A thunderous roar echoed above the vast square, like the fury of a thunder god, causing people’s hearts to tremble in fear. After the deafening sound, a collision of energy akin to a volcanic eruption occurred. Two fiercely unmatched energies, upon contact in mid-air, released their terrifying power in a frenzy.
Instantly, a fierce wind appeared out of nowhere above the square, howling as it passed. At the point of contact, even the ethereal air was muddled and twisted by the clash of immense energies.
The violent wind swept past, and the energy shockwave that surged from the sky was like heavenly fire descending, sweeping towards the square and Nalan Yanran’s direction.
“Pfft…” “Pfft…”
The energy shockwave first hit the protective barriers set up by the Yunlan Sect disciples. However, these barriers were clearly no match for the terrifying force of the collision. The relatively fragile barriers were instantly obliterated by the energy shockwave, and some weaker Yunlan Sect disciples, their faces pale, spat out blood.
“Thicken the defensive barrier!” Yun Lin shouted urgently, seeing the Yunlan Sect disciples defeated by the energy shockwave.
“Yes!” Hearing Yun Lin’s order, the nearly thousand Yunlan Sect disciples on the scene roared in unison. Their voices soared to the heavens, temporarily overpowering the thunderous roar in the sky.
“Roar!”
With another unified cry, bursts of different-colored Dou Qi light erupted from the bodies of the Yunlan Sect disciples. These Dou Qi spiraled above them, then quickly merged, forming a multi-colored Dou Qi shield that almost covered half the square.
“Boom!”
Just as the shield took shape, a terrifying energy shockwave surged down from the sky, crashing heavily onto the shield. Instantly, ripples spread continuously, like stones thrown into a lake. But this time, the shield, created by the combined effort of the Yunlan Sect disciples, did not face the threat of being breached.
While the energy clashed in the sky, those on the high trees around the square, such as Master Fa, Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, and Gu He, summoned energy shields and retreated for safety. Although Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan were only at the Great Master level, the energy released after their attacks collided was something even a Dou Spirit expert would not dare to touch without protection.
The hard stone square trembled under the ferocious energy impact, with cracks slowly appearing and spreading. Xiao Yan looked up, his face serious as he watched the energy shockwave approach like lightning. Feeling the terrifying force within, he shook his shoulders, and two purple cloud wings, over a meter long, shot out. He lightly tapped the ground, and his body slid back rapidly. The visible energy shockwave followed like surging waves, wreaking havoc wherever it passed.
Staring intently at the energy shockwave, Xiao Yan glanced left and right, then curved his lips and spun on his feet, turning his position. As he turned, the pursuing energy shockwave continued its surge, carrying debris along with it.
Seeing the energy shockwave with a mind of its own, Xiao Yan was not surprised. His Buddha Rage Lotus contained some of his soul energy, so the remaining energy would follow the path of the soul energy, thus finding its target. Though the strong light in the sky obscured his view, Xiao Yan knew that Nalan Yanran must have also been hit by a powerful energy shockwave.
His rapidly retreating body suddenly stopped, leaving a deep footprint on the blue stone. His wings flapped, and he soared into the air, revealing the stunned elders of the Yunlan Sect behind him.
Due to inertia, the energy shockwave, unable to turn in time, rushed towards Yun Lin and the others on the stone platform with a ferocious howl.
“Cunning brat!” Recovering from his surprise, Yun Lin cursed angrily. He slapped the ground with both hands and shouted, “Heavy Rock Wall!”
As he spoke, the ground a few meters in front of Yun Lin churned, and a massive stone wall burst out, shielding Yun Lin and the others like a giant.
“Boom!”
The energy shockwave crashed into the stone wall, causing the surrounding Yunlan Sect disciples to cover their ears. Fragments fell from the wall, and tiny cracks rapidly spread. But Yun Lin showed no sign of panic. After summoning the wall, he stared intently at Xiao Yan, who was flying overhead, and said, “Dou Qi wings? No… Is it a flying Dou Skill? Hmph, what a guy, even having such a rare thing.”
“This cunning brat forced us to deal with that chasing energy shockwave,” one elder complained, dusting off his head, somewhat helplessly.
