Xun'er's jade-like face flushed with a rosy hue, as if lightly dusted with rouge.
This was her first time attempting a sneak attack, yet her identity had been exposed by the second exchange. Recalling how she had volunteered for this reconnaissance mission, she felt utterly embarrassed.
Her lack of combat experience had proven to be her downfall. She relied solely on the strength of her techniques and Dou Skills.
"Boom!"
All these thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Facing the sword qi swirling like falling snowflakes, Xun'er showed no trace of fear. She raised her palm, summoning a golden energy shield before her.
This single defensive move likely surpassed the protection of Dou Master Gauze Armor, indicating her techniques were at least Earth Rank.
Gu Han's sword qi descended like snowflakes falling into a fire, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Miss Xiao Xun'er, what is the meaning of this midnight ambush?"
Gu Han slapped the bed with one hand, propelling himself into the air like a soaring bird. He landed lightly three meters away, sword in hand as he regarded Xun'er warily.
"Pretend I was never here."
Xun'er's eyes shifted uncomfortably as she spoke softly. With a light tap of her foot, she leaped toward the window.
Seeing this, Gu Han seemed to recall something and immediately activated his Serpentine Nine Steps movement technique to pursue her. "Stop right there! What have you done with Senior Brother Zhang?"
Zhang Chuchen, immobilized by a Dou Emperor's pressure on the neighboring roof: How thoughtful of my junior brother to remember me.
"Swish!"
Gu Han leaped through the window without hesitation, slashing with his sword.
The Mystic Ice Force circulated rapidly as ice-attribute Dou Qi surged from his Dantian, converging on his sword and transforming into multiple streams of sword qi.
Enhanced by Gu Han's intermediate mortal-stage soul power, these sword qi carried traces of icy natural energy, appearing like falling snow.
"Remarkable comprehension."
On the rooftop, Ling Xiao's eyes flashed with appreciation.
Through self-guided practice, he had not only mastered a low-level Mysterious Battle Skill of the ice attribute to an expert level but had even incorporated soul power application.
With sufficient resources, Gu Han would face no bottlenecks in advancing to Dou Emperor.
"Your senior brother is fine!"
Xun'er called back over her shoulder, suddenly accelerating to evade Gu Han's attack before leaping high onto the courtyard wall.
Gu Han's performance had already met all of Ling Xiao's standards for temperament, talent, and character in a disciple.
"Release my senior brother first, or you're not going anywhere."
Gu Han raised his sword single-handedly, recklessly channeling Dou Qi.
As his soul power intensified, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop.
"If I wish to leave, you cannot stop me."
Xun'er raised one hand and sent a palm strike toward Gu Han.
A massive flame palm, three meters across, materialized in mid-air.
"You're definitely not from the Xiao Family!"
Gu Han's eyes narrowed as he hurled his sword forward.
The sword qi radiated intense cold, colliding with the flaming palm.
"Boom!"
The sword was sent flying, its cold energy instantly dissipated, while cracks spread across the flaming palm.
Seeing this, Gu Han channeled Dou Qi into his palms and leaped high to strike.
Frigid energy surged around his hands—this was the Icy Frost Palm.
Though both were low-level Mysterious Battle Skills that Gu Han had perfected, their effective applications differed significantly.
The Profound Yin Finger is a Yin-attribute Dou Skill. Although it can be activated using ice-attribute Dou Qi with decent effectiveness and special bonuses, it cannot achieve its full potential.
The Icy Frost Palm is an ice-attribute Dou Skill. When activated with ice-attribute Dou Qi, it unleashes its complete power while consuming even less Dou Qi.
Among all the offensive Dou Skills Gu Han currently mastered, this move was the strongest.
"Boom!"
Gu Han shattered the giant flame palm, leaping high into the air as he charged toward Xun Er.
Just before landing, his body twisted like a swimming serpent, shifting directions several times mid-air.
