On the vast plaza, powerful figures stood in rows, and all eyes were fixed on the seven figures and the enormous serpent in the center of the square.
These seven people were none other than Bai Ying from the Bai Clan, Sun Shuo from the Sun Clan, Huo Ba and Huo Tianyi from the Huo Clan, and Zhuo Bentang and Zhuo Lin from the Zhuo Clan. As for the giant snake, it goes without saying that it was the One-Horned Whale Serpent.
Xiao Yan stood tall and straight in a certain place in the square. Beside him, the One-Horned Whale Serpent, its aura growing increasingly powerful, coiled up, its scarlet forked tongue flicking out into the air from time to time. Gradually, a powerful aura emanated from the One-Horned Whale Serpent, like an invisible storm, rapidly sweeping across the square. This caused the expressions of most people present to turn extremely grim. Even the members of the Four Great Clans who were currently surrounding Xiao Yan and his companion all had exceptionally solemn expressions.
In just a short while, the One-Horned Whale Serpent's strength had already approached the Late Three-Star Dou Di. Such a growth rate might be ridiculed by ordinary people, but let's not forget that the One-Horned Whale Serpent is now a powerful Dou Di. Using the most ordinary cultivation methods, it would take countless Suiyue to break through from One-Star Dou Di to Three-Star Dou Di. Yet now, in just a short while, its strength has already risen to such a terrifying level, which is truly unbelievable.
In the arena, Zhuo Lin stared intently at the One-Horned Whale Serpent, his eyes narrowed. Each time he sensed the increasingly powerful aura emanating from the snake, Zhuo Lin couldn't help but tremble. His hatred for Sun Shuo deepened; if it weren't for him, the biggest winner of this trip would undoubtedly have been his Zhuo Clan. But now...
There was no point in thinking about it anymore, so Zhuo Lin could only angrily turn his gaze away and focus it on Xiao Yan.
With his eyes regaining their sharpness, Zhuo Lin's mind stirred, and the Dou Qi within his body began to flow rapidly through his meridians. As soon as he had a thought, that powerful Dou Qi would surge out like a tidal wave.
Even if he couldn't obtain the Dou Qi inheritance, he was determined to bring Xiao Yan back. No matter what, he absolutely couldn't leave the ruins empty-handed!
Of course, Zhuo Lin's family wasn't the only one holding this view at this moment.
The Huo Clan members naturally shared this thought, but Bai Ying of the Bai Clan, while looking at Xiao Yan with equally cold eyes, also harbored a different kind of emotion deep within his pupils.
"Haha, Sun Shuo, that beast is now in your hands!"
Suddenly, Huo Ba looked at Sun Shuo with a stern smile and said.
"Hmph, I know it myself!"
Hearing the latter's words, Sun Shuo was also furious but could not vent his anger. He could only reply coldly and then turn his gaze back to the One-Horned Whale Serpent.
"You beast! Do you dare to fight me again!"
Staring grimly at the One-Horned Whale Serpent, and enduring the increasingly powerful aura emanating from it, even with Sun Shuo's composure, the muscles in his face couldn't help but twitch slightly. But despite this, Sun Shuo had no choice but to grit his teeth and proceed.
As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Shuo moved, stomped his foot hard in the air, and shot into the sky, looking down at the One-Horned Whale Serpent below.
"Roar!"
With a low growl, the One-Horned Whale Serpent twisted its body and rose into the void, standing opposite Sun Shuo. Its deep roar echoed once more, and at the same time, a powerful aura swept out from the One-Horned Whale Serpent's body.
The moment Sun Shuo felt this oppressive aura, his expression changed drastically again. In just a short while, the One-Horned Whale Serpent's strength had actually increased to the Late Three-Star Dou Di, making it no weaker than him, even though he had already used his secret technique.
"Damn it! That damned beast!"
He cursed angrily in his heart, but before Sun Shuo could make a move, the One-Horned Whale Serpent opposite him twisted its huge body and charged towards Sun Shuo.
At the same time, Zhuo Lin and the others below also moved closer to Xiao Yan again, the five of them each holding one side, forming a triangle shape, surrounding Xiao Yan in the center.
"Hmph, I never imagined that you were the renowned Xiao Yan of the Western Region. I had only heard of you before, that a young man could possess such great abilities, causing headaches for the Four Great Sects. Now that I see you, you are indeed even younger than the rumors suggest. Truly, heroes emerge from among the young!"
After personally seeing Sun Shuo off, Huo Ba looked at Xiao Yan with a half-smile, his tone tinged with surprise.
