**** ANNOUNCEMENT ****
Hey everyone!
The wait is finally over! After a longer delay than expected (sorry about that!), Legend of the Dragon King: True Self is now available to read here on WebNovel!
It is a DD3 fanfiction written by the same author as the DD2 Angel fic, and I am genuinely excited to finally share it with all of you.
Any support you can give to help this new project gain traction would be greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps, whether that is adding it to your library, leaving a review, dropping a comment on the chapters, or throwing some power stones its way.
You can find it directly on my profile. Let's make this one big!
P.S. You might notice a few changes! The story was renamed to Douluo: True Self after WN's copy filters flagged the previous version.
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Word Count: 3,126 Words
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A barrage of Beast Techniques and Dou Techniques hurtled toward the black-robed figure. They were only trying to show off, yet they had chosen to attack directly. A soft chuckle drifted out from beneath the hood.
"Jie Jie Jie. You actually dare to strike at me?"
!!!!!?
The instant that laugh reached her ears, Feng Qing Er's expression changed dramatically. Color drained from her face in a single sweep. Those beautiful eyes, like purple gemstones, filled with sheer terror as a memory she had forced deep down clawed its way back to the surface.
On this day, Feng Qing Er recalled the fear of being dominated and the humiliation of imprisonment.
Whoosh!
A yellow-brown storm materialized in mid-air without warning. It whirled like a tornado, except instead of ordinary wind, it discharged waves of scorching heat at temperatures so extreme they defied belief.
The yellow-brown vortex cut like razors and burned like an inferno, as though blown straight from a mountain of flames. Even fire-attribute magical beasts like those of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe found it nearly unbearable.
"Ahhhh!!"
"What is this?!"
Many present blanched at the sudden onslaught of the scorching yellow-brown storm. The terrifying tempest didn't just slam into those who had rushed forward to show off. Even tribe members across the square were caught in its sweep.
Huang He, the strongest among them, narrowed his eyes and bellowed, "Ha! Demon Phoenix Bell!"
He thrust both hands upward like a Heavenly King lifting a pagoda. A massive Demon Phoenix Bell materialized around him, enveloping his body as he braced to withstand the storm head-on.
A thunderous boom rang out. Huang He had deployed the Demon Phoenix Bell in a desperate rush to receive the incoming tempest, but he had gravely underestimated its power.
Bang!
A sharp crack followed, and the Demon Phoenix Bell, reputed to be an invincible defense, shattered in an instant. Then came the sickening crunch of splintering bone. In that split second, blood sprayed through the air as both arms of the previously dashing Huang He were violently wrenched from his body.
The storm rolled through with terrifying speed, crashing forward with a momentum that seemed capable of destroying everything. Every face in the square went ashen with horror.
'Wind and Thunder Fury Flame... it's him!'
Even if Feng Qing Er had been a complete fool, the sight of that yellow-brown flame storm would have told her exactly who the black-robed figure was.
She had stood aside this whole time without interfering. Now her face turned sheet white. Terror flooded her beautiful eyes as she stumbled backward instinctively, every nerve shrieking at her to turn and flee.
The Wind and Thunder Fury Flame ranked only eighteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, and perhaps another person on the Dou Qi Continent possessed one too.
But Feng Qing Er had tasted this flame with her own flesh.
That pain, burrowing deep into her bones and marrow... sometimes, even now, it still dragged her back into nightmares. The kind that snapped her awake in the dead of night, drenched in cold sweat!
'It must be him. Xiao Yan!'
The jade-white hand hidden in her sleeve clenched into a tight fist. She glared at the black-robed figure through gritted teeth, teetering on the brink of madness.
How could he have appeared again?!
Everyone in the square, whether Heaven Demon Phoenix disciples or vassal tribe members, simply gaped with mouths hanging open, unable to close them for the longest time.
Huang He was a Rank 8 magical beast. Though his strength lagged far behind Feng Qing Er's, he had still deployed the Demon Phoenix Bell for defense. Even Feng Qing Er herself couldn't have defeated him this effortlessly!
"Who in the world is that?"
"I don't know... could they be an intruder?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Sharp sounds tore through the air as spatial rifts ripped open and several elderly figures stepped out, each radiating the aura of a high-level Dou Venerate. They were all Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe elders.
