Deep within the cloud peaks of the Misty Cloud Sect, a conversation thick with the scent of blood unfolded between two masses of floating black fog.
"Protector Wu, are you sure we're going to make such a huge move this time?"
"Jie jie jie, Protector Sun, now that things have reached this point, you're afraid? Don't worry. To us, anyone below the Dou Ancestor is nothing but an ant. Especially these pieces of trash from a place like the Jia Ma Empire."
"But the Hall's doctrine is to act in secrecy and avoid exposing ourselves before others whenever possible."
"Jie jie jie, regardless, we're going to reveal ourselves today to capture Yao Chen anyway. Since that's the case, why not kill two birds with one stone and wipe out this entire group from the Jia Ma Empire while we're at it? So many high-quality souls opportunities like this are rare."
"Jie jie jie, if everyone here dies, then naturally no one will know we ever appeared in public."
"And once they die, the Jia Ma Empire will immediately descend into chaos. If handled properly, it might even trigger wars between the surrounding nations. At that point, corpses will be everywhere across this region, and we'll harvest an enormous number of souls. Completing the Hall's quota will become effortless."
"Jie jie jie, Protector Wu, you make a good point. This Protector can lend you a hand. However, I want half of the souls harvested from this operation."
"Jie jie jie, Protector Sun, this Protector agrees. Let's move."
Immediately afterward, the two figures shrouded in black fog both let out eerie "jie jie jie" laughter before flying toward the outer regions of Misty Cloud Mountain.
Meanwhile, upon the plaza…
The instant the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame erupted from Xiao Yan's body, many who had witnessed the Alchemist Grand Meeting instantly recognized the unforgettable champion's flame.
And the one who cried out in shock was none other than Liu Ling, one of Xiao Yan's opponents during the competition.
Standing atop a stone stairway, Liu Ling still stared at Xiao Yan in disbelief after his exclamation, muttering absentmindedly,
"So that's how it is. Yan Xiao was actually Xiao Yan all along. No wonder he behaved that way toward Yanran at the foot of the mountain."
Hearing this, Gu He frowned slightly and turned his head.
"Yan Xiao? That young man who won the Alchemist Grand Meeting championship?"
"Mhm." Liu Ling nodded bitterly. "I never imagined he would actually be Xiao Yan. Every single one of us was deceived by him."
Yet as he spoke, Liu Ling secretly breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Since Yan Xiao was Xiao Yan, then there was naturally no possibility between him and Nalan Yanran anymore. Just like that, the greatest rival among his generation competing for Nalan Yanran had vanished entirely. To him, this was undoubtedly a good thing.
Meanwhile, Gu He's gaze burned intensely as he stared at Xiao Yan and the bright yellow flames surrounding him. A trace of unconcealed greed flashed through his eyes.
"So this is a Heavenly Flame. Wind and Thunder Fury Flame, ranked eighteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. To think a mere Dou Grandmaster could possess such a treasure. What incredible luck."
Within the spectator seats occupied by the Jia Ma Empire's powerful experts, aside from the few who had already investigated Yan Xiao's identity, everyone else was likewise astonished.
At this moment, the flame-covered Xiao Yan below perfectly overlapped with the dazzling Yan Xiao from the competition arena.
"Yan Xiao… Xiao Yan… sigh, I truly am getting senile." Fa Ma shook his head and sighed. "I never expected this little fellow to possess such terrifying talent not only in alchemy, but also in cultivation. Truly, the younger generation will surpass us."
Soon afterward, his gaze swept toward Jia Xing Tian and Hai Bodong. Seeing their calm expressions, he immediately understood.
Thus, Fa Ma laughed and cursed, "You old fogies, Jia Xing Tian and Hai Bodong! Judging from your expressions, you confirmed this long ago, didn't you? And yet you didn't tell me. Truly shameless old fellows."
"Heh heh!" Hai Bodong looked toward Fa Ma and laughed strangely. "The reason we didn't tell you was precisely so we could see the expression on your face right now, old ghost Fa Ma."
Though Jia Xing Tian said nothing, the same amused smile upon his face clearly revealed he shared Hai Bodong's thoughts.
While everyone else remained shocked, they occasionally cast teasing glances toward Nalan Jie, whose face was filled with bitterness.
This time, the Nalan Clan had truly suffered a devastating loss.
