Word Count: 2,756 Words
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As the bell's final echo faded, the brocade-robed woman's narrow eyes contracted slightly, while her male companion revealed a sinister smile.
Though Xiao Yan's strength was indeed formidable, Hua Jin remained confident in Yaohua Liangjun beside her. He possessed not only higher cultivation but had also prepared special trump cards for this occasion.
Space rippled across the plaza as the bell's resonance lingered in the air. Two graceful figures emerged from a wormhole and landed softly upon the stone.
Every gaze immediately shifted toward these beautiful arrivals. Though many had seen them before, looks of amazement still bloomed across countless faces.
What a stunning master and disciple pair.
Yun Yun, in particular, stood out. She wore a white dress with a flowing skirt, and her ink-black hair cascaded like a waterfall to her slender waist. Her gaze held only the tranquility of drifting clouds and gentle breezes, utterly devoid of competitive fire.
Her bearing radiated grace and dignity, regal yet unpretentious!
This poise immediately earned silent nods of approval from the assembled Flower Sect elders. No wonder the previous Sect Leader, Granny Hua, had entrusted the sect's leadership to her hands.
Compared to her, Hua Jin seemed like a sparrow beside a phoenix.
Yaohua Liangjun's eyes widened at Yun Yun's entrance, captivated by her beauty. Heat flashed through his gaze. For someone who valued beauty above all else, such an exquisite woman presented an almost fatal temptation.
Hua Jin caught that look on her companion's face. Her hands clenched, features twisting with fury as she snapped, "Hmph, Yun Yun, you despicable wretch! You finally dare to show yourself!"
Yun Yun regarded Hua Jin with a gentle shake of her head. "Sect Leader Hua Jin, you should know I never wanted the position of Flower Sect Leader. I've already returned the token. Why must you press me so hard?"
"Hmph! If you truly have no ambitions, then hand over the Old Sect Leader's lifetime of Dou Qi! We took you in out of kindness, yet you still dare to covet my position as Flower Sect Leader!" the brocade-robed woman demanded coldly.
"The Dou Qi is sealed within my body. I can't hand it over," Yun Yun replied with a sigh.
"Then we'll follow sect rules. Yun Yun, where's that little bastard of yours? Call him out!" Hua Jin glanced around but failed to spot Xiao Yan.
Beside them, Nalan Yanran stood speechless. The battle was about to begin. Where was he?!
Coming early or late made no difference with him! He always vanished at the most crucial moments!
Relief actually crossed Yun Yun's features rather than displeasure at Xiao Yan's absence. She wasn't foolish. If the other party already knew her companion was him, they'd surely have prepared countermeasures, putting him in danger.
A faint smile graced her face as she shook her head gently. "Sect Leader Hua Jin, make your move. I have no male companion—"
The plaza's temperature suddenly spiked before her words could finish. A wisp of black flame materialized from thin air beside her, and a tall figure strode forth from the fiery passage.
Under countless astonished gazes, the black-robed silhouette appeared beside Yun Yun. His large hand wrapped around her slender waist and pulled her firmly into his embrace despite her startled reaction.
An outrageously flirtatious voice rang out, instantly turning her cheeks crimson.
"Little Yun'er, how cruel of you. Have you already forgotten those blissful times we shared in the mountains?"
Xiao Yan's grip was strong. Though Yun Yun had accelerated her refinement of Granny Hua's Dou Qi, reaching the level of a 2-star Dou Venerate, she still couldn't resist his powerful hold. Or perhaps, deep in her heart, she didn't truly want to resist.
Her cheek pressed against his solid chest, its warmth muddling her thoughts into a blank haze.
"Xiao Yan! You bastard…" Nalan Yanran took in his disheveled appearance—clothes rumpled as if he had just rolled out of bed—and fury surged through her. He was definitely doing this on purpose!
He had clearly been in the Flower Sect all along!
The plaza's elders stared in shock at the man holding Yun Yun. Despite the presence of several 9-star Dou Venerate elders, none had sensed his spatial traversal!
"Blissful times in the mountains?"
