Xiao Yan’s hand seals were clumsy and slow, as if he was a novice, but as his hand movements continued, the vast soul energy enveloping him indeed began to rapidly converge. A faint, intangible soul palm seal was beginning to form in the palm of his hand. However, compared to the one Cao Ying had displayed, this seal seemed slightly more ethereal. Cao Ying watched Xiao Yan’s awkward hand seals with a shocked gaze, yet her heart felt like it was being tossed about in a stormy sea. She never imagined that Xiao Yan could memorize her hand seals within such a short moment. Of course, what she found most unbelievable was not only that Xiao Yan could firmly remember the hand seals but that he could actually perform them after memorizing them! When Cao Ying first encountered this soul technique, it took her a long time to gradually grasp the coordination between soul energy and the finger seals. But now, Xiao Yan accomplished this in just a few minutes. Such an event would even shock someone known for their demonic talent like her. Of course, this did not mean that Xiao Yan’s talent surpassed Cao Ying’s. After all, during his years of trials, Xiao Yan’s mastery of soul energy had reached a near-perfect level. The soul hand seals Cao Ying used were not too high-level, so it wasn’t too hard to understand that Xiao Yan could grasp some of the techniques by following the right steps. The fundamentals Xiao Yan had built were incredibly solid. With a little opportunity, he would find it much easier to learn than ordinary people.
All these were things Cao Ying didn’t know, so she was immensely shocked upon witnessing this scene.
The enormous soul storm rapidly expanded in Xiao Yan’s pupils. As the soul pressure neared, the rapidly changing, clumsy hand seals gradually became smoother. The movement of his fingers began to carry a hint of natural ease.
Xiao Yan’s gaze fixed on the surging soul storm, and a moment later, the changing hand seals abruptly solidified. A low, thunderous cry erupted from his throat!
“Ha!”
His voice was like thunder. Xiao Yan’s palm maintained a peculiar palm seal, then he heavily pushed outwards!
As his palm struck, a sharp wind roared, and the invisible palm seal carried the surrounding soul energy. Before the eyes of everyone in the hall, it powerfully collided with the soul storm.
“Bang!”
The collision produced a low, rumbling explosion, and many people’s souls felt a sharp pain at that moment…
“Rumble!”
Invisible soul ripples swept out from the point of collision, and the wide stone floor turned to powder. The flying dust considerably reduced visibility within the hall.
The violent soul storm finally dissipated after nearly a minute. At this point, the disheveled figures in the audience could stand up, and their gazes immediately turned to the already heavily damaged square.
Dust gradually settled in the square, and the scene was once again visible to everyone in the hall…
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a stone slab less than a meter long and wide. In front of him, there were several bottomless pits. His sleeves were completely torn, making him look somewhat disheveled.
Several dozen feet away, Cao Ying remained unharmed, even her clothes looked tidy. But her expression was serious, and she gazed at Xiao Yan without blinking.
Seeing their appearances, it was clear that Xiao Yan was at a slight disadvantage.
Elder Sheng, who had retreated far earlier, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the exchange end. He then flew over, looked around, and shook his head with a wry smile. These two were truly wreaking havoc…
“Three palms have been delivered, you win…”
Cao Ying took a deep breath and gracefully stood up, speaking softly.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled and rose to his feet, revealing a red thread behind him. Cao Ying’s three palms were all deflected, and none of them knocked him out of the red circle. According to the rules, he had won this match…
Cao Ying’s words silenced the hall. The expressions of the Cao family members stiffened. They had never imagined that Cao Ying would lose.
“That bastard is really lucky,” Cao Dan said with a grim face, cursing under his breath.
“Xiao Yan is no ordinary person. Apart from Cao Ying, I doubt any of the young generation in the Cao family can match him…” Cao Xiu said indifferently, “This was just a preliminary exchange. If they meet at the Pill Gathering, Xiao Yan may not necessarily defeat Cao Ying…”
Hearing Cao Xiu’s words, Cao Dan’s expression grew even more sullen. He had fought Xiao Yan before and, although he was strong back then, he could not reach his current level. Clearly, in just a few months, Xiao Yan had progressed at an astonishing speed. But this rate of improvement was also too shocking.
The silence in the hall was broken by murmurs of amazement. It was the first time they had seen Cao Ying admit defeat to someone of her age. Cao Ying’s reputation was too resounding, and her “demonic woman” title was well-deserved. Throughout the Alchemists’ Domain, it was difficult to find anyone in her generation who could match her.
In the Ye Clan’s seats, Ye Zhong and Xin Lan were filled with astonishment and excitement at Xiao Yan’s performance. This assessment had given them an almost unbelievable perfect result: first place in all three categories. Such a feat had only been achieved by the Ye Clan at its peak.
“The Ye Clan… is saved…”
Seeing the excited faces of the two, Little Healer Immortal and Heavenly Fire Venerable exchanged smiles. The former’s eyes turned to Xiao Yan’s slender back. From start to finish, he had never let anyone down. Regardless of his opponent, he never lost confidence. This boundless confidence made him possess an especially attractive personal charm…
As long as a person always believes in himself, he will ultimately succeed.
“Miss Cao Ying, I admit defeat. If you were to throw another palm, I doubt I would be able to receive it.”
In the field, Xiao Yan casually tore off a piece of tattered cloth from his sleeve and then cupped his hands towards Cao Ying, smiling broadly.
“Are you trying to steal my soul hand seals?” Seeing Xiao Yan’s nonchalant manner, Cao Ying raised an eyebrow and said with a half-smile.
Hearing Cao Ying’s blunt words, Xiao Yan felt somewhat embarrassed. The soul hand seals weren’t too difficult, and they probably weren’t very advanced in terms of soul techniques, but for someone who had never practiced soul techniques, they were like precious treasures.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s awkwardness, Cao Ying covered her mouth and smiled, lightly stepping forward to stand beside him. Her watery eyes stared at Xiao Yan’s face, and she grinned mischievously. “If Mr. Xiao Yan has the time, we can privately exchange some ideas. I know a few soul techniques, and it’s up to you to see if you have the skills to learn them.”
A subtle fragrance wafted towards Xiao Yan. Looking at the enchanting face close to him, his heart fluttered while also becoming cautious. He smiled calmly and said, “If I have the time, I will definitely talk to Miss Cao Ying…”
Although he had won by a stroke of luck, Xiao Yan knew that for Cao Ying, this was just a warm-up. After this exchange, he clearly realized that this demonic woman was no ordinary person. She was definitely a strong contender for the top three spots at the Pill Gathering! He could feel that from the beginning, Cao Ying had never used her full strength.
The fact that he could mimic Cao Ying’s soul hand seals was mostly due to luck, and Cao Ying certainly wouldn’t willingly share her soul techniques with him. With this experience, she would be more careful in future exchanges, and the idea of mimicking her techniques again would remain just a thought.
Xiao Yan speculated that this demonic woman was probably a bit unhappy about this small defeat and wanted to find a chance to redeem herself.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s vague response, Cao Ying didn’t mind. From this encounter, she had a basic understanding of his stubborn nature. She knew that the man in front of her wouldn’t easily fall for her charms like other men.
However… everything needs a bit of challenge, right?
“The Pill Gathering is approaching. I hope to see you there. I know… you held back earlier, too.”
With a deep glance, Cao Ying’s lips curled with a hint of seduction and mischief. She then turned and walked out, leaving Xiao Yan a lazy and proud silhouette.
Looking at that silhouette, Xiao Yan let out a light sigh. This woman was not easy to deal with…
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