The moment Xiao Yan and Yan Xiao became one and the same person, his value became utterly terrifying.
A cultivation genius and a genius who excelled both in cultivation and even more in alchemy were worlds apart in value. Because the latter represented not only talent, but also the terrifying force supporting him from behind the scenes.
After all, rapidly improving one's alchemy skills was not something talent alone could accomplish. It also required guidance from a famous master and enormous quantities of medicinal ingredients for practice.
"Just what level of faction or expert could support Xiao Yan and allow him to undergo such a transformation in such a short time?"
At that thought, the gazes directed toward Xiao Yan became even more fervent.
Not far away, Lin Yuan watched the reactions of the crowd with great interest while secretly recording the wonderful scene using a Recording Stone.
A trace of amusement rose within his heart.
"It feels like filming a movie. Quite interesting. Qing'er will definitely enjoy this performance."
Suddenly, Lin Yuan seemed to sense something. A trace of solemnity appeared in his eyes.
"Hmm? That feeling they've started moving. This sensation is a blockade? And on this scale too? They're beginning to seal off this area? Looks like their target isn't just Yao Lao. They're planning to wipe out everyone present in one sweep. What an enormous appetite."
"Good. Exactly what I wanted. Next, we'll see whose methods are superior."
Thinking this, Lin Yuan once more shifted his gaze toward Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran, continuing to watch and record the famous scene unfolding below with great interest.
Meanwhile, upon the battlefield below, the moment that familiar flame appeared, Nalan Yanran immediately understood everything.
However, her emotions remained extremely stable.
Without the incident involving the poison brand to connect them, her feelings toward Yan Xiao were merely admiration toward a peer of the same generation, nothing more.
Nalan Yanran stared at Xiao Yan and spoke in a deep voice,"So that's how it is, Xiao Yan. I never expected you and Yan Xiao to be the same person. I truly underestimated you. However, even if you possess a Heavenly Flame, for the sake of the Misty Cloud Sect, I still cannot lose today."
Xiao Yan glanced at Nalan Yanran indifferently before replying with the very same words she had spoken earlier.
"Between us, strength and victory will ultimately decide everything."
The instant his words fell, a sharp glint flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. The five flame whips instantly transformed into pure flames and gathered upon the Heavy Xuan Ruler. The enormous black ruler fused with the blazing fire, releasing a frightening aura of ferocity.
"Fire Wind Walking Step, Instant Flame Flash."
Fire force erupted beneath Xiao Yan's feet as his figure transformed into a black streak, flashing toward Nalan Yanran with explosive speed.
At this moment, his speed increased by several more levels compared to before. Now that there was no longer any need to conceal the Heavenly Flame, the operation of the Fire Wind Walking Step had reached an even higher level. As the Heavy Xuan Ruler swept through the air, it scorched visible burn marks into the atmosphere itself.
Seeing this, Nalan Yanran lightly rotated her jade-like palm, instantly forming five spiral sword blasts condensed from wind-attributed Dou Qi.
"Thousand Wind Blasts!"
With a soft cry, the five sharp sword blasts shot out from her fingertips, intertwining together into a thin green line. Accompanied by piercing wind-breaking sounds, the green line shot toward Xiao Yan and appeared before him in an instant.
Immediately afterward, the green line trembled violently, and the five spiral sword blasts split apart from the center, attacking five vital points on Xiao Yan's body simultaneously.
"So you're trying to use the high-speed nature of wind energy to compensate for your movement technique disadvantage through overwhelming attack speed? Not a bad idea, but…"
A trace of amusement flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes as he continued charging forward without slowing down.
At the same time, four tiny wisps of flame flicked from his fingertips, burning away the four sword blasts obstructing his path. However, he allowed the final sword blast approaching from behind to strike directly against his Dou Qi Armor.
Yet the wind element within Nalan Yanran's Dou Qi was ultimately incomparable to the wind element contained within the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame.
Against an opponent of the same level, Nalan Yanran's insufficiently condensed attack simply could not break through the defensive power of the Dou Qi Armor infused with the special wind energy of the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame.
On the Dou Qi Continent, suppression between identical elements was often even more terrifying than suppression between different elements.
