The soft sound of the heavy sword sliding into its sheath rang especially clear across the silent White Jade Square, like a muffled toll of a bell striking every heart. Nalan Yanran stood frozen, the fingers gripping her longsword trembling slightly, her fingertips leaving damp marks on its cold sheath. She could feel the gazes coming from every direction-some sympathetic, some regretful, but far more filled with the amusement of spectators enjoying a spectacle. As the young sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, she had never been so humiliated.
Three years earlier, at the Xiao Clan in Wutan City, she had slapped the engagement annulment onto the table with an air of superiority, watching the boy half a head shorter than her press his lips tightly together, his knuckles whitening from the force of his grip. Back then, Xiao Yan's gaze had been stubborn yet immature, and the fluctuations of his Three-Stage Dou Qi had been utterly helpless before a Da Dou Shi like her. But now, the boy she had once scorned had shattered the Dou Technique she had spent years perfecting with a single sword strike, his Dou Ling aura as steady as the rocks of the Jia Nan Mountains.
"No... this is impossible." Nalan Yanran muttered to herself as darkness swam before her eyes. She could feel how Xiao Yan's sword tip had come within an inch of her throat, only to deliberately veer away from that vital spot. His mercy felt like an invisible slap striking her hard across the face. Quiet murmurs drifted from the edge of the square, burrowing into her ears like fine needles.
"The young sect master actually lost?"
"Xiao Yan looks so young. Who would have thought he was a Dou Ling expert!"
"He only had Three-Stage Dou Qi three years ago. That cultivation speed is terrifying..."
The murmurs grew louder, and Nalan Yanran's cheeks burned fiercely. Instinctively, she looked toward the viewing platform, hoping to find support from the elders, only to meet Grand Elder Yun Leng's icy gaze. Elder Yun Leng wore a dark green brocade robe, his hair and beard meticulously groomed. His expression was grim as he tapped his knuckles lightly against his armrest, each measured sound seeming to strike straight at the heart.
Clang! Elder Yun Leng suddenly slapped the armrest and rose. Tall and imposing, he looked down over the square, the oppressive might of a Dou Wang expert descending like black clouds and making everyone instinctively hold their breath. "Silence!" His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority. The square instantly fell so quiet that not even a crow or sparrow could be heard.
His gaze swept slowly across the crowd before settling on Xiao Yan, like a hawk locking onto its prey. "Xiao Yan, do you acknowledge your guilt?" Xiao Yan frowned slightly and cupped his hands. "You are mistaken, Elder. I won the match through my own strength. What crime have I committed?" Yun Leng sneered and flicked his sleeve. A yellowed silk scroll flew out and pinned itself to the stone stele in the center of the square with a sharp smack.
The silk scroll unfurled. Its writing was twisted and obscure, but the general meaning could still be made out. Spectators crowded forward to examine it, and cries of surprise soon rose among them. "It says Xiao Yan is a spy for the Soul Hall!" "It also says he practices sinister arts and murders his fellow disciples!" "No wonder he improved so quickly. He's been following crooked paths!"
A fierce glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. "Utter nonsense! This is clearly fabricated evidence!" The Dou Qi within him began to surge restlessly, and the Mysterious Yellow Flame flickered faintly in his palm, its golden light illuminating his eyes. "As the sect's grand elder, you should set an example. How can you slander someone based on a single forged silk scroll?"
Yun Leng's expression darkened. Dou Qi churned around him, and his dark green sleeves billowed without wind. "Insolence! If I say you are guilty, then you are guilty! The Spirit Gatherer Association sent a confidential report stating that you have close ties with the remnants of the Purifying Spirit Hall, which has long since become a vassal of the Soul Hall! You approached Yanran for the sole purpose of stealing our Misty Cloud Sect's secret arts!"
"The Purifying Spirit Hall is a righteous force resisting the Otherworldly Demons!" Xiao Yan stepped forward, unleashing his Dou Ling aura without restraint. "Grand Elder, you spew such vicious slander. Are you afraid I'll expose the Misty Cloud Sect's secret collusion with the Soul Hall?" Those words struck like a thunderclap, sending the entire crowd into an uproar. Yun Leng's face turned livid with rage, and the hand he pointed at Xiao Yan shook incessantly. "Rebellion! Rebellion! You dare slander the Misty Cloud Sect!"
He spun around and barked at the Misty Cloud Sect disciples, "Guards! Seize this Soul Hall spy! If he resists, kill him without mercy!" Hundreds of disciples surrounding the square immediately drew their blades. Blue-green Dou Qi flared in unison as they surged toward Xiao Yan like a tide. Blades and swords flashed in the sunlight, murderous intent seething.
