Chapter 342: Renewed Storm
“Glug!”
A turbulent force moved along Xiao Yan’s hand and burst forth. A muffled groan which contained pain was emitted from Nalan Yanran’s throat. Immediately, a mouthful of fresh blood moved along the corner of her mouth and rolled down. The bright color silhouetted against her red sleek mouth appeared enchanting.
Nalan Yanran’s eyes faintly contained some complicated emotions as she stared at the young man’s face which had remained cold. She slowly closed her eyes as her arms hung downward. Her body was like that of a terribly defeated scene as it followed the wind and weakly fell down toward the ground.
In the next moment, the entire place was silent!
All of the gazes were paused on the silhouette which was falling from midair. The faces of those Misty Cloud Sect’s disciple were filled with disbelief.
Nalan Yanran was the most outstanding person among the younger generation of the Misty Cloud Sect. At the age of thirteen, she agglomerated and formed a vortex, successfully advancing to a Dou Zhe. At sixteen, she climbed to a Dou Shi. At twenty, she had become a Da Dou Shi!
A twenty year old Da Dou Shi. Although one would not dare to say that this kind of training speed was the most outstanding one in the many years that the Misty Cloud Sect has existed, it was more than sufficient for her to be ranked among the top ten. However, this person, who was so outstanding that many ordinary people respected her from deep within their hearts, had actually lost to the one who was known as the trash of the Xiao clan. This had undoubtedly caused those Misty Cloud Sect’s disciple who had been viewing Nalan Yanran as a female god in their hearts to feel a deep sense of defeat.
However, as they recalled the progress of Nalan Yanran’s training, some people involuntarily associated the issue with Xiao Yan. When these somewhat smart people chased away the hard feelings in their hearts and seriously calculated Xiao Yan’s age and training speed, aghast suddenly rose in their hearts.
Three years ago, Xiao Yan was not even a Dou Zhe. However, three years later, his strength had already caught up to Nalan Yanran, having been raised to the Da Dou Shi class.
In three years time, Xiao Yan had leaped past the Dou Zhe and Dou Shi class, directly rising and stepping into the Da Dou Shi level. If one said that Nalan Yanran’s training speed was something that others would feel a respect for, then Xiao Yan’s one would probably cause people to be terrified.
Abandoning Xiao Yan’s face whose tenderness had appeared to be honed away, the hearts of some of those who knew the situation in detail could not resist trembling. Only at this moment did they recall that Xiao Yan was merely fourteen years old three years ago. Three years later, he would be seventeen.
The maturity and calmness which Xiao Yan had been displaying had concealed his true age from many people.
There were many people who had merely just reached the Dou Zhe class at this age. However, this person who was once the trash of the Xiao clan had already began to formally step onto the journey to becoming a strong person!
A seventeen years old Da Dou Shi!
Back then, the founders of the Misty Cloud Sect, those few prodigy who had once shocked the continent had also coincidentally reached the Da Dou Shi class at this age!
As they recalled all of this, some people quietly swallowed their saliva. They exchanged glances with one another and their faces were instantly covered with horror and cold sweat.
Of course, Xiao Yan’s training speed was related to the help Yao Lao had given him. However, if Yao Lao had not quietly absorbed Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi back then and Xiao Yan wouldn’t have had to waste that golden period of time, who knew if Xiao Yan would be able to reach the Da Dou Shi class at an earlier time? However, if Xiao Yan did not have the honing of his character during the three years when he was a useless person, who could guarantee that Xiao Yan would be able to have the mental strength which even caused many people of the older generations to admire.
One’s loss may be a blessing in disguise.
“Ah.”
The expression of Nalan Jie on the huge tree had become much darker at this moment. His straight body was bent slightly as he let out a long breath. As he sighed, his bitterness was so rich that it was difficult to defuse. Something that was originally very good had ended up in the current situation where he had not only lost an outstanding grandson-in-law, which would cause everyone to be jealous of, but also his face. He had really made a double loss.
Hearing Nalan Jie sigh, Mu Chen and the others beside him could only wisely glance at each other and shake their heads with a bitter smile. Xiao Yan’s performance had already far exceeded their expectations. This little fellow who appeared to have been training by himself was actually able to defeat Nalan Yanran who was specially groomed by the Misty Cloud Sect. The speed of his growth during these three years was something that stunned even Mu Cheng and the others.
“What an extraordinary little fellow.” Fa Ma sighed. Although Xiao Yan had gained a little advantage with his flying Dou Technique during the fight earlier, a sharp eyed person could tell with a glance that he had experienced real blood and sweat while training for such a sharp combat awareness to form. This was far from what Nalan Yanran, who was pampered and trained with a careful training method, could compare with.
