Chapter 635

Even in this chaotic age, Nine-Turn Dou Zun are peak experts, and both of them are just a hair's breadth away from breaking through and attaining Sage status.

After Nalan Yanran emerged from seclusion, she took command of the Demon Flame Plain, leading Yan Alliance disciples to compete for Demon Flame Stones; rumors even spread that Nalan Yanran faced off against a junior Semi-Sage from a reclusive Zhong Zhou family and showed no fear, holding her ground perfectly.

Feng Qing'er, though rarely engaging in combat, still carries the unshakable prestige of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

With the Ancient Void Dragon absent, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan reigns supreme.

Now the Three Great Demon Beast Families have become the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, and the Serpent Empire; yet after Huang Tian's emergence from seclusion, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan remains in second place.

And today, as Nalan Yanran and Feng Qing'er duel, not only in Zhong Zhou and Shou Yu, but even in the Dou Emperor Family's Wu Kong Jie Yu, the entire realm has been thrown into turmoil—winds and clouds churn, hidden tides surge, one Dou Zun after another, even Dou Sheng, are watching this moment closely.

After Yun Yun, these two are the most likely to become the next Dou Sheng.

Three days later, on the Wan Gu Ping Yuan, crowds had gathered from all directions; towers and pavilions rose from the earth, some even flying the banners of Dou Emperor Families.

But none of the Dou Emperor Family's elite had come in person; most were disciples roaming the Dou Qi Continent or vassal factions of the Dou Emperor Families, merely observing the battle.

"Aren't they just Nine-Turn Dou Zun? They're not even Dou Sheng—why so much attention? Even Dou Emperor Family disciples have come!" a young generation member asked an elder beside him.

"You don't understand. Since the Stone Clan incident, the Dou Emperor Families have fully intervened in the affairs of the Dou Qi Continent. Sure, Zhong Zhou has One Hall One Tower One Alliance, but the Dan Tower is an Alchemist organization whose purpose is to resist the Soul Sovereign's capture of Spiritual Souls; the Soul Sovereign itself is a subordinate faction of the Soul Sovereign. Only Yun Lan Sect of the Yan Alliance truly represents the cultivators of the Dou Qi Continent—you need only pass the examination to join, no special lineage required."

"Nalan Yanran, in plain terms, is a commoner with no background whatsoever—of course everyone watches her closely."

At this moment, on the Shan Mai overlooking the plain, Semi-Sage elders gazed afar, frowning and murmuring: "The Yan Alliance's sudden challenge to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan must have deeper intent."

The elder beside him nodded gravely: "I've heard the Ancient Void Dragon Clan has been making moves, and in the Demon Fire Space, Xiao Yan has formed a deep bond with a powerful Ancient Void Dragon. The Yan Alliance likely has some connection with them."

"If true, does that mean the Yan Alliance aims to test the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's stance? To unite all forces on the Dou Qi Continent to resist the Dou Emperor Families and seek self-preservation?"

The Dou Qi Continent is vast, home to many reclusive families who remain hidden—but the Stone Clan incident has made the entire world sense danger, and everyone now lives in fear.

"The grand tide of the Dou Qi Continent's tens of thousands of years is about to shift; Zhong Zhou will descend into chaos," murmured a great elder as he gazed into the distance.

At this moment, many hearts harbored the same suspicion: the Yan Alliance seeks to unify the Dou Qi Continent to resist the Dou Emperor Families!

This duel is merely a probe—if Nalan Yanran wins, the Serpent Empire might even launch war against the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan!

Mei Du Sha's name carries no less weight.

Today, countless cultivators from Zhong Zhou and magical beast experts from Shou Yu flooded into the Wan Gu Ping Yuan; in fact, not only Zhong Zhou, but even Xu Kong Zhi Di and Zhong Zhou Wai Wei Zhi Di were swarming with powerful figures.

Reclusive Dou Zun experts appeared one after another on the outskirts of the Wan Gu Ping Yuan, come to witness the battle between Nalan Yanran and Feng Qing'er.

For they do not fight merely for themselves—their behind-the-scenes factions are too vast. Especially the Yan Alliance: even after two years of Xiao Yan's disappearance, no one dares underestimate it; the Yan Alliance remains a colossal force.

The largest sect on the Dou Qi Continent, Yun Lan Sect; the second largest, Hua Sect; the most expansive and powerful empire, Jia Ma Empire; the wealthiest merchant guild, Miter Guild—all are part of the Yan Alliance.

