Yun Yun’s departure, Xiao Yan was unable to prevent it. He knew in his heart that although Yun Yun didn’t hold much resentment towards him for the destruction of the Yun Lian Sect, she was, after all, the leader of the sect. The sect’s destruction could not have been without leaving a knot in her heart. Perhaps she also wanted to stay by Xiao Yan’s side and help him, but deep down, there was a lingering resistance. This resistance came from her feelings for the Yun Lian Sect and years of nurturing by the sect. Yun Yun’s departure from the Gama Empire this time might also be because she needed time to resolve these conflicted feelings. As she said, if one day she could deeply place the Yun Lian Sect in the depths of her heart without any disturbance, then she would return.
With Xiao Yan’s current strength and the powerful allies by his side, forcibly keeping Yun Yun wouldn’t be difficult. But he did not want to tie her down. For Yun Yun, he had a special feeling. The events in the past in the Magic Beast Mountains, especially the intimacy in the cave, made an indelible impression on him. So, to let Yun Yun resolve her internal conflict, he did not stop her.
Xiao Yan stayed on the Yun Lian Mountain for three days. On the morning of the fourth day, Yun Yun finally decided not to delay further. She was afraid that if she stayed, her resolve to leave would dissipate. So, while Xiao Yan was meditating, she quietly left with Nalan Yanran.
As Yun Yun softly departed, she did not notice that when she turned, Xiao Yan, whose eyes were closed, slowly opened them. His gaze followed the captivating figure, but he did not speak to stop her. He let her ascend into the air and quickly disappear from his sight.
When Yun Yun’s figure completely faded from his view, Xiao Yan’s expression darkened. He reached out to take the neatly folded dark blue inner armor beside him, still faintly fragrant. His fingers traced the small cracks on the edges of the armor, and his eyes grew softer. This armor had saved his life several times, and though many pieces had broken off, after he left the Gama Empire, Yun Yun painstakingly searched and found each piece, re-embedding them. Some pieces that couldn’t be found were carefully replaced with matching materials.
Although the inner armor was originally Yun Yun’s personal possession and thus had a subtle connection to her, finding those tiny fragments in such a vast empire required immense effort. Just this alone was enough to make Xiao Yan give up any lingering doubts.
Putting the inner armor carefully away in his storage ring, Xiao Yan sighed deeply, then stood up. His gaze turned to the direction Yun Yun had vanished. After a while, he murmured, “Take care.”
Silent for a moment, Xiao Yan’s shoulders twitched slightly as emerald fire wings appeared behind him. With a gentle flap, he flew toward the capital. In these three days, unexpectedly, Xiao Yan’s injuries had completely healed. And during the flow of his battle aura through his meridians, he felt a vague sense of the wall between Battle Emperor and Battle Sect. However, this was just a feeling; the true breakthrough had not yet occurred.
Reaching Battle Emperor was far more difficult than Xiao Yan anticipated. Even after the life-and-death battle with Yun Shan, he still had some distance to go. But he wasn’t anxious because he could faintly feel that his path to Battle Emperor was close. Perhaps he just needed a small opportunity, and the breakthrough would come naturally.
“Battle Emperor…” His figure sped across the sky like lightning, leaving a faint shadow. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, his fists tightening in his sleeves. With his current combat power, he could fight and likely defeat a peak Battle Emperor by using all his techniques except the Tri-Color Fire Lotus. If he used the Tri-Color Fire Lotus, he could even kill a peak Battle Emperor and injure sub-Battle Sect levels. If things went worse, as in Yun Shan’s case, the opponent’s battle aura would be blocked by the explosion, leading to a fatal attack.
However, this latter chance was slim. Xiao Yan’s victory over Yun Shan that day was due to luck, and even at the cost of severe injury, there was an element of betting one’s life. After all, Xiao Yan’s true power was only at the peak of Dou Wang, far from the Battle Sect level. Without his formidable techniques, he wouldn’t have lasted twenty rounds against a Battle Sect. But if Xiao Yan successfully broke through to Battle Emperor, with the mystical ‘Flame Decisive’ technique and other powerful skills, he would be hard to match in the Battle Emperor realm. Even against a Battle Sect, without using the Tri-Color Fire Lotus, he could use his terrifying speed to evade and find an escape. This means that once he reaches Battle Emperor, he would have the ability to survive against a Battle Sect, and if he dared to risk using the Tri-Color Fire Lotus, he might even kill a sub-four-star Battle Sect!
Of course, this was highly risky. Failing to kill the opponent could mean certain death for Xiao Yan.
“The Soul Temple’s protector has Battle Sect-level strength, and who knows how many such strong warriors are inside. To rescue Father and Teacher, I must reach at least peak Battle Emperor or early Battle Sect. Otherwise, rushing in would be suicidal.”
The wind roared in Xiao Yan’s ears as the scenery below flashed by. Xiao Yan’s thoughts raced. “Xuner mentioned that before reaching Battle Sect, she couldn’t be sought out. Her clan’s power is likely no less than the Soul Temple. Sigh, the road is still long…”
With a resolute expression, Xiao Yan remembered the journey from a family outcast to being respected by the Gama Empire’s strongmen. It was a path few could endure. Having overcome the most difficult period, he would not back down now. He was no longer the naive, stubborn youth of old.
“Father, Teacher… Xuner, wait for me. Xiao Yan will not disappoint you!”
Drawing a deep breath, Xiao Yan’s green fire wings thickened, and his speed increased dramatically, turning into a black lightning streak toward the imperial capital. Arriving at the Xiao Residence, he descended swiftly.
As Xiao Yan landed in the courtyard, figures in the shadows moved, their weapons shining with a cold light. As they rushed to intercept the intruder, a powerful aura descended, pressing them down. A familiar voice echoed, “Do not panic, it’s me.”
Hearing the voice, the figures stopped and knelt in respect, then disappeared back into the shadows, guarding the residence.
“Second Brother’s men are indeed excellent. Though harsh, they are formidable. With them, ordinary strongmen won’t easily enter. Stronger ones will be detected by Medusa and Zi Yan,” Xiao Yan mused, remembering Zi Yan’s resistance to the vastly strengthened Wu Protector, which even the peak Battle Emperors like Haipo Dong and Jiaxing Tian would hesitate to face.
Thinking of Zi Yan’s potential, Xiao Yan smiled. “It seems as Teacher said, her origin is extraordinary. Once I reach Battle Emperor, I’ll try to refine the Transformation Pill and see what makes her so potent.”
Entering the main hall, he heard the voices of Xiao Ding and others. He smiled and pushed open the door. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, surprised but delighted, welcomed him warmly.
“Another day, and we’d have asked Elder Hai to fetch you from Yun Lian Mountain,” Xiao Li joked, patting Xiao Yan’s shoulder.
Xiao Yan laughed, avoiding mentioning the past days. “Elder Brother, tomorrow we can invite Master Fa and the heads of the major families to consolidate our forces.”
Pleased, Xiao Ding asked, “Your injuries are healed?”
Nodding, Xiao Yan looked at their joyful faces and thought, “The Xiao Family will surpass the Yun Lian Sect and become the ruler of the Gama Empire. Father, your wish, I will fulfill!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage