High above the sky, under the watchful and horrified gazes of many, Yunshan, having suffered a heavy blow, plummeted at an alarming speed. Yet, just as he was mere dozens of meters from the ground, he suddenly stomped his feet in rapid succession upon the void, stabilizing his body once more. However, the blood residue at the corner of his mouth and that terrifying face proved that the previous devastating attack had indeed left him injured.
Who could have possibly forced a Battle Sect expert like Yunshan into such disarray? This thought flashed through everyone’s minds. Immediately, a multitude of gazes shifted upwards, finally settling on the slightly ethereal figure beside the black-robed youth in the sky.
“That is!”
As people saw the ethereal figure hovering beside Xiao Yan, shock and bewilderment spread across their faces. Clearly, they were deeply puzzled by the mysterious and powerful stranger who had suddenly appeared.
Though most were unfamiliar with this ethereal figure, Gaxing Tian and Haibodong, upon seeing the figure’s actions, couldn’t help but reveal a glint of joy on their faces. Xiao Yan’s strongest card had finally been revealed, and with the help of this mysterious master, defeating Yunshan should be no issue.
Exploiting the lull in the battle, everyone exchanged meaningful glances, each seeing in the other’s eyes a well-hidden glee. It seemed that in today’s major confrontation, they would gradually turn the tide in their favor. As long as Xiao Yan and his master teamed up to slay Yunshan, the Yunlan Sect would naturally fall apart. In the future, for them to regroup and pose a threat would be extremely difficult.
In stark contrast to Haibodong and the others’ joy, the many disciples and elders of the Yunlan Sect felt a significant drop in spirits. Especially upon seeing Yunshan retreating while spitting out blood, unease swiftly enveloped their hearts. As the backbone of the Yunlan Sect, if Yunshan were to lose today, the impact on the sect’s morale would be immense.
Yunshan, of course, was too preoccupied to care about their differing emotions. At the moment, his gaze was fixed on the elderly, floating silhouette beside Xiao Yan. After a short while, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he coldly said, “Back then, I sensed something strange about this person’s power. Only now do I realize that it was your power all along.”
High in the sky, Yao Lao cast a glance downwards at Yunshan and said with a faint smile, “Dare you freely insult and bully my student? A mere little Battle Sect, back then, with just a single word from me, your Yunlan Sect would’ve been erased from the Dou Qi Continent.”
Yunshan winced at the title ‘Your Excellency’ Yao Lao used. This title was only reserved for Battle Sect experts. Could it be that the old man before him was truly a Battle Sect powerhouse back then?
The shock in his heart waned after a moment. Regardless of how powerful Yao Lao may have been in the past, he was now just a soul form. The combat power he could exert was probably less than half of his peak. There was little to fear, and besides, there was no need for him to act directly. Someone else would deal with him.
“Even a mere soul form has the audacity to be so arrogant. Since you showed yourself, then both you and Xiao Yan will remain here today,” Yunshan sneered coldly.
“Do you think you can?” Yao Lao responded slowly, with ethereal white flames swirling around his body like living spirits.
“Hehe, no need for you to worry. There’s someone who’s waiting to take care of you…” Yunshan laughed, raising his hand and clapping. A crisp echo resonated in this expanse of sky.
“Protective Elder Gu Wu, this person is now in your hands,” Yunshan said as his voice fell.
With Yunshan’s words, a thick mass of black fog suddenly surged out from the great hall of the Yunlan Sect below, quickly gathering in the sky and forming into a large, deep, dusky fog ball.
Xiao Yan and Yao Lao, observing the surge of black fog, simultaneously grew serious. This damned Yunshan must indeed be colluding with the Soul Temple.
“Teacher, be careful!” Xiao Yan warned Yao Lao sternly.
Yao Lao nodded slightly, his gaze unblinking as it stayed locked on the clump of black fog. The ethereal white flames swirling around his body also became noticeably hotter.
“What is this thing?” The emergence of the black fog incited restlessness among the Yunlan sect disciples below. Their expressions filled with shock and suspicion; they were completely unaware of the presence of such a sinister entity within their sect.
At the festive platform, Yun Yun, too, was astounded as she stared at the dark fog. Just from this entity’s grand entrance, she could tell that nothing good was about to happen. But why was he appearing in the Yunlan Sect? Why hadn’t she ever heard of him before?
Her uneasiness grew as she pondered, What exactly is the identity of this so-called ‘Soul Temple’? When did Yunshan get in contact with them?