Not to mention the Serpent Empire, which controls nearly half of Shou Yu's territory, and the once-Dou Emperor Family, the Xiao Clan.

This alone reveals just how colossal the Yan Alliance has become—especially for ordinary people, ordinary cultivators, and unaffiliated cultivators on the Dou Qi Continent: the Yan Alliance is an unavoidable presence.

The Wan Gu Ping Yuan contains the Wangu Zhanchang, an ancient battlefield at the border between Zhong Zhou and Shou Yu. From afar, towering peaks rise—yet many are shattered, some split in half, others reduced to their bases, still others severed at the waist.

Within the Wangu Zhanchang, one can see numerous ruins: remnants of colossal warships, giant beast bones, broken colossal weapons—but most of the white bones have long turned to yellow sand.

In the primitive age, when Dou Di still existed, a full-scale war once erupted here between humans and magical beasts; rumors say even Dou Di and divine beasts fought in this cataclysmic battle, and the carnage was horrific.

It was precisely because of this battle that the boundary between Zhong Zhou and Shou Yu was finally established.

As all waited with bated breath, powerful ancient figures suddenly lifted their heads—then came a clear, ringing sword cry, and sword intent flooded the air; in that instant, a piercing cold wind swept across heaven and earth.

When that sword cry rang out, it filled the entire Wan Gu Ping Yuan; whether elder experts or young spectators, all felt the terrifying, sharp sword wind pierce their skin as if it would instantly stab through their chests.

Though the weather had been mild and pleasant, now the wind had turned bitterly cold.

A figure descended gracefully, landing atop a broken peak of the Wan Gu Ping Yuan.

A woman, clad in a silver-moon-colored plain robe, her long black hair bound by a hairband, tall and slender; as the wind blew, her robe clung to her body, revealing a flawless silhouette that made one unable to look away.

Her delicate face bore an unusual stubbornness, like a blade that would rather break than bend; her eyes carried a touch of coldness—clearly, she was distant and indifferent to others.

Nalan Yanran.

"Gah! It's the Sect Master of Yun Lan Sect, Nalan Yanran!" Seeing Nalan Yanran land on the peak, reclusive elder experts gasped in shock.

"Such powerful sword intent," said the Pavilion Master of Wan Jian Ge, who had met Xiao Yan a few times.

He had seen Nalan Yanran once during the Four Directions Pavilion Assembly—back then, she was merely a participant, pushed forward by Xiao Yan to fight Feng Qing'er.

In the end, Feng Qing'er openly challenged Xiao Yan—and was instantly obliterated by his Five Wheel Fire Method.

During the Initiation Trial, Nalan Yanran had already fought, revealing strength surpassing even his disciple Tang Ying.

Tang Ying had been present then too; seeing Nalan Yanran appear, he sighed and shook his head. More than a decade ago, he had competed with her for the Tian Shan Xue Chi; during the Four Directions Pavilion Assembly, his master, the Sword Sovereign, had planned for Tang Ying to fight Nalan Yanran.

Yet ten years passed—Nalan Yanran had reached Nine Turns Peak Dou Zun, while he remained stuck at Nine-Star Dou Zong, unable to even enter Dou Zun. To reach his master's level in this lifetime would be sheer fortune.

The gap between them was glaringly obvious.

"Could having a target to chase really matter so much?" Tang Ying's mind swirled with thoughts—he knew reaching Nalan Yanran's level required resources and Qi Circulation, but more crucially, one needed motivation.

Undoubtedly, Nalan Yanran had always been chasing a certain figure—the one now called the peak of the young generation on the Dou Qi Continent.

Sometimes, choosing the right target to chase matters greatly—even if you never surpass them, looking back, you'll find you've already left countless others behind.

"Not just Nalan Yanran—look over there, that's the Yan Alliance banner." At this moment, someone suddenly noticed, far behind Nalan Yanran, a pavilion appearing in midair.

The pavilion was ancient and dignified, hovering faintly among the clouds.

"Yun Yun! Even she has come!" At this sight, even those who had once dominated an era trembled inside upon seeing the woman standing quietly within the pavilion.

Though Yun Yun had concealed her aura, even through the mist, one could faintly perceive a cloud-dwelling fairy, watching the world—ethereal, otherworldly, as if belonging only to heaven, her beauty too sublime to behold.

