As the gales around him converged, the white light at Yun Shan’s fingertips grew increasingly blinding, until it resembled a radiant sun in the sky. “Wind’s Extreme, Annihilation.” At a certain moment, the air around Yun Shan instantly froze, and his finger pointed at Xiao Yan with a fierce roar. The white light from his finger flashed, and a thin beam of light shot out with terrifying speed. The light’s speed was so fast that it caused space to ripple, leaving a black trail in the sky that was extremely glaring. This terrifying battle technique had been used by Yun Yun years ago against the Purple Crystal Lion King, slicing off the latter’s hardest horn despite both being at the Battle Emperor level. From this, one could see just how horrifying this mysterious technique was. And now, as Yun Shan performed this technique, its momentum and power far exceeded what Yun Yun had displayed. As the Wind’s Extreme appeared, the faces of Jia Xing Tian and others, who were standing far away, changed almost simultaneously. They quickly retreated, as if fleeing. It seemed they were well aware of the horror of this technique, and perhaps had even experienced it firsthand. In the sky, only Xiao Yan and Queen Medusa remained, their expressions unchanged. Staring indifferently at the white light that pierced through space, Xiao Yan raised his hand, and the white flames around his fingertips burst into a blaze. In a blink, his entire body was enveloped in flames. His right hand spread slightly, and the heavy dark ruler appeared in his palm. Gripping it tightly, the black ruler emitted a blinding light. The light on the ruler became more intense, eventually resembling a blinding sun. With a stern face, Yan let out a low growl, and the dark ruler slashed down fiercely at Yun Shan. “Flame Splitting Wave Ruler.” His voice echoed across the sky, and a white energy blade, three zhang wide, shot out from the top of the dark ruler. The huge white flame energy crescent blade shot towards the sky, bringing a sudden sense of intense heat, making everyone feel as if they were in a wave of fire. The crescent blade cut through the sky with a piercing sonic boom, creating a powerful aura that threatened to split the heavens in two. Though the same technique, this Flame Splitting Wave Ruler was nearly ten times more powerful than when Xiao Yan had used it at the Yunlan Sect, demonstrating the gap created by his current strength. The crescent blade cut through the air, and under the watchful eyes of many, it collided with the rapidly approaching white energy line. Instantly, a thunderous sound echoed in the blue sky. A terrifying energy shockwave erupted from the collision, exerting a pressure so great that it forced some people on the square to fall to the ground. “This is the strength of a Battle Sect? Indeed, extraordinary…” Even though they were far away, the energy shockwave still forced Jia Xing Tian and the others to retreat further. After stabilizing, Jia Xing Tian looked up at the battle between the two with intense eyes. Regardless, he was a half-step Battle Sect, but even so, he felt the immense gap when facing a true Battle Sect. “Xiao Yan’s strength has reached the Battle Sect level, right? Otherwise, it would be impossible to stop Yun Shan’s Wind’s Extreme. After all, back when Yun Shan was still a Battle Emperor, he killed two equivalent strongmen from the Cloud Empire with this move.” Fa Ma said gravely. “Did you notice that since Xiao Yan’s sudden increase in strength, he has only used that white flame, not the green one?” Fa Ma suddenly asked, as a pharmacist, he naturally paid close attention to flames. “Yes… but his control over the white flame is much better than before,” Jia Xing Tian nodded. “He’s really unpredictable,” Fa Ma mused, shaking his head without any clues. Jia Xing Tian agreed, then looked at the dissipating energy ripples. Seeing Xiao Yan still standing unharmed in the air, he said, “It seems Yun Shan will have a hard time keeping Xiao Yan today. Plus, there’s the Medusa Queen, who is no less formidable, watching on the side. If they join forces, even Yun Shan would have to step back.”
“Yun Shan is in a difficult position now. One of his elders was killed in front of so many people, regardless of their strength, he must act. If not, the Yunlan Sect’s reputation will be tarnished. And given their enmity, Yun Shan wouldn’t let such a potential enemy escape easily,” Fa Ma sighed.
“This whole mess is Nalan Jie’s doing. Going after the Xiao Family in Wutan City was foolish. He thought he could act as he pleased under the Yunlan Sect’s name, but he didn’t expect to meet a real force,” Jia Xing Tian said calmly.
Fa Ma shook his head and looked at Xiao Yan and Yun Shan. “I hope there won’t be any casualties. That would be a huge loss for the Jia Ma Empire.”
“Heh, the Yunlan Sect’s Sect Leader, so this is all you’ve got,” Xiao Yan waved his sleeve, dispersing the last energy shockwave. His expression was cold.
Yun Shan’s face turned icy as he stared at the unharmed Xiao Yan. After a long while, he breathed in and said, “You are indeed strong now, but I believe overusing your strength will have consequences. My power is my own, while yours is borrowed or overextended. As long as I stall you, I don’t believe you can keep this up.”