The sudden turn of events caused Haibodong and the others, who originally held a sense of relief, to now look somewhat grim. They could sense something extraordinary about the black fog, and most importantly, this strange presence was clearly siding with Yunshan. This development entirely negated any advantage they might have had…
Just as Gaxing Tian sent a Yunlan Sect Battle Emperor elder tumbling backward with a forceful blow, he shouted to Haibodong not far away, “Who the hell is this guy?”
“I don’t know,” Haibodong shook his head, then launched a fierce attack towards the Battle Emperor constantly harassing him. “The situation is changing. Hurry up and deal with the opponent, then join forces to attack Yunshan!”
Upon hearing this, Gaxing Tian, Fa Maha, and the others also nodded heavily. In this urgent situation, none of them could afford to hold back. Summoning their majestic Dou Qi to the utmost extent, they unleashed a ferocious assault. Under the relentless onslaught, the Yunlan Sect elders immediately began to falter, steadily retreating, with the weaker ones even being killed outright. Of course, as they died, they inflicted no small amount of damage themselves.
In a flash, this chaotic battlefield became incredibly intense.
Paying no mind to the intentions of the others, the black fog emitted a sinister, eerie laugh resembling a raven’s cackle, echoing in the air.
“Ha ha, Yaochen, I never thought you’d actually come looking for me. Back then, your escape made quite a headache for the Soul Temple… Capturing you today will surely delight the Palace Master.”
“You bunch of rat-like monsters helped Han Feng, that beast, try to kill me. That debt is something we’ll have to settle here and now!” Yao Lao’s eyes burned coldly with anger and killing intent as he glared at the black fog, known as Protective Elder Gu Wu.
“When you still had a physical form, this Lord may have been wary. But against a soul, heh, our Soul Temple has plenty of ways to deal with you…”
The black fog contracted and swirled, finally materializing, under the watchful eyes of all, into a human figure shrouded in deep, gloomy smoke. A pair of slightly crimson eyes peeked out from the abyssal darkness.
Seeing the Protective Elder manifest, Yao Lao narrowed his eyes, letting the whitish flames dance around his palm. He turned to Xiao Yan and spoke, “As I suspected, the Yunlan Sect hides Soul Temple experts. Now it seems I can’t spare any energy to help you. That one isn’t easy prey, either. Even if I intervene, eliminating him won’t be easy.”
“Teacher, concentrate on handling that character. I’ll deal with Yunshan.” Xiao Yan, noticing the gravity in Yao Lao’s expression, knew what cards he needed to play. Nodding in resolve, he voiced this sentiment.
Yao Lao let out a slight sigh. This situation was indeed quite perilous…
“Gu Wu, you handle Yaochen,” Yunshan, eyeing the two increasingly grim figures, gave a chilling smile and instructed the Protective Elder.
“Mm,” the Protective Elder consented, giving Xiao Yan a fleeting glance. “But don’t you dare kill the kid. The Xiao family has something we in the Soul Temple need…”
Hearing this, Yunshan’s eyebrows wrinkled. With no choice, he nodded and grinned, “Rest assured, I’ll leave him breathing.”
“The Xiao clan has something the Soul Temple needs?” Upon catching the Protective Elder’s words, Xiao Yan’s pupils slightly contracted. Ideas raced through his brain, and in a moment’s introspection, the realization dawned: Could the goal of the Soul Temple be that ‘Dodekai Jade’? Did they capture Father because of that thing?
Only now did Xiao Yan begin to understand why an organization as vast and influential as the Soul Temple would move against the Xiao Clan.
“These bastards…” With a twitch in the corners of his lips, Xiao Yan clenched his fists, glaring daggers at the bizarre clump of black fog.
Unswayed by Xiao Yan’s menacing gaze, the Protective Elder casually dismissed it, waving his arm. A chain of glossy blackness unfurled with a rattle from his palm, coiling serpentine and sinuous beside him.
The black chain trembled slightly. Moments later, with a deranged laugh, the Protective Elder jolted his arm. Instantly, the chain sliced through the air, morphing into a streak of blackness hurtling viciously towards Yao Lao.
Observing the aggressive move from the Protective Elder, Yao Lao remained frost-faced. His hands, cloaked in flickering whitish flame, dashed forward to intercept the attack. Watching the two entities collide, Yunshan’s chilly stare slowly redirected onto Xiao Yan.
“Little bastard, who’ll come to your aid now?” Facing off against Yunshan’s frigid, murderous visage, Xiao Yan exhaled slowly. So, it was time to reveal his trump card.
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