The moment he saw it, Yun Leng shot to his feet, his eyes wide with shock and worry as he stared at the square!
He wasn't the only one; Nalan Jie and his son reacted in the exact same way.
They had never expected the final clash between the two to possess such devastating power. It had caught Yun Leng and the others so off-guard that they had no time to react, no chance to intervene. Nalan Yanran was already in a weakened state, and after an explosion that terrifying...
Yun Leng and Nalan Jie didn't dare to imagine the consequences if Nalan Yanran had truly perished.
But just as they were about to rush down to the square to save her, their movements froze. A collective wave of relief washed over them.
Through the billowing dust and smoke from the explosion, they could already make out the situation on the field.
Once the aftershocks of the blast had completely dissipated, the figures of Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran reappeared in everyone's line of sight.
Both looked far more battered than before.
Xiao Yan was a mess, his clothes even more tattered, his face paler, and his aura weak and fluctuating, but he was otherwise largely unharmed.
Nalan Yanran, on the other hand, was collapsed on the ground. Her aura was faint, her hair was a disheveled mess, and her sleeves had been completely vaporized, revealing arms covered in severe burns.
Fortunately, she wore a set of pale blue inner armor, which prevented any further exposure.
Even so, her condition was extremely poor. Her insides felt like they were on fire, her Dou Qi was completely depleted, and she was grievously injured. She didn't have a shred of strength left; even the thought of moving was an impossible luxury.
Ignoring the pain wracking her body, Nalan Yanran struggled to lift her head. She looked at Xiao Yan, who, despite panting, still had strength to spare. A bitter smile touched her lips, and her eyes filled with an incredibly complex mix of emotions.
The waste she had once looked down upon had now truly surpassed her.
Even when she had shamelessly used a powerful technique far beyond her own strength, she had still been unable to defeat him. If it weren't for the precious armor her teacher had gifted her, she might have been on the brink of death, or even killed, in that last explosion.
"Xiao Yan... you've won..." Nalan Yanran forced the words out, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes.
Though a part of her was unwilling to accept it, she, Nalan Yanran, was not a sore loser. It was just that as the Young Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, her defeat at Xiao Yan's hands had brought immense shame upon her sect. Worse still was their original agreement: if she lost, she was to become his servant. If she were to truly honor that promise, she would be smearing the Misty Cloud Sect's name, adding a stain of humiliation that could never be washed away.
This was something Nalan Yanran could never accept. Thus, she wasn't mourning her failure, but rather felt consumed by guilt and self-blame for her current inability to even take her own life.
Xiao Yan saw the tears in her eyes and the faint, deathly stillness that lay beneath. It was a look that only appeared in the eyes of someone who had lost the will to live.
The sense of release and satisfaction he had felt from fulfilling his oath after his victory suddenly vanished, replaced by a knot of tension in his chest.
"Heh, it seems that even in victory, this woman can still stir my emotions," Xiao Yan mused to himself with a self-deprecating smile, noticing the change within him.
Taking a few slow steps forward, he looked down at Nalan Yanran calmly and spoke in a steady voice. "Nalan Yanran, the Three-Year Agreement is now over. I have fulfilled the vow I made back then. The grudge between us is settled."
"As for the promise you made, I have no interest in it."
"From this day forward, we will have nothing more to do with each other. Consider your defeat today a small price to pay for the mistake you made all those years ago."
"In the future, you will continue to be the Young Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, and I will continue my own arduous training. We are both free."
At the same time, Nalan Jie had already landed in the square and was hurrying toward his granddaughter. He had heard Xiao Yan's words, and his expression was a mixture of complexity and regret.
...
As Xiao Yan stepped forward to speak, Zhou Changqing, from his seat on the viewing platform, keenly observed one of the deacons on the main platform suddenly show a look of horror before whispering something to Yun Leng above him.
"It seems you can't escape it after all. Old Xiao, Old Xiao, I have to say, you really are a trouble magnet. One problem after another."
Zhou Changqing's eyes narrowed slightly. He already had a good idea of what was happening and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Just as he predicted.
Nalan Jie had just given Nalan Yanran a healing pill, and Xiao Yan was turning to tell the spectators to go home, when Yun Leng's voice suddenly cut through the air, halting his steps.
"Xiao Yan, you cannot leave just yet. The Misty Cloud Sect has some matters we need you to clarify..."
As soon as he spoke, a chill ran through the hearts of everyone present, from Jia Xingtian and the other dignitaries to the Misty Cloud Sect disciples who were still reeling from Nalan Yanran's defeat.
Their first thought was that Yun Leng, enraged by the shame brought upon the Misty Cloud Sect, was going to forcibly detain Xiao Yan.
But such a move would be incredibly foolish. Not only would it accomplish nothing, but it would also earn the Misty Cloud Sect a reputation for being unreasonable, overbearing, and unable to distinguish right from wrong. As the First Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, could Yun Leng really be that stupid?
Having recovered a bit of strength after taking the pill, Nalan Yanran's heart tightened. She found herself speaking up in Xiao Yan's defense. "First Elder, today's match was a result of my own lack of skill..."
"Yanran, this has nothing to do with the match. Step aside." Yun Leng waved his hand, cutting her off. His expression was grim as he scanned the surroundings and declared, "I wonder if any of you have heard the news that Mo Cheng, a deacon of our outer sect and a member of the Mo Clan, was killed some time ago?"
As he finished, his gaze locked onto Xiao Yan's back like a hawk.
His words made both Hai Bodong and Xiao Yan frown.
"Dammit, did they find out?"
"This is trouble..."
Yun Leng proceeded to recount the incident with Mo Cheng, even calling Deacon Ge Ye forward to testify. Every word, spoken and unspoken, pointed to the fact that Xiao Yan was inextricably linked to the matter.
Even when Xiao Yan offered a rebuttal, Yun Leng insisted on detaining him at the Misty Cloud Sect under the pretext of an investigation.
Xiao Yan knew he couldn't stay. He wouldn't be able to withstand a thorough investigation. Besides, if he remained, he would be like a fish on a chopping block, completely at their mercy. They called it "cooperating with an investigation," but who knew what sinister plans the Misty Cloud Sect would carry out in secret?
Just as Xiao Yan was about to turn and head for the stone steps leading down the mountain, and Yun Leng was about to order his men to stop him, a figure suddenly flashed into the square, interrupting everything.
*Swoosh!*
Everyone's eyes turned to see a young man with a handsome face, dressed in flowing white robes. A pair of Dou Qi Wings formed from golden arcs of lightning shimmered on his back.
It was Zhou Changqing!
Back where he had been sitting, an afterimage was rapidly fading away!
The pupils of Jia Xingtian and the upper echelons of the Misty Cloud Sect contracted instantly.
Such incredible speed!
While inwardly shocked by Zhou Changqing's speed and trying to gauge his strength, Yun Leng's expression remained largely unchanged, though his brow furrowed slightly. "Master Zhou, what is the meaning of this?"
Ignoring the many gazes fixed upon him, Zhou Changqing placed his left hand behind his back and his right hand over his abdomen, offering a light chuckle. "Elder Yun Leng, I have no ill intentions. I simply feel there is no need for this situation to become so hostile."
"The duel for the agreement has ended. If you two were to come to blows now, outsiders who don't know the full story might think the Misty Cloud Sect was abusing its power to bully others, or that Old Xiao here has a guilty conscience."
"Therefore, to preserve the dignity of both sides, I have a solution that could benefit everyone. I wonder if Elder Yun Leng would be willing to hear it?"