Wu Hao’s cries of wild joy echoed throughout the valley, stunning many. The first to recover from the shock was Xiao Yu, who was extremely sensitive to this name. Her pale, beautiful face instantly lit up with an incredulous joy.
“Who dares interfere? This is a grudge between our Demon Flame Valley and the Gan Nan Academy, none of your business!” Xie Zhen’s figure retreated hastily, then he roared, his gaze sweeping across the skies.
A clear and bright laugh suddenly filled the air, circling in mid-air before echoing throughout the entire valley. “Haha, Wu Hao, it’s been a long time. I didn’t expect to see you so bedraggled upon meeting.”
At the sound of the laughter, everyone in the valley looked up. In the sky above, a black-robed young man with emerald fire wings vibrating behind him was suspended in mid-air.
“Xiao Yan… It’s really him. There’s hope now.” Seeing that familiar face, Xiao Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. A smile of relief appeared on her pale cheeks.
“Mentor Xiao Yu, who is he?” A few younger mentors beside her asked in puzzled whispers. They were all junior mentors of Gan Nan Academy and had only been selected recently, so they weren’t as deeply impressed by the name Xiao Yan. Moreover, since two years isn’t a short time, they couldn’t quite recall what the name represented.
Some younger students also looked confused, but before they could ask, a girl suddenly recalled something and shouted in surprise, “Xiao Yan? The senior student from the Inner Academy, the founder of the Panmen?”
The girl’s exclamation was like a bomb exploding in the crowd. Everyone looked up in shock, staring at the black-robed youth in the sky. Most of them could recite Xiao Yan’s deeds at Gan Nan Academy, and they admired the fact that someone so young could fight against Battle Emperor level experts. Combined with the stories of the Panmen and the Xiao Men, it added a mythical quality to Xiao Yan’s status.
Seeing those shocked gazes below, Xiao Yan shrugged, then his fire wings slowly faded. His figure moved lightly, landing gently in front of Wu Hao. He placed his hand on the Heavy Sword, smiling at Wu Hao, “Not bad, you’ve reached Dou Wang level.”
Struggling to stand up, Wu Hao looked at the familiar face up close, and his tense heart finally relaxed. He knew that with this guy’s appearance, everything would be taken care of. For Xiao Yan, Wu Hao always had the utmost confidence. In the years they had known each other, he had seen many miracles happen.
“You disappeared again for two years…” Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Wu Hao coughed violently, then punched Xiao Yan’s chest. On his cold, sharp face, there was an unusual smile.
Xiao Yan smiled and handed Wu Hao a pill, patting his shoulder, “Take this and rest. Leave the rest to me.”
As he spoke, his gaze moved slightly and finally rested on the tall, red-robed beauty, “Are you okay?”
Feeling Xiao Yan’s gentle gaze, Xiao Yu couldn’t help feeling a tinge of sadness. Her eyes moistened, and after a moment, she gritted her teeth, “Don’t let these guys off. Three students died because of them this time.”
“Don’t worry, none will be left,” Xiao Yan said with a light smile.
Hearing his calm response, Xiao Yu couldn’t help rolling her eyes. She turned her head and saw the twinkles in the eyes of many young girls due to his answer.
“Ha! Such arrogance! In the Black Corner Region, you are just a whelp who dares to speak to me this way!” nearby, Xie Zhen’s eyes grew dark, and he sneered coldly.
Ignoring his sneer, Xiao Yan turned around and glanced at Xie Zhen. Then he walked over, casually grabbing the Heavy Sword. He effortlessly lifted the massive weapon and walked towards Xie Zhen.
Seeing this, Xie Zhen’s gaze became even more icy. Through sensing his aura, he knew that the black-robed youth was also a Battle Emperor, but clearly not as high-leveled as himself.
“Looks like Gan Nan Academy only breeds arrogant fools,” Xie Zhen laughed furiously, unable to bear being underestimated by a weaker opponent. His robust Dou Qi surged out, cold and icy, turning the ground beneath him into frost. His large, razor-sharp claws closed, and his fingertips gleamed with deadly coldness.
“Young man, I’ll show you what it means to be a true master. Don’t think your talent makes you invincible,” Xie Zhen chuckled and stomped the ground. His body shot forward, his claws slicing through the air, producing a sharp whistling sound that made many people’s hearts skip a beat.
Hearing this, a strange light flashed in Xiao Yan’s eyes. He stepped forward, his body weirdly angling to the side. A sharp, icy claw swept past his chest with a gust of wind.
“Speed is acceptable,” Xiao Yan muttered, dodging the fierce strike casually.
Xie Zhen was clearly stunned for a moment, surprised that Xiao Yan managed to avoid it. His confusion only lasted an instant before his eyes hardened, and his claws moved like blades, slashing horizontally.
Xiao Yan’s gaze remained calm as he stared at Xie Zhen’s sudden attack. He smirked, clenching his fist and launching a powerful punch that collided heavily with Xie Zhen’s claws.
With a dull thud, Xiao Yan stood firm, while Xie Zhen’s feet skidded, and he quickly retreated several steps, barely stabilizing himself. He shouted in shock, “You’ve been hiding your strength?”
It wasn’t without reason; during their brief clash, Xie Zhen’s icy Dou Qi was completely suppressed by Xiao Yan, even invading his body with a strange heat, causing chaos within.
Seeing Xiao Yan dominate Xie Zhen, the students of Gan Nan Academy were overjoyed, and cheers erupted. Though they had heard much about Xiao Yan, they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, and their worries vanished when they saw his dominance.
“This guy… His strength has become even more formidable than two years ago,” Wu Hao mused, unable to hold back a smile.
Xiao Yu’s face was filled with a delighted grin. In her mind, no matter what trouble they faced, it seemed that with this guy’s appearance, all difficulties would dissolve.
On the hilltop overlooking the valley, Little Healer Immortal and her companions watched the battle below. Beside them, the killers from the Demon Flame Valley lay dead. Madeline and Mo Ling, the girl, watched in amazement. For them, seeing Xiao Yan gain the upper hand over a Battle Emperor was a tremendous shock, as they too had never witnessed his prowess.
Compared to the joy of Wu Hao and the others, the faces of the Demon Flame Valley’s members turned ugly. They never expected that even the Fourth Elder Xie Zhen would be at a disadvantage against this young man.
Xiao Yan’s fingers twirled, then clenched tightly. Feeling the smooth, arm-like flow of Dou Qi, he couldn’t help but smile. The months of rushing through the mountains and battling countless magical beasts had indeed purified his Dou Qi, and his close combat skills had grown more refined.
His eyes flickered, silver light flashed on his feet, and his figure suddenly vanished. Xie Zhen’s pupils shrank, and he rapidly retreated. But just as he did, a black shadow appeared behind him, delivering a fiery, deadly punch towards his back.
Reacting instinctively, Xie Zhen struck back with a fierce punch. As the two punches collided, a cold smile appeared on Xiao Yan’s face, and a sea of emerald flames burst forth!
The mighty Dou Qi, mixed with the searing flames, poured down like a prairie fire.
“Gah!” The sudden, terrifying force made Xie Zhen’s face change. A faint crackle came from his wrist, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward and crashing into a boulder.
“Who are you?!” Xie Zhen screamed, his face filled with horror.
“Xiao Men, Xiao Yan.” In the valley, the emerald flames burned fiercely, and a calm voice floated into Xie Zhen’s ears, making his pupils contract sharply.
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