Xiao Wanqing, the Postponed Fifth Battle

"Stop. Today, I'm protecting Xiao Yan's life. If anyone wants to lay a hand on Xiao Yan, they'll have to get past me first." Xiao Yuting rose and walked to Xiao Yan's side, her tone utterly unyielding.

"Yuting, Xiao Yan decided on this match himself. Since that is the case, he must abide by the rules. Besides, won't doing this make him think you're merely using him? And he might not even be able to do it. You should know that your sister..." Xiao Ming had not finished speaking before he was interrupted.

"Take your people and leave now. I can pretend what just happened never occurred. Otherwise, even if my sister scolds me for it, I'll still take one of his hands." Xiao Yuting said coldly.

"Yuting, how many times have I told you? If you keep being this overbearing and unreasonable, then don't go there anymore. Stay obediently in the Xiao Clan." A gentle female voice drifted in as more than a dozen people entered from outside. At their head was a woman dressed in white, as light as gauze, seeming to stand amid mist and smoke. Beneath her cascade of black hair was a face of exquisite, transcendent beauty. A faint smile rested on her face, giving others a sense of warmth and familiarity. The people behind her were all dressed in splendid robes, yet compared to those who had been in the courtyard, they possessed far less arrogance.

"Wanqing, you finally came! I have good news for you—I found the person we've been looking for." Hearing that voice, Xiao Yuting did not become angry. Instead, she hurried to the woman's side, hugged her arm, and spoke excitedly.

The woman's jade-like hand trembled slightly, but she quickly calmed herself. Tenderly stroking Xiao Yuting's head, she said, "Stop picking pleasant words to make your sister happy. It has been more than a year. I'm already used to it. It's you who insisted on turning yourself into a witch. Your sister truly doesn't blame you."

Xiao Yuting shook her head helplessly. "The moment I set foot on this road, I understood what lay ahead for me. But you're different, Sister. Whether in talent or ability, you stand at the very peak. You are the one in the Lineage most likely to step into the realm of a Battle Immortal."

Xiao Wanqing did not continue the subject. She glanced over the utterly ravaged grounds, her gaze lingering briefly on Xiao Yan, Huang Lin, and the others before turning to Xiao Ming's group. "Is it over?"

Xiao Ming's face shifted from green to white. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "Not yet. This Xiao Yan from the Battle Qi Continent has not finished his match. He personally promised to challenge the five of us alone. The match is not over yet."

Xiao Yuting turned to Xiao Ming. "Xiao Ming, don't go too far." Then she said to Xiao Wanqing, "Sister, it's him. Xiao Yan possesses an Otherworldly Flame. Although it cannot compare to Heavenly Fire, it is far stronger than those Beast Fires. I also personally verified that it can remove the poison within my body. Perhaps it can even help Sister..."

Xiao Wanqing cut Xiao Yuting off and looked toward Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan was now extremely weak. Standing there, he looked as though even a faint breeze could blow him over. For a newly advanced Dou Emperor to endure this long was enough to show that his talent was extraordinary.

"Since Xiao Yan can no longer fight, today's match ends here." Xiao Wanqing addressed Xiao Ming and the others.

"Wanqing, how will we explain this if word reaches the Xiao Clan's Elder Hall? Besides, if the Fifth Match is not fought, Xiao Yan's own credibility will be hard to preserve." Xiao Ming wore an expression as though he were thinking on Xiao Yan's behalf.

"I'll explain things to the Elder Hall. As for the Fifth Match, I never said it would not be fought. I merely said Xiao Yan's match would be postponed. You only said that Xiao Yan had to defeat the five of you; you never specified a time or date. Nor did you state that Xiao Yan had to defeat all five of you in one breath." Xiao Wanqing smiled at Xiao Ming. Her words left Xiao Ming and the others speechless.

"Wanqing truly deserves her title as the Xiao Clan's foremost gifted lady. But when does Wanqing think this Fifth Match should be fought? And whom should we send into battle to safeguard the dignity of our Heavenly Spirit Continent?" Xiao Ming asked unwillingly.

"Chapter Nine: Xiao Wanqing, the Postponed Fifth Battle"

"As long as he agrees to join our Heavenly Spirit Continent, it will be enough. Then, whether he wins or loses the Fifth Match will no longer matter," Xiao Wanqing said.

"But does Wanqing know what his condition is?" Xiao Ming deliberately did not reveal it. Ever since Xiao Wanqing had arrived, he had been suppressed at every turn. Now, he had finally seized the initiative. As long as Xiao Wanqing agreed to hold the match now, he was completely certain he could kill Xiao Yan. Yet his wishful calculations were still wrong. As the Xiao Clan's foremost gifted lady, if Xiao Wanqing could be defeated so easily, how could she continue to remain in the Xiao Clan? Xiao Wanqing was no longer the Xiao Wanqing of old. It could be said that, aside from being a descendant of the clan leader, the reason her position in the Xiao Clan was now so high was her intelligence and wisdom.

"The condition can be changed. A person only has one life. Once he understands the situation he is in here, he will naturally make a wise choice. Enough. Their injuries are serious. By the old rules, take your people back to the Xiao Clan first. Xiao Tong, lead half the Dragon-Phoenix Army and escort them." Xiao Wanqing spoke to someone behind her.

"Yes, Miss." One person led a group over to the people in splendid robes.

"Wanqing, how about this? I won't make things difficult for him. Ten years from now, during the clan-entry test, there will be a trial in which one challenges a member of the Xiao Clan. I'll place this match ten years from now. At that time, I will personally fight." Xiao Ming offered his proposal.

"We should still hear Xiao Yan's own opinion," Xiao Wanqing said.

"He will agree, and he has no right to choose. I have already allowed him to live another ten years. During these ten years, I will instruct them not to deliberately seek trouble with Xiao Yan. Otherwise, even if nothing happens to him today, people in the Xiao Clan will keep coming to trouble him. For so many years, the dignity of the Heavenly Spirit Continent has never been trampled like this." Xiao Ming said.

"Very well." Xiao Wanqing agreed.

Xiao Ming led the group in splendid robes away. Naturally, they also took the unconscious people with them, including the two men Xiao Yan had captured. Huang Lin and the others were not in much better condition than Xiao Yan at that moment. They could only watch helplessly as those people were taken away.

Only then did Xiao Wanqing turn her gaze toward Xiao Yan and the others. "I know you have many questions. I will answer them one by one. But before that, take these pills." Xiao Wanqing's voice was exceptionally pleasant, like a spring breeze brushing over one's face. She stepped forward and placed the pills in their hands. Meanwhile, Xiao Yuting went to Xiao Yan's side and helped him sit down with the utmost care. Xiao Yan was now her only hope. She did not want the flame of hope to be extinguished again.

At that moment, someone looked at Xiao Wanqing and said, "You should be one of the nobles they spoke of as well. Sorry, but we people from remote continents cannot accept such generosity." After saying that, he directly threw away the pill in his hand. They were filled with hostility toward this group of nobles today and did not wish to accept anything from them.

After hesitating for a while, the other three also threw away the pills in their hands. One of them even struck Xiao Wanqing with his pill. Only Huang Lin said nothing and silently swallowed his pill. His body gradually began to recover.

Xiao Wanqing was no stranger to this scene. She smiled and said, "You wish to know why you are members of my Xiao Clan despite not bearing the surname Xiao, why members of the same Lineage, all from lower planes, must slaughter one another, and why you will undergo a clan-entry test ten years from now, do you not? I will tell you now."