Upon hearing Hall Master Xiao's words, Xiao Yan's expression became somewhat strange. Although he didn't quite understand why Tang Long had died, Xiao Yan understood one thing: after breaking through to the Two-Star Origin Emperor, if he were to unleash the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus at full power, he believed that Four-Star Yuan Zong would be beyond his capacity to withstand it. Therefore, even though Hall Master Xiao had broken through his cultivation level, it didn't pose much of a pressure to him.
"Since Hall Master Xiao is so confident, then let's settle this once and for all today!"
Xiao Yan smiled wryly, twisted his hand, and with a clench of his five fingers, a huge, jet- Black Ruler appeared in his palm. With a thought, a loud bang was heard, and raging flames covered the ruler. The moment the flames rose, the temperature of the world suddenly soared, and the originally cool and refreshing air instantly became much hotter. Even the poisonous clouds churning in the distant sky involuntarily rolled and retreated slightly.
The power of this Heavenly Flames is evident!
Seeing this, Hall Master Xiao snorted coldly, and then his wide black robe suddenly billowed, causing the thick black fog to spread rapidly. A clanging sound of metal came from within the black fog, and then several chains wrapped in eerie black fog shot out from within the fog like venomous snakes, coiling around Hall Master Xiao and staring at Xiao Yan like living creatures.
"Hehehe, this time, I definitely won't let you escape!"
The Hall Master Xiao gave a sinister smile. As the black mist surged, the pitch-black chains coiled around him trembled violently, then transformed into streaks of black lightning that shot straight toward Xiao Yan. At the same time, Xiao Yan gripped the heavy ruler, his dark eyes devoid of any emotion, staring indifferently at the incoming chains. He took a light step to the side, and the next moment, a black lightning bolt pierced straight through the void beside him.
"Bite!"
Almost simultaneously, the giant ruler in his hand suddenly swung upwards, its broad blade striking the lower end of the chain with a crisp clang. As sparks flew, the eerie black mist swirling around the chain melted away like snow, and the chain was repelled.
Without pausing, Xiao Yan deflected one chain. With a flick of his wrist, the giant ruler in his hand swung rapidly, repelling all the incoming chains in just a few simple moves. The expression in the Hall Master Xiao's scarlet eyes narrowed slightly, then turned into a cold laugh. He quickly raised his hands, his ten fingers moving in unison, and as he rapidly unleashed hand seals, more than a dozen black chains shot out from the black mist surrounding him, intertwining with the previous chains to form a massive iron net that blanketed Xiao Yan.
" Soul-Binding Net!"
With a soft sound, a massive iron net of chains enveloped Xiao Yan, trapping him like a cage. At the same time, thick black mist surged from each chain, transforming into a gaping maw that lunged at Xiao Yan's body.
" Six Directions Wandering Body Ruler!"
Glancing at the closing black chains around him, Xiao Yan's expression turned cold. He uttered a low shout as he swung the Heavy Xuan Ruler once more. Streaks of fire spread around him as the Xiao Yan flew rapidly. As the chained cage drew near, the fire from the ruler's blade would whistle and collide with the chains. The black mist would dissipate, and the chains would be pushed back slightly. Until the Heavy Xuan Ruler and the chains completely collided, the giant ruler spun and burst into flames during the continuous collisions. Finally, the point where the fire collided with the chains shattered, and Xiao Yan swung the giant ruler down in a furious slash, severing the chains and breaking free.
"Call..."
Letting out a soft breath, Xiao Yan looked at the Hall Master Xiao with a slightly teasing expression and grinned:
"It seems your strength as Four-Star Yuan Zong is nothing special."
"You're asking for it!"
As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, the Hall Master Xiao's face immediately turned gloomy. With a chilling roar, more than a dozen pitch-black chains shot out again, splitting into various directions and tearing through the void like lightning, aiming directly at Xiao Yan's vital points.
Seeing that a dozen or so chains were shooting towards him again, a cold smile flashed across Xiao Yan's eyes. With a thought, the Power of the Great Dao rapidly condensed in the void in front of him, and at the same time, the Spiritual Strength between his brows also surged out at this moment.
"Laugh..."
The chains tore through the void, leaving only a fleeting afterimage of Xiao Yan. In the distance, Xiao Yan's figure slowly solidified. The moment he opened his eyes, the pitch-black chains shot towards him. He hurriedly mobilized the Origin Qi within his body, narrowly dodging each chain. Then, as he flipped over, flames rapidly condensed in his hand, transforming into a giant fiery ruler, which then clashed with the chains once more.
Meanwhile, on the city wall below, a figure in black robes slowly stepped out from the Great Dao Tent, watching the chase scene in the sky with great interest. His smile was somewhat mocking. This person was none other than Xiao Yan. As for the " Xiao Yan " in the sky, whose cultivation was no different from his, he was the product of the nine avatars condensing into one.
Although the cultivation of the nine avatars could only stagnate at the Peak Origin King, fortunately, after merging into one, the cultivation of the avatars was comparable to Xiao Yan's current main body. Of course, the difference was that their combat power was slightly weakened, but they were still able to reach the point of being indistinguishable from the real thing, to the point that even a powerful expert like the Hall Master Xiao could not distinguish between the real and the fake.
However, just as Xiao Yan was staring at the battle between his transformed form and the Hall Master Xiao in the sky, a figure in black robes was watching him with a hidden gaze in a mountain forest shrouded in poisonous fog outside the city. The killing intent in his heart had not diminished at all. This person was none other than Xu Zhen.
He, as a disciple of the sect, did not participate in today's battle. One reason was to facilitate his actions in secret, and another was to prevent the higher-ups of the Tribulation Crossing Sect from easily recognizing him. Although Xiao Yan had avoided the gaze of the Hall Master Xiao, Xu Zhen, who had been carefully observing the battle from the sidelines, immediately noticed Xiao Yan's location. Upon seeing that the latter possessed such a terrifyingly powerful avatar, he was not without surprise. Fortunately, such methods were destined not to be used against him. Now, the only thing he lacked was an opportunity, a chance to kill Xiao Yan by surprise.