Decisive Battle!

In the blink of an eye, several days had passed, and today was the day Nalan Yanran and Qing Lin would compete.

At the Misty Cloud Sect Back Mountain, on an open stretch of ground, Nalan Yanran, Yun Yun, and Yun Shan had arrived at the venue ahead of time.

Yun Yun had not chosen to hold this match on the sect's arena. After all, regardless of who won or lost, it was better for the Misty Cloud Sect disciples not to know.

It also gave Nalan Yanran and Qing Lin some privacy.

Yun Yun and the others did not wait long before Medusa arrived with Qing Lin.

Besides them, Zi Yan had also come specifically to watch.

Ao Qing did not come personally to observe the battle, but he was still keeping watch with his Soul Power.

"Medusa, today is the day my disciple Nalan Yanran faces your disciple Qing Lin in a decisive battle. Though I do not know where you found the confidence to believe Qing Lin could be a match for my Nalan Yanran, I, Yun Yun, will still grant your wish and make you lose completely!"

Yun Yun had waited three years. She was rather excited today, hoping Nalan Yanran could defeat Qing Lin so that she could humiliate Medusa and make her suffer.

Yet Medusa showed no reaction upon hearing Yun Yun's words. The gap between them had already grown enormous, and it had continued widening ever since three years ago.

By now, Medusa no longer took Yun Yun to heart. She knew that if Yun Yun encountered no extraordinary opportunity in this life, then after she and Ao Qing left the Misty Cloud Sect, the two would likely never meet again.

But Yun Yun did not know any of this. Sometimes, the more one cared about something, the more likely one was to lose it.

There was no longer any possibility between Yun Yun and Ao Qing. It was not because she was not beautiful, but because she could not keep up with Ao Qing's pace.

Ao Qing could not stop and wait for her. Moreover, he could not afford to wait, nor could the Ancient Void Dragon Clan!

"Yun Yun, there is actually no enmity between us. Why must you be so hostile?

"All these years, you have kept searching for opportunities to surpass me. But you have forgotten that the most important thing for us is improving our own strength.

"You placed your hopes on Nalan Yanran, but not only will that make your disciple's life exhausting—so what if she eventually defeats Qing Lin? What would that prove?

"Though I, Medusa, have not relied on the Misty Cloud Sect for anything during my years here, I have still lived on your territory for so long.

"If possible, I do not wish to have any unpleasantness with you.

"After today, let all matters of the past be swept away. I, Medusa, will never hold past grievances against you again! Will that do?"

Every word Medusa spoke was like a blade piercing Yun Yun's heart.

How could she not know that there was no real enmity between herself and Medusa? But once certain things had been done, they could not be stopped. That was simply Yun Yun's nature.

She refused to admit defeat and refused to let others take what was hers. She knew that Ao Qing and Medusa now shared an unusual relationship, and provoking Medusa might bring disaster upon herself and the entire Misty Cloud Sect.

That was why she could not stop, and would not stop. Heaven had given her a temperament that refused to yield, so she could only cling to what she believed in and walk down this path to the very end. Even if she slammed into a wall, she would never turn back!

"I, Yun Yun, have never regretted what happened before. As you said, there is no enmity between us. After today, no matter whether Yanran or Qing Lin wins or loses, all matters between you and me will vanish like smoke!"

"It is good that you can say that. Your disciple Nalan Yanran is already outstanding. No matter the outcome, she is worthy of your pride! I only hope you will treat her well in the future."

"You need not tell me that. I know what to do. Let us begin now. Let us see just how strong they truly are!"

As soon as Yun Yun said this, Medusa tacitly agreed that the match had begun.

Qing Lin and Nalan Yanran exchanged a glance, then walked together to the center of the clearing. After clasping their hands in salute, they prepared to fight!

"Go, Qing Lin! Go, Yanran!"

At that moment, Zi Yan's cheers rang out as well.

"Come, Qing Lin. Let us have a proper battle today!"

"Alright, Yanran. As you wish!"

With that, the two officially began!

Nalan Yanran launched the first attack. Holding a longsword, she leaped into the air, spun midair, and swept out a dazzling curtain of light. It was like countless stars falling from the night sky as it rushed straight toward Qing Lin.

Qing Lin remained calm and unhurried, meeting Nalan Yanran's all-out assault move by move.

Seeing how composed Qing Lin was, Nalan Yanran swung her longsword again. Blinding sword radiance shot skyward like a resplendent silver dragon, as though it sought to connect with lightning descending from the heavens. With an even fiercer Dou Technique, she slashed her sword at Qing Lin!

The sound of air tearing apart instantly surged into the sky, transforming into a supple yet vicious silver serpent that lashed down at Qing Lin like a venomous snake. At first, that silver serpent was only a flash of white, but within moments, it had multiplied into countless forms, appearing everywhere and sealing off every route of retreat for Qing Lin.

