"This was quite enjoyable..." Feeling the sudden quiet of the plaza, Jia Xingtian gazed at the faintly glowing blue aura emanating from the battle armor on Xiao Yan's body, his face filled with admiration and astonishment. Though the armor was still in its early stages, the mere fact that it could be summoned signified that Xiao Yan had reached the rank of Grand Combatant. In this regard, the gap between Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran seemed far smaller than expected. What truly surprised Jia Xingtian was how, despite having no significant family background, Xiao Yan had managed to close such a substantial gap with Nalan Yanran in just three years—considering that Nalan Yanran was backed by the vast resources and support of Yunlan Sect. "This young man is no ordinary one," Jia Xingtian remarked, locking eyes with Fama, who mirrored the same sense of awe in his gaze. "Oh…" On the other side, Lan Jie, whose face had just begun to relax, suddenly grew tense again, his eyes fixed intently on the aura armor covering Xiao Yan's body. After a long pause, he exhaled deeply, slowly closing his eyes, his expression slightly bitter. This time, Lan Jie truly felt regret—he regretted why he hadn't stopped Lan Yanran back then. If Lan Yanran hadn't arranged the withdrawal of her engagement, this young man, who had transformed from a mere liability into a powerful Grand Combatant in just three years, would have been the most satisfactory son-in-law for the Lan family. Previously, Lan Jie had been furious at Lan Yanran's decision to withdraw her engagement, not because of any deep-seated issue, but because he valued appearances. He had been unwilling to break the promise he had made with Xiao Yan's grandfather. Had it not been for this reason, who would have willingly sent his accomplished granddaughter to marry a young lord from the Xiao family, who at the time was still considered nothing more than a mere nobody? Yet now, facing this young prodigy who shone with such brilliance, Lan Jie clearly saw the immense, hidden potential within him—potential whose future value far surpassed what he had originally anticipated. He was well aware that Xiao Yan lacked the vast supporting power of Yunlan Sect, yet despite this lack of backing, Xiao Yan had managed to close the gap with Lan Yanran in just three years. Such extraordinary cultivation talent could only be described as terrifying. It was only now that Lan Jie truly grasped the extent of the damage inflicted upon the Lan family when Lan Yanran had made her impetuous decision back then—how could he, a young warrior barely in his twenties, be guaranteed to grow into such a formidable figure in the years to come? A Grand Sovereign-level cultivator is enough to uphold the entire Na Lan family. Should Xiao Yan one day reach that level, who could say that the Xiao family's strength wouldn't surge dramatically—perhaps even threatening the three major clans? Reflecting on the severe consequences, the bitterness on Na Lan Jie's face grew ever more profound. After a long pause, he opened his eyes, exhaled once more, and seemed suddenly much older. "Xiao Lin, you have a truly excellent grandson..." On the stone platform, the十余 white-robed elders, likewise startled by Xiao Yan's sudden summoning of the aura armor, stood motionless for a moment before gradually regaining composure. They exchanged glances, their faces now displaying a serious expression—clearly, they had underestimated the once-ordinary Xiao family member. "Senior Elder, this...?" one of the elders furrowed his brow, speaking in a low tone. "Let's observe first," Cloud Ling's expression remained calm. With a gentle wave of his hand, he silenced the concerns of the other elders, his gaze fixed steadily on the slender young figure standing alone in the center. "Though his strength has exceeded my expectations, there is still a noticeable gap compared to Yanran. Moreover, Yanran has mastered techniques that are among the most refined and advanced methods taught at our Yunlan Sect. Against such a standard, even a relatively unknown young man like this would find it difficult to measure up." "Just watch quietly..." His gaze remained fixed on the scene. Cloud Ling's face was calm, yet the hand concealed within his sleeve tightened firmly—perhaps he too sensed an undercurrent of unease. Holding the long, slender sword tightly, Lan Yanran said nothing further this time. The young man she once considered a waste now required her to give everything—every ounce of effort—to stand any chance of victory. The sword trembled, and a clear, resonant sound of clashing steel rang out. As the sound rose, the pale azure qi surging over her body surged dramatically, then subsided, leaving a delicate, translucent azure armor that enveloped her graceful form. Compared to Xiao Yan’s ancient, dignified armor, Lan Yanran’s armor appeared notably slender and refined. The contours of her well-proportioned figure were accentuated by the fitted armor, exuding a noble elegance. Already the focal point of the gathering, she now drew even greater attention from the audience. The two fighters' aura armor, though sharing similar colors, differed noticeably in appearance—Nalan Yanran's was clearly more refined, while Xiao Yan's appeared somewhat rougher. This subtle distinction revealed that, despite both being Grand Combatants, there remained a clear gap in their strength. A powerful flow of aura surged through their meridians, like a river in constant motion. Nalan Yanran lifted her gaze slightly, momentarily paused her body, then lightly pointed her foot to the ground. Instantly, she transformed into a streak of light, launching the first attack against Xiao Yan under everyone's watchful eyes. The distance between them—only a few dozen meters—was barely a few seconds for Nalan Yanran, who swiftly entered the attack range with a mere flick of her form. As her sword arced, it moved with the precision and sharpness of a venomous serpent emerging from its lair, delivering a piercing, agile, and ruthless strike aimed directly at Xiao Yan