Surprised Nalan Yanran!

"Arrogant? Yunlan Sect, you are not qualified to speak to me like that…"

Xiao Yan finally spoke, slowly lifting his head with a relaxed expression and even a hint of a smile.

"This guy is so arrogant!"

"Although he has some talent, his arrogance will surely limit him. He might not get far."

"The trees may look beautiful in the forest, but the wind will eventually destroy them."

As Xiao Yan spoke, the powerful figures and dignitaries from the empire who had been invited by Yunlan Sect to witness the battle looked down on him with disdain.

At that moment, most of the crowd thought that Xiao Yan's provocation would lead to his downfall, believing that he would be suppressed in the future and accomplish nothing.

"Xiao Yan, that's enough," Nalan Yanran's face flushed with anger as she gripped her light green sword tightly. A swirling wind of green energy encircled the blade.

From the wind, sharp gusts would occasionally shoot out, leaving only faint scratches on the solid bluestone beneath her. The sword slowly rose, now pointing directly at Xiao Yan. The sharp edge glittered in the sunlight, and beneath it, the forest was filled with an oppressive aura.

"Heh… prove myself?" Xiao Yan smiled faintly as he listened to Nalan Yanran's confident words.

In his previous life, the grudge between him and Nalan Yanran had already been resolved. Therefore, he wasn't particularly concerned about this three-year competition.

"It's time for this farce to end," Xiao Yan continued calmly, his casual gaze causing an unexpected pressure to fall upon Nalan Yanran. There was something indescribable about it, even though Xiao Yan didn't release any energy.

"How could this be?" Nalan Yanran thought to herself, still struggling to accept the situation. She refused to believe that a former waste like Xiao Yan could stand up to her.

Then, without warning, her long sword trembled violently.

As the sword moved, it left behind sword-shaped afterimages that seemed solid and unyielding.

"Wind Spirit Fractal Sword?!"

"I didn't expect Senior Sister Nalan to have mastered this intermediate-level fighting technique. Truly impressive!"

"I heard she perfected the Wind Spirit Fractal Sword in just one year, reaching five sword shapes!"

"Ah, I've been practicing for almost two years and still can't even form the fourth level..."

"This is just the beginning. Senior Sister Nalan is probably using this to finish the fight quickly. That Xiao Yan is in for trouble."

The disciples of the Yunlan Sect, watching intently, murmured in surprise. They recognized the power behind Nalan Yanran's technique.

On the stone platform, several elders of the Yunlan Sect nodded slightly in approval.

Because of Nalan Yanran's swift movements, Yun Leng and the others chose not to pursue Xiao Yan's earlier rude behavior.

With a swift leap, Nalan Yanran shot through the air toward Xiao Yan. In midair, a burst of light green energy erupted from the soles of her feet, forming a sharp wind blade that shot toward him.

Xiao Yan, however, made no move. He casually lifted the massive black ruler in his hands, and with a loud clash and sparks flying, the wind blades dissipated.

"What?! This kid Xiao Yan actually blocked Senior Sister Yanran's attack?!"

"It seems this kid has some skill after all…"

"But Senior Sister Yanran didn't use her full power. This was just a test!"

Xiao Yan's action left the Yunlan Sect disciples stunned.

However, they still couldn't comprehend the subtlety behind Xiao Yan's move. The boy before them was no longer the weakling who first joined Yunlan Sect. In his past life, Xiao Yan had experienced numerous battles and was seasoned with vast combat experience.

He had used no fighting energy at all in that move, relying solely on his physical strength and combat instincts honed over countless lifetimes. It was enough to dismantle Nalan Yanran's sword energy with ease.

"How is this possible?" Nalan Yanran's surprise was evident as she stared at Xiao Yan's composed expression, unable to believe the ease with which he had countered her.

"You've truly surprised me. I can no longer consider you the useless young master of the Xiao family."

Her eyes became serious as she looked at Xiao Yan, her voice tinged with respect.

Xiao Yan said nothing in response.

In the next instant, Nalan Yanran released a powerful aura. Her robe fluttered and her hair stood on end as if an invisible wind had swept through. The air around her pulsed with her rising power. The energy she emanated made the surrounding disciples gasp in astonishment.

"With this aura… Senior Sister Nalan has already broken through to the Dou GrandMaster level?!"

From the reactions of the other Yunlan Sect disciples, it was clear that they hadn't fully realized Nalan Yanran's true strength until now.

"I never thought Nalan's niece would reach the Great Dou Master level at such a young age. Truly impressive," Mu Chen remarked, glancing at Nalan Jie with a hint of admiration.

Nalan Jie let out a sigh of relief, reassured that victory was all but assured for Nalan Yanran.

"Great Elder, the competition is barely underway, yet Yanran has already had to reveal her true strength, while the boy from the Xiao family remains calm as ever," an elder in a white robe said, his voice tinged with worry.

"It doesn't matter," Yun Leng waved a hand dismissively. "The patriarch has taught her many secret techniques. With her full strength on display, this battle will be over soon!"

But just then, Kuzu Ye, who had been watching the battle closely, furrowed his brow in deep thought.

"Impossible… That mysterious fighter who appeared in Black Rock City and defeated Mo Cheng… could he be Xiao Yan?"

Kuzu Ye shook his head sharply, trying to dismiss the thought. It was absurd. After all, Xiao Yan was too young to have reached such a level. But the more he thought about it, the more he saw the similarities. When the faces of the two men finally merged in his mind, Kuzu Ye shuddered, his breath catching in his throat.