In the square, all eyes were wide open, staring at the man who had suddenly rushed in and gripped Yun Yun’s delicate hand. For a moment, a silence fell over the entire place, and people looked at each other, not understanding the origin of this unexpected event.
“You… Xiao Yan! How… how did you come here?” Yun Yun blushed, staring at the young man beside her with a teasing smile on his face, and after a moment, she finally couldn’t help exclaiming.
“Could I stand idly by when you were in trouble?” Xiao Yan gazed at the unparalleled beauty in front of him, and his voice unconsciously carried a touch of tenderness.
“Yanran?…” Yun Yun was slightly stunned but quickly understood, then, feeling the warmth from her hand, she quickly, with a rosy face, pulled her hand away from Xiao Yan’s grasp, and scolded slightly, “This is the Flower Sect, how could you still act so rashly?”
“Have you played hide and seek with me long enough?” Xiao Yan smiled and asked.
“Who’s hiding from you…”
“Who are you? State your name, and how dare you barge into my Flower Sect?” The woman in the brocade robe fixed her gaze on Xiao Yan and coldly questioned, seemingly suspecting that this young man was the reinforcement Yun Yun had called for.
“You can consider me as Yun Yun’s companion,” Xiao Yan glanced at the woman in the brocade robe and spoke indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Yun Yun blushed again, shot an embarrassed glare at Xiao Yan, but he ignored her, and just stared intently at the two people opposite him.
“With only a two-star Dou Zun’s strength, how dare you be arrogant here? Do you think my patience is infinite?” The bizarre man beside the woman in the brocade robe, fanned his fan lightly, yet his eyes brimmed with coldness. Xiao Yan’s and Yun Yun’s closeness made him feel a bit annoyed.
“Yun Yun, you have always claimed to have no partner, but you still called for him.” The woman in the brocade robe sneered, “Fine, call if you must, to avoid being accused of bullying you, today, let’s see both of you challenge us. If you lose, give up the old Sect Master’s lifetime Dou Qi!”
Upon hearing this, Yun Yun’s elegant brows furrowed; she didn’t want to drag Xiao Yan into the internal dispute of the Flower Sect. She stepped forward, about to say something, but Xiao Yan stopped her.
“Let me handle it,” With Xiao Yan’s calm voice, Yun Yun paused, her beautiful eyes fixed on the young man beside her, gazing at the determined lines on his profile, her heart swayed. A few years without seeing each other, now Xiao Yan was no longer the tender youth of the past. He currently held a considerable reputation among the strong forces of the Central Plains, and truly possessed the qualifications and strength to stand in front of her, shielding her from all storms.
“Um…”
After hesitating for a while, the words finally turned into a faint, compliant murmur.
“If we’re going to compare our skills, that’s fine, but the stakes of this comparison seem too absurd. If you win, you obtain Yun Yun’s inherited Dou Qi; if you lose, there’s no loss for you. Do you really think there’s such a thing in the world?” Xiao Yan spoke calmly.
The woman in the brocade robe narrowed her eyes, sneering, “If we lose, Yun Yun will be allowed to leave the Flower Sect safely, and we shall no longer bother her.”
“If that’s the case, then there’s no need for a contest,” Xiao Yan replied, his expression turning frosty.
“You dare! What do you think the Flower Sect is, a place you can come and go as you please?” Seeing this, the woman in the brocade robe’s expression changed, and she shouted angrily, “Even if you manage to leave the Flower Sect today, the pursuit will follow you for life!”
“If you have the courage, come and chase me to the Falling Star Pavilion,” Xiao Yan retorted, not giving way to the woman’s threat, with a sneer.
“Falling Star Pavilion?” Hearing this, the woman in the brocade robe was stunned, then her expression changed, suspicious, “Are you from the Falling Star Pavilion?”
The Flower Sect had heard about a half-saint appearing in the Falling Star Pavilion. With such a powerful figure supporting, the Falling Star Pavilion’s strength was not to be feared. Moreover, no one would forget that the half-saint from the Falling Star Pavilion was also the top Alchemist on the Dou Qi Continent.
“I am Xiao Yan, disciple of Yao Chen. Master instructed me to convey his greetings to the elders of the Flower Sect!” Xiao Yan suddenly raised his gaze, looking towards the lush mountain range surrounding the Flower Sect, and shouted under the surge of Dou Qi, echoing through the sky.
