Nalan Yanran's Defeat

Nalan Yanran thrust her sword at Xiao Yan once more. Facing the incoming blade, Xiao Yan remained calm and replicated his earlier move, intending to send Nalan Yanran flying. However, when his strike landed on her, it was like cutting through air. Nalan Yanran's figure scattered at the touch—it had only been an afterimage.

"Flying Catkin Movement: a Profound Rank mid-level battle skill. Moving with a graceful footwork technique creates afterimages!"

Nalan Yanran lightly tapped the ground with her feet, and her body floated through the air like a willow catkin. The sword in her hand danced continuously as it attacked Xiao Yan, growing faster and faster.

Xiao Yan possessed no movement battle skill. Faced with Nalan Yanran's storm-like assault, he could only defend himself, with no chance to strike back.

Seeing Nalan Yanran gain the upper hand, Ge Ye gradually relaxed. Although Xiao Yan's defense was airtight, prolonged defense would inevitably lead to a mistake. His defeat was only a matter of time.

Would Xiao Yan really lose? Of course not! Though Nalan Yanran's attacks were impenetrable, Xiao Yan blocked them with ease. Even if she attacked for an entire day, she would not be able to harm him in the slightest. However, Xiao Yan had no intention of remaining on the defensive. After blocking another one of her attacks, he stomped fiercely against the ground, instantly widening the distance between them. He swung his left palm toward Nalan Yanran, and a fierce gust of force erupted from his palm, hurtling toward her.

"Cloud-Discharging Palm!"

Nalan Yanran sensed that Xiao Yan's attack was anything but ordinary. The longsword in her hand suddenly trembled at high speed, then began to move slowly. Every inch the sword moved left behind a sword-shaped afterimage that seemed almost tangible.

"Wind Spirit Splitting Sword!"

Damn! Why does Nalan Yanran's move look so much like that scene in The World's First where Guihai Yidao used his Tyrant Blade? Bah, bah, bah! If she's Yidao, wouldn't that make me Eunuch Cao? But this Cloud-Discharging Palm really does look like Eunuch Cao's move! No, it doesn't just look similar—it's exactly the same! Should I step back and recreate the scene? Xiao Yan thought to himself as he watched Nalan Yanran unleash the rather beautiful battle skill.

Xiao Yan did not retreat. Instead, Nalan Yanran was blasted back several steps. Blood spilled from the corner of her lips once again, and she dropped to one knee, supporting herself with her sword as pain covered her face.

Xiao Yan's Cloud-Discharging Palm had already reached the threshold of an Earth-tier battle skill. Nalan Yanran's battle skill was only Profound Rank mid-level, so naturally it could not compare to Xiao Yan's.

"You've lost," Xiao Yan said indifferently when Nalan Yanran failed to rise for a long while.

On the elevated platform to the left, Ge Ye let out a deep sigh, his expression incomparably grim.

"Ah... How am I supposed to explain this to the Sect Master when I return?" Ge Ye sighed deeply. He had already sensed that Xiao Yan was no ordinary opponent, but he had never expected him to be this powerful.

"Hmph! I haven't lost yet. I, Nalan Yanran, will not lose!" Nalan Yanran wiped the blood from her lips. Green Dou Qi enveloped her entire body as energy surged around her, sending rings of pale green ripples through her body. She raised her longsword and aimed it at Xiao Yan. Sunlight gathered upon the blade, and the sword body shone as brightly as the sun. As its energy reached its peak, the sunlight on the sword intensified again. Its sword aura eclipsed the sun itself, erupting with power as though descending from the heavens and sweeping toward Xiao Yan.

"Extreme Wind: Sun-Setting Splendor!"

"What? How can Yanran forcibly use that move? This is far too reckless! What was the Sect Master thinking, teaching Yanran this move so early? This is a battle skill that requires at least the strength of a Dou Master to barely perform! Forcibly using such a high-level battle skill will cause severe internal injuries, and if things go badly, it could even affect her future potential!" Ge Ye immediately grew worried when he saw Nalan Yanran use the Misty Cloud Sect's famed battle skill. Losing would only cost her face, but if her body were injured, it could affect her future potential.

