A sudden, thunderous roar echoed across the sky, causing Xiao Yan’s body to shiver. He hurriedly turned around, and a blood-red figure rapidly grew larger in his eyes.
“Damn it, how did this old man discover us?” Hearing Fan Lao’s shout, Xiao Yan was startled. At the same time, he rapidly flapped his wings, trying to shake off Fan Lao.
“Whoosh!” Just as he turned, a sharp gust of wind rushed towards him. Xiao Yan felt a chill in his heart, forced his body to twist, barely dodging the blood-red force, and was sent flying backwards. “Old dog, you really are ruthless,” he cursed.
Fan Lao’s face was filled with resentment and fury. His eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, while his blood-red wings vibrated, turning his body into a blood shadow that shot straight towards Xiao Yan. His palm gathered a cold, blood-red Dou Qi, ready to strike.
Although Xiao Yan also had a flight technique, in terms of speed, he could not match the true Dou Qi wings. In just a few blinks, Fan Lao appeared above Xiao Yan, smashing down with a burst of blood-red energy. The space itself seemed to tremble, showing that Fan Lao had no intention of holding back, aiming to kill!
“Pay for my son’s life!” Fan Lao snarled, his face twisted with anger. He could sense Xiao Yan’s strength; killing a mere Dou Ling was as easy as turning his hand.
“Swish!” A flood of blood-red light swept over, accompanied by a faint crackling sound. Suddenly, Xiao Yan’s standing figure in the sky shivered, becoming somewhat illusory.
“Bang!” The blood-red light slammed into Xiao Yan’s body, but instead of the expected serious injury, the light passed through Xiao Yan’s body without resistance. The body then dissipated, revealing that it was merely an afterimage.
Dozens of meters away, Xiao Yan reappeared, panting heavily. He sneered at the astonished Fan Lao, “Killing me isn’t so easy, old dog!”
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yan dispersed the incoming blood-red light. Fan Lao glared at Xiao Yan, his voice dark and sinister, “Three Thousand Lightning? So, it was indeed you who killed my son!”
Xiao Yan stared at Fan Lao. No matter what, the other was a Battle Emperor, and if not for his unexpected use of the Three Thousand Lightning, he might have been killed on the spot. The gap between them was too great.
Streams of powerful Dou Qi flowed from his Dou Crystal, surging through his meridians like a flood, giving Xiao Yan a slight sense of confidence.
“Good! Very good!” Vibrating his blood-red wings, Fan Lao laughed, his laughter filled with venom. “When I catch you, I won’t let you die easily. I’ll turn you into a blood slave, providing fresh blood every day and night, or else it wouldn’t be fair to my dead son!”
“Old dog, you try it and see?” Xiao Yan’s eyes grew cold, his voice icy.
Fan Lao, furious at being called an old dog, decided to make Xiao Yan suffer terribly.
His sharp hands whirled, and torrents of blood-red Dou Qi surged out, forming countless blood threads that surrounded him, swirling fiercely.
Feeling the terrifying aura rising from Fan Lao, Xiao Yan’s expression became extremely solemn. Any mistake in battle with such a powerful opponent could mean instant death.
In the chaotic battlefield, the confrontation between Xiao Yan and Fan Lao naturally caught the attention of the many Inner Academy students. Their faces grew grim as they watched, recognizing Xiao Yan’s bravery in taking on such a formidable foe for the sake of the Inner Academy.
Thus, many began to admire Xiao Yan. After years of cultivation here, they had grown attached to the place, and now, with a strong enemy invading, they felt a shared resolve. But due to their limited strength, they could only watch helplessly.
Xiao Yan, stepping up, became a symbol of hope. Cheers and shouts of encouragement erupted from the crowds, and at that moment, Xiao Yan’s reputation truly surpassed that of Lin Xiu Ya and Liu Qing.
Hearing the cheers, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. Glancing in the direction of the sound, he saw the students’ fervent admiration and felt a bit speechless. If not for being discovered by Fan Lao, he would have fled long ago.
“I’ll ruin your reputation in their eyes. A mere Dou Ling, do you really think you can defy the heavens?” Fan Lao sneered, and with a swift motion, the blood threads around him surged forward, slicing through the air.
The overwhelming blood threads left Xiao Yan almost no room to dodge. Fan Lao, aware of the agility granted by Three Thousand Lightning, aimed to limit Xiao Yan’s speed.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan roared, and a torrent of azure flames engulfed his body.
The appearance of the azure flames instantly changed Fan Lao’s expression. His experience allowed him to recognize the nature of the flames. However, he continued his attack, undeterred. Even if Xiao Yan had an Ancestral Flame, it required immense strength to harness, and so, the appearance of the flames surprised but did not unnerve him.
The blood threads pierced through space, reaching Xiao Yan in an instant. But when they were three meters away, a scorching heat erupted, melting the inherently cold and dark threads into nothingness.
Although the azure flames had some effect against the cold threads, the endless surge of blood threads gradually pushed Xiao Yan’s flames back.
Watching Xiao Yan’s flames recede, Fan Lao smirked. With a wave of his hand, the blood threads twisted and intertwined, forming a net of blood around Xiao Yan.
“An Ancestral Flame, so what? With your strength, you can’t fully utilize its power.” Fan Lao’s smile was chilling as he watched Xiao Yan struggling against the blood threads. His hand clenched, and blood-colored energy coalesced into a glowing spear.
“Brat, die!” With a venomous grin, Fan Lao thrust the spear, sending it shooting towards Xiao Yan with a sharp whistle.
“Old guy, aren’t you ashamed to fight a Dou Ling with the strength of a Battle Emperor?” A childish voice suddenly rang out, and a small figure appeared outside the blood net. With a flick of her lavender ponytail, Zi Yan punched the air, compressing it into an invisible blast that collided with the blood spear.
“Boom!” The low explosion sent shockwaves rippling through the air, causing the space to quiver.
Fan Lao’s eyes, like those of a snake, fixed on Zi Yan. “You seek death?”
Zi Yan rolled her eyes, her small fists swinging in the air, creating low sonic booms. She looked defiantly at Fan Lao, “Old man, if you kill Xiao Yan, will you make medicine pills for me to eat?”
Fan Lao’s face darkened, and his hand gathered more blood-colored energy, preparing to strike again.
Sensing the rising killing intent, Zi Yan’s face grew serious, and she clenched her fists.
“Whoosh!” As Fan Lao was about to strike, two more figures flashed into the air beside Zi Yan—Lin Xiu Ya and Liu Qing, both with semi-transparent Dou Qi wings. Apart from Zi Yan and Xiao Yan, only they could barely fight in the air.
“This crisis is not yours alone,” Liu Qing said, glancing at Xiao Yan, who was still struggling with the blood threads. There was a hint of respect in his eyes.
“He’s right. You deal with your problem; we’ll hold him off,” Lin Xiu Ya added, his long sword vibrating. “But seriously, you’re quite fearless. If not for you, I might not have dared to intervene in such a situation.”
Xiao Yan, looking at the three of them, shook his head with a wry smile. He hadn’t intended to be the first to stand out.
“Looks like… I’ll have to give it my all,” he murmured, staring at the hateful and murderous eyes of Fan Lao.
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