In the vast stone chamber, a figure in black robes was thrown backward uncontrollably until he crashed heavily into the wall of the chamber. The immense force of the impact instantly embedded his entire body into the wall.
"Pfft!"
Suffering this severe blow, the old man couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of blood, and his face quickly turned deathly pale.
Xiao Yan's attack just now contained power no less than his attack at his peak. In his haste, he was unable to retaliate. This attack had already caused considerable damage to the old man's strength. At this moment, he was almost seriously injured!
"Second Brother!"
"Second brother!"
As the old man was defeated, the expressions of the two black-robed elders in the other two battle circles also changed drastically. Their eyes immediately turned to the injured old man, and they couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
At the same time, the two elders of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion, as well as the Northern King, also took this opportunity to attack, knocking back the other two black-robed elders with a single blow.
Having repelled the two, the two elders of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion were about to press their advantage, but at that moment, Xiao Yan suddenly spoke up.
"Enough, come back!"
With a low shout, the two elders froze in mid-air. They glanced at each other, frowned, and reluctantly retreated. At the same time, at Xiao Yan's command, the Northern King's steel body flashed and he returned to Xiao Yan's side. His empty and indifferent eyes stared at the three people opposite him. As long as Xiao Yan gave the order, he would charge out again.
As for the elder who was the leader of the three, and the elder who was called the third brother, they quickly flashed and arrived at the side of the elder who had been blasted away by Xiao Yan.
"Second brother!"
"Second Brother!"
They quickly helped the old man up from the ground. Seeing his deathly pale face, the two men grabbed his wrists and, with a thought, sent a wisp of their Spiritual Strength into his body. Upon sensing the nearly shattered meridians within him, their expressions immediately turned incredibly grim.
Although the three of them usually disliked each other, now that one of them has been injured, their feelings for each other immediately spread like a river bursting its banks.
" Xiao Yan!"
The old man at the head of the group roared in a hoarse voice. Although he didn't turn around, Xiao Yan and the other two could still imagine the ferocious look on his face.
"Puff!"
Compared to the former, the latter was more direct. As his expression changed, the Dou Qi within his body surged out with a "poof." With a wave of his hand, water vapor surged and quickly condensed into a light blue longsword in his palm. With a shake of his arm, the sword blade immediately tore through the void, ripping apart the space in front of him. The gleaming sword tip pointed directly at Xiao Yan, and an invisible force shot towards Xiao Yan.
Sensing the incoming force, the two elders of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion beside Xiao Yan changed their expressions slightly and were about to make a move. However, Xiao Yan was one step ahead. He spun the giant ruler in his hand from left to right and swung it out. Although he did not use any Dou Qi, this casual swing caused an invisible force to burst out, turning into a gust of wind that stirred up a wave in the invisible void.
In a single exchange, Xiao Yan's invisible gust of wind, with overwhelming force, instantly destroyed the oncoming wind, and then charged fiercely towards the old man with undiminished power.
"Ah!?"
Seeing his inner energy so easily broken, the old man was furious. He instantly slashed out with his longsword, his Dou Qi shooting out and transforming into a sharp sword light. This barely managed to block the invisible foot-sized light. However, even so, the sword light that the old man swung his sword was also shattered.
"Hiss..."
Upon seeing this, the two Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders beside Xiao Yan not only showed a look of shock on their faces, but also couldn't help but gasp.
The two exchanged a glance, both feeling utterly astonished. When did Dou Di become so vulnerable?
A sword light condensed from Dou Qi was actually shattered by an invisible force casually unleashed. Moreover, before that, it had already crushed a force of equal power. This was simply too unbelievable!
At the same time, even the old man holding a sword opposite him couldn't help but shrink his pupils in his cloudy old eyes. The shock in his heart was no less than that of the two opposite him.
As a powerful Dou Di expert, even a casual flick of his energy should be enough to make a Nine-Star Half-Emperor take him seriously. Moreover, Xiao Yan in front of him is only Seven-Star Half-Emperor.
