Chapter 625: Testing One’s Mettle

Scarlet magma filled the sky but, strangely, did not fall. Instead, it solidified in mid-air, resembling a sky full of fresh blood, a sight that was extremely striking. The entire plaza was as silent as death; everyone was stunned, staring at the sudden change in the Heavenly Flame Alchemy Tower. After two years, most of the new students in the inner courtyard did not know about the earth-shattering battle that had occurred within the inner courtyard. Thus, this change in the Heavenly Flame Alchemy Tower was something they were seeing for the first time!

After a moment of shock, the sound of joyous laughter suddenly rang out through the sky, rousing everyone from their stupor. In the confusion, many blinked dazedly, and Xiao Yan’s name seemed faintly familiar to them. Of course, while the name might just be vaguely familiar to ordinary students, for some, it was etched in their minds. Shocked gazes, filled with an almost disbelieving elation, turned towards the Heavenly Flame Alchemy Tower!

“Xiao… Xiao Yan? Is this guy still alive? He really is alive! That voice, it can’t be mistaken!” Wu Hao’s usually stern face was now brimming with ecstasy. He fixed his eyes on the crimson magma column gushing out from the top of the Heavenly Flame Alchemy Tower, his voice slightly hoarse due to his agitation.

Beside him, Xiao Yu bit her lips tightly, her graceful figure trembling slightly. Her beautiful eyes were so filled with emotion that they seemed to mist over. He’s still alive? He really is alive!

On the high platform, the elders were similarly dumbfounded. Even the usually stoic Elder Su Qian stared at the magma column soaring into the sky with a blank look. After a long moment, he muttered, somewhat absently, “That voice… it sounds like Xiao Yan?”

“Elder Su, it’s Xiao Yan! Absolutely no mistake. I said that guy definitely couldn’t die! Haha!” Lin Yan’s face turned extremely red from excitement. For some reason, he always held a confidence in that man that was hard for others to understand. Even when Xiao Yan was swallowed by alien flames and dragged into the endless depths, Lin Yan firmly believed that this tenacious fellow, who resembled a little roach, would surely crawl out again. Although such faith seemed stubborn and rigid, he truly believed it, without any reason.

“As long as he’s not dead, that’s good, that’s good…” Elder Su Qian smiled, though his face appeared somewhat calm, his tone revealed the shock and excitement in his heart. “This guy… indeed, he can’t be judged by common sense.”

Lin Xiu Ya and Liu Qing exchanged a glance and sighed lightly, smiling. It was fortunate they chose to stay, otherwise, they wouldn’t have witnessed this shocking scene.

Under the gazes of countless onlookers, the magma column that had shot out from the top of the Heavenly Flame Alchemy Tower suddenly coalesced. Then, it split apart in mid-air. As the magma column divided, a figure slowly appeared in the sight of everyone present.

At the head of the group, a young man in black robes, with a tall, slender build and a warm smile on his fair face, looked unusually handsome. When everyone saw the youth emerge unscathed from the magma, they were taken aback for a moment before suddenly recalling something. Their gazes turned sharply to the statue at the entrance of the Heavenly Flame Alchemy Tower. A series of gasps began to echo across the plaza as they finally remembered who this supposed “Xiao Yan” was.

In the sky, the young man in black hovered in the air, his gaze slowly sweeping over the sea of people below. Finally, he spotted some familiar faces. A smile appeared on his lips, and he spread his arms, laughing aloud, “Haha, everyone, Xiao Yan has returned. How is the welcome?”

“Hearing your hearty laugh, it’s truly unexpected to see you again, youngster,” Elder Su Qian couldn’t help but smile broadly at the young man’s laughter.

“It’s been a while, Elder. You’re growing stronger with age, aren’t you?” Xiao Yan smiled, lightly waving his sleeve. The crimson magma spreading across the sky flashed back strangely, all of it contracting back into the magma column. With the watching eyes of those in awe, the massive magma column crashed back into the Heavenly Flame Alchemy Tower with a deafening thud. The immense sound made everyone’s hearts tremble. When their eyes turned back to him, their reverence had grown even more.

