Slaying the Wei Brothers

When Xiao Yan rushed in front of Tall Wei, the man finally came to his senses. He raised both arms to block Xiao Yan's fiercely descending dagger, then leaped backward after stopping the blow. As he landed, Dou Qi flowed across his body, summoning his own Dou Qi Veil.

Seeing his opponent enter a combat stance, Xiao Yan felt somewhat regretful, though not overly disappointed. After all, if such a simple opening attack could kill someone, what had been the point of all his effort just now?

Xiao Yan's rescue plan revolved around two problems. First, there were two opponents, and both had higher cultivation than him. Xiao Yan feared neither of them one-on-one, but against two, he could not afford to be careless.

Second, because of Hu Jia, they knew exactly whom they had captured, and their guard against Canaan Academy was at its highest. A rash attack would only expose Xiao Yan's identity. If they held Hu Jia hostage then, even if he truly could fight two against one, he would not be able to save her.

So Xiao Yan put on a friendly appearance, using his identity as an alchemist to lower the two men's guard and win their favor.

He then successively threw out bait in the form of a Mystic Tier technique and his "self-destructing" identity, first provoking their hostility and then dispelling it. How could they possibly raise their guard again so quickly?

Afterward, he used the excuse of examining the technique to separate the two men. While all of one man's attention was drawn to the technique, Xiao Yan struck and cut off his neck.

He had even feared alerting them, so he had not dared use a Dou Technique for that attack and had relied on a dagger instead!

There was no helping it. A sneak attack was simple; the difficult part was figuring out how to pull one off. These men had struggled and survived in the Black-Corner Region. Xiao Yan could look down on their combat strength, but he would never underestimate their vigilance or reactions.

Just like that strike earlier, Tall Wei had also been ambushed by Xiao Yan. Yet with only two steps between them, Xiao Yan had merely gouged out a chunk of flesh. Though the wound looked horrifyingly bloody, Tall Wei still retained considerable combat power.

After picking up the fallen Flame Manipulation Formula and returning it to his storage ring, Xiao Yan also put away his dagger. He did not use weapons; in a real fight, he relied more on his fists.

Without wasting words, Xiao Yan leaped forward and began fighting Tall Wei. He had not forgotten that an unfathomable young sect master was on the way.

Tall Wei had only just managed to understand what had happened when Xiao Yan lunged at him again. He hurriedly struck back.

"You bastard! You're from Canaan Academy!"

Slap! The two exchanged palm strikes.

"You little bastard! You killed my brother! I'll make you pay with your lives!"

Thud! Caught off guard, he took a punch to the head.

"When our young sect master arrives, he'll skin you alive, tear apart your bones, cut off your limbs, and raise you as blood slaves to supply blood!"

Thump! Tall Wei took a kick to the chest and staggered back several steps before steadying himself.

Xiao Yan had never been in the habit of giving his opponents time to rest. He focused on overwhelming suppression, refusing to let up once he gained the upper hand. Still, there was room for some trash talk:

"Oh? You figured that out? How did you know we're from Canaan Academy?"

"This is all you've got? Your Dou Qi feels so weak. I'm starting to think all that effort we spent putting on a show for you was wasted."

"And stop calling him Young Sect Master every other word. Brother, did you forget? You're one of us at the Black Skull Tomb now!"

With every sentence Xiao Yan uttered, Tall Wei's face grew darker, and he found it increasingly difficult to hold on under Xiao Yan's attacks.

What Xiao Yan had said just now was not entirely trash talk. He had long learned from Wu Hao that the Blood Sect's techniques were famed for their sinister toxicity. They were easy to cultivate and quick to master, but when facing Yang-type Dou Qi like the fire attribute, they were naturally at a disadvantage.

After several exchanges, Tall Wei's Dou Qi had shrunk back badly. Xiao Yan's technique had always given him an advantage, with both the quality and quantity of his Dou Qi far surpassing those of others.

But when facing the Blood Sect's technique and Dou Qi, those advantages seemed to be amplified further. The opponent's Dou Qi was like snow falling into magma whenever it encountered Xiao Yan's, leaving it no choice but to melt away.

Though Tall Wei held the advantage in cultivation, he could not bring out his full strength against Xiao Yan. His attacks did nothing when they struck Xiao Yan's veil, while on his own side, even taking a single punch left the Dou Qi within his body turbulent for a long while.

