Cloud Mist Trap: System Kills Daughter and Twin Emperors Break Formation

The Sky Cloud Plaza of the Misty Cloud Sect had been transformed by system code into a circular amphitheater, with virtual interfaces like "Plot Progress Bar" and "Audience Emotion Value" hovering in the air. Xiao Feng and Xiao Yan mingled within the crowd, watching Nalan Yanran stand in the center of the arena wearing wedding attire. The system rune at the center of her brow flickered with an eerie blue light, and her every movement possessed a mechanical stiffness.

"After today, there shall be no more trash in the Xiao Clan!" Yun Leng stood upon the judge's dais, black blood seeping from the System Command Flag in his hand. "Xiao Yan, step forward and accept the challenge!"

A uniform cry of "Kill!" erupted from all sides of the plaza. Xiao Feng noticed that the eyes of the Misty Cloud Sect disciples in the audience were swirling with code, clearly having been thoroughly controlled by system templates. He transmitted his voice to Xiao Yan: "Xiao Yanzi, Nalan Yanran's Dou Qi has been locked by the system at the level of a three-star Dou King. This battle is a trap from the very beginning."

Xiao Yan gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly, but the Flame Emperor Fire on the ruler's surface suddenly surged uncontrollably, leaving scorch marks on the edge of the arena: "Third Brother, my Heavenly Flame... it feels like it's being pulled by something!"

Ding! Triggering 'Plot Kill: Daughter Slayer' program! Host Xiao Yan's Flame Emperor Fire is being forcibly guided by the system toward Nalan Yanran's heart!

The system notification rang out like a thunderclap. Xiao Yan watched in horror as his own palm uncontrollably unleashed flames; that streak of Flame Emperor Fire pierced through Nalan Yanran's defenses and submerged into her heart in full view of everyone. The entire arena was in an uproar. Yun Leng seized the opportunity to raise the command flag high: "Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan, you have slain a maiden and humiliated the sect—your crimes are unforgivable!"

"No!" Xiao Yan lunged toward Nalan Yanran, only to be repelled by a system barrier. It was then he noticed a strange smile curling the corners of Nalan Yanran's lips. There was no blood at the wound on her chest; instead, blue code spilled out—she was merely a puppet projection generated by the system!

"It's a trap!" Xiao Feng unleashed the Emperor Flame Chain to bind Yun Leng. "The real Nalan Yanran is hidden in the back mountains of the Misty Cloud Sect! These are all phantoms created by system templates!"

Yun Leng grinned hideously and crushed the command flag. The ground of the plaza suddenly split open, revealing the Soul-Devouring Insect Nest beneath, and countless swarms of insects transformed into a torrent of code, sweeping toward them: "Son of Xiao Zhan, do you think you can break the system templates? Today, I will let you see what a true 'Plot Crush' is!"

System kill array activated! Triggering 'Continent-wide Wanted' plot!

Xiao Yan has been marked as 'Daughter-Slaying Madman', NPC hatred level across the entire map is MAX!

Xiao Feng is unable to use any power other than the Emperor Flame; continuous health depletion!

Xiao Yan felt his entire body's Dou Qi bound by chains, and the "Villain Value" on the system interface soared wildly; even the medicinal herbs in his storage ring were being classified as "tools for the crime." Seeing this, Xiao Feng resolutely unleashed the Emperor Flame Domain: Heaven-Defying Fate. Orange-red flames swept across the entire arena, shattering the system's "continuous health depletion" rule into fragments: "Xiao Yanzi, use 'Fire Lotus: True Self' to break the illusion!"

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and circulated the Burning Mantra, condensing the Dual Flame Heart Fire within his Dantian. This time, he did not execute the fire lotus according to the system template; instead, he infused it with memories of refining medicine with Yao Lao, the tacit understanding shared with Xun Er, and the life-and-death struggles alongside Medusa—as the flames took the form of a lotus, the faint outline of the Xiao Clan crest emerged.