Nalan Yanran's heart clenched. She instinctively started forward to stop them, only for the Law Enforcement Elder beside her to catch her arm. "Young sect master, this is the grand elder's decision. You must not interfere." The Law Enforcement Elder spoke quietly, but the warning in the elder's eyes was unmistakable. Nalan Yanran looked at her fellow disciples closing in, then at Xiao Yan surrounded in the center, her heart in turmoil. She knew Xiao Yan was no spy, but the grand elder's authority and the fabricated evidence left her wavering.
"Get out of my way!" Xiao Yan drew his heavy sword again, his Dou Ling Dou Qi condensing into a golden barrier. The Mysterious Yellow Flame flowed along the blade, forming a wall of fire before him. Several disciples at the front were scorched and staggered back screaming, fierce flames blazing across their robes. Yet more disciples kept pouring forward, surrounding him on every side with an impenetrable storm of blades and swords.
"You're courting death!" Killing intent flashed in Yun Leng's eyes. He signaled to the elders beside him. "What are you waiting for? Attack together and seize this spy!" The four elders exchanged glances. Though somewhat hesitant, they still rose and joined the battle. Four Peak Dou Ling experts attacked at once, their blue-green Dou Qi taking the forms of enormous dragons, wind blades, and icicles that struck at Xiao Yan from every direction.
The pressure on Xiao Yan surged. He wielded his heavy sword in an impenetrable flurry, weaving golden flames and Dou Qi into a net that barely held off the attacks. But the combined assault of four Peak Dou Ling experts was too fierce. Before long, he was scrambling to defend one side only to leave another exposed. A wind blade slashed his arm, and blood instantly stained his sleeve red.
"Xiao Yan!" Nalan Yanran could bear it no longer. She broke free of the Law Enforcement Elder's grip and rushed out, swinging her longsword as she placed herself before Xiao Yan. "Stop! You're not allowed to hurt him!" Every attack came to an abrupt halt. Disciples and elders alike stared at her in astonishment. Yun Leng roared, "Yanran! Have you lost your mind? He's a Soul Hall spy!"
"He is not!" Nalan Yanran stood in front of Xiao Yan, her white robes snapping in the wind. "Grand Elder, sentencing him to death on fabricated evidence violates every rule!" Yun Leng trembled all over with rage. "You... you've been bewitched by this spy! Move aside at once, or don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Nalan Yanran gripped her longsword tightly, her fingertips whitening with the force. "Unless I die, no one is laying a hand on him!" She could feel Xiao Yan's gaze on her back, complicated and heavy. The scene of her breaking their engagement three years earlier flashed through her mind. Back then, she had been proud and conceited, never imagining that one day she would stand before the boy she despised to protect him.
Xiao Yan looked at the slender figure shielding him, a jumble of emotions stirring in his heart. He gently patted Nalan Yanran's shoulder. "Thank you, but there's no need." Nalan Yanran turned in surprise, only to see his aura begin changing drastically. His Dou Ling fluctuations exploded in an instant, like a powder keg set alight!
Whooom- Golden Dou Qi shot into the sky, condensing in midair into the enormous phantom of a flaming lion. The oppressive might of a Six-Star Dou Wang swept across the square like a tsunami! The four elders who had been besieging him moments earlier paled dramatically and stumbled backward under the force, blood seeping from the corners of their mouths. The disciples at the front were sent flying with screams, leaving the square in utter chaos.
"A... a Six-Star Dou Wang?!" Yun Leng cried out involuntarily. Every trace of composure vanished from his face, replaced by incredulous shock. In all his long years, he had never seen such a young Dou Wang expert, much less a Six-Star Dou Wang! The other elders on the viewing platform also rose to their feet, staring at Xiao Yan in stunned disbelief, as though seeing him for the first time.
A deathly silence fell over the square. Everyone was dumbstruck by the sudden turn of events. The spectators who had just been discussing Xiao Yan's sinister cultivation now stood with their mouths wide open, unable to utter a word. Those martial practitioners who had mocked him lowered their heads in shame, not daring to meet his eyes.
Nalan Yanran stared blankly at Xiao Yan, feeling as though an invisible hand had clenched tightly around her heart. She had always believed herself a favored daughter of heaven. Having broken through to Da Dou Shi at fifteen, she had been hailed as a genius seen only once in a century within the Misty Cloud Sect. Yet Xiao Yan, standing before her, was several years younger and already a Six-Star Dou Wang! In three years, he had not merely caught up with her-he had left her far behind.