“Our relationship is beyond reconciliation. I won’t let a future Battle Sect escape and grow with hatred towards the Yunlan Sect, and then destroy us,” Yun Shan’s words were filled with a killing intent.
The entire scene fell silent. Yun Shan’s words clearly showed his determination to kill Xiao Yan, knowing that letting him escape would be like setting a tiger free.
Xiao Yan’s face changed slightly. Though he was currently controlled by Teacher, he couldn’t fully control Xiao Yan’s body. Additionally, the use of the Buddha’s Anger Lotus Fire consumed much of Teacher’s soul power. If not for the Seven Illusion Green Spirit Drool, this might have weakened Teacher again. Even though the drool prevented Teacher from weakening, he couldn’t truly sustain the fight for long. Once the time limit passed, Teacher would have to withdraw, and Xiao Yan would be left defenseless.
“Teacher… let’s withdraw. Yun Shan is very strong. We can’t defeat him directly, and you’ve been here too long,” a weak voice sounded in Xiao Yan’s mind.
“Don’t worry. Although I’m weaker now, it’s still unrealistic for Yun Shan to stop me,” an old, reassuring voice responded.
“But we shouldn’t fight head-on today. The Yunlan Sect’s combined attack array is quite unique. If activated, it will be difficult to leave. While the Medusa Queen seems to be helping, she won’t join in killing Yun Shan. A Battle Sect’s final counterattack is no small matter, and she won’t take such a risk for you,” Teacher mused.
“Alright, let’s not tangle with him too much. We’ll withdraw and return another day. Teacher, help me settle this then,” Xiao Yan said.
“Heh, once we leave, it might be a long time before we return to the Jia Ma Empire. Then, I’ll handle it. Father’s disappearance and the humiliation our family suffered, I will resolve these myself,” Xiao Yan’s voice was tinged with bitterness.
“Proud, that’s good,” Teacher chuckled. “Then let’s withdraw. I can’t stay here much longer…”
In the sky, Xiao Yan lifted his head and scanned the surroundings. He laughed loudly, “I said earlier, if I want to leave, no one in the Yunlan Sect can stop me.”
“Arrogant! Do you think the Yunlan Sect has stood in the Jia Ma Empire for so long on mere fame?” Yun Shan sneered, his robe swirled, and several white lights shot out from his sleeves. These lights spread across the sky, and after a while, they intensified, forming countless white threads that soon covered the entire sky, forming a net.
“Yunlan Sect elders, form the Cloud Smoke Covering Sun Array!” Yun Shan roared, and nearly twenty figures responded, their bodies glowing. White mist flowed out, forming a cloud sea in the sky, with Yun Shan at its center. Last time, Nalan Jie, a Dou Wang, forced Hai Bodong, a Battle Emperor, to be cautious with this array. Now, with Yun Shan, a Battle Sect, the array would be even more terrifying.
Before the array was complete, Teacher controlled Xiao Yan’s body, appearing at the white energy net. A white flame burst from his hand, striking the net.
*Bang!*
The white flame did not break the net but was instead repelled by its softness.
“Interesting,” Teacher muttered, waving his hand to summon another ball of white flame, which stuck to the net. This time, the flame wasn’t repelled, and the intense heat made the net appear more illusory.
“Want to leave? Not so easy,” Yun Shan’s cold voice came from behind, followed by a powerful gust. Teacher turned, seeing a white energy streak shooting towards them. He waved his sleeve, and a large ball of white flame surged out, solidifying into a mirror-like ice block, with a thread of white flame dancing on it.
*Boom!*
The energy streak hit the ice mirror, and the white flame surged, freezing the energy into solid ice. However, the streak was too powerful, and the white flame was overwhelmed, turning into nothingness.
The energy streak shattered the white flame and then smashed into the ice mirror, causing it to crack and shatter into pieces.
“Even with the aid of the Mysterious Flame, it won’t be easy for you to leave,” Yun Shan floated in the cloud sea, his body emitting a faint glow. He looked at Xiao Yan, his hands moving rapidly, and the giant cloud bow appeared again, much larger than before.
“This Cloud Smoke Covering Sun Array is indeed troublesome,” Teacher frowned, looking at the huge bow. He whispered something to Xiao Yan, and then his body trembled, disappearing mysteriously.
Yun Shan’s face remained unchanged, his eyes closed, and his hands pulled the bow, searching for a target. Suddenly, his eyes opened, and he released the bow, launching a huge cloud arrow towards a specific point.
The arrow turned into a light, cutting through the sky. Just as it was about to hit, a surge of white flame erupted, spreading like a firestorm.
*Boom!*
The two forces collided, and the arrow broke through the flame, piercing through the void. No one appeared, and no blood spilled.
