As Yun Leng raised the cloud-white flute to his lips, two shouts, charged with contrasting emotions, erupted.
On the high platform's main seat, Yun Yun's face blazed with fury. She shot to her feet, her delicate frame quivering before vanishing in a flicker of movement.
On the stone platform beside the plaza, Gu He also rose, his expression fraught with urgency, intent on stopping Yun Leng. The mention of Master Bai had triggered a memory—that night he visited, the woman beside Bai… if his suspicion was correct, it was Queen Medusa! Should the Old Sect Leader be summoned and face her, alongside the enigmatic Master Bai, Hai Bo Dong, and Jia Xing Tian, the Yun Lan Sect would gain no ground. Better to let today's events slide and plan for another day.
Ignoring their cries, Yun Leng pressed the flute to his lips and blew hard. A sharp, rhythmic sound burst forth, spreading instantly, resonating across the peak of Yun Lan Mountain.
The plaza fell silent, the flute's eerie notes the only sound, all eyes locked on the instrument in Yun Leng's hand.
A streak of cyan light halted midair. Yun Yun's hand, poised to seize the flute, froze. Her refined, serene face darkened, her beautiful eyes flickering with a complex mix of anger, anxiety, and helplessness. Is it truly coming to this?
Jia Xing Tian watched, his eyes narrowing. A sudden spark of realization flashed through his mind, his eye twitching, pupils contracting. That old monster… he's really not dead?!
In midair, shaking off the three elders clinging to him like sticky plaster, Hai Bo Dong landed beside Xiao Yan. His gaze shifted, abruptly turning to the depths of Yun Lan Mountain. "That old geezer's alive after all…" he murmured.
As he spoke, a vast, majestic aura surged from the sect's rear mountain, like an ancient dragon rousing from slumber. Its unmatched pressure descended, swiftly enveloping the entire Yun Lan Mountain. The plaza's occupants shuddered, their faces paling.
Instantly, all Yun Lan Sect elders bowed toward the aura's source. The deacons and disciples, catching on, dropped to their knees.
"Who is this?" Xiao Yan's face darkened, catching Jia Xing Tian and Hai Bo Dong's whispers. This oppressive aura… he'd felt it only once before, from Queen Medusa.
A Dou Zong!!
The Yun Lan Sect has a Dou Zong?
His mind raced, and realization hit. No wonder Brother Bai was always so cautious about the Yun Lan Sect—not just some mysterious figure, but the sect itself harbors a Dou Zong powerhouse!
"Yun Shan, Yun Yun's teacher, the former Yun Lan Sect Leader," Hai Bo Dong said gravely, his voice low. "That old fox must've had some profound fortune to break the Dou Huang barrier and reach Dou Zong!"
Glancing at Jia Xing Tian's grim expression, Hai Bo Dong smirked, teasing, "What's wrong, old monster? Regretting that favor? Or just jealous?"
"Ice geezer, quit your damn sarcasm! Jealous? Jealous of what? Regret? I act, I own it. You think I'm some coward?" Jia Xing Tian's usual mild demeanor vanished, his eyes dark and fierce.
His gaze locked onto the depths of Yun Lan Mountain. A clear whistle pierced the air, and a white-robed figure appeared, stepping through the void with measured strides. No energy wings adorned his back; each step rippled the void like water. One stride spanned hundreds of meters, and in moments, he hovered above the stone monument, his overwhelming pressure flooding the plaza unchecked.
Clad in a simple white robe, his white hair flowed freely, his face smooth as jade, exuding an ethereal air.
"Old Sect Leader…" Yun Leng's voice broke in a mournful cry, his face twisted with anger as he stepped forward to complain. Yun Shan merely glanced at him, raising a hand to silence him.
His breeze-like eyes settled on the two shielding Xiao Yan. "Jia Xing Tian, Hai Bo Dong, for old times' sake, leave now, and I won't hold this against you. You may go."
"Haha, leave? Let your words send me packing, and ruin my reputation? How will I show myself in the Jia Ma Empire then?" Hai Bo Dong laughed, stepping forward. Raising both palms, a surge of white, icy aura erupted, plunging the surrounding temperature.
