Chapter 497: He Is the Yao Hua Xie Jun

As the ringing of the bell slowly faded, the woman in brocade robes slightly narrowed her long eyes, and the man beside her curled into a sinister smile.

Xiao Yan's strength was indeed formidable, but Hua Jin still had faith in the Yao Hua Xie Jun beside her—not only was his Cultivation Realm higher, but he had also prepared a hidden trump card this time.

As the bell's sound ended, space twisted in the Guang Chang, and two graceful figures swiftly glided out of a Space Wormhole, their jade feet gently touching the ground.

At the sight of these two beautiful figures landing on the Guang Chang, every gaze in the crowd shifted toward them; even though this wasn't the first time they'd seen them, many eyes still shimmered with awe.

What a stunning master-disciple pair.

Especially Yun Yun—in white robes and skirt, her ink-black tresses cascaded like a waterfall down to her slender waist, her eyes gliding with nothing but a bone-deep serenity, not a trace of rivalry or ambition.

Graceful, dignified, and exquisitely noble!

Such poise immediately earned silent nods from the Hua Sect's Elders present; such demeanor explained why the former Sect Master, Hua Po Po, had entrusted her with the leadership of the Hua Sect.

Compared to Hua Jin, she was like a phoenix among sparrows.

Seeing Yun Yun appear, the Yao Hua Xie Jun beside Hua Jin widened his eyes as if captivated by her beauty, a fiery gleam flashing in his gaze—this kind of ultimate beauty was utterly irresistible to a man who loved beauty above all else.

Seeing the Yao Hua Xie Jun beside her display such a look, Hua Jin clenched her fists, her face twisting with fury as she sneered: "Hmph! Yun Yun, you despicable worm—you've finally shown your face!"

Yun Yun looked at Hua Jin and slowly shook her head with a sigh: "Hua Jin Sect Master, you know I never wanted the position of Hua Sect leader—I've already returned the Soul Token. Why do you persist in pressuring me?"

"Hmph! If you had no ambition, then hand over the former Sect Master's lifetime of Dou Qi! We kindly took you in, and yet you dared to covet the position of Hua Sect leader!" the brocade-robed woman snapped.

"Alas, that Dou Qi is sealed within me—I cannot release it," Yun Yun replied, shaking her head.

"Then follow the Sect's rules. Yun Yun, where's your little whore? Call him out!" Hua Jin glanced at Yun Yun, but saw no sign of Xiao Yan.

Nalan Yanran beside her was utterly exasperated! It's already starting—where is he!!

Whether you come early or late, it's the same! You always vanish at the critical moment!

Seeing Xiao Yan didn't appear, Yun Yun's face showed no reproach—instead, she felt slightly relieved. She wasn't foolish; if they knew her companion was Xiao Yan, they'd surely prepare countermeasures—he'd be in danger.

A faint smile appeared on Yun Yun's cheeks as she slowly shook her head and whispered: "Hua Jin Sect Master, proceed. I have no lover."

Before her words had fully faded, the Infernal Heat of the entire Guang Chang suddenly rose. A wisp of Black Flame appeared out of nowhere beside Yun Yun, and from within the Black Flame corridor emerged a proud figure.

Amid countless stunned gazes, the dark shadow appeared beside Yun Yun on the Guang Chang, then swept his arm around her slender waist, pulling her into his arms despite her startled cry.

A disgustingly sweet, teasing voice rang out, instantly flushing Yun Yun's cheeks crimson.

"Little Yun'er, how heartless of you—have you already forgotten our happy times in the Shan Mai?"

Xiao Yan's strength was immense; even though Yun Yun had accelerated her Refining of Hua Po Po's Dou Qi and reached Two-Star Dou Zun, she still couldn't resist his grip—or perhaps, deep down, she didn't wish to.

Her cheek pressed against Xiao Yan's solid chest, its searing heat left her eyes dazed and her mind blank.

"Xiao Yan! You bastard!" Nalan Yanran stared at him—his clothes disheveled, as if he'd just woken up—and exploded in fury: "You're deliberately timing this, aren't you!!"

You've been at the Hua Sect all along!

In an instant, countless Elders on the Guang Chang stared in shock at Xiao Yan—the man holding Yun Yun in his arms. Among them were several Nine-Star Dou Zun Elders of the Hua Sect, yet none of them had sensed his Space Transmigration!

"Happy times in the Shan Mai?"

"Whoa! Yun Yun's playing it that wild? Outdoors?!!"

