Misty Cloud Sect Master! Oasis Standoff!

Yun Yun's cold, detached voice was like ice that had not thawed in ten thousand years. Carrying the mountain-like, overwhelming pressure of a Dou Emperor, it struck the depths of the Poison Barrier Valley like a heavy hammer. In an instant, the gray-green miasma permeating the valley was churned violently by this fierce momentum, swirling and surging in a panic like a startled nest of snakes.

Xiao Yi Xian, who had been sitting cross-legged on a black rock, felt her delicate body tremble violently, as if struck by lightning. She hurriedly forced herself to interrupt the circulation of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, and the gray-white poison mist surging around her body retracted into her like a receding tide. She slowly raised her head; the blood had drained from her originally beautiful yet slightly pale face, leaving it as white as a sheet of paper. The calm gray-white in her pupils was instantly filled with boundless terror, as if a dark abyss had opened to swallow her whole.

A Dou Emperor! That was the true pressure of a Dou Emperor! It felt as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth was sinking, making even the act of breathing exceptionally difficult; every inhalation felt like swallowing cold, sharp blades. She subconsciously hugged her arms, her body shivering like a leaf drifting in the wind. Instinctively, she wanted to curl up and hide in the shadows of the black rock, as if that could help her escape the fear that clung to her like a shadow.

The Detoxification Spirit Bead on her chest emitted a warm, gentle light, acting like a tender guardian, desperately trying to soothe the poison energy within her that was agitated by fear. However, the chill that originated from the depths of her soul was like a bone-deep disease, impossible to dispel no matter what she did.

"Xiao Yan... Xiao Yan..." she whispered silently with trembling lips, her voice as faint as willow catkins scattering in the wind. Her clear eyes were filled with despair, like a dried-up lakebed devoid of any vitality. The people of the Misty Cloud Sect had finally tracked her down! And the one who had come was the Sect Master herself! What was she to do? Xiao Yan was still in deep recovery and could not possibly handle such a crisis...

Just then, a voice filled with provocation and disdain rang out, shattering the suffocating silence: "Level this place? Sect Master Yun, what a grand display of might!"

A calm, unruffled voice, possessing the steady power of a needle calming the turbulent seas, suddenly echoed leisurely above the Poison Barrier Valley. This voice was not deafening like thunder, yet it carried a strange and powerful penetration. Like a spring breeze brushing over a frozen lake, it instantly smoothed away the suffocating sensation brought by Yun Yun's Dou Emperor pressure, clearly and melodiously reaching every corner of the valley, as if playing a movement of peace in the heart of every living creature.

In an instant, the space rippled like water brushed by a gentle breeze. The figure of Xiao Zhan stepped out as if from a void illusion, hovering steadily in the air ten zhang in front of Yun Yun. He was still dressed in that simple, unadorned green robe, his sleeves fluttering gently with the wind, like a graceful shadow of green in the mountains. His face was as resolute as if cast in iron, with sharp, well-defined features; his eyes were as deep as an ancient well, calm and unruffled, as if hiding endless wisdom and secrets. There was no earth-shattering release of momentum, no howling wind of pressure; he simply stood there, as if he had merged with the heavens and earth, becoming the center of this world, silently dissolving Yun Yun's Dou Emperor pressure—which had been pouring down like a torrential river—into nothingness.

On his wrist, the Seven-Colored Little Snake seemed disturbed by the tense, hair-trigger atmosphere, twisting its small, agile body uneasily. Its pale purple snake eyes flashed with a wary light, like two brilliant purple gemstones, scanning Yun Yun cautiously before coiling back into silence, as if seeking a shred of security.

"Xiao... Zhan?!" On Yun Yun's cold, peerless face, sculpted like ice and snow, a look of undisguised shock appeared for the first time, as if a giant boulder had been thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread. She stared fixedly at the man who had appeared out of thin air, her gaze like the sharpest probe, filled with endless doubt and inquiry, attempting to pierce through his unfathomable calm to glimpse the secrets hidden deep within his heart.

Impossible! This was absolutely impossible! Her heart screamed, as if denying everything that defied reason before her eyes.

The scroll of her memory unfolded clearly: not long ago, in front of the ancient and solemn gates of the Xiao Family in Wutan City, although this man possessed extraordinary strength and had withstood the mountain-like pressure of the Dou Ling Luo Bu, his aura at that time had never reached such an unfathomable realm. Back then, he was more like a sharp sword quietly hidden in its sheath; while his edge was not wantonly displayed, one could still vaguely perceive its boundaries, like a star in the night sky that, while not dazzling, was clearly discernible.

