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**
With the clanging sound of impact and a few sparks, those several Wind Swords were all blocked by the incomparably sturdy Heavy Xuan Ruler, before completely dissipating into nothingness.
After deflecting the Wind Swords, Xiao Yan slightly lifted his gaze, his indifferent eyes casting a sideways glance at the graceful figure that brushed past him, and he swung his arm.
The Heavy Xuan Ruler carried a savage burst of force as it swept fiercely toward his rear.
The oppressive force caused Nalan Yanran's robes to press tightly against her skin, outlining her slender waist like a willow branch.
Sensing the rushing pressure of force behind her, Nalan Yanran slightly raised her brows, seemingly surprised by how keen her opponent's perception was.
But upon recalling that he was an alchemist, she felt a bit more at ease.
Her longsword thrust forward violently, the pale blue blade leaving a greenish arc through the empty air.
The sharp sword tip seemed to pierce through the obstruction of air itself, and with a crisp ding, it struck directly against the incoming heavy ruler.
When the two made contact, the fierce power infused within the heavy ruler caused the slender longsword to bend slightly under the pressure.
Seeing this, the nearby disciples of Yun Lan Sect couldn't help showing surprised expressions.
After all, a sword body infused with Dou Qi should be able to endure extremely heavy force—yet it bent upon the very first clash.
From this alone, one could tell just how weighty that black great ruler was.
Nalan Yanran also raised her brows slightly—she hadn't expected this seemingly unremarkable black ruler to carry such weight.
However, after that brief exchange, she had already determined that the technique her opponent was cultivating definitely didn't exceed the Mid-Grade Black Class.
After all, during her months of training in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, she hadn't only fought Magic Beasts.
She had also killed plenty of mercenaries harboring ill intentions toward her.
So when it came to combat experience, she was far from lacking.
Although she didn't understand why the alchemist Master behind Xiao Yan didn't provide him with a higher-level cultivation technique…
She knew one thing clearly: the current situation was more favorable for her!
Her gaze shifted to the increasingly bent pale blue sword. Nalan Yanran gently stomped the ground with her foot as a bright cyan glow exploded from the blade.
The sudden burst of power boomed as it blasted the heavy ruler away.
Borrowing the recoil, Nalan Yanran leapt into the air.
Her delicate face turned serious as the longsword in her hand began to tremble rapidly, then moved slowly and steadily.
Each time the sword moved even slightly, it left behind a seemingly tangible sword-shaped afterimage.
"Wind Spirit Fractal Sword!"
"Can't believe Senior Sister Nalan has already mastered Wind Spirit Fractal Sword, a Dou Technique at Mid-Grade Black Class. So impressive!"
"I heard she reached the point of being able to split six sword forms in just one year. Damn… I've been training for almost two years and can barely manage four."
"She's using such a high-level Dou Technique this early in the match. Looks like she wants to finish this quickly. That kid from the Xiao Clan is in trouble."
As Nalan Yanran unleashed her Wind Spirit Fractal Sword, the disciples of Yun Lan Sect below began whispering in awe and surprise.
Seeing their reactions, Xiao Yan guessed that they recognized the Dou Technique and that it must be notoriously difficult to master within Yun Lan Sect.
Otherwise, not only the disciples—among the dozen or so white-robed elders seated on the stone platform, even a few of them were nodding in approval.
Planting the heavy ruler into the ground, Xiao Yan looked up with narrowed eyes at the afterimages that appeared with each movement of Nalan Yanran's sword.
Thanks to his acute perception, he could sense the powerful energy concealed within each of those afterimages.
"No wonder she's the young sect master of Yun Lan Sect. To wield such a powerful Dou Technique without hesitation…"
Gripping the hilt of the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly, Xiao Yan slowly twisted his foot on the ground in a half-circle, then stomped down hard. His legs bent slightly before he leapt into the air.
His body shot toward Nalan Yanran with explosive speed. Crimson Dou Qi surged wildly around the Heavy Xuan Ruler, and multicolored Beast Flame coiled swiftly along its body.
Nalan Yanran's expression remained calm as she looked down at the charging Xiao Yan. The motion of her sword did not halt.
She gently tapped her foot in midair as pale cyan Dou Qi burst from her sole, instantly forming a wide area of sharp Wind Swords that slashed violently at Xiao Yan.
Hearing the sharp whistling of Wind Swords above, Xiao Yan raised his palm. A brief moment of stillness passed before a massive wave of pushing force burst from his palm.
However, the incoming Wind Swords had exceeded Xiao Yan's expectations. Although his Blazing Palm managed to slow them down, it didn't dissipate them.
Realizing this, Xiao Yan quickly abandoned the idea of injuring her before she could release her Dou Technique.
Instead, he urgently cast Vacuum Hand toward the earth, pulling himself downward in retreat.