“Yanran seems to be in a bad situation, and Xiao Yan has a flying Dou Skill. Although Yanran can stay in the air with her body technique, she is no match for him. In aerial combat, she would be at a significant disadvantage…”
“Great Elder, the situation seems to be out of our control. That Xiao Yan is really strong!” Yun Lin, frowning, slowly stroked his beard and said in a low voice, “Let’s see for now. Try not to let Yanran lose. Otherwise, where will the Yunlan Sect’s face be in front of so many experts?”
“Great Elder, what do you mean?” The white-robed elders around him were taken aback and furrowed their brows.
“Let’s see for now…”
Waving his hand, Yun Lin said no more, looking up at the sky. His expression suddenly changed: “Yanran is injured.”
“Pfft…”
Above the sky, Nalan Yanran’s body swayed like a dandelion in the wind, using the faint breeze to dodge the energy shockwaves. However, there were too many shockwaves, and after dodging several, she finally ran out of energy and was hit by one, her face paling as she spat out blood.
Clutching her chest, Nalan Yanran endured the pain. Just as she was about to flash through the air, her eyes narrowed, and she turned to see a black-robed young man, arms crossed, purple wings gently flapping, his dark eyes coldly watching her.
Their eyes met in the air. Nalan Yanran bit her lip, pushing her hand forward, and a large number of light green wind blades appeared in front of her, rushing towards Xiao Yan.
Using the counterforce, Nalan Yanran fell rapidly toward the ground. She knew that Xiao Yan, with his wings, would have the advantage in aerial combat, especially since she was slightly injured.
As Nalan Yanran acted, Xiao Yan moved first. His wings flapped, and his body dived down, tilting slightly to avoid the wind blades. His speed suddenly increased, and he appeared like a phantom above Nalan Yanran, looking down at her with a cold expression.
“It’s over… Nalan Yanran.”
The wind whistled past his ears. Xiao Yan stared at her delicate face, his voice hoarse. Three years of hard training, loneliness, and blood and sweat, all for this moment, to defeat the girl who once disgraced him in the Xiao Family Hall.
Looking closely at her beautiful face, Nalan Yanran could still see the faint outline of the stubborn youth. Her eyes misted over, and the image of the ordinary young man in the Alchemist Assembly flashed in her mind. A self-mocking smile appeared on her face.
“Is this your revenge… Creating an illusionary person that makes me feel ashamed and captivated, then breaking it, making me realize that the waste I once despised is someone I should look at differently. Xiao Yan, I did indeed underestimate you because of your strength. This has been proven, and I admit my shortsightedness… but…”
Raising her face, Nalan Yanran met Xiao Yan’s gaze, her teeth clenched, and her stubbornness mirrored that of the young Xiao Yan.
“But, I’ve already said that even if time were to reset, I would still annul the engagement. My marriage does not need anyone else to decide. I cannot spend my life with a stranger!”
Xiao Yan gazed at the stubborn Nalan Yanran, his dark eyes flickering with fatigue. He leaned forward, placing his hand on her chest, and whispered in her ear, “I never said you were wrong to annul the engagement. It’s just that… you chose the wrong way. Pity, proud as you are, you never thought of this.”
“But it’s too late. Who’s right or wrong doesn’t matter anymore. Our paths will not cross again. You continue as the Young Sect Leader of Yunlan, and I will continue my ascetic journey.”
“The three-year agreement ends. Nalan Yanran…”
His whisper faded, and Xiao Yan’s hand, pressed against her chest, gathered force, ready to strike.
Xiao Yan’s words made Nalan Yanran’s face pale.
“Xiao Yan, please spare Yanran for the sake of the Yunlan Sect. We will give you a satisfactory reward afterward.”
Just as Xiao Yan was about to act, a barely audible shout reached his ears. Recognizing the voice of the Great Elder Yun Lin, Xiao Yan’s lips curled in a mocking smile. Such words at this time were absurd and childish.
He chuckled softly, glanced at the scene, and without hesitation, thrust his arm. The surging energy in his palm burst out like a volcano.
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