NOVEL NEXT Chapter 431: Hairstyle is messy
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The entire city was silent, and the Yunlan Sect disciples were immersed in the shock of Nalan Yanran's defeat.
The younger generation who came to watch the battle also showed expressions of horror. Except for Liu Ling and Yaoyue, who were Alchemists and thus on a different path, Nalan Yanran had always been the strongest among them.
But such a goal, who had always stood in front of them and made them chase after her, was defeated so easily, so utterly without suspense!
Although they had vaguely seen such a result during the battle, they still found it hard to believe when the dust finally settled. Moreover, judging by Xiao Yan's demeanor, he seemed to have held back a lot!
What frustrated them even more was that Xiao Yan had another identity: he was Yan Xiao! He was the champion of the Alchemist Tournament, a Fourth-Grade Alchemist capable of refining top-tier Fourth-Grade Pills like the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill!
Not to mention these young people, even the older generation of powerhouses would probably have to treat him with respect, placing him on a relatively equal footing.
Mu Chen chuckled to the side, "That old fellow Nalan Jie is probably regretting it so much he wants to bang his head against a wall."
Jia Xingtian looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes flickering as he muttered to himself:
"I wonder if I can use Yaoyue to lure him to the Jia Ma Empire Royal Family, or perhaps Yaoye… If not, both of them together would also work."
Nalan Jie stood beside Nalan Yanran, looked at Nalan Yanran, then at Xiao Yan, his expression complex, and sighed. He seemed to have aged considerably.
He cupped his hands towards Xiao Yan, "Thank you, young friend, for stopping Yanran and preventing her from doing something foolish."
"It was merely what was expected," Xiao Yan waved his hand indifferently, his attitude even colder than when he was Yan Xiao towards Nalan Jie.
Nalan Jie opened his mouth but said nothing. Thousands of words ultimately transformed into a long, helpless sigh.
Xiao Yan picked up a neatly folded piece of paper at his feet, which had floated out of Nalan Yanran's embrace during the battle.
Upon opening it, he was slightly stunned. It was the letter of annulment he had written back then to counter Nalan Yanran's breaking off the engagement. The letter seemed to have worn out some small holes from being unfolded and refolded multiple times.
This letter of annulment seemed to hold considerable weight in Nalan Yanran's heart.
Above the slightly childish handwriting, the already blackened bloodstain was so dazzling under the sunlight.
He glanced at the empty space at the very top of the stone steps at the end of the square, his thoughts complex, then calmly said to Nalan Yanran:
"The Three-Year Agreement has ended. Things have come to this; right or wrong no longer matters. There is no longer any entanglement between us. You don't need to keep this kind of thing in your heart."
Azure flames rose from his hand, burning the letter of annulment to ashes.
"With the three years concluded, you continue to be your Young Sect Master, and I will be my ascetic cultivator. Let us both walk our own paths. I hope we can both reach the end."
He turned around and walked towards the stone steps leading down the mountain.
"What an extraordinary young man. In time, I fear even we will only be able to look up to him," Fa Ma exclaimed with admiration.
Jia Xingtian nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping towards the stone steps at the end of the square, a slight solemnity in his eyes:
"But having caused the Yunlan Sect such a loss of face, it probably won't be easy for him to leave safely… Those Elders are not so reasonable."
Jia Xingtian had already decided that if the Yunlan Sect Elders forcibly obstructed Xiao Yan without a proper reason, he would intervene to help.
The last time Yun Shan was active was a year ago. At that time, he clearly had not broken through to the Dou Ancestor realm; otherwise, he wouldn't have suffered a loss at the hands of Queen Medusa, and the Glory Elder Gu He wouldn't have died at the hands of the Snake-People.
If he was only at the peak of Dou Emperor, Jia Xingtian was not afraid of him. In any case, the relationship between the Yunlan Sect and the Jia Ma Empire Royal Family was not particularly good, so offending the Yunlan Sect slightly to forge a good relationship with Xiao Yan was not a big issue.
"That damn brat."
Yun Leng's face was ashen. Xiao Yan's repeated disregard for him had already made him somewhat angry, and now, by showing such disrespect, he had completely tarnished the Yunlan Sect's prestige.
"Great Elder, what should we do now?" an Elder asked with a bitter smile.
