Chapter 209: Just a Stroke of Luck

Soul Clan-

Residence of Hun Feng-

Hun Yu approached Hun Feng. Hun Yu's strength was now at the Dou Huang level, and if it weren't for the fact that he had cultivated the Flame Mantra before, he might have become a Dou Zong already. 

Although there was just a single word difference between Huang and Zong, the gap between them was as vast as the heavens and the earth. They were not on the same level at all.

...

Hun Feng's strength wasn't much better either. He was also at the Dou Huang level, slightly stronger than Hun Yu.

...

"Hun Yu, why are you here?" Hun Feng looked at Hun Yu's arrival and couldn't help but inquire.

They were brothers, but also rivals.

If it wasn't for something important, they rarely met.

They both saw each other as stumbling blocks on the path to becoming the next Soul Clan Lord.

Hun Yu didn't beat around the bush and directly said, "I heard that our father is blessed with a pair of twins. From now on, you and I will have two more younger sisters."

"And then?" Hun Feng looked at Hun Yu.

To be honest, when he learned that his father had two more children, Hun Feng couldn't find much joy in it. 

Due to Hun Yu's existence, his position as the future Soul Clan Lord was already under threat. Now he had two more younger sisters? 

That was another form of threat to him. How could he be happy about this? With the clan leadership to inherit, adding one more person to compete for the position meant he had one less chance to succeed.

Originally, with Hun Yu's existence and his chance were fifty-fifty in terms of competition for the position.

But now, with two younger sisters, the odds of becoming the clan leader would decrease from fifty-fifty to only one in four chances. How could he find joy in this?

...

Hun Yu looked at Hun Feng and said, "Aren't you planning to go see the two younger sisters?"

"I've heard from the clan elders that Father values the two younger sisters greatly. Moreover, the two of them are born with the power of a Dou Zun. They are naturally ahead of us. Do you know?"

"Born as Dou Zuns?"

This matter was something Hun Feng was aware of, and he had confirmed it multiple times. It was indeed true. Moreover, the fact that the two younger sisters were born as Dou Zuns was closely related to their father. 

It was said that before their birth, Father, Hun Tiandi, nurtured them with his own Dou Di bloodline. He almost exhausted his Dou Di bloodline in the process.

The difference in treatment was apparent. Even Hun Feng hadn't experienced such favor from their father, let alone Hun Yu. 

If only, once upon a time, their father had been willing to expend his entire Dou Di bloodline to nurture them... then perhaps they, too, might have been born as Dou Zuns.

This innate Dou Zun potential wasn't just about strength; it represented a deep fatherly love that neither Hun Feng nor Hun Yu had ever experienced.

Hun Yu understood Hun Feng's silence and guessed the turmoil in his heart. Hun Feng must be feeling incredibly frustrated right now. Similarly, Hun Yu had also felt this frustration and had sought solace from his mother.

Why was there such a vast difference between them? They were both father's seeds, after all.

Hun Yu's mother had seen through his frustration and resentment. She pointed out that it was impossible to compare. 

Hun Tiandi had made significant sacrifices for Hun Yu's existence, using his unique methods to nurture him with his lineage. 

On the other hand, the twin sisters were the direct result of Hun Tiandi's personal intervention, and their special status was reasonable. 

While both were Hun Tiandi's descendants, the difference was evident – the twins were closer to their father's heart.

Hun Feng and Hun Yu were, in essence, tools for strengthening the younger generation. The comparison couldn't be made, and Hun Yu's mother couldn't argue with that. 

After all, Hun Feng and Hun Yu were their children, products of their own bodies. But they were created under much more controlled circumstances.

Hun Yu had to ultimately accept the explanations, feeling somewhat relieved. He looked at his younger sisters and their "new mother" with a clearer perspective. It wasn't worth harboring resentment over it.

With a sense of understanding, Hun Yu decided to visit his sisters. He sought out Hun Feng, initially planning to go together. However, it seemed that Hun Feng wasn't in the mood.

Hun Yu asked, "If you don't want to go, should I just go by myself?"

Hun Yu didn't wait for Hun Feng's reply; he left on his own accord.

Hun Feng watched Hun Yu's departing figure, his thoughts wavering in uncertainty, feeling a bit bewildered.

"Since Hun Yu is going, if I don't go, could Father start favoring him more?" Hun Feng mumbled to himself.

In his perspective, this was only the beginning. If he didn't accompany Hun Yu now, would he be even more overlooked in the future?

After weighing the pros and cons, Hun Feng decided that he should go. He caught up to Hun Yu and patted his shoulder, saying, "Hun Yu, you walked so fast. I never said I wouldn't go."

Hun Yu replied, "Even without you saying anything, I knew you wouldn't go just by the way you looked. Why stick around?"

