The sudden appearance of a figure forcibly pulled from the forest startled Cao Ying and her companions, but they heaved a slight sigh of relief when they recognized the person. The look in Song Qing’s eyes even hinted at a barely perceptible glee.
“Ah, Xiao Yan… Tsk tsk, I haven’t even gone looking for you yet, and here you are, coming to me on your own,” the black-robed man said with a peculiar smile upon seeing that the hidden figure was Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan’s gaze was fixed intently on the unfamiliar black-robed man. From the tone of his voice, it seemed the man knew him, but try as he might, Xiao Yan couldn’t place him. He had encountered only a few Dou Zun-level experts, and each one left a deep impression. But this individual remained utterly foreign to him.
“Do I know you, Sir? Xiao Yan seems not to recognize you,” Xiao Yan said, bowing slightly towards the black-robed man.
“Unrecognized, perhaps, but certainly not unremembered…” the black-robed man smirked. “Regardless, no one here is escaping, including you.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed as he sensed the man’s murderous intent. Clearly, escape would not be easy.
Stepping back into the air, Xiao Yan retreated slowly, then swiftly flashed over to Cao Ying and the others. Now was not the time for bravado. The surrounding dozen or so black-robed figures were immensely powerful. Judging by their auras, there were at least six or seven Battle Sect-level experts among them. Such a lineup would be formidable even in the Central Plains.
As for Xiao Yan’s arrival, apart from the fierce glare of the two elders from the Mystic Void Sect, the others were relieved. In this situation, every additional person increased their chances of survival. They had already seen Xiao Yan’s strength earlier on the hill.
“What should we do?” Cao Ying asked Xiao Yan quietly, her beautiful eyes glancing at him.
“What can we do? That guy is a Dou Zun. Each of us should think of our own way to escape,” Xiao Yan responded helplessly.
“How can we escape? Even if we use teleportation stones, he will intercept us,” Song Qing frowned.
Xiao Yan shrugged, not wanting to argue. If things went wrong, he could use the Lotus of Destruction to flee. As for Cao Ying and the others, he had no intention of wasting energy on them.
“I can break through the soul barrier, but if I do, he’ll attack. I need some time.”
Cao Ying’s lovely eyes never left Xiao Yan’s face as she bit her lip. She understood that if anyone here could fight, it would be Xiao Yan.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s brows rose in surprise. Living up to her reputation as a temptress, Cao Ying was confident in breaking the soul barrier set by a Dou Zun—quite an impressive feat.
“We can hold off these black-robed men, but that guy…” A middle-aged man with bloodstains on his face hesitated before saying regretfully.
Glancing at him, Xiao Yan appreciated that he had managed to endure this long, proving his worth. Those who entered the Alchemy Realm all had a trick or two, but strength lay in who had more.
“How long do you need?”
There was no time for further deliberation. Xiao Yan’s thoughts raced before he quickly asked.
“Three minutes!” Cao Ying replied rapidly.
Pausing for a moment, Xiao Yan nodded slowly under the tense gazes of the others. Though the opponent was a Dou Zun, he was confident in holding him off for three minutes.
Seeing Xiao Yan nod, everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief. Several people even sent grateful looks towards him. They knew the danger of confronting the mysterious black-robed man, but within this group, only Xiao Yan possessed the necessary ability—even the two elders from the Mystic Void Sect refrained from saying anything. Despite being Nine Star Battle Sects, they recognized the vast difference between themselves and a Dou Zun. The outcome of a direct confrontation would be dire.
“Thank you,” Cao Ying said softly to Xiao Yan before lightly tapping the ground. Her lithe frame floated backwards, and as she moved, her hair, usually bound in a silk ribbon, suddenly came loose. At that moment, a powerful, overwhelming soul pressure began emanating from her forehead.
“On your marks!” Song Qing shouted as he unleashed a surge of Dou Qi, charging towards the surrounding black-robed figures and entangling them.