With a wave of his hand, he dispatched the enormous magma column, a display of true strength that made the eyes of countless inner courtyard students burn with envy. This was the level of power they aspired to reach!

Having expelled all the magma, Xiao Yan tapped his foot on the void, a faint silver light appearing. His figure flashed, and he appeared ghost-like on the high platform.

Seeing Xiao Yan’s ghost-like speed, the people on the high platform raised their eyebrows slightly. It was clear that Xiao Yan was much stronger now than before.

“Have you advanced to the Dou Wang class?” Elder Su Qian’s eyes flashed with a smile. He knew that Xiao Yan’s real strength was only at the Dou Ling level before. Although Xiao Yan could fight with strong practitioners like Han Feng, a Battle Emperor, anyone with keen eyesight could see that the power wasn’t truly his. Now, from the speed Xiao Yan displayed, he could feel that it was indeed his genuine strength.

“Should be, I guess,” Xiao Yan scratched his head, not entirely sure himself. This breakthrough was achieved while he was half-asleep, so he wasn’t entirely clear on his current level.

“Should we let Lin Xiu Ya give it a try?” Elder Su Qian asked with a grin, quite curious about how far this little miracle-worker had come in two years.

“Can’t wait. I’ve never had a proper fight with him,” Xiao Yan chuckled, his gaze turning to the eager Lin Xiu Ya standing behind Elder Su Qian.

“Without a fight against you, it’s always a regret. Let’s make up for it today.” Lin Xiu Ya smiled, tapping his foot on the stone platform. His figure flashed and he appeared in the open space of the plaza, looking intently up at Xiao Yan.

The conversation between Elder Su Qian and the others was not hushed, so when the crowd saw Lin Xiu Ya step down, they immediately became excited, encircling the area. Few in the inner courtyard didn’t know of Lin Xiu Ya, the founder of “Fanged Wolf”. Though he no longer involved himself in “Fanged Wolf” affairs, his reputation ensured it remained a premier force in the inner courtyard, and few dared to provoke it.

Of course, what drove most people to watch was their desire to see Xiao Yan’s true strength. Over the years, Xiao Yan’s name had almost become a legendary color in the inner courtyard. While tales of the earth-shattering battle were passed around, with time, some newcomers started to doubt. Could a newcomer, who was about the same age as they were, truly defeat a Battle Emperor in such a short time? Wasn’t that too exaggerated?

Thus, upon seeing Xiao Yan reappear and immediately challenge Lin Xiu Ya, they were eager to broaden their horizons. In recent years, despite becoming an elder, Lin Xiu Ya still commanded respect among the students. His formidable strength made any troublemaker think twice before crossing him. Therefore, having him as Xiao Yan’s opponent was the most fitting choice in their eyes.

Looking at the dense crowd on the plaza, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but shake his head. Wasn’t this a bit too noisy?

“Little guy, the inner courtyard is even more lively than two years ago, with countless troublemakers. You don’t want these kids to doubt you as their senior, do you?” Elder Su Qian smiled, letting Lin Xiu Ya spar with Xiao Yan in public to help Xiao Yan regain his reputation. With so many newcomers, it was easy for past glories to be forgotten.

“Two years? I didn’t expect it to pass so quickly…” Xiao Yan was taken aback, letting out a soft sigh, then nodded. His figure flashed and he appeared in front of Lin Xiu Ya.

“Xiao Yan, you are our leader of ‘Pan Gate’. Don’t embarrass us. All the ‘Pan Gate’ brothers are watching their long-lost boss of two years!” Just as Xiao Yan stood steady, a loud laugh echoed from outside. He was momentarily startled, and as he followed the sound, he saw a large group of dark figures on a high platform in the distance. Among them, Wu Hao, Hu Jia, Zi Yan, and… Xiao Yu, were at the forefront.

Behind them, a large crowd was filled with intense excitement, their heated gazes on the black-robed youth in the center of the field. When they joined ‘Pan Gate’, they heard proud stories of its founding and its founder, giving Xiao Yan a lofty status in their hearts, even though they’d never met him.

“I’ll catch up with you later.” Xiao Yan smiled at Wu Hao and the others, then slowly turned to face Lin Xiu Ya, who was now poised. There was a look of extreme caution in his eyes, and Xiao Yan knew that, before, this same caution was in his own gaze. Now, the tables were turned.

