Chapter 287

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh! Xiao Yan swept his sleeve, and the Strange Fire transformed into flame-chained bonds that shot from his sleeve, piercing Han Feng's scapulae with two wet thuds, running clean through him.

"Aaaah!!" The terrifying heat burned Han Feng's skin to charred rags; even his Sea Heart Flame offered no defense.

Whether in the rank of Strange Fire or the grade of cultivation method, Han Feng was vastly inferior to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan couldn't help but silently sigh—cultivation methods were truly vital. Though the Heaven-Fire Three Profound Changes had propelled him from Dou Wang to Dou Huang, it was his Quasi-Heavenly Rank Burnt Scripture that truly decided victory.

The power granted by a Quasi-Heavenly Rank method was so intoxicating that even Xiao Yan, with his composure, couldn't help but be entranced—such mastery over power was too immense, too inconceivable.

Earth Grade cultivation methods and Dou Techniques could stir Heaven and Earth Power, but Quasi-Heavenly Rank meant complete control over the Heaven and Earth Power within a radius of ten kilometers.

Within this range, you could freely absorb the region's energy; Han Feng's Profound Class method was utterly useless within Xiao Yan's domain.

Not to mention that the Burnt Scripture, after reaching Quasi-Heavenly Rank, had refined its control over Strange Fire to the finest degree—Xiao Yan could shape it at will.

"Save Han Feng!"

Xiao Yan's actions were instantly noticed by the Black Alliance's elite; their faces turned pale, and furious shouts erupted—they knew Han Feng's importance to the entire alliance; without him, this vast coalition would collapse instantly!

And without Han Feng, their defeat was certain.

"Stop them!"

Just as the Black Horn Region's elites moved, Su Qian let out a cold command; the Inner Court elders, already poised, surged forward, forming a human wall beyond Feng Cheng, their powerful spiritual pressures rising in unison, repelling every would-be rescuer.

Suddenly, Han Feng stopped struggling and grinned at Xiao Yan: "Hehehe, Xiao Yan, I must admit—after inheriting that old thing's legacy, you've surpassed me. But! There are many things in this world you don't know. This sky is thicker than you think!"

Wooooo! No sooner had Han Feng spoken than dark clouds gathered over the distant sky; the heavens darkened without warning, and moments later, howling gales surged violently down from the sky.

Instantly, some weaker ordinary folk in Feng Cheng were tossed about by the gales, forcing them to clutch desperately at anything nearby.

The black gales swept down from the oppressive sky like a demon with an open maw, devouring everything in its path.

The dark wind surged from the horizon, and in the blink of an eye, it engulfed Xiao Yan.

"Black Storm?!"

"How? How did the Black Storm appear out of nowhere?!"

The Black Storm instantly obscured the sky, plunging all of Feng Cheng into the storm.

"No! There's someone inside the storm!"

"Dou Zong?!"

Su Qian's gaze snapped to Han Feng's position. Everyone had heard Han Feng's laughter—no sooner had he finished speaking than the Black Storm arrived. This proved beyond doubt: the storm was not a natural disaster, but man-made!

The first to sense the truth was Su Qian, a Dou Zong. His eyes fixed on the storm's eye—he faintly sensed something within, yet his perception could not penetrate it, as if blocked by some powerful barrier.

Especially in the midair where Xiao Yan and Han Feng stood, a thick black mist soon enveloped them, completely obscuring both figures.

"It's Han Feng's reinforcements!!"

"The boss is amazing!!"

"Hahaha! Your Jia Nan Academy is finished! The Medic King's influence is beyond your reach!"

Inside the black mist, Han Feng, pierced by the Strange Fire chains, laughed: "Brother, even if that old thing were still alive, he wouldn't dare offend this faction! I'll tell you plainly—I only poisoned him. He died at the hands of a Venerable!"

"You have no idea what power you're facing!"

"The Soul Sovereign? How could I not know?" Surrounded by black mist, Xiao Yan smiled broadly as he gazed around.

"Hehehe, so you know a little. As an Alchemist, it's natural. But on the Dou Qi Continent, even the lofty Alchemists are merely prey for the Soul Sovereign—and you're no exception!" Han Feng stared coldly at Xiao Yan, smugly certain of victory.

Han Feng smiled toward the black-robed figure in the storm's eye: "Guardian Xuan, this is Xiao Yan. I am a fellow disciple of Elder Mu Gu. Please help me capture him."