"Sigh." Jia Xing Tian hesitated, glancing at Hai Bo Dong's back. With a soft sigh, he stepped beside him, his heavy Mountain-Breaking Dou Qi surging. His face grew solemn. "A Dou Zong, eh? This old man wants a taste it strength!"
Seeing their defiance, Yun Shan shook his head impassively, wasting no more words. Raising one hand, he spoke softly, "Wind Wall!"
A gale roared, and a colossal wind wall materialized, vast enough to blot out the sky. The Yun Lan Sect members below gaped. This is a wind wall?
"Circular Ice Blade!"
"Mountain-Breaking Seal!"
An ice blade and earthen-yellow seal slammed into the deep cyan wind wall, rippling its surface but failing to shake it. Jia Xing Tian and Hai Bo Dong exchanged a glance, disbelief in their eyes. Though a probing strike, this wind wall was far more terrifying than the sect's grand array!
"Ten Thousand Winds Binding!" Seeing the three trapped, Yun Shan clenched his fist. The gale converged into ropes of wind energy, like cyan serpents weaving through the void, surging toward them.
The ropes were too numerous, and the shrinking wind wall left little room to maneuver. Xiao Yan was hoisted first, then Hai Bo Dong, then Jia Xing Tian. Each time they broke a rope, countless more bound them.
"Those ropes… they carried a strange fluctuation, like spatial power!" Fa Ma's cloudy eyes gleamed with intense wariness. He hadn't expected Hai Bo Dong and Jia Xing Tian to be subdued so easily. A Dou Zong is truly beyond a Dou Huang!
"You've lost!" Yun Shan stepped forward, breeze swirling, appearing like a phantom near the trio, his voice calm.
His gaze shifted to Xiao Yan, curiosity and surprise flickering. This is the one that strange fellow seeks? He carries himself well, but his strength… it's lacking. Why does someone of that power seem wary of him?
Shaking his head, Yun Shan raised a hand. A giant palm of wind energy formed, reaching for Xiao Yan.
Jia Xing Tian felt despair, while Hai Bo Dong remained calm.
"Teacher…" Yun Yun opened her mouth to plead, but a sudden shift erupted.
A chilling yet searing aura burst from Xiao Yan, snapping the wind ropes. A ghostly figure materialized before Yun Shan.
Sensing the force, Yun Shan's face twitched. He stomped, ripples spreading, his form about to vanish.
"Heh, playing with space before this venerable one? A half-baked Dou Zong like you, dares?" Yao Lao's mocking chuckle rang out. A surge of potent soul force erupted, driving pale white flames to cling to the spatial ripples.
The orderly ripples shattered, chaotic as if countless pebbles struck a lake. Yun Shan was forced out, shock surging within him. With the force nearing, he had no time to think. Thick cyan wind energy enveloped his body.
Thud!
A soft impact. Yun Shan's chest tightened, and he stumbled back several steps in the void.
"Cough, cough… as expected, something's off!" Clearing his throat, Yun Shan recalled Yao Lao's self-reference, his pupils narrowing. Few dared call themselves "venerable" unless… a Dou Zun!
Seeing Yun Shan unharmed, Yao Lao sighed. His hope of conserving soul force had failed. He hadn't anticipated a Dou Zong in the Yun Lan Sect and had waited for the perfect moment to strike, but Yun Shan's vigilance kept him distant.
Shock fading, Yun Shan frowned, realizing he'd been intimidated. A true Dou Zun's strike might've ended him. "What's this? Just a soul body, heh… no wonder he sought you." Yun Shan sneered, "No matter your past realm, even a Dou Zun—what of it? You won't leave the Yun Lan Sect today!"
"Protector Wu!"
"This one's yours!"
The stunned crowd, reeling from the cascade of events, gasped at Yun Shan's words. Another powerhouse? This was supposed to be a simple engagement wager between two Da Dou Shi—how had it escalated into a Dou Zong battle? In the Jia Ma Empire, Dou Zong were legends, rarely seen, yet today they emerged one after another. Who knows if more will appear?
hah hah hah! A sinister laugh echoed, sending chills through the unaware.