Elder Su Qian watched the two of them and smiled, asking, “Do you think Lin Xiu Ya can last a few rounds against Xiao Yan?”

Everyone was taken aback for a moment, and then an elder asked in a low voice, “Are you talking about Xiao Yan using all his enhanced strength?”

“His base strength,” Elder Su Qian shook his head lightly, whispering, “I predict it won’t be more than three moves.”

The other elders were stunned again, and after a while, the same elder dryly laughed, “Lin Xiu Ya is now a five-star Dou Wang. Even for a typical Battle Emperor, it’s not easy to defeat him in three moves.”

Elder Su Qian just smiled, remaining silent. Though Xiao Yan’s aura was odd, so much so that even he had trouble detecting his true strength, he sensed that Xiao Yan’s current power was quite terrifying.

In the bustling open ground, Xiao Yan clenched his fists, feeling the surging power inside him. He smiled and asked, “Shall we begin?”

“Uh-huh!” Nodding heavily, a fierce aura erupted from Lin Xiu Ya, one possessed only by a Dou Wang. Two years had not only cemented his advancement to the Dou Wang rank, but also took him quite far within the rank. With his current strength, he ranked among the upper echelons of the elders.

A deep green aura burst from Lin Xiu Ya. Gripping his hand, a sword made of wind elemental energy appeared. With a casual flick, a wind blade shot out, slicing a mark on the hard greenstone ground.

Xiao Yan merely shook his head, smiling, as faint silver light shimmered beneath his feet, and a quiet rumble of thunder sounded. At that moment, Xiao Yan’s figure quivered!

As Xiao Yan’s figure trembled, Lin Xiu Ya, wearing a serious expression, suddenly changed countenance. Under the surprised gazes of the surrounding crowd, he stabbed viciously behind him with his sword!

However, the ferocious thrust hit nothing. This outcome made Lin Xiu Ya’s pores tighten. He clearly felt Xiao Yan’s aura appear behind him just moments ago…

“How did this guy’s speed get so terrifying?” Lin Xiu Ya’s thoughts raced. Although Xiao Yan’s speed was swift before, it was at least perceptible. Now, it was as if he was invisible, impossible to detect.

Glancing around, Lin Xiu Ya’s pupils suddenly shrank. His energy sword lashed out fiercely in front of him!

To the puzzled students, Xiao Yan was motionless, yet Lin Xiu Ya was randomly stabbing around. They couldn’t see anything unusual, but the experienced could barely detect a faint illusion in Xiao Yan’s figure. Some sharp-minded individuals grew alarmed. Was this a shadow residue? To leave a residual shadow so silently, what kind of enigmatic and unfathomable body techniques and speed must one possess?

As the energy sword lunged, a cluster of emerald flames unexpectedly appeared at a spot in mid-air. With the sword piercing the flame, everyone clearly saw the energy sword, which had no resistance, be incinerated into nothingness by the emerald flames.

With the sword reduced to nothing, a black figure appeared in an instant, catching the attention of all with amazement.

The black-robed young man smiled faintly at Lin Xiu Ya, his emerald-flamed palm shooting out directly at the latter’s neck.

“Blade Net!” In a critical moment, Lin Xiu Ya displayed his battle experience. Gesturing swiftly, an energy wave formed, eventually congealing into a deep green energy net in front of him.

However, the palm of Xiao Yan, adorned with emerald flames, didn’t hesitate. He reached out directly, and the sharp wind blade net instantly tore apart, as fragile as thin paper under the green flame.

Xiao Yan’s hand passed through the Blade Net, stopping just a hair’s breadth from Lin Xiu Ya’s neck.

Silence enveloped the entire arena!

Everyone watched Lin Xiu Ya, who didn’t dare move a muscle under the emerald flames of Xiao Yan’s hand. A sense of shock quietly crept over their faces. One move! A five-star Dou Wang had only managed to hold out for a simple move against Xiao Yan!

This scene, even for Elder Su Qian, who had long known the extent of Xiao Yan’s strength, brought a look of astonishment to his face.