On the huge green rock square, powerful Dou Qi and sharp wind blades repeatedly shot out, leaving behind numerous clear and visible deep scars on the surrounding hard surfaces.

Everyone held their breath at this moment. Their gazes followed the two human figures which appeared and disappeared as they moved in flashes. The increasingly intense and heated battle caused many people to have their hearts jump to their throat while they watched the explosive battle of both parties. Their original impression of Xiao Yan was someone who should have been defeated upon first contact, but he had unexpectedly not shown any signs of being at a disadvantage in the fight. Instead, with those extremely ferocious close-ranged attacks of his, he actually faintly looked like he was suppressing Nalan Yanran in terms of attacks. This really stunned the Misty Cloud Sect’s disciples who had originally thought that victory was easily within their grasp.

Of course, this was not only so for the ordinary Misty Cloud Sect’s disciple. After Xiao Yan had quietly used the ‘Heavenly Flame’ to completely block all of the Xuan class Dou Techniques which Nalan Yanran had repeatedly displayed, the Misty Cloud Sect’s elders on the stone platform finally became to display uneasy expressions. The few Dou Techniques which Nalan Yanran had displayed basically belonged to the advanced and difficult to learn type. Moreover, their power was also quite great.

With Nalan Yanran’s strength, even if her opponent was a strong person two or three stars above her, it would not be possible for him to easily block these few Dou Technique which she displayed. However, the reality that had appeared in front of them clearly told Yun Leng and the others that those Dou Techniques which had great power were actually blocked by Xiao Yan, whose strength was slightly weaker than Nalan Yanran, without suffering any injuries.

“First Elder. That Xiao Yan appears to be a little strange. Each time Nalan Yanran’s Dou Technique is about to reach his body, a strong and strange energy appears. It is this strange energy that causes Nalan Yanran’s Dou Techniques to be unable to obtain any actual results.” After staring at the open ground intently with his eyes, a white-robed old man could not resist turning his head and softly informing Yun Leng with a serious face.

Hearing the soft voice of the white robed old man, the other few elders, including Yun Leng nodded slightly. With their strength, they could naturally sense the strange energy which contained some heat. However, Xiao Yan displayed his ‘Heavenly Flame’ while moving at high speed and his technique was done skillfully and with great familiarity. Therefore, even though Yun Leng and the others could only sense something, but were unable to know just what exactly Xiao Yan used.

“Don’t panic. Allow me to carefully sense it.” Yun Leng’s face was gloomy as he waved his hands. He slowly shut his eyes and immediately used the Dou Qi in his body to connect with the energy in the outside world which possessed the same affinity. He then began to watch Xiao Yan’s every action from all directions.

Hearing these words from Yun Leng, the other few elders exchanged glances and maintained silence. They continued to throw their gazes into the increasingly intense battle.

Not long after these elders became quiet, two rushing wind sounds suddenly sounded in the air. Immediately, two human figures appeared on the top of a huge tree located on the surroundings of the open ground. Their gazes swept on the inextricably locked battle below and could not help but feel a little surprised.

After the two human figures appeared, Jia Xing Tian and the rest who were to the tip of large trees threw their gazes over. When their gazes swept onto the faintly handsome looking middle aged man who was wearing a pale-green robe, they were momentarily startled. Immediately, they laughed and greeted him. An endless stream of people instantly flocked over. From this it could be seen just what kind of status and position this person held in the Jia Ma Empire. Even people of Jia Xing Tian’s and Fa Ma’s level were this polite to him.

The person who came was Pill-King Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire with Liu Ling followed close behind him. The Liu Ling at this moment was no longer as arrogant as he was in the capital back then. He quietly stood behind Gu He and smiled as he greeted Nalan Jie and those people of the older generation. Looking at this manner of his, it appeared that he had changed quite a bit because of his failure at the Alchemist Grand Meeting.

“Ke ke, it is really unexpected that both Old Jia and Old Fa are here. But the sect leader isn’t present today, so there is no one to greet you. I’m sorry.” Gu He cupped his hands toward the two of them and said courteously with a smile. He similarly did not dare slight these two extremely strong people who possessed quite a great reputation in the Jia Ma Empire.

“This is?” Gu He’s sweeping gaze suddenly paused on Hai Bodong’s body. Hesitation flashed across Gu He’s face. With his outstanding Spiritual Perception ability, he could naturally sense the partially hidden surging force of the latter.

“Hai Bodong.”

Hai Bodong cupped his hands towards Gu He. The usual indifferent face he used on strangers had unprecedentedly revealed a somewhat stiff smile. Although he was much greater in seniority compared to Gu He, only those people in this world who had a big fist and great ability would truly receive equal or respectful treatment from others. He might be a Dou Huang, but Gu He, as the most outstanding alchemist Grandmaster in the Jia Ma Empire, was someone who even a Dou Huang had to treat equally when they met. This was because everyone knew just what kind of enormous gathering power a tier six alchemist possessed!

