The square fell silent at Yun Ling's response.
The numerous experts in the stands all understood at once. Yun Ling was indeed using this matter as a pretext; his true target was Xiao Yan.
With that realization, their gazes toward Yun Ling became tinged with disdain and contempt.
Even many of the Misty Cloud Sect disciples found it difficult to understand.
Was their own Great Elder truly afraid of a mere Dou King? Or was his heart just that petty?
Zhou Changqing's expression remained unchanged. He had long considered the possibility that Yun Ling would refuse.
He felt a sense of helplessness, knowing that the worst-case scenario had come to pass. A fight was now unavoidable.
Yun Ling ignored the stares of the others, looking at Zhou Changqing and speaking coldly, "Master Zhou, please stand down. Even if you and Xiao Yan have a deep relationship, the internal affairs of my Misty Cloud Sect are not for outsiders to meddle in."
"Whether or not Xiao Yan is the one who killed Mo Cheng, my Misty Cloud Sect will come to its own fair conclusion. We will not wrongly accuse him."
"If you continue to obstruct us, you will be provoking the Misty Cloud Sect. When that time comes, this old man will not be as courteous as I am now."
Even at this point, Yun Ling remained stubborn, trying to conceal his true objective.
Zhou Changqing sighed softly. "It seems I have overestimated my own influence and the weight of my suggestion…"
"However, as I said before, Xiao Yan is my friend. I must see this matter through."
"Since the Misty Cloud Sect is being so aggressive, I will have to be impolite!"
"Old Xiao, go!"
As his voice fell, a powerful aura erupted from Zhou Changqing's body!
The golden lightning wings on his back flared, arcs of electricity crackling loudly!
The moment Xiao Yan heard the word "go," he unfurled his Purple Cloud Wings without hesitation and shot down the mountain!
Yun Ling's eyes narrowed. With a wave of his hand, he roared, "Stop him!"
The three Misty Cloud Sect elders to his left and right heard the command, and their figures slowly faded from view.
He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to possess Dou Qi Wings. However, judging by his speed, they likely weren't true Dou Qi Wings but a Flying Dou Technique.
Even so, a Xiao Yan who could fly was not someone the law enforcement team or the deacons could intercept.
Therefore, Yun Ling had directly dispatched three Dou King-level elders to take action!
Unfortunately, though the idea was good, it was destined to fail.
The instant the three elders vanished, Zhou Changqing's figure flickered as well, appearing directly in the path they would need to take to pursue Xiao Yan, blocking the three of them in their high-speed flight.
This forced the three elders, led by Yun Li, to a halt.
"If you want to chase Old Xiao, you'll have to get through me first!"
"Arrogant whelp!"
Seeing Zhou Changqing intending to take on all three of them at once, Yun Li felt slighted. He let out a cold shout and charged forward!
The other two elders did the same, their Dou Qi flaring as they rushed toward Zhou Changqing.
In that brief delay.
Xiao Yan had nearly flown beyond the summit's perimeter.
Yun Ling would not let him escape. Otherwise, not only would all his previous efforts have been for nothing, but the great Misty Cloud Sect would also become a laughingstock for being unable to stop a single Dou Grandmaster!
"Activate the Misty Cloud Mist Formation!"
Hearing the Great Elder's command, the Misty Cloud Sect deacons and disciples dared not hesitate. They all formed hand seals and circulated their Dou Qi.
Instantly, the auras of all the deacons and disciples linked together, forming a great array!
Then, bursts of Dou Qi in various colors erupted from their bodies, spreading out rapidly.
In less than a breath, a transparent membrane rose from the edges of the mountaintop, spreading swiftly to form a transparent dome that enveloped the entire summit!
The dome formed so quickly that Xiao Yan, who was just a hair's breadth from leaving the summit area, was a step too late.
Gazing at the membrane just inches away, Xiao Yan's expression changed. He screeched to a halt and threw a punch!
"嗡~"
A blow from his Eight Extremes Collapse slammed into the membrane, yet it only caused a few faint ripples to spread across its surface. The barrier itself didn't even budge!
