With a poof, a faint roll of thunder echoed in the distant sky. A dark shadow suddenly appeared, and two figures were struck as if by a heavy blow. Their bodies trembled, their faces instantly turned pale, and a mouthful of bright red blood could not be held back, spewing out from their mouths. Like wounded birds with broken wings, the two figures helplessly plummeted from the sky under the stunned gazes of countless people in the city below.
Boom! The two bodies, accompanied by sharp gusts of wind, fell straight into the city and finally crashed onto the hard street like cannonballs. At that moment, a torrential force swept out like a tide. A massive deep pit, accompanied by huge cracks, rapidly spread from where they landed, forming a prominent mark on the city.
Dust scattered from the depths of the pit, and was eventually dispersed by a gentle breeze. Under the gaze of countless onlookers, the two disheveled figures gradually came into view among the surrounding buildings.
In the pit, Yun Du and Yun Sha lay like corpses, their clothes tattered, their faces deathly pale, and crimson blood spreading across their chests. The once robust aura now hung by a thread. Xiao Yan’s devastating blow had thrown them into a state of grievous injury, even teetering on the brink of death.
The two in the pit, straining to keep their eyes open, stared unwaveringly at the black-robed youth aloft, carrying a heavy scale, his face expressionless. Their lips quivered, seemingly wanting to say something, but the sweetness in their throats caused more blood to spill from their mouths, drowning out any words.
Blood trickled down from the corners of their mouths, and the vitality in their bulging eyes rapidly faded. After a moment, their eyes gradually turned gray, and their faint breaths ceased entirely…
With the fading of their breaths, the two Battle Emperor strongmen, who held high positions in the Yunlai Sect, perished in an extremely wretched manner, under the gazes of the entire city…
Countless pairs of eyes, staring dumbfounded at the gigantic deep pit that nearly covered an entire street, froze in thought. Lying before them were not mere Dou Ling or Dou Wang, but authentic Battle Emperor powerhouses. Such levels of strength were almost insurmountable for most, and countless individuals labored endlessly to reach such a level, yet only a rare few would emerge and ascend to this tier.
In the minds of many, these kinds of formidable beings wielded powers akin to gods, but today, the peerless masters, known for their godlike prowess, had fallen so wretchedly in the hands of a youth who seemed to be around twenty… This somewhat cruel reality shattered the notion that Battle Emperors were invincible, and at this moment, some people realized that even Battle Emperors were not exempt from demise…
Regardless, perhaps the names of the two Battle Emperors who perished today might fade from memory, but the young man hovering in the sky, named Xiao Yan, flapping magnificent emerald fire wings, would leave an indelible impression in their minds.
Moreover, starting from today, this name, which had been silent within the Jia Ma Empire for three years, would once again burst forth with a more dazzling and resplendent light than before. And this brilliance would be unstoppable!
On a high tower within the imperial capital, Jia Xingtian, who had been standing with his back to the scene, exhaled a long breath when the auras of Yun Du and Yun Sha dissipated. He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the black-robed youth hovering in the far-off sky. “This boy, truly, is no longer the greenhorn youth he once was…” he murmured slowly after a long while.
Within less than an hour, at least four Dou Wangs and two Battle Emperors fell to Xiao Yan’s ruthless hand. Even for an old fox like Jia Xingtian, it was a chilling sight. He understood that the current Xiao Yan was more formidable than three years ago, far more difficult to deal with.
“The Yunlai Sect annihilated the Xiao Family, and now Xiao Yan has slain numerous elders and disciples of the Yunlai Sect. This enmity has no chance of reconciliation. In the future, the Jia Ma Empire will become even more chaotic…”
Jia Xingtian frowned, then sighed. He never expected that Xiao Yan’s return would bring with him so many powerful allies. Judging by the grand formation they displayed, they were not inferior to the Yunlai Sect. The original situation in the Jia Ma Empire was a tiger with many wolves—the tiger being the powerful Yunlai Sect, and the wolves representing the three great families and other significant forces. With Xiao Yan’s return, another fierce tiger, bent on revenge, had appeared in the region. One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, especially since Xiao Yan and the Yunlai Sect already harbor a deep, bloody enmity. One of them must be utterly destroyed before peace can be achieved!
Whether it’s the destruction of one side or the other, the Jia Ma Empire will be plunged into a bloodbath, and no one can escape it! “It seems I need to contact the Nalan, Mu, and the Alchemists’ Guild. Since Xiao Yan has returned, the decisive battle with the Yunlai Sect is near. Standing on the wrong side now could be troublesome…” Jia Xingtian shook his head, sighed softly, and glanced once more at the black-robed youth in the distant sky before turning and slowly descending from the tower.
The disappearance of the auras of the two Battle Emperors, Yun Du and Yun Sha, caused quite a stir in other places. Such powerhouses, even within the three major families, would be top-tier. Neither the Nalan nor the Mu family possessed a single Battle Emperor, so when they witnessed the two Battle Emperors fall at the hands of the black-robed youth in the distant sky, the shock and fear in their hearts were immense.
After the shock, their concerns aligned with Jia Xingtian’s. With Xiao Yan now allied with the Mi Teer family, if they defeated the Yunlai Sect, the benefits the Mi Teer family would gain would likely put the other two families far behind. Therefore, whether willing or coerced, they had to consider the implications carefully.
The present situation was a storm that could not be calmed. In the fierce confrontation between Xiao Yan and the Yunlai Sect, the major forces in the empire could not escape the impact. They needed to decide which side to stand with!
In the sky, Xiao Yan was unaware of the profound influence his actions had on the various factions within the imperial capital. All he knew was that any member of the Yunlai Sect was fair game. He was no longer the naive youth who first set out on his journey. Over the years, his hands had been sullied with blood, and killing did not faze him. To him, those people deserved no mercy.
His gaze slowly swept over the vast city below, pausing briefly at several spots. When those at the various points noticed his stare, their hearts jumped, and they awkwardly averted their eyes. The places Xiao Yan’s gaze rested were the imperial palace, the Alchemists’ Guild, the Mu family, and the Nalan family.
Withdrawing his gaze, Xiao Yan waved to Lin Yan and the others nearby, then turned to Hai Bo Dong, whose eyes were still fixed on the two corpses in the deep pit below. “Elder Hai, my apologies. I couldn’t resist, and snatched your opponents.”
Hearing this, Elder Hai shook his head with a bitter smile, inwardly still feeling a chill. Even he could only see a flicker of silver light when Xiao Yan attacked, and then watched as the two Battle Emperors, who had been full of life moments ago, fell gravely injured and perished in the blink of an eye. Such speed chilled even him. He estimated that if he were Xiao Yan’s opponent, he wouldn’t fare much better.
“Elder Hai, these last three years… thank you,” Xiao Yan said softly, fluttering his fire wings before landing in front of the elder, who was smiling despite his aged appearance.
“Heh, you’ve become quite sentimental after three years away,” Elder Hai chided, shaking his head.
Xiao Yan chuckled, and a transparent jade bottle appeared in his hand, glowing with a soft light. Inside the bottle, a deep purple, perfect round pill radiated an enticing luster.
Seeing the pill, Elder Hai was taken aback.
“Elder Hai, this is the reward I promised you. It can restore you to your peak strength. Please forgive me, though, as Xiao Yan has been in arrears for three years.”
The figure floating in the air suddenly stiffened. After a long while, a surge of excitement spread across Hai Bo Dong’s face. He took the jade bottle with trembling hands, drew a deep breath, and his old eyes welled up with moisture. His voice croaked, “I’ve waited three years for this… I’m glad you remembered, you rascal.”
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