“He is indeed not a simple person. Given time, this fellow will definitely become someone great!” Jia Xing Tian nodded his head. This faint evaluation of his was something that he had given to such a young person for the first time in many years.
Hai Bodong stared at into the sky and his heart sighed in relief. Quickly following this, however, it became tense once again. This was because he knew that the most dangerous part of their journey to the Misty Cloud Sect was not the fight with Nalan Yanran, but those Elders of the Misty Cloud Sect.
Moving his gaze downward, Hai Bodong swept his gaze across the Elders of the Misty Cloud Sect who were seated on the stone platform. When his gaze swept passed the slightly green faced Yun Leng, hs brows were slightly knit together. He flicked the hands under his sleeves gently and some cold air slowly shrouded his palm, preparing to handle an abrupt change at any moment.
“Damn little fellow!”
Carrying some anger with his hands, Yun Leng slammed it heavily on the rock table by his side. His face was green. He did not expect that Xiao Yan would not give them any face. The voice which he had used to remind the latter earlier actually did not have any impact.
“First Elder, what do we do next? Nalan Yanran has already lost.” A Misty Cloud Sect’s elder asked with a bitter laugh.
Yun Leng’s face changed repeatedly. Nalan Yanran represented the entire Misty Cloud Sect. Now that she had lost the fight, it would undoubtedly hurt the reputation of the Misty Cloud Sect. With their sect leader currently absent, he, as the First Elder, would naturally need to think of all the ways to save the reputation which they had lost.
“But if we don’t have a suitable excuse in front of the leaders of so many fractions, how do we save our face? If we forcefully try to do something, won’t it appear that our Misty Cloud Sect is no different from bandits?” The thought repeatedly rotated within Yun Leng’s heart.
As his heart fretted over how to save the situation, Yun Leng’s gaze suddenly paused on the white faced Ge Ye’s body below. Currently, the latter’s appearance was as though he had seen a ghost. He stared at Xiao Yan in midair. That shocked manner of his caused the already fretful Yun Leng to be even more furious. He could not resist calling out softly, “Ge Ye, be cautious of your image! You are the deacon within the Misty Cloud Sect!”
Hearing Yun Leng’s cry, Ge Ye’s body trembled once. Finally, he recovered. He turned his head over, pointed his quivering hand toward Xiao Yan in midair while his mouth shivered. His suppressed soft voice that could not hide his fear. “First Elder, he is the mysterious person who killed Mo Cheng!”
These words that Ge Ye released was like a huge explosion that shocked the heavens!
The expression of all the Misty Cloud Sect Elders on the stone platform changed drastically in an instant.
Xiao Yan indifferently watched the falling graceful figure. He called the bitterness and sadness on Nalan Yanran’s face earlier and some fatigue once again flashed across his eyes. For this so called Three Year Agreement, he had left his clan, left that cute girl whom he was worried about. Now that the Three Year Agreement was finally over, his body and even his spirit had at this moment, appeared to have put down a heavy burden which had pressed on him until he had difficulty breathing.
“Finally, it is over.” With a soft sigh, the pair of wings in front of him were flapped. His body followed the path in which Nalan Yanran fell as he slowly descended. Just as he was about to land on the ground, a white shadow suddenly drifted from Nalan Yanran’s chest. It followed the wind and drifted toward Xiao Yan.
After grabbing the white shadow with his hand, Xiao Yan’s eyes glanced at it and his body suddenly stiffened.
The white shadow was merely a white paper which was very neatly folded. Perhaps it was because it had been folded countless of times, but some small holes were appearing at the edge of the white paper. This white paper was something that Xiao Yan was extremely familiar with. Back then, in the hall of the Xiao clan’s home, a young man had peeled out this white paper from the table and in a cool manner, wrote a divorce letter which had shocked everyone.
Xiao Yan slowly unfolded the white paper. The somewhat innocent writing vividly appeared on the paper. As his gaze swept downward, the handprint, which was tainted with blood shone eye-piercingly under the sun.
Xiao Yan stared at this divorce letter for quite a while before gently shaking his head. He glanced at Nalan Yanran who was on the verge of hitting the ground. With a wave of his sleeve, a force appeared out of nowhere and carried her on its back, while she slowly descended onto the green rock surface.
“*Cough*.”
Nalan Yanran supported her chest with her hand as she let out a few intense coughs. Fresh blood flowed out from the corner of her mouth. Her hand supported the ground and with some stubbornness, she raised her head. When she eyed Xiao Yan who was standing a short distance away and the white paper in his hand, the expression on her face changed repeatedly. A long while later, she appeared to have made a certain quiet decision.