But what about now?

The Xiao Zhan before her gave her the feeling of a vast, boundless, and mysterious starry sky. That endless depth seemed to hide all the mysteries of the universe, making one feel as insignificant as dust just by looking at it. When her pride-and-joy Dou Emperor-level soul perception, like agile tentacles, cautiously touched the three-chi radius around him, it was as if a mud ox had entered the vast ocean, instantly vanishing without a trace, not even stirring a ripple. It was not blocked by a powerful Dou Qi barrier, but rather a terrifying realm where he seemed to have merged with the laws of heaven and earth, his entire being flawless and without a single opening to be found, like an immovable, towering mountain standing before her.

Dou Zong! This fact, which she was extremely unwilling to believe but had to face, exploded in her mind like a thunderclap! The once seemingly ordinary Patriarch of the Xiao Family in Wutan City had, in such a short time, crossed the difficult chasm that countless powerhouses struggled their whole lives to overcome, becoming a powerful existence on the same level as her master, Yun Shan?! This was simply beyond the scope of what she could imagine, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, shattering her original perception of reality.

"You... you have become a Dou Zong?" Yun Yun's voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of dryness and disbelief she herself had not noticed. Her eyes were filled with shock and confusion, as if questioning the injustice and miracles of this world. She truly could not understand how all of this had happened; it completely exceeded all her knowledge and imagination.

Xiao Zhan did not respond to this question, which was already self-evident. His gaze was as indifferent as frost, slowly sweeping over Yun Yun. That look was like examining an unreasonable, ignorant junior, carrying an innate majesty and detachment. Finally, his gaze fell upon Xiao Yi Xian, who was curled into a ball at the bottom of the valley. At this moment, Xiao Yi Xian was like a terrified little beast, her delicate body shivering, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness. Xiao Zhan frowned slightly, the subtle movement revealing his dissatisfaction with the situation at hand.

"Sect Master Yun, to come with such a grand display and trespass into the resting place of my Snake-People Tribe is already a breach of protocol. Furthermore, to use the might of a Dou Emperor to bully a junior who is severely injured and unable to defend herself." Xiao Zhan's voice remained as calm as water, without the slightest ripple, yet every word struck Yun Yun's heart like a heavy hammer, causing her to tremble. "Is this the usual conduct of the Misty Cloud Sect? Is this the responsibility and demeanor you, Yun Yun, should possess as a Sect Master?"

"You!" Yun Yun was choked into silence by this merciless, point-blank questioning. Her beautiful face was instantly covered in frost, like a lake covered in ice and snow in the middle of winter, cold and hard. A fire of anger at being slighted surged within her like a raging inferno, almost breaking the shackles of her reason. However, Xiao Zhan's unfathomable, abyss-like aura acted like a cold chain, tightly binding the Dou Qi she was about to erupt, leaving her not daring to act rashly.

She took a deep breath, struggling to calm the waves in her heart and suppress the anger about to burst forth. A moment later, her voice returned to its usual coldness, like a clear spring in the mountains—cold and firm, yet carrying unquestionable resolve: "Xiao Zhan! Even if you have now attained the rank of Dou Zong, do not think to harbor criminals! Xiao Yan killed the Misty Cloud Sect Elder Yun Sheng; this is an ironclad, indisputable fact! Blood debts must be paid in blood; this is the principle of heaven! And this Woe Poison Body is the root of chaos in the world, like a time bomb that could explode at any moment; it must be brought back to Misty Cloud Mountain to be sealed, lest it bring disaster to the common people and harm the innocent! As long as you hand over these two, this Sect will leave immediately and will never harm any innocent person!"

"Blood debts paid in blood?" The corners of Xiao Zhan's mouth lifted slightly, curling into an extremely cold arc. That arc was like an ice blade condensed in the dead of winter, radiating a bone-chilling cold. A cold light flashed in his eyes, like lightning streaking across the night sky, instantly illuminating the tense standoff. "Yun Sheng and Ge Ye colluded, and in that dangerous place of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, they openly intercepted and killed my son, Xiao Yan! If not for my son's great fortune and divine protection, he would have long since perished and become a lonely soul in those desolate mountains! Yun Sheng was inferior in skill and was killed in return; this is entirely his own fault, reaping what he sowed! Sect Master Yun, you do not pursue the crime of Yun Sheng's interception, but instead have the gall to come and demand this so-called blood debt from me? Hmph, what a 'reasoning' the Misty Cloud Sect upholds; it truly is an eye-opener!"