Hun Feng retorted, "I was considering it!"

Hun Yu chuckled, "But your look said otherwise. Even if you didn't say anything, I could tell you weren't planning to go. why?"

Hun Feng explained, "I was just thinking..."

Hun Yu interrupted, "In the end, those are our sisters. Why wouldn't their big brothers go?"

Hun Feng asked, "Could I now go?"

Hun Yu grinned, "Exactly. By the way, did you prepare any gifts?"

Hun Yu's words made Hun Feng pause and pat his own forehead, exclaiming, "You just reminded me! I almost forgot. It would be quite rude of me to go see my sisters as their big brother without a gift."

Hun Feng sighed, "Let's go, then."

He patted Hun Yu's shoulder, saying, "Let's go to my mansion. I've got something you can use as a gift."

Hun Yu agreed, "Sure thing."

The two turned back and headed to Hun Feng's residence.

...

At Gu Xun'er's residence-

Gu Xun'er was well aware that Hun Tiandi had welcomed two new little ones. She knew about their new "mother" as well – the Queen of the Snake People from the Northwestern Realm. 

She was a voluptuous woman, and when compared to her, Gu Xun'er felt like a little sister.

Thinking about the Queen, who had already birthed children, Gu Xun'er glanced at her own flat belly, murmuring, "I'm not going to have a baby too, am I?"

(Hun Tiandi: "Don't overthink it. I have it under control.")

...

Today, Gu Xun'er intended to visit her two "daughters." After all, these little ones would eventually call her "mother," and it was only natural to consider them as her daughters.

And it wasn't just Gu Xun'er. Xiao Yi Xian emerged from seclusion too, with the same intention of visiting her "daughters."

On this day, various threads of fate converged. What expressions would Hun Feng and Hun Yu have when they saw Gu Xun'er again?

Gu Xun'er, now their "mother," what expression would she put on when she saw them?

...

On the other side, Gu Yuan found Hun Tiandi. Naturally, he received the news of Hun Tiandi welcoming two daughters.

Gu Yuan's expression remained neutral as he said calmly, "Congratulations on gaining two more offspring, and I heard they are born as innate Dou Dis."

"Quite an achievement!" Hun Tiandi smiled.

The meaning behind Gu Yuan's words was clear, and Hun Tiandi was well aware of it, though he didn't explicitly address Gu Yuan's thoughts.

He asked, "Did you come to the Soul Clan just to congratulate me, or is there something else?"

Gu Yuan confirmed, "Yes."

Without beating around the bush, he continued, "You promised that if you became a Dou Di, you would help me become one as well. You didn't deceive me, did you?"

Hun Tiandi replied, "Of course not. I haven't deceived you before, and I wouldn't now. After all, you and I have a certain relationship, don't we?"

Hearing this, Gu Yuan nodded, relieved.

Hun Tiandi had possessed the Tuo She Ancient Emperor Jade for quite a while, and the Gu Clan had been closely monitoring the Soul Clan. 

The lack of action from both Hun Tiandi and the Soul Clan seemed strange to Gu Yuan. For Hun Tiandi, becoming a Dou Di had been a strong obsession.

It was inconceivable that, even with the Tuo She Ancient Emperor Jade in hand, Hun Tiandi had not ventured to the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hidden location.

Gu Yuan questioned, "But it's been quite a while. Haven't you found the entrance to the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hiding place? Hun Tiandi, why have you shown no signs of action?"

Hun Tiandi calmly responded, "No hurry. With the Tuo She Ancient Emperor Jade in hand, I have already secured the entrance to the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hiding place."

Gu Yuan seemed puzzled, "But this... You're not usually like this. Why would you choose to wait and practice for a few more years before entering the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hiding place? This doesn't seem like you."

Hun Tiandi explained, "Well... I want to improve my strength first. When I'm more confident, I'll enter the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hiding place."

Gu Yuan continued, "But this... It doesn't sound like you at all."

Gu Yuan's gaze became unusual as he observed Hun Tiandi. This wasn't Hun Tiandi he remembered. What had happened? Had the allure of becoming a Dou Di lost its grip on him?

Furthermore, Gu Yuan was well-informed about Hun Tiandi's recent circumstances. 

Hun Tiandi practicing? Seriously? He was supposed to believe that? Many experts of the Soul Clan had secluded themselves for cultivation, but... Gu Yuan couldn't fathom the notion of Hun Tiandi actually devoting himself to cultivation.

At his strength, was Hun Tiandi really going to improve his strength by closing himself off for cultivation? Was this some kind of joke? Or...

He's just deceiving Gu Yuan...

...

Hun Tiandi explained, "It's not easy to break through to the Dou Di level. How can I have any assurance if I don't prepare properly?"