Ding! Detected that host Xiao Yan has triggered the 'Anti-Template' trait; system rules have failed!

Reward: 'True Self Fire Lotus' skill, ignores all plot locks!

The moment the fire lotus exploded, all the phantoms vanished. The real Nalan Yanran was hanging on the "System Altar" in the back mountains of the Misty Cloud Sect, her limbs pierced by chains of code, her eyes filled with pain and unwillingness. Xiao Feng stepped through the air, his Emperor Flame battle blade descending. The chains snapped at the sound, and he caught Nalan Yanran and leaped to a safe zone, only to see a dagger engraved with the character "Soul" embedded in her chest.

"Xiao... Young Master..." Nalan Yanran coughed up black blood. "Yun Leng used the system template to tamper with the sect's records. The real Three-Year Agreement... had long been replaced by a 'Slaying the Maiden to Sacrifice the Flag' trap..."

Xiao Yan arrived in pursuit, slamming the Heavy Xuan Ruler onto the altar and cracking the system core: "Hun Dan is truly here! Third Brother, look at the patterns on this altar—it's the Soul Clan's 'Soul-Devouring Reincarnation Array'!"

Before he could finish, the phantom of Hun Dan seeped out from the cracks. He manipulated the torrent of code on the altar, trapping Xiao Yan and Xiao Feng in the center: "Son of Xiao Zhan, congratulations on seeing through the system phantoms—but the earlier you see through them, the deeper your despair will be!" He waved his hand to summon eighteen "System Puppets," pieced together from the skeletons of past powerhouses of the Misty Cloud Sect. "These are 'Plot Bosses' strengthened by the system, specifically designed to end your story!"

Xiao Feng handed Nalan Yanran to Xiao Yan, the Emperor Scale patterns covering his entire body: "Xiao Yanzi, protect her well. I will deal with these 'Plot Bosses'." He swung his blade at the nearest puppet, only to see the puppet execute the lost Storm Wind Sword Art of the Misty Cloud Sect, every strike precisely predicting his movement.

Ding! System puppet triggered 'Plot Crush' skill, host Xiao Feng's attack accuracy -70%!

"Interesting." Xiao Feng sneered. The Emperor Flame suddenly transformed into ten thousand fire seeds, each seed condensing into his phantom: "But my flames have never had only one true body!"

The fire seeds exploded simultaneously, and the puppets' "Plot Predictions" failed completely amidst the sky-filling flames. Xiao Yan seized the opportunity to inject the Dual Flame Heart Fire into Nalan Yanran's body, burning away the code chains in her meridians. She suddenly opened her eyes, her Dou Qi breaking through to a five-star Dou King—the true strength that had been suppressed by the system template.

"Young Master Xiao, Xiao Yan, you must leave!" Nalan Yanran struggled to stand. "Yun Leng has hidden a 'System Nuke' within the sect. Once it detonates, the entire Jia Ma Empire will be assimilated by the template!"

Xiao Feng's pupils constricted at these words, and he turned to look at the main peak of the Misty Cloud Sect, where a black mushroom cloud of code was rising. He decisively grabbed Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran, the Emperor Flame turning into a stream of light that pierced the sky: "Xiao Yanzi, use your fire lotus to hold off the puppets! I'm going to disarm the bomb!"

Xiao Yan nodded, the True Self Fire Lotus forming in his palm. This time, the fire lotus was not merely destructive power, but infused with the Dao patterns of "Burning Away the False." The moment the fire lotus slammed into the altar, the system core emitted a piercing alarm, and Hun Dan's phantom was shattered into pieces: "Impossible! How could you break both the system template and the Soul-Devouring Insect Array at the same time?"

"Because our story was never written by the system!" Xiao Yan shattered the system core, watching Xiao Feng's retreating back as the Dual Flame Heart Fire formed a protective shield around him. "Third Brother, I believe in you—just as you have always believed in me!"