In the room, the laughter gradually faded away. Sensing the incredibly abundant power within his body, Xiao Yan wore a satisfied smile on his corner of his mouth. He slowly clenched his fist, and the dense green light quickly covered the surface of his fist. The green light flickered, and the sharp edge gradually became apparent. With his feet slightly apart, Xiao Yan suddenly stomped on the ground. His body, as if teleporting, instantly appeared about a meter to the left. His fist, carrying a powerful aura that made one’s breath catch, slammed heavily onto a massive pillar in front of him.
“Bang!” A loud noise echoed, and wood chips flew everywhere. Xiao Yan turned his head slightly, looking at the fist that had directly penetrated the pillar, and chuckled softly. Slowly, he retracted his arm, leaving a hollow and several deep cracks on the pillar.
He slightly curved his palm, and Xiao Yan bent his fingers, a faint green light spreading around his fingertips. After a moment, with a light flick, a green aura shot out like an arrow, and with a bang, shattered a vase on the table.
“External release of Dou Qi…” Seeing the shattered vase, Xiao Yan chuckled lightly.
At the level of a Great Dou Shi, Dou Qi could finally be released outside the body, no longer confined or bound by it. This provided a significant advantage in combat.
Xiao Yan’s gaze slowly swept across the room. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Green Lotus back into his storage ring. Another wave, and a burst of energy opened the window. Looking at the late afternoon sky, he was slightly surprised, not realizing so much time had passed.
Standing by the window, Xiao Yan pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to leave, Haibo Dong’s laughter came from the door: “Are you done?”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan laughed and replied. With Haibo Dong’s strength, he naturally sensed the gradual return of energy fluctuations in the room.
After Xiao Yan’s response, Haibo Dong pushed open the door. He smiled as he looked around the room, then fixed his gaze on Xiao Yan, his eyebrows slightly raised. “Judging by your aura, it seems you’ve reached the level of Great Dou Shi?”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. He had just advanced, and his aura was not yet perfectly concealed. Therefore, in the eyes of someone as strong as Haibo Dong, he could see through it easily.
“It seems… this is your true strength?” Haibo Dong stroked his beard, his gaze scanning Xiao Yan, his expression occasionally strange, his brows furrowing. Finally, he spoke slowly.
Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes narrowed involuntarily as he stared at Haibo Dong, remaining silent.
“Haha, I’ve always found it odd. For someone your age, even if you started training from the womb, it would be impossible to reach the level where you can fight against a Battle Emperor in such a short time.”
Haibo Dong waved his hand, indicating that Xiao Yan should not be tense. “I think there must be some extremely powerful force within you, either existing or sealed. And that’s why you can fight a Battle Emperor, right?”
“Don’t worry, I mean no harm. It’s just that I noticed your displayed strength gradually increasing, leading me to make this guess. Haha, but now it seems my guess was quite accurate.”
Haibo Dong smiled at Xiao Yan. “Although it may not be your true power, the fact that you can control it means even a Battle Emperor will fear you. In this world, as long as you have power, you will gain the respect and equality of the strong. No one cares where the power comes from or if it truly belongs to you. All they care about is whether you have the power…”
Xiao Yan nodded silently. Indeed, no matter whose power it was, as long as one could control it, they were its master. Haibo Dong understood this well, so he didn’t care about the source of Xiao Yan’s power. What he cared about was whether Xiao Yan, using that power, could match him.
“Haha, just now, I received something…” Watching Xiao Yan’s expression, Haibo Dong wisely changed the subject. He pulled out a cloud-white letter, intricately crafted, from his pocket. On the surface of the letter, a white cloud was depicted, with a long sword piercing through it, exuding a sharp aura.
“From the Yunlan Sect?” Seeing the unique pattern, Xiao Yan’s eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Yes.” Haibo Dong nodded, holding up the letter. “This is an invitation from the Yunlan Sect to the leaders and strong figures of the Imperial City.”
“An invitation?”
“You can probably guess it’s because of the three-year agreement between you and Nalan Yanran tomorrow. The Yunlan Sect is inviting people of high reputation to attend. I think it’s to boost Nalan Yanran’s prestige. If she wins, her reputation will rise significantly, both within and outside the sect.”
Xiao Yan sneered. “Isn’t the Yunlan Sect being a bit too arrogant? What if Nalan Yanran loses? Who will be embarrassed? Did Yun Yun hit her head?”
“Maybe it’s not about Yun Yun. From what I know, she’s not in the Yunlan Sect right now. Everything is being handled by the Elders’ Hall,” Haibo Dong said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Not in the Yunlan Sect? This three-year agreement is very important to Nalan Yanran. How could her teacher be absent at such a critical time?”
