The Misty Cloud Sect? How Many Dou Sheng Do You Have?

The aura of a Five-Star Dou Zhe instantly overwhelmed Nalan Yanran's Three-Star Dou Zhe aura.

Everyone from the Misty Cloud Sect was startled by Xiao Yan's sudden rise, especially Chu Hong, who had accompanied Nalan Yanran. He sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

Wasn't this trash Xiao Yan supposed to be only at the Third Stage of Dou Qi? How had he become a Five-Star Dou Zhe?

Who the hell was spreading rumors?

Chu Hong had thought that, by accompanying Senior Sister Nalan this time, he might get to trample that trash Xiao Yan a little and show off in front of her. But now, did Xiao Yan look like someone he could trample?

Every day at the Misty Cloud Sect, Chu Hong's father, a Misty Cloud Sect Elder, stuffed him with staggering amounts of resources. Yet at sixteen, all that feeding had only brought him to the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi.

This brat from the Xiao Clan was already a Five-Star Dou Zhe. Chu Hong laughed in exasperation. So he'd just gone straight to cheating, huh?

Ge Ye's face darkened. Their information was wrong. Had Xiao Yan never lost his abilities at all?

Nalan Yanran had not expected this either. Xiao Yan, who was rumored to have lost his talent and become trash, had regained his talent-and was even stronger than he had been three years ago.

Now it was their turn to be humiliated.

Xiao Yan took a step forward, bearing down on Nalan Yanran with an imposing air.

"Nalan Yanran, do you dare accept today's challenge?"

Xiao Yan was seething with rage. Although he knew few Dou Techniques at the moment, if Nalan Yanran dared to fight, so would he. Even if he had to throw a wild flurry of punches, he would beat the old master to death.

Now it was Nalan Yanran's turn to hesitate.

Xiao Yan actually hasn't lost his abilities. His Five-Star Dou Zhe cultivation is even higher than mine. Though I'm confident I can fight him, if I lose, I'll be thoroughly humiliated...

Ge Ye also sent her a voice transmission. "Yanran, think carefully. We don't know the depth of Xiao Yan's strength now, and his realm is higher than yours. If you lose, the entire Misty Cloud Sect will be implicated."

Nalan Yanran could afford to lose face, but the Misty Cloud Sect could not. Either she needed absolute confidence in victory, or she could not accept the fight. If word spread that the Misty Cloud Sect Master's personal disciple had lost to a Xiao Clan brat, how could the sect maintain its standing in the Jia Ma Empire?

Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth. In the end, she backed down.

Looking at Xiao Yan, now a Five-Star Dou Zhe, Nalan Yanran said, "Xiao Yan, I never imagined you'd hidden yourself so well. A Five-Star Dou Zhe. Fine, fine, fine. You've truly made me see you in a new light."

"But I didn't come here today to arrange a duel, and I'm not sufficiently prepared. If you want to fight, fine. Come to the Misty Cloud Sect in a month. I'll be waiting for you there."

After discussing it through voice transmissions, Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye still felt that she could not fight Xiao Yan right now. There was a risk of losing, and the price of defeat was far too high.

With a month's delay, Nalan Yanran could return to the Misty Cloud Sect and have the Misty Cloud Sect Master teach her its exclusive signature technique, Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill.

Once she learned that devastating move, defeating Xiao Yan across the gap in their levels would be effortless.

There was no need to take that risk now. A month later would not be too late.

Xiao Yan had not expected this woman to back down. She had been so overbearing just moments ago, and now she had chickened out?

It seemed Nalan Yanran was nothing more than a paper tiger.

Xiao Yan said, "Fine. In a month, I'll come find you at the Misty Cloud Sect."

Actually, it was a good thing that Nalan Yanran had chickened out today. For Xiao Yan, fighting her right now would still have been too risky. His anger had flared up earlier, and he had acted impulsively.

Although Xiao Yan's realm had risen, his actual strength was still lacking. After all, he had yet to properly cultivate any combat Dou Techniques.

If Nalan Yanran fought him now, he would definitely have no advantage. But in a month, that would be another matter.

