Outside the small courtyard, a commotion had erupted. But inside the room, Hun Xiu remained unaware that his absorption of the surrounding heaven and earth Dou Qi would cause such an uproar and stir.
Even if he had known, he wouldn't have been surprised. The Dou Qi he devoured and absorbed was inherently terrifying.
If it weren't, he wouldn't have chosen to cultivate alone in the rear mountains. That secluded area had long since become his personal training ground. No one else ever ventured there.
For reasons unknown, over the years, no one other than Hun Xiu had set foot in the rear mountains.
[Hun Tiandi: "If it weren't for me arranging everything behind the scenes, you think you'd have that place all to yourself? Get on your knees and thank me, brat. Do you even know how much I've done for you?"]
The amount of Dou Qi Hun Xiu devoured in the rear mountains was unimaginably vast—and no one else knew it.
If it weren't for that, his attempt to heal by absorbing Dou Qi this time wouldn't have caused such a massive surge, attracting so many members of the younger generation.
These young elites of the Hun Clan, truthfully, were still inexperienced—like country bumpkins.
So what if there was a bit more Dou Qi in the air? Was all the commotion and endless chatter really necessary?
Of course, Hun Xiu was unaware of any of this.
The uproar outside never reached his ears. He remained entirely focused on devouring the vast Dou Qi of the heavens and earth to aid in his recovery.
He needed to heal his injuries as fast as possible to prepare for the upcoming clan competition.
He had only one goal—
First place.
Hun Xiu had to claim it.
Only by securing first place would he possibly gain a chance. If not, then there wouldn't even be an opportunity.
The overwhelming Dou Qi in this area soon attracted the attention of Hun Feng, Hun Yu, and Hun Huan'er.
They hadn't originally planned to come, but the sheer intensity of the converging Dou Qi, coupled with the fact that many others were flocking over, eventually drew them in.
The three of them stood together, forming their own little group as they watched from afar the small courtyard now engulfed in a storm of Dou Qi. All three fell silent.
Hun Feng, though reluctant to admit that Hun Xiu was stronger than him, knew that creating such a terrifying Dou Qi storm was something far beyond his current capabilities.
"Ah…"
Hun Feng sighed and said helplessly,"Hun Xiu's strength… it's hard not to admire."
"Yeah…"Hun Yu nodded with a similarly helpless expression. He had thought that while he might not be able to take first place in this clan competition, second was a sure thing.
But now, facing this overwhelming storm of Dou Qi, Hun Yu suddenly sobered up.
Even second place might be out of reach now. Hun Xiu had drawn in such a monumental force of Dou Qi, and it was still continuing to gather—growing even more terrifying by the second.
With that kind of power, just how strong had Hun Xiu become?
A Dou Zong? A Dou Zun? Or even a Dou Sheng?
Just thinking about it filled him with a sense of helplessness and despair. First place was a lock for Hun Xiu.
As for second? With Hun Feng breathing down his neck, even that seemed unlikely now. He would probably end up in third place.
But there was no reward for third place. And even if there was, it certainly wouldn't compare to the sub-flame bestowed by Lord Void.
In this moment, Hun Yu felt utterly hopeless and lost. It was like a dashing reader missing out on billions of lottery winnings.
And it wasn't just Hun Yu who felt despair—Hun Feng did as well. He had believed that after years of relentless effort, he was set to take first place.
Now, seeing the magnitude of the Dou Qi surge surrounding Hun Xiu, Hun Feng could already see himself falling just short of his goal.
All those years of hard work… in the end, still couldn't surpass Hun Xiu.
They were both sons of the clan leader.
But Hun Feng couldn't compare to Hun Xiu.
Hun Huan'er sighed and said,"This Hun Xiu is still as dazzling as ever. No wonder he's named 'Xiu'—we really can't compare."
"Ahh…" ×3All three let out long, helpless sighs, muttering inwardly:
"Didn't Elder Gu say Hun Xiu was weaker than us? We're really starting to wonder—in what way exactly is he weaker?"
"Is it strength? Or… something else?"
[Gu Yuan: "Of course I meant strength. What else could it be? You might not believe me now, but on the day of the clan competition, you'll see for yourselves—Xiu'er really is weaker than you all."]
The three left in sighs and silence, each with different thoughts. Before long, they went their separate ways and returned home.
The intense Dou Qi around Hun Xiu's courtyard continued to swirl without fading.
After a period of gossiping, even the younger generation members gradually dispersed.
In truth, this storm of Dou Qi used by Hun Xiu to heal himself had not only drawn the attention of the younger generation—it had also caught the notice of several of the clan's old-timers.
However, for the sake of their pride, none of them dared to approach Hun Xiu's courtyard directly. They only observed from afar.
In the end, all they could do was sigh with awe:
"As expected of someone with a transcendent divine bloodline… he truly carries the potential to become an emperor. Within a hundred years, this youth will undoubtedly stand atop the continent, peerless across the Nine Heavens. The rise of the Hun Clan is inevitable."
Night fell.
The sky was adorned with stars, and the full moon hung high.
The storm of Dou Qi in Hun Xiu's courtyard continued until deep into the night before it finally began to subside.
Inside the room, upon the bed—
Hun Xiu remained seated cross-legged. The hand seals he had been forming slowly dissipated as he opened his eyes.
"Whew…"
Exhaling deeply, he assessed his injuries and revealed a faint smile.
"Give it another three to four days, and I should be fully recovered."
He rose slowly from the bed. The pain that had plagued him earlier had faded significantly.
After stretching briefly, he opened the door and stepped into the courtyard.
There, he began to practice a series of palm techniques. Once he finished those, he followed with fist techniques, and finally, leg techniques.
Palm, fist, and leg—three complete martial arts disciplines, one after the other.
Then, under the moonlight and starlight, he pulled out a wooden sword from his storage ring and began practicing sword techniques.
Every move was executed with flawless precision. If infused with Dou Qi, they would surely be capable of shattering mountains and splitting the sky.
This had long become Hun Xiu's routine. After absorbing the Dou Qi of heaven and earth, he would always proceed to train his combat techniques.
It had become a habit—something ingrained into his very being. If he skipped a day, he felt like something was missing from his life.
It was like a craftsman who, after mastering a traditional skill, couldn't fall asleep without practicing it—feeling restless, as if descending into madness.
For Hun Xiu, absorbing Dou Qi and then training in martial arts had become just that.If he didn't train afterward, he felt as though he had fallen into some kind of demonic obsession—unable to sleep at all.
"Whew…"
"Training complete."
Hun Xiu sheathed the wooden sword and let out a deep breath. A sense of satisfaction filled him, though his energy and spirit were visibly fatigued.
Turning around, he returned to his room, lay down on the bed, and soon fell into a deep sleep.