However, even so, he not only crushed his sword energy with a single blow, but also shattered his Dou Qi. This was simply unbelievable!
"Damn it! I don't believe you're really as amazing as the legends say!"
With a roar of unwillingness, the old man's body trembled, and he swung his long sword again, his Dou Qi shooting out, and his figure instantly rushed towards Xiao Yan.
"Call..."
Beneath his black robe, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed slightly on his pale face. Although one of the three opponents was already severely injured, he was still a Dou Di expert. With the strength of the other two, it was impossible to defeat them in a short time, let alone keep them here forever.
The power of Dou Di expert is not something anyone can easily deal with. Someone like Zhao Xian, who comes knocking on your door, is unlikely to be encountered every time. Moreover, their battle has probably already alerted some people in the surrounding area, and soon someone will arrive. Before that, Xiao Yan must end this battle as soon as possible; otherwise, regardless of whether they can ultimately defeat these three, it will bring Xiao Yan even more trouble.
Right now, Xiao Yan can only strive for a quick victory!
"Mr. Xiao Yan, we're here to help you!"
Just as Xiao Yan was about to make a move, the two elders of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion spoke up again, raising their Dou Qi as they prepared to step forward.
"No, you all stay here and recover your Dou Qi as much as possible. I will deal with him as quickly as possible. If anything unexpected happens, you can then take action."
Xiao Yan tossed a jade bottle to each of the two elders, each containing four pills. Without waiting for them to speak, Xiao Yan abruptly turned around, wielding his giant ruler. A dazzling beam of light shot out, and simultaneously, Xiao Yan's figure shot forward like lightning, forcefully breaking through the oncoming Dou Qi of Dou Qi. He then collided violently with the black-robed elder who was charging towards him.
Upon seeing Xiao Yan rush out, the two elders of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion looked down at the jade bottle in their hands. After thinking about what Xiao Yan had said, they nodded and opened the jade bottle without hesitation. Instantly, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, and the expressions on the two elders' faces changed rapidly at that moment.
"A third-tier elixir!"
Both of them exclaimed in surprise at the same time, for the two jade bottles actually contained third-grade pills!
Four of each, making a total of eight. Eight third-tier pills—even with their combined collections, they could barely gather enough. Yet, Xiao Yan casually took them out; this was truly a grand gesture!
"I remember hearing before I came that Mr. Xiao Yan had already become Third-Tier Alchemist. I was a little skeptical at first, but now it seems that it's definitely true!"
Among the two elders, one wearing a blue robe couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. At Xiao Yan's current age, he was just a junior in the Origin Martial Continent. However, the terrifying strength he displayed was something that even some of the older generation of experts could not achieve. It has to be said that this was truly terrifying!
"Tsk tsk, what a young hero! With his talent, there are probably only a handful of juniors across the entire continent who can rival him!"
"No wonder, no wonder even someone as composed as the young master praised him several times. If he were to achieve something great in the future, Xiao Yan's accomplishments would definitely extend far beyond this corner of the continent!"
"Yes, his stage should be there, in the Central Region..."
The two old men were so engrossed in the Xiao Yan battle that they almost forgot about their own injuries.
When the two came to their senses, they quickly sat down cross-legged, swallowed one of the pills in their hands, and carefully put away the rest. Then, they hurriedly entered a meditative state, trying their best to refine the pills in their bodies.
As the medicinal power of the pills spread through their bodies, the injuries on the two old men were rapidly healing at a visible speed. Of course, while external injuries were easy to heal, internal injuries were the most difficult to treat. However, under the terrifying medicinal power of these third-tier pills, although they could not be fully recovered, they were enough to restore the two men to about 70-80% of their original condition. In this way, even if they encountered Dou Di expert again, they would still have the power to fight back.
At this moment, Xiao Yan's attacks against the sword-wielding old man became increasingly fierce, and for a time, he made the old man feel somewhat breathless.
