Upon seeing Medusa looking at Xiao Yan, she fixed her gaze on him for a moment. Hai Bodong immediately flashed and disappeared, standing protectively in front of Xiao Yan. If anything happened to Xiao Yan, not only would the Dou Zun be angry, but Hai Bodong himself would also die here today if the Mountain River Fan was taken away.
Hai Bodong gestured to Xiao Yan from behind, indicating that he should be ready to use the fan to kill Medusa at any time.
Hai Bodong's movement made Medusa more certain that there was something unusual about the young man. She glared at him with cold eyes and was about to attack him to snatch the fan.
As Medusa moved, Hai Bodong suddenly flashed away, shouting: "Xiao Yan! Use the fan!"
Xiao Yan had already opened the fan in his hand, which was adorned with a golden pattern of mountains and rivers. The fan emitted a faint golden light, which made his cold sneer look exceptionally ferocious and sinister.
Medusa felt a sharp sense of extreme threat and tension, like a thorn in her back. She tried to retreat to distance herself, but it was already too late.
Xiao Yan swung the Mountain River Fan heavily towards Medusa, and a thunderous sound like waves crashing erupted. A surging river suddenly appeared in mid-air and rushed towards Medusa with ferocity.
As Medusa retreated in a panic, her eyes filled with fear, she released all her Dou Qi and condensed a purple crystal python that was tens of meters long.
The lively and fierce-eyed purple crystal python roared loudly as it swung its tail towards the rushing river.
However, it failed to put up any resistance. Like a mantis trying to stop a car, the purple python was instantly crushed and dissipated.
In the next moment, the surging river, with its terrifying force, mercilessly swallowed up the terrified Medusa. Its momentum did not diminish in the slightest, plowing through sand dunes and creating a wide chasm until it gradually came to a stop, forming a river in the scorching desert.
Xiao Yan was struck with a sudden realization, his mouth slightly agape as he looked at the scene before him and then at the Mountain River Fan in his hand. As the one who had personally caused this scene, his body trembled with excitement and his mind filled with a sense of exhilaration.
This was true power! A pinnacle Dou Huang expert was nothing more than a feather or a withered branch in front of him. With just one strike, he had completely altered the terrain of the area. It was truly terrifying and shocking.
Hai Bodong stood by, his eyes dumbfounded and his face full of horror as he exclaimed in disbelief: "Unbelievable! It's really unbelievable! How could a human possess such terrifying power? It's not an exaggeration to call him a god!"
Decades ago, Hai Bodong had already climbed to the peak of Jia Ma Empire, with only a handful of individuals who could match his strength. He had always been extremely arrogant, but his power was later sealed, which made him slightly more restrained.
When Li Xiu lifted the seal for him and asked him to protect Xiao Yan, Hai Bodong was actually unwilling in his heart. He felt that there was no difference between being a slave or a servant, but he agreed due to his fear of Li Xiu's power.
However, after seeing Li Xiu's strength today, he realized how small he was and how vast the world was. He couldn't help but think that if he could be taken in as a disciple by such a person and serve him, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
After Medusa died easily under the Mountain River Fan left behind by Li Xiu, the two of them completely lost their fear. Hai Bodong even took Xiao Yan with him to raid the territory of the Snake-People and hunt them down.
As Hai Bodong's resentment gradually dissipated, Xiao Yan's space of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils also reached its limit. After not having to worry about cultivating Dou Qi for a long time, the two of them prepared to leave.
The main reason was that the three-year agreement between Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran was approaching, and Xiao Yan's training and experience had also come to an end.
They began to head towards the Jia Ma Sacred City, and although Xiao Yan had wanted to wait for Li Xiu, Hai Bodong pointed out that the Mountain River Fan was a treasure of a Dou Zun, and it must have had the soul imprint of the Dou Zun. No matter where they were, the Dou Zun could find them, so Xiao Yan gave up waiting.
Ten days later, Xiao Yan gazed into the distance at the towering, snow-white peaks of the Yunlan Mountain. His eyes gleamed with a cold light, and he let out a deep breath. He had been waiting for this day for three years.
Now, he was surprisingly calm and composed, calmly walking towards the snowy peaks where the Yunlan Sect was located, with Hai Bodong following closely behind.