Instantly, some of the younger Hua Sect Disciples blushed faintly, while others' eyes sparkled, as if they thought Xiao Yan's suggestion wasn't half-bad.

Hearing Xiao Yan deliberately twist her words, Yun Yun's cheeks flushed red.

"Xiao Yan, don't say things like that—we never did those things back then," Yun Yun tried to push him away, but he held her tighter; realizing her Cultivation Realm couldn't match his, she gave up and let him take advantage.

Xiao Yan looked down at the gentle beauty in his arms, his gaze softening slightly as he whispered: "Who says we didn't? There's still a mark I left on your neck."

Yun Yun shot him a fierce glare; though his words were easily misunderstood, they were true.

"Xiao Yan! You finally showed up!" Hua Jin's face twisted with vicious hatred—she clearly hated Xiao Yan just as much as she hated Yun Yun.

Xiao Yan glanced at Hua Jin, then turned to the Yao Hua Xie Jun fanning himself nearby; clearly, the Yao Hua Xie Jun's eyes burned with intense hostility toward Xiao Yan—and that hostility stemmed from Yun Yun.

Xiao Yan smiled, waved his hand, and a large chair appeared behind him. He sat back, took Yun Yun's Jade Hand in his, and gently pulled her onto his lap.

"How can you fight like this?" Yun Yun sat on his lap, helplessly gazing at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan yawned, looking as if he'd just woken up and hadn't fully stirred. He glanced at Hua Jin and the Yao Hua Xie Jun, then said lazily, yet calmly: "Just these two? Sitting's enough."

"How bold!" Seeing Xiao Yan outdo him in arrogance, the Yao Hua Xie Jun couldn't hold back—he unleashed his Peak Six-Star Dou Zun power, a pressure stronger than ordinary Six-Star Dou Zun, rivaling even some Star Seven Dou Zun, making the air feel suffocating.

And Xiao Yan was merely a Five-Star!

"Xiao Yan, today neither of you will escape! Hand over the former Sect Master's Dou Qi!" Hua Jin drew her weapon and coldly addressed Xiao Yan.

"You're wrong. This Hua Sect is rich in talent and spirit, and I have a beauty in my arms—why would I ever want to flee?" Xiao Yan smiled calmly. "Besides… you two are just rotten fish and trash. For me to stand up and fight you? You're vastly overestimating yourselves."

"You're doomed and still spouting arrogance!!" Seeing Xiao Yan treat them as trash, the Yao Hua Xie Jun's eyes turned terrifying as he hissed: "Surrender now, and you'll die quickly! Otherwise, I'll make you experience the Tian Ming Sect's ultimate technique—slowly draining your blood until you beg for death!"

This time, the Yao Hua Xie Jun had brought some of the Tian Ming Sect's methods with him—if he could kill Xiao Yan, the Yan Alliance would crumble into insignificance!

Xiao Yan leaned back against the chair, slowly glancing at the Yao Hua Xie Jun, seeing the source of his confidence. He shook his head with a smile: "Bring out whatever tricks you have. Just don't make me fall asleep."

"Hahaha! How arrogant of you, Yan Alliance's Xiao Yan—I'll see how you sit there and defeat me!" The Yao Hua Xie Jun laughed bitterly, clearly enraged by Xiao Yan's insolence.

In his entire life, he'd only ever been the one to bully others—when had anyone ever dared to treat him this way?

In an instant, Hua Jin erupted like a sacred lotus in full bloom, streams of holy light radiating as petals drifted around her; beside her, the Yao Hua Xie Jun formed a hand seal, and a torrent of crimson Dou Qi surged forth.

"Sacred Flower Strike!"

"Great Heavenly Blood Demon Palm!"

Boom!! Instantly, the space and elemental forces of the Guang Chang boiled violently—clearly, both techniques were Earth-Class Dou Techniques; the stone slabs of the Guang Chang shattered into fragments.

"Xiao Yan!" Seeing Xiao Yan still seated, Yun Yun cried out urgently.

"Don't worry—leave it to me." Xiao Yan smiled faintly; in ancient times, Alchemists never fought directly—they were masters of flame control.

As the two attacks surged toward him, Xiao Yan smiled, flicked his finger, and two wisps of flame shot out—immediately, two flames, silver and purple, exploded in size.

Roar! Roar!!! The roars echoed across the entire Guang Chang and throughout the Hua Sect—a nine-headed Thunder Dragon, its body wreathed in silver lightning, unleashed torrents of thunderfire, obliterating Hua Jin's technique.