"So... you were hiding your strength all along." Nalan Yanran's voice trembled, and tears welled up beyond her control. She remembered the engagement annulment from three years earlier, the cruel words she had spoken, and her smug satisfaction during their match just now. Regret gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake. She had always believed she was pursuing greater strength and higher status, yet with her own hands, she had pushed away someone truly worth cherishing.
Ignoring everyone's shock, Xiao Yan turned a blade-sharp gaze on Yun Leng. "Grand Elder, do you still think I need sinister arts to improve my strength?" Yun Leng's face alternated between livid and pale. His lips quivered, but no words emerged. The oppressive might of a Six-Star Dou Wang locked firmly onto him, making even breathing difficult.
"You... you..." Yun Leng pointed a trembling finger at Xiao Yan, unable to form a complete sentence. His carefully planned scheme had been utterly shattered. Not only had he failed to eliminate Xiao Yan, he had dragged the Misty Cloud Sect's reputation through the dirt. The surrounding disciples' gazes pricked him like needles, leaving him wishing the ground would swallow him.
Xiao Yan stepped forward, his Six-Star Dou Wang aura swelling even further. "As the foremost sect in the Jia Ma Empire, the Misty Cloud Sect slanders people without determining right from wrong and fabricates charges after losing a match. Is this how a great sect conducts itself?" His voice echoed across the square, every word piercing straight to the heart.
Several elders on the viewing platform rose with strained expressions, hastening to smooth things over. "Please calm your anger, young friend Xiao Yan. The grand elder suffered a momentary lapse in judgment and misunderstood you." "This is purely a misunderstanding. We will investigate thoroughly and ensure you receive justice." Their manner was respectful, with none of their earlier arrogance remaining.
Xiao Yan snorted coldly and swept his gaze across the crowd. "For the sake of Young Sect Master Nalan and Elder Gu He, I'll let this pass for now. But I, Xiao Yan, will remember this debt!" He turned toward Nalan Yanran, his gaze calm and undisturbed. There was no hatred, no resentment, yet it hurt her more deeply than any accusation could have.
"Until we meet again." Leaving those words behind, Xiao Yan unfurled his Azure Luan Wings. The wings, interwoven with gold and blue-green, gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. With a push of his toes, he shot into the sky like an arrow loosed from its bow, vanishing into the clouds and mist of the Jia Nan Mountains in the blink of an eye.
Only after Xiao Yan had vanished completely did the people in the square stir as though waking from a dream. Yun Leng slumped into his chair, his face ashen. The disciples put away their weapons and lowered their heads, not daring to speak. Nalan Yanran remained where she stood, tears blurring her vision. Her white robes snapped in the wind, but she felt not a trace of warmth.
"Yanran..." The Law Enforcement Elder approached, then hesitated. Nalan Yanran shook her head, her voice hoarse. "I was wrong." At last, she understood that what she had lost was not merely a match, but a future that might once have been hers. The engagement annulment from three years earlier was like an invisible chasm, separating her and Xiao Yan forever on opposite shores.
The sun sank in the west, its golden afterglow spilling over White Jade Square and tinting everything with sorrow. Nalan Yanran picked up the engagement annulment from the ground. The paper had long since yellowed, but the writing remained clear. She clutched it tightly, her nails digging deep into her palm. Blood stained the paper red, and stained her remorse as well.
On the viewing platform, Elder Yun Leng looked in the direction Xiao Yan had disappeared, a flash of malice crossing his eyes. He slowly rose and whispered to his trusted aide, "Go. Notify the people in the Black-Corner Region. Intercept and kill Xiao Yan at any cost!" A chilling wind swept across the viewing platform, stirring the dust on the ground. An even greater storm was quietly brewing. Meanwhile, Nalan Yanran stood in the center of the square, staring at the bloodstained engagement annulment in her hands, and finally broke into uncontrollable sobs. She knew that some mistakes, once made, left no chance to make amends.
The crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only the wreckage strewn across the square and Nalan Yanran's lonely figure. Mist began spreading through the Jia Nan Mountains, shrouding the Misty Cloud Sect as though seeking to conceal this farce and its endless regret. Xiao Yan, already far away, knew nothing of this. He was flying toward the Spirit Gatherer Association with only one thought in mind: Grow stronger as quickly as possible, uncover the truth about the Purifying Spirit Hall, and leave all those slanders and schemes nowhere to hide. His battle had only just begun.
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