Although they were enemies with the black-robed youth before them, Huo Ba had to admit that Xiao Yan was indeed a remarkable talent. To achieve such a stunning feat at such a Western Region age was truly astonishing.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan coldly glanced at the latter, his gaze sweeping over the three families before him, before turning to Huo Ba and sneering:
"Elder Huo Ba thinks highly of me. To need so many Dou Di experts to deal with a Half-Emperor is not only bullying the weak, but also bullying the few with the many. I have now witnessed the ways of the Four Great Clans."
At the end of his words, Xiao Yan clasped his hands in a respectful bow to the people in front of him, a mocking smile playing on his lips. This caused a murmur among the Dou Di experts around him.
Hearing the whispers from the surrounding crowd, the expressions of the three families in front of them immediately darkened slightly. Huo Ba's face was particularly ugly. Then, Zhuo Lin took a step forward with a cold smile, faced Xiao Yan, and said coldly:
"If we were facing an ordinary Half-Emperor, we wouldn't need to make such a fuss. However, since you command such attention from the Four Great Sects, we, the Four Great Clans, certainly cannot underestimate you. Moreover, just a few months ago in Hanxi City, Mr. Xiao Yan single-handedly fought against hundreds of Half-Emperor experts. Even Nine-Star Half-Emperor couldn't withstand the power of a single punch from Mr. Xiao Yan. How could we dare to treat Mr. Xiao Yan as an ordinary Half-Emperor?"
As soon as Zhuo Lin said this, the surrounding crowd stirred up. When it came to the great battle in Hanxi City a few months ago, everyone spoke eloquently. However, Xiao Yan's face quickly turned gloomy after hearing Zhuo Lin's words.
" Zhuo Lin... I'm very curious, how exactly did you recognize me, and why did you send Zhuo Bentang to attack me at that time? No one would believe you were unprepared!"
Xiao Yan's face was somber, and his tone was extremely cold.
If it weren't for Zhuo Lin standing before him, even with the situation unfolding as it is now, probably no one would recognize him!
"Hehe, I must say, Mr. Xiao Yan, since entering the ruins, you haven't revealed any flaws along the way. Even your encounter with us was extremely cautious. And the strength you've displayed has made us hesitant to easily provoke you..."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Otherwise, there would probably be more than one person who recognized Xiao Yan's identity. Of course, Bai Ying was an exception, as he had known Xiao Yan's identity from the very beginning.
"However, you seem to have forgotten that outside the ruins, you clearly displayed extremely powerful strength, but after entering the ruins, your strength was limited to that of an ordinary Dou Di. This is the first flaw. As for the second point that aroused my suspicion..."
"It was Sun Hanxi's death, am I right?"
Just as Zhuo Lin was about to speak, Xiao Yan frowned deeply and said in a deep voice.
Xiao Yan immediately realized this after seeing the smile on Zhuo Lin's lips.
Sun Hanxi's death revealed that Xiao Yan was in the ruins. Zhuo Lin, who already had some suspicions about him, became even more suspicious after learning this news. This was the real reason why Xiao Yan 'Xiao Yan identity was exposed.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. Clearly, someone else was manipulating things behind the scenes, with the aim of forcing Xiao Yan to show himself, thereby attracting attention and achieving a deeper goal.
Unfortunately, Xiao Yan, at his current level, is still unable to find out the culprit behind all this. At most, he can only vaguely sense that this matter is inseparable from Bai Ying, but then he helplessly dismisses the idea.
Bai Ying traveled with his family members the entire way, so he couldn't possibly have time to do anything else. As for the Huo Clan, Xiao Yan had never met them, and they were the first to enter the ruins. They didn't even know about Xiao Yan's subsequent actions, so there was no way they could have framed him.
"Hehe, by the way, it's said that in the great battle in Hanxi City a few months ago, Xiao Yan seemed to have ended up in the hands of the Bai Clan, but he managed to escape. According to the information I got from the sect, it seems that someone robbed him on the way and rescued him. Is that true?"
Suddenly, Zhuo Lin turned his gaze to Bai Ying, staring at the latter with a half-smile.
"Young Master Zhuo, your words have a hidden meaning. So, in the end, this matter is actually related to the clan leader?"
Bai Ying's expression turned cold, and he spoke in a slightly somber tone.
Seeing this, Zhuo Bentang, who was behind Zhuo Lin, immediately took half a step forward, blocking half of Zhuo Lin's body behind him, and stared at Bai Ying opposite him with a cold glint in his eyes.
"Hehe, Chief Bai Clan, why do you say that? I just thought of it for a moment and mentioned it casually."
Zhuo Lin gently placed a hand on Zhuo Bentang's shoulder, making the latter feel a little at ease, and at the same time, he chuckled again.
"Snort."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ying snorted coldly, then said nothing more, turning his gaze to Xiao Yan.
On the other side, Huo Ba's eyes darted back and forth, watching the conversation between the two sides, a cold smile quickly flashing across his lips.