From the moment he set foot in the Flower Sect, Xiao Yan had a vague feeling of some hidden and extremely powerful auras within those mountains, which likely belonged to those reclusive experts of the Flower Sect. Xiao Yan might not fear the other strong members of the Flower Sect, but these old devils were to be highly wary of.
“Xiao Yan?” Upon hearing him state his name, the faces of the woman in the brocade robe and the demonic flower lord changed. They hadn’t expected Xiao Yan to have such a background.
The disciples of the Flower Sect around the square were whispering to each other, their curious gazes gathering on Xiao Yan. Given that the Flower Sect was all female, they naturally took a keen interest in such a young and talented prodigy.
“Turns out, you’re Yao Chen’s disciple… That old man has good intentions. If I have time, I will visit the Falling Star Pavilion…” After Xiao Yan’s shout, a hoarse, aged voice echoed from the mountains, resounding in the square.
Xiao Yan respectfully cupped his hands towards the direction of the voice, then turned to the woman in the brocade robe, whose expression alternated between gloom and anger, and gave a light smile.
“Hua Jin, since Sir Xiao Yan has a request, listen to him,” An elderly woman slowly opened her mouth from the north end of the square. Judging by her attire, she seemed to be a high-ranking elder of the Flower Sect.
Hearing this, the woman called Hua Jin gritted her teeth in frustration, “What do you have to say, get to the point!”
“During this contest, if we lose, Yun Yun’s Dou Qi heritage will be handed over. But if you lose, the position of the sect master will be returned to Yun Yun!”
“So you are coveting the position of the Flower Sect master!”
“Xiao Yan, I don’t want to be the sect master, don’t make this more complicated!” Yun Yun hurriedly added.
“The position of sect master was supposed to be given to Yun Yun. It was you who shamelessly took the sect master token by force. Now, she is merely reclaiming what Old Lady Hua granted her!” Xiao Yan sneered.
“You… You sharp-tongued brat!”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s lack of politeness, Hua Jin’s face gradually turned icy, but she didn’t respond. She was only the acting sect master, and in truth, the elders supporting her were not the majority. If it weren’t for Old Lady Hua taking care of her for over ten years, she would never have been the sect master. If any changes occurred during this contest, the position of sect master would have nothing to do with her.
“Old hag, do the years I’ve spent under you count for nothing compared to the three years you spent with that lowly woman?”
Thinking of how Old Lady Hua had given the greatest inheritance to Yun Yun, Hua Jin felt her heart burn with rage. Drawing a deep breath, Hua Jin suppressed her anger, her gaze shifting to the demonic flower lord beside her. The outcome depended on his decision.
Sensing Hua Jin’s thoughts, the demonic flower lord briefly glanced at Xiao Yan, fanning his fan slowly. He had heard of the rumors about Xiao Yan, but they were just rumors, often exaggerated. Besides, with his six-star Dou Zun strength, there were few in the Flower Sect who could defeat him. Even if Xiao Yan was impressive, he was only a two-star Dou Zun, and overcoming the four-star difference would not be easy…
Thinking of this, the demonic flower lord nodded, his gaze settling on Xiao Yan, speaking flatly, “Since you have this request, I’ll entertain you. Don’t worry, for Yao Chen’s sake, I’ll spare you a breath…”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan finally smiled, and turning to Yun Yun, he softly said, “Step back, I’ll take care of this…”
“You? Alone?” Yun Yun was startled, her face filled with shock. The opponent was a six-star and a four-star Dou Zun, while Xiao Yan was only a two-star. This was like courting death!
“Your strength is still unstable, and the inherited Dou Qi is not fully refined. Leave this to me, I’ll handle it quickly,” Xiao Yan whispered, sensing the terrifying Dou Qi within Yun Yun, which she could not control. With her current strength, she was no match for Hua Jin.
Yun Yun looked at Xiao Yan doubtfully, but trusted him, and only nodded and stepped back.
Seeing Yun Yun retreat, Xiao Yan stepped forward, and his pupils were enveloped by a pale, flame-like aura, spreading out a terrifying heat, making the air around them scorching.
“Since everything is settled, let’s begin,” A Flower Sect elder observed the tense atmosphere and loudly declared, waving his sleeve.
With the elder’s proclamation, an icy smile crept across the demonic flower lord’s face. Tapping the ground with his toe, his figure darted towards Xiao Yan like a ghost, surrounded by overwhelming Dou Qi.
“Today, I want to see just how much of Yao Chen’s skills you have mastered…”
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