The suppression of their Dou Qi attributes made him feel as though he were the one being crushed by a cultivation gap!

I can't wait any longer! Tall Wei had long abandoned any thought of revenge. Now, he only wanted to save his own life!

But Xiao Yan had already noticed his intentions. Though he had never killed anyone while following Wu Protector, he had heard plenty of theory.

With that in mind, Xiao Yan deliberately exposed an opening while secretly circulating his Dou Technique...

Tall Wei desperately counterattacked and actually landed a kick on Xiao Yan, finally forcing him back. He hurriedly seized the chance to activate a life-saving Dou Technique. As long as he got this move off, he could escape even if he had to take Xiao Yan's next attack head-on.

"Blood Shadow Substi—"

"Flame Sky Cleave!"

Who could have expected that Xiao Yan had deliberately retreated a step? The next instant, he leaped up and chopped down with a palm strike. He had actually used a Dou Technique. Tall Wei's technique had not yet activated, leaving him no choice but to hurriedly stop and block Xiao Yan's attack.

But Flame Sky Cleave boosted the power of Xiao Yan's Dou Qi by several more degrees. How could Tall Wei, blocking in such haste, possibly withstand it?

"Aah!"

A scream rang out, then abruptly cut off. Xiao Yan's palm crashed down viciously, shattering Tall Wei's arm bones before striking hard against his neck. Fire-attribute Dou Qi exploded wildly, instantly cutting off Tall Wei's breath.

"Whew. I really wasn't skilled enough the first time. Wu Protector said that if you sell an opening well enough, you can exploit the opponent's urgency to use a Dou Technique and attack in the instant when they can't move."

Having killed two men in an instant, Xiao Yan glanced around the wrecked room and did not linger. He flipped through the window Wu Hao had smashed and jumped down.

Wu Hao was still waiting downstairs with Hu Jia's sack in his arms. A large crowd had gathered around them, pointing and whispering, but no one dared approach. The sounds of battle earlier had been loud. Anyone with half a brain would not want to get involved in anything related to the Blood Sect.

When Xiao Yan jumped down, everyone retreated together. A Dou Master was already considered high-level fighting power in this small town, let alone one who had defeated Blood Sect Dou Masters.

Xiao Yan gave a hoarse laugh. "What is it, everyone? Do you want to get involved in the grudge between our Black Skull Tomb and the Blood Sect?"

At those words, the crowd scattered like frightened birds and beasts. Not one of them even dared cast another glance their way.

What a joke. Who could afford to offend either of those two great powers? These small fry still wanted to live happily for a few more years!

After frightening off the bystanders, Xiao Yan signaled Wu Hao to carry Hu Jia on his back. They left the town and headed straight for Canaan.

Once they had traveled far enough along the mountain road, Wu Hao spoke only after deciding they were unlikely to encounter anyone. "We can let her out now."

They had not opened the sack earlier for fear of unexpected complications. Now, at last, she could get some air.

Xiao Yan and Wu Hao untied the mouth of the sack and revealed the person inside. It truly was Hu Jia! She did not look good at all right now. Her face and exposed arms were covered in bruises, and it was easy to imagine that the rest of her body was no better. Tear tracks streaked her face, which was filled with exhaustion. Yet she was actually awake, saying nothing as she kept staring at the two of them.

Xiao Yan recalled his first encounter with Hu Jia. He had seen her crying then too, though he could not quite remember why she had cried at the time. It seemed she had been beaten then as well?

But Xiao Yan suddenly realized that Hu Jia's gaze somewhat resembled the way she had looked that day after being beaten by him... after being beaten by someone else.

Hu Jia's eyes initially held hostility and hatred. Then, after clearly seeing the two of them, she froze. Her voice trembled with both hope and disbelief as she asked, "Y-you... who are you?"

Only then did Xiao Yan and Wu Hao suddenly understand. With their faces concealed and their voices hoarse, Hu Jia, after suffering such a calamity, had failed to recognize them at first.

The two removed their face coverings. Seeing their faces, Hu Jia finally confirmed the impossible hope she had not dared believe in!

She had thought she was merely being fought over again. After all, she had heard everything clearly from inside the sack and believed that people from the Black Skull Tomb had truly seized her.

She had never expected it to be these two!