Xiao Yan marveled at the immense soul force emanating from Cao Ying’s brow. This woman was truly extraordinary. In terms of soul power, she was the strongest among their peers. Her allure wasn’t purely physical; if given enough time, she would have a limitless future. Even this mysterious Dou Zun might not be a match for her.
While Song Qing and the others engaged the black-robed figures, Xiao Yan didn’t waste any time. He approached the black-robed man, his face serious as jade-green flames burst forth from his body.
“Do you think you can stand against me?” The black-robed man’s cold gaze fixed on Xiao Yan. Glancing at Cao Ying, who had begun to work on breaking the soul barrier, he frowned and harrumphed. With a casual flick of his sleeve, the space around Xiao Yan froze, like a prison trapping him inside.
Sensing the solidifying space, Xiao Yan’s expression changed. Dou Zuns were indeed formidable. With a simple gesture, they could turn the void into a prison.
“Three Mystical Skyfires, First Transformation!”
“Three Mystical Skyfires, Second Transformation!”
Fortunately, Xiao Yan was no ordinary practitioner. He knew the resilience of Dou Zuns and held nothing back. Summoning the second transformation of the Three Mystical Skyfires, his Dou Qi surged, shattering the frozen space around him. In a flash, he once again blocked the path of the black-robed man.
“Flaming Valley’s Three Mystical Skyfires?” Seeing the sudden surge in Xiao Yan’s power, the black-robed man’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. Stamping a foot, he appeared before Xiao Yan like a flash, his hand sweeping out casually towards Xiao Yan’s chest.
Facing the seemingly gentle palm strike, Xiao Yan’s expression grew grave. The man’s move locked down all the space around him, leaving no room for evasion.
Unable to dodge, he braced himself and gritted his teeth. His arm shook oddly, releasing a powerful concealed force.
“Eight Extreme Fissure!”
The concealed force passed through Xiao Yan’s bones, bursting out and slamming into the black-robed man’s palm, causing it to pause slightly.
“Mountain-Crushing Seal!”
“Sea-Upturning Seal!”
Seals shifted rapidly, and two resplendent energy seals erupted from Xiao Yan’s hands, crashing into the black-robed man’s palm, weakening his attack.
“Hmph!”
Growing impatient with Xiao Yan’s resistance, the black-robed man’s eyes flashed with irritation. The soul barrier, meanwhile, was fading under Cao Ying’s efforts.
A cold snort echoed, and a strange, scorching energy burst from the black-robed man. It condensed on his arm, forming a deep blue, crystal-like layer, resembling a sapphire arm.
As the crystals formed, Xiao Yan felt a sudden sense of danger. Instinctively, he snapped his fingers, and the silver light of the Earth Demon Puppet appeared before him.
“Boom!”
No sooner had the Earth Demon Puppet appeared than the space before Xiao Yan warped. A hand, covered in deep blue crystal, shot out from the void and slammed into the puppet’s chest, emitting a deafening sound.
The impact left a deep indentation in the Earth Demon Puppet’s chest, revealing its silver inner workings!
The devastating force sent the puppet flying back, and Xiao Yan, caught in the blast, was sent reeling too. His feet scraped back across the air, and his face paled.
“This guy is terrifying,” Xiao Yan thought, stunned. If the Earth Demon Puppet had been sentient, it would have been killed instantly. Imagining the same blow hitting him, he shuddered at the potential damage.
“Is this the power of a Dou Zun?” Glancing at the nearly crushed chest of the Earth Demon Puppet, Xiao Yan’s pupils constricted.
“Crack!”
Just as Xiao Yan steadied himself, a faint cracking sound rang out in the air.
“Hurry, the soul barrier is broken!”
Swirling around, Xiao Yan heard Cao Ying’s urgent cry. Acting swiftly, he pivoted and, with a flash of silver beneath his feet, vanished into a trail of afterimages, racing towards the forest.
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