Just as Yun Ling was celebrating having trapped Xiao Yan.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Suddenly, three muffled thuds echoed, drawing his and everyone else's attention!
In the sky above the square.
Three white-robed figures were sent flying backward, tumbling for over a dozen meters through the air before they managed to arrest their momentum and stop!
The three were none other than Yun Li and the other two Misty Cloud Sect elders. At this moment, their arms were trembling slightly, and their eyes were fixed in disbelief on the figure before them!
One move!
No!
Three moves!
With just three of the most ordinary punches and kicks!
He had repelled all three of them!
And this was even without them using the Misty Cloud Sect's special techniques to link their auras and execute a combination Dou Technique.
But their opponent wasn't a Dou Emperor! The aura he was displaying was that of a mere four-star Dou King!
All three of them were mid-rank Dou Kings!
To be so easily repelled left them not only shocked but also furious, feeling as though they had lost face.
And they weren't the only ones who were stunned. Yun Ling, Jia Xing Tian, and the others were all extremely astonished.
"This Master Zhou is no simple character. To face a siege by three Dou Kings of a level no lower than his own and repel them all so effortlessly."
Looking up at the white-robed youth in the sky, who seemed small yet as insurmountable as a great mountain, Jia Xing Tian and the others sighed in collective amazement.
Zhou Changqing had no time to care what others were thinking. After repelling the three elders, he beat his wings and flew toward the membrane, clearly intending to shatter it.
Arriving before the mist formation's protective dome at incredible speed, a golden light flashed in Zhou Changqing's eyes. A vast amount of golden Dou Qi rapidly converged on his arm, the terrifying fluctuations distorting the air and whipping up fierce gales!
"Myriad Ton Force!"
He clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed it violently into the membrane!
The terrifying force contained within, enough to obliterate a small mountain, was unleashed in an instant!
"BOOM!"
A massive explosion thundered across the mountaintop!
Under this terrifying force, the protective dome bulged outward violently. Ripples like massive waves spread out rapidly and fiercely from the point of impact!
The intense shockwave it created was strong enough to send the distant Xiao Yan stumbling!
Furthermore, the deacons and disciples maintaining the mist formation were all shaken, their bodies swaying violently!
They felt as if a great weight had been slammed onto their chests, making it difficult to breathe!
Fortunately, their auras were connected, and the power of the blow was evenly distributed among every single one of them, greatly mitigating the damage.
After just a moment, the feeling of pressure on their chests slowly faded.
"Holy crap!"
Stabilizing himself, Xiao Yan couldn't help but curse, staring dumbfounded at Zhou Changqing!
Although he already knew the other man was a Dou King, personally witnessing his power still sent a chill down his spine!
Yun Ling, Jia Xing Tian, and the others were also shaken!
That level of power was definitely not something a mid-rank Dou King could produce!
This master refiner wasn't just unbelievable in his refining skills and cultivation level; his combat prowess was likely on par with a high-rank Dou King!
No wonder he had been able to repel Yun Li and the other two so easily!
What they didn't know, however, was that this was merely a probing strike from Zhou Changqing, not his full power. The Dou Technique he had used was only a portion of a high-level Xuan class technique.
"What a fine formation!"
Seeing that his Myriad Ton Force had only managed to shake the mist formation, Zhou Changqing's eyes lit up with appreciation!
This level of defense could probably withstand the continuous assault of a low-rank Dou Emperor for some time!
Fearing an unexpected turn of events, Yun Ling immediately sent a telepathic message to Yun Li and the other two elders:
"You three go capture Xiao Yan! I will hold this man back! Be quick! After you capture Xiao Yan, we will join forces to take this fiend down!"
"Yes, Great Elder!"
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Yun Li and the others nodded slightly, then turned their gazes toward Xiao Yan and shot toward him!
Seeing this, Yun Ling immediately unfurled his Dou Qi Wings and flew rapidly toward Zhou Changqing