At the same time, a trace of solemnity flashed across his face—Nalan Yanran's dou qi level was likely beyond his expectations.
"Xiao Yan, be careful. The opponent is at the peak of the Da Dou Shi level. Judging by the aura leaking out when she releases her dou techniques, it seems one foot is already stepping into the Dou Ling realm," Yao Chen warned urgently.
Even though he didn't dare use his soul perception at the moment, his sharp eyes quickly gauged her strength based on the aura she emitted.
"What?! No wonder she's so difficult to deal with."
Xiao Yan was shocked. His confidence in defeating her wavered.
"Wind Spirit Fractured Sword!"
Just then, a crisp shout rang out. Nalan Yanran pointed her long sword directly at Xiao Yan below.
With a light tap of her toe in mid-air, a gentle breeze swirled beneath her feet. Using the wind as leverage, she rapidly retreated and flashed away.
Meanwhile, the six illusory energy swords she left behind in mid-air trembled slightly, then shot down toward Xiao Yan in a linked formation.
The energy swords ripped through the sky as if tearing space itself apart. Pale green arcs of energy splintered outward from the sword tips, and the six sword-shaped projections formed a continuous stream like a meteor falling from the heavens.
Watching the rapidly approaching energy, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows.
A dou technique from a wind-attributed Da Dou Shi at peak level was nearly impossible to dodge for someone like him, who wasn't skilled in speed and had never practiced any movement techniques.
"If I can't dodge it, then I'll take it head-on."
With that thought, Xiao Yan drew a vast amount of dou qi from his Dou Crystal and coated his Heavy Xuan Ruler in it.
At the same time, the various beast flames within his energy vortex surged out and clung to the black ruler.
He swung the heavy ruler with tremendous force, and under the astonished gazes from below, smashed it down hard on the oncoming energy swords.
Boom!
A violent explosion echoed across the plaza the instant the two forces collided. The dazzling light forced many onlookers to close their eyes.
Upon contact, Xiao Yan felt a massive force crash into him. The immense impact numbed his hands gripping the heavy ruler and sent him flying uncontrollably backward.
He spun a few times in the air, landed on the ground, and staggered back several steps before he could finally stabilize himself.
Seeing this, the wind attribute energy around Nalan Yanran suddenly surged, and her figure dove swiftly toward the grounded Xiao Yan.
"Good chance. Let me hit her with my Octane Blast—"
Seeing Nalan Yanran daring to approach, Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. He clenched his right fist, ready to strike.
But just as he was about to act, she executed a few swings of her sword, releasing several sharp green sword beams, then quickly disengaged, not giving him any chance to unleash his technique.
"Damn it!"
Cursing under his breath, Xiao Yan had no choice but to abandon his technique and dodge the sword beams.
Yao Chen also reminded him, "Xiao Yan, this girl is different from what we imagined. She's not some pampered young lady who stays home cultivating all day without a clue about real combat. Her battle experience isn't bad either. Be careful."
"Got it, Master."
As he responded, Xiao Yan successfully blocked and dodged all the incoming attacks.
Seeing how she constantly avoided direct contact and leveraged her wind-attribute speed to strike and retreat, Xiao Yan found himself at a loss.
Most of his dou techniques specialized in close combat.
Now, facing an enemy with such high speed who refused to engage up close, he was momentarily out of options.
What's worse, their dou qi difference was five stars. He had to defend carefully against each of her attacks.
At this rate, he'd eventually be worn down and lose.
After all, judging by the quality of her dou qi, the cultivation method she practiced was likely High-Grade Black Class.
Compared to his current Flame Mantra, her method was undeniably superior. If it came down to a battle of endurance, he would certainly lose.
Even though he had a good supply of recovery pills in his storage ring, he didn't believe the young sect master of a force backed by a sixth-tier alchemist would be lacking in pills.
But Nalan Yanran didn't give him a moment to breathe, constantly circling him and launching attacks.
"Now's my chance—Octane Blast!"
After nearly twenty minutes of constant harassment, Xiao Yan finally seized an opportunity. With a low shout, immense force surged into his fist.
Under the shocked gazes of many Yun Lan Sect disciples, Xiao Yan took advantage of a brief pass-by, spun around swiftly, and landed a solid punch on Nalan Yanran's back just as she hurriedly condensed a dou qi armor.
The terrifying force sent Nalan Yanran flying like a broken kite, her delicate figure thrown high into the air like a fragile blossom caught in a violent gust.
"Senior Sister Nalan... lost?"
Countless people stared wide-eyed at the sight of Nalan Yanran falling from the sky like a butterfly that had lost its wings, their faces filled with disbelief.
Had the Yun Lan Sect's young sect master really lost so easily?
On the stone platform, Yun Yun, Yun Leng, and the other Yun Lan Sect elders merely watched her fall calmly.
If she were truly defeated so easily, wouldn't that be underestimating the Yun Lan Sect's training?
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