Above the square, all eyes were fixed on Nalan Yanran, who was slowly descending. Each person’s expression, however, was different. “This little guy seems pretty good…” From atop the giant tree, Jia Xingtian smiled and glanced at Xiao Yan, then shook his head, saying, “But unfortunately, although this attack looked fierce, it didn’t really harm Nalan Yanran. The Cloud Rending Body Technique of the Yunshan Sect truly lives up to its reputation.”
“Indeed,” Pharma nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the descending Nalan Yanran, and chuckled, “Nalan’s girl isn’t weak either. It seems that Yun Yun has been quite diligent in training her over these three years.”
Hai Bodong frowned, staring at Nalan Yanran. After a moment, his eyebrows suddenly twitched. “Her energy is rapidly increasing, and it seems she’s on the verge of breaking through to the Da Dou Shi level… Tsk tsk, what a profound way of concealing one’s strength. I hardly noticed it myself. The secret techniques of the Yunshan Sect are indeed extraordinary.”
Jia Xingtian and Pharma both smiled. No matter what, as the next head of the Yunshan Sect, Nalan Yanran’s training was naturally beyond comparison with ordinary Yunshan disciples. Moreover, with the assistance of the Pill King Gu He, and the sect’s deep foundation, it wasn’t too surprising that she had reached the Da Dou Shi level at such a young age.
“It seems this battle will be quite intense. That Xiao boy from the Xiao family is no pushover, and that large black ruler in his hand seems rather peculiar,” Pharma said, staring at the Heavy Xuan Ruler in Xiao Yan’s hand.
“Watch the air currents when he lands. That ruler must be quite heavy. Did you notice that after he let go of the ruler, not only did his speed increase, but even the intensity of his Dou Qi erupted instantly,” Jia Xingtian said, proving why even Hai Bodong held him in high regard. He could even observe the subtle movements of Xiao Yan’s landing.
“Indeed.” Hearing Jia Xingtian’s words, Pharma nodded slightly, having noticed these changes as well.
“Now it seems that this contest will be a fierce battle. But I’m quite curious about what this little guy has been relying on to shed the label of a waste in just three years and catch up so quickly with Nalan Yanran, who received intensive training from the Yunshan Sect,” Jia Xingtian murmured, somewhat puzzled.
“We don’t know. Our Alchemists Association has never had any interaction with him, so we’ve never investigated him,” Pharma shook his head, glancing at the arena, and said, “The girl from the Nalan family is about to use her true strength.”
In the center of the square, as Nalan Yanran slowly descended, she mysteriously hovered about half a meter above the ground. She gently waved her jade-like hand, flipped in mid-air, and then landed lightly on the hard blue stone slabs.
Seeing Nalan Yanran land without a scratch, the square erupted in a sigh of relief. With a serious look in her beautiful eyes, Nalan Yanran gazed at Xiao Yan, whose expression remained calm, and said softly, “You really surprised me. Regardless, I at least believe that you’re no longer the wastrel Young Master Xiao from back then.”
Xiao Yan didn’t respond to Nalan Yanran’s reflective words. He merely glanced at her indifferently, feeling the light green energy rising from within her, and muttered, “Finally showing your true strength, huh?”
“There’s no point in talking about the past anymore,” Nalan Yanran raised her arm, and the green light on her slender sword grew more intense as she stared at Xiao Yan. “But now, I represent the Yunshan Sect. For its reputation, I won’t hold back…”
As Nalan Yanran’s voice trailed off, her robes and long hair suddenly stirred without wind, and a powerful aura began to rise from within her. The strength of this aura left the surrounding Yunshan Sect disciples in awe, their mouths agape, and whispers of shock arose: “This aura… Elder Sister Nalan has actually advanced to the Da Dou Shi level?”
It seemed even the Yunshan Sect disciples weren’t entirely clear about Nalan Yanran’s true strength.
“Nalan’s niece is already a Da Dou Shi at such a young age. Truly impressive,” Mu Chen looked at Nalan Yanran, who exuded a powerful aura, and turned to Nalan Jie with a hint of envy. Although Mu Zhan was now a Nine-Star Dou Shi, seemingly just a step away from the Da Dou Shi level, he knew that this step was extremely difficult to cross without the right opportunity.
“My nephew Mu Zhan is no weakling either,” Nalan Jie replied politely. Nalan Yanran’s sudden display of strength made him feel relieved. After all, if Nalan Yanran lost this match, it would not only embarrass the Yunshan Sect but also bring shame to the Nalan family. Moreover, during the initial agreement, Nalan Yanran had impulsively said that if she lost, she would become a servant. The thought of the noble Nalan family’s young lady, the future leader of the Yunshan Sect, becoming someone else’s servant, made Nalan Jie’s face twist with displeasure.
