His eyes locked onto the robed woman at the entrance, who was smiling faintly. Xiao Yan’s face, which had been shrouded in shadow, suddenly shifted from a smile to a scowl. Although three years had passed and much had changed, he could still see the faint traces of that haughty girl, Nalan Yanran, in her. Clenching his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms, he felt a sharp pain. His gaze never wavered from her every move, and a surge of uncontrollable anger rose within him. These past three years, she must have been living comfortably in the Yunlan Sect. But what about him? He had barely survived countless brushes with death. She probably didn’t know that during those harsh training sessions, it was because of her that Xiao Yan, on the brink of exhaustion, managed to grit his teeth and push through.
His body trembled slightly, and after a moment, a fierce aura surged from within him.
“Xiao Yan?” Hai Bo Dong, walking behind Xiao Yan, felt the sudden, uncontrollable surge of energy from Xiao Yan and was taken aback, quickly whispering, “Xiao Yan?”
Hai Bo Dong’s voice, tinged with a cold edge, reached Xiao Yan’s ears, pulling him back from the wave of emotion that had suddenly engulfed him. Taking a deep breath of cold air, he closed his eyes and murmured, “I never expected this.”
Indeed, he never expected that in just three years, the beautiful woman standing before him would be the driving force behind his arduous training. Meeting her now brought forth an almost uncontrollable urge to lose his composure.
“Indeed, I never expected…” The soothing laughter of the Elder Alchemist echoed in Xiao Yan’s mind. Having accompanied Xiao Yan in his training, he knew well the profound mark this woman left on his heart. Though this mark was left by her trampling on Xiao Yan’s dignity, no matter how one looked at it, her place in his heart was comparable to that of Xuner, though in a very different way.
A woman who could make a man remember her so intensely, regardless of her intentions, seemed to have succeeded in some way.
Reaching into his black robe, Xiao Yan rubbed his face vigorously until it turned red. Finally, after several deep breaths, he gradually regained his composure. His gaze, now cold, swept over Nalan Yanran and the old man beside her, whom he also recognized. He asked quietly, “Elder, can you determine her strength now?”
The Elder Alchemist paused for a moment before replying, “No…”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan’s heart sank. He exclaimed in shock, “No? How is that possible? With your strength, you can’t probe her depth? Has she risen to the rank of Battle Emperor in these three years?”
“What nonsense!” The Elder Alchemist rebuked, seeing Xiao Yan’s outburst. “It’s not because of her that I can’t probe her true strength. I sense an energy barrier around her, which blocks my soul perception. It seems she’s wearing an item that can shield her from such probes, so there’s no need to worry. When you fight her, her true strength will be revealed.”
Sighing, Xiao Yan finally relaxed. Slowly, he suppressed his emotions, turned to Hai Bo Dong, and whispered, “It’s fine.”
“What happened?” Hai Bo Dong, somewhat surprised, stared at the youth under the black robe. During their acquaintance, he had never seen Xiao Yan lose control like this.
“Nothing,” Xiao Yan mumbled, shaking his head. Raising his gaze, he noticed that the sudden burst of energy had drawn many curious looks. Among them, he felt a cold, slightly astonished gaze. Looking up, he met the eyes of the robed woman at the entrance.
Staring at her beautiful face, he could still see the outline of the girl she once was. Exhaling slowly, Xiao Yan gently pounded his chest, forcefully suppressing the rising anger. He turned to Hai Bo Dong and said softly, “Let’s go.”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s strange behavior, Hai Bo Dong was confused. After a moment, he glanced at the robed woman and, with a slight frown, seemed to understand something. Shaking his head, Hai Bo Dong followed Xiao Yan, and they walked out the door together.
Watching the two mysterious figures in black robes, Nalan Yanran blinked with interest. Her gaze lingered on Xiao Yan, and for some reason, this robed figure gave her a strange feeling—not the kind between men and women, but rather a sense of a destined enemy.