Though fierce, the remaining sword blast failed to pierce the bright yellow Dou Qi Armor. Not only did it fail to threaten Xiao Yan, it instead acted like a booster, further increasing his speed.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yan had already closed in beside Nalan Yanran once more, reclaiming the initiative in the battle.
Wielding the enormous Heavy Xuan Ruler blazing with scorching flames, he swung it downward with a single strike, initiating another round of close-range slaughter.
Upon the plaza, as the battle between the two gradually entered a white-hot stage, powerful Dou Qi continuously erupted from their bodies like tidal waves. As their Dou Qi collided, violent explosions of energy rang out endlessly across the plaza.
However, as time passed, the battle developed into an unexpectedly one-sided situation.
Even though Nalan Yanran possessed the advantage of one additional star in cultivation, against Xiao Yan, who possessed both a Heavenly Flame and superior movement techniques, that single star advantage at the Dou Grandmaster level was simply insufficient to bridge the gap.
She was steadily suppressed by Xiao Yan.
And when she finally managed to force away the terrifying Heavy Xuan Ruler in Xiao Yan's hands using a Black Class Dou Technique, what greeted her was an even fiercer close-range assault.
Without the burden of the Heavy Xuan Ruler, Xiao Yan's speed and Dou Qi surged to an even higher level.
At this moment, every single part of his body—his hands, arms, elbows, legs, head, and more, became terrifying killing weapons. Combined with the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame surrounding him, he completely suppressed Nalan Yanran.
Meanwhile, Nalan Yanran's counterattacks were incapable of posing any effective threat to Xiao Yan.
The situation continuously developed in Xiao Yan's favor and increasingly against Nalan Yanran.
Finally, accompanied by a furious roar from Xiao Yan, his right fist wrapped in terrifying force and propelled by the explosive fire force beneath his feet, violently smashed toward Nalan Yanran's back. Wherever the fist passed, even piercing sonic booms erupted through the air.
"Eight Extremities Collapse!"
With a furious shout, the force within Xiao Yan's right fist surged once more. Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, it slammed heavily into Nalan Yanran's back.
Her delicate body was sent flying like a kite with its string severed, blasted high into the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
"The Young Sect Leader lost?"
The disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect stared at the white figure collapsed amid the dust, their faces filled with disbelief.
However, Xiao Yan merely glanced at his right fist.
Soon afterward, his gaze once more landed upon the white-clothed figure on the ground as he spoke indifferently,
"Get up, Nalan Yanran. Although that strike was effective, you still managed to defend against part of its power. In your current state, you should still be capable of continuing this battle."
The moment his words fell, the fallen Nalan Yanran stirred slightly and slowly stood up once more. However, her aura had become far more chaotic than before, and a trace of blood lingered at the corner of her lips.
Nalan Yanran stared at Xiao Yan and asked in a deep voice,
"Since you knew I hadn't lost the ability to resist, why didn't you continue attacking just now?"
"Because someone told me to fight this battle freely to fully release myself and display who I truly am." Xiao Yan stretched out his hand, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler tore through the air before returning to his grasp. "So, I intend to defeat you completely. To defeat you beyond all dispute."
"Come then, Nalan Yanran. I'll give you one final move. Let me see what other trump cards you still possess."
Hearing this, Nalan Yanran swept her sleeve across her lips, wiping away the bloodstain. Her agile eyes gazed deeply at Xiao Yan.
"If we're deciding victory in one move, you'll regret this."
As her words fell, beneath the blazing sun, Nalan Yanran lifted her jade-like hand and removed the green ribbon binding her long black hair. With a slight tilt of her head, three thousand strands of silky hair cascaded downward like moonlight pouring from the heavens. The breathtaking sight caused the hearts of countless admirers to race even faster.
At this moment, the many experts watching the battle also sensed the tense confrontation between the two, and their minds involuntarily trembled.
"So the moment of victory and defeat has finally arrived?"
Meanwhile, the elders of the Misty Cloud Sect revealed confident smiles upon seeing Nalan Yanran's stance.
"Yanran is about to reveal her trump card. This match should soon be over." Yun Ming sighed softly. "To force Yanran to this extent, that brat from the Xiao Clan truly possesses some genuine skill."
Meanwhile, upon the battlefield, as her long hair flowed downward, Nalan Yanran slowly closed her eyes.
A moment later, they suddenly snapped open.
