In the vast square paved with azure stones, powerful Dou Qi and sharp sword auras continuously shot out from the arena, leaving deep and visible marks on the hard ground around. Everyone held their breath, their gazes following the flickering figures that appeared and disappeared. The increasingly intense and heated battle made many hearts leap into their throats. Watching the fierce fight, the originally presumed to be easily defeated Xiao Yan, unexpectedly, showed no sign of being at a disadvantage. Moreover, through his extremely fierce close combat, he even had the upper hand over Nalan Yanran, which left the Yunlan Sect disciples, who had believed victory was within their grasp, utterly stunned.
Of course, not only the ordinary Yunlan Sect disciples were surprised. As Nalan Yanran consecutively used several high-tier Dou Techniques, all of which were deflected by Xiao Yan’s use of the Mysterious Fire, the faces of the Yunlan Sect elders on the stone platform finally began to show signs of unease.
The Dou Techniques that Nalan Yanran wielded were among the advanced and difficult-to-practice ones in the Yunlan Sect, and they were also quite powerful. With Nalan Yanran’s strength, even if her opponent was a powerhouse two or three levels above her, it would be impossible for them to deflect her techniques so effortlessly. However, the reality unfolding before them clearly told Yunlin and the others that these formidable Dou Techniques were all deflected without a scratch by Xiao Yan, who was slightly weaker than Nalan Yanran.
“Great Elder, that Xiao Yan seems to have some tricks… Every time Yanran’s Dou Technique is about to hit him, an incredibly strong and mysterious energy appears, which neutralizes the effect of Yanran’s Dou Technique,” a white-robed elder, who had been watching the battle intently, finally turned his head and spoke to Yunlin in a grave voice.
Hearing the white-robed elder’s words, the other elders, including Yunlin, nodded slightly. With their strength, they too could sense the strange, fiery energy. But due to Xiao Yan’s high-speed movements and the adept use of Mysterious Fire, even Yunlin and the others could only detect something amiss but couldn’t figure out exactly what he was using.
“Don’t panic, let me sense it carefully…” Yunlin waved his hand, his face darkening. He slowly closed his eyes and, through the connection between his Dou Qi and the external energy of the same attribute, began to monitor Xiao Yan’s every move comprehensively.
As the other elders fell silent, two sudden gusts of wind rang out in the sky, and then two figures flashed onto the top of a towering tree around the square. They glanced at the indistinguishable battle below, and both were somewhat astonished.
After the two figures appeared, the people on the treetop, including Jia Xing Tian, turned their gazes towards them. When they saw the middle-aged man in a light green robe, whose face carried a hint of handsomeness, they were all startled. Immediately, greetings and laughter filled the air, indicating the high status of this person, even Jia Xing Tian and Fa Ma treated him with such courtesy.
The visitor was the Pill King of the Jia Ma Empire, Gu He. Behind him was Liu Ling, who, unlike his usual arrogant demeanor, stood quietly behind Gu He, smiling and greeting the older figures like Nalan Jie.
Seeing his current behavior, it seemed that his failure in the Alchemist Conference had changed him significantly.
“Ha ha, I didn’t expect the two elders, Jia and Fa, to be here. However, since the Sect Master is not here, there is no one to entertain you. My apologies,” Gu He bowed respectfully and greeted them with a smile.
For these two peak-level powerhouses, he did not dare to be negligent.
“Who is this?” His gaze suddenly stopped on Hai Bo Dong, his face showing a hint of hesitation. With his excellent soul perception, he naturally sensed the overwhelming aura of the former.
“Hai Bo Dong.” Hai Bo Dong also bowed to Gu He, and his usually cold face uncharacteristically showed a slight, stiff smile. Though he was of a higher generation than Gu He, in this world, only those with great strength and abilities could truly be respected.
“Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong?” Hearing Hai Bo Dong’s self-introduction, Gu He was taken aback, then his expression became somewhat confused. After a while, his face returned to normal, and he smiled politely at Hai Bo Dong, “When Gu He was still in training, I had long heard of the Ice Emperor’s reputation. Today, seeing you, your might is as impressive as ever.”
Hai Bo Dong smiled, and after exchanging pleasantries, Gu He turned his gaze to the arena. Seeing the intense battle, he raised an eyebrow and said in surprise, “That person is Xiao Yan from the Xiao family?”
“Heh, yes, but he is no longer a good-for-nothing,” a bitter laugh sounded beside him, and Gu He looked to see Nalan Jie taking up the conversation.
Gu He nodded, his eyes fixed on the black shadow of Xiao Yan in the arena. He was indeed very surprised. He knew well that three years ago, the latter was merely a waste who had not even reached the level of a Fighter. Yet, in just three years, he had soared to the level where he could contend with Nalan Yanran? This required not only a huge support system but also an extraordinary cultivation talent.
The previously calm smile on his face now added a touch of seriousness. Gu He furrowed his brows, and his soul power burst out from his forehead, enveloping the square in an instant. Suddenly, Xiao Yan’s lightning-fast movements slowed down like a movie in slow motion, and his every move was exposed to Gu He’s senses.
Under the keen observation of the various powerhouses, the two figures, which appeared somewhat blurry to the ordinary Yunlan Sect disciples, became extremely clear. In the arena, the two figures once again clashed and retreated. With the sound of energy explosions, the two figures retreated, each sliding backward several steps.