"Young lady, the Xiao Family has sent people," the voices of Ling Ying and Ling Xiao simultaneously echoed in Xun Er's ears.
"What a nuisance." Xun Er reached out to readjust her robe, circulating Dou Qi within her body. It surged from her back and transformed into golden flame wings.
"Quickly release his senior brother and make sure he doesn't speak carelessly. I don't wish to be disturbed during my final days with the Xiao Family."
After replying, Xun Er soared into the air, flying higher.
But the next moment, a flicker of surprise crossed her delicate face beneath the hood. She turned to see Gu Han also ascending, with pale cyan wings spread behind him.
"Young lady, it's a Flight Fighting Skill," Ling Ying reminded. "Shall I intercept him?"
"No need. I'll lead him outside the city. Have Aunt Ling come meet him and clarify the situation." With that, Xun Er transformed into a golden streak of light, darting toward the city outskirts.
"Don't think you can escape!" Gu Han controlled his Flight Fighting Skill and pursued her.
Xiao Zhan, Nalan Su, and others who had rushed to the scene upon hearing the commotion stared wide-eyed.
Since when did two Dou Kings appear in Wu Tan City!?
Wait—they couldn't tell the identity of the figure in black.
They recognized Gu Han; he was undoubtedly a Dou Fighter.
"It's a Flight Fighting Skill!" Nalan Su's pupils contracted, his tone filled with awe. "Young friend Gu is truly extraordinary, to have even mastered a Flight Fighting Skill."
"Brother Nalan, should we pursue and assist?" Xiao Zhan's eyes also held astonishment.
So this was what it meant to be a top disciple of the Cloud Mist Sect—far beyond what a minor family like the Xiao Family could compare to.
"Your assistance is not required."
Before Nalan Su could respond, a figure descended from the sky, blocking their path.
"Who are you?!" Xiao Zhan immediately materialized Dou Qi Armor.
The person before him held a long sword enveloped in cyan Dou Qi, shaped into the form of a blade—this was Dou Qi Materialization, the hallmark of a Dou Spirit expert.
"I am Zhang Chuchen." Zhang Chuchen produced a token indicating his status as an outer sect elder of the Cloud Mist Sect.
Nalan Su didn't need to inspect the token, however, as he recognized Zhang Chuchen—the once-celebrated genius of the Cloud Mist Sect.
"Nalan Su pays his respects to Elder Zhang." Nalan Su clasped his fists in greeting. "I hadn't realized you had broken through to the Dou Spirit realm. Congratulations."
"I owe it all to my junior brother Gu." Zhang Chuchen stored the token and dispersed the Dou Qi Materialization, smiling. "There's no need for you to concern yourselves with Junior Brother Gu's affairs. He's merely playing around with a Dou Emperor elder of his."
Earlier, on the rooftop, Zhang Chuchen had been frozen by chilling energy formed from heaven and earth energy before he could react. Immediately after, Ling Xiao appeared, releasing a trace of Dou Emperor aura.
A powerful ice-attribute Dou Emperor—he instantly recalled the elder from the Central Plains' Icy River Valley that his junior brother had mentioned, the one who wished to take him as a disciple.
Wasn't this precisely his junior brother's Dou Emperor elder?
"A Dou Emperor elder?!"
Xiao Zhan and Nalan Su inwardly gasped.
Not only was Gu Han a genius, but he also had a Dou Emperor elder backing him.
Moreover, judging from Zhang Chuchen's tone, his breakthrough to Dou Spirit was also related to Gu Han.
How terrifying!
"Hehe, little Yanzi, the waters in your Xiao Family run deep indeed."
Behind the rooftop of a small courtyard, Yao Chen hid within his ring, communicating with Xiao Yan through soul transmission.
When Ling Xiao made a move against Zhang Chuchen, Yao Chen had sensed the disturbance and immediately informed Xiao Yan.
Master and disciple concealed themselves nearby, witnessing everything that happened after Xun'er entered Gu Han's room.
"Teacher, what do you mean by that?"
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