Having said this, his eyes turned sharp, and he took a slow step forward! Just this one step seemed to shatter the tranquility of the heavens and earth!

Boom—!!!

An invisible yet heavy pressure, enough to crush mountains, descended like an ancient god who had slept for ten thousand years suddenly opening its eyes, carrying the momentum to destroy the world! This time, the pressure no longer held any restraint or concealment; the vast momentum of a Dou Zong powerhouse, like a tangible ocean, instantly overwhelmed Yun Yun's Dou Emperor-level pressure with the force of a landslide, suppressing it completely.

Crack! Crack!

The void beneath Yun Yun's feet was like fragile glass, unable to withstand the impact of this terrifying power, emitting faint yet clear cracking sounds, as if space itself were groaning in pain. She let out a muffled groan, her moon-white palace dress fluttering without wind, snapping like a flag struggling in a gale. She felt as if she were submerged in the depths of a ten-thousand-fathom ocean; the terrifying force from all directions surged in, crazily squeezing her body, making the circulation of Dou Qi within her instantly sluggish, like a frozen river unable to flow freely.

She had to exert all her strength to drive her Dou Qi, forming an incredibly condensed cyan wind-vortex barrier on the surface of her body. That barrier, like a massive protective shield, tightly enveloped her, allowing her to barely stabilize her teetering figure. Yet, even so, her beautiful face was already flushed red, as if scorched by fire, and her eyes were filled with horror and shock!

Just the pressure of his momentum had made her, a three-star Dou Emperor, so disheveled and embarrassed! Was this the terrifying power possessed by a Dou Zong powerhouse?!

"As for Xiao Yi Xian..." Xiao Zhan's gaze slowly turned toward the bottom of the valley, his deep eyes seeming to hide endless stars, his voice carrying an unquestionable majesty, as if declaring the rules of the world. "She is a guest of my Xiao Family and a loyal friend of Yan'er. Her special constitution will be carefully watched over and fully protected by me, Xiao Zhan. Bringing disaster to the common people? Sect Master Yun, your words are perhaps a bit too broad, and your reach a bit too long!"

"You...!" Yun Yun was so angered by these words that her delicate body trembled slightly, her chest heaving violently like waves in the wind, her originally cold and beautiful face now filled with indignation. She had been noble all her life; when had she ever been contradicted to her face and refuted so mercilessly? What was even more infuriating was being pressed until she could barely breathe by the mountain-like pressure of the other party! The pride belonging to a Dou Emperor and the majesty of a Sect Master were, at this moment, being ruthlessly trampled underfoot by Xiao Zhan!

"Xiao Zhan! Do you truly intend to openly make an enemy of my Misty Cloud Sect for the sake of these two wet-behind-the-ears juniors?!" Yun Yun's voice carried a hint of sharpness, like the cry of an owl, yet it was more of a weak, fierce-in-appearance-but-faint-in-heart display. Facing an unfathomable, abyss-like Dou Zong powerhouse, the "Misty Cloud Sect" she relied upon had lost its supreme deterrent power, like a tiger that had lost its teeth.

"Make an enemy?" Hearing this, Xiao Zhan seemed to have heard the most ridiculous thing in the world. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he shook his head gently. His originally calm eyes suddenly became as sharp as knives, like two piercing bolts of lightning, piercing through the void and striking the deepest part of Yun Yun's soul. "Yun Yun!"

Two words, simple and plain, yet they exploded in Yun Yun's ears like nine-heaven thunder, making her eardrums ache and her heart tremble!

"Do not say that it is only you standing here today; even if your master, Yun Shan, were to come in person, if he dared to touch my son, or those he has sworn to protect..." Xiao Zhan's voice suddenly rose like a great bell, carrying a domineering and resolute air that looked down upon all living things and swept across the world, like thunder rolling across the horizon, echoing throughout the oasis and startling countless birds in the forest!

"This Sect would kill him all the same!"

The last word landed like a heavy hammer, carrying unquestionable decisiveness!

In an instant, Rumble—!!!

The space around Xiao Zhan shook violently, as if an ancient beast was awakening. He did not truly strike, yet a terrifying killing intent, condensed to the extreme and seemingly containing the supreme origin will of a Dragon-Phoenix, struck out like an invisible, world-cleaving giant sword. Carrying the momentum of creating the world, it instantly tore through the space before him. This killing intent crossed the distance of ten zhang, striking Yun Yun's mind like lightning, as if to completely shatter her soul!

