Word Count: 2,945 Words
******
The Great Heaven Creation Palm!
Nalan Yanran's heart sank. She had witnessed the power of Saint Zhao Hua's Low Tian Class Dou Technique once before. Even though Saint Zhao Hua had been dead for many years, and even when Xiao Yan had unleashed his terrifying four-seal fusion, he had still been sent flying by this very technique.
It was clear just how powerful this technique was.
BOOM!
Xiao Yan's palm descended. A chilling black halo rapidly expanded from his hand and transformed into a shield enveloping his entire body. A massive black sphere centered on him began expanding outward in a frenzy. Wherever this shield touched, space shattered into fragments!
Yet this time, Nalan Yanran did not retreat. Her eyes blazed, a sharp and terrifying sword gleam flashing through her beautiful pupils.
With a metallic ring, she finally struck. Her sword swept through the air with her full power. It was merciless and absolute. Beneath this sword, even ordinary Dou Venerates would tremble!
One Sword to Shock a Venerate!
In that instant, Nalan Yanran moved so swiftly she seemed to vanish. There was no black sword, only a flash of sword light streaking through the air.
That single gleam made every Flower Sect elder's heart skip a beat. The sword light radiated terrifying power.
As her thrust shot forward, Nalan Yanran relied on her innately acute spiritual perception to target the weakest point in the Great Heaven Creation Palm's energy. In that split second, she stabbed directly at the black sphere, using a single point to breach the entire surface!
Xiao Yan was startled. Everything happened too quickly. His Great Heaven Creation Palm had just formed, the black sphere barely wrapping around his body and beginning to expand, when Nalan Yanran struck with incredible speed. Her sword thrust was so swift that space itself seemed to freeze.
A heavy boom echoed as the black sword stabbed into the sphere.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Terrifying energy erupted at the point of impact. The collision between Wind's Peak and the Great Heaven Creation Palm generated streams of spatial turbulence that swirled away on the wind.
'Those two youngsters really are...' The Flower Sect's First Elder watched helplessly. With a wave of her hand, a powerful Space Lock appeared, containing all the scattered aftershocks to protect the Flower Sect's grounds from destruction.
Crack, crack, crack.
Nalan Yanran clenched her teeth. Dou Qi circulated frantically through her entire body, all of it converging on this single sword.
Inside the Great Heaven Creation Palm, surprise flickered through Xiao Yan's eyes as he found Nalan Yanran's sword tip just an inch away. His mastery of the technique was still only at entry level. Though it possessed the might of a Tian Class Dou Technique, it wasn't yet as overwhelmingly powerful as the strike Saint Zhao Hua had demonstrated.
He was genuinely being held back by Nalan Yanran's sword!
Nalan Yanran gripped the hilt with both hands. Even as the spatial turbulence threatened to tear her apart, she refused to yield, gritting her teeth and holding firm. With a sharp crack, a fracture appeared in the black sphere. The Cloud Slaying Black Sword had actually pierced through slightly!
"Miss Yanran is so amazing!"
The watching audience felt their hearts pounding with tension, crying out in amazement as they saw her sword pierce the sphere.
The Flower Sect's First Elder narrowed her eyes, then shook her head. "No. It's Xiao Yan who has won."
Xiao Yan smiled faintly at the black sword that had managed to penetrate his defense. "Looks like this is as far as you go."
He could sense that this was Nalan Yanran's absolute limit. She had managed to pierce the Great Heaven Creation Palm, but that was all. She could not advance even another half-inch, and in the end, she would simply be sent flying.
"Surrender," Xiao Yan said, quite satisfied. Using the Great Heaven Creation Palm in actual combat was entirely different from practicing alone against the air. He had gained new insights and felt confident he could reach minor mastery before heading to the Gu Realm.
By then, a single palm strike would not only expand at blinding speed but cover a ten-mile radius. Within that range, none could escape!
Suddenly, a smile broke across Nalan Yanran's face, and surprise flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. A power he knew all too well erupted from her body!
Her red lips parted slightly as she murmured, "Wind's Peak, Fourth Form!"
Whoosh!!!
