Honorary Elder, Night Battle with Ling Ying!

Xiao Cang had barely returned to his room when Yun Yun pulled him onto the soft couch.

Yun Yun lay in Xiao Cang's arms, her cheeks flushed and her eyes alluring.

After whispering sweet nothings for a while, Yun Yun hesitated before slowly saying,

"I know about Yan Ran."

Xiao Cang paused, then understood. As the Sect Master, with Nalan Yanran being her disciple, there was naturally no way she could have kept such a matter from Yun Yun.

"What do you think?" Xiao Cang asked.

Yun Yun pressed her flushed, lovely face against Xiao Cang's chest and sighed softly.

"Actually, I knew long ago that Yan Ran had feelings for you. At first, I was indeed jealous and upset. But after thinking it over, I knew it was unavoidable."

"After all, Husband, no one knows your charm better than I do. Which of the Female Disciples in the entire sect doesn't admire you?"

"But they aren't like Yan Ran. They don't have the chance or the reason to stay by your side like she does, spending every day with you."

"I knew we would have to face this sooner or later. I just didn't expect it to come so soon."

A trace of worry surfaced in Yun Yun's beautiful eyes.

Though she was a Dou Emperor, even she found matters of the heart difficult to resolve, much less something this complicated.

"I once promised Yan Ran that I would marry her. Did you know?" Xiao Cang's fingers slipped through Yun Yun's hair.

Yun Yun's delicate body visibly trembled upon hearing that.

"I did. That girl even came to show off to me back then. Of course, she didn't know about my feelings for you at the time." Thinking of her beloved disciple's innocent expression back then, she felt both indulgent and helpless.

"What do you plan to do?" Xiao Cang gazed into Yun Yun's beautiful eyes, wanting to hear her true thoughts.

Yet Yun Yun did not answer. Instead, she stared intently into Xiao Cang's eyes and asked, "No matter whether you marry again in the future or not, you'll always love me, right?"

Xiao Cang froze. He immediately understood that Yun Yun had never intended to stop this matter. Perhaps she knew she could not stop him, or perhaps she had already come to terms with it after learning of Nalan Yanran's feelings...

"Of course." Xiao Cang smiled.

Hearing his answer, Yun Yun revealed a relieved expression.

"Then I won't stand in the way of you and Yan Ran."

"Yun'er is truly understanding."

Xiao Cang smiled. He had thought it would take great effort to persuade Yun Yun, but she was even more reasonable than he had imagined.

"Don't be happy too soon. I remember Yan Ran seems to have a Marriage Contract," Yun Yun suddenly reminded him.

"Marriage Contract..."

At the mention of those words, Xiao Cang's eyes narrowed at once.

Judging by the original timeline, before long Nalan Yanran should have brought elders to the Xiao Family to annul the engagement.

But circumstances had changed now. He and Nalan Yanran had already pledged themselves to each other...

So he would personally step in and settle this matter.

Over the next few days, Xiao Cang and Yun Yun lived a life of working at sunrise and making love at sunset.

At the same time, Yun Yun convened a sect meeting and proposed that Xiao Cang become an Honorary Elder of the sect.

Whether because of Yun Yun's prestige or Xiao Cang's reputation, standing, and seniority within the sect, the proposal passed unanimously.

On this day,

Due to the sect's needs, Yun Yun was taking several elders to the Monster Beast Mountain Range to hunt several Fourth-tier Monster Beasts.

Xiao Cang thus spent the day accompanying Nalan Yanran.

Night.

Xiao Cang was meditating cross-legged when he suddenly sensed a terrifying fluctuation flash past outside his room.

"Who goes there?!"

Xiao Cang's heart tightened. He immediately spread his wings and shot out of the room.

Looking around, he could not see a single figure in the pitch-black night.

But Xiao Cang remained extremely vigilant. That feeling could not have been wrong—there had to be an expert nearby.

He immediately spread out his powerful Spiritual Sense and detected something amiss.

Within a patch of darkness not far from him lay a shadow hidden so deeply that it was almost impossible to notice.

"Who are you? Why hide in the shadows?"