The purple flame transformed into a purple True Dragon, its DragonClaw slamming down upon the massive crimson handprint—BOOM! The Great Heavenly Blood Demon Palm was instantly vaporized by the infernal heat.

"Spirit Flames!!"

Seeing Xiao Yan effortlessly dismantle their Dou Techniques, many Hua Sect Elders stared in shock.

"Not an ordinary Strange Flame—this is a Spiritual Flame Fusion! It already possesses independent sentience!"

"That nine-headed thunder dragon looks a bit like the Nine Dragon Thunder Gangfire of the Burnt Flame Valley—those purple flames must be the Three Thousand Yan Flame that Xiao Yan refined after winning the Pill Gathering championship."

"To shape flame into spirit and wield it against enemies—this is an ancient Alchemist's method!"

In the blink of an eye, two massive Spiritual Flame Fusions appeared midair, guarding Xiao Yan like true dragons; the terrifying heat radiating from the Strange Flames caused large cracks to spread across the entire Guang Chang.

The Hua Sect's Elder presiding over the match showed a look of shock and exclaimed, "Rumors say Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance has some special method allowing him to possess multiple Strange Flames at once—it seems it's true."

Yao Hua Xie Jun was startled, flipped his hand into a seal, and instantly, Dou Qi surged as blood qi suppressed the air; as the seal changed, a massive crimson dragon descended to crush down.

Facing Yao Hua Xie Jun's attack, Xiao Yan smirked coldly, waved his hand casually, and the Three Thousand Yan Flame transformed into a Void Ancient Dragon, directly meeting the attack and shattering the Dou Qi dragon!

In an instant, the two dragon-shaped Strange Flames roared through heaven and earth, their terrifying aura warping the protective Sealing Array.

Ancient Alchemists were not like those of today—back then, Alchemists possessed immense Fire Control Power, relying on manipulating flame to fight enemies. The Five Wheel Departing Flame Method taught by Tian Huo Zunzhe was an ancient flame-control technique, not a Dou Technique; it was only due to Di An's actions, during the time when all Dou Emperors vanished, that the entire Dou Qi Continent underwent massive change, descending into chaos, causing many lineages to be lost.

Watching the two Strange Flame dragons force Hua Jin and Yao Hua Xie Jun into constant retreat, Yun Yun's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment—she even forgot she was sitting on Xiao Yan's lap.

"You've become much stronger."

"Really? You still think I'm that lowly Dou Shi, Yao Yan?" Xiao Yan laughed.

Hearing this, Yun Yun's eyes flickered—how long had it been since she heard that name?

Seeing Yun Yun's expression, Xiao Yan's heart stirred; he changed the subject, waving toward Nalan Yanran far away: "Hey, little Bi Nu, the Young Master's been out this long—where's your tea?"

"I already told you—I'm not your Bi Nu!" Nalan Yanran stamped her foot in fury; after all these years, Xiao Yan was still as arrogant as when he first came to Yun Lan Sect.

"Xiao Yan! Give me three years—three years from now," Xiao Yan suddenly said.

"Aaaah! Don't say it! I'll pour you tea!" Nalan Yanran's eyes welled with tears, she stamped her foot in rage—but had no way to stop him.

Seeing her disciple slowly approaching, Yun Yun suddenly remembered how immodest her posture was; this time, she did not let Xiao Yan hold her, broke free forcefully, and lightly stepped onto the ground with her jade foot, turning her back to Xiao Yan, refusing to look at him.

Xiao Yan smiled—after all, there were many people here; he wouldn't force it. He took the tea cup Nalan Yanran handed him, drank a sip, swished it around with a gurgle, then spat it back out, and tossed the cup back to her with a wave of his hand.

In this scene, Xiao Yan seemed the true Yao Hua Xie Jun—this was real; the actual Yao Hua Xie Jun looked like an impostor!

"Ah, maybe I slept in a Cave for three days—my shoulders are a bit stiff." Xiao Yan twisted his neck, as if hinting at something.

"You're going too far!" Nalan Yanran glared at him—this man was taking advantage!

"Three..."

"Aaah! Shut up!"

At the edge of the Guang Chang, the Hua Sect spectators watching this scene were all numb—they couldn't help wondering if they'd misunderstood something!

This wasn't supposed to be a duel deciding the future of the Hua Sect! Wasn't it supposed to be a life-or-death battle, shaking heaven and earth?

What had they just seen?!

