Ling Ying stood protectively before Xiao Yan, his expression tense as he bore the brunt of the immense pressure surging from Yun Shan. Seeing that the old man was about to strike without hesitation, Ling Ying's face darkened, his voice sharp and heavy.
"Sect Master Yun, think carefully! Breaking through to the Dou Zong realm is no easy feat—don't destroy yourself for nothing!"
"No need for further words," Yun Shan replied calmly, his tone cold and detached. "Since you refuse to move, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
The moment his voice fell, Yun Shan's body vanished. A gust of wind swept forward, and in the blink of an eye he appeared before Ling Ying. Dou Qi swirled around his palm as the air compressed violently, producing a piercing shriek that cut through the sky.
Ling Ying's pupils constricted in shock. He raised his withered palm wrapped in dark Dou Qi to meet the blow, a ghostly chill swirling around his hand.
Bang!
The black mist was instantly torn apart. His sleeve shattered into ribbons, and crimson blood spurted from deep wounds on his arm as countless tiny wind blades rampaged through his meridians.
Ling Ying retreated swiftly, sweat dripping from his pale face as his arm trembled uncontrollably, blood flowing without end.
"Senior, are you all right?" Xiao Yan rushed to his side, gripping the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly, concern flashing in his eyes.
Forcing his dark Dou Qi to suppress the raging wind blades within his body, Ling Ying gave a bitter smile. "Young Master Xiao Yan, you should flee. Against a Dou Zong, even this old man can't hold out for long."
Xiao Yan clenched his jaw. The Yunlan Sect's foundation was far deeper than he had imagined—but if he didn't fight here and now, even escape would be impossible.
"Senior, leave the rest to me," Xiao Yan said solemnly. Closing his eyes, his consciousness sank into darkness.
'Teacher… I'll trouble you again.'
A weary sigh echoed in his mind. "Ah… leave it to me. Only if Yun Shan feels fear can you escape alive."
Even borrowing Yao Chen's power, Xiao Yan's own crude control could barely match Yun Yun. Facing a true Dou Zong, only by letting Yao Chen personally take over could they survive—and that came with a heavy price.
When his eyes reopened, faint white flames flickered in his pupils. A vast, ancient aura—tempered by time—unfolded from his body.
The once-dispersed Dou Huang aura condensed rapidly, surging to new heights until it surpassed Ling Ying's peak Dou Huang strength. The pressure he exuded now neared that of Yun Shan himself.
Yun Shan's face stiffened, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. 'Impossible… this boy could already erupt with Dou Huang power—how can it rise even higher? This aura… it's at the level of a Dou Zong!'
His brows furrowed deeply as realization dawned. "You're not Xiao Yan. With such power, you can't be some nameless figure. So… even you wish to stand against me?"
Ling Ying's eyes glimmered. Though surprised, he quickly composed himself—he already knew Xiao Yan carried a mysterious spirit. Now that this being had emerged, he finally felt relief.
"Xiao Yan"—or rather, Yao Chen—looked down upon Yun Shan, his tone indifferent yet filled with ancient authority.
"Nameless? Hmph. In my prime, even a Dou Zong like you would kneel at my feet unworthy of my attention. Today, I will take Xiao Yan away. No one will stop me."
Yun Shan's expression turned black. Each word struck like a slap across his pride. After all his years of cultivation, to be belittled so easily—how could he endure it?
"Hmph! A wandering soul that refuses to fade dares spout arrogance? No matter what glory you once possessed, now you're nothing but a ghost hiding in another's body. I have nothing to fear!"
With a sharp breath, Yun Shan's body transformed into a blur of wind, darting toward Yao Chen.
Yao Chen sneered coldly. The Heavy Xuan Ruler swept through the air, leaving streaks of shadow that roared across the sky before slamming down with unstoppable force.
Boom!
Yun Shan's palm, wreathed in swirling wind, struck the ruler in return. The air distorted under the impact, and even with the wind softening the blow, Yun Shan's arm trembled violently, his face twitching from the strain.
Realizing he had underestimated the weight and might of the ruler, Yun Shan quickly retreated, his palm slicing outward to release countless razor-sharp wind blades that screamed through the air.
But Yao Chen's vast Spiritual Power enveloped the entire battlefield. Every movement Yun Shan made was within his perception—those wind blades were nothing. The Heavy Xuan Ruler spun fluidly, its layered shadows encircling him like a fortress. Not a single blade could pierce through.
---
Just then, a streak of azure light shot across the horizon and landed gracefully at the edge of the square—it was Liu Xi, returned after his battle with Queen Medusa.
He dismissed his Dou Qi wings, glancing up toward the heavens where black and white figures clashed. Each collision shattered the air itself, the space around them twisting violently as shockwaves rippled outward.
"Master Liu, you're safe!"
Relief washed over Yun Yun's face as she hurried over with Nalan Yanran and several white-robed Elders.
"I'm perfectly fine," Liu Xi said with a faint grin. "The one who isn't… is Queen Medusa."
Yun Yun blinked, scanning him up and down. Aside from slightly ruffled robes, there wasn't a single wound on his body.
Her beautiful eyes flickered with astonishment—and a trace of guilt. "Master Liu, the Yunlan Sect owes you much today. You were dragged into this because of us. If there's any way we can compensate you, as long as it lies within our means, the Yunlan Sect will not refuse."
Liu Xi's gaze softened with playful amusement. "Oh? Anything the Yunlan Sect possesses… means anything, does it?"
Yun Yun stiffened, a faint blush rising on her elegant face. 'As I thought… he's teasing me again.'
"Master Liu, please don't go too far," she said softly, though her voice lacked true force.
The surrounding Elders and Nalan Yanran exchanged awkward looks, uncertain whether to laugh or look away.
"Haha… then I'll remember those words," Liu Xi chuckled. "When the time comes, Sect Master Yun, don't go back on them."
Yun Yun's heart skipped a beat, her thoughts flustered. 'What could he possibly want from me…?'
Clearing her throat lightly, she changed the subject. "Master Liu, and… Queen Medusa?"
Feeling the obedient Seven Colored Heaven Swallowing Python coiled around his wrist, Liu Xi smiled faintly. "Severely injured and fled. She won't appear again for a long while."
Gasps of disbelief spread through the group. Even Yun Yun's composed face shifted.
A peak Dou Huang, the ruler of the desert—Queen Medusa herself—had been defeated and forced to retreat?
Yun Yun looked at Liu Xi, now seeming even more unfathomable. A 6th Tier Alchemist, yet with only the strength of a newly advanced Dou Huang, he had wounded a sovereign whose name shook the Northwest Regio.
"Master Liu… how did you do it?" she asked softly, unable to hide her curiosity.
Liu Xi merely smiled and said nothing.
"…It seems I was too reckless," Yun Yun murmured at last, lowering her head, her voice filled with quiet remorse.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.