Xiao Yan neither dodged nor retreated, holding the Heavy Xuan Ruler across his body.
The azure light struck the ruler with a sharp clang, sending sparks flying.
Xiao Yan pressed his wrist down, forcing the blade aside. At the same time, he drove his left fist forward, scorching Dou Qi gathering into a phantom fist aimed straight at Nalan Yanran's chest.
Nalan Yanran twisted sharply, narrowly avoiding the punch. The force of it swept past her shoulder and smashed a shallow crater into the bluestone ground behind her.
She used the momentum to spin, sweeping her longsword sideways and unleashing a crescent of azure Sword Qi.
"The Misty Cloud Sect's Dou Techniques amount to nothing more than this." Towering over her, Xiao Yan brought the Heavy Xuan Ruler down, sending a scorching wave of fire pouring down like a waterfall.
Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth and lifted her longsword, gathering her azure Dou Qi into a Wind Wall.
The wave of fire struck the Wind Wall and exploded with a thunderous roar, scorching blasts of air sweeping outward.
Nalan Yanran was knocked back several steps. The bluestone beneath her feet shattered, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
Yet her gaze remained sharp. With a flick of her longsword, a strange azure glow suddenly rippled across the blade, and a dazzling point of light gathered at its tip.
"Extreme Wind: Setting Sun Radiance!"
She thrust her sword forward, and the azure light surged, filling the sky like the last rays of the setting sun.
Fierce sword intent sliced through the air with a piercing shriek. Wherever the sword radiance passed, it plowed a deep furrow into the ground.
Xiao Yan's pupils contracted. Dou Qi circulated furiously within him as he held the Heavy Xuan Ruler