"You!"
Publicly berated so harshly by Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran's expression turned rather unpleasant. However, she was no longer the willful and arrogant noble daughter she had been three years ago. Instead of lashing out immediately, she managed to suppress her emotions.
She took a deep breath and said slowly, "Regarding the annulment back then… I admit I may have acted improperly. But at the time, I also offered compensation to the Xiao Family. It was never my intention to humiliate you..."
"Compensation? Compensate your damn head. What if I killed your mother, then offered you compensation—would you accept that?"
Xiao Yan cut her off without a shred of courtesy.
Around the square, the expressions of many powerful experts invited to witness the duel turned strange. No one expected this Xiao Family brat to be so bold. The one whose expression was the ugliest, of course, was Nalan Jie—after all, the one being insulted was from his own family.
"Xiao Yan, you're courting death!"
Nalan Yanran, who had been trying to remain calm, completely lost it the moment her mother was insulted. Off to the side, Hai Bodong couldn't help but shake his head. 'Trying to win a war of words against Xiao Yan? That's suicide...' He'd been following Xiao Yan long enough to know—no one had ever beaten him at trash talk.
Hai Bodong had originally retired to the Xiao Sect in the Black-Corner Region, but he had returned to the Jia Ma Empire at Xiao Yan's request. Remembering what Xiao Yan had told him in advance, Hai Bodong couldn't help but feel pity for the Nalan family. Of all people to provoke, they had to pick Xiao Yan. At this rate, total annihilation of their clan might be the best-case scenario…
Enraged, Nalan Yanran attacked without hesitation. Wind-attribute Dou Qi surged to the tip of her sword, forming multiple sword projections that shot straight at Xiao Yan. This was an advanced Dou Technique of Yunlan Sect—Wind Spirit Fractal Sword. The sudden emergence of these sword shadows caused many startled cries from the crowd.
But before the sword projections even reached ten meters of Xiao Yan, they dissipated into nothing.
This bizarre scene stunned everyone. The lower-level Yunlan Sect disciples were clueless, but the stronger experts around the square—especially the Dou Wang and above—had their faces turn grave.
They could've blocked Nalan Yanran's attack easily too, but only by mobilizing Dou Qi or other techniques. Yet Xiao Yan hadn't even moved, nor had they sensed the slightest fluctuation of energy from him. The attacks simply vanished. How could they not be shocked?
Nalan Yanran, however, wasn't paying attention to these details. Refusing to admit defeat, she kept swinging her sword, unleashing technique after technique. But no matter what she used, every attack vanished midair, as if erased by some invisible force. Xiao Yan hadn't taken a single step.
"Old Fa, can you sense how Xiao Yan is neutralizing her attacks?" asked Jia Xingtian, staring at the scene in disbelief.
Fa Ma shook his head. "No... just like you, I can't feel a thing."
Hai Bodong rolled his eyes beside them. He was now at the Dou Zong level himself and had sensed absolutely nothing. How could these two—both still Dou Huang—possibly figure it out? He estimated that Xiao Yan had already reached the legendary Dou Sheng Realm. After all, someone who casually gifted a Heaven Rank Technique must be at least a Dou Sheng.
"Have you finished attacking?"
Xiao Yan stared at Nalan Yanran, whose Dou Qi was visibly depleted from her repeated Dou Techniques. A mocking smile appeared on his face as he said, "Three years apart, and I thought you would've grown stronger. Turns out you're still just as weak and pathetic. What a disappointment."
At this point, everyone present could tell that this battle didn't need to go on any further. The two weren't even on the same level. Nalan Yanran could exhaust herself to death and still never touch Xiao Yan. And Xiao Yan? He could probably flick her to death with one finger. What was the point of continuing?
Nalan Yanran also began to realize just how vast the gap between them was. But as the young sect master of Yunlan Sect, she couldn't bring herself to admit defeat in front of such a crowd. No matter what, she had to keep fighting. She refused to believe that Xiao Yan could cancel her attacks so effortlessly—it had to be some Dou Technique or trick.
Taking a deep breath, Nalan Yanran discreetly pulled out a dark-red pill and slipped it into her mouth.
She hadn't wanted to rely on external aid, but now, for the honor of Yunlan Sect, for the dignity of the Nalan Clan, she had no other choice.
Xiao Yan's lips curved into a faint arc.
Of course he noticed her subtle movements. In fact, it wasn't just him—the Dou Wang-level spectators around the square had all seen it clearly. Those unaffiliated with Yunlan Sect were already frowning. Even Yun Yun, seated at the head, looked like she wanted to stop the fight—only to be blocked by Yun Leng.
Xiao Yan had every opportunity to stop Nalan Yanran from swallowing that pill.
But he didn't.
One, because even with that pill, she couldn't possibly make a comeback—it wasn't worth interrupting. And two… because that pill she just swallowed had been made by his own hands.
Recalling the moment when, under the identity of Yan Xiao, he handed that pill to Nalan Yanran, Xiao Yan's smile grew even wider.
'This foolish woman really thought I gave it to her out of concern. She has no idea it was just the first act in the psychological breakdown I've planned for her.'
This time, unlike during the Path of Reincarnation where he treated her coldly, Xiao Yan had approached her as Yan Xiao with a warmer demeanor.
With hundreds of years of life experience and the memories of the Path of Reincarnation, he had effortlessly seduced Nalan Yanran—leaving her confused and infatuated. He'd even created an ambiguous, flirty atmosphere between them, making her believe that "Yan Xiao" liked her.
She had already made up her mind: once the Three-Year Agreement was over, she would confess to Yan Xiao.
What she didn't know was that everything she had experienced was merely part of the sugar-coated trap Xiao Yan had prepared for her eventual collapse.
(End of Chapter)
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