Outside Wutan City.
Ge Ye unleashed all his Dou Qi, his expression grave as he scanned the surroundings again and again!
Yet he still could not find whoever had spoken.
"Yanran, be careful!"
Apprehension showed on Ge Ye's face as he whispered, "Whoever this is, he's extremely skilled at concealing himself. I can't pinpoint his location. Don't stray too far from me!"
Nalan Yanran's beautiful face was wary, and inwardly, she was deeply shocked.
Although Ge Ye was only a Da Dou Shi, he was already one of the Misty Cloud Sect's outstanding members, a pillar among its younger and middle-aged generations.
What cultivation level would someone need to escape even his detection?!
Nalan Yanran was baffled.
Ge Ye kept watching their surroundings as he called out, "I am Ge Ye, an inner sect deacon of the Misty Cloud Sect. May I ask who you are? Would you come out so we can speak?"
"I know your Misty Cloud Sect has quite the reputation. No need to use it to pressure me."
Lin Dong's voice rang out again, accompanied by a faint chuckle. "It's precisely the Misty Cloud Sect I'm looking for!"
Ge Ye immediately looked toward the voice, but there was nothing there. His probing Dou Qi detected no sign of life either!
Ge Ye's heart sank, and his voice grew even more solemn. "My friend, if you're looking for our Misty Cloud Sect, we're right here. Why keep hiding?"
"Hiding?"
Lin Dong laughed. "I never intended to hide."
This time, the voice sounded even clearer to Ge Ye. He whipped his head around!
"How is that possible?!"
A figure had suddenly appeared barely half a meter behind him. Cold sweat poured down Ge Ye's body!
He had not sensed a thing?!
When exactly had this man approached?!
Countless questions raced through Ge Ye's mind as he hurriedly shielded Nalan Yanran behind him again.
"Hmm?"
Lin Dong had startled Nalan Yanran too. She studied him closely: sharp brows, star-bright eyes, a face as flawless as jade, and a profile with clean, chiseled lines. He looked like a young immortal descended to earth.
Only his left arm, hanging at his side and colored blackish-purple, looked rather strange.
"Who are you?!"
While Nalan Yanran thought Lin Dong was both handsome and strange, Ge Ye was astonished by his youth!
He had never imagined that he would fail to see through even a boy's concealment technique. How humiliating!
"Nalan Yanran?!"
Lin Dong looked past Ge Ye at Nalan Yanran behind him.
"You know me?"
A trace of curiosity flickered in Nalan Yanran's cool eyes. "Have we met?"
"I'm quite certain we've never met."
A smile curled at Lin Dong's lips. "But I know why you're here."
"You're going to the Xiao Clan in Wutan City to break off your engagement, aren't you?"
"What?!"
Nalan Yanran's eyes widened, and she blurted out, "How do you know?"
Ge Ye clenched his fists!
Very few people knew about this!
Even the sect elders might not know. How could he?!
Lin Dong did not care what either of them thought. He got straight to the point:
"Since you're breaking off the engagement, just hand the engagement document and compensation over to me."
"Go back where you came from."
"There's no need for you to enter Wutan City!"
"Why should we give them to you?"
Nalan Yanran instinctively raised her chin proudly. "Are you Xiao Yan?!"
"I'm not Xiao Yan."
Lin Dong shook his head. "But I'm his big brother."
"You're a member of the Xiao Clan?" Ge Ye asked.
"My name is Lin Dong."
Lin Dong answered calmly.
"If you're not from the Xiao Clan, why are you meddling?"
Nalan Yanran stared at Lin Dong with icy disdain.
Lin Dong ignored Nalan Yanran and turned to Ge Ye instead, his gaze cold:
"She's young and doesn't know better. I don't blame her."
"But as a deacon of the Misty Cloud Sect, you should know exactly what it means to march openly into someone's home and break off an engagement, and what consequences it will have!"
"I'm giving you one chance. Leave those things behind!"
"I guarantee the Xiao Clan will agree to end the engagement and won't trouble the Misty Cloud Sect again."
"Otherwise..."
At this point, Lin Dong's gaze turned vicious. He said coldly, "You'd better pray she always has a Dou Wang accompanying her whenever she leaves home!"
A threat!
A blatant threat!
Ge Ye had never imagined that a brat without even a trace of Dou Qi would threaten him.
