And on the battlefield.
After Nalan Yanran stood up, Yun Ming, who sat among more than ten white-robed elders above her, slowly rose to his feet and stared at Xiao Yan for a moment.
"I am Yun Ming, the Second Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect. Since the Sect Master is not present, I will preside over this Three-Year Agreement. This match is intended as a spar—point-"
"Life and death are determined by fate."
A calm voice suddenly interrupted Yun Ming's words.
The crowd was slightly startled upon hearing this. Those who were unaware of the situation did not expect Xiao Yan to say something like this. His opponent was the carefully cultivated successor of the Misty Cloud Sect's Sect Master. Those who knew the situation, however, simply watched with interest, waiting for this fierce clash between dragons.
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Nalan Yanran's expression finally slightly surprised.
But since she had already resolved to shoulder the future of the Misty Cloud Sect, she would not avoid any challenge.
Thus, she gave a slight nod and said coldly, "As you wish."
Yun Ming waved his hand and said indifferently, "Since both sides agree, I will not say more. This battle life and death, left to fate."
Xiao Yan stared at Nalan Yanran, drew out his Heavy Xuan Ruler, and bright yellow flame Dou Qi seeped out from his body.
"The Three-Year Agreement, I have arrived as promised. Today, let us settle all past grievances. The humiliation you brought upon my Xiao Clan back then, today return it."
Nalan Yanran glanced at him and replied indifferently, "Humiliation? There is no point in talking about that now."
"What happened back then, i do admit I acted somewhat improperly. But I do not think my decision was wrong. My marriage and my future are decided by me. Even if time were reversed, I would still choose the same path."
"Between us, everything must ultimately be decided by strength and victory. And today, as a member of the Misty Cloud Sect, I cannot lose."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan sneered.
A simple "acted improperly" was meant to brush away everything?
But it did not matter anymore. Nalan Yanran was right about one thing, they would ultimately speak through strength and victory.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened as he shouted coldly, "Then fight! Nalan Yanran! I've waited for this moment for three years!"
Violent Dou Qi erupted from his body. Bright yellow flame Dou Qi wrapped around the Heavy Xuan Ruler, its dark surface faintly wreathed in flames.
With a heavy stomp, cracks spread across the solid stone floor.
Xiao Yan shot forward like a cannonball toward Nalan Yanran.
Nalan Yanran did not fall behind. She gripped her long sword, green wind currents swirling around its blade, sharp wind blades flickering within. With a light tap of her toes, she moved like a leaf in a storm, meeting him head-on.
In an instant, black and white figures crossed.
At the moment of passing, Nalan Yanran naturally swept her sword sideways. Borrowing momentum, several wind blades shot out first, aiming for Xiao Yan's neck.
However, Xiao Yan, wielding the massive Heavy Xuan Ruler, displayed a surprisingly agile movement that contradicted its heavy appearance.
A strange wind circulated beneath his feet. In terms of agility, he was no less than Nalan Yanran, who cultivated wind-based techniques. He dodged all the wind blades with precise and delicate movements.
At the same instant, Xiao Yan swung his ruler along the momentum of his movement, unleashing a massive crescent-shaped flame Dou Qi strike.
At the same time, the wind force beneath his feet seamlessly transformed into explosive fire force. With a burst, his momentum canceled the aftereffect of the swing, and he surged forward in sync with the flame arc toward Nalan Yanran.
Nalan Yanran's expression changed slightly. She quickly used her movement technique to evade the flame arc.
But Xiao Yan, following closely behind the flame attack, had already closed in. His Heavy Xuan Ruler descended in a perfect timing strike toward her landing point.
At that moment, Nalan Yanran was still in the ending phase of her movement technique and could not evade.
She decisively gathered her green Dou Qi onto her sword and blocked head-on.
"Clang—!"
The collision of ruler and sword erupted with a shockwave that swept across the plaza. The surrounding stone tiles cracked like spiderwebs centered around Nalan Yanran.
The overwhelming force bent her long sword into a terrifying arc, yet it did not break.
Nalan Yanran rotated her body skillfully, dispersing the force through the sword, stepping back several meters as cracks spread beneath her feet.
Then, a surge of green Dou Qi erupted from her body.
Her sword light suddenly intensified, and with a powerful burst, she forced Xiao Yan and his Heavy Xuan Ruler backward.
Using the rebound force, she retreated quickly.
Xiao Yan, who was sent flying back, converted fire force into wind force midair, lightly stepping to stabilize himself before landing gracefully.
The distance between them widened to dozens of meters as they reset their stances.
Their eyes met.
In an instant, both figures vanished again and clashed in afterimages. Neither used Dou Techniques, only pure speed and weapon skill.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of ruler and sword colliding echoed continuously, sending waves of force through the air.
Not far away, Lin Yuan watched with interest, his eyes flickering.
"Indeed a rare wind-fire dual attribute movement technique, and its grade is not lower than Three Thousand Lightning Movement. As expected of Yao Lao."
What Xiao Yan was using was the Earth-class mid-level movement technique, Fire Wind Steps, a rare technique combining agility and explosive power.
In the past few months in the imperial capital, Xiao Yan had focused mainly on alchemy and cultivating this technique.
Although he had not fully mastered it, with the high-grade fire and wind energy of the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame's derivative power, his movement technique already surpassed most Black-Class High-level Technique.
Lin Yuan even recorded everything using a recording stone.
A certain Qing Lin, who was not present today, was quite interested in Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran's relationship and this so-called Three-Year Agreement.
On the battlefield, the two clashed again and separated.
Nalan Yanran's expression turned slightly serious as she sensed that she was being suppressed in the previous exchange.
"Then I'll break it with force!"
She raised her sword, green light intensifying, locking onto Xiao Yan's face.
"You really surprised me. To reach this level, you are no longer the Xiao Clan's so-called waste young master. Very well since you have this strength, I will no longer hold back. Xiao Yan, witness the gap between us."
Her aura erupted completely—Four-star Dou Grandmaster!
Green Dou Qi condensed into a light armor covering her graceful body.
The crowd erupted in admiration, shock, and envy.
Even Nalan Jie, standing on a tree, finally let out a long breath of relief.
But Xiao Yan paid no attention.
He only glanced at her calmly.
"Finally showing your true strength?"
"Four-star Dou Grandmaster… good. This is worthy of the years I spent thinking of this day."
He rotated his neck slightly and tightened his grip on the ruler.
Bright yellow flame Dou Qi surged out—Three-star Dou Grandmaster!
Soon, the Dou Qi condensed into a solid armor of flame.
Xiao Yan's voice echoed calmly across the plaza:
"My past, present, and future do not require your judgment. I came here only to reclaim my dignity and that of the Xiao Clan."
"As for pursuit, you are not qualified to be something I chase."
Unlike the original trajectory, Xiao Yan's words were far sharper.
Nalan Yanran's calm expression finally changed into visible shock.
And then—
"Arrogant!"
She unleashed her Dou Technique—Wind Spirit Split Form Sword!
Five sword phantoms shot forward.
Xiao Yan instinctively prepared to evade.
But then he recalled Yao Lao's words.
"Today, you need not hide anything. Be yourself. Let it all out."
Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened.
A violent flame erupted from his body, carrying a faint dragon roar.
Five flame whips shot out.
Using his Soul Perception and control refined through alchemy practice, he precisely bound all five sword phantoms.
BOOM!
All five exploded midair like fireworks.
A shocked voice rang out.
"An Heavenly Flame! That's Yan Xiao's heavenly flame, Xiao Yan is Yan Xiao!"
----
For additional chapter's
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu