Yun Shan was on the verge of madness. This was the realm he had dreamed of reaching, the realm he yearned for even in his sleep!
Yet this young man who had not even come of age had already reached it with ease!
Wu Protector, standing nearby, was also slightly stunned by the sight.
A Three-Star Dou Zong this young... Was he some kid from a great power in the Central Plains?
Or perhaps from one of the other ancient clans?
After all, if he was a young heir out on a trial, he was likely to have a guardian protecting him.
And since this fellow was a Three-Star Dou Zong, his guardian was likely a Dou Zun or higher.
"Hey, which power in the Central Plains are you from? I am a Soul Hall Protector. I came here on a mission."
He was speaking not only to Xiao Fan, but also to the guardian who might be lurking behind him.
Wu Protector's eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed the area with his soul. At the slightest sign of movement, he seemed ready to bolt.
Though the Soul Hall's influence spanned the entire Dou Qi Continent and it enjoyed quite a reputation, there were still some hotheaded fools who didn't care about offending them.
Hearing this, Xiao Fan merely replied blandly.
"Oh? What kind of place is the Central Plains? Can it produce a genius like this emperor?"
Although he was a Three-Star Dou Zong, there were still differences between Dou Zong experts.
Every step he took on the Emperor Path was the pinnacle of his current realm.
He was invincible among those of the same realm, and defeating stronger opponents was as easy as eating or drinking.
The only question was how many realms above him they were.
Xiao Fan continued.
"I am the Great Emperor. Of course I shall reign supreme over the world. Those who oppose me will be reduced to ashes! With a lift of my hand, the starry river will crumble and the heavens will tremble. Where my gaze falls, the universe will turn upside down and all laws will become nothing."
"With me alone in this world, I am enough to suppress ten thousand ages. Who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me? All my enemies are mere ants. Beneath my might, they can only prostrate themselves! My splendor shall be praised by those who come after me, and my legend shall be engraved forever upon the river of time, undying through the ages!"
As he spoke, stars flickered in the void, brightening and dimming as if answering his words and resonating with him.
Then the starry river hung upside down, and boundless stellar power cascaded down, transforming into dazzling curtains of light that encircled him.
Great Dao runes shimmered, each character containing the power to open heaven and earth. They appeared around him, humming as if cheering—or submitting.
The runes interwove, sketching a scene of heaven and earth first opening and all things coming into being. It was as if, in that moment, the order of the entire universe lay in his hands, moving to the rhythm of his words.
Well... these visions weren't real, of course. He had arranged them recently using the Group Secret.
They were utterly useless in a fight, but as special effects, they were seriously intimidating.
Yun Shan was completely stunned. Beside him, Yun Yun was equally dumbfounded.
[ Ding! Your words have convinced both of them completely. You have gained 2,000 Bragging Points! ]
As for Wu Protector, he really was intimidated by Xiao Fan's aura and the strange visions.
How could this kid be so terrifying?!
To be safe, he immediately used a secret Soul Hall technique, paying the price of straining his soul to temporarily raise his strength to the Five-Star Dou Zong level!
Boom!
The aura of a Five-Star Dou Zong pressed down on everyone until they could barely breathe.
"Ke ke ke ke ke..."
Feeling the Dou Qi surging through him far more vigorously than before, Wu Protector thought he was back in his element.
While Xiao Fan had been speaking, he had used a secret Soul Hall technique to search the entire Misty Cloud Sect. He had found no trace of any hidden expert.
He threw back his head and laughed, his face alight with excitement. Now that he had reached the Five-Star Dou Zong level, he sensed Xiao Fan's strength again. He really was a Three-Star Dou Zong!
"If I weren't so knowledgeable, you might really have fooled me!"
A Great Emperor? There hadn't been a Dou Di on the Dou Qi Continent in a thousand years.
This brat didn't even know enough to make up a convincing lie.
"Ke ke ke ke ke ke! A Three-Star Dou Zong, with a powerful soul! I don't care which ancient clan sent you out for a trial. You're going to die here today!"
Wu Protector didn't know the difference between a Great Emperor and a Dou Di, nor did he know Xiao Fan's soul realm. But as a Soul Hall Protector, he had no trouble sensing soul power.
So Wu Protector was filled with delight and greed.
