Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

Xiao Yan fell silent, his emotions a tangled mix of anger and confusion.

Why me? I haven't done anything to deserve this kind of hatred. He couldn't fathom who would despise him enough to torment him this way—sapping his Dou Qi instead of just killing him outright.

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Xiao Bai said he couldn't beat it back then. But now? He's still at stage 9 Dou Zhi Qi, isn't he? Has something changed?

Noticing Xiao Yan's skepticism, Xiao Bai didn't explain. Instead, he said directly, "Take off the ring on your hand—the one your mother gave you."

Xiao Yan blinked, bewildered. What does the ring have to do with this?

Though puzzled, he felt a twinge of guilt for earlier misunderstanding Xiao Bai. Without further questions, he slipped off the ring and handed it over.

Xiao Bai didn't take it. "Put it on the stone table," he instructed, then added, "Now, try cultivating again."

Xiao Yan had no idea what Xiao Bai was up to, but he didn't hesitate. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he assumed his cultivation stance and began.

Moments later, he leapt up, eyes wide with disbelief. "Bai-ge, my Dou Qi isn't disappearing! I can cultivate! I can cultivate again! Hahaha!"

Laughing and crying, Xiao Yan shouted in ecstasy, lunging toward Xiao Bai in excitement.

Xiao Bai, seeing him try that move again, wasn't having it. With a casual wave, he gently pushed Xiao Yan back several steps.

Xiao Yan stumbled but didn't care, grinning ear to ear, muttering, "I can finally cultivate… I'm not a waste anymore…"

Heaven knows how much I've longed for this moment these past three years. It's finally here.

"Done celebrating?" Xiao Bai asked, cutting through Xiao Yan's giddy laughter. The boy had been lost in joy for ages with no sign of calming down.

Snapping back, Xiao Yan approached, straightened his robe, and bowed solemnly. "Bai-ge, thank you."

No apologies, no extra words—saying more would seem insincere. From now on, Xiao Bai was his brother, no question.

Xiao Bai nodded with a faint smile, gesturing to the stone bench for him to sit. His expression turned serious as he fixed his gaze on the ring.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun Er followed his stare, realizing Xiao Yan's problem stemmed from that very ring.

"Senior, would you care to show yourself?" Xiao Bai's low voice echoed across the cliff.

Inside the ring, Yao Chen was fuming. This kid keeps ruining my plans! Originally, Xiao Yan's ignorance made him easy to sway, but now, with Xiao Bai stirring things up, the difficulty had skyrocketed.

He itched to teach the boy a lesson but hesitated, wary. The second time Xiao Bai and Xiao Yan fought, Yao Chen's curiosity had led him to probe Xiao Bai's soul forcefully. A seemingly harmless black-red thunder spark had erupted from Xiao Bai, knocking him out for two months.

Since then, he'd hidden himself tightly whenever Xiao Bai was near, suspecting the boy harbored a presence like his own—only far stronger.

"Senior, please show yourself," Xiao Bai repeated, but the ring remained still.

Xiao Yan began to doubt. Is there really someone in there?

Xiao Xun Er, however, trusted Xiao Bai implicitly. If he says there's someone, there is. With her knowledge, she was no stranger to such oddities.

Seeing no response, Xiao Bai shook his head. His finger tapped the table, and a crimson thunder spark shot toward the black ring.

Yao Chen jolted in panic. Last time, a black-red spark put me out for two months. Now a crimson one? No thanks, I'm not testing any color!

The crimson spark was lightning-fast, but the inert black ring moved faster, floating upward just as the spark struck its former spot. A blackened pit smoked on the stone table.

Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. That power—if it hit me, I'd be dead or crippled. And what was that crimson thunder? Bai-ge hasn't broken through, has he? How's a stage 9 Dou Zhi Qi pulling this off?

Is the world broken? My upright Bai-ge is some kind of hidden schemer?

A glint of admiration flashed in Xiao Xun Er's eyes. This is the technique Xiao Bai gege paid such a price to cultivate? It's incredible—way better than what I offered.

At that moment, a faint figure emerged from the floating ring—an old man in a blue robe, white hair framing a gentle face, his every gesture exuding a master's aura.

As he appeared, he stroked his short beard, sighing dramatically. "Tch, you thunder cultivators are all so hot-headed. Xiao Bai, kid, I remember you being quite mild-mannered as a child!"

Xiao Xun Er instantly tensed, stepping to Xiao Bai's side, one hand on his shoulder, the other gripping something tightly.

Before Xiao Bai could speak, Xiao Yan's eyes blazed with fury. Three years of humiliation surged forth as he shouted, "Old man, I've got no grudge with you! Why'd you ruin me?"

Yao Chen didn't answer immediately. He glanced at Xiao Xun Er's guarded stance and smiled. "Little girl, relax. I mean no harm."

Another formidable one. Even from a distance, he sensed his Bone Chilling Flame recoiling in her presence. And that space jade slip in her hand? Yao Chen marveled. This backwater clan in the northwest has produced such talents.

Yet the quasi-disciple I chose seems the least impressive of the three.

For a moment, Yao Chen questioned his eye for talent.

He drifted toward Xiao Yan, who, about to unleash a tirade, faltered and ducked behind Xiao Bai.

Yao Chen sighed, exasperated. Look at those two, cool as ice, while you're all bluster. Shaking his head, he'd made his choice years ago and had to stick with it.

With a kind smile, he said to Xiao Yan, "Little one, I should thank you for sustaining me these past three years."

Xiao Bai shook his head. This old guy's poking right at Xiao Yan's wounds.

Sure enough, Xiao Yan's anger spiked, his face darkening. Popping out from behind Xiao Bai, he let loose a torrent of curses: "I sustained your grandmother's—!" (120 words omitted here.)