"Pfft—!"

Yun Yun felt as if she had been struck by a ten-thousand-pound hammer; a sharp pain pierced her chest, and her protective cyan wind-vortex barrier flickered violently, emitting a screeching sound of being unable to bear the load, before instantly shattering into countless points of light and dissipating in the air. She spat out a mouthful of blood, which looked like a blood-red rose blooming in the air—tragically beautiful and eye-piercing. Following this, her body was sent flying backward uncontrollably for dozens of zhang like a kite with a broken string, before she barely managed to stabilize her figure through desperate struggle.

At this moment, her face was as pale as paper, devoid of any color, and her aura was chaotic, like a candle in a gale, ready to be extinguished at any moment. The look she gave Xiao Zhan was filled with boundless horror—an instinctive fear of an unknown, powerful force; humiliation—the unwillingness after the dignity of a Dou Emperor and a Sect Master had been ruthlessly trampled; and... a trace of bone-deep fear, the helplessness and despair that welled up from the depths of her soul when facing absolute, crushing strength!

Just a killing intent manifested from a single thought! It had instantly injured her, a three-star Dou Emperor, leaving her without the power to fight back!

The might of a Dou Zong was truly this terrifying, like the judgment of a god, inspiring awe and fear, making one dare not look directly at it!

The entire oasis seemed to have been cast under a silence spell, falling into a deathly stillness, so quiet that one could hear the rustling of the breeze through the leaves, so quiet that one could hear each other's nervous heartbeats. Every Snake-People warrior who had sensed the fierce conflict, the esteemed elders, and even Xiao Yan, who had just rushed over in a panic, were all frozen as if by a binding spell, staring dumbfounded at the figure in the sky who looked like a god or demon descending to the world.

That figure radiated a chillingly powerful aura, like an immovable, towering mountain, and like a deep, boundless ocean. And the Misty Cloud Sect Master, who had been repelled by that thought like a storm, now spitting blood and pale-faced, seemed so fragile and insignificant in comparison.

Domineering! It was an unparalleled dominance, as if it could break through the shackles of heaven and earth, making all things in the world submit! It was a protectiveness carried to the extreme, as resolute as a lioness guarding her cubs, not allowing anyone to violate those she cherished!

At this moment, Xiao Zhan declared to the entire world in the most direct and violent way: his reverse scale was like that of a dragon—touch it and die! No matter who the other party was or what noble status they held, they must never touch it lightly!

Yun Yun clutched her painfully aching chest; the pain was like a sharp dagger piercing straight into her heart. She looked up at the green-robed figure hovering in the air with eyes as cold as ice. That gaze seemed to pierce through her soul, stirring up monstrous waves in her heart. Anger burned like a raging fire in her chest; humiliation coiled around her heart like a cold snake; horror engulfed her in fear like a sudden storm; and there was a trace of... helplessness that she herself was unwilling to admit, like an invisible net that trapped her, unable to break free.

She understood in her heart that today's matter could not be pursued further. To forcibly seize someone in front of such a powerful and protective Dou Zong was no different from throwing an egg against a rock, seeking her own death!

"Good... a very good Xiao Zhan!" Yun Yun gritted her teeth and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth; the blood stained her fingertips like rouge. Her voice carried a hint of hoarseness and coldness, as if coming from a cold abyss. "This Sect will keep today's matter in mind! The Misty Cloud Sect will never forget it either! The mountains are high and the waters are long; we shall... meet again!"

She gazed deeply into the depths of Poison Barrier Valley at the trembling, frail figure that looked like a leaf caught in the wind, her eyes filled with a thousand unspoken words. Then, she slowly shifted her gaze toward the entrance of the stone palace in the distance, where Xiao Yan stood, his face pale as paper, yet his eyes stubborn as a burning flame, radiating an unyielding spirit. Finally, her gaze became like a sharp sword, locking onto Xiao Zhan as if she were carving his image into the deepest recesses of her soul, never to be forgotten.

Immediately, she did not linger a moment longer. Cyan Dou Qi erupted from her body like a surging tide, transforming into a brilliant streak of light that tore through the sky. Without looking back, she shot away from the oasis like a bolt of lightning, vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye. Her retreating figure carried a hint of disarray, and even more so, a sense of panicked flight, as if something terrifying were chasing her from behind.

A crisis that could have turned the oasis upside down and overturned the heavens was quietly brought to an end by the absolute, peerless might of Xiao Zhan, leaving Yun Yun to retreat in dejection.

