The square was in an uproar once again.
The man once mocked as a "waste," Xiao Yan, stood revealed as a Da Dou Shi, leaving countless Yunlan Sect disciples stunned. Yet when Nalan Yanran summoned her own light-cyan Dou Qi armor—and her aura flared even stronger than his—their shock instantly turned into pride and fervor.
Their belief was unshakable: their Young Sect Master would not lose.
On the high platform, Yun Leng and the other elders exchanged knowing glances, faint smiles tugging at their lips. Xiao Yan's strength was indeed unexpected, but against Yunlan Sect's most talented disciple—their carefully nurtured heir—how could he hope to win?
Yun Yun's eyes softened slightly as she looked toward Nalan Yanran. A trace of pride glimmered within them.
'What a terrifying girl… but, Yanran, this is as far as he can go.'
In Yun Yun's eyes, her disciple's talent even surpassed her own. One day, Yanran would lead the Yunlan Sect into an even brighter age.
---
At the center of the square, Xiao Yan clenched his jaw as he felt the overwhelming aura radiating from Nalan Yanran. His expression twisted with frustration as he approached his Heavy Xuan Ruler embedded in the ground.
"Why?" he muttered through gritted teeth. "Why is the power I bled and killed for—through mountains and deserts—not enough to surpass her?"
Nalan Yanran made no move to strike. She simply stood with her sword in hand, waiting calmly for Xiao Yan to retrieve his weapon. She sought victory—but only through a fair battle.
"Xiao Yan," she said softly, "you truly are worthy of being taken seriously. You've regained your former talent—Uncle Xiao would be proud to see you like this."
Her eyes sharpened. "But today, I stand for the honor of the Yunlan Sect. To show my respect… I will use my full strength to defeat you!"
Her calm declaration struck deep.
Xiao Yan's eyes reddened. He gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler and swung it in a heavy arc, the ruler's head slamming into the stone floor with a resounding crack. His voice erupted like thunder:
"You're not worthy to mention my father! Don't act as if you've already won—because the one who wins today… will be me!"
Without waiting for a response, he charged once more like a raging beast, dragging the Heavy Xuan Ruler along the ground. Sparks exploded in his wake, leaving a long scorched trail behind him.
Nalan Yanran's face grew solemn. Since Xiao Yan had summoned his Dou Qi armor, his speed, strength, and ferocity had grown monstrous—like a human-shaped magical beast. She dared not take him lightly.
She could sense his Dou Qi was less refined than hers, but battle was never decided by energy alone.
Skill. Presence. Mind. These too determined victory.
Her toes pressed lightly to the ground as pale azure Dou Qi spiraled around her. Her body blurred—weightless, swift as the wind.
"Wind Spirit Sword Gale!"
Her sword cut through the air, and the swirl of wind around her blade suddenly expanded into a one-meter vortex before hurtling toward Xiao Yan.
"Flame Assault!"
Fire roared to life around Xiao Yan's Heavy Xuan Ruler, heat waves rippling outward. With a fierce swing, a blazing pillar of flame erupted from the weapon's tip.
Boom!
The two forces collided. Wind fed the fire, and fire fueled the wind—the vortex ballooned, swirling violently until a wall of searing, flaming wind separated the two fighters.
The energy within it grew unstable, and in the next instant—
BOOM!
It exploded into a storm of burning embers, scattering sparks across the square like a fiery rain.
Through the chaos, the two figures reengaged—meeting once more in a storm of force.
The Heavy Xuan Ruler howled through the air, slamming down toward Nalan Yanran.
Clang!
Her slender sword bent under the impact, nearly wrenched from her grip.
In raw power, Xiao Yan clearly held the edge.
Nalan Yanran bit down lightly on her lip, steadying her hand. With a quick retreat, her sword trembled, unleashing a barrage of razor-sharp wind blades.
Xiao Yan raised his ruler defensively. Each blast struck against it with ringing force, driving him back step by step. Despite the assault, the Heavy Xuan Ruler remained unmarred, its surface smooth and unyielding.
Soon, countless wind blades whirled toward him from every angle. They carved deep gouges into his Dou Qi armor. Each time a cut began to mend, another slash tore it open again. Thin lines of blood seeped through the cracks.
---
From the sidelines, Yunlan Sect disciples watched in awe and admiration.
"Truly worthy of being our Young Sect Master!" one exclaimed. "That Xiao Yan's not bad, but to challenge her to a life-and-death duel? He's courting death!"
"Didn't the Young Sect Master say she'd spare him? She's too kind. If he had any sense of gratitude, he'd remember her mercy for the rest of his life."
"Hmph, I doubt it. Look at that arrogant expression—he doesn't deserve her compassion."
Their voices rose in heated excitement as Nalan Yanran's elegant figure danced across the field like a celestial swan, graceful yet lethal.
The battle's outcome was becoming clear.
Nalan Yanran was breathing lightly now, her chest rising beneath her azure armor, strands of hair sticking to her glistening forehead. To suppress a Da Dou Shi of Xiao Yan's caliber had not been easy.
'You're strong,' she thought calmly, 'but your counterattacks are weakening. This… is your limit.'
In stark contrast, Xiao Yan's condition was dire. His armor was cracked, his body beneath bleeding from a dozen wounds. He had no Dou Qi left to mend his defenses.
His breathing came ragged. His eyes—dark, fierce—never left Nalan Yanran's figure.
'Damn it,' he thought bitterly. 'My Dou Qi's less than thirty percent… it's burning faster than I can recover. Damn it… I can't lose! I won't lose!'
His lips moved slightly. "Teacher…"
Yao Chen's calm, aged voice echoed in his mind. "There are many strong here, my disciple. I cannot act openly… but I can lend you my flame."
"That's enough…" Xiao Yan whispered.
He spread his stance, gripping the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly in both hands.
A pale, ghostly flame coiled up the weapon's edge. The temperature around him plummeted as an eerie chill filled the air. The very energy of heaven and earth began to boil, rushing toward him.
"Nalan Yanran…" he shouted, his voice like thunder. "Let's settle this—once and for all!"
Nalan Yanran froze for a moment. That aura—this was no ordinary technique. Her eyes widened.
'That's… a Di Class Dou Technique!'
Taking a deep breath, she reached up, unpinned her jade hair ornament, and let her three thousand strands of hair cascade like a waterfall down her back. Her delicate hand tightened around her sword.
"Then… let's finish this!"
Her long hair fluttered without wind as her body slowly rose into the air. Ripples of azure energy spread outward from her, condensing the very essence of the wind.
The sun above dimmed slightly as light gathered around her sword. In moments, the blade shone with blinding brilliance—like a second sun suspended in the sky.
The final strike was coming.
(End of Chapter)
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