As the retreating figures finally came to a halt, Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran appeared clearly before everyone’s eyes. Looking at their appearance, everyone was stunned. The Dou Qi armor on Xiao Yan’s body was already covered with intersecting sword marks, and beneath the deep slashes, faint traces of blood could be seen. Clearly, in the previous frenzied close combat, he had not completely avoided Nalan Yanran’s counterattacks.
Xiao Yan’s appearance was not pretty, and Nalan Yanran, though maintaining composure, also appeared somewhat disheveled. Her previously neat moon-colored robes were now somewhat ruffled. A footprint was clearly visible on her abdomen, and her disheveled hair, damp with sweat, clung to her smooth forehead. Her teeth bit her red lips, and her breathing was slightly labored. It seemed that in the previous fierce battle, both had emerged neither victorious nor defeated.
After the two appeared, the whispers on the square quieted down completely. Everyone was infected by the confrontational atmosphere between the two and dared not break the silence. A gentle breeze swept across the square, and some withered leaves, dancing with the wind, fluttered past the two.
After a moment of silence, Nalan Yanran finally made the first move. Her eyes, filled with complex emotions, stared deeply at the cold-faced youth opposite her. She slowly removed the green ribbon that bound her long hair, and her flowing hair, like moonlight, cascaded down, resting on her shoulders and reaching her slender waist.
Under the scorching sun, the woman undid her hair, and her hair flowed down, blending with her ethereal and lively aura, creating a moving scene that made countless admirers’ hearts race even faster.
“Is she going to use that thing?” Seeing Nalan Yanran’s sudden action, Yun Lin and the others on the stone platform were stunned, then muttered to themselves.
“It seems the match is about to end… But to force Yanran to this extent, this Xiao family boy is really strong…” a white-robed elder sighed.
“Is she going to play her trump card? This girl has been pushed to this limit…” On the giant tree, a look of surprise appeared on Gu He’s face, and he whispered.
Jia Xing Tian and the others, hearing Gu He’s words, were stunned, then, with a mix of surprise, turned their gazes back to the arena.
In the arena, Nalan Yanran’s eyes slowly closed. After a brief moment, they abruptly opened, and her long hair, without any wind, began to float. As her hair danced, her body began to levitate without the aid of any propulsion or wings. As Nalan Yanran’s figure rose, the energy around her body started to boil, and concentric circles of pale green ripples spread out from her.
She slowly raised her sword, pointing it at Xiao Yan below. At a certain moment, the sword trembled, and the sunlight above suddenly converged toward the sword. In an instant, the sword glowed brightly, its blinding light resembling a second sun in the sky.
“Xiao Yan, let’s end this,” Nalan Yanran, her fair face glowing slightly translucent from the reflected light, pointed at Xiao Yan below, calling out the name that she had once detested for the first time.
Xiao Yan raised his head, looking at the blinding light. Under the glow, terrifying energy was frantically converging.
“Finally using your trump card, huh… Then…”
Nalan Yanran, her eyes locked on the upright young man below, took a deep breath. Her hand tightly gripped the heavy sword, moving it at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye. As the sword moved, the energy ripples grew more intense.
Xiao Yan, gazing calmly at the sky, extended his right hand, and with a puff, a blue flame suddenly appeared under the gaze of all.
“This is…?”
When the blue flame appeared, some ordinary Yunlan Sect disciples remained indifferent, but the elders and the strong ones like Gu He on the giant tree widened their eyes. Especially Jia Xing Tian and the others, their hearts pounded more strongly…
In the sky, the moving sword suddenly halted, and Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth, gripping the jumping sword with both hands. The terrifying energy it contained made it difficult for her to control. At the moment the sword’s energy reached its peak, Nalan Yanran, with a stern face, finally unleashed it. With a clear shout, the blinding sunlight on the sword intensified, momentarily overshadowing the radiance of the sun in the sky.
“Wind’s Ultimate: Setting Sun Radiance!”
In the sky, with a resounding cry, the terrifying energy fluctuation erupted, and a sharp sword aura descended from the heavens, covering the entire square. The hard floor, under the pressure of the sharp sword aura, cracked, forming a web of fissures spreading to the edge of the square.
Feeling the terrifying sword aura, the Yunlan Sect disciples hurriedly gathered, and streams of Dou Qi surged from their bodies, forming a massive energy shield that enveloped most of the square, protecting them from the sword aura’s pressure.
“To think it’s Wind’s Ultimate… I didn’t expect Yun Yun to teach her this… But with her strength, she can only unleash a fraction of its power,” Jia Xing Tian, looking at the sword aura descending like a rising sun, murmured.
“This little guy… might be in trouble…” Turning his gaze to Xiao Yan in the arena, Jia Xing Tian’s eyes narrowed as he saw Xiao Yan take a light purple pill from his storage ring, chew it, and then spit out a ball of purple fire that hovered over his left hand.
“Is this…?” Fixating on Xiao Yan spitting out the purple fire, Jia Xing Tian’s eyes narrowed into slits. That day, in the royal square, the youth named Yan Xiao had done the same. Slowly turning to look at Fa Ma, they exchanged a glance, their expressions full of amazement and intrigue.
It seemed that they had finally confirmed something… “Yan Xiao… is Xiao Yan!!”
Of course, it wasn’t just Jia Xing Tian and Fa Ma who noticed something. On the giant tree, Nalan Jie and Mu Chen were also left in awe.
But the most crucial was not them, but the one hovering in the sky, who had just unleashed a terrifying Dou Technique—Nalan Yanran!
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