"Yanran, listen to me carefully!"
"Now quickly accompany this old man to Xiao Family again, apologize, and re-sign the marriage contract between the two families."
Nalan Jie said with a serious expression.
"What?!"
"Grandfather, are you serious?"
Nalan Yanran widened her eyes, looking at the latter in disbelief. She had finally freed herself from the constraints of the marriage contract and was unwilling to put herself back in chains.
Yun Tianming frowned deeply. After some contemplation, he quickly understood Nalan Jie's intentions. The reason the other party was so persistent about the marriage contract with Xiao Family wasn't solely based on the promise made with Xiao Lin years ago. It was Xiao Yan's restored talent, his apprenticeship under a mysterious Alchemist, and Xiao Family's potential for rising that truly captivated Nalan Jie.
In essence, Nalan Jie was a man who prioritized the family's interests above all else!
"Hmph! There's no room for negotiation on this matter!"
"Yanran, when you grow up, you'll understand your grandfather's painstaking efforts."
Nalan Jie's attitude was particularly firm, leaving no room for bargaining.
In his view, his granddaughter marrying the genius from Xiao Family, with both families joining forces, was undoubtedly the best choice.
"No! I absolutely won't marry into Xiao Family. I would rather die than comply!"
Nalan Yanran wasn't a weak-willed individual. She stared defiantly at Nalan Jie, her gaze unyielding and resolute.
"Nalan Yanran!"
"Have you grown wings? In Nalan Family, no one dares to defy me!"
Nalan Jie's eyes widened, releasing the aura of a Dou King powerhouse, pressing heavily on Nalan Yanran.
"Ugh~"
Nalan Yanran's knees slightly bent, as if a thousand-pound weight pressed on her head. Despite this, her posture remained resolute, showing a stubborn resistance to the end.
"Hmph!"
Nalan Jie snorted and increased the pressure. In the Dou Qi Continent, where strength was revered, as the strongest in Nalan Family, it was only natural for everyone to obey him!
In the midst of this contest of wills between grandfather and granddaughter, Yun Tianming calmly intervened. He reached out and supported the stiff and tottering Nalan Yanran.
"Hmm?!"
"He actually used Soul Power to resist my coercion?"
Nalan Jie's eyebrows twitched, his gaze slightly astonished as he stared intently at Yun Tianming.
The intensity of such Soul Power was something even some high-level Alchemists didn't possess!
"Young man! Are you trying to meddle in the affairs of my Nalan Family?"
Nalan Jie said with a dark expression.
"No, Elder Nalan, you are mistaken."
"Yanran is the successor to the position of the next Sect Master of my Misty Cloud Sect. Her matters are the concerns of the sect."
"Furthermore, the agreement for Yanran to go to Xiao Family and annul the marriage has the personal approval of the Sect Master."
Yun Tianming responded calmly and confidently.
"Arrogance!"
"Are you teaching me how to handle my family affairs?"
"Don't think that just because you're a disciple of Misty Cloud Sect, I won't dare to kill you!"
Nalan Jie's eyes narrowed, and behind him, he unfurled wings of pale blue Dou Qi. A silver spear appeared in his hand, pointing threateningly at Yun Tianming with a murderous aura.
!
"Elder Nalan, please calm down."
Yun Tianming's expression remained unchanged, his gaze steady like water, as if he didn't consider the threat of the Dou King powerhouse before him.
"Grandfather, no!"
Nalan Yanran was startled, quickly stood up, and shielded Yun Tianming behind her with outstretched arms. But in the next second, Nalan Jie in the sky vanished without a trace.
"Swoosh~"
Nalan Jie's robust figure, akin to an iron tower, instantly appeared in front of Yun Tianming. With a wave of his spear, he aimed directly at Yun Tianming's forehead!
Stillness.
The sharp tip of the spear, less than a centimeter from Yun Tianming's forehead, came to a precarious halt.
"Why didn't you dodge?"
Nalan Jie held the long spear aloft with one hand, poised to pierce Yun Tianming's head at any moment.
"Why? It's quite simple."
"Perhaps Elder Nalan's speed is too fast, and the junior can't keep up?"
Yun Tianming casually said. In fact, in his Soul Perception, he had already foreseen the long spear attack from Nalan Jie in advance. However, from the opponent's movements, he noticed a retraction, indicating that Nalan Jie had no intention of harming him.
So the question arises, if there's no harm intended, why dodge?
"Nonsense!"
Nalan Jie glared, as a seasoned commander of the empire, he could discern the calm and confidence in Yun Tianming's eyes, which was not a disguise. In other words, the opponent not only saw through his actions but also had sufficient means to deal with them!
This was intriguing.
The opponent seemed to only have the strength of a 1 Star Dou Master, but what hidden techniques allowed them to defend against the attacks of a Defensive Dou King?
Nalan Jie was quite curious!
However, before he could probe further, Nalan Yanran, at the side, reacted first. She tightly hugged the long spear in his hands and cried out with a trembling voice, "If you intend to harm Senior Tianming, then kill me first!"
"Yanran, are you opposing me for an outsider?" Nalan Jie was suddenly furious. He intended to break free from Nalan Yanran's hands; around the long spear, a wind blade whirled, leaving her with numerous wounds. Despite reaching this point, Nalan Yanran refused to let go. Her fair and delicate hands tightly gripped the sharp part of the spearhead, and her palm was bleeding, trickling down between her fingers.
This scene left Nalan Jie helpless and heartbroken. After all, she was his granddaughter, and he couldn't actually bring himself to harm her. The grandfather and granddaughter stared at each other, neither willing to back down.
"Let's stop here, Grandpa Nalan," Yun Tianming snapped his fingers, and Nalan Jie's face fell into a momentary stupor.
He had used Soul Power, directly targeting the latter's soul, initiating a Spirit Impact!
Nalan Jie was caught off guard, experiencing a momentary daze. Although this process lasted less than two seconds, Yun Tianming swiftly seized the opportunity, kicking away the long spear from Nalan Jie hands.
"???"
Nalan Jie's Dou Qi Wings flapped, and his figure turned into an afterimage, swiftly retreating.
"What the hell just happened?"
Nalan Jie, with one hand covering his slightly aching forehead, cast a gaze at Yun Tianming with a hint of wariness.
If it were a battle with a Dou King of the same level, those two seconds of distraction just now would have been enough to send him to the underworld!
However, Nalan Yanran, unaware of this, thought that Nalan Jie was about to attack Yun Tianming and hastily pleaded, "Grandpa! Please don't harm Senior Tianming! Yanran, will go back with you."
"Yanran, if you're unwilling, no one can force you to do anything."
Yun Tianming spoke calmly but with a convincing tone, taking the injured and bleeding hand. He infused it with the wood attribute Dou Qi of the Nourishing Divine Wood, swiftly healing her wounds.
Nalan Yanran's heart warmed, lifting her head with eyes carrying teardrops of emotion. Her voice, gentle and full of a young girl's admiration, said, "Thank you, Senior Tianming."
****
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