Black and white Heavenly Flames erupted from both her hands! The two flames surged upward, wrapping her black sword in contrasting colors!
Boom!
The Yin-Yang Twin Flame appeared. The black flame's powerful decomposition ability began breaking down even the spatial annihilation of the Great Heaven Creation Palm.
"Yin-Yang Kill!"
With a hum, black and white rays of light intertwined, swirling together like a Yin-Yang Taiji. In a flash, they tore through the already strained Great Heaven Creation Palm!
"You're using my Heavenly Flame???" Xiao Yan blurted out. That's cheating!
"Young Master Xiao himself taught me to use Heavenly Flames in battle." Nalan Yanran laughed joyfully. This was her deliberately hidden trump card. When refining the pill earlier, she had absorbed some of the Yin-Yang Twin Flame into her body and stored it, all for this moment!
Black and white divine light pierced through everything like two long dragons.
Everyone present gasped in shock! No one expected such a stunning reversal! With his Heavenly Flames sealed, his cultivation suppressed, and even having used the Great Heaven Creation Palm, Xiao Yan had no Dou Technique left to counter this move.
However, Nalan Yanran had still underestimated Xiao Yan's combat instincts.
In that critical instant, he actually achieved a breakthrough! His eyes narrowed as all his Dou Qi converged in his left hand. The Great Heaven Creation Palm required his tempered right hand, but he had more than one palm technique!
When perfected, this technique could overturn rivers and seas, swallow heaven and devour earth! At its peak, it directly approached Tian Class power!!
"Five Seals Combined! Ancient God Seal!!!"
Under Nalan Yanran's stunned gaze, Xiao Yan roared. A crystalline, beautiful seal condensed in his hand, which he thrust forward to meet her attack directly.
During this past month, Xiao Yan had mainly focused on cultivating the Great Heaven Creation Palm, barely reaching entry level. The God Seal Technique, like the Six Joint Body Flowing Ruler, he had only practiced when taking breaks from his main training.
The Five Seals Combined truly deserved its reputation as comparable to Tian Class techniques. Its cultivation difficulty far exceeded the Six Joint Body Flowing Ruler, and he had never successfully produced the Ancient God Seal before.
He never expected that being caught off guard by Nalan Yanran would push him to succeed!
He panicked—and it worked!!
Amid ringing sword cries, a single rune spun endlessly, manifesting sword shadows while the black and white sword lights trembled. Each collision between rune and sword shadow unleashed incredibly powerful force that strained even the Flower Sect audience's ability to withstand.
"Too exaggerated! That seal's power has already reached true Tian Class level! It's even stronger than the immature technique Xiao Yan used at first!" some elders exclaimed as they watched the rune and sword shadows collide repeatedly, their hearts pounding.
"Could that be the Gu Clan's God Seal Technique?" The Flower Sect's First Elder was startled. At her level, ancient Dou God Clans like the Gu Clan were no longer secrets. She had even encountered young Gu Clan experts in her youth.
With a thunderous explosion, the Yin-Yang Twin Flame sword shadow and the Ancient God Seal annihilated each other. The energy shockwave engulfed both Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran.
A moment later, Nalan Yanran burst from the energy storm. Hot on her heels came a figure wreathed in lightning. She whipped around and slashed with her sword, only to realize it was merely an illusionary body. Xiao Yan's true form appeared behind her, grinning.
"Octane… Blast!"
He spread his five fingers and brought his palm down hard on Nalan Yanran's butt.
SMACK!!
The sound rang crisp and clear. Nalan Yanran cried out in shock, her body lurching forward before she quickly jumped away. Her face flushed crimson as she whirled around, both hands flying to cover the stinging area while her beautiful eyes glared daggers at him.
The impact still burned hotly against her skin, and she could practically feel his handprint lingering there!
Xiao Yan waved his palm as if savoring the after-feeling, contemplating whether it felt better than Feng Qing Er's.
"You sneaky little maidservant, hiding a trump card and pulling a sneak attack like that—where's your sense of martial honor?" he said with a cheerful smile. Thank goodness his talent was sufficient; otherwise, being defeated by Nalan Yanran would have been too humiliating!
