Xiao Yan quietly came forward and stood between Xiao Ning and Yun Yun. The icy white aura surrounding his body shielded the destructive golden flames from Xiao Ning's body.
Yun Yun looked at Xiao Yan's broad back, and a different color flashed in her eyes. There was a hint of tenderness in the depth of her bloodshot eyes.
The icy white aura from Xiao Yan helped Yun Yun regain her composure. 'Why did he come back? It has nothing to do with him,' although she felt slightly happy after seeing Xiao Yan standing up for her. Still, she did not want to involve him; after all, his surname was also Xiao.
"What do you want?" Xiao Ning asked coldly. He stared at the latter's icy-white eyes as if he saw through everything. It was as if he was not questioning Xiao Yan but Yao Chen.
Xiao Yan was also a bit taken aback, but after seeing the look in Xiao Ning's eyes, he chuckled, "What a good brat."
"How about letting her leave?" Yao Lao spoke in Xiao Yan's body. He felt if he could avoid fighting, then why not? After all, it consumes his spiritual power every time, and he couldn't afford to waste it anymore; otherwise, he would fall into a deep sleep.
Xiao Ning shook his head. The more Yao Chen and Xiao Yan wanted to negotiate, the more confident he became in his plan.
"No, neither she nor anyone else belonging to the Misty Cloud Sect will leave alive." As Xiao Ning spoke, the golden aura spilled out of his body, and his momentum rose to its peak.
Nothing remained intact; Xiao Ning's breath burned everything in his surroundings. The aura he released had fused with the heavenly flame he possessed. Moreover, Xiao Ning was far more proficient than Xiao Yan in manipulating the heavenly flame.
Xiao Ning's heavenly flame originated from him whereas Xiao Yan absorbed an external heavenly flame. Even when Yao Lao took over Xiao Yan's body, he couldn't control it perfectly.
The only obstacle stopping Xiao Ning from perfectly controlling the heavenly flame is he, himself. Xiao Ning's current cultivation wasn't enough, and as he grows more powerful in the future, his heavenly flame will show its frightening power.
...
"Hmmph." Xiao Ning released his dou qi mixed with dark-golden flame. The tangible dou qi formed a semi-circular dome and spread outwards with Xiao Ning as the center.
It burned everything in its path to ashes, and the fertile land became barren. At the same time, its target was Xiao Yan and Yun Yun.
Xiao Ning chose the brutish and crude way instead of dou qi techniques to deal with Yao Chen.
This method not only drained more dou qi, it was also less effective for the enemy of the same rank and stronger ones. Yet Xiao Ning chose such a method to deal with Yao Chen.
As the dark golden flame approached Xiao Yan and Yun Yun, the white light surged in his eyes, and Yao Lao released a similar tangible dou qi made of icy white flames.
'Chi!' As the two collided, the surrounding temperature rose, and the air became dry. The two flames tried to burn the other.
The area in which Xiao Ning stood became golden, akin to the Sun, and Xiao Yan's resembled the moon.
Seeing this Yun Yun stood at a loss, and a sense of helplessness grew in her heart. She just stood there and couldn't do anything. Neither avenge her disciple nor protect her sect members.
As their confrontation continued, Xiao Ning and Yao Chen's dou qi depleted. Fortunately, both controlled the range of their attack; otherwise, they would have razed the entire mountain peak.
Soon, Yao Chen's face turned ugly. To replenish his dou qi, he swallowed the natural energy in the surroundings. Only then did he notice the detail that he had overlooked before.
The collision of two heavenly flames had created a void in the surroundings, and only little natural energy was left. Moreover, Xiao Yan's 'Flame Mantra' is only a black rank dou qi method. The quantity and speed at which it replenished his dou qi was slow like a tortoise.
On the other hand, Xiao Ning was worry-free. He operated his dou qi method akin to a legendary kun; Xiao Ning swallowed natural energy from all over the Misty Cloud Sect. At a visible rate, he restored his dou qi reserves.
Yao Chen's brow frowned, and he had an ugly expression. With his rich experience, how could he not see that he got calculated.
It puzzled him; how did Xiao Ning know about it? At the same time, he also marveled at the latter's intellect.
'Even I got played by this brat,' Yao Chen sighed. He began to rack his brain to solve this situation. He turned his head, glanced at Yun Yun's face, and sighed again.
'It's all thanks to that bastard; now, even a Dou Emperor can threaten him.' Yao Lao scolded his unfilial disciple in his heart.
...
While Xiao Ning and Xiao Yan confronted each other, the snake-people tribe leader targeted Hai Bo Dong to prevent him from interfering with Xiao Ning's battle. Moreover, there was bad blood between Hai Bo Dong and the Snake-people clan.
So, how could he let the other party go? The last time, Hai Bo Dong was lucky because Xiao Ning let them go, but now, he has come back on his own initiative.
While the two were entangled, one of the other tribe leaders also joined against Hai Bo Dong. With the addition of another Dou Emperor, the pressure on Hai Bo Dong increased.
"This time, no one is coming to save you."
They attacked as one of them spoke. Hai Bo Dong hastily made an ice shield to protect himself.
'Pfff!' The spear shattered his shield and pierced his abdomen. Hai Bo Dong fell from the sky like a meteor and coughed blood. At the same time, the poison in the spear spread inside his body.
It was one of the overbearing poisons used by snake-people. Once it enters the body, it will devour the dou qi. The instant Hai Bo Dong starts to mobilize his dou qi; no one can save him.