They had originally intended to use this opportunity to showcase their Young Sect Master's strength to the outside world and boost the Yunlan Sect's prestige, but unexpectedly, they had ended up shooting themselves in the foot.
Yun Leng was at a loss for how to respond for a moment. He was the one who had proposed the idea of inviting many guests, but the result was a complete mess, which made him feel humiliated.
However, in front of so many faction leaders, he couldn't just make things difficult for Xiao Yan without a reason, as that would only make the Yunlan Sect's reputation even worse.
An Elder leaned over and whispered a suggestion, "The matter in Salt City still hasn't been resolved; the murderer of Mo Cheng hasn't been identified. But among the powerhouses who fought in the sky above Salt City at that time, one of them used azure flames. Perhaps there's some connection with this Xiao Yan."
The people of the Yunlan Sect also knew that Mo Cheng's death had little to do with those few unidentified powerhouses; he died from a sneak attack from behind, and it was more likely that someone from within the Mo family themselves was responsible. The current Mo family head, Mo Lan, was the prime suspect.
But they only needed a reason to detain Xiao Yan now, even if that reason was a bit high-sounding.
After a moment of thought, Yun Leng felt that this reason could be used. After all, Mo Cheng had contributed a lot to the Yunlan Sect and had many friends, and many people within the Yunlan Sect were speaking up for him, hoping to uncover the truth.
"Mr. Xiao Yan, please stay for a moment. My Yunlan Sect has something that requires your cooperation in an investigation."
Xiao Yan, who hadn't walked much further, paused and frowned, "What is it?"
A premonition of ill fortune arose in his heart, feeling that this trip might still encounter unexpected twists.
Nalan Yanran wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said softly, "Great Elder, regarding today's matter, it is indeed Yanran's skill that was inferior."
Her pride did not allow her to use various excuses and the Sect's influence to make things difficult for others after losing a competition. If she lost, she lost; she would admit it openly and honestly.
"Yanran, you may step down. This has nothing to do with you. I have other important matters to discuss with him," Yun Leng waved his hand, his expression serious.
Nalan Yanran hesitated for a moment, then, dragging her injured body, slowly retreated to the side.
Jia Xingtian's eyes narrowed slightly, already prepared to act. If Yun Leng's reason was sufficient, he couldn't forcefully interfere, but if it wasn't, then he wouldn't stand idly by.
Yun Leng spoke in a low tone:
"A few days ago, Mo Cheng, the Yunlan Sect's outer Sect supervisor and the Mo family's Great Elder, was murdered by unknown individuals. And among the mysterious individuals who appeared that day, one of them used azure flames.
"Some eyewitness testimonies indicate that that person's flames were very domineering, seemingly a type of Heavenly Flame!"
Xiao Yan scoffed, "If you want to investigate, then investigate. That's your Yunlan Sect's business and has nothing to do with me. I have no obligation to cooperate."
"I think you have a guilty conscience!" Yun Leng said coldly.
"Why worry about finding a pretext for a fabricated charge? Say whatever you want. Aren't you just looking for a high-sounding reason to keep me here? Is this the Yunlan Sect's way of doing things, can't you bear to lose?" Xiao Yan retorted coldly.
"Sharp-tongued brat." Yun Leng's eyes turned cold, and he suddenly flashed forward, reaching out to grab Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's face changed drastically. Yun Leng was a genuine high-level Dou King, and even if the opponent merely attacked casually without using a Dou Technique, it brought immense pressure upon him.
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and unleashed his strongest Dou Technique. The massive ancient ruler spun half a circle before smashing fiercely towards the hand, which resembled a withered tree branch, reaching for him.
"Flame Divide Wave Ruler!"
As he used his Dou Technique, the energy of heaven and earth converged on the ruler, causing its original power to more than double.
"This is… a Heaven-level Dou Technique?" Based on its characteristic of drawing upon the energy of heaven and earth, Jia Xingtian judged the rank of this move and couldn't help but exclaim.
Bang!
The giant ruler collided with the withered hand, and terrifying energy erupted. Xiao Yan used this force to rapidly retreat.
Purple-black wings unfurled from his back, and he took the opportunity to fly into the sky.
Due to Yun Leng's sudden attack, Xiao Yan's response was very rushed, and thus, he inevitably neglected some things.
A wig slowly floated down from the sky amidst the astonished gazes of over a thousand people.
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