Xiao Yan Battles Nalan

"Mr. Xiao Yan, please!"

"After you, Ice Emperor!"

At the gate of Misty Cloud Mountain, the disciples on guard bowed slightly, their faces solemn as they welcomed Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong up the mountain.

The steps up Misty Cloud Mountain were paved with white sandstone bricks. There were 9,999 of them, and every hundred steps, disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect in silver-moon robes stood in two lines. The ancient stone staircase led straight to the mountaintop, vanishing into the clouds at the edge of Xiao Yan's vision.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The faint sound of footsteps carried across the plaza. Jealous, resentful, curious, and astonished gazes rose from the Misty Cloud Sect disciples seated cross-legged around the plaza. Xiao Yan met them all with unruffled calm.

"The Xiao Clan's Xiao Yan!"

"The Nalan Family's Nalan Yanran!"

In the vast plaza, only Nalan Yanran stood alone. At the far end, on a tall stone platform, sat the Imperial Family's old ancestor Jia Xingtian, Fama, president of the Alchemist Guild, and the heads and elders of the Imperial Capital's three great families, among others.

Old Sect Master Yun Shan, Punishment Hall Master Yun Zimo, Great Elder Yun Leng, and the others sat in the seats of honor, quietly awaiting the meeting between the two in the plaza.

"I am Yun Leng, Great Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect!"

Yun Leng flew to the very center of the plaza and spoke in a clear, ringing voice.

"The Sect Master has yet to return. I shall serve as judge for today's match. This is only a contest between equals, so you two must show restraint!"

"Begin!"

After speaking, Yun Leng flew back to the stone platform alongside Hai Bodong. Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran bowed to each other.

"The Three-Year Agreement. Xiao Yan has come as promised. The grudges of the past will be settled today, in a single battle!"

"I won't let anyone else decide my life for me, and I made the right choice. That was true three years ago, and it's still true now!"

Nalan Yanran brushed back her hair and spoke in a solemn voice. Xiao Yan's expression remained calm. Their choices weren't right or wrong; they simply stood on different sides.

And for that very reason, a few words couldn't resolve the conflict between them.

There was no point in talking. They would settle it with their hands!

Xiao Yan drew the Heavy Profound Ruler from his back. Two pale-green lotuses appeared in his deep-set eyes. As they slowly revolved, green flames curled around him, and a battle armor wreathed in dancing green fire gradually covered his body.

"Six-star Da Dou Shi!"

Feeling Xiao Yan's surging aura, Nalan Yanran was slightly surprised. But when she recalled Senior Brother Zi Mo and Uncle Gu He mentioning Master Green Fire, she gave a small nod.

Her Light Grace sword slid from its sheath, tiny whirlwinds circling its blade. A pale-green battle armor formed around her as well.

"Six-star Da Dou Shi!"

Nalan Yanran was also a six-star Da Dou Shi. Judging by how solid her battle armor was, her foundation must be exceptionally firm—not a realm forcibly sustained by some secret art!

Gripping the ruler with both hands, Xiao Yan moved with elusive steps. His figure flickered, dragging the Heavy Profound Ruler diagonally across from him and carving a long furrow. He stamped hard against the ground, leapt up, and brought it crashing down without any unnecessary flourish.

"Cloud-Chasing Moon-Stepping? Uncle Yun Yun's Dou Technique?"

A flicker of doubt crossed Nalan Yanran's mind. She glided lightly forward, her figure flitting away like a dancing butterfly to evade Xiao Yan's strike.

They passed each other. Nalan Yanran swept Light Grace diagonally upward, aiming at Xiao Yan's wrist. Spinning blades of wind shot forth, trying to force him to drop his weapon.

And Xiao Yan did exactly that without hesitation. He let go of the Heavy Profound Ruler, twisted around, and bent his body to an unbelievable degree. A black blur flashed, and he was at Nalan Yanran's side, his hand clenched into a fist as he punched toward her.

By the time Nalan Yanran reacted, it was too late to pull away. Dou Qi surged through her body, and the battle armor at her side instantly hardened, becoming like flexible green steel. Wind-attributed Dou Qi clung to it, absorbing much of the tremendous force from Xiao Yan's fist.

"Hand-to-hand combat?"

Light Grace vanished from her hand. Nalan Yanran twisted her body, her supple form coiling around Xiao Yan like a snake.

Xiao Yan was startled. He darted away, trying to escape her grasp. As they fought and retreated, the two exchanged blows more than a hundred times!

"What a strong body!"

They both thought the same thing, then resumed their fierce hand-to-hand struggle.

"I train my body with secret methods every day, and the elders spar with me whenever I practice combat techniques. I even take a medicinal bath every seven days. How can this kid's body be stronger than mine?!"