This was no surprise—Yun Yun had already reached Dou Sheng, wielding astonishing abilities; to ordinary people, Dou Sheng truly was a sage—only to be admired from afar.

"Even the Hua Sect Sect Master Yun Yun has come—the Yan Alliance's two Sect Masters have both arrived."

"This duel isn't ordinary—it's drawn even Yun Yun's presence."

The crowd erupted into murmurs; after all, the two Sect Masters of the Yan Alliance held real power—they could decide many things.

Many hearts tightened.

And indeed, within the Yun Zhong Lou Ge, Yun Yun was not alone—the Yan Alliance Covenant's founder, Xiao Yan, who had vanished for two years, was there too.

"What if Feng Qing'er refuses to fight?" Yun Yun returned to the pavilion and asked softly, watching Xiao Yan seated on a chair, eyes closed, meditating.

Hearing Yun Yun's question, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes; with his current half-Dou Emperor-level Soul Force, the entire plain lay under his surveillance—he needed no visual observation.

"If she doesn't show up, it'll save me a lot of trouble," Xiao Yan smiled slightly, his tone calm, yet the chilling intent was clear even to Yun Yun.

If Feng Qing'er doesn't appear, Xiao Yan would ignore any promise or not—he'd first help Zi Yan unify Dragon Island, then there'd be no need to leave the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan alive.

With Xiao Yan's current strength, he once feared Huang Tian somewhat, but now, Huang Tian holds no fear for him at all.

The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan can be left to Zi Yan—let it remain food for the Grand Void Ancient Dragon Clan.

"With your current strength, isn't this unnecessary?" Yun Yun asked gently.

Xiao Yan looked at the beautiful, elegant, noble, yet tender and considerate woman before him, and he couldn't help but laugh. "True enough, but caution is always better. Helping Zi Yan unify Dragon Island isn't a small matter—it concerns the entire Grand Void Ancient Dragon Clan. There can be no slip-up."

"The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan cannot become an unexpected problem."

"Besides, I'm a man who keeps his word. I promised Feng Qing'er that if she fulfilled her task, I'd honor my promise and let her take control of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. Killing everyone off isn't good—it creates too much bloodshed."

Yun Yun listened in silence, calm and gentle, especially when her soft, watery aura radiated—making one fond of her, and feeling at ease.

At this moment, time seemed to stop. Yun Yun suddenly realized that this vast pavilion held only the two of them—this was a man and a woman alone together in a room!

Xiao Yan chuckled, shifted his seat slightly, and gently patted the empty space beside him.

Yun Yun understood his meaning at once. Her cheeks flushed faintly; she gave him a sultry, reproachful glance, radiating a unique charm—like a fully ripe peach, ready to burst with juice.

After a moment of silence, Yun Yun didn't refuse. She stepped closer, smoothed her long skirt with both hands, and sat down lightly—but kept a distance, leaving a gap between them.

Seeing Yun Yun seated beside him but not drawing near, Xiao Yan smiled. "Back in the Cave, you weren't this far away. I still remember..."

"You!" Yun Yun quickly reached out and covered his unguarded mouth. "That was only because you were injured by the Spiritual Flame—"

Xiao Yan laughed heartily, then turned, leaned back, and rested his head squarely on Yun Yun's soft chest, closing his eyes in bliss. "It was this position then, wasn't it? You bandaged and treated my wounds."

Feeling the warmth, Yun Yun was instantly flustered. Back then, Xiao Yan's Cultivation Realm was low due to the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame—he'd been burned across his entire body, skin split, flesh exposed, barely alive. Though Yun Yun had suppressed the flames with her Battle Qi, his whole body was seared, and she had washed and bandaged his wounds.

Though Yun Yun was furious at Xiao Yan's blatant lewdness, she didn't push him away. Seeing him close his eyes as if asleep, she sighed inwardly—helpless, yet sweetly touched. After a while, she gently lifted her hand and smoothed his bangs.

Xiao Yan breathed evenly. He had just emerged from the Demon Fire Space, and soon he must depart for East Dragon Island to help Zi Yan unify the Grand Void Ancient Dragon Clan. The constant travel had left him little chance to rest properly, to pause and breathe.

Xiao Yan savored Yun Yun's gentle, watery tenderness.

If anyone saw this scene—a Battle Sage tenderly caring for and attending to him—how many would be consumed by envy, gnashing their teeth in hatred: Why is everything his?