In terms of sheer power, with the Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline and Clan Mark activated, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan's strength is almost on par with the latter. Coupled with his terrifying physical strength, even some stronger Dou Di experts would be unable to match him. Furthermore, with the support of the Heavenly Flames and the Heavy Xuan Ruler, the black-robed old man in front of him is no match for Xiao Yan at all!
With almost every collision, the Heavy Xuan Ruler was able to force the longsword in the latter's hand into an extremely dangerous arc, and the Dou Qi covering it was constantly burned and refined into nothingness by the Heavenly Flames. In front of Xiao Yan at this moment, his strength One-Star Half-Emperor was completely useless!
"Damn it! Get out of my way!"
The heavy ruler narrowly missed him again. The old man, whose face was already ashen, couldn't help but roar. He forcefully pushed the ruler back with a palm strike, and with a swift twist of his longsword, he thrust it fiercely towards Xiao Yan's forehead in an extremely tricky direction.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled coldly. The giant ruler that had just been knocked back suddenly twisted, and then the thick ruler blade heavily struck the tip of the long sword.
The powerful force caused the longsword to bend rapidly, sparks flying. The old man's hand, gripping the sword tightly, trembled violently. Then, the force ripped a bloody gash in the web of his hand, and crimson blood gushed out, splashing onto the shattered floor below, turning into vibrant blood flowers.
"Let's give it our all!"
Enduring the pain of his wounds tearing open, the old man gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands. The already bent longsword pressed fiercely against the edge of the heavy ruler, and he frantically poured his Dou Qi into the sword, intending to forcefully repel the heavy ruler.
"Drink!"
However, immediately afterward, Xiao Yan let out a furious roar, his eyes beneath his black robe blazing with fire, and at the same time, the dazzling Heavenly Flames covering the Heavy Xuan Ruler surged even more fiercely.
"Click!"
Suddenly, a clear, crisp snapping sound rang out between Xiao Yan and the other man. Instantly, the old man's expression changed drastically, but before he could react, the longsword he was gripping shattered with a crisp snapping sound, and then, before the old man's eyes, it shattered...
"Pfft..."
The longsword shattered, and the old man was immediately affected. His face turned bright red, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. Then, in the next moment, Xiao Yan's heavy ruler slammed into the old man's chest.
"Bang!"
With a single blow, the already injured old man was sent flying uncontrollably backward, like a kite with a broken string. In the end, he was helped up by the old man with a livid face behind him.
At this point, two of the three Dou Di experts had already been defeated by Xiao Yan, and the last one was the eldest of the three.
Although he saw his two brothers severely injured by Xiao Yan, the old man was filled with anger but could not vent it, not for any other reason than the Northern King standing behind Xiao Yan.
Now that two of the three brothers have been injured, he cannot easily make another move. Otherwise, if all three of them are seriously injured, they will likely have little chance of survival in this dangerous ruin. Therefore, no matter what, they must leave one of them alive.
After defeating the black-robed elder, Xiao Yan stood upright in mid-air, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler in his hand was instantly stored in his Storage Ring.
Beneath the black robe, a pair of eyes gleaming with firelight appeared. He glanced coldly at the black-robed elder standing opposite him, then looked towards the entrance of the stone chamber. Just as Xiao Yan had predicted, a considerable number of powerful individuals had gathered there. Of course, their strength was only at the Half-Emperor level. This was precisely what made Xiao Yan feel fortunate; otherwise, if a few more Dou Di experts had arrived, he would have been in real trouble.
After unleashing the Sevenfold Heaven-Breaking Ruler, he once again severely injured a Dou Di powerhouse. This is something that even an ordinary Dou Di would probably not be able to do, but he did it with the strength of Half-Emperor. Such a record is simply heaven-defying!
Of course, behind such an incredible feat, Xiao Yan was now at his wit's end. If it weren't for intimidating the pack of hungry wolves in front of him, he would probably have collapsed to the ground long ago. It was precisely to save his last bit of strength that Xiao Yan put away the Heavy Xuan Ruler, so as not to let the other party see through his weakness.