Her long hair began dancing wildly without wind, fluttering through the air. And as it danced, her body slowly rose upward without relying upon any rebound force or Dou Qi wings.
At the same time, the energy around her also erupted violently. Rings of tangible pale-green ripples continuously spread outward from her body.
Her longsword slowly lifted as Nalan Yanran pointed it diagonally toward Xiao Yan below.
"Xiao Yan let us decide victory with one move."
"Come then, Nalan Yanran. One move to decide victory."
However, when Nalan Yanran looked down at Xiao Yan's calm expression and his mountain-like composure, an ominous feeling arose within her heart.
After several thoughts flashed through her mind, she finally made her decision.
"To defeat him, Wind's Ultimate: Setting Sun Glory may not be enough. It seems I'll have to gamble and attempt that move instead. For the glory of the Misty Cloud Sect, even paying some price is worth it."
In an instant, as Nalan Yanran's resolve settled, the hand seals she formed suddenly changed.
Moments later, violent winds gathered around her. As the pale-green storm condensed, an intensely dazzling green glow suddenly emerged from her longsword.
However, this move was far more difficult than Wind's Ultimate: Setting Sun Glory, and the current Nalan Yanran lacked the ability to fully control its violent energy.
Realizing this, Nalan Yanran hardened her heart and abandoned all protection over her own body, focusing entirely on condensing the killing move.
Instantly, violent energy surged wildly through her meridians as though attempting to tear them apart. Threads of blood continuously seeped from the corners of her mouth and eyes.
"Hmm? That stance isn't Setting Sun Glory it's Obliteration?" In the distance, Gu He—who had been closely watching Nalan Yanran, suddenly changed expression. "Not good. She still hasn't fully mastered this move. One mistake could severely damage her meridians."
"And she's forcefully unleashing it with full power. The backlash afterward will become even more terrifying. Is that girl trying to risk her life?"
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Xiao Yan also sensed the ferocity of Nalan Yanran's move, as well as her desperate determination.
Thus, he too revealed his full strength in response.
Xiao Yan slowly raised his palm as bright yellow flames suddenly burst forth, wrapping around the Heavy Xuan Ruler. A scorching aura spread outward, while a crimson radiance erupted from the ruler itself as the surrounding Heaven and Earth energy gathered toward it.
"Natural energy? Is Xiao Yan using a Earth Class Dou Technique? With his current strength, isn't he afraid of the backlash?"
The many experts observing the battle were completely stunned. None of them had expected a duel between two juniors to escalate to such an extent that even Wind's Ultimate and a Earth Class Dou Technique would appear.
Were youngsters these days really this fearless?
Regardless of what the crowd thought, the two combatants had already pushed their Dou Techniques to their peak and finally unleashed their ultimate clash.
"Wind's Ultimate: Obliteration!"
At a certain moment, the air around Nalan Yanran suddenly froze solid. Her longsword abruptly pointed toward Xiao Yan as an extremely thin streak of green light exploded outward.
The light traveled at terrifying speed. Wherever it passed, a pitch-black scar remained across the sky, exceptionally eye-catching.
At the same time, under the unwavering gazes of thousands upon the plaza, Xiao Yan violently stepped forward and swung the Heavy Xuan Ruler in his hand toward the heavens.
"Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler!"
Instantly, an enormous crimson ruler glow several zhang in size burst forth from the Heavy Xuan Ruler with an unstoppable and terrifying momentum, shooting violently into the sky.
Under countless nervous gazes, the massive crimson ruler glow and the annihilation-filled green light streaked through the air at blinding speed. Finally, roughly ten meters above the ground, they collided violently like two crashing meteors.
"BOOM!"
An earth-shaking explosion echoed throughout the entirety of Misty Cloud Mountain!
Following the thunderous blast came an eruption of energy like a volcanic explosion. The two overwhelmingly fierce energies merely touched before crazily releasing the terrifying power contained within themselves.
At the point of impact, the crimson ruler glow and condensed green light unleashed their horrifying energies to the fullest, violently colliding and consuming one another.
The surrounding air itself seemed ignited, twisting violently.
Very quickly, the two attacks finally produced a victor.
The greatly dimmed crimson ruler glow ultimately exhausted all the energy within the green light before carrying a violent energy shockwave toward Nalan Yanran in the sky, swallowing her figure within the berserk energy storm.