As Xiao Cang spoke, he spread open his palm. A dazzling golden Fire Lotus condensed and flickered above it, its terrifying aura instantly spreading outward.

Seeing no reaction from the other party, Xiao Cang abruptly clenched his hand. The radiant Fire Lotus in his palm instantly merged with his Dou Qi, transforming into golden Dou Qi Armor that covered his entire body.

"Since Your Excellency refuses to show yourself, Xiao will have to invite you out!"

Xiao Cang narrowed his eyes, beat his wings, and charged forward, leaving a trail of golden afterimages through the dark night.

Profound Thunder Fist!

"Whoosh—"

Xiao Cang gave a low shout and threw a punch, the force of it howling through the air.

This was the mid-level Xuan Class Dou Technique he had learned in the Misty Cloud Sect—the Profound Thunder Fist—and it was immensely powerful!

Especially now, with Heavenly Flames wrapped around his fist, its power was vast and terrifying!

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Cang had closed in on the shadow and struck it with his fist.

Just as his fist was about to hit the shadow, an astonished voice suddenly rang out from within it.

"Hm? Heavenly Flames? We haven't seen each other for only a few years, yet this brat has encountered such fortune?!"

The moment those words fell, a cold gleam lit up from within the shadow. Then, a silver spearhead shot forth like a snake.

Boom!!!

Fist and spear collided, erupting with tremendous force.

The Heavenly Flames around Xiao Cang's fist instantly transformed into waves of fire that swept outward, nearly illuminating the entirety of Misty Cloud Mountain!

Xiao Cang's figure was also blasted backward more than ten meters by the aftershock of that spear strike.

"A Dou Emperor expert?!"

Xiao Cang's gaze sharpened.

Though he was only a one-star Dou King, with the support of a Super Heaven Tier cultivation technique and Heavenly Flames, even a Nine-star Dou King would have to give way before that punch.

Anyone who could receive it so effortlessly could only be a Dou Emperor!

And a high-level Dou Emperor at that!

However, the shadow had gained no advantage either. The snake-like silver spearhead suddenly trembled, and the recoil traveled into the darkness, surely causing the person within no small amount of discomfort.

"Hiss, that strength... You've become a Dou King?!"

"Interesting, truly interesting! Again!"

The figure within the shadow seemed even more interested. Wielding the Snake Spear, it took the initiative and swept toward Xiao Cang.

"Hmph, let me see what you're made of!"

Xiao Cang was completely fearless. Heavenly Flames enveloped his body as he gave a fierce shake, and a tyrannical aura immediately swept outward!

Perfect. He could use this opportunity to see exactly where his limits lay!

Without another word, Xiao Cang went all out and charged toward the shadow and the Snake Spear.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Golden flames and the cold gleam of the silver spear clashed continuously in the air. Waves of terrifying aura rolled out one after another, and the powerful aftershocks made even Misty Cloud Mountain below tremble faintly.

Xiao Cang grew fiercer with every battle.

Supported by the Super Heaven Tier cultivation technique, his Dou Qi was practically inexhaustible. He did not need to worry in the slightest about running out of Dou Qi.

One Xuan Class Dou Technique after another was unleashed without pause.

The shadow, on the other hand, possessed cultivation above Xiao Cang's. Its spear strikes had indeed been incomparably fierce at first.

But as the battle went on, it kept letting out doubtful cries.

"What is going on? Does this brat have endless Dou Qi? He can use such savage attacks one after another without stopping?"

"Hmph, I'd like to see how many times this brat can use Xuan Class Dou Techniques!"

"Why does this never end?"

"Could he be cultivating an Earth Tier Cultivation Method? How can he last this long?"

"Is this brat a Dou King or a Dou Emperor? Why is he so troublesome?"

"..."

Naturally, none of those doubtful mutters escaped Xiao Cang's ears.

Moreover, Xiao Cang also noticed that something was unusual.

They had been fighting so fiercely, yet they had not alarmed any of the sect elders?

That was not right!

Xiao Cang frowned, then suddenly thought of something.

He abruptly retreated a distance, dispersed the Heavenly Flames and Dou Qi around his body, and said to the shadow, "Ling Ying, stop hiding. Show yourself."