“This girl…” Nalan Jie sighed, watching Xiao Yan, who stood calmly facing Nalan Yanran. “Ah, Xiao nephew, I’m truly sorry. Yanran’s match involves too much, and you might have to suffer a bit. I’ll instruct the Nalan family to compensate the Xiao family afterward.”
From his muttering, it was clear that he didn’t have high hopes for Xiao Yan winning the match. It was understandable, as Xiao Yan was still under twenty. Even with exceptional talent, reaching the Da Dou Shi level at his age was extremely challenging, especially without the support of a powerful force like the Yunshan Sect.
Of course, under normal circumstances, this would be true. If not for the Three-Lined Green Spirit Pill, Xiao Yan would still be hovering around the Da Dou Shi level. Unfortunately, Xiao Yan’s situation was far from normal, so Nalan Jie’s thoughts were bound to be disappointed.
The sun hung high in the sky, its rays piercing through the thin mist above the square, warming the skin of everyone below. The nearly thousand Yunshan Sect disciples, sitting in a semicircle, sat like wooden stakes, unmoved by the sunlight. Their patience and discipline impressed even Xiao Yan, who had little fondness for the Yunshan Sect.
The Yunshan Sect had managed to train these outstanding individuals from all over, and it was not just by reputation that they had stood for so many years in the Jia Ma Empire.
On the stone platform behind the central stone, a dozen or so white-robed elders were squinting, watching the two contestants. Occasionally, they would whisper to each other.
“Great Elder, the match has just started, and Yanran has already been forced to use her true strength. On the other hand, that Xiao boy seems very calm,” a white-robed elder leaned in and whispered to Yun Leng, a hint of concern in his voice.
“His mentality is indeed commendable,” Yun Leng brushed some imaginary dust off his sleeves and said casually. “But this match isn’t just about mentality. We old-timers are amazed by Yanran’s progress over the years. Moreover, the Sect Leader seems to have taught her some secret techniques. No matter how talented that Xiao boy is, it’s still unlikely for him to catch up with Yanran. You don’t need to worry too much.”
“Since Yanran has shown her true strength, this match should be coming to an end soon. Sending that Xiao boy packing will save us some trouble,” Yun Leng added coolly.
Hearing Yun Leng’s words, the white-robed elder nodded and turned away, glancing at the stone platform below and suddenly said, “Ge Ye, what’s wrong with you?”
At his question, the second-in-line elder in a moon robe, Ge Ye, who had once gone to the Xiao family to break the engagement with Nalan Yanran, turned his head. His face was oddly pale, and the source of his unease seemed to be Xiao Yan in the arena.
Ever since he first saw Xiao Yan, Ge Ye’s face had turned strange. He found that the young man before him bore a faint resemblance to the mysterious black-robed figure he had seen in the Mo Family in Yan City.
“It can’t be… That mysterious person was a Battle Emperor, and at Xiao Yan’s age, even with incredible talent, it’s absolutely, absolutely impossible to reach that level,” Ge Ye shook his head fiercely, trying to dismiss the absurd idea, but the two faces kept merging in his mind. When the two faces finally overlapped, Ge Ye trembled, panting heavily, and realized his clothes were soaked in cold sweat.
“What’s wrong?” The dozen or so Yunshan Sect elders on the stone platform looked at the sweating Ge Ye in surprise, frowning as they asked again.
“Nothing… Nothing,” Ge Ye swallowed, wetting his dry throat, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, not voicing his thoughts. Even if the two faces were very similar, he still couldn’t believe that the mysterious black-robed figure was Xiao Yan. If he had such strength, why would he need to fight so hard against Yanran?
“It must be an illusion. At most, he’s a Dou Shi. There’s no way he’s that mysterious black-robed figure,” gritting his teeth, Ge Ye slowly raised his head, continuing to watch the square.
In the square, as the aura from Nalan Yanran’s body reached the Da Dou Shi level, it finally stopped growing. She held her long sword, and a crisp sound echoed across the square. The tip of the sword pointed at Xiao Yan, and a strong wind appeared out of nowhere.
Looking at Nalan Yanran, whose aura had stabilized, Xiao Yan pursed his lips and muttered, “Indeed, around a Two-Star Da Dou Shi…”
“Time to go all out…” Stretching his neck, Xiao Yan exhaled, grasped the handle of the Heavy Xuan Ruler, and then firmly planted it on the floor. A surge of green Dou Qi erupted from his body like flames. After a while, the Dou Qi dissipated, and a green Dou Qi armor appeared before everyone’s eyes.
“Dou Qi armor… He’s actually… also a Da Dou Shi…” The square filled with gasps as they gazed at the substantial-looking armor.
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