A year. In just one year, that young man who had suffered a terrible upheaval and fallen from the clouds into the dirt seemed to have climbed back up again—and was even more frightening than he had once been.
Listening to the clamor around him, Xiao Yan swept his gaze over the surroundings. Those looks that had suddenly turned complicated made him think back to the high-spirited youth from three years ago. Now, his Cultivation Talent had returned, and with it had come an even more mature mind and a tenacious resilience.
He let out a soft breath and looked toward Nalan Yanran. Her expression was somewhat beyond his expectations. Though she was surprised, what showed more than anything was still that same resolve from before, as if his changes had never stirred any other thoughts in her.
She seemed a little different from what he had imagined.
But that had nothing to do with him. What he had to do was reclaim the dignity she had trampled on back then.
And so, amid everyone's anticipation, he moved first. With a light step, he shot toward Nalan Yanran, his sandbag-sized fist smashing toward her beautiful face, without the slightest hint of pity or tenderness.
He knew very clearly that even though he had made progress he once would never have dared imagine, against Nalan Yanran, he still held no advantage. His only possible chance of victory was to catch her off guard, strike where she was unprepared, and defeat her in one blow!
Facing Xiao Yan's strike, a trace of solemnity rested in Nalan Yanran's beautiful eyes. Yet before he reached her, she merely flicked her delicate hand lightly, guiding him aside, and made him stumble. His heavy punch smashed into the ground.
After realizing she had gained the advantage,