"Hm? Who dares cause trouble here?" The peak Rank 8 elder in the lead swept his gaze across the square before fixing it on the black-robed figure. "Hmph. I don't care which tribe produced you. Striking our people on these grounds is a violation of tribal law. Come with us. The Council of Elders will decide your fate."
The elders subtly shifted positions. Faint currents of Dou Qi linked their stances as they prepared a joint formation to subdue him.
Hidden beneath his Soul Robe, Xiao Yan could only shake his head. He hadn't expected to be recognized by Feng Qing Er when he had only just snuck in.
He was wearing a Soul Robe, for heaven's sake, and she had still identified him. Could it be that this Feng Qing Er actually spent her days and nights thinking about him?
What surprised him even more was that she hadn't said a single word. She had merely furrowed her brows, and a whole pack of mad dogs had come rushing to bite him.
Xiao Yan was utterly speechless!
Simps truly have no future!
He had originally planned to scout whether he could slip into the Azure Skies Heaven Realm using the Nihility Devouring Flame's power. He truly hadn't meant to cause any trouble.
Yet trouble had come looking for him!
He hadn't even made a move yet!
'Sigh. Once you walk the martial path, your fate is no longer your own.' Xiao Yan sighed inwardly, though he harbored no real fear of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
The current Xiao Yan was nothing like the man who had once visited the Wind Lightning Pavilion. With the cultivation of a 1-star Dou Saint and a trove of trump cards at his disposal, he didn't fear even the so-called Three Demon Phoenix Saints. Even if Tribe Leader Huang Tian himself appeared, he couldn't hope to capture a Xiao Yan who possessed a Heaven Seed Flame.
That was precisely why he had dared to enter so boldly. He no longer needed to tiptoe around or calculate his every move. In a world without Dou Gods, Dou Saints truly stood at the pyramid's peak.
Just as Xiao Yan prepared to act, a slender figure suddenly appeared before him.
"Elders, please stay your hands." Feng Qing Er stood with her back to Xiao Yan. A light wave of her jade-white hand summoned a seven-colored wind vortex that rose to block the elders' path.
"Hm? Qing Er, what are you..." The elders stared in puzzlement.
Feng Qing Er bit her lower lip. For a moment, her throat tightened so hard it hurt. Then she forcibly pressed her conscience down, locked it away, and plastered a smile onto her face. "Elders, this person is Qing Er's friend. Qing Er invited him here to the tribe."
Beneath the hood, Xiao Yan's expression turned indescribable. Deceiving others is one thing, but don't go deceiving yourself too! You can actually bring yourself to say that out loud?
Her declaration left many present dumbfounded. Huang He, who had just been blasted across the square, was especially stupefied. Had their attempts to curry favor actually backfired this spectacularly?!
"T-This... is your friend?!"
The entire square descended into awkward silence as everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
Feng Qing Er's neck had gone stiff, but she forced it down and gave a small nod.
The leading elder saw Feng Qing Er's nod and understood at once. He waved a broad hand, and streams of Dou Qi swept out to bind Huang He and the other members who had attacked. His voice turned cold. "Hmph. You dared strike at the Saintess's guest? Your qualifications to enter the Phoenix Nest are hereby revoked. Face the wall for one month."
Huang He and the others turned chalk-white. That was far too severe! Before they could even protest, their Dou Qi was sealed and they were dragged away.
It wasn't only the younger generation who sought to curry favor with Feng Qing Er. The older elders were equally eager. The moment she stepped forward, they all understood perfectly well that the black-robed figure must be someone very important in the Saintess's heart.
Otherwise, who would invite someone into the tribe without reason?
The elders exchanged glances, a trace of 'enlightenment' dawning in their eyes. Their raised brows and knowing looks seemed to say: Well, well... she's actually brought him home to meet the family.
"Hehehe, this must be the alchemist who refined the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill."
"Oh? Hehe, I see. Qing Er, we elders may be aged, but we aren't so stubborn as to insist you choose a husband from within the tribe. Next time you invite him, there's no need for such secrecy. You can bring him openly."
Those words struck the male disciples who had been blasted away by Xiao Yan like bolts of lightning, their expressions crumbling into utter despair.