Nalan Yanran stamped her foot in frustration. She hadn't expected her surprise move to still be blocked!
"Hmph!" She stopped fighting. Those two consecutive ultimate moves had drained most of her Dou Qi. Though Xiao Yan had also consumed considerable energy, his physical strength far exceeded hers.
Continuing would be pointless.
Xiao Yan knew luck had played a part in that counter. He had never succeeded with it before.
Now that he had executed the complete Five Seals Combined God Seal Technique once, repeating it would be much easier.
Not long after, Yun Yun emerged from seclusion and joined the special training. Even with master and disciple joining forces, they ultimately couldn't defeat Xiao Yan. After all, facing two opponents allowed him to lift some of his self-imposed restrictions.
Of course, every time he took advantage during combat, both Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran would blush with embarrassment.
Time passed quickly. After half a month, Xiao Yan had completely mastered the God Seal Technique, and his Great Heaven Creation Palm was only a step away from minor mastery.
"You little rogue." Yun Yun gave him a helpless look as she adjusted her disheveled robes. "Are you really training Dou Techniques or just taking liberties?"
Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, his expression remaining perfectly calm and heartbeat steady. "It's sparring. Fists and feet have no eyes."
"You're doing it on purpose!" Nalan Yanran didn't believe him for a second. This fellow appeared upright and proper but had actually been a notorious pervert since childhood. She had heard all about his 'dark history' from Xiao Yu!
Xiao Yan did not mind her words. This kind of sparring was indeed perfectly suited for cultivating Dou Techniques. No wonder his progress had usually been so slow; he had been lacking a good opponent.
Of course, the progress was mutual. Both Nalan Yanran and Yun Yun had improved greatly, especially Nalan Yanran, who already showed signs of breaking through to Dou Venerate. After refining the Venerate Breaking Pill, she would likely achieve a smooth breakthrough.
"Since you're being such a well-behaved little maidservant today, this young master is in a good mood and won't bother arguing with—" Just as Xiao Yan prepared for his daily teasing of Nalan Yanran, a spiritual fluctuation transmitted to him!
His eyes sharpened as he spun to look in a specific direction. His expression turned frighteningly dark.
Both Nalan Yanran and Yun Yun jumped in alarm. They rarely saw such an expression on his face.
Yun Yun approached, concern evident in her voice. "What happened?"
Xiao Yan retrieved a jade slip from the Nihility Space. The jade had already cracked, and with a snap, it shattered in his palm.
"That's a soul jade slip!" Nalan Yanran's eyes widened in shock! Soul jade slips came in pairs. Both she and Yun Yun had them, given by Xiao Yan. If one encountered danger, crushing the soul jade slip would notify the other party.
Now this one had shattered, meaning someone had crushed their soul jade slip, calling for help.
And the shattered jade slip in Xiao Yan's hand belonged to Zi Yan!
Instantly, countless thoughts churned through Xiao Yan's mind. Zi Yan was on the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe's Eastern Dragon Island! Not only was it incredibly hidden, but the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe possessed formidable strength. As Dragon King, how could she possibly be in danger?!
'Could it be the other three Dragon Islands?' His eyes narrowed slightly. With a wave of his hand, black flames surged forth as Mao Wu followed the spiritual traces to open a wormhole.
"I'll come with you," Yun Yun said.
Nalan Yanran wanted to speak but held back. She also wished to follow, but as a mere Dou Ancestor, she would only hold him back. This was not sparring. Real enemies would not suppress their strength.
Xiao Yan shook his head. "The situation isn't clear yet. I'll investigate first. Don't worry, I won't be reckless."
He took several pills from his storage ring.
"These are Heart Flame Expelling Pills I refined. Each contains a trace of Heavenly Flame power. When you refine that sealed Dou Qi in the future, take one. It will help accelerate the refinement process while making the Dou Qi even purer." He handed the jade bottle to Yun Yun.
"Mm." Yun Yun accepted the bottle without refusing and nodded. Though her strength had reached three-star Dou Venerate, she remained too weak. If even Xiao Yan could not handle the situation, she would not be able to help.