No sooner had Han Feng spoken than the black-robed figure opened his eyes—like ghostly lanterns in the night, they glowed with eerie light, and a powerful Dou Zong spiritual pressure erupted.

Anyone seeing such a terrifying sight in the dark would be chilled to the bone.

Yet Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly, utterly unconcerned. Even as the Black Storm surrounded him, the black mist had no effect whatsoever.

"Your backup is the Soul Sovereign's Guardian?" Xiao Yan smiled at Han Feng, then casually released the Strange Fire chains.

Seeing the Strange Fire chains vanish from his body, Han Feng grinned triumphantly: "You still have time to repent. Hand over the Burnt Scripture and your Strange Fire, and I'll spare your life."

"Though losing your Strange Fire will damage your foundation, it's better than death, brother. This is one of the few mercies your senior will show you. I'm sure Guardian Xuan is very interested in your Soul Body!"

Han Feng's eyes locked onto Xiao Yan—he had no intention of sparing him. Once he obtained the Burnt Scripture, he'd immediately have Guardian Xuan kill Xiao Yan.

"Why do you assume he's your ally?" Xiao Yan didn't anger—he merely watched Han Feng's ecstatic grin with amusement.

"What?! You—!" Han Feng's face twisted in shock; he instantly turned toward Guardian Xuan.

"Earth Grade Guardian Xuan, pays homage to Yan Venerable." As he spoke, the black-robed figure slowly bowed his head toward Xiao Yan.

"No need. I've given you nothing, nor any Soul Points. That would violate protocol." Xiao Yan clasped his hands behind his back and nodded slowly.

"You!!!" This time, Han Feng's face turned as white as a ghost. He staggered back several steps, staring at Xiao Yan with sheer dread.

Han Feng blurted out: "How is this possible?! You—you set a trap for me!"

"That's not accurate," Xiao Yan said calmly, shaking his head. "I merely prepared a contingency. I never expected you'd actually summon Guardian Xuan. I only recently ascended to Soul Hall Venerable. At first, I had no intention of using the Soul Sovereign's power against you. Of course, this isn't because I'm noble—it's simply because you're not worth it."

At once, Guardian Xuan locked onto Han Feng: "Jiexiexie! Han Feng, your offer was tempting—but he's not someone you can provoke."

"You're in collusion!" Han Feng felt like a fool being toyed with. He'd thought Guardian Xuan would aid him—he'd been certain of victory—only to discover Xiao Yan was a Soul Hall Venerable!

"You jumped into the pit yourself. I couldn't stop you." Xiao Yan shook his head. He'd long suspected Han Feng's ties to the Soul Sovereign.

Han Feng was a Six-Grade Peak Alchemist. With his Strange Fire and Seven-Grade Soul Force, he already had a decent chance of successfully refining a Seven Rank Low Grade Elixir.

When Xiao Yan had once seen the Yin-Yang Dragon Elixir at Hun Lao Gui's, he learned its Pill Formula was created by the Medic Venerable—meaning only Han Feng, or perhaps the Medic Venerable himself, could possibly have it.

So Xiao Yan deduced Han Feng had contacted the Soul Sovereign—perhaps even traded the Yin-Yang Dragon Elixir for a Soul Cultivation Technique.

Before coming, Xiao Yan had specifically visited the Soul Hall in the Black Horn Region. As expected, Han Feng had foolishly sought out Guardian Xuan to act for him.

The realization that Guardian Xuan, whom he'd always assumed was on his side, had instead been watching—or even opposing him—left Han Feng's face ashen. He'd been outmaneuvered after all.

"Enough talk. Time's running out. Let's end this." Xiao Yan smiled.

You can't beat me, your background is weaker than mine—commit suicide.

Just as Han Feng gritted his teeth and turned to flee, whoosh! A jet-black Spiritual Energy Drainage Chain, gleaming with deep luster, shot from Guardian Xuan's hand with terrifying speed—instantly reaching Han Feng's back, its tip razor-sharp, faintly emitting an eerie, chilling glint.

Plop! Han Feng was instantly pierced through the body—a soul-deep agony surged through him: "Aaaah!! You can't do this to me! My uncle is Elder Mu Gu of the Soul Hall!"

Elder Xuan yanked the Spiritual Energy Drainage Chain hard, and Han Feng was flung backward; with a clatter, he was instantly bound tight.

With a sharp crack, Xiao Yan's left hand clamped around Han Feng's throat, and he smiled faintly. "Too bad—if your master were still alive, I might have spared you out of fellow-disciple ties."