No wonder Feng Qing Er had intervened to protect him. He was her sweetheart!
That Feng Qing Er had obtained the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill was no secret. While many tribe elders supported Jiu Feng, they also looked favorably upon the alchemist capable of refining high-grade tier 8 pills. Some had even become 'supporters' because of it.
"Uh... the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill was indeed refined by me." Xiao Yan's expression grew even more peculiar. He had refined that pill, yes. But you're all wildly, laughably off the mark!
Feng Qing Er's face flushed crimson with anger at the elders' misunderstanding. She hurriedly denied it. "No... it's not what you're thinking!"
Her cheeks reddened, and the more she denied it, the more it looked like the bashful resistance of a girl being teased. The tribe members who had harbored feelings for Feng Qing Er felt their hearts shatter one after another, every last scrap of silent admiration crumbling in an instant.
With that expression, with that tone, with those eyes...
It's over. They were cooked!
Feng Qing Er truly wanted to draw her sword and hack Xiao Yan to death just to prove her innocence! But she understood all too well that if they really fought, he could very well raze the entire ancestral grounds.
Others might not know, but how could she not? Jiu Feng was in all likelihood dead, and the one who had obtained the Bodhisattva Heart was most likely Xiao Yan. Which meant he was now a Dou Saint!
If a Saint War erupted here, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe would be doomed.
She flung out a hand, rending space open, and sent him a voice transmission. "Follow me!"
"Hm?"
The dissatisfaction in Xiao Yan's tone made Feng Qing Er's body tremble. Her voice turned far more respectful as she transmitted back. "Please come this way. This isn't a good place to talk."
"Fine."
The two vanished into the rift together. The elders watched them go, their faces full of knowing smiles.
"Hehe, Qing Er's charm really is something."
"If our tribe could secure an alchemist capable of refining the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill, it would be a tremendous boon."
…
In a magnificent palace atop a mountain peak, Feng Qing Er and Xiao Yan emerged from the spatial passage.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Saintess."
"Everyone out!"
"Understood!"
The entire palace emptied in an instant, leaving only Xiao Yan and Feng Qing Er inside. Xiao Yan waved his hand, and Spiritual Strength surged outward, sealing the palace completely to block all prying eyes and ears.
Then he removed his hood, revealing his true face. Feng Qing Er's pupils contracted. Her scalp prickled, and goosebumps raced across her skin.
It really is him! Why has he come again?!
"You! Xiao Yan, what will it take for you to leave me alone?! I've already told you everything I know! You're a peak 8th-tier alchemist who can have anything he desires. What else could I possibly give you?!" Feng Qing Er was on the verge of collapse. She had only enjoyed a few months of peace!
Anger tinged her voice, though helplessness and grievance weighed heavier still. As she spoke, a sheen of tears welled in her beautiful eyes. The Asura Slave Seal had been removed, yet he had still found his way into her tribe!
Where else could she possibly hide?!
"You... you couldn't be planning to—!" A terrifying thought then flashed through her mind. She stumbled backward several steps until her hips bumped against a desk.
Her left hand clutched the desk's edge, knuckles white, while her right hand flew to her collar, fingers tugging the fabric upward as if trying to hide her prominent chest behind that thin layer of silk. Her face turned deathly pale as naked fear etched itself across her features.
Xiao Yan was already a Dou Saint and an alchemist. The resources she possessed meant nothing to him. The only thing Feng Qing Er could imagine he might want was... her body!
Had this man tracked her all the way to her tribe just to satisfy his beast-like desires?!
In her panicked mind, she could almost see it: perhaps Xiao Yan had been rejected by other women when trying to do 'that,' and now, with wounded pride, he had come specifically to her to vent his frustration!
"You! You! You won't die a good death!"
Feng Qing Er's entire body trembled. But even as she cursed him, her fingers moved numbly to her waist sash. Her purple eyes still blazed with resentment as she glared at Xiao Yan, yet beneath that hatred lay bleak acceptance, as if she had already decided to offer everything just to end this quickly.
As her jade fingers fumbled clumsily at the sash knot, Xiao Yan finally understood what absurd scenario was playing out in her head. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and couldn't help but marvel at Feng Qing Er's power of imagination. He hadn't even said a single word!