Xiao Yan tossed a brocade box to Nalan Yanran. "This is the Venerate Breaking Pill. It can increase your breakthrough chances by twenty percent. If you fail, go home and farm."
Nalan Yanran rolled her eyes speechlessly but still accepted it.
Without wasting more words, Xiao Yan stepped into the black flame passage and vanished, leaving the Flower Sect.
Within the black flame passage, the Ancient Phoenix Wings behind him vibrated violently as he rushed toward Eastern Dragon Island at maximum speed. His velocity likely exceeded even a 9-star Dou Venerate's.
"Hm?!" He suddenly frowned, spotting Hei Qing rushing toward him.
Hei Qing looked as if he had found a savior. "Grandmaster Xiao Yan!"
"Talk while we move," Xiao Yan said with a wave.
Seeing his serious expression, Hei Qing understood that Xiao Yan already knew something had happened, which explained his rush to Eastern Dragon Island. They flew toward the island at top speed.
"Something happened to Zi Yan?" Xiao Yan asked.
"Yes, the Dragon Queen… I don't know how to explain. There are no powerful alchemists on Dragon Island, so…" Hei Qing spoke anxiously. After all, Zi Yan represented their hope.
Xiao Yan relaxed somewhat. Fortunately, it was not the worst-case scenario. If they just needed an alchemist's methods, things would be much easier to handle.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two streaks of light shot through Eastern Dragon Island's barrier and flew straight to a mountain peak. Zhu Li waited there, his face filled with anxiety.
"Grandmaster Xiao Yan, thank goodness you've come!" Though Zhu Li was a Half-Saint, Xiao Yan was not only the Pill Gathering champion but also a peak 8th-tier alchemist. His status was not much inferior to Zhu Li's own.
"Skip the pleasantries. Where's Zi Yan? What happened?" Xiao Yan asked in a deep voice, his tone dark.
The Ancient Void Dragon Island wasn't attacked, yet with Zi Yan staying peacefully here, you still managed to let something happen to her!
"Sigh, Grandmaster Xiao Yan, please follow me…"
Elder Zhu Li did not dare speak loudly, clearly understanding Xiao Yan's anger. With a sigh, he turned toward a stone hall on the mountain peak. Xiao Yan hurried after him.
Following Zhu Li through the stone hall, they finally stopped in its depths. The hall was built from massive stones. At its center stood a towering altar, and atop it lay a delicate figure in complete stillness.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over and locked onto an enormous crystal. His expression immediately changed. Zi Yan was sealed within it!
"This crystallization is…"
Looking closely, he saw that her body was covered by a layer of strange crystal, like ice, completely encasing every part of her. It was not just her exterior; even her interior had been occupied by this crystalline substance.
In other words, Zi Yan's entire body—flesh, blood, even her hair and skin—had completely crystallized. This was not simply being sealed!
"The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit absorbs both Ancient Dragon and Heaven Phoenix bloodlines. It grows with an extremely low probability and is considered a rare treasure. This fruit can transform the bloodline of either the Ancient Dragon or Heaven Phoenix tribes, allowing one to combine the strengths of both and ultimately possess the true Magical Beast Royal Bloodline, becoming the legendary Dragon Phoenix. But what exceeded our expectations was that the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit's energy proved too powerful. During evolution… the energy went out of control, resulting in her current state," Elder Zhu Li explained while Xiao Yan was deep in thought.
Xiao Yan immediately understood. Simply put, the evolution had failed.
It was just like when Cai Lin had used Heavenly Flames to evolve and nearly killed herself. Magical beast evolution was gambling with one's life, equivalent to complete rebirth.
A glint flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. He saw the crystallized Zi Yan still clutching a soul jade slip in her hand. She must have crushed it to call for help just as the crystallization overtook her.
"You were all far too reckless." Xiao Yan couldn't keep the anger from his voice. If they had mishandled this, Zi Yan might have been lost forever.
Elder Zhu Li could only smile bitterly and shake his head when faced with his fury. It was clear that he was filled with regret.