From the Yun Lan Sect's grand hall, endless black mist poured forth, like thick smoke rising to the sky, coalescing into a deep, ten-foot-wide fog mass above the plaza.
"What is this…?" Yun Lan Sect disciples gaped. A sinister entity hidden in the sect's hall?
"Teacher!" Nalan Yanran looked at Yun Yun, her eyes shocked and questioning. As Young Sect Leader, she knew nothing of this!
Yun Yun ignored her, her face stunned as she stared at the black mist. This entrance, this unsettling mist—clearly no benevolent force. Why is it in the Yun Lan Sect? It's Teacher! Recalling her teacher's changes, Yun Yun's expression darkened, unease gnawing at her. Today's events were beyond her control. Both sides were clearly prepared.
"He's finally shown himself!" On a peak near Yun Lan Mountain, Xiao Bai, seated cross-legged, snapped his eyes open. Standing slowly, he gazed at the distant mountaintop. He'd been waiting for Protector Wu—his true target. The three-year agreement meant little; Xiao Yan didn't need his concern. He aimed to prevent the Xiao Clan's tragic fate—Xiao Zhan's disappearance, the clan's destruction. The root was Protector Wu. Yun Leng? A mere clown, easily crushed.
"Let's go!" Xiao Bai turned, smiling lightly at Cai Lin, lounging against a tree. Energy wings sprouted, and he soared skyward.
Cai Lin's eyes flickered. Stepping forward, her slender form faded, following him.
Hah hah hah! "Yao Chen, you delivered yourself to this protector? You slipped away back then, but you've kept our Soul Hall searching! Capture you today, and the Hall Master will be delighted!" The eerie, croaking laugh reverberated, wreathed in black mist.
"A pack of rats. Without aiding that beast against me, a mere protector would dare speak so?" Pain flashed in Yao Lao's eyes, replaced by icy resolve, his voice thick with rage and killing intent.
"With a body, this protector wouldn't dare provoke you. But alas, a soul body? Hah hah hah, the Soul Hall loves those!" The black mist contracted, forming a smoky humanoid, crimson eyes glinting.
"Yun Shan, seize that boy later—alive!"
"A mere Da Dou Shi? I'll have someone grab him," Yun Shan nodded, puzzled by the emphasis.
"No, you do it!" Protector Wu insisted, glancing at Xiao Yan.
"Why?" Yun Shan frowned. Protector Wu's caution toward a Da Dou Shi was odd. Another soul body?
"Because his surname is Xiao!" Protector Wu's eyes grew serious. He lacked details, but the Soul Hall's missions were collecting soul bodies and finding a Xiao Clan. Countless Xiaos existed, and the Soul Hall's search had been fruitless. He hadn't taken the Xiao Clan seriously—a family with only a Da Dou Shi. But linked to Yao Chen, it warranted investigation.
Ignoring Yun Shan, Protector Wu's hand moved. A black chain clattered, streaking toward Yao Lao.
Yao Lao's eyes flickered, ignoring the eager Yun Shan. Facing the chain, his face chilled, and he waved, pale white flames surging to meet it.
As Protector Wu clashed with Yao Lao, Yun Shan's indifferent gaze settled on Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan exhaled, unsure why the black-mist figure was so fixated on capturing him, and so cautiously. Is it wrong to be surnamed Xiao?
Meeting Yun Shan's gaze, his expression grew grave. This is it. Time for my trump card!
Clearing his throat, he shouted, "Brother Bai, save me!!"
The quiet plaza, save for the clash above, erupted as Xiao Yan's cry drew every eye.
Yun Shan scanned the surroundings, finding nothing, and looked at Xiao Yan suspiciously. Is this kid playing me?
Facing the crowd's puzzled stares, Xiao Yan's face darkened, embarrassment creeping in. He didn't forget, did he?
As doubt spread, faint thunder rumbled. The sky dimmed, black clouds gathering and churning.
Sensing the mounting energy, Yun Shan's expression shifted. Stomping the ground, he soared. "Who dares trespass on my Yun Lan Sect!"
"Xiao Bai of the Xiao Clan, here to pay respects to Yun Lan Sect!"
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