Before she could loosen the sash, he cut straight to the point. "You might want that, but I don't. Stop daydreaming. I'm not here to cause you trouble."
Feng Qing Er froze mid-motion, fingers stiffening at her waist. Her eyes went blank as she stared at him in disbelief. "You're... you're not here to do... that?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them. A heartbeat later, heat flooded up her neck and ear tips, turning them vivid crimson as she realized what she had been about to do. She jerked her hands back as if burned and shot upright, spine ramrod stiff.
A torrent of humiliation, anger, and panic churned in her chest. To hide it all, she furrowed her brow and fixed Xiao Yan with an icy glare.
Xiao Yan was dumbfounded. Inexplicably, she looked even angrier than before!
He shot this startled phoenix an exasperated look. He was a good person, after all. He had said they were even, and even meant even. Xiao Yan had always been a man of his word.
Crack!
He picked up a spirit fruit from the table, took a bite, and spoke casually. "I heard your Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe has a body-tempering holy land. I want to borrow your Azure Skies Heaven Realm for body tempering."
"Don't worry, I won't take it for free. I'll pay you. Consider it a business deal with your Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe."
Feng Qing Er drew a deep breath, trying to steady her pounding heart. Despite her frayed nerves, she lifted her chin and adopted an aloof, presumptuous air.
"No need," she said coolly.
"Hm?" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, displeasure creeping into his tone. "Don't be so quick to refuse. I'll offer a fair price. I merely want to use your body-tempering grounds. Name your terms."
His displeasure made Feng Qing Er's shoulders flinch despite herself. She quickly waved her hands. "No, that's not what I meant. I don't need payment. You can enter the body-tempering grounds for free."
With her current status, granting one person access to the Azure Skies Heaven Realm's body-tempering ground was child's play. That place wasn't some hidden inheritance or secret realm; it existed perpetually, much like the Nine Serene Yellow Spring and the Void Lightning Pool. Anyone who didn't fear death could go in.
Body tempering could easily kill the careless!
"Uh..." Xiao Yan studied her. The look on her face said she was treating him like a plague god she couldn't wait to be rid of.
"Ahem. Are you certain you don't want anything?" His eyes narrowed into a meaningful smile.
Feng Qing Er shook her head vehemently. She wanted absolutely nothing from Xiao Yan. If asked what she truly desired, there was only one answer: for this man to vanish from her sight and never appear before her again!
Her adamant refusal only made Xiao Yan's lips curve higher. He produced a wooden box crafted from withered Bodhisattva Ancient Tree branches and opened it with a soft click, revealing a perfectly round, lustrous Bodhisattva Seed that radiated emerald light.
"A Bodhisattva Seed!"
Its jade-green luster gleamed like the finest imperial emerald, a brilliance that could captivate anyone.
In that instant, Feng Qing Er knew with absolute certainty that Xiao Yan's group had claimed all of the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree's treasures. This Bodhisattva Seed was merely leftover scraps.
Yet even such 'scraps' were priceless treasures in the eyes of countless people! Moreover, Feng Qing Er had already reached peak Rank 8 and desperately needed a Bodhisattva Seed to break through to Rank 9. For her right now, this seed was exactly what she needed most!
"Oh well, someone just said she didn't want anything. That saves me the trouble."
Snap!
Xiao Yan closed the wooden box, and the emerald light that had been bathing the hall vanished in an instant.
"I-I... I was only—" Feng Qing Er's fists clenched tight. Her pearly teeth sank into her lower lip as fierce struggle played across her face. She desperately wanted to shout that she would take nothing from this man! But she simply couldn't bring herself to say it.
Xiao Yan perched on the desk's edge with one leg crossed over the other, swaying the wooden box in his hand while watching her internal battle with a broad grin. "So, do you want it or not?"
After a moment of silence, Feng Qing Er's pride finally crumbled. Her beautiful eyes squeezed shut as she gave a heavy nod.
"Hm? I can't hear you."
"I want it!" Feng Qing Er's voice rang out loud and clear, yet carried an unmistakable trace of dejection.
She had bowed her head after all!
Xiao Yan smiled broadly. Little thing, trying to act all high and mighty in front of me? Nice try!