The Yunlan Sect was the most powerful force in the Jia Ma Empire. Passed down from generation to generation, it had stood tall at the pinnacle of the empire for thousands of years, like a colossal pillar that no one could shake.
Similarly, the Jia Ma Imperial Family, which also had a long history, had mixed feelings towards the Yunlan Sect. They feared that the Yunlan Sect could easily overturn the imperial authority if they wanted to, and envied the fact that the Yunlan Sect's position in the Jia Ma Empire was even higher and more respected than their own. Yet, when powerful enemies attacked, the Yunlan Sect was the most unwavering force in defending the nation.
The imperial family stationed half of their elite army at the foot of the Yunlan Sect to guard against any potential threats, and the Yunlan Sect allowed it without concern.
As he walked along the wide mountain road, Xiao Yan looked at the continuous army camps on the side of the mountain and shook his head with a sneer: "It's just a false sense of security."
In Xiao Yan's view, it was like holding a sword to someone's neck, even though you knew the sword couldn't hurt them. The other person wouldn't care, but you would have a false sense of security. In reality, this tactic was useless.
Hai Bodong understood what Xiao Yan meant and sighed: "The Jia Ma Imperial Family has always been like this. They may appear weak and pitiful, but they have no choice."
The sound of the soldiers' training gradually weakened in Xiao Yan's ears, and the snowy white color began to appear on both sides of the mountain road. Looking at the ancient stone steps under his feet, Xiao Yan knew that he was approaching the mountaintop.
At the end of the long stone steps, there was a simple and grand square shrouded in clouds and mist. The square was paved with huge white stones, and in the center of the square stood a massive stone tablet. It recorded the names of all the previous sect leaders and elders of the Yunlan Sect, as well as the names of some of the sect's most distinguished members and their levels of Dou Qi cultivation.
Densely packed with almost all Dou Huangs and Dou Wangs, it was frightening and more intimidating than any show of force.
On the square, nearly a thousand people sat in a semi-circle, all dressed in moon-white robes with cloud embroidered swords on their sleeves, fluttering in the wind like real swords.
At the top of the square, there were towering stone steps, with practitioners of greater age and higher cultivation levels sitting on higher steps. The highest level was occupied by a beautiful woman dressed in exquisite white robes.
Below the old man in white robes was a solitary stone step, and a woman wearing a moon-white dress with closed eyes sat on it. She was Nalan Yanran, who had become even more beautiful three years later.
Despite the nearly thousand people on the square, it was silent except for the whistling wind, making it even more awe-inspiring than any show of force.
Suddenly, a slightly stronger gust of wind blew across the square, causing the white robes to flutter like a neat cloud. At first glance, it was breathtaking.
Surrounding the square were some towering trees, and among the thick branches and trunks were shadows of powerful individuals from the Jia Ma Empire and outstanding descendants of various major clans/families.
At a certain moment, the sound of faint footsteps suddenly rang out from under the stone steps outside the square. All the members of the Yunlan Sect in the square locked their gaze onto the steps.
If it were someone with a weak will, being stared at by so many people, including Dou Wangs and Dou Huangs, would likely make them unable to speak and reveal their awkwardness. Even for those with a strong will, they would still feel a sense of tension and be affected.
Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong stepped onto the square, one after the other.
Under the gaze of thousands of people, Xiao Yan scanned the square with indifference, not feeling the slightest sense of tension. He even felt a bit disdainful. After all, he had killed those who were at the peak of the Dou Huang and Dou Wang level, so what were these people to him?
Instead, Xiao Yan was somewhat interested in the idea of taking out the Mountain River Fan his master had left him and waving it around. He wondered how many of these people would be left standing if he did.
Nalan Yanran stared straight at Xiao Yan with bright eyes and coldly announced: "Yunlan Sect, Nalan Yanran."
She reported her identity upon arrival, and it seemed as though she wanted to start the fight immediately. Xiao Yan was fearless, and instead licked his lips, feeling a bit excited and restrained.
He remembered what his master had told him: their lineage was an ancient one, and his master's current mission was to rebuild the sect and take revenge on those who had wronged them.
Xiao Yan suddenly raised his head and looked at Nalan Yanran. He calmly said: "Swallowing Star Sect, Xiao Yan."