A pale-faced young man dressed in luxurious clothes pushed arrogantly through the crowd, his eyes burning with undisguised lust as they locked onto Xiao Xun'er.
"Ah—!"
Before he could even finish speaking, a figure flashed forward like a ghost. A simple palm strike landed, and the young man screamed as he was sent flying backward like a broken kite. His lackeys tried to catch him but failed miserably. He crashed heavily onto the ground.
"Oh? Isn't this Young Master Gale Ao?" Xiao Tian walked calmly to Xiao Xun'er's side with a faint smile. "You're also a Dou Practitioner, aren't you? How could you fail to withstand even a single blow from me? Did you waste all your Dou Qi on women's bellies and turn soft?"
"Xiao Tian!" Gale Ao scrambled to his feet, his face twisted in fury. He pointed a trembling finger and snarled, "Don't think that just because you've become a Dou Practitioner, you can act so arrogantly! Be careful, or you'll end up like your useless younger brother — your Dou Qi might start disappearing once you reach this realm!"
"You don't need to worry about me," Xiao Tian replied calmly. "You should worry about yourself right now."
Gale Ao's expression turned gloomy. He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked. Seeing their young master's ugly look, his subordinates immediately spread out and surrounded Xiao Tian and Xiao Xun'er with malicious intent.
"Protect yourself," Xiao Tian said softly to Xun'er.
He snapped his fingers.
Whoosh!
Silver light shot out like lightning. In an instant, Gale Ao and all his lackeys collapsed to the ground, howling in agony. Their souls felt as though they had been pierced by countless invisible needles. The pain was unbearable. Even Gale Ao, a one-star Dou Practitioner, was no match for Xiao Tian's abnormal strength and was taken down in a single move.
At that moment, a loud shout rang out from the crowd:
"Who dares cause trouble in the Xiao Family's market?!"
Uncle Payne hurried over with a group of guards. Seeing Xiao Tian standing calmly while a group of people writhed on the ground, he quickly approached.
"Third Young Master, what happened?"
"Nothing serious," Xiao Tian replied with a smile. "Someone tried to harass a young lady in our Xiao Family market. I simply taught him a small lesson. Uncle Payne, please have someone 'send' them back to the Gale Family's territory so they don't disturb everyone's business."
Payne nodded and immediately ordered his men to carry the howling group away. As they lifted Gale Ao, Xiao Tian tossed over a jade stick and a money bag.
"If Gale Ao causes trouble again, use this dog-beating stick to teach him a harsh lesson. As for these one hundred gold coins — treat everyone to drinks and food."
Payne caught both items with a wide grin.
Xiao Tian took Xun'er's hand, ready to leave. But his gaze suddenly fell on a rather handsome young man standing in the distance. The man's eyes occasionally flashed with lewdness as his hand shamelessly reached into the clothes of a nearby maid, completely ignoring the people around him.
Xiao Tian narrowed his eyes. Liu Xi… the alchemist from the original story who had ill intentions toward Xun'er. Why is he appearing here now?
Butterfly effect, perhaps. It didn't matter. He would deal with this hidden threat when the time came.
Xun'er noticed Xiao Tian staring and asked softly, "What's wrong, Tian Ge?"
"Nothing. Just looking around casually," he replied with a gentle smile.
After the disturbance, neither of them felt like continuing to shop. They returned straight to the Xiao Family compound.
Before reaching Xun'er's courtyard, a delicate women's bracelet appeared in Xiao Tian's hand — created from illusion power made real through the Dream God Art.
Xiao Xun'er's eyes widened as she stared at the beautiful bracelet.
Xiao Tian waved it teasingly in front of the dazed girl. "Do you still want it? If not, I'll take it back."
Xun'er immediately reached out and snatched it. Realizing how eager she appeared, her face flushed slightly. She took a deep breath, then gracefully slipped the bracelet onto her fair, delicate wrist.
"Thank you, Tian Ge," she said sweetly.
Xiao Tian gently pinched her slightly flushed cheek. "This bracelet has a calming and focusing effect. Wearing it regularly will benefit your cultivation. Alright, go back now and cultivate well. Strive to break through to Dou Practitioner as soon as possible."