At that moment, Xiao Zhan sensed the power of Nalan Yanran's move from the elevated platform, and his expression changed drastically as he began to worry about Xiao Yan.

So be it! If Yan'er cannot block this, I'll have no choice but to cast aside my old pride and stop this battle.

The intense light produced by "Extreme Wind: Sun-Setting Splendor" made it difficult for Xiao Yan to keep his eyes open, but he did not take it to heart.

Xiao Yan's hands slowly rose of their own accord, palms facing each other in a circle at about navel height. His left palm faced downward, his right palm upward, and his hands crossed into the shape of a yin-yang fish. Then his hands slowly separated to either side, tracing a flat circular arc.

As Xiao Yan continued his movements, a huge, slowly rotating taiji diagram finally formed before him. As the taiji diagram spun, the energy of heaven and earth crazily gathered toward it.

"Heavenly Shift!"

Xiao Yan only used the ordinary version of Heavenly Shift. He was afraid that the enhanced version would kill Nalan Yanran outright.

"What kind of battle skill is that now? Why is each of them more terrifying than the last? Are they really Dou Zhes? People would believe they were Great Dou Masters!"

"Move away!" the First Elder shouted from the platform. He had not expected two mere Dou Zhes to create such terrifying power. There were quite a few people below the platform who had not even reached the Dou Zhe level. If they were caught in the aftershock, would they not be crushed to pieces?

Hearing the First Elder's shout, the crowd quickly scattered outward. Watching a spectacle was one thing, but if they lost their lives, what would there be left to watch?

Xiao Zhan and Ge Ye looked down at the two on the stage, both tense and prepared to rescue them at any moment.

Under everyone's gaze, the sword light in the sky began to collide with the taiji diagram before Xiao Yan. Without any surprise, the sword aura was swallowed by the taiji diagram.

Just as everyone thought it was over, the taiji diagram flared brightly, and an even sharper sword aura swept toward Nalan Yanran.

Ge Ye could no longer remain seated. Nalan Yanran was already at the end of her strength; how could she possibly block such a terrifying attack? His figure flashed rapidly, and in an instant he appeared before Nalan Yanran. His hands curled sharply like eagle claws as green Dou Qi gathered within them, forming a thin sword aura. Though small, its power could not be underestimated.

The two sword auras collided, instantly producing a tremendous burst of energy that shook the surrounding air violently. The massive bluestone ground was blasted into a huge pit, and even the soil within was shattered in every direction.

With a flash, Xiao Zhan leaped in front of Xiao Yan and shielded him from the aftershock.

"We lost this battle," Ge Ye said with difficulty, uttering words that were hard to accept. After all, he had already intervened to help Nalan Yanran. It would have been indefensible if he still refused to admit defeat.

Ge Ye helped Nalan Yanran up. At this point, she had exhausted all her strength and could not even stand.

"Did Miss Nalan forget about the wager? You insulted someone, and now you want to let it end like this? How can there be such an easy bargain in this world?" Xiao Yan said when he saw Ge Ye intending to take Nalan Yanran away.

"Young man, forgive when you can. Don't take things too far," Ge Ye said.

"Hahaha! You came to the Xiao Clan to annul my engagement, and now that you've lost, you want to leave just like that. Yet you say I'm going too far? Who exactly is going too far?" Xiao Yan said with a cold laugh.

"Is your Xiao Clan certain it wants to oppose our Misty Cloud Sect?" Seeing that Xiao Yan would not let the matter rest, Ge Ye directly invoked the Misty Cloud Sect. However, those words were mainly directed at Xiao Zhan.

Sure enough, when Xiao Zhan heard the three words "Misty Cloud Sect," he sighed deeply and said helplessly to Xiao Yan, "Let it go, Yan'er!"