This Xiao Yan clearly has a deep relationship with Yun Yun and her disciple!

"Xiao Yan's cultivation realm must have reached Nine-Star Dou Zun—or even higher," muttered a Nine-Star Dou Zun Elder of the Hua Sect, his expression grave; this duel was utterly one-sided—the supposedly stronger Hua Jin and Yao Hua Xie Jun now looked like clowns in a circus, absurd and ridiculous.

They were constantly suppressed by the two massive Spiritual Flame Fusions.

The power of Strange Flames naturally depends on Xiao Yan's Dou Qi cultivation and Soul Power; the Burn Scripture is now Heavenly Rank Mid-Level, and Xiao Yan himself is still at Five-Star Dou Zun—imagine how powerful the Strange Flame's strength must be; ordinary Six-Star Dou Zun couldn't stand against it.

Seeing Xiao Yan's demeanor—amid battle, still teasing a woman—the ever-beauty-loving Yao Hua Xie Jun couldn't help but burn with rage.

They exchanged glances; Hua Jin nodded. Yao Hua Xie Jun subtly pulled a crystal-like object from his space ring. Though subtle, the motion did not escape Xiao Yan's Heavenly Realm Soul Force.

"Even if you possess Strange Flames, it won't help!" Yao Hua Xie Jun sneered. A rumbling sound echoed as an ice-blue divine sword appeared above his head, radiating an extremely terrifying coldness—so intense that frost formed even on the Nine Dragon Thunder Gangfire and the Three Thousand Yan Flame.

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly; he murmured inwardly: "Could that thing be the Huangquan Blood Crystal, unique to the Nine Underworld Earth Serpent Clan?"

The Huangquan Blood Crystal only forms at the bottom of the Nine Underworld Huang Quan, the Holy Land of the Nine Underworld Earth Serpent Clan, after countless years; this crystal possesses extreme freezing power—even Strange Flames can be frozen—it is a heavenly marvel.

Xiao Yan knew so much about the Huangquan Blood Crystal because, to successfully refine the Pure Lotus Strange Flame, he needed to brew a Nine-Treasure Pill called the Nine Yin Huangquan Elixir.

This Nine Yin Huangquan Elixir weakens Strange Flame power, protecting oneself from being burned to death during the refining process.

So Xiao Yan would eventually have to go to the Nine Underworld Earth Serpent Clan.

And the Nine Underworld Earth Serpent Clan is allied with the Tian Ming Sect, enemies of the Yan Alliance; Xiao Yan suspected the Nine Underworld Earth Serpent Clan deliberately gave this to Yao Hua Xie Jun to use against him.

"Go!"

The divine sword, radiating strange freezing power, flew forth; its terrifying coldness froze space inch by inch.

Feeling the freezing sword's power, the sentient Nine Dragon Thunder Gangfire and Three Thousand Yan Flame both showed solemn expressions; they gathered their Strange Flame power, roared, and simultaneously spat out silver lightning flame and purple flame—two powerful Strange Flames shot toward the incoming sword.

Boom! The collision echoed endlessly; at that instant, Yao Hua Xie Jun sneered, formed a hand seal, and roared: "Explode!"

Instantly, the sword shattered, releasing a freezing cold that froze heaven and earth; the entire Guang Chang felt as if plunged into the Nine Underworld Huang Quan—crack, crack, crack, crack—in the blink of an eye, the two Spiritual Flame Fusions formed by the Nine Dragon Thunder Gangfire and Three Thousand Yan Flame were frozen into ice statues!

Even though the Huangquan Blood Crystal had not been refined into an Elixir, its inherent extreme cold power was still formidable—otherwise, how could the Nine Yin Huangquan Elixir possibly freeze the third-ranked Pure Lotus Strange Flame?

"Hahaha, Xiao Yan, without your Strange Flames, how will you fight me now!" Yao Hua Xie Jun, seeing Xiao Yan's Spiritual Flame Fusions frozen, grinned savagely; both charged toward Xiao Yan—kill Xiao Yan, and Yun Yun would be no threat.

Watching their confident expressions, Xiao Yan shook his head; he couldn't blame them for their short-sightedness—after all, this might be their only chance ever to get close to him.

"An Alchemist isn't just powerful in Fire Control Power," Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly; instantly, his inner Soul Force erupted—a wave of Soul Power surged out, startling even the Hua Sect Elders.

"Asura Soul Severance!"

Qing! An invisible Soul wave swept horizontally toward the two charging figures.

(End of Chapter)