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Xiao Yan drifted back and forth through the thunderclouds, his steps seemingly following no pattern.
Yet it was precisely those seemingly haphazard steps that allowed Xiao Yan to move freely through the thunderclouds.
The thunderclouds churned, the baleful wind howled, lightning flashed and thunder crashed, and wind and clouds surged. The thin, mistlike dark clouds were already beside themselves with rage. Heavenly lightning struck down in a ceaseless frenzy, smashing fiercely at the shadowy figures among the thunderclouds.
Xiao Yan's eyes were half closed, a smile on his lips and his face perfectly calm. He naturally knew that the cloud was angry.
Yet his expression remained unchanged. With his hands behind his back, he shifted his feet slightly and moved through the thick black mist. At least, to Xiao Yan, that was all it amounted to.
Xiao Yan moved slowly, shifting his feet lightly to the left or perhaps to the right, his body swaying gently with them. Each sway and movement stirred up gusts of wind that swept through the thin dark clouds, sending them roiling endlessly among the thunderclouds.
Xiao Yan's seemingly playful behavior provoked the heavenly lightning into a chaotic bombardment and a succession of furious roars. Bolt after bolt struck down in anger, but unfortunately, Xiao Yan dodged every one. Behind each hair's-breadth escape lay a wondrous principle of heaven.
It looked like luck, yet it was something marvelous.
At last, the heavenly lightning seemed to have devised a plan. As Xiao Yan continued swaying from side to side, a cage of lightning slowly emerged around him, trapping him within, as though it meant to use the might of heaven to bring him to account.
Xiao Yan's expression did not change. A faint smile still lingered on his lips, and he looked utterly untroubled, as though none of this had anything to do with him.
The calm on Xiao Yan's face seemed to provoke the heavenly lightning. The cage of lightning surrounded him like a round iron cage, rumbling with peal after peal of thunder.
Suddenly, lightning blazed in every direction, and bolts as thick as an adult's thigh shot toward Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan watched the lightning close in on him with a look of complete indifference, making no move at all.
But just as the lightning was about to strike him, Xiao Yan turned, crossing his feet where he stood. Wind and clouds shifted beneath his feet as he spun once on the spot in an exceedingly strange posture.
Strangely enough, the bolts aimed at Xiao Yan also circled once in the direction he had just turned, then shot toward the distant horizon.
They exploded with a boom, bursting into dazzling flashes of lightning before vanishing.
A smile slowly curved Xiao Yan's lips as he continued to move through the furious thunderclouds.
While Xiao Yan continued cultivating there, a group of guests arrived at the Liu Clan in Qingyang City.
There were only three visitors, but they caused a stir throughout the entire Liu Clan, for they came from Qingyun Manor.
All three were quite powerful. At the very least, they could be counted among the foremost experts in this region.
The strongest of them had reached the level of a Six-star Dou Zun, while the other two were both Five-Star Dou Zun, placing them among the strongest in the region.
At this moment, the three stood side by side in the Liu Clan's great council hall. The Six-star Dou Zun had intended to sit directly in the seat of honor, but after giving it a little thought, he ultimately abandoned the idea.
Liu Huabai rose from the clan head's seat and extended his left hand toward the row of three chairs on the left side of the hall. Smiling, he said to the three:
"Fellow Daoists, please take a seat."
As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of those in the hall narrowed slightly. Quite a few people were already standing in their places, waiting only for the clan head to tell them to sit.
But at that moment, everyone's gaze went blank.
Before the first chair on the left stood a beautiful, snow-white cat. At least, in everyone's eyes, it was a cat.
One of the cat's outstretched front paws was resting on a cushion. It gazed expectantly at everyone and blinked its bright eyes.
The cat pulled the cushion toward itself with its paw, raised its body, twisted its rear, and plopped down on it right under everyone's noses.
Then, before everyone's eyes, it tucked in all four paws, curled its tail around its front, and drew in its neck. A continuous rumbling sound followed. It was not very loud, but in the silent hall, it was indeed the loudest sound.
But the rumbling was soon drowned out by a succession of gulps. The corners of the eyes of Liu Huabai, the Liu Clan head, and the Six-star Dou Zun leading the three visitors both twitched.
Then the Six-star Dou Zun frowned slightly and looked at Liu Huabai, who stood before the main seat. A trace of displeasure appeared on his face, and he gave a quiet snort. Staring at Liu Huabai, the Six-star Dou Zun said with a cold laugh:
"Clan Head Liu, your cat certainly isn't afraid of strangers. You've raised it very well!"
Liu Huabai's expression changed slightly at those words, and Liu Xincheng's face did not look much better. Xiao Yan had asked them to help look after the white cat. What did anything the cat did have to do with them?
Besides, though it was called looking after the cat, in truth it had merely been left with their Liu Clan. They did not know what Xiao Yan intended by it. But now the man had started in on the Liu Clan as soon as he arrived. How could they accept that?
The three experts from Qingyun Manor naturally saw the change in Liu Huabai's expression.
The three exchanged glances. The Six-star Dou Zun leading them gave an almost imperceptible nod, then made no further move.
Liu Huabai was just about to say something when the Six-star Dou Zun expert let out a cold laugh, swept his sleeve, and said in a chilling voice:
"What? Are you afraid now? Weren't you so sure of yourselves a few days ago? You dared to kill a Dou Zun expert of my Qingyun Manor. Tsk, tsk... you really do have some nerve! Where's that senior of your Liu Clan? Isn't he very strong? Tell him to come out. I'd like to see just how strong he can be!"
As he spoke, his eyes darted around, as though he were afraid something might suddenly appear. By the end, however, his laughter grew increasingly unrestrained.
The laughter made everyone present frown slightly. They exchanged looks, and their expressions were filled with fear as they looked at the Six-star Dou Zun.
But while everyone present was shaken by the Six-star Dou Zun, no one except Liu Xincheng and Liu Huabai noticed.
The cat that had been fast asleep had now awakened. Its bright eyes opened slightly, revealing two thin black slits.
Its bright eyes were filled with endless chill, giving one the feeling of being surrounded by ancient ice, cold and sinister beyond measure.