As the longsword in Nalan Yanran's hand danced, streak after streak of white sword qi scattered in all directions. At this moment, anyone below the Dou Shi realm would likely suffer grievous injuries if they approached even slightly. The chilling sword qi enveloped both girls the instant it was unleashed. Beneath the shimmering sword shadows were two figures darting and battling through the air.

Qing Lin could now feel the oppressive force of Nalan Yanran's formidable strength. If she did not use her talent, she felt that she would eventually be defeated.

This also showed that although Nalan Yanran's talent was not as high as Qing Lin's, as long as she was willing to work hard, she would one day join the ranks of the strong!

With a flash, Qing Lin withdrew from Nalan Yanran's attack range and began to unleash her innate Dou Technique!

"Yanran, you had better be careful!"

As she spoke, a different divine gleam began to shine in Qing Lin's eyes. A massive serpentine figure then burst wildly from within her body and charged straight at Nalan Yanran!

This was Qing Lin's innate Dou Technique. She could turn the souls of serpents into her own Dou Technique and command those souls to fight.

Seeing this, the Dou Qi within Nalan Yanran began to circulate madly. The strength of a Six-Star Dou Zhe erupted in full. She could sense that this serpent shadow was far from ordinary. If she did not go all out, she might lose.

However, after Nalan Yanran thrust out her sword, she discovered that it was even more troublesome than she had imagined.

The serpent shadow had no physical form and could only be forced back continuously with Dou Qi. Yet she did not have much Dou Qi to spare. Even if she exhausted all of it, she feared she still would not be able to do anything to that serpent shadow.

Seeing this, a gratified smile appeared on Medusa's face. It was not because Qing Lin had suppressed Nalan Yanran, but because she felt that the disciple she had accepted was promising and hardworking.

In stark contrast, Yun Yun was extremely nervous. Her fingers were clenched tightly, and worry clouded her face.

Seeing Yun Yun's expression turn wrong, Yun Shan could not help but remind her.

"Yun'er, calm your mind!"

Hearing Yun Shan's reminder, Yun Yun returned to normal.

Yet she was still deeply worried about Nalan Yanran.

Although Ao Qing was not present, he could still see everything that was happening. It had to be said that both Qing Lin and Nalan Yanran were excellent.

Qing Lin possessed extraordinary talent. She could now control snake-type magical beasts close to the peak of the Dou Zhe realm, despite being only a four-star Dou Zhe herself.

As for Nalan Yanran, while she did not possess Qing Lin's terrifying talent, even Ao Qing had to admire her diligence.

To work so hard at such a young age—she was far better than in the original story. The current Nalan Yanran was truly beyond Xiao Yan's reach. At the very least, without the boost of Heavenly Flames, Xiao Yan might never attain her level in his entire life.

Regardless of what others thought, Nalan Yanran was extremely anxious now. She had little Dou Qi remaining. If she did not end the battle soon, defeat would be inevitable!

Gritting her teeth, Nalan Yanran mobilized all the Dou Qi in her body, preparing to finish the battle in one move!

"Extreme Wind: Skybreaker!"

As Nalan Yanran unleashed the technique, countless wind blades mixed with saber-like glints swept toward Qing Lin like an overwhelming tide.

Qing Lin did not dare let her guard down either. Faced with Nalan Yanran's desperate strike, she had to give it everything she had.

"Explode!"

Qing Lin shouted and directly detonated the serpent phantom, intending to use it to block Nalan Yanran's attack.

Just like that, the wind blades and serpent phantom collided violently. At the instant of impact, Nalan Yanran was thrown to the ground by the shockwave and immediately fainted.

Qing Lin, meanwhile, suffered a sudden injury to her soul from detonating the serpent phantom. Her face turned pale, her body went limp, and she slowly collapsed to the ground.

At that moment, both Medusa and Yun Yun rushed over at top speed to check on them.

Nalan Yanran's Dou Qi had been completely exhausted. Without its protection, the shockwave had fractured bones throughout her body. Qing Lin, on the other hand, had suffered damage to her soul and would remain exceedingly weak for some time.

It could be said that this match had no winner or loser. Yet the ruthlessness both girls had shown left everyone present deeply moved. In the future, they would likely both become experts who stood at the pinnacle.

Seeing that the battle had ended, Ao Qing stopped watching. From the void, he tossed Medusa some medicine for treating their injuries, then withdrew his Soul Power.

After taking Ao Qing's medicine, Qing Lin and Nalan Yanran gradually recovered as well.

This battle finally came to an end. Three years had passed; there was no victor, but both had gained immensely!

Looking forward to everyone's monthly votes!