Under the gaze of everyone, Nalan Yanran stood up with some difficulty. Her somewhat hoarse low voice carried a bitterness that was difficult to hide. “Xiao Yan, you have won. According to our agreement back then, if I were to lose in the fight, I, Nalan Yanran will become your slave.”
“However, for the reputation of the sect, please pardon me for being unable to do as what was agreed. In any case, my arrogant and unreasonable image has already been deeply affixed within your heart. In that case, let me be willful once more.”
“Looking back now, the method I used to handle the matter in the Xiao clan was indeed inappropriate. Therefore, please help convey my apologies to uncle Xiao in the future.”
As these words fell, Nalan Yanran’s hand was abruptly extended vertically. It swayed gently and the longsword, which was not far from the side of a Misty Cloud Sect disciple, was immediately pulled over by a suction force.
Nalan Yanran’s hand quickly grabbed the longsword. She clenched her silver teeth and waved her longsword. The sharp edge of the sword violently cleaved at her neck.
“Ah!”
The sudden action of Nalan Yanran directly caused the faces of all the Misty Cloud Sect’s disciples, including those Elders to change drastically. They did not expect that Nalan Yanran would actually commit suicide just because she had lost the fight. However, the former did not have any intention of joking. The longsword danced and without any unnecessary words, she directly cut at her neck.
Although there were some elders present who had the intention to save her, the distance between them and Nalan Yanran meant that they could only watch the sharp blade become increasingly closer to Nalan Yanran’s neck.
“Clang!”
The longsword carried a thick cold sword aura and cut across the air. Just as it was about to come into contact with the snow white skin, however, long fingers appeared from nowhere and immediately and violently clipped on the blade. Following a ‘clang’ sound, the longsword suddenly came to a stop. The sharp blade was on her fragile neck, leaving behind a shallow bloody scar. Fresh blood slowly flowed down, leaving behind eye-piercing blood lines.
When her longsword was stopped, Nalan Yanran abruptly lifted her head, only to find a pair of indifferent dark black eyes.
“I don’t have much interest in taking you as a slave. Therefore, you need not do such things to keep the reputation of the Misty Cloud Sect intact.” Xiao Yan glanced at Nalan Yanran who had bit her red lips and could not resist feeling helplessness rise up in his heart. Although he had beat Nalan Yanran, it did not mean that he could truly let Nalan Yanran become his slave. Regardless of how one put it, Nalan Yanran was the junior sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect. Those Misty Cloud Sect’s Elders would definitely not allow him to do such a thing which would damage the reputation of the Misty Cloud Sect.
Moreover, if Nalan Yanran were to really commit suicide on this spot, it was likely that the Misty Cloud Sect would immediately become furious. The relationship between them would truly become that of enemies! This was not something that Xiao Yan would be happy to see.
“The Three Years Agreement is already over. In the future, we will no longer have any entanglement with one another. Your loss today can be considered as a small price for the wrong method that you have adopted back then.” Xiao Yan said indifferently. The finger which was clipped on the longsword pulled abruptly and was carelessly flung. The longsword shot out and immediately pierced the ground violently in front of the Misty Cloud Sect’s disciple from earlier. The hilt of the sword vibrated repeatedly.
“You should also know that this kind of paper agreement does not have much binding power.”
Xiao Yan gently swung the divorce letter in his hand. He gently flicked his finger and a green-colored flame rose from his finger. In front of Nalan Yanran, it immediately burnt the paper into a pile of black ashes that floated in the wind.
“Today, I will repeat the words that I have said to you three years ago.” Xiao Yan carried a smile on his face. His soft voice slowly reverberated over the quiet open ground.
“Nalan Yanran, in the future, you and our Xiao clan do not have any relationship. Congratulations, you are free.”
As she eyed the smiling delicate and handsome young man, Nalan Yanran’s face had a complicated expression. She had finally obtained the thing which she had chased after. For some unknown reason, however, her heart appeared to be very empty.
“Everyone, the exciting show is over. Please return to your homes.”
Xiao Yan lifted his head and smiled at everyone in the tall trees. Immediately, he turned around and took a few steps. He pulled out the huge Heavy Xuan Ruler from the ground and carelessly sheathed it on his back. After which, he slowly walked out of the square in front of countless of gazes.
As the sunlight poured down, that back which looked a little lonely, had appeared much more relaxed than when it had first appeared.
Xiao Yan’s footsteps stepped out of the open ground. Just as he was about to take a step down the stairs, the faint voice which caused Xiao Yan’s heart to sink, finally sounded.
“Mister Xiao Yan, please stay behind. There are some matters which our Misty Cloud Sect would like to personally verify.”