"Hmph."
Zhuo Lin smiled faintly, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan. Huo Ba did the same on the other side.
Seeing the three people turn their gazes towards him, Xiao Yan's expression gradually turned cold. With a thought, the Dou Qi in his body's Qi vortex began to flow rapidly along all his meridians. With a clench of his hand, the jet-black Heavy Xuan Ruler instantly fell into his grasp.
Having done all this, Xiao Yan dared not be careless in the slightest. He then flicked his finger, and a black light flashed, and the figure of the Northern King reappeared beside Xiao Yan.
The moment the Northern King appeared, the people from the three forces before them couldn't help but frown slightly. They had witnessed his power firsthand. Even as Three-Star Dou Di, none of them dared to underestimate the Northern King.
"Heh, I wonder which of our three families will step forward and take care of this damn thing?"
Zhuo Lin smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Huo Ba and Bai Ying.
Upon hearing this, the two frowned slightly, exchanged a glance, and neither made a move.
After a short while, Bai Ying finally stepped forward with a slightly somber expression. He stared fiercely at the two families in front of him before turning his gaze to the Northern King beside Xiao Yan.
"Leave this beast to me; as for Xiao Yan, that's up to you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Ying's body suddenly moved, rushing towards the Northern King. At the same time, Xiao Yan's thoughts stirred, and the Northern King beside him also quickly received the order. His body, wreathed in purple-gold light, suddenly moved, his feet slamming heavily on the ground. Instantly, cracks like spider webs appeared on the ground beneath the Northern King's feet. At the same time, the Northern King's body shot out like a cannonball, rushing towards Bai Ying who was coming towards him.
"Bang!"
The next moment, the two collided with a deafening roar. With the sound of an explosion, Bai Ying and the Northern King were sent flying backward, and then stood in the void.
Upon closer inspection, a clear palm print was visible on the Northern King's chest. At that moment, eerie black lightning bolts were continuously surging from the Northern King's body, rapidly healing the palm print on his chest at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile, Bai Ying's face also looked quite ugly. Although he had the upper hand in the previous attack, the Northern King's punch had caused his blood and qi to surge continuously. When everyone looked closely, they could clearly see that there was a hole the size of a palm in Bai Ying's robe at his chest, and even the skin underneath had turned red.
With his teeth clenched, Bai Ying couldn't help but hiss as he gasped for breath. His expression suddenly darkened, and he turned to look at the Zhuo Clan and Huo Clan on either side.
Are you all just going to stand here and watch?!
Upon hearing this, both families were slightly taken aback, then exchanged a glance. Huo Ba then looked at Bai Ying, his eyes narrowed, and smiled:
"Chief Bai Clan, you're Three-Star Dou Di, surely you can't even handle a puppet?"
"Hmph! You think you can do it? Then you try!"
"Well..."
Bai Ying glared and immediately let out an angry shout, which rendered the person in front of him speechless and silent.
They would be more than happy to get rid of the powerful figures around Xiao Yan, so why would they easily shoulder this burden again?
Upon hearing Bai Ying's voice, Zhuo Lin and Huo Ba felt a sense of helplessness. Their eyes met for a moment before they looked at Xiao Yan again.
"Puff!"
Immediately afterwards, with a loud "poof," a beam of Dou Qi shot into the sky from the Zhuo and Huo families, and all four pairs of eyes turned to Xiao Yan at the same time.
" Xiao Yan, will you come with us willingly, or do you want us to kill you here ourselves?"
Huo Ba's eyes blazed with intense Dou Qi spirit as he looked down at Xiao Yan, his words echoing like thunder across the plaza.
"Hehe, sorry, I won't choose either one."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled coldly. His body, covered in black robes, trembled slightly, and instantly, brilliant flames surged out from within him, quickly enveloping him. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yan Xiao Yan transformed into a fire-man whose entire body was engulfed in raging Heavenly Flames.
"Stubborn fool! Since you're determined to die, don't blame us for being impolite!"
As soon as the shout fell, Huo Ba moved, his figure suddenly transforming into a streak of light, shooting towards Xiao Yan.
At the same time, behind him, Huo Tianyi, Zhuo Lin, and Zhuo Bentang also turned around and surrounded Xiao Yan in a semi-encircling formation.
"Hehe, what a coincidence! I wasn't planning on being polite with you either!"
Upon seeing the four charging towards him, Xiao Yan couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. With a tremor in his hand, the giant ruler in his hand suddenly burst forth with brilliant flames. In the next instant, his figure transformed into a streak of fiery light, like a shooting star, and crashed head-on into the four figures in mid-air without dodging or avoiding them.
At this moment, the real showdown officially begins!