Startled by the intimate gesture, the young lady fled like a frightened rabbit, her voice breaking cutely. "Then… I'll go back first…"
Watching her retreating figure, Xiao Tian smiled softly. He passed by Xiao Yan's small courtyard and noticed his younger brother had already returned — most likely busy cultivating the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid with Yao Lao.
Later that night, after everyone had gone to rest, Xiao Tian headed toward the back mountain. This place, the birthplace of Xiao Yan's rise in the original story, felt especially significant to him. His intuition told him that checking in here would yield excellent rewards.
Arriving at the quiet summit, he carefully sensed his surroundings. After confirming no one else was around, he spoke inwardly:
"System, grant me all my remaining rewards!"
"Ding! All wishes have been fulfilled. Rewards are now integrating…"
A powerful surge erupted within Xiao Tian's body.
The Eternal Dream Realm formed inside him — a world that would grow stronger alongside him. In the future, it could evolve into an entirely new world and even devour other mini-realms to increase its power, and it was full of endless treasures of the Dou Qi Continent and Dou techniques.
The Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame, Life Spirit Flame, and Fallen Heart Flame appeared as three tiny, distinct infant flames. They merged with his body one by one, settling peacefully in different parts of his Qi cyclone and soul without any interference.
Three supreme soul artifacts materialized within his mini-realm: the Soul Burning Zither, Soul Piercing Needle, and Soul Stealing Flute.
The Heaven Slaying Divine Sword, Demon Flame Ring, Heaven Devouring Cauldron, and World Piercing Needle floated within the same realm. The World Piercing Needle fused directly into his spatial awareness.
His personal mini-realm opened fully, resembling a complete miniature Dou Qi Continent — vast and filled with endless potential, growing stronger as he did.
Finally, the Eternal Dreamweaver Soul Body resonated perfectly with his physique, while the system also granted him the experience and knowledge of a Rank 9 Golden Tier Alchemist.
"Ding! Host, the three flames have already merged with you. You do not need to refine them manually. These are the genuine Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame, Life Spirit Flame, and Fallen Heart Flame of the Dou Qi Continent. However, the system has suppressed Purifying Lotus Demonic Flames' original full power, erased all its memories, and made it grow alongside you. It can even surpass the Emperor Flame in the future if you become stronger than a Dou Di. Only you possess these three flames — not even the Emperor Flame can take them back from you, and you cannot use fully Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame fully without the strength of Dou Sheng.
Seeing that the host is very interested in heavenly flames, the system will now gift an additional flame — the Rank 8 Red Lotus Karma Flame.
As a bonus, the system shall also grant you the Mountain Melting Cauldron, one of the 13 Heavenly Cauldrons. This is the genuine article. The Burning Flame Valley will never possess it, as the system has already altered destiny. In reality, the Yan Clan never owned the Rank 8 Red Lotus Karma Flame. The system has rewritten history so that they never possessed it. Huo Zhi of the Yan Clan will instead possess a Rank 7 flame.
The Red Lotus Karma Flame is now unique to you alone.
The system is extremely possessive regarding the host's treasures. Therefore, rest assured — none of the flames you possess will ever be obtained by others. The Burning Flame Valley will never acquire the Mountain Melting Cauldron. Its first and only owner shall be you.
Even the Life Spirit Flame belongs solely to you. No one else will ever claim it.
In the future, because the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame has fully merged with you, you will also gain the ability to control the Demon Flame Realm.
The system advises the host to find a way to control the Rank 2 Nihility Devouring Flame in the future and gift it to Xiao Yan. This will clear his path to becoming the Flame Emperor. Since the host has already taken the Rank 3 flame, and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame is extremely important for the Dreamweaver Emperor's soul control abilities, it will eventually become even more powerful than the Emperor Flame itself. Therefore, please give him the Rank 2 flame.
And please collect all maps of Purifying Lotus Demonic Saint to tame Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame fully.
A Dou Huang bodyguard summoning card and a Dou Zong bodyguard summoning card have also been granted
All rewards have been successfully granted.
All ten wishes have been fulfilled. Host, take care of yourself. Bye~"
Xiao Tian stood alone on the mountain peak, feeling boundless power surging through his veins. Three distinct heavenly flames burned quietly inside him. His soul had become nearly indestructible, and an entirely new world now existed within his body.
A confident smile appeared on his face.
"The path of the Dreamweaver Emperor… truly begins now."