“Ice Emperor Hai Bodong?” Hearing Hai Bodong mentioning his own name, Gu He was startled and his expression was immediately a little lost. A long while later, his expression recovered to normal and with a smile, he politely spoke to Hai Bodong, “Back then when Gu He was still training, I heard so much about Old Hai’s name. Seeing you today, your prestige isn’t any less than what it was back then.”

Hai Bodong smiled. Since the other party treated him in this manner, he naturally could not be any less polite. After the two of them courteously exchanged some words, Gu He finally turned his gaze towards the battleground. Upon seeing the extremely close and intense fight, his eyebrows immediately twitched. He asked in astonishment, “That fellow is Xiao Yan of the Xiao clan?”

“Ke ke, that’s right, but he isn’t a useless person.” A bitter laughter sounded beside Gu He. When the latter glanced over, he realized that it was Nalan Jie who had replied.

Gu He nodded his head. His gaze returned to Xiao Yan who had turned into a black shadow on the battleground. It was naturally a lie if he said he was not surprised. He clearly understood that the latter was a useless person who had not even reached the Dou Zhe class three years ago. Three years later, however, he had actually soared to a level which was sufficient to contend with Nalan Yanran?

It should be known that Yun Yun had gotten him to refine an unknown number of medicinal pills to raise Nalan Yanran’s strength. Despite the Misty Cloud Sect and his own support, however, this Xiao Yan actually managed to follow closely behind with just three years. Just what kind of support from an enormous faction and terrifying training talent did he need to do this?

A seriousness was added to the originally indifferent and smiling face. He frowned slightly and his spiritual strength broke out of his body from his forehead. In a lightning like manner, it immediately moved and hovered over the open ground. Xiao Yan movement speed, which was originally as fast as lightning appeared like a movie which was played in slow motion as it slowly played out within Gu He’s mind. In this slow motion, every single action of Xiao Yan was completely exposed in Gu He’s perception.

Under the watch of various strong people who did their best to observe the fight, the two people on the open ground, which appeared like blurry intertwining figures in the eyes of the ordinary Misty Cloud Sect’s disciples had become extremely clear.

The flashing and moving intertwining figures on the battleground once again came into contact and pulled back. Following the sound of an explosion. the two figures were each forced back by more than ten meters with their bodies skidding against the surface of the ground.

The figures which were forced back came to a slow stop. Finally, Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran’s figures clearly appeared in front of everyone’s gaze. Upon seeing the manner of the two of them, everyone were stunned.

Numerous criss crossed sword scars had already appeared on the Dou Qi Armor on Xiao Yan’s body. Under those deep sword scars, one could faintly see bright red fresh blood. Clearly, he did receive some of Nalan Yanran’s counterattacks in that almost wild close range fight earlier.

Xiao Yan’s outer appearance was quite ugly, but Nalan Yanran was also similarly in a bad state. Her originally clean moon dress had appeared somewhat disorderly at this moment. One could see a clear footprint at a spot around her lower abdomen. Her messy black hair was stuck onto her clean forehead where some perspiration had appeared. The back of her teeth bit her bottom red lip while her breathing became a little hurried.

From the manner of these two people, it appeared that each of them had won and lost in the intense battle earlier.

After the two of them revealed themselves, the private whispers which were originally present on the open ground once again became completely quiet. Everyone was infected by the ‘giving a tit for a tat’ manner of the two of them and did not dare to say anything to break it.

A breeze blew over the open ground. A few withering leaves followed the wind, rotated around and swept passed, between the two of them.

The silence persisted for a long while. Finally, Nalan Yanran took the lead and did something. Her clever eyes carried some complicated emotion as she deeply watched the indifferent face of the young man opposite her. Her hand was slowly extended to remove the green ribbon which was restricting her long black hair. She slowly swung her head. The black hair on her head was like the moonlight as it poured down. It moved along her arm and vertically down toward her delicate waist.

Under the hot sun, the girl undid her retrained hair and the black hair rolled down. It emitted a ethereal agile presence. The moving scene caused the hearts of those who were already infatuated by her to beat even faster.

“She wants to use that thing?” Seeing Nalan Yanran’s sudden action, Yun Leng and the others on the stone platform were startled. Immediately, they began mumbling to themselves.

“Looks like the fight should be ending soon. But to be able to force Nalan Yanran to this extent, this little fellow from the Xiao clan is really very strong.” A white robed elder sighed softly.

“Is she about to take out her trump card? This girl is actually forced to this extent.” A surprise surfaced on Gu He’s face as he softly said while standing in the tree.

When Jia Xing Tian and the others around him heard these words of Gu He, they were stunned. Immediately, they threw their surprised gazes back on the battleground.

