Chapter 101: He Didn't Touch You?
"Go ahead, scream all you want. Even if you scream your lungs out, it's useless your Soul Clan is already doomed!"
Xiao Wu sneered as he retrieved a pitch black jade bottle from his spatial ring.
"Take a good look. This is your clan's soul collection technique. But now? It belongs to the Xiao Clan, ka ka!"
Seeing the black jade bottle, the old woman's expression turned to utter despair.
Ignoring her pitiful expression, Xiao Wu chuckled darkly and sealed her remnant soul into the jade bottle.
From a distance, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran watched this scene with chills running down their spines.
The soul of a Nine Star Dou Zun had been effortlessly captured by one of Xiao Yan's guardians. And the words the old woman had shouted Half Saints!
The two elders standing behind Xiao Yan were Half Saints.
In the Jia Ma Empire, the pinnacle of power was the Dou Huang level. Yet Half Saints were at least three major ranks above that. Although not true Dou Shengs, they were near the top of the power hierarchy on the continent.
And even more terrifyingly, these Half Saints were merely Xiao Yan's protectors, implying that his backing included full fledged Dou Sheng level experts.
"I'll never surpass him in this lifetime," Nalan Yanran thought, a wave of hopelessness washing over her.
"No wonder he could so casually offer up a Breaking Saint Pill," Yun Yun muttered, a bitter smile forming on her lips.
Xiao Yan, unbothered by the complicated expressions on the two beauties' faces, walked toward the shattered remains of the Boundary Soul Stone. He picked up a dim white soul fragment lying amidst the debris.
"Help me… help me," the faint voice from the white soul fragment murmured weakly.
Xiao Yan didn't hesitate. He retrieved a drop of crystalline liquid from his spatial ring a Soul Nourishing Elixir, a rare treasure unique to the Xiao Clan's sacred grounds. Each drop was as valuable as a six tier pill.
The moment the elixir appeared, everyone nearby felt a soothing sensation ripple through their souls. The dim white soul fragment trembled with longing, and Xiao Yan dropped the elixir into it.
As the liquid merged with the fragment, the dull glow brightened considerably.
"Thank you…" The weak voice faded as the soul fragment became dormant, focusing on absorbing the elixir.
"Nalan Yanran, your family still has a Seven Colored Illusion Dew, right?" Xiao Yan turned to her.
"Yes," she replied with a small nod.
"Three days from now, bring it to the Mittel Estate and find me."
"Huh? Oh… okay." Nalan Yanran nodded, still in a daze.
Xiao Yan then glanced at Yun Yun.
"Once I've restored Yun Potian's soul to a stable condition, I'll have Nalan Yanran bring it back."
"Thank you," Yun Yun said, her tone tinged with complex emotions as she met Xiao Yan's gaze.
She was acutely aware of how much she already owed him.
"No need for thanks," Xiao Yan replied, flashing his trademark mischievous grin. "I'm just waiting for the day you willingly offer yourself to me."
"You!" Yun Yun's initial gratitude quickly turned into anger, her flawless face flushing with embarrassment. Being teased in front of Nalan Yanran made her feel even more mortified.
"The two Breaking Saint Pills should be enough for Yun Shan to reach Dou Zong. If they aren't, come to me again," Xiao Yan said, his tone now gentle, his smile warm.
Looking at the two pills she had been given, Yun Yun's heart sank further. She murmured, "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay this debt."
"Offering yourself will suffice," Xiao Yan teased with a sly grin. "Or how about a kiss as a down payment on the interest?"
Yun Yun glanced at her disciple standing beside her, then fixed Xiao Yan with an indignant glare.
"Do you think saying such things in front of Yanran is appropriate?"
"Oh, should Yanran give me a kiss too?" Xiao Yan asked, glancing at Nalan Yanran with a laugh.
"Get lost!" The two women spoke in unison, their voices sharp with embarrassment.
"Women…" Xiao Yan shook his head and genuinely began to walk away.
As he departed, the two Half Saints also disappeared into thin air, vanishing without a trace.
Watching the young man spread his Dou Qi wings and vanish into the horizon, both Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran stood silently, their thoughts complicated.
"Teacher…"
"Yes?"
"What do you think of Xiao Yan?"
"I… don't know." Yun Yun shook her head in confusion, but her thoughts were filled with memories of his mischievous smile.
Beside her, Nalan Yanran's heart felt unexpectedly bitter. She couldn't explain why, but Xiao Yan's figure had somehow carved itself into her mind. Whether she liked him or not, she knew she would never be able to forget him.
As the sun set, bathing the overgrown cave entrance in golden red light, Yun Yun stood at the threshold, holding a delicate jade box in her hand. She stepped inside the dark cavern.
"Yun'er, how did it go?" A hoarse voice echoed through the cave. Yun Yun approached and saw the frail form of Yun Shan.
The once proud former leader of the Yun Lan Sect was now a shadow of his former self, his cloudy eyes filled with a desperate yearning for life.
"Teacher, I managed to acquire a Breaking Saint Pill from Xiao Yan." Yun Yun carefully opened the jade box, revealing a pill the size of a dragon's eye that emanated a tantalizing fragrance.
Upon seeing the pill, Yun Shan's dim eyes brightened with a rare gleam.
"A Breaking Saint Pill… It can increase the chances of breaking through to Dou Zong by ten percent, and even if it fails, it won't damage my current strength."
To Yun Shan, whose life force was already flickering like a dying flame, this pill was nothing short of salvation.
"Good, good!" he said weakly, a satisfied smile spreading across his gaunt face. "You've worked hard, Yun'er."
"You've done so much for me, Teacher. It's my duty to repay your kindness," Yun Yun said, her voice filled with emotion.
"Did that brat touch you?" Yun Shan's gaze suddenly sharpened. Despite his condition, he was as cunning as ever and could tell from Yun Yun's expression that something was amiss.
"Teacher, please don't ask such things," Yun Yun replied, her face tinged with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. "You should focus on taking the pill and making your breakthrough."
With that, she handed the pill to Yun Shan, bowed, and left the cavern.
Watching her retreating figure, Yun Shan's expression darkened.
"So, the young master of a great clan didn't take advantage of Yun'er?" he murmured, his tone filled with both doubt and dissatisfaction.
"This won't do. If I can't secure a connection with him, how will I grow stronger? How will the Yun Lan Sect rise to greatness?"
Shaking his head, Yun Shan turned his attention back to the pill. His withered hands trembled as he picked it up, his eyes burning with fervor.
"The heavens haven't abandoned me yet!" he muttered.
With that, he swallowed the Breaking Saint Pill.
(Chapter End)
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