In the living room, a graceful figure sat somewhat awkwardly on a chair. Dressed in light green attire, her alluring figure was enwrapped in captivating garments, though her beautiful face, compared to before, appeared slightly more haggard. As she held a cup of tea, her exquisite eyes roamed restlessly outside the living room.
“Creak.”
Just as she grew increasingly uneasy, the tightly shut living room door was slowly pushed open, and a familiar young figure walked in leisurely.
Nalan Yanran’s beautiful eyes gazed at the young man who entered, a complex emotion flashing through her eyes. Over the years, she had heard of Xiao Yan’s deeds in the Central Plains. No one could have imagined that after their parting at the Blood Pool on Heavenly Mountain, he could rise so remarkably among the countless strong individuals in the Central Plains.
Though a vague bitterness welled up in her heart, Nalan Yanran quickly suppressed it. She was no longer the naive girl she once was. She understood acutely the gap between her and Xiao Yan now. All her previous pride seemed nearly useless in the face of this man.
“Are you alright? After emerging from the Blood Pool on Heavenly Mountain, you had already left…” Xiao Yan entered the living room, his eyes on her tired face, and sighed softly.
“Yes, I had some matters to attend to, so I didn’t stay long,” Nalan Yanran nodded. For some reason, speaking with Xiao Yan made her feel a bit nervous. This nervousness stemmed from the current disparity in their strength and status. The appearance of a Half-Saint in the Falling Star Pavilion had already caused a stir in the Central Plains. Although such a level of strength was far beyond her reach, she still understood its implications.
And even without considering that the Half-Saint was Xiao Yan’s teacher, his own strength alone was enough to make her look up to him. It was only with the power of the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool that she had managed to break through to the Battle Sect level over the years.
“Your visit to the Falling Star Pavilion must be for something, right?” Noticing Nalan Yanran’s awkwardness, Xiao Yan felt a strange, indescribable feeling. This woman was supposed to have been his companion for life, but in the end, they almost became strangers.
At his words, Nalan Yanran clenched her fists, hesitating for a moment before saying, “I… I want to ask for your help with Teacher.”
“Indeed…” Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s heart thumped slightly, his gaze sharpened, and he said softly, “Tell me more…”
For this woman, once the most esteemed in the Jia Ma Empire, and with whom he had shared a life of romantic entanglement, she had always carried a significant weight in his heart. Back then, when he stood against the Cloud Rending Sect, and she, as the Sect Leader, was caught between the two, the pain of her choice, only she truly understood. When Xiao Yan returned and destroyed the sect that had nurtured her, she should have harbored resentment, but instead, she chose to distance herself, away from the empire that held painful memories.
With her growing maturity, Xiao Yan, whose sharp edge had mellowed, gradually came to understand the pain she had endured. A pang of regret stabbed his heart, but over the years, she had never appeared. Though he knew she must have heard of his rumors while in the Central Plains, she never sought him out.
This seemingly strong woman, yet with a fragile heart, seemed to avoid the deep pain buried within her heart in this way.
“I came on my own initiative; Teacher didn’t allow me to find you,” Nalan Yanran smiled bitterly.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. This was no surprise. With Yun Yun’s personality, even if she encountered unsolvable troubles, she likely wouldn’t come to him. This woman, with her stubbornness, tugged at his heartstrings.
“Last time, I mentioned that not long after Teacher and I arrived in the Central Plains, we joined the Flower Sect,” Nalan Yanran continued slowly. “This sect is quite unusual. It only recruits women and lacks the aggressive nature of other forces. In a way, it resembles a recluse school.”
Xiao Yan agreed. Compared to the Sky Dark Sect, one of the two great sects, the Flower Sect was indeed much more low-key.
“Joining this sect was because Teacher liked the atmosphere there, so she took on the title of Guest Elder. Teacher and I then settled there. Originally, if there were no accidents, our presence would not cause much commotion, as our strength only made us mediocre in the Flower Sect.”