This was the backwater Jia Ma Empire, countless mountains and rivers away from the Central Plains.
Even if this fellow was a prodigy from some ancient clan, no one would ever find out if he died here!
If Wu Protector devoured his soul, he might advance straight to High-Rank Dou Zong!
He might even... have a chance at becoming a Dou Zun!
Seeing this, Yun Yun's body reacted before she could think.
Without hesitation, she stepped in front of Xiao Fan and bit her lip. "I won't let you hurt him!"
[Conflict +1, Worry +3]
Seeing her like that, Xiao Fan felt a little warmth in his heart.
"Let me handle this..."
He gently drew her toward him and glanced at Wu Protector, his expression calm and composed.
"Has this emperor really fallen so low that a junior from the Soul Clan dares look down on me?"
His voice carried an air of authority, ringing like a great bell.
Hearing this, Yun Shan nearly bent over and fell to his knees.
Wu Protector still didn't believe him. He had seen plenty in his time and was exceptionally sensitive to souls.
He merely cackled. "How could a soul as young as yours belong to an expert like that? Stop spouting nonsense!"
As he spoke, Dou Qi filled his body. The terrifying aura of a Five-Star Dou Zong made everyone's breath catch, as if a boulder had been pressed against their chests.
"You may be a Dou Zong, but there are still differences between Dou Zong experts! Ke ke ke ke!"
Wu Protector laughed excitedly.
In his eyes, victory was already assured.
Even if this young expert had been raised by an ancient clan, someone who reached the Dou Zong level at such a young age couldn't possibly have much combat experience.
As for Wu Protector, he had clawed his way through countless life-and-death battles.
"Ke ke ke ke ke! I'll devour you!"
Wu Protector's eyes were bloodshot, shining with excitement that bordered on madness.
"Dark Soul Devouring Body!"
He didn't use soul attacks like he normally did. Those techniques worked well against ordinary people, but they wouldn't be as effective against someone like Xiao Fan, whose soul power was so strong.
But Dark Soul Devouring Body was different. When he used this Dou Technique, black soul power billowed out like smoke, able to invade his opponent's body.
Like countless little black bugs, it gnawed at Dou Qi and meridians, corroding the paths through which Dou Qi flowed. The opponent's Dou Qi would become sluggish, and their bodily functions would gradually break down.
In Wu Protector's eyes, this move was enough to make a clan scion like Xiao Fan submit meekly.
Black smoke filled the entire Sect Master Hall, slowly swallowing the light around them.
Yun Yun's face turned deathly pale, and her delicate body trembled.
Yun Shan was even more pathetic. He had already fallen to his knees, crying out,
"Wu Protector, I'm one of you! Don't kill me!"
Yun Yun stared at Yun Shan in disbelief.
Suddenly, the man before her seemed like a complete stranger. Was this really the master she had always respected?
Xiao Fan only spread his hands helplessly. "Sigh, why do you insist on forcing this emperor to act?"
As he spoke, he turned to Yun Yun, his gaze gentle.
"Lend me your sword."
Before she could react, he swiftly drew her sword.
Then he casually unleashed a move.
It was one that Yun Yun and Yun Shan both knew very well.
"Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!"
A dazzling beam of azure sword light flashed into being, like the light of dawn tearing through the dark hall.
Wherever it passed, the air shrieked and boomed as if ignited in an instant, transforming into a blazing inferno.
Wu Protector narrowed his eyes as he watched. With his discernment, he could tell at a glance that this Dou Technique was nothing special.
"Hmph, what an arrogant brat!"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the sword energy of "Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill" smash through his black mist with irresistible force.
Like a roaring dragon, the sword energy surged forward with boundless might and instantly severed one of his soul-body's arms!
Faint azure sword energy seeped from the severed arm, and Wu Protector let out a cry of pain.
"Ahhhhhhh! How is this possible?!"
The sword energy continued on without losing momentum, rushing straight into the sky and tearing out through the hall.
With her keen eyesight, Yun Yun saw the clouds split in two as easily as tofu.
A massive rift appeared in the sky, once blanketed by clouds, and remained there for a long time.
The air surged wildly, forming a massive storm that sent sand and stones flying.
The entire Misty Cloud Sect trembled violently beneath this tremendous power...