As her black hair fell down, Nalan Yanran eyes slowly shut. A moment later, she suddenly opened her eyes. The black hair on her head abruptly moved automatically despite the absence of any wind. Her long hair floated and danced. Following this, her body actually began to suspend in the air without borrowing any help from a launching force or a pair of wings.

As Nalan Yanran’s body slowly rose into the air. The energy around her body appeared like boiling water at this moment as they began rising violently. Circular pale-green-colored substantive ripples spread repeatedly from her body.

The longsword slowly moved upward and was finally tilted in such a way that it pointed toward Xiao Yan below. At one instance, the longsword trembled gently and the sunlight from the sky suddenly began to move toward the longsword and agglomerated together. In just an instant, the glow on the longsword surged. The eye-piercing glow was like a second sun in the sky.

“Xiao Yan, let’s decide the victor.”

Nalan Yanran’s white pretty face appeared somewhat transparent as it reflected the glow. She shakingly pointed toward Xiao Yan below and for the very first time, she shouted that name which she had once greatly loathed.

Xiao Yan lifted his head and eyed the eye-piercing glow. Under that glow, a terrifying energy was wildly being agglomerated.

“Is she finally using her trump card? Since that is the case...”

As her pretty eyes stared at the young man whose body was straight and tall, Nalan Yanran inhaled a deep breath of air. Her hand tightly held the longsword which had become extremely heavy while she began moving the sword at a pace so slow that it was almost impossible for one to sense that it was moving. Following the movement of the longsword, the energy ripple which it emitted also become increasingly intense.

Xiao Yan watched the sky indifferently. His right hand was gently extended and with a puff, a green-colored flame sudden appeared under the watch of everyone present.

“This is...” Although some of the ordinary Misty Cloud Sect’s disciples were unaffected after the appearance of the green-colored flame, the elders as well as Gu He and the other strong people on the tree suddenly widened their eyes. This was especially so for Fa Ma’s group. The feeling of familiarity in their hearts grew increasingly intense.

The moving longsword in the sky abruptly came to a stop. Nalan Yanran bit her lips with the back of her teeth. Both of her hands held the repeatedly dancing longsword with all her might. The terrifying energy contained in it was something that caused her to have difficulty controlling.

At a certain instance, the energy on the longsword was brewed to its peak condition. Finally, Nalan Yanran ceased suppressing it. Her pretty face was grave looking and following a clear cry, the eye-piercing sunlight already reflecting off the longsword began to inflate abruptly. In an instant, the intense light on the sword actually concealed the light from the sun in the sky!

“Wind’s Peak: Dazzling Sunset!”

A tender cry fell from the sky and the terrifying energy fluctuation was finally unleashed. A sharp sword aura shot explosively toward Xiao Yan from all directions in the sky much like a storm falling. The tough and hard ground actually cracked apart under the pressure of this sharp sword aura, forming crack lines which spread to the edge of the open ground.

Sensing the terrifying sword arua in the sky, the Misty Cloud Sect disciples hurriedly placed their hands against each other’s. Waves of Dou Qi rose from within their bodies and finally formed an enormous energy cover which enveloped over half the square. Only by relying on it did they manage to shake off the pressure created from the sword aura in the sky.

“It actually is ‘Wind’s Peak’. It is really unexpected that Yun Yun has even taught her this. However, with her ability, she cannot even display twenty or thirty percent of its strength.” Jia Xing Tian muttered as he raised his head and watched the sword aura which was like a sun that was falling down.

“It may be time that this little fellow...” Jia Xing Tian turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan on the battleground. He had yet to say everything he wanted to when his eyes suddenly shrank. He noticed that Xiao Yan had suddenly took out a pale-purple Yaowan (Danwan). He threw it into his mouth and chewed a little. Immediately, he widened his mouth and a cluster of purple flame was spat out and stopped in Xiao Yan’s left hand.

TL: Yaowan/Danwan are pills which are not proper medicinal pills. They either have no medicinal effect or very little of it.

“This posture...” Jia Xing Tian’s gaze stared intently at Xiao Yan who was spitting out the Purple Flame. His eyes were narrowed to the point where they were almost a straight line. That day, on the Imperial family square, that young man who was called Yan Xiao also did this.

Jia Xing Tian slowly turned his head and exchanged glances with Fa Ma. The expressions of the two of them were extremely strange and interesting. It appeared that they had finally confirmed something: “That Yan Xiao is Xiao Yan!”

Of course, Fa Ma, Jia Xing Tian were not the only ones who had discovered something because of this action. Nalan Jie, Mu Zhan, and the others in the huge tree were similarly stunned at this very moment.

Actually, the most important person was not the few of them. Instead, it was the one who was suspended in midair and had just displayed this terrifying Dou Technique. Nalan Yanran!