Killing with words! At Xiao Yan's words, Han Feng's mind involuntarily conjured the image of that kind old man.

Xiao Yan sneered coldly—Han Feng had brought this upon himself.

Instantly, the Demon Severing Soul Art activated; a killing intent piercing straight to the Spiritual Soul erupted from Xiao Yan's hand. This terrifying Soul Technique made Elder Xuan beside him shiver with icy dread, his Spiritual Soul trembling.

Even though Xiao Yan's strength was only that of a Dou Wang, Elder Xuan dared not entertain a single other thought.

With a hiss, Xiao Yan curled his five fingers into a claw; Soul Force coalesced into a spectral claw that pierced into Han Feng's body and yanked hard—out came a blue Soul Body.

Whoosh! A blue flame instantly scorched Xiao Yan's left hand. Even now, Han Feng's will to survive remained strong—but it was utterly futile.

Hum! Xiao Yan drew the Soul Token from the Bone Flame Ring; the character "Yan" on the token erupted in a surge of Soul Force, and with a hiss, it sucked Han Feng's Soul Body—and the Sea Heart Flame—into the token.

Seeing Xiao Yan's Soul Token, Elder Xuan instinctively stepped back. The token clearly wasn't ordinary—he had seen the Soul Tokens of the Venerables, but this one felt different.

"I only want his Unique Flame. The Soul Points from Han Feng's Soul Body are yours." To be honest, Xiao Yan already looked down on the Soul Points of a Six-Grade Spirit—this was at most enough for an Earth-Rank Low-Level Soul Technique, of little use.

"Thank you, Lord Yan!"

"Mm. Go back."

Xiao Yan waved his hand; the Black Storm slowly receded. As the first ray of sunlight appeared, beams of light poured in, and the howling gales gradually weakened until they vanished entirely.

When the Black Storm inexplicably faded, both sides in battle paused, stunned, turning their gazes toward the sky where Han Feng and Xiao Yan stood.

But when they saw what had happened, everyone froze in shock.

Xiao Yan stood unharmed, his left hand gripping Han Feng's throat, while the latter's head tilted backward—clearly lifeless.

"Han Feng is dead?!" The Gold and Silver Elders, who had been desperately blocking Su Qian from rushing to rescue, grimaced.

All of Jia Nan Academy exchanged bewildered glances—how had Han Feng's ally not only failed to defeat Xiao Yan, but ended up dead himself???

Who the hell was his ally?!

"Where's that Senior Dou Zong?" Su Qian asked.

"Ran off. Han Feng couldn't afford his price, so he left." Xiao Yan lied without blinking, smiling pleasantly.

Hearing their ally had fled and Han Feng was dead, the entire Feng Cheng froze. Everyone grew fearful; no one wished to fight further, and all began scrambling to break out and flee.

"Leave none alive!" Xiao Yan stored Han Feng's Corpse in his Storage Ring, locking his Soul Force onto the Gold and Silver Elders, preparing to flank them with Elder Su Qian and eliminate these two poisons.

The Gold and Silver Elders sensed the danger. They exchanged glances, realizing they could not defeat Su Qian and Xiao Yan together. They broke their alliance, activated Secret Techniques, and both erupted with speed rivaling that of a Dou Zong—fleeing left and right.

This move caught Su Qian off guard—but Xiao Yan, with his powerful Soul Force, narrowed his eyes slightly as Dragon Qi surged within him.

Wuuu! He roared toward the Gold Elder; the terrifying Sound Dou Technique sent chaos through the Gold Elder's Dou Qi, rendering his Dou Qi Wings unusable—he tumbled from the sky.

"Elder, you take the golden one. I'll chase the silver one." The battle in Feng Cheng was still ongoing; Su Qian could not leave its boundaries.

"Alright. Be careful. If you can't catch him, let him go." Separated, the Gold and Silver Elders were likely no stronger than Han Feng.

But suddenly—an anomaly. As Xiao Yan prepared to activate his Dou Qi Wings and unleash Three Thousand Thunderous Steps to pursue the Silver Elder, a streak of Purple Light flashed across the horizon.

A bolt of purple flame descended from the sky, striking the unsuspecting Silver Elder dead center.

Xiao Yan snapped his head upward—there, not far off, a colossal purple lion stood atop the Sky, and upon its back stood a silhouette he knew well.

"Xiao Yixian?"

(End of Chapter)