"Wow, Yun Yun plays so wild! In the outdoors?!"
Whispers erupted across the plaza. Some of the shyer young disciples blushed furiously while others' eyes sparkled, seemingly finding Xiao Yan's suggestion rather appealing.
Yun Yun's face reddened further at his deliberate misinterpretation.
"Xiao Yan, stop talking nonsense. We… we didn't do those things back then…" She tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter. Knowing her cultivation fell short of his, she gave up and let him have his way.
Xiao Yan gazed down at the gentle beauty in his arms, his eyes softening as he whispered, "Who says we didn't? The mark I left on your neck is still there."
Yun Yun shot him a fierce glare. Though his words invited misunderstanding, they weren't entirely false.
"Xiao Yan! You finally showed up!" Across from them, Hua Jin's face twisted with vicious hatred that now clearly extended to him as well.
Xiao Yan glanced at Hua Jin before his gaze shifted to the fan-waving Yaohua Liangjun. The man's eyes burned with intense hostility, clearly stemming from jealousy over Yun Yun.
Smiling, Xiao Yan waved his hand. A large chair materialized behind him. He sat back and gently pulled Yun Yun's delicate hand until she settled onto his lap.
"How can you fight like this?" Yun Yun asked helplessly from her perch.
Xiao Yan yawned, appearing half-asleep. He glanced lazily at Hua Jin and Yaohua Liangjun before drawling, "Against these two? Sitting down is more than enough."
"Such arrogance!" Yaohua Liangjun couldn't tolerate anyone acting more arrogantly than himself. The aura of a peak 6-star Dou Venerate exploded outward, creating a pressure stronger than that of an ordinary 6-star and not inferior to that of some 7-star experts, suffocating those nearby.
And Xiao Yan was merely a 5-star!
"Xiao Yan, neither of you will escape today! Hand over the Old Sect Leader's Dou Qi!" Hua Jin drew her weapon, pointing it coldly at him.
"You're mistaken. The Flower Sect is filled with talented people and beautiful scenery, not to mention a beauty in my arms. Why would I want to flee?" Xiao Yan smiled leisurely. "Besides... expecting me to stand up for two pieces of trash like you? You think too highly of yourselves."
"Still spouting arrogance at death's door!" Yaohua Liangjun's eyes turned terrifying as he spoke with chilling intensity. "Surrender now, and you'll die quickly! Otherwise, I'll let you taste the Profound Sky Sect's supreme techniques. I'll drain your blood drop by drop until you beg for death!"
Yaohua Liangjun had brought certain Profound Sky Sect methods specifically for this occasion. If he could kill Xiao Yan, the Yan Alliance would naturally crumble!
Xiao Yan leaned back, slowly meeting his gaze. He shook his head with a smile. "Show me whatever tricks you have. Just try not to bore me to sleep."
"Hahaha! Such an arrogant Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance! I want to see how you'll defeat me while sitting down!" Yaohua Liangjun laughed in fury, clearly provoked by Xiao Yan's insolence.
He had always been the arrogant one. When had anyone ever out-arroganced him?!
Hua Jin burst into motion like a blooming sacred lotus. Holy light radiated as petals swirled around her. Beside her, Yaohua Liangjun formed hand seals as crimson Dou Qi surged forth.
"Sacred Flower Flying Strike!"
"Great Heaven Blood Fiend Palm!"
BOOM!
The plaza's natural energy boiled over. Both techniques were clearly Di Class, and the stone slabs shattered inch by inch beneath the overwhelming pressure.
"Xiao Yan!" Yun Yun called out urgently, seeing him still seated.
"Relax. Leave it to me." Xiao Yan smiled faintly. In ancient times, alchemists never needed to engage enemies directly. They were masters of flame manipulation!
He merely flicked his fingers as the two attacks crashed down. Two wisps of flame, one silver and one purple, shot out and expanded to massive proportions.
ROAR! ROAR!!
Twin roars shook the entire plaza and even echoed throughout the Flower Sect as a whole. A nine-headed lightning dragon wreathed in silver lightning unleashed torrents of flame, obliterating Hua Jin's technique completely.
