A Fortunate Coincidence: Witnessing the Broken Engagement Firsthand

Yao Chen was unwilling to accept this. He hurriedly mobilized the Dou Qi within him, launching attack after attack at the layer of soul barrier, trying to break through the seal.

But his strength had not fully recovered.

Even an ordinary Dou Emperor standing before him would have meant a fight to the death for Yao Chen, much less Ling Yuan, whose soul far surpassed those of the same realm.

The impacts landed on the seal, yet there was none of the expected collision. Not even the slightest ripple appeared.

Yao Chen did not stop. Once, twice, three times... He gritted his teeth and pushed his Dou Qi with all his strength. Even as the energy within him drained rapidly, he had to give it a try.

After several attempts, the seal remained utterly unmoved. Instead, more than half the energy in his body had been depleted.

His already illusory soul form became even more transparent.

Yao Chen helplessly stopped attacking. His brows knitted tightly as confusion filled his face. "Who was it? Could that Ban Sheng have acted?"

All sorts of possibilities flashed through his mind. After ruling out every option, he could only think of the Ban Sheng who had always protected Gu Xun'er.

But upon further thought, something felt wrong.

That Ban Sheng had long noticed that he was hiding within Xiao Yan's ring. Yet all this time, he had remained still, neither driving him away nor attacking him.

Why had he acted today of all days, just as Yao Chen was about to recover a sliver of strength? And why use such a powerful seal to lock down the entire ring?

Yao Chen racked his brains but could not figure out the reason. He could only pace anxiously inside the ring, utterly helpless.

Outside the ring, Ling Yuan naturally noticed Yao Chen's repeated attempts to break the seal.

Outside the ring, Ling Yuan had long detected the subtle disturbances from Yao Chen's repeated efforts to break the seal.

He lowered his head, his gaze falling on the inconspicuous black ring on his finger. A faint smile slowly curled across his lips.

He thought:

Good thing I came early. If I had been two days later, Yao Chen might have recovered some strength, appeared before Xiao Yan, and taken him as a disciple. Once Xiao Yan became Yao Chen's disciple and received his guidance, I'd have to revise my plans.

Xiao Yan could finally cultivate again, and Xiao Zhan was so excited that tears filled his eyes.

Afterward, Xiao Zhan kept thanking Ling Yuan and even asked him to stay so the Xiao Clan could properly entertain him.

"My lord, the kindness of giving him a new life will never be forgotten by the Xiao Clan! Should you ever have need of us, the Xiao Clan will brave fire and water without hesitation!"

Gu Xun'er also thanked Ling Yuan.

"Thank you, Young Master. If not for you, Brother Xiao Yan might still be unable to escape his predicament."

Her tone was sincere, without a trace of empty flattery. Watching Xiao Yan grow more and more despondent over the years had made her more anxious than anyone. Now that Ling Yuan had resolved Xiao Yan's predicament, she would remember this favor in her heart.

Although she knew Ling Yuan's identity, Xun Er wisely did not reveal it.

Ling Yuan merely gave a casual wave of his hand, his expression unruffled.

He had never liked this sort of verbal gratitude. It was all hollow talk, and he had never expected the Xiao Clan to do anything for him.

He swept his gaze around the hall. Seeing that the matter was settled, he prepared to rise and leave. There was no need to waste time here.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from outside. A Xiao Clan servant rushed in, panting heavily as he shouted:

"Clan Leader! Clan Leader! The Nalan Clan's eldest daughter, Nalan Yanran, has arrived! She also brought a steward from the Misty Cloud Sect! They're already at the entrance!"

Ling Yuan stopped in his tracks, raising a brow as amusement flashed in his eyes. What a coincidence. I'd actually run into the scene where Nalan Yanran came to break off the engagement?

His intention to leave was instantly replaced by the urge to watch the show.

Ling Yuan raised a hand and pointed at the seat of honor where he had been sitting. "Come, Clan Leader Xiao. Go sit in the main seat. Pretend I'm not here. Do whatever you need to do, and don't worry about me."