Nalan Yanran could hardly believe it. The waves of numbness and pain running through her arms told her plainly that Xiao Yan was stronger than she was!

Light Grace slid from its sheath again. After using its flat to block Xiao Yan's punch, Nalan Yanran took advantage of the force, tapped the ground, and instantly retreated. A wall of wind blades forced Xiao Yan back as he tried to close in. Xiao Yan followed through with the motion, drawing the Heavy Profound Ruler back into his hand with a pull of his palm.

.

"As expected of the Misty Cloud Sect's young sect master. She pulls out high-tier Dou Techniques as easily as breathing."

"That Xiao Clan boy's no slouch either. He's actually holding his own against the Misty Cloud Sect's young sect master!"

"I wonder..."

The heads of various clans and factions quietly discussed and commented. Most offered only empty compliments; few truly cared about the battle.

"He's about to get serious."

Jia Xingtian murmured under his breath, growing more interested in this obscure young man named Xiao Yan.

The black ruler came down in a violent storm of chops and strikes, giving Nalan Yanran no chance to catch her breath. Fortunately, Light Grace was no ordinary sword. Each collision rang out with a clear clang, yet it held firm and did not break.

"What does he take me for?!"

Xiao Yan had hidden it well, but Nalan Yanran still keenly noticed that he was using nothing but the most basic ruler techniques: chopping and striking.

Anger surged within her. Nalan Yanran's Dou Qi burst forth, her hands flashing through a series of seals. A pale-green Sword Qi shot from her blade, swelling in the wind into a several-zhang-wide blade of wind as it cleaved toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan remained unflustered. Pale-green flame Dou Qi surged as he raised the Heavy Profound Ruler high and swung out a fiery arc. It collided with the Sword Qi, erupting in a fierce blast of wind.

They clashed again. As their fight grew more heated, they stopped holding back. Every move struck for a vital point, each striving to knock the other down for good!

Shadows of sword energy gave off waves of chill as they quivered toward Xiao Yan's vital points. Five powerful sword shadows linked end to end, forming a half-moon ring that slashed viciously toward him.

"Fire Blowing Palm!"

Xiao Yan half-swung the Heavy Profound Ruler. A fiery arc flew from its edge, shooting straight into the sky to smash into the crescent sword shadow.

"If that's all you've got, you'd better lie down obediently!"

Nalan Yanran's clear cry rang down from the air. A torrent of wind blades swept across the sky, slaughtering Xiao Yan, who had nowhere to hide.

"Extreme Wind: Sunset Shine!"

A brilliant swordlight, bright as the sun, descended from the sky, tearing through layers of cloud. Beams of light streaked through the air, following close behind the wind blades toward Xiao Yan's head.

Sword Qi shot in all directions, and countless cracks spread across the bricks beneath Xiao Yan's feet. The Misty Cloud Sect disciples who had been watching around the plaza hurried to take their positions. Their hands flashed through seals, and a faint Dou Qi barrier appeared, stopping the sword energy careening wildly through the air.

Xiao Yan stared at the falling star and stamped hard against the ground. The energy around him surged, gathering into the enormous ruler in his hands!

"Flame Splitting Wave-Devouring Ruler!"

A towering wave of flame collided with the Sunset Sword Qi. The violent blast of wind knocked down more than half the Misty Cloud Sect disciples maintaining their hand seals, then burst beyond the plaza in a cloud of dust and mist!

Seeing this, the Misty Cloud Sect elders all sprang into action, intercepting the blast of wind.

"Crack!"

Most of the battle armor on Xiao Yan's face shattered, revealing a youthful, handsome face that was also steady and composed. His eyes were calm as water, and streaks of pale-green flame coiled around him.

"Eight Extremities Collapse!"

Xiao Yan shot into the sky, his green shadow flashing as he bent his arm and drove his elbow viciously toward Nalan Yanran, who stood on a gale in midair. As the sound of her battle armor shattering rang out, blood trickled from the corner of Nalan Yanran's mouth, but her eyes remained utterly resolute.

"Thousand Maple Gale Brake!"

Nalan Yanran cried out sharply. Endless wind blades spun into existence, and Xiao Yan stood directly in front of the storm, taking its full, violent force head-on!

Facing a storm of wind blades with nowhere to gain leverage, Xiao Yan remained remarkably calm. He quietly swallowed a few Qi Recovery Pills, then spread the Purple Cloud Wings on his back. With a single beat of his wings, he quickly escaped the heart of the storm beneath countless astonished gazes.

"A Dou... Dou Wang?!"

"No, he isn't a Dou Wang! Those are... Flying Dou Techniques!"

Jia Xingtian and Fama exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads with wry smiles. They had thought the boy was about to lose, never realizing he still had such a trump card hidden away.

"What is he trying to do?!"

Amid the cries of alarm, purple flames suddenly rose from Xiao Yan's Purple Cloud Wings and fell into his left palm, while a mass of green flame kindled in his right.