Xiao Zhan slowly retracted his earth-shaking, mountain-quaking aura, his gaze like a torch as he swept it across the area below. Xiao Yi Xian sat slumped on a rock, gasping for air, the tears of one who had survived a disaster falling like broken pearls, silently wetting her clothes. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan stood at the entrance of the stone palace, his clenched fists turning white from the force. The look he gave his father was filled with unprecedented worship and excitement, as if the man before him were the omnipotent god in his heart.

"Everyone disperse, and increase the guard." Xiao Zhan's calm voice, like a spring breeze brushing over a lake, carried an unquestionable majesty that instantly spread throughout the entire oasis. As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered, appearing beside Xiao Yan like a ghost.

"Father!" Xiao Yan shouted, his face flushed with excitement, his voice trembling slightly.

"It's alright now." Xiao Zhan gently patted his son's shoulder, his broad palm seemingly carrying endless strength and warmth. However, his gaze inadvertently fell upon the black ring on Xiao Yan's left hand, and his eyes instantly turned profound, like a bottomless pool. "Yan'er, before that Yun Yun arrived, did you sense anything?"

Xiao Yan was slightly stunned, and then, the unusual movements of the ring and the thrilling experience at the ancient altar flashed through his mind like a movie. He quickly steadied his heart and told his father everything without reservation: the process of discovering the second bronze fragment, the miraculous scene when the ring absorbed it, the information about the "Bronze Immortal Palace" that flashed through his mind like a meteor, and the details of how Yao Lao's soul had been nourished as a result. He only deliberately omitted the heart-wrenching pain he endured when his soul was nearly crushed by the surging influx of information.

"Bronze Immortal Palace..." Xiao Zhan repeated these words in a low voice, his brows knitting tightly together as if bound by invisible shackles. He flipped his hand, and the second fragment he had obtained from Xiao Yan appeared in his palm, placed side-by-side with the one he had previously confiscated. At the fractured edges of the two pieces, a faint, firefly-like glow flickered, as if they were mutually attracting, whispering to each other, or perhaps telling an ancient story long sealed away.

"Father, what exactly is this fragment? It seems... it can repair Teacher's soul!" Xiao Yan asked eagerly, his eyes filled with hopeful light, as if it were the only lamp in the darkness that could guide him to a way to save Yao Lao.

Xiao Zhan stared at the two fragments in his palm, which radiated a mysterious aura, feeling the ancient laws and the vast, sea-like power contained within them—a power that even made him feel a tremor of heart. He remained silent for a long time, as if searching for answers in the long river of time. Finally, he carefully put the two fragments away, his gaze as heavy as a deep pool as he looked fixedly at Xiao Yan:

"What this object involves is far greater than you or I could imagine. Behind the name 'Bronze Immortal Palace' likely hides a secret capable of shaking the world. Until you possess sufficiently powerful strength, you must never pursue its trail again, nor leak a single word about it! Remember, a man who carries a treasure commits a crime; in this world, there are always those who will stop at nothing for such items!"

He paused slightly, his words carrying a thought-provoking depth, and said slowly: "As for Venerable Yao... to be nourished by this object is his great fortune. You need only focus on your cultivation; when the day he awakens arrives, everything will come to light, and the truth will be revealed."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded heavily, engraving his father's earnest words deep into his heart.

Just then, the Seven-Colored Little Snake in Xiao Zhan's robe suddenly became restless again, as if it had sensed some terrifying existence. Its small body tensed like a fully drawn bowstring, its pale purple snake eyes fixed on a certain direction in the desert, and it let out a sharp, urgent hiss. This time, the sound was not the usual longing for treasure, but filled with a thick sense of warning, as if it were desperately trying to alert them to something.

At the same time, an extremely subtle, yet cold aura that made even Xiao Zhan feel a tremor of heart—like ink dropped into clear lake water—drifted faintly and intermittently from the direction the Seven-Colored Little Snake was pointing. This aura... Xiao Zhan's heart tightened; he could not possibly be mistaken!

Soul Hall! Is it Protector Wu?! He actually dared to lurk nearby, haunting them like a ghost?!

A cold light exploded in Xiao Zhan's eyes like two sharp bolts of lightning, and his killing intent, like solidified frost, instantly permeated the air, making the surrounding atmosphere feel as if it had frozen solid.

"It seems that some pests who cling like bone-eating maggots... it is time to clean them out once and for all!"