. It was just like refining pills…
Waving his hand, this golden ball of Dou Qi shot towards one of the Dou Shi. Bloody light shot out silently as that Dou Shi looked down in surprise to see a huge hole in his stomach. He collapsed to the ground, not able to believe he had died just like that.
But that golden Dou Qi ball had yet to disappear. Turning, it started to shoot towards another Dou Shi.
With a quiet pierce, another Dou Shi's stomach was punched open by the golden ball of Dou Qi. It then went on to find another Dou Shi.
This result was something even Yao Chen had never imagined. But he didn't pause. He had seen time and time again that many things could happen when refining. Quickly taking advantage of it, a thread of his Dou Qi joined into the golden ball, making it into his own weapon. He controlled the Dou Qi ball to attack all his various enemies.
It was a complete massacre. In the blink of an eye, over twenty Dou Shi fell into a pool of blood. Without exception, all their stomachs were punched through by the Dou Qi ball. With the destruction of their inner organs, all their lives were extinguished.
"NO!"
The head guard who had just managed to resolve the Dou Flame let out a miserable scream. Those twenty Dou Shis were all people he had expended years of sweat and blood to raise before then spending endless effort training their special formation. Together with him, they were enough to contend with even a Dou Ling expert, but now they had died here without ever experiencing a true battle.
"You! You're definitely going to die!"
The head guard angrily roared, but he didn't go charging at Yao Chen. Instead he let out a long whistle.
Within the courtyard…
Hearing this whistle, the Mu family's ancestor Mu Shaosen frowned. "Everyone, please wait here a moment. I'll be right back."
Saying this, Mu Shaosen jumped up, his body covered in a green light. The surrounding gang leaders were all startled; this aura…
"Most likely he's already half a step into the Dou Wang realm. No wonder the Mu family dares to fight against the Feng family…"
Strength was an absolute guarantee for your ambitions. How much strength you had was also how high your ambitions could be. It was very clear that Mu Shaosen had already touched the Dou Wang barrier, and that was why he dared to force the Feng family into battle. It was no longer just some small conflicts but a relentless war that would not end until one side was destroyed.
But some of the gang leaders were not pleased with this. Their goal in coming this time was to profit from the chaos, but if the Mu family ancestor became a Dou Wang, could their scattered forces manage to continue surviving around Peak Martial City? In front of the powerful, could the weak sleep soundly?
Meanwhile, outisde… Yao Chen's heart suddenly turned cold. A powerful and unstoppable energy suddenly attacked him from afar.
Dou Ling! And it was a nine star Dou Ling who was at the peak of his class and close to Dou Wang!
Yao Chen turned without hesitation to retreat.
"You can't escape!"
The head guard Mu En charged over, wanting to block Yao Chen. But with a wave of Yao Chen's hand, the gold attribute Dou Qi ball turned and went straight for Mu En.
Mu En's expression changed and he didn't dare be careless. Dou Qi moved onto his fist as he used his Spearpoint Dou Technique to face off against it.
BOOM… Just as Mu En was destroying the Dou Qi ball, Yao Chen used the trace of Dou Qi he had sent into it to form a Dou Flame. The Dou Qi ball immediately became like an exploding cauldron, and all its power erupted as thousands of golden rays detonated out.
Taking advantage of the piercing lights, Yao Chen used his Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique to send heaven and earth's spiritual qi to his feet. Like an arrow shooting from a bow, he shot out and in just a couple blinks was miles away.
Mu Shaosen had already arrived at the Bitter Flower Yard's gate at this time. He coldly glanced at the head guard Mu En and snorted. Reaching out his hand, he pointed it at Yao Chen's disappearing back and made a snatching motion…
BOOM! A huge green hand suddenly appeared and grabbed at Yao Chen who was several miles away.
However just at this moment, heaven and earth's qi became chaotic. The green hand that had just appeared immediately dimmed and was no longer able to form.
Mu Shaosen's expression changed, and he turned to look at Mu En. His cold expression eased and he put down his hand. "Speak."
Mu En was extremely respectful and kneeled down. "This strange youngster said that he was looking for the Violet Fiend Gang… he seemed to be a nine star Da Dou Shi and is very likely an alchemist…"
He quickly reported the battle the events of the battle.
Mu Shaosen coldly laughed. "You've all been tricked. That isn't a Da Dou Shi, but a nine star Dou Ling."
Just now the hand he had summoned had clearly met a force on the same level as it. It appeared another variable had entered into his plans. But first things first, he had to go ask the Violet Fiend Gang just who they had provoked.
Returning to his courtyard, Yao Chen let out a deep breath. Turning around, he bowed deeply. "Thank you elder for saving me."
Yao Lan's figure appeared out of nothingness. "You… you really are a genius. Let alone Yao Feng, even Yao Wangui is far from your equal… At the very least, in terms of control over the Dou Flame and understanding of alchemy, there has been no one stronger than you within the most recent generations of disciples."
Yao Lan's expression was extremely complicated. Yao Chen's fighting techniques were extremely rarely seen; he actually treated his enemies as medicinal ingredients to be refined. This might not exactly be the proper way of fighting, but for Yao Chen who hadn't learned many fighting Dou Techniques to think of such a method meant he truly was a genius rarely seen in the Yao clan.
If only he had managed to save Yao Chen's mother… however, in this world there were no ifs. The past was already set in stone.
"Elder praises me too much." Yao Chen was a bit sluggish. The Violet Flame Pill's energy was quickly fading, and his strength fell back to the Dou Shi class.
"I'm going to warn you that strength isn't everything. Great changes are about to occur within Peak Martial City, and you should leave as quickly as possible." Yao Lan sighed and shook his head.
Yao Chen was startled, but he shook his head in refusal. "I need strength."
Strength wasn't everything? Maybe that was true for others, but at this moment, strength was everything to Yao Chen! The only problem he had was that his strength wasn't great enough!
He had to become stronger, and so he couldn't avoid battle.
Yao Lan opened his mouth and wanted to persuade him, but what could he say to Yao Chen?
It was true that outside the Yao clan you couldn't survive without power. Especially in the Central Plains where experts were as common as clouds, just how many problems would an expelled disciple of the Yao clan have to face?
In the end he could only acquiesce. Placing a Storage Ring on the ground, Yao Lan's figure flashed and he disappeared.
Yao Chen opened his mouth. Looking at the Storage Ring, his icy heart warmed a bit. Although it was negligible, it was at least a bit comforting. It wasn't all heartless people in the Yao clan.
Taking the Storage Ring, he found a couple medicinal pills, the majority of which were third tier. There were also a couple weapons. The best thing inside was a medicinal cauldron that emitted a faint spiritual light.
Other than that, there was a Xuan class Dou Technique, Revolving Dou Flame Fist, which could perfectly support the Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique. Obviously Yao Lan had thought of what suited Yao Chen.
Yao Chen warmed slightly and taking out the Revolving Dou Flame Fist, he silently memorized it. With the Triple Flower Agglomerating Flame Technique as a foundation, he easily understood all the descriptions recorded within it.