Massaging her forehead, Nalan Yanran dismissed the odd thought and turned to Ling Lin, asking with a smile, “These two must be the ones you offended yesterday, right?”
Ling Lin nodded awkwardly, her eyes timidly glancing at the black-robed figures. She knew that to such strong people, her status was no different from that of a commoner, and if they were truly angered, they might kill her without a second thought.
Seeing Ling Lin nod, Nalan Yanran turned to Ge Ye and asked, “Uncle Ge, can you gauge their strength?”
“Miss, you overestimate this old bone.” Ge Ye shook his head, his eyes, like a vulture, watching the two figures. “I can’t see through either of them. Clearly, their strength far surpasses mine.”
Hearing this, Nalan Yanran’s face showed surprise. In these three years, Ge Ye had advanced from a seven-star Great Fighter to a two-star Fighter Spirit. Though he had assistance from Elder Gu He’s elixirs, his current strength was commendable. For someone to be evaluated so highly, their strength must be at least that of a five-star or even seven-star Fighter Spirit!
“The teacher is right; there are many hidden strong figures in the Jia Ma Empire,” Nalan Yanran sighed inwardly. Although she wanted to meet such powerful individuals, seeing Xiao Yan and his companion’s attire, she wisely decided against it. They clearly didn’t want their identities known, so Nalan Yanran saw no point in pursuing it. Her status didn’t allow her to be so unassuming.
“Junior Sister Yanran, I’m sorry, family matters kept me busy, and I nearly neglected our honored guests,” a clear, pleasant voice rang out from the entrance. A handsome young man, smiling broadly, approached and greeted Nalan Yanran warmly.
Seeing the young man, Xiao Yan paused, feeling a strange sensation. This was the same young man who had come with Nalan Yanran to the Xiao family three years ago, causing many infatuated girls to swoon.
“Heh, today’s gathering is quite interesting. These three have reunited again,” Xiao Yan muttered sarcastically.
“Senior Brother Mo Li, thank you,” Nalan Yanran replied with a restrained smile, her expression not softening despite the ardor in his eyes.
Seeing her response, Mo Li’s eyes flashed with disappointment. After years of association, the woman he viewed as his goddess still didn’t show any interest in him, which made him feel somewhat dejected.
Hiding his disappointment, Mo Li said, “Junior Sister Yanran, let’s go to the Mo family together. It’s on the way.”
Nalan Yanran hesitated slightly before nodding with a smile.
Seeing her nod, Mo Li felt a secret joy. At least his years of effort had not been in vain. If it were someone else, Nalan Yanran might have politely declined. He believed that with his cultivation talent, background, and appearance, he could eventually win the future leader of the Yunlan Sect.
“Once she becomes mine, who in the Jia Ma Empire will dare to stand above me?” he thought, his ambition growing. Noticing Xiao Yan and his companion approaching, he remembered the report from his uncle and hurriedly stepped forward, greeting them with a smile.
Seeing Mo Li’s actions, Nalan Yanran also turned her gaze curiously. She, too, was intrigued by the mysterious black-robed figures.
“Ha, sirs, I am Mo Li of the Mo family. I heard that my sister unintentionally offended you. My father has sent me to apologize,” Mo Li said sincerely. “If you don’t mind, today is a happy day for the Mo family. Would you do us the honor of joining us?”
Mo Li’s words were indeed smooth and likable, but they had no effect on Xiao Yan, who already harbored ill feelings towards him.
Stopping, Xiao Yan looked at Mo Li with a mocking smile. He wondered what Mo Li’s reaction would be if he knew that the “sir” he was addressing so respectfully was the same “useless” young master he had once easily defeated.
With a cold smile, Xiao Yan said, “No need to invite us. Our destination is the Mo family. I’m sure Young Master Mo will see us soon.”
With that, Xiao Yan walked past Mo Li, and the two left, disappearing into the bustling streets.
Standing at the entrance, Nalan Yanran frowned, murmuring, “Why does that voice sound familiar?”
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