As Liu Xi and Yun Yun conversed below, the battle raging above the clouds had already reached its climax.
Yun Shan's once-pristine white robe was now in tatters, streaked with burns and blood. He stood suspended in midair, each step sending ripples of energy across the void as he forced the surging blood within his chest to settle.
In contrast, "Xiao Yan" looked like a man carved from blood. His body, already battered beyond recognition, was pushed to its absolute limits under Yao Chen's control. Every strike from Yun Shan carried the weight of a Dou Zong—terrifying, relentless—and even Yao Chen's spiritual strength couldn't completely negate the damage.
"Heh... Your remnant soul truly has power," Yun Shan sneered coldly, his voice cutting through the roaring winds. "But the boy you're possessing... his body is already close to collapse, isn't it?"
Yao Chen frowned through Xiao Yan's body. He knew Yun Shan was right. Any further, and this body—his disciple's body—would shatter beyond recovery.
'Enough,' he sighed inwardly. 'If I must reveal myself... then so be it.'
Turning swiftly, Yao Chen's gaze fell on Ling Ying. "Do everything you can to take my disciple away first. Once you're safe, I'll have no burden—and it'll be easier for me to escape as well."
As his voice fell, an ethereal, aged figure emerged from Xiao Yan's body. Yao Chen's spectral form stepped forward, glowing faintly as Xiao Yan's physical body—devoid of support—collapsed limply. His eyes rolled shut as he plummeted toward the ground.
Ling Ying, though injured, caught him with his remaining arm. He looked up at the soul before him for the first time and bowed his head solemnly. "Senior, don't worry. I'll protect Young Master Xiao Yan with my life."
"Still dreaming of escape?" Yun Shan's tone dripped with contempt. His sharp eyes fixed upon Yao Chen's translucent form—the true source of this calamity. His laughter echoed coldly through the mountain peaks. "Yun'er, stop them. Let none of them leave today!"
"Yes, Teacher!"
Yun Yun gave a quick nod, casting Liu Xi an apologetic glance before summoning a pair of pale blue Dou Qi wings. Her figure flickered upward, an azure longsword appearing in her hand as she streaked across the sky toward Ling Ying.
Liu Xi watched her go, momentarily dazed. 'This has escalated beyond reason,' he mused silently. 'For Yun Shan to show mercy now would be impossible. Still... if he's pushed to use his secret techniques, even losing the "Flame Mantra" wouldn't be much of a loss. Yao Chen has the Bone Chilling Flame protecting him—he won't die easily. It'll come down to a stalemate… I'll wait for Yao Chen to make the first move.'
"Master Liu!"
Nalan Yanran's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He turned, smiling lightly. "What is it, Yanran?"
Her lips trembled as she hesitated. "If it weren't for my invitation, you wouldn't have been drawn into this mess. I... I'm truly sorry."
Liu Xi chuckled softly. "No need to apologize, Yanran. Even without your invitation, I'd have found a reason to be here."
He gave a dismissive wave, turning his eyes back to the battle above.
Nalan Yanran stared at his calm profile, a complicated glimmer flickering in her gaze. Her heart stirred. 'Could it be... he's fallen for my teacher?'
---
High above, Ling Ying, carrying the unconscious Xiao Yan, found himself entangled by Yun Yun's pursuit. One arm destroyed, his strength was only a fraction of what it once was. With Xiao Yan in his grasp, he could barely defend himself, let alone retaliate.
Yun Yun's eyes were sharp as blades, her expression colder than ever. Gone was the gentleness she'd shown with Liu Xi; her strikes now were ruthless, each swing of her sword slicing through the air with lethal precision. Crescent-shaped wind blades howled toward Ling Ying, targeting not only his vital points—but the unconscious Xiao Yan held in his arms.
In Yun Yun's heart, Xiao Yan was the source of all this chaos. If not for him, none of this tragedy would have come to pass.
"Damn!" Ling Ying cursed under his breath, forced into a desperate defense. He summoned eight serpents of black Dou Qi; four coiled protectively around Xiao Yan like a living shield, while the other four lunged forward to clash against Yun Yun's wind blades.
But his strength was fading. His defense was barely holding—he could only block, not strike back. Frustration twisted in his chest.
Yao Chen, locked in combat with Yun Shan, sensed it all yet had no way to intervene. The older man's relentless attacks left him no room to breathe.
'My spiritual power dwindles with every move,' he thought grimly. 'But his Dou Qi can endlessly recover. If this continues, I'll burn out first... Do I truly have to go that far?'
The Heavy Xuan Ruler in his hands ignited with a surge of bone-white flame, its heatless chill devouring the air around it. Yao Chen's voice was low and steady.
"Young one," he called to Yun Shan, "today, this old man is willing to offer three scrolls of Di Class Dou Techniques to end this feud. What say you?"
Yun Shan froze for a moment, his wind blades dissolving into nothing. Di Class Dou Techniques—treasures of immeasurable worth, priceless even to the wealthiest sects. For a moment, temptation flashed across his eyes.
But only for a moment.
Then his expression hardened. "If you wished to yield, you should have done so sooner! Do you think you can shake my resolve now? The shame you've brought upon my Yunlan Sect will only be cleansed with blood!"
Yao Chen's ghostly face darkened, fury twisting his ethereal features. 'A dignified Medicine Sovereign offers peace, yet a mere Dou Zong dares sneer in his face.'
With a sharp motion, the Heavy Xuan Ruler spun in his grip. Bone Chilling Flame erupted from it, spiraling skyward with a cold so deep it seemed to freeze the heavens themselves.
"Flame Splitting Tsunami!"
A massive, crescent-shaped arc of pale flame erupted outward, tearing through the sky with unstoppable momentum. Though it burned like fire, its chilling aura pierced to the marrow.
Yun Shan's expression tightened. Without hesitation, he raised a finger, Dou Qi surging violently as a blinding white light gathered at his fingertip.
"Wind's Peak—Dazzling Sunset!"
The moment his voice fell, a razor-thin beam of light shot forth at impossible speed, the air itself tearing open in its wake. Space quivered, leaving a long black scar across the sky.
The two forces collided.
BOOM!
The explosion drowned the heavens. Light brighter than the sun engulfed the Yunlan Mountains as waves of destructive energy roared outward, shattering the clouds and shaking the land below.
Amidst the blinding brilliance, Yao Chen's eyes flashed with cold resolve.
"Spatial Shift!"
His figure flickered—space itself bending around him. It was the technique of a Dou Zun, a power fueled not by Dou Qi, but by the burning of his soul essence.
In an instant, he appeared before Yun Shan.
The Heavy Xuan Ruler descended.
Crack!
A sickening sound filled the air as Yun Shan's protective aura shattered. His chest caved under the blow, ribs splintering, and blood spurted wildly from his mouth. The icy Bone Chilling Flame surged into his body, devouring his vitality from within.
When the light finally faded, every eye turned skyward.
There stood Yao Chen's fading figure—his spectral form trembling but unbowed.
And far below him, Yun Shan's white-robed body, drenched in blood, plummeted helplessly toward the ground, his aura flickering like a dying flame.
(End of Chapter)
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