Having escaped disaster, Hu Jia found herself unable to speak for a time. Then she suddenly hugged Xiao Yan and Wu Hao, who had leaned close before her, and burst into loud sobs.

Xiao Yan and Wu Hao could understand Hu Jia's feelings. After she calmed down somewhat, Xiao Yan asked about her injuries. Once he understood the situation, he took out several medicinal pills and fed them to her.

"Luckily, they aren't serious injuries. Take these first, and you'll feel better. Once we get back to the academy, the rest won't be a problem."

Hu Jia obediently swallowed the pills. After discussing it, the three decided that Xiao Yan and Wu Hao would continue concealing their faces, while Hu Jia hid in the sack and let Wu Hao carry her. Xiao Yan needed to be ready for battle at any moment. Still, this was only a precaution. At least in this area, hardly anyone would provoke a Dou Master for no reason.

There was no need for a trial now, so Xiao Yan no longer concealed his cultivation. He used his aura to frighten off any passersby they encountered. Hu Jia lay on Wu Hao's back and asked how they had come to save her, but before long, she gradually fell asleep. Naturally, Xiao Yan and Wu Hao did not wake her, silently quickening their pace home.

After traveling for half an hour, while the two were still running with their heads down, a voice sounded beside their ears:

"Two friends from the Black Skull Tomb, where are you taking my Blood Sect's spoils of war?"

Xiao Yan's heart sank. Despite hurrying as fast as they could, they had still run into this man! Slowly turning around, he saw a young man in his early twenties. He wore clothes obviously of the same style as the Wei Brothers', though far more refined. His features could have been called heroic, but combined with his deathly pale complexion and the viciousness in his eyes, he only seemed dangerous.

The openly displayed strength of a Nine-Star Dou Master made Xiao Yan frown deeply. But what made his pupils contract even more were the two old men attending the youth. Their auras far surpassed even Xiao Yan's father.

At the very least, they were high-level Great Dou Masters. Perhaps even Dou Spirits...

Xiao Yan forced himself to stall for time. There was no way he could win this fight! He could only try to negotiate. "You must be the Blood Sect's young sect master. I've long heard of your great name. I never expected to meet you today. It is an honor, truly an honor!"

The man watched Xiao Yan's clumsy performance with amusement, but he had no intention of giving Xiao Yan time to delay.

"There's no need for all that honor. Once you arrive at our sect and become a blood slave, we'll have plenty of time to enjoy one another's company. Take them away!"

At his command, the two men beside him practically vanished in an instant. Xiao Yan knew full well they were coming for him, but he could not catch even the slightest trace of them. Forget resisting—he could not even find his opponents!

Clang!

After a sharp ring, a figure wielding a blade stood before Xiao Yan and the others. The two Blood Sect men had actually been forced back.

"Wu Protector!" "Instructor Wu!"

The newcomer was none other than Wu Protector. The moment Xiao Yan saw him, he understood. If Wu Protector did not possess some miraculous talent for showing up at the perfect moment, then he had been following Xiao Yan and Wu Hao all along, ensuring their safety.

Still, Xiao Yan could not help grumbling inwardly: Wu Protector, aren't you taking this trial a little too seriously? Even at a time like this, you were still thinking about the trial! If you had stepped in earlier and saved Hu Jia, they might already be back at the academy!

However, Xiao Yan had misunderstood. Wu Protector had indeed been following them, but he had always maintained a distance and thus did not know that the two had confirmed Hu Jia was inside the sack. He had even been confused when Xiao Yan let the target go.

Only after seeing Hu Jia's face inside the sack did he belatedly understand the whole situation. But even then, he had not known that the Blood Sect's young sect master was lurking nearby.

"Two low-star Dou Spirits. I can handle them." Hearing Wu Protector's words, Xiao Yan and Wu Hao both relaxed. But Wu Protector's next sentence woke them up.

"Don't let your guard down! Look carefully!"

At those words, Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward the three people opposite them and quickly noticed something was wrong. Although Wu Protector had stopped them, there was not a trace of unease or anger on their faces.

If they were not merely pretending to be calm, then...

"Ah, if not for that little girl being able to bring me a Dou Emperor helper, this old man truly would not have had the face to act personally!"

A voice drifted down leisurely from the sky. Wu Protector's already unpleasant expression turned even more livid. He spoke the name one word at a time:

"Blood Sect... Fan Lao!"