"So his purple flame fused with his Purple Cloud Wings?!"

Yun Zimo suddenly understood. He had wondered how Xiao Yan would develop a miniature Buddha Fury Fire Lotus without the Heaven-Swallowing Python. It turned out that the Amethyst Beast Fire had fused with the Purple Cloud Wings by sheer chance!

Some time ago, a Dou Emperor battle had suddenly broken out in the great desert. After a storm of fire-attributed energy, only the corpses of two Dou Emperors from the Chu Yun Empire remained!

With another nation's Dou Emperors involved, Yun Yun had been forced to leave the mountain to investigate what had happened. She still hadn't returned.

Yun Zimo had roughly guessed that Xiao Yan had caused the commotion by refining Heavenly Flames with his bare hands. But events had already taken an unexpected turn, so he couldn't jump to conclusions. Later, at the Alchemist Grand Meeting, a young man named Yan Xiao had turned the tide and defeated the alchemists of the Chu Yun Empire. Only then had Yun Zimo begun to suspect that perhaps Xiao Yan was destined to develop the Buddha Fury Fire Lotus!

But it seemed the boy and Yanran had gained another thread of ill-fated ties...

"Miniature Buddha Fury Fire Lotus!"

As Yun Zimo lost himself in thought, a crystalline lotus of interwoven green and purple drifted gently through the air, rotating slowly. The terrifying, violent energy of fire it released made the space around it ripple faintly.

"Yan Xiao, Xiao Yan, Yan Xiao, Xiao Yan..."

Nalan Yanran's fingertips had turned white from how tightly she clenched them. She bit her lip hard, her gaze toward Xiao Yan full of suspicion and conflict.

"I don't care whether you're Xiao Yan or Yan Xiao. Today, the reputation of the Misty Cloud Sect and the Nalan Family rests on my shoulders. I can't lose to you!"

Nalan Yanran no longer hesitated. She changed her hand seals again, and waves of even more powerful Dou Qi surged outward. The Misty Cloud Sect elders' expressions changed. They jumped down from the stone platform and spread out around the plaza, strengthening the Dou Qi barrier as their energy surged.

"Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!"

A dark sword star shot out like a meteor falling toward the moon. Nalan Yanran's face was as pale as snow. With her strength, she could barely force out such a high-tier Dou Technique. The sword star wavered precariously, but still managed to fall from the sky.

The energy keeping Nalan Yanran aloft through her Dou Technique ran dry, and her body began to fall, unable to hold itself up. The sword star and the Fire Lotus quietly met. The earth-shattering explosion everyone expected never came. Instead, dazzling light and waves of soundless ringing made Nalan Yanran feel as though blood were seeping from all seven of her orifices.

"It's over, Miss Nalan!"

A calm voice reached her ears. A fierce gust of wind swept past her and struck the plaza beside her. The plaza, once smooth and pristine, was instantly covered in a web of cracks. Nalan Yanran lay beside the center of the web, staring blankly at Xiao Yan, who had shown her mercy.

"Why?"

"Brother Yun gave the Xiao Clan a dignified way out. I couldn't disgrace the Nalan Family or the Misty Cloud Sect either."

"Th-thank you!"

Nalan Yanran thanked him. Xiao Yan froze for a moment, then smiled faintly and reached out to help her up.

With a pull of his palm, he drew the Heavy Profound Ruler from where it had been stuck in the plaza and slung it onto his back. Then Xiao Yan spoke in a clear voice.

"I, Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan, declare that the Three-Year Agreement has ended. From this day on, I hold no further grudge against Miss Nalan!"

An unusual silence fell over the summit of Misty Cloud Mountain. No one had yet recovered from the storm of energy, Xiao Yan's victory over Nalan Yanran, or the mercy he had shown her. Yun Zimo, meanwhile, wore a pleased smile.

Their strength had been evenly matched, but Nalan Yanran had been shaken by Xiao Yan's identity and lost to him by a single move. Had they truly fought without distractions, it was still impossible to say who would have won!

Still, Nalan Yanran had reached six-star Da Dou Shi through the Misty Cloud Sect's full support, cultivating both essence and spirit. Yet Xiao Yan had managed to keep pace with her!

This boy's growth truly surpassed all his expectations!

Just as Yun Zimo was about to rise and say something, his expression—and those of Yun Shan and the others—changed abruptly!

"Cackle, cackle, cackle..."

"Yun Shan, you've disappointed me!"

A sinister, shrill laugh rang across the summit of Misty Cloud Mountain. Endless black energy surged through the mist. A pair of red eyes radiated a wicked aura, and in moments, the black mist gathered into a figure that strode through the air!

Everyone had thought the affair would end perfectly. Who could have guessed...

A sudden change had struck!