Haibo Dong thought for a moment. “It seems that after we encountered those two mysterious Battle Emperors in Yan City, Yun Yun and Jia Laolao rushed over. Jia Laolao said she found something at our battle site and hasn’t returned to the Yunlan Sect since. I think it has something to do with those two mysterious Battle Emperors. Only such strong beings would make her so concerned.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, feeling a bit relieved. Since Yun Yun wasn’t in the Yunlan Sect, the danger of this trip was greatly reduced.
“But I guess she’ll be back soon, probably in the next couple of days. She values Nalan Yanran a lot. So, once you complete your agreement, don’t stay at the Yunlan Sect for too long. Otherwise, when she returns, things might get complicated.”
“Okay.” Xiao Yan nodded and turned to look out the window at the darkening sky. After a while, he called out to Haibo Dong and left the inn. Standing at the end of a bustling street, he took a deep breath and followed the crowd to the Mi Teller Auction House.
At the auction house, he met Yaphira, who was patrolling the hall. They both smiled, and she dismissed her attendants. Xiao Yan followed her alluring figure, drawing the attention of everyone, and they eventually settled in a quiet room on the second floor, overlooking the city.
Taking the teapot from the attendant, dismissing her, Yaphira personally poured Xiao Yan a cup of tea. She leaned back in a soft sofa, stretching her arms, and her elegant silk robe highlighted her ample chest.
“Going to the Yunlan Sect tomorrow?” Yaphira, propping her cheek with her hand, gazed out the transparent glass window at the bustling auction house below.
“Yes.” Xiao Yan sipped his tea and nodded slightly.
“Three years have flown by, and the little guy has grown up.” Yaphira turned her head, staring at the young face, her enchanting face blushing slightly. “Hey, can you take it off for a bit?”
Xiao Yan hesitated, touched a bit of tea water, and gently removed a mask. The plain face disappeared, replaced by a handsome face with a touch of scholarly charm. Yaphira could still see the outlines of the young boy from before.
Her beautiful eyes fixated on the deep, clear black pupils, still so pure despite the three years of hardship.
“Still looks better now…” Leaning forward, Yaphira crossed her fingers and placed her chin on them, smiling at Xiao Yan.
Laughing, he touched his revealed face, feeling a bit moved.
“What are you going to do after the Yunlan Sect? Back to the Xiao family?”
“I’ll go back for a bit, then to the Canaan Academy.”
“The Canaan Academy, huh?” Yaphira blinked, then whispered, “Looking for Xun’er, right?”
“There are some reasons.” Xiao Yan smiled, sipping his tea, not noticing the flash of disappointment on Yaphira’s face.
“As a person with real power in the Mi Teller family, I need to ask a favor. While I’m gone, could you look after the Xiao family? I’ll repay you later.”
“Repay? How?”
“Hey, I haven’t even asked for the favor yet, and you’re already asking for repayment?” Xiao Yan laughed helplessly.
Yaphira leaned back, crossing her long legs, revealing a captivating arc of white skin. “Who knows when you’ll be back? Last time, it was nearly two years. This time, it might be even longer.”
Xiao Yan smiled without denying it and changed the topic. He knew this smart woman would understand.
They chatted for a long time until the crescent moon rose in the sky. Xiao Yan then stood up, said goodbye, and left.
In the empty room, a man respectfully cleaned the table, occasionally glancing at the alluring woman by the window, envying the plain-looking youth who could chat so intimately with her.
Yaphira watched the tall figure walking away, sighing softly. Her beautiful face was tinged with sadness. “I hope you win…”
The next day, the red sun broke free from the horizon, bathing the earth in warm sunlight.
In the room, the young man slowly peeled off the mask and threw it into his storage ring. From now on, the identity of Rock Python could be temporarily retired. He was now Xiao Yan!
Removing the Alchemist’s robe, he donned a deep black robe, adding a touch of mystery to his handsome face.
Washing his face with cold water, Xiao Yan looked at his reflection, a slightly pale, refined face. He smiled faintly, extending his right hand. The ring flashed, and a giant black ruler, as tall as Xiao Yan, appeared!
Gripping the ruler, he swung it, and a sharp wind filled the room. With a light sound, the giant black ruler was slung diagonally across his back.
Clapping his hands, Xiao Yan left the room, walked down the inn, and, without disturbing anyone, walked out of the city gates, standing on a high slope outside the city.
Looking up, he gazed at the distant, snow-white mountain peak, which stood tall and proud, with a faint sound of sword whistles rising to the sky…
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