"Remember... how Xiao Xuan failed? You should know. He was too impatient and unprepared. Trying to become a Dou Di quickly, he ultimately failed."

At these words, Gu Yuan looked at Hun Tiandi with a strange expression, as if he were thinking, "Are you kidding me?"

Hun Tiandi understood the meaning in Gu Yuan's gaze and added, "Of course... I won't deny that the reason for Xiao Xuan's failure was influenced by our Soul Clan."

"But more importantly, Xiao Xuan wasn't completely ready."

"So, I'm in no hurry to enter the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hiding place. I want to improve my strength a bit and be more confident before attempting it."

"More confident?" Gu Yuan rolled his eyes at Hun Tiandi and said, "Your soul power is already at the Emperor level. Your strength is already at the Half-Dou Di level. You want to get stronger? If you get any stronger, you'll break through to the Dou Di level."

Hun Tiandi responded, "I know, but even in my current state, I'm not confident that I can break through to the Dou Di level. Understand?"

Hun Tiandi was lying. He was indeed more than confident that he could break through to the Dou Di level. He was absolutely certain that he would, following the method outlined in the divine book. 

However, he didn't want to follow that path exactly.

If he didn't know about the existence of other continents beyond the Continent of Dou Qi, he might have gone along with the divine book's method. 

But now that he knew about the other continents, he wanted to protect the strong of the Continent of Dou Qi as much as possible.

When he eventually broke through to the Dou Di level, the strong of the Continent of Dou Qi would be his army for conquering the realms!

...

"How long do I have to wait?" Gu Yuan frowned as he inquired.

Indeed, Hun Tiandi's explanation seemed reasonable. But... for some reason, he had a feeling that Hun Tiandi was playing him.

But...

He couldn't find any solid arguments to counter Hun Tiandi's words.

All he could do was take it one step at a time.

Hun Tiandi wasn't in a hurry. So, why should he be?

The Tuo She Ancient Emperor Jade was in Hun Tiandi's hands, and the location of the entrance to the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hiding place was known only to Hun Tiandi. Gu Yuan was left with nothing.

All he could do was follow Hun Tiandi's lead!

Following Hun Tiandi meant he could have some soup and perhaps even some meat. Otherwise... he wouldn't even get any soup, let alone meat.

...

Hun Tiandi added, "After the next appearance of the Purifying Demon Lotus Flame, and after obtaining it, I'll be able to enter the Tuo She Ancient Emperor cave's hiding place."

In Hun Tiandi's perspective, once he had gathered all the Heavenly Flames from the Continent of Dou Qi, he believed he would be well-equipped to obtain the inheritance.

And achieve a breakthrough to the Dou Di level with the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's inheritance.

If he couldn't obtain the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's inheritance even after refining all the heavenly flames, then he would have no choice but to follow the divine book's instructions to break through to the Dou Di level.

"The Purifying Demon Lotus Flame?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan's eyes flickered with surprise, and he asked, "You already possess the Void Swallowing Flame, and you're still paying attention to the Purifying Demon Lotus Flame?"

Hun Tiandi looked at Gu Yuan and said, "Not only am I paying attention to the Purifying Demon Lotus Flame, but I'm also paying attention to all the Heavenly Flames."

As he spoke, streams of Heavenly Flames flew out from Hun Tiandi's body. 

There are twenty-three Heavenly Flames listed on the Heavenly Flame Rankings.

And now...

Around Hun Tiandi's body, there were more than a dozen Heavenly Flames floating!

"This..."

Gu Yuan's pupils contracted suddenly, utterly shocked!

"Hiss..."

After a long while, Gu Yuan gradually regained his composure. He couldn't help but take in a sharp breath and asked, "How did you manage this? How is it possible for one person to possess so many Heavenly Flames?"

Gu Yuan was astounded!

Once upon a time, Gu Yuan had witnessed someone having the most Heavenly Flames—three of them. And that person was none other than Xiao Xuan.

Formerly, Xiao Xuan was known for having three Heavenly Flames, breaking the norm that one person could only possess one kind of Heavenly Flame.

It was precisely because Xiao Xuan controlled three Heavenly Flames that he created the secret technique to temporarily boost his strength with flames—the Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformation!

Originally, because Xiao Xuan's control over three Heavenly Flames was already a marvel, it was beyond imagination that Hun Tiandi, alone, was controlling more than a dozen Heavenly Flames now!

Moreover, there was no sign of any backlash. This was truly astonishing... It was a miracle!

Gu Yuan was witnessing a miracle!

...

A smirk formed at the corner of Hun Tiandi's mouth. He enjoyed seeing Gu Yuan's shocked expression, mixed with envy and longing that he couldn't obtain. It pleased him immensely.

Hun Tiandi said, "It's just a stroke of luck!"