The purple flames transformed into a true dragon, its claw smashing down on the incoming blood-red palm. The Great Heaven Blood Fiend Palm vaporized under the terrifying heat with a thunderous crash.
"Heavenly Flames!!"
The ease with which Xiao Yan shattered their techniques left countless Flower Sect elders shocked.
"Not ordinary Heavenly Flames. These are Heavenly Flame Spirits! They've developed independent sentience!"
"That nine-headed lightning dragon looks like Burning Flame Valley's Nine Dragon Lightning Flame. The purple one must be the legendary Three Thousand Burning Flame that Xiao Yan refined after winning the Pill Gathering championship."
"Controlling flame to form spirits, using fire to combat enemies... these are the methods of ancient alchemists!"
Two enormous Heavenly Flame Spirits manifested in the sky like genuine dragons in the blink of an eye, guarding Xiao Yan protectively. The terrifying heat radiating from them caused massive cracks to spread across the plaza's stone floor.
The First Elder presiding over the match revealed her astonishment. "The rumors claim Yan Alliance's Xiao Yan possesses a special method to wield multiple Heavenly Flames. It seems they're true."
Yaohua Liangjun reeled in shock. Flipping his palm to form seals, Dou Qi surged and blood energy suppressed as his hand seals shifted. A blood-red giant dragon descended to crush everything in its path.
Xiao Yan smiled coldly. He waved casually, and the Three Thousand Burning Flame transformed into an Ancient Void Dragon, rising to meet the assault head-on and shattering the Dou Qi dragon!
The two Heavenly Flame dragons roared across the battlefield, their terrifying might causing even the protective formations to distort.
Ancient alchemists differed greatly from those of today. Back then, they possessed extremely powerful fire control and relied on manipulating flames to defeat enemies. Venerable Tian Huo's Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique, for instance, was an ancient fire control method rather than a Dou Technique. Such methods had been largely lost during the great upheaval following the disappearance of the Dou Gods, when countless inheritances vanished in the chaos.
The two Heavenly Flame dragons dominated the battlefield, forcing Hua Jin and Yaohua Liangjun into continuous retreat. Yun Yun watched with amazement, momentarily forgetting her current position on Xiao Yan's lap.
"You've grown so much stronger."
"Come now, do you still think I'm that Dou Master Yao Yan from back then?" Xiao Yan chuckled.
A glimmer passed through Yun Yun's eyes. How long had it been since she'd heard the name Yao Yan?
Xiao Yan sensed the shift in her mood and changed topics, waving toward Nalan Yanran in the distance. "Hey, little maidservant! Your young master has been out here forever. Don't I deserve a cup of tea?"
"I told you I'm not a maidservant!" Nalan Yanran stamped her foot furiously. After all these years, Xiao Yan remained as outrageously arrogant as during his first visit to the Misty Cloud Sect.
"Xiao Yan! Give me three years. Three years from now—" Xiao Yan suddenly began reciting.
"Ahhh! Stop! I'll get your tea!" Nalan Yanran was so angry that tears welled in her eyes, but there was nothing she could do.
Her disciple approached, making Yun Yun suddenly realize how inappropriate her position was. This time she didn't let Xiao Yan continue holding her. She broke free from his hold and landed on her feet, turning her back to him to hide her blush.
Xiao Yan simply smiled. With so many watching, he couldn't be too forceful. He accepted the teacup Nalan Yanran offered and took a slow sip, savoring the fragrance before setting it aside.
"Not bad. You make better tea now than you did years ago."
"Hmph!" Nalan Yanran crossed her arms, but a faint smile tugged at her lips despite her best efforts to remain angry.
"Aiya, sleeping in a cave for three days left my shoulders rather sore." Xiao Yan rolled his neck, clearly hinting at something.
"Don't push your luck!" Nalan Yanran glared daggers at him. This man kept pushing boundaries!
"Three years..."
"Ah! Shut up!"
