The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn

"You!" Nalan Yanran's pupils contracted. She had only wanted to break off the engagement, not kill anyone. She had never expected Xiao Yan to suddenly dispel the aura of Lion Mountain Split.

Then, in the next second, Nalan Yanran understood why. Her wrist was locked by an immense force—a bloodstained hand. It was Xiao Yan's left hand!

Xiao Yan's blood slid down from his shoulder, and Nalan Yanran could even feel that it was still warm.

"Ah!" Xiao Yan's eyes turned fierce as he roared. Grabbing Nalan Yanran's wrist, he strode forward and closed in on her. Then, a raging lion condensed around his fist.

Boom!! His fist struck Nalan Yanran squarely in the face. With a crack, the bridge of her nose broke, and blood spurted from her nostrils. Xiao Yan's punch sent her flying backward, and she crashed through the hall's wooden doors with a bang.

"Yanran!"

"Brother Xiao Yan!"

Nalan Yanran lay on the ground, feeling the searing pain from her broken nose. Two streams of blood dripped down, staining her clothes red. Sitting there on the ground, her face filled with shock, she looked at Xiao Yan, whose left side was already soaked in blood but who still stood upright. For some reason, a chill rose in her heart.

She should have won without question, and Xiao Yan knew he was bound to lose. The gap between the cultivation techniques they practiced was simply too great. Nalan Yanran cultivated the Misty Cloud Sect's high-grade Mystic Tier technique. The highest-grade technique in the entire Xiao Clan was the mid-grade Mystic Tier Raging Lion Fury, but Xiao Yan possessed fire-attributed Dou Qi, making Raging Lion Fury unsuitable for him. The highest-grade fire-attributed technique in the Xiao Clan was merely the high-grade Yellow Tier Flame Refining Incineration.

A high-grade Yellow Tier technique against a high-grade Mystic Tier technique, while their Dou Skills were both low-grade Mystic Tier—this was practically certain defeat. There could be no miracle. That was why Xun Er had grabbed Xiao Yan's hand, hoping he would endure it.

Yet neither Xun Er nor Nalan Yanran had anticipated Xiao Yan's ruthlessness or the unyielding spirit in his heart.

Xiao Yan straightened his back, allowing blood to drip from his arm onto the floor. His gaze was as sharp as a true dragon's as he stared at Nalan Yanran, whom Ge Ye and the others were helping up. "Nalan Yanran, your Nalan Clan is one of the three great clans of the imperial capital, and the Misty Cloud Sect stands above the empire, lofty and untouchable. But for Old Master Nalan's sake, I'll give you one piece of advice: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—never mock a poor young man!"

"In the future, I, Xiao Yan, and my Xiao Clan may not be unable to stand above your Misty Cloud Sect!"

Hearing Xiao Yan claim that the Xiao Clan would one day surpass the Misty Cloud Sect, Nalan Yanran, who regarded the sect as sacred ground, immediately gritted her teeth. Her anger surged, and her voice became shrill. "You only landed that punch because you launched a surprise attack and caught me off guard! Do you think you can defeat me?! Fine, I, Nalan Yanran, will wait for you and your Xiao Clan. Let's see how you intend to surpass us! Three years from now, I will fight you at the Misty Cloud Sect. If you have the ability, then show me how you'll surpass us!"

Xiao Yan forced himself to remain standing. "Fine. Three years from now, I, Xiao Yan, will keep the appointment. I won't see you out!"

At Xiao Yan's words, Nalan Yanran grew so furious that her nose bled even faster, but she had no face left to remain. After all, she was the Misty Cloud Sect's genius, someone chosen by a Dou Emperor, and she cultivated a superior technique. Yet the result had been mutual injury.

Unable to save face, Nalan Yanran and her group left the Xiao Clan in disgrace.

Once Nalan Yanran had left, Xiao Yan finally could not hold on any longer and fainted.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yan finally awoke. Feeling the pain in his left chest, he could not help but sigh. Although he had returned Nalan Yanran's punch, if they truly fought to the death, he would absolutely be no match for her. No matter how talented or hardworking he was, the gap in cultivation techniques and Dou Skills could not be bridged.

The difference between the Mystic Tier and Yellow Tier was simply too great. If the Misty Cloud Sect even had Earth Tier techniques, then there would be even less hope.

The technique Xiao Yan cultivated was only high-grade Yellow Tier. It was not that he did not want a higher-level technique, but that neither the Xiao Clan nor Wutan City possessed a fire-attributed Mystic Tier technique. Flame Refining Incineration was already the best available. Even if other clans possessed Mystic Tier fire techniques, they would never give one to Xiao Yan. His reputation in Wutan City was already too great; if his strength increased further, the Xiao Clan would dominate the city alone.

"Brother Xiao Yan, you're awake?" Xun Er's light laughter drifted over like silver bells. A fragrant breeze brushed past him as she arrived beside his bed. "Brother Xiao Yan was truly 'impressive' today."

Though Xun Er called him impressive, her tone did not sound complimentary. It carried more reproach than praise.

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and smiled. "Wasn't I forced into it? I don't really care—I never wanted to marry her in the first place. But they insulted the Xiao Clan, and that can't simply be let go."

Hearing this, Xun Er sighed softly. "Brother Xiao Yan, do you truly intend to duel that Nalan Yanran in three years?"

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yan nodded with a serious expression.

Seeing how serious he was, Xun Er became anxious instead. Her voice carried a pleading note as she said, "Brother Xiao Yan, do you know that Nalan Yanran's master, Yun Yun, the Misty Cloud Sect's sect leader, possesses the cultivation of a Dou Emperor? And Yun Shan, the previous sect leader, is at the peak of the Dou Emperor realm. As for the Misty Cloud Sect's founder, Yun Potian... the foundation of the Misty Cloud Sect runs far deeper than you imagine, Brother Xiao Yan."

Xiao Yan merely smiled, reaching out to pinch Xun Er's worried little face. "Xun Er, you really do know a lot."

Seeing Xiao Yan's playful expression and the determination in his eyes, Xun Er's heart filled with helplessness. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she sighed. With a flick of her slender finger, an ancient scroll the color of fire jade appeared in her hand.

At that moment, the gears of fate began to turn.

"Brother Xiao Yan, this is a high-grade Mystic Tier fire-attributed cultivation technique: Flame Manipulation Formula." Xun Er placed the scroll before Xiao Yan. "Brother Xiao Yan, you needn't feel embarrassed, because this technique originally belonged to your Xiao Clan—or rather, the Xiao Clan."

!!!

Xiao Yan's expression changed. When had their Xiao Clan ever possessed a high-grade Mystic Tier fire-attributed technique?

"The Xiao Clan?" Yet Xiao Yan keenly caught onto something.

Xun Er's eyes dimmed slightly. As though gathering immense courage, she said, "Brother Xiao Yan, you should know that I am not a member of the Xiao Clan."

Xiao Yan nodded. Although everyone called her Xiao Xun Er, he knew that Xun Er's surname was not Xiao.

Xun Er continued, "Brother Xiao Yan, my surname is Gu. I come from the Gu Clan, a Dou God Clan. And your Xiao Clan was once one of the Dou God Clans as well."

Xiao Yan's pupils shook. Of course he knew what a Dou Di was. The ranks of the Dou Qi Continent were common knowledge to everyone, and a Dou Di was a "god" who stood above all else! As for what a Dou God Clan was, that went without saying.

Xun Er looked at Xiao Yan with dim eyes and a trace of sorrow. "Brother Xiao Yan, I came to the Xiao Clan when I was little because of an Ancient Jade left behind by your Xiao Clan."