Although he wasn't afraid, even a hero can't overcome numbers. Fighting the many with the few is not a long-term solution. After all, there were quite a few powerful individuals who entered the ruins this time, and dragging it out would only harm Xiao Yan.
Outside the stone chamber, those people who saw Xiao Yan's gaze quickly retreated and hid, fearing that this terrifying guy would strike them, and if that blow landed on them, they would probably be killed.
" Xiao Yan..."
Opposite Xiao Yan, the old man spoke with extreme resentment, the words he uttered almost as if they were forced out from between his teeth, conveying a violent killing intent that could be felt immediately.
The old man didn't deliberately lure the group outside the stone chamber into becoming cannon fodder. It wasn't because he hadn't considered it; rather, he understood that in the face of absolute power, numbers were ultimately useless.
In his view, Xiao Yan at this moment possessed terrifying power capable of killing anyone present. Although the people outside the door were not strong, they were not stupid and would not rush up just because of his few words.
"Cough cough... Big brother, let's fight him to the death! Even if we die today, we'll take him down with us by self-destructing!"
The old man, his face drained of color, struggled in his arms.
Having reached this point, survival seems impossible. In that case, even if it means death, we absolutely cannot let Xiao Yan live!
"Shut up! As long as I'm alive today, he won't be able to kill us. I will definitely... bring you out alive!"
The leader's voice was extremely solemn, but it was not hard to hear from his words that, in addition to solemnity, there was also a sense of determination. Since he could say such things, he was definitely capable of doing them!
As these words were spoken, the black-robed elder's body trembled violently. The few remaining Dou Qi within him surged forth at that moment. He was ready to fight Xiao Yan in this final battle. If he failed, he would fight to the death to take Xiao Yan to the Yellow Springs as well!
Seeing this scene before him, even Xiao Yan, with his strong personality, couldn't help but feel a slight stirring in his heart. Although these three were ruthless, their brotherhood was unparalleled. This reminded Xiao Yan of his own elder brothers...
The eyes beneath the black robe slowly closed, and the atmosphere in the arena froze. Outside the stone gate, everyone held their breath, the silence in the arena was almost eerily quiet.
"You... go."
Suddenly, Xiao Yan, hidden beneath his black robes, uttered a sentence that stunned everyone present. No one could have imagined it, including the two black-robed elders standing opposite Xiao Yan, still conscious. They were utterly shocked, almost unable to believe their ears. Xiao Yan, who had single-handedly driven them to the brink of death, was actually going to let them leave?
"What... what did you say?!"
The eldest brother's eyes suddenly widened, staring at Xiao Yan in disbelief, and he asked in a trembling voice.
"You... go."
Xiao Yan spoke again, his voice trembling slightly as he suppressed his emotions; his weakness was already making him unable to continue.
At this moment, however, the crowd had no time to pay attention to these details. At this moment, the only thing that shocked them was that Xiao Yan would actually let them leave!
If these three were capable, Xiao Yan would already be their dead body, but right now...
"You... you really want to let us leave?"
The anger in the eldest brother's bloodshot eyes quickly subsided. No matter what, if he could keep his three brothers alive, why would he care about Xiao Yan at this moment? There would be plenty of opportunities for revenge, but right now, the most important thing was to survive.
This time, Xiao Yan stopped talking and nodded silently. At the same time, the crimson color in the eldest brother's eyes had completely disappeared. Not daring to be careless, he carefully watched Xiao Yan while lifting up the second brother behind him. An invisible force held the two injured people in mid-air. The eldest brother stared at Xiao Yan with a cautious expression, always on guard.
However, just as the three of them cautiously approached the stone gate where everyone had retreated and were about to leave the stone chamber, Xiao Yan, hidden beneath his black robe, spoke up again from behind them.
"Etc."
The leader's nerves tensed instantly, his Dou Qi surged rapidly within him, and his gaze shifted, fixing on Xiao Yan with a renewed killing intent in his eyes.