As he spoke, he rose directly from the seat of honor, walked to an inconspicuous chair in the corner of the hall, and sat down as though none of this concerned him.

Xiao Zhan froze for a moment, then hurriedly waved his hands, his face full of unease and panic.

"H-how could that be? My lord, you are an honored guest of the Xiao Clan and Xiao Yan's lifesaver. How can you sit in such an out-of-the-way spot? The main seat should have been yours!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward to help Ling Yuan up.

Ling Yuan glanced at him, a hint of unquestionable coldness in his voice. "Do my words carry no weight?"

His gaze was calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure that made Xiao Zhan's heart tremble.

He quickly lowered his head and answered shakily, "I wouldn't dare. I'll do whatever my lord tells me to do."

As he spoke, he stiffly walked over and sat in the seat of honor. The moment he touched the chair, he felt as though he were sitting on needles. His entire body was uncomfortable, and he did not even dare straighten his back.

The Xiao Clan elders had been standing nearby. Seeing this, they exchanged looks, each staring at the others without knowing what to do.

Ling Yuan lifted his chin again. "You all find seats too. Pretend I'm not here and do what you need to do. Stop standing around."

The elders and stewards shuddered, hurriedly answering in unison, "Y-yes, my lord!"

They did not dare hesitate in the slightest. They quickly found nearby chairs and sat down, each one sitting perfectly upright with their backs straight, though their eyes still could not help drifting toward Ling Yuan from time to time.

Then Xiao Zhan forced himself to remain calm and had someone invite Nalan Yanran inside.

Xiao Zhan was quite pleased that his future daughter-in-law had come to visit.

He secretly guessed that Elder Ye had probably sent word and asked Nalan Yanran to come so she could cultivate her relationship with Yan'er and let the two become familiar with each other sooner.

At that thought, some of the tension faded from Xiao Zhan's face, replaced by a hint of a smile.

Before long, footsteps sounded at the entrance. Nalan Yanran wore the long robes of the Misty Cloud Sect, her face carrying the pride unique to a genius. Steward Ge Ye followed behind her.

She swept her gaze across everyone in the hall. Why was everyone gathered here?

Nalan Yanran felt puzzled. Even if they had come as representatives of the Misty Cloud Sect, there was no need for the Xiao Clan to put on such a grand display, was there?

Or had the Xiao Clan learned of their purpose beforehand?

Despite her doubts, Nalan Yanran's purpose in coming was crystal clear. This engagement had to be broken.

After Nalan Yanran and Xiao Zhan exchanged a few pleasantries, it was time for Nalan Yanran to break off the engagement.

Nalan Yanran said, "Uncle Xiao, I came today because I wish to dissolve the engagement between Xiao Yan and me."

After saying that, she stepped aside. Ge Ye moved forward, took out a porcelain bottle from his storage ring, and said:

"This is Qi Gathering Powder personally refined by Elder Gu He of our Misty Cloud Sect. Its effects far surpass those of ordinary Qi Gathering Powder. Consider it a small compensation from the Nalan Clan to the Xiao Clan. We hope Clan Leader Xiao will agree to dissolve the engagement."

Bang!

Xiao Zhan slammed his palm onto the chair's armrest. His face instantly flushed red as rage surged through him, and his voice rose several notches.

"Outrageous! This engagement was personally arranged by my late father and your grandfather. It was an agreement between our two clans. How can you break it off just because you say so? Tell me, did Elder Nalan agree to this?"

Steward Ge Ye, standing beside Nalan Yanran, invoked the rules of the Misty Cloud Sect to pressure the Xiao Clan.

In the end, the most exciting part came: Xiao Yan stepped forward and spoke those classic words, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Do not look down on the poor young man."

He also made the Three Year Agreement and declared that he would cast off Nalan Yanran.

The only possible difference from the original story was that Xiao Yan, having regained his talent, spoke with far greater confidence.