The Flower Sect audience around the plaza had gone completely numb. Wasn't this supposed to be a duel deciding the Flower Sect's future? Shouldn't they be fighting to the death, shaking the very foundations of the earth?
What were they witnessing instead?!
Xiao Yan clearly had an extraordinary relationship with both master and disciple!
"This Xiao Yan... his strength has probably reached 9-star Dou Venerate or higher," commented one of the Flower Sect's 9-star Dou Venerate elders gravely. This duel was utterly one-sided; Hua Jin and Yaohua Liangjun, who should have been stronger, now looked like circus clowns compared to their opponent.
Throughout it all, the two massive Heavenly Flame Spirits continued suppressing them relentlessly.
The Heavenly Flames' combat power naturally depended on Xiao Yan's Dou Qi cultivation and Spiritual Strength. With the Flame Mantra now at Intermediate Tian Class and Xiao Yan at 5-star Dou Venerate, one could imagine their terrifying might. Ordinary 6-star Dou Venerates stood no chance.
Yaohua Liangjun, who prided himself on loving beauty above all, burned with rage seeing Xiao Yan casually flirting during battle.
He exchanged glances with Hua Jin. She nodded, and Yaohua Liangjun covertly withdrew a crystal-like object from his storage ring. Though subtle, the movement didn't escape Xiao Yan's Heavenly State spiritual perception.
"Even with Heavenly Flames, you're finished!" Yaohua Liangjun sneered. Thunder rumbled as an ice-blue divine sword materialized above his head, radiating terrifying cold that even formed frost on the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame and Three Thousand Burning Flame.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Could that be the Spring Blood Crystal unique to the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe?'
Spring Blood Crystals only formed at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring pool in the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe's sacred ground after countless years. These crystals possessed extreme freezing abilities capable of freezing even Heavenly Flames. They were truly treasures of heaven and earth.
Xiao Yan knew so much about Spring Blood Crystals because successfully refining the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame required creating a Tier 9 Treasure Pill called the Nine Yin Yellow Spring Pill.
This pill could weaken Heavenly Flame power, protecting the refiner from being incinerated by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame during absorption.
Therefore, he would need to visit the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe sooner or later.
And the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe was allied with the Profound Sky Sect and at odds with the Yan Alliance. Xiao Yan suspected they had deliberately provided this crystal to help Yaohua Liangjun deal with him.
"Go!"
The divine sword radiating strange freezing power shot forward. Its terrifying cold froze even space inch by inch.
The sentient Nine Dragon Lightning Flame and Three Thousand Burning Flame revealed grave expressions sensing the freezing sword's power. They gathered their Heavenly Flame might and roared, simultaneously breathing silver lightning flame and purple flame toward the incoming sword.
BANG!
Thunder echoed endlessly. Yaohua Liangjun's lips curved coldly as they collided. He formed hand seals and shouted, "Explode!"
The sword shattered instantly, releasing world-freezing cold that plunged the entire plaza into an abyss like the Yellow Springs. Sharp cracks rang out as the Heavenly Flame Spirits formed by the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame and Three Thousand Burning Flame froze into ice sculptures!
Even unrefined into a pill, this Spring Blood Crystal's inherent extreme cold remained formidable. Otherwise, how could the Nine Yin Yellow Spring Pill refined from it freeze the third-ranked Purifying Lotus Demon Flame?
"Hahaha! Xiao Yan, without your Heavenly Flames, let's see how you'll oppose me!" Yaohua Liangjun and Hua Jin revealed ferocious grins seeing the frozen Heavenly Flame Spirits. They charged toward Xiao Yan. Once he died, Yun Yun would pose no threat.
Xiao Yan shook his head at their confident expressions. He couldn't blame their short-sightedness. After all, this might be their only chance in life to approach him.
"Alchemists aren't powerful merely because of fire control." Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. His Spiritual Strength erupted instantly, a soul wave that shocked even the Flower Sect elders bursting forth.
"Asura Soul Reaping!"
A sharp ring cut through the air. An invisible soul wave swept horizontally toward the two charging figures.