Here, Nalan Yanran’s face showed a bitter smile, “The current situation arose in the second year after Teacher and I joined the Flower Sect. We found a mountain to live on, seldom visited by anyone. We thought we were the only ones, but one day, Teacher, while wandering, discovered a cave housing an old woman with paralyzed legs.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes flashed with a slight glimmer.
“This old woman had a very peculiar temper. She immediately attacked and drove out Teacher, causing her to sustain some injuries. But instead of being angered, Teacher began to deliver food to the old woman, and this lasted for two years. After two years, the old woman finally agreed to leave the cave and lived with us for a year.”
At this, Xiao Yan shook his head and smiled bitterly. Delivering food for two years, only Yun Yun would think of something like that. How incredibly kind and bored a person must be to do such a thing…
“One year with us, the old woman’s temper improved. We learned she called herself Flower Granny, though we didn’t know what she did. She didn’t seem to be a strong practitioner,” Nalan Yanran sighed. “But Flower Granny seemed to know her time was short. After living with us for a year, she used a strange technique to seal her lifelong Dou Qi in Teacher’s body, giving her a jade token and making her the Sect Leader of the Flower Sect…”
Nalan Yanran looked up at Xiao Yan, who had his mouth half-open, and smiled bitterly, “Doesn’t it sound strange? We were also dumbfounded. When saving Flower Granny, Teacher personally examined her and found no trace of Dou Qi. Yet, on the last day, Flower Granny clearly displayed the strength of a peak Dou Zun.”
Xiao Yan’s lips moved. Even secluding oneself could lead to such encounters—what was luck? This was what true luck meant. Compared to this, his painstaking efforts seemed futile.
“Teacher, helpless in this situation, had no interest in becoming the Sect Leader. After burying Flower Granny, we continued to live here. Unexpectedly, six months ago, the acting Sect Leader of the Flower Sect suddenly appeared, demanding the Sect Leader’s jade token. To avoid trouble, Teacher gave it to her. Shortly after, the woman came back, demanding the sealed Dou Qi in Teacher’s body.”
Nalan Yanran’s cheeks flushed with anger, clearly furious at the woman’s insatiable demands.
“What is the strength of the Flower Sect’s Sect Leader?” Xiao Yan asked.
“She is just the acting Sect Leader, but she has the strength of a Four-Star Dou Zun. The problematic one isn’t her, but her male companion, the Evil Flower Tyrant, who possesses the strength of a Six-Star Dou Zun,” Nalan Yanran explained with a sigh.
“Six-Star Dou Zun…” Xiao Yan tapped his fingers on the table. It was no wonder the Flower Sect, one of the two great sects, had a Six-Star Dou Zun, a formidable fighter in the Central Plains.
“How could Teacher possibly assimilate such vast Dou Qi in a short time?” Nalan Yanran smiled bitterly. “Now, the seal is integrated into Teacher’s body. Extracting it would cost her life. That vicious woman clearly aims to take Teacher’s life.”
“Fortunately, it seems Flower Granny had made some arrangements before her death, so many Elders stood by Teacher, preventing that woman from forcing a seizure. But she has set a contest, challenging Teacher to a duel…”
“A duel, usually fair, but the Flower Sect has a strange rule. A man and woman can fight together, meaning that woman can team up with the Evil Flower Tyrant…”
“Fight together?” Xiao Yan frowned. A Four-Star and a Six-Star Dou Zun combined would indeed be too much of a challenge.
“Teacher accepted the challenge, likely tired of the constant harassment,” Nalan Yanran said with a sigh, her beautiful eyes gazing at the young man with a hint of anger. “So, I secretly came to you. If you don’t intervene, Teacher might be in grave danger… Please, help her, will you?”
Hearing Nalan Yanran’s pleading voice, Xiao Yan slowly inhaled, asking, “When is the duel?”
“Half a month from now.”
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