Yet he had to admit that Lin Dong's concealment skills were truly exceptional!
He really could not detect Lin Dong.
"Why should I give them to you!"
A proud princess like Nalan Yanran had never suffered such disregard. Humiliation immediately turned to anger. "Fine, if you want me to hand them over, you'll have to take them from me!"
As she spoke, Nalan Yanran actually drew her sword!
"Yanran!"
Startled, Ge Ye hurried to cover her.
Rather than retreat, Lin Dong advanced straight toward the blade!
Sword light flashed!
Nalan Yanran twisted her wrist slightly, and her sword cut through the air, wrapped in pale green wind Dou Qi. It was the Misty Cloud Sect's Flowing Cloud Sword Style!
She unleashed the full power of her Three-Star Dou Zhe cultivation. The blade sliced through the air with a sharp, shrill whistle, aimed directly at Lin Dong's right shoulder!
Lin Dong's body did not sway. With a slight pivot of his foot, he slipped forward half a foot like a phantom, just evading the sword tip's sharpest edge.
His dangling left arm suddenly shuddered. Something like a powerful dragon seemed to writhe beneath its blackish-purple flesh!
Dense blue-black dragon scales spread along his forearm and instantly covered his entire hand. His five fingers lengthened into sharp dragon claws, their tips gleaming coldly as an ancient, untamed draconic might surged forth.
There was not the slightest fluctuation of Dou Qi throughout. This was purely the power of flesh and bloodline.
Clang!
The crash of metal against metal suddenly rang out.
Three fingers of his dragon claw clamped precisely onto the middle of the blade, locking it in place like iron pincers!
Nalan Yanran felt an irresistible force surge back along her sword. The web between her thumb and forefinger split instantly, warm blood dripping down the hilt. Her entire right arm went numb and weak, leaving her without a shred of strength.
The wind Dou Qi filling the blade seemed to have struck an impenetrable wall, dispersing without a trace in an instant.
"That's impossible!"
Nalan Yanran cried out involuntarily, her beautiful face paling.
That strike had carried the full strength of a Three-Star Dou Zhe. Even someone at the same level would not dare catch it barehanded!
This boy had not released a trace of Dou Qi. How could he possess such terrifying strength?
Gritting her teeth, she drove all her Dou Qi into an attempt to pull her sword free. But his dragon claw held the blade fast. No matter how hard she tried, it did not budge. Instead, the backlash sent the blood and energy within her churning.
Lin Dong lowered his eyes to the sword in his palm, his tone so flat it was almost indifferent. "Is this all the Misty Cloud Sect's swordsmanship amounts to?"
Before his words had faded, his dragon claw tightened slightly.
Crack!
Three distinct claw marks instantly sank deep into the refined-steel blade. It bent inward under his grip, groaning under the strain.
Ge Ye no longer dared hesitate. His Da Dou Shi-level Dou Qi erupted, inflating his gray robes like a balloon. Both fists, wrapped in dense earth Dou Qi, hurtled straight toward Lin Dong's temples.
He could tell that this boy was terrifying in close combat. Only by forcing him to let go could he keep Yanran safe.
But Lin Dong did not even turn his head.
He flicked his wrist, swinging the sword backward with his dragon claw.
Nalan Yanran felt a tremendous force wrench the sword uncontrollably from her hand and send it flying!
Whoosh!
Propelled by Lin Dong's immense strength, the sword shot toward Ge Ye like a meteor at blinding speed!
Even as a Da Dou Shi, Ge Ye did not dare take that attack head-on!
Meanwhile, Lin Dong reached out, pulled Nalan Yanran into his arms, and lifted her by the waist!
"You lecher! What are you doing?!"
It was the first time Nalan Yanran had been so close to a strange man. Her normally cool, beautiful face flushed scarlet with embarrassment as she scolded through gritted teeth, "Put me down right now!"
"Every one of you from the Misty Cloud Sect is far too arrogant and overbearing!"
Lin Dong held Nalan Yanran in an iron grip. "You need to be taught a lesson. You deserve a spanking!"
"You! What are you going to do?"
Noticing the ill intent in Lin Dong's gaze, Nalan Yanran immediately panicked.
Lin Dong chuckled without answering. Instead, he raised his palm high and brought it down hard!
Smack!
The crisp sound of a palm striking a flesh drum rang out!
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