Three days passed quietly.
The stands were once again packed with spectators.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in his private space, completely dispelling the last trace of fatigue.
The battle with Shi Ziyun that day was quite taxing, but for some reason, his energy and stamina are now far superior to what they used to be. He recovered to his peak condition in almost a day, no, he is even stronger than his previous peak.
Even so, Xiao Yan did not slacken for even a second to stop improving his strength.
He originally thought it would take Han Xuanji a thousand years to catch up with him.
But as it turns out, Han Xuanji didn't need that much time at all; they were already on the same battlefield, fighting each other fair and square.
Suddenly, a white light flashed.
When Xiao Yan opened his eyes, he was already standing on a vast island.
All around is the vast ocean, with its boundless blue waves. The sea breeze, carrying moist air and a faint salty smell, blows against your face.
The sky was crystal clear, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by.
The island's Spiritual Qi is extremely rich, and the suppression of the laws of heaven and earth is not as strong as in the outside world, allowing the two to unleash their full strength without reservation.
Xiao Yan looked up and saw a figure in a green robe standing with his hands behind his back on a protruding rock not far away.
The sea breeze rustled his robes, but it could not shake his upright figure.
His face was calm, his gaze deep, as if he were one with the world, yet detached from it all.
That aura was so ethereal, unlike that of a cultivator who was an Eternal Dao Master; it was more like that of a god who had long seen through the ways of the world, standing high above and looking down upon humanity.
Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback.
The last time he saw Han Xuanji was at the Creation Platform.
Although Han Xuanji was powerful back then, the Han Xuanji he knew now gave him a completely different feeling.
His aura remained well concealed, making it impossible to gauge his true strength.
But Xiao Yan could clearly sense that Han Xuanji's restrained power was like a bottomless abyss, containing a power capable of swallowing everything.
"Brother Han, it's been a long time."
Xiao Yan spoke, his voice echoing across the empty island, clear and composed.
Han Xuanji turned around, looked at him, and a slight smile appeared on her lips:
"Brother Xiao, it's been a long time."
The two men stared at each other from a distance of several dozen feet.
The sea breeze blew between the two, lifting a few strands of hair and the corners of their clothes.
Xiao Yan smiled and said:
"Getting to this point has not been easy."
He remarked with emotion, his eyes filled with sincerity:
"Every opponent is formidable. I've fought my way to this point by risking my life."
Brother Han, you certainly haven't disappointed me.
In this world, you're probably the only one I'd give my all for.
He spoke frankly, and this was a heartfelt sentiment.
In his mind, Han Xuanji was like a "sworn enemy".
This rivalry is not a direct enemy, but rather a relationship that inspires and drives each other.
From their first encounter on the Five Elements Heavenly Stairway to the final stage of the Principle Conference, he felt it was like a legend, with a strong sense of destiny.
Han Xuanji listened to these words without showing any emotion on his face, but felt a little strange in his heart.
He reflected on his journey.
From the first round to the final, it seemed like he... didn't encounter any real obstacles.
Ling Cang and Song Tiancheng are actually quite strong, but if he goes all out, he can probably win within a few rounds. As for the other opponents, they are not worth mentioning.
He didn't even go all out, and easily made it to the finals.
Of course, he didn't say that out loud.
It would seem shameless to say it out loud.
Xiao Yan's ability to reach this point in the Principle Conference was indeed due to tremendous effort.
He could feel the weighty significance in Xiao Yan's words, a conviction forged through arduous training.
He has no right to belittle this effort.
Han Xuanji nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and replied:
"It was indeed not easy, but it was all worth it."
"Um."
Xiao Yan nodded, his gaze becoming serious:
"However, I will not hold back just because you are my opponent."
I will give it my all in this battle.
It's not about proving anything, but about making our efforts worthwhile.
That's quite a boast.
Han Xuanji looked at the other person, and a thought suddenly struck him. He couldn't help but secretly activate the system to investigate.
He knew that Xiao Yan was not the kind of person to make wild claims, so for him to say such things, he must have some very powerful trump cards up his sleeve.
But he still didn't know the exact level of that trump card.
[ Xiao Yan: Eternal Dao Master Perfection, Divine Son of the Great Sheng Sacred Dynasty, Descendant of the Saint King, Awakener of the Emperor Bloodline, has completed the revival of his own bloodline and can use the power of his bloodline to revive the power of the ancient Saint King.]
Han Xuanji's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the line of text.
"No... you can cheat anytime, right?"
He silently complained to himself.
Listen to the power of the ancient Saint King!
The first Holy Emperor of the Great Sheng Sacred Dynasty was a powerful figure at the level of Saint King. As his descendant who had returned to his ancestral origin, Xiao Yan's bloodline contained the original power of that Saint King.
If he were to unleash this power, he could unleash unimaginable strength in a short period of time.
However, given that the opponent was only at the level of Eternal Dao Master, the power that his physical body and soul could bear was extremely limited.
It's probably not an exaggeration to say that he could far surpass the Eternal Dao Master and reach the Eternal True Lord level, but it's impossible for him to reach the level of the Eternal True God.
"No wonder he's so confident... Even an ordinary Eternal Dao Master would probably lose 80% of their combat power facing a trace of Saint King Bloodline pressure."
Han Xuanji thought this to herself, but her face remained expressionless. She simply looked at Xiao Yan and replied calmly:
"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."
He had been thinking about how much of his strength he should hide, fearing that if he attacked too fiercely, he might cause Xiao Yan's Dao heart to collapse.
Now it seems that even if he tried his best, he might not win.
That's fine too.
Like Xiao Yan, he didn't really care who won the final victory.
If even his previous performance wasn't enough to impress the Great Dao Society or the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord, then he had nothing more to say.
The initial relaxation that the two had felt after exchanging pleasantries vanished in an instant over the island.
Instead, there was an almost solidified, chilling atmosphere.
Waves crash against the shore.
Two figures stood facing each other, one as upright as a pine tree, the other as calm as a mountain.
On the external light screen, countless eyes were intently watching this final battle.