Not long afterward, a figure heavily crashed down onto the plaza from the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust.
As the dust slowly dispersed, the scene within was finally revealed.
Nalan Yanran sat upon the ground with her long hair in disarray. Her face was pale as paper, blood stained the corners of her lips, and her longsword was stabbed into the ground for support. She attempted to stand, yet lacked the strength to do so.
The earlier energy collision, combined with the backlash from her own technique, had already destroyed all her ability to resist.
No matter how much Nalan Yanran's mentality had transformed or how much determination she carried today, determination alone could never become true strength.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan stood ten meters away from her, calmly watching. Though his aura had become somewhat chaotic from the massive expenditure of Dou Qi, he still clearly retained considerable combat strength.
Seeing this scene, everyone understood that the victor had been decided.
Holding the Heavy Xuan Ruler, Xiao Yan slowly walked step by step until he stood before Nalan Yanran.
"Nalan Yanran it's over!"
The Heavy Xuan Ruler lifted and rested against Nalan Yanran's neck as Xiao Yan revealed a relieved smile.
The outcome of the Three-Year Agreement was finally decided completely.
Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan had won!
Realizing that she had lost, Nalan Yanran seemed to lose all her strength in an instant as she sat there blankly.
Looking at the face before him, the face he had hated for three entire years, Xiao Yan suddenly felt as though something deep within his heart had been untied. A sense of unprecedented relief washed over him. Many things no longer seemed important anymore.
At this moment, all he wanted was to see Xun'er as quickly as possible.
At that thought, Xiao Yan flipped his hand, and a divorce letter appeared within it.
The moment Nalan Yanran saw it, she immediately recalled the vow she had made that if she lost, she would become a servant and maid. Her face instantly turned deathly pale.
She had lost.
The honor of her sect, the dignity of her clan, her future, everything had been lost.
Looking at Xiao Yan standing nearby and the divorce letter within his hand, the expression upon her face changed repeatedly.
After a long silence, she seemed to make some sort of decision. A trace of resolve flashed through her eyes.
Before the countless spectators, Nalan Yanran struggled to her feet and bitterly said,
"Xiao Yan, you won. According to our agreement back then, I, Nalan Yanran, should become your servant and maid. However, for the sake of my sect's honor, forgive me for being unable to fulfill that promise."
"Thinking back now, the matter involving the Xiao Clan the way I handled it truly was improper. So please, in the future, apologize to Uncle Xiao on my behalf."
The moment her words fell, a sharp glint flashed through Nalan Yanran's eyes. Gathering all her remaining strength, she raised her longsword horizontally against her neck and slashed toward her fair, slender throat.
"Ah!"
Nalan Yanran's sudden action instantly shocked everyone upon the plaza. None of them had expected her to choose suicide after losing the agreement. After all, everyone had witnessed Xiao Yan's strength. Losing to him was hardly shameful.
Just as the crowd panicked, Xiao Yan flicked his finger lightly. Accompanied by a crisp clang, the longsword in Nalan Yanran's hand was blasted several meters away.
Her suicide attempt interrupted, Nalan Yanran suddenly raised her head and met Xiao Yan's dark eyes.
"I came here today only to settle the grievances of the past and reclaim the dignity of my Xiao Clan. I have no particular interest in taking you as a servant, so there is no need for you to do something like this to preserve the Misty Cloud Sect's reputation."
"The Three-Year Agreement has already ended. From this day onward, there will no longer be any intersection between us. Consider today's defeat the price you pay for the mistakes in your methods back then."
"Nalan Yanran, from this moment forward, you and the Xiao Clan shall no longer have the slightest connection. You are free now. Congratulations."
As the indifferent words fell, a flame rose from his fingertips and completely burned the so-called divorce letter into ashes.
"Everyone, the show is over. Time to return home." Xiao Yan raised his hands toward the crowd and smiled.
Afterward, he casually placed the Heavy Xuan Ruler back upon his back before slowly walking toward the outside of the plaza beneath countless gazes.
Suddenly, a sinister and eerie laugh rang out.
"Jie jie jie… return home? What home? Brat from the Xiao Clan, come with this Protector to meet your father…"
At the same time, two pitch-black chains explosively shot toward Xiao Yan from a mass of black fog that had appeared at some unknown moment.
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