After all, Xiao Yan had taken only three days to advance in one stretch from the Third Stage of Dou Qi to a Three-Star Dou Zhe.

In a month... with Ancestor Xiao Xuan, pill support from the eighth-tier alchemist Yao Lao, the Xiao Clan Inherited Technique, and the boost from his dou di bloodline, who knew how far Xiao Yan's strength would soar?

Nalan Yanran herself had proposed delaying it by a month. Xiao Yan could not have wished for anything better.

Seeing that both had agreed, each side inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterward, Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye prepared to take their leave.

The whole affair had left both sides deeply unhappy. When Nalan Yanran, Ge Ye, and the other Misty Cloud Sect members left, no one from the Xiao Clan offered to see them out.

Just as they were about to leave, Xiao Xuan, who had been watching all along, spoke.

"Wait. Take the junk you brought along with you. Remember this: the Xiao Clan does not accept junk."

First, Gu Yuan had brought the Xiao Clan a pile of junk he had dug up from who knew where. That old grievance was already there.

Now Nalan Yanran had brought this worthless Qi Gathering Powder to humiliate the Xiao Clan. With a new grudge piled atop the old one, Xiao Xuan was particularly sensitive about the matter.

With that, Xiao Xuan flicked out a wisp of his aura. The pill of Qi Gathering Powder Nalan Yanran had taken out earlier shot away like an arrow and struck Ge Ye.

Ge Ye spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying straight out of the Xiao Clan's reception hall.

A single wisp of Xiao Xuan's aura had gravely wounded Ge Ye, instantly leaving him half-dead.

Xiao Xuan continued, "Also, I never said you could walk out through those doors upright."

Nalan Yanran was a child, so Xiao Xuan would not hold her actions against her.

But Ge Ye was an adult, and adults had to take responsibility for their actions.

Xiao Xuan would never watch an adult humiliate the Xiao Clan so smoothly and then leave completely unscathed.

He could walk in upright, but he would have to fly on his way out.

Nalan Yanran cried out, "Elder Ge!"

She went to check Ge Ye's injuries and found that he was severely wounded. After taking Xiao Xuan's blow, he was now drawing breath in but letting none out.

Frantic, Nalan Yanran hurriedly took out lifesaving pills refined by Gu He and fed them to Ge Ye. Only after seven or eight pills in succession did she manage to keep his life hanging by a thread.

Nalan Yanran glared at Xiao Xuan. "Senior, whatever else we may be, we're still guests of the Xiao Clan. You attacked a guest, and you're a senior bullying a junior at that. Isn't that going too far?"

Xiao Xuan said, "If you'd come as guests, the Xiao Clan would naturally welcome you. Unfortunately, that isn't what you came for today. Not only are you not guests, you're enemies of the Xiao Clan. What's wrong with me attacking an enemy?

"And to put it bluntly, do you really think the likes of you are qualified to be guests of the Xiao Clan?"

Xiao Xuan was not speaking nonsense. To be a guest of the Xiao Clan whom he would take seriously, one would need to be at least a Dou Sheng, surely? Were the likes of them even worthy?

Xiao Xuan said, "Besides, I already said this earlier. Since he had the guts to bring people to the Xiao Clan to break off an engagement, he should have prepared himself for the consequences. Do you think I, Xiao Xuan, only record debts and never settle them?

"I already showed mercy. If I truly wanted to kill a mere Da Dou Shi like him, how many lives would he have to spare?"

Xiao Xuan had already shown mercy. If he truly wanted to kill Ge Ye, why would he need to act? A single wisp of his aura would have killed him. Leaving him half-alive was merciful enough.

Nalan Yanran demanded furiously, "Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Misty Cloud Sect?"

"..."

For a moment, Xiao Xuan was speechless.

"The Misty Cloud Sect? How many Dou Sheng do you have?"

How many Dou Sheng did they have, to be talking about retaliating against him? Were they drunk?

Xiao Xuan was ready to accept their retaliation at any time, but they had better remember to bring a few more Dou Sheng. Too few would not be enough for him to kill.

Nalan Yanran snapped, "You!"