Yun Shan stared at the arrow, then his face changed, and he swiftly turned, forming a huge white shield. In the cloud sea, a black figure suddenly appeared, looking at Yun Shan behind the shield, his hands rotating, and both green and white flames appeared in his palms.
Seeing the flames, Yun Shan’s body shook. His eyes met the young man’s, and the previously green and white irises turned black. For some reason, Yun Shan thought that this was the real Xiao Yan.
“Since you want to stay, taste the Lotus Fire again,” Xiao Yan sneered, having received instructions from Teacher to perform the most powerful attack. With a clash of his hands, the fusion of the two flames was much faster, and a green-white fire lotus rose from his palms, expanding as it shot towards Yun Shan.
*Boom!*
Though not as perfect as before, the power of the Lotus Fire, bolstered by Teacher’s strength, was not weaker. The explosion sent a wave through the cloud sea, making the energy clouds around seem unreal.
Yun Shan’s body plummeted, his face pale. The explosion’s force was mostly absorbed by the shield, but he was still pushed out of the cloud sea, rendering the array unusable.
The Yunlan Sect disciples watched in shock as Yun Shan was forced out of the cloud sea. They felt a chill rising in their hearts.
“Ancestor…” Nalan Yanran, covering her lips, exclaimed in shock.
“Truly the battle of Battle Sects… If we were hit by that, we’d lose half our lives,” Fa Ma sighed.
“I thought Xiao Yan couldn’t use the green flame anymore, but he kept it as a trump card,” Jia Xing Tian shook his head, sighing.
“Xiao Yan’s energy seems to be weakening over time,” Fa Ma frowned, noticing the slight change as a fifth-grade alchemist.
In the sky, after knocking Yun Shan out of the cloud sea, Xiao Yan hesitated, then gritted his teeth and dropped, charging towards Yun Shan.
“Today, I’ll take some interest,” the two-colored flames surrounded his hands, and he approached the falling Yun Shan, who was still recovering from the explosion.
“Old man, since you’ve issued a bounty, I’ll kill you first,” Xiao Yan smirked, his hands slamming towards Yun Shan’s chest.
Suddenly, a frantic voice cried, “Xiao Yan, stop!”
A stream of energy shot towards Xiao Yan’s back. He turned, firing a white flame to burn the sharp sword qi, then glared at Yun Yun, “You want to attack me?”
“I am the leader of the Yunlan Sect, and I must protect its honor. Yun Shan is my teacher; I can’t let you hurt him,” Yun Yun smiled.
“Do you think I’ll survive if I fall into his hands?” Xiao Yan sneered.
Yun Yun remained silent, her beautiful face struggling. Her hand trembled, and Xiao Yan took a deep breath, turning to launch a flame at the falling Yun Shan.
Seeing this, Yun Yun clenched her teeth, her wings flapped, and she stabbed at Xiao Yan’s back, remembering her duty to protect the Yunlan Sect’s reputation.
The cold wind behind him made Xiao Yan’s heart chill. Perhaps, in her mind, he was insignificant compared to the Yunlan Sect.
With a sigh, Xiao Yan gave up on chasing Yun Shan and turned to face Yun Yun’s attack indifferently.
“Be careful!” Just as Xiao Yan turned, two urgent shouts sounded, one from Yun Yun and the other from Teacher.
Sensing the danger, Xiao Yan turned, seeing Yun Shan’s fist, wrapped in a sonic boom, strike his back.
*Xu* Xiao Yan’s face paled, spitting out blood. The force pushed him back, and the situation in the sky changed abruptly, shocking everyone below.
“Yun Shan, you, a sect leader, actually ambushing, and you dare to show your face?” Hai Bodong roared, seeing Xiao Yan retreating.
Jia Xing Tian and others frowned, disapproving of Yun Shan’s actions but said nothing.
Yun Shan ignored Hai Bodong, knowing Xiao Yan’s terrifying potential. If he let him go, the Yunlan Sect might be destroyed. So, he had to kill Xiao Yan, even if it meant being criticized.
The wind howled in his ears, and Xiao Yan wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes cold as he looked at Yun Yun, taking out a light blue inner armor. “Whether you’re Yun Zhi or Yun Yun, from now on, we have no connection. Here, take this.”
His cold words, wrapped in determination, rang in Yun Yun’s ears. Her face paled further as she caught the inner armor, biting her lip, and staring at the cracked, clean inner armor, stunned.
Xiao Yan’s body slammed into the white energy net, white flames erupting from his back, melting the net. He crashed into the endless forest like a two-colored meteor.
“Haha, Yun Shan, I’ll remember this. One day, I’ll repay it tenfold.”
Xiao Yan’s figure disappeared into the mountains, but his chilling laughter lingered in the square, making the Yunlan Sect members shiver.
Yun Shan’s face turned ashen, waving his hand, “Yunlan Sect elders, search the mountains immediately. He has a special mark from me, he won’t escape.”
“Capture him, dead or alive.”
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