Chapter 182: Mysterious Power

A terrifying surge of blood qi swept across the entire Guang Chang.

Xiao Yan personally told everyone present that the Strange Fire was not merely for Spirit Refining—it possessed unique abilities only Heaven and Earth could create!

"What kind of flame is this! It turned someone into a beast!!" Liu Ling's face was bathed in crimson, his eyes filled with terror. The Transformation Pill could allow beasts to take human form—had Xiao Yan swallowed a reversed Transformation Pill?!

Gu He's gaze turned grave; he recalled a certain Strange Fire and said solemnly: "Without doubt, Xiao Yan has obtained the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame. It is said this Strange Fire is a beast's flame, capable of purifying a beast's bloodline and strengthening its physique. But no one imagined a cultivator who refines it could transform their own flesh into something beastlike!"

The Transformation Pill is a Seven-Pin High-Level Pill precisely because it allows beasts with weak cultivation potential to gain both beast and human advantages—that's why it deserves the Seven-Pin High-Level rank.

And Xiao Yan is now a humanoid beast! That's exactly like a beast who swallowed the Transformation Pill! He possesses the strengths of both!

It's as if the Strange Fire came with a free Seven-Pin High-Level Pill! No wonder Medusa Queen didn't trade for the Transformation Pill—even if she never used it for evolution, the Strange Fire's value far surpasses any Seven-Grade Pill!

For a moment, the situation in the arena became impossible to judge.

Yun Leng's face darkened again—he never imagined a mere Alchemist, mocked as a medicine jar, a weakling, a little bee—could be this powerful!

Yun Yun clenched her fists, watching the tense standoff in the arena, unsure whom to fear for.

Filled with rage after activating the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame's beast transformation, Xiao Yan no longer held back; his fire wings erupted behind him. He slammed his right foot onto the ground, shattering the plaza's floor in an instant. A blood-red afterimage appeared before Nalan Yanran, and with a roar, he brought his Black Sword down with crushing force!

Nalan Yanran's eyes flashed; she sidestepped instantly. Boom—the Black Sword crashed into the ground, carving out a massive, deep crater.

"Such ferocious power—this strike rivals a Low-Level Dou Wang! His flesh must have reached Peak Fourth-Rank beast strength!"

Zing—in that instant, Nalan Yanran appeared behind Xiao Yan and struck. In a flash, a blade aura darted past.

That single blade aura made every Yun Lan Sect disciple's heart skip—they felt as if it had sliced through their own throats.

They instinctively touched their necks.

The sword pierced straight for Xiao Yan's back heart. As she gripped the blade, Nalan Yanran's expression changed—Yun Potian's Earth-Rank Cultivation Method had made her ruthless; every strike targeted the fatal point.

In the blink of an eye, Nalan Yanran never expected it—Xiao Yan reacted. He turned slightly and used the haft of his Black Sword to strike the blade's tip, blocking the thrust!

This deft collision startled even Yun Yun and Hai Bodong, both Dou Huangs—this was possible?!

"It's Soul Force. Xiao Yan's Soul Force isn't Five-Grade—I feel it's already Six-Grade, and his control over it is utterly inconceivable," Fa Ma said gravely.

Xiao Yan flared his fire wings, sending a wave of crimson flame toward Nalan Yanran. With her jade hand gripping the sword, she slashed sideways, cleaving the flame apart—but Xiao Yan's figure had vanished entirely.

The next second, a black rod swept in from beside Nalan Yanran. Ding—the blade and scabbard crossed in defense as she drifted backward to dissipate the force.

Xiao Yan grinned, teeth bared, hefted his Black Sword, and with a beat of his wings, surged after her. He closed the distance and swung the rod down at Nalan Yanran.

Though Nalan Yanran was faster, she was not a Dou Wang—without a Flying Dou Technique, she could not fly, and Xiao Yan held the aerial advantage.

Ding-ding-ding—the sounds rang continuously across the plaza. A black-sword silhouette and a crimson figure moved like twin afterimages, relentlessly attacking each other.

Boom-boom-boom—explosions echoed constantly. The plaza's ground was utterly ruined: deep craters from Xiao Yan's strikes, deep gashes from Nalan Yanran's sword.

"Expand the Barrier! All sword-array disciples retreat! Leave the plaza immediately!!"

Everyone scrambled backward. The Yun Lan Sect Duel Plaza—twice the size of a football field—wasn't even large enough for these two to fight in!

Their battle had escalated from Great Dou Shi level to Dou Ling level—even Peak Dou Ling level!

One was the Young Sect Master who entered the Life and Death Gate and received Yun Potian's legacy. The other was the Young Clan Leader who possessed the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame and Six-Grade Soul Force.

"Thousand Wind Gale!"

Nalan Yanran's eyes hardened. She spun her Black Sword rapidly, summoning a spiral blade of black wind-element Dou Qi at its tip. With a sharp cry, she leapt high into the air. The piercing blade coiled together into a thin black-green thread that shrieked through the air like lightning, hurtling toward Xiao Yan.

Seeing Nalan Yanran leap into the air to attack him, Xiao Yan smirked. He didn't dodge—he advanced, slamming his wings forward and charging straight at her.

Puff—the blade pierced through everything, spraying blood. Xiao Yan's left shoulder was stabbed! Hot blood soaked his chest.

Xiao Yan had the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame's enhancement, the Roaring Lion's Protection, and Dou Qi Armor—ordinary attacks couldn't pierce his hardened flesh. Yet this single strike had pierced his shoulder!

The next instant—Boom—a figure was slammed violently from midair into the ground.

Xiao Yan clearly had no concept of "chivalry." He traded blow for blow, slamming his Black Sword down hard onto Nalan Yanran.

Looking at his pierced shoulder, Xiao Yan smiled faintly. The Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame ignited instantly—a searing pain surged, and the wound sealed shut before his eyes!

Looking down from above, Xiao Yan said: "Surrender. I have the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame's enhancement—my Life Force is stronger than most beasts. But you're still human. If we keep fighting like this, your bones will eventually shatter. And if you can't be healed afterward, that'll be a problem."

Everyone's hearts skipped. Xiao Yan's fighting style was brutally savage—he simply traded blows with Nalan Yanran, relying on the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame's enhancement. Though he'd been pierced, he'd also sent her flying.

Xiao Yan was a tank with thick skin—Nalan Yanran was barely an assassin. How could she fight this?!

Whoosh—the smoke cleared. Nalan Yanran stood in the center of the crater, looking up at Xiao Yan. Blood streamed from her forehead, dripping onto her clothes, staining them red—but she didn't even frown.

Not only did she not frown—she smiled. The blood-stained smile held a strange, chilling beauty.

Hum—the silver dragon on Nalan Yanran's Black Sword emitted a white glow, enveloping her entire body. The wounds from Xiao Yan's blows—her bleeding head, her battered body—began visibly healing before their eyes!

"Huh?! What kind of power is this?!"

"Did she sneakily swallow a Pill?"

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes. As an Alchemist, he could be certain—it wasn't a Pill's power. Nalan Yanran had received something else inside the Life and Death Gate.

"This power… it feels a little like that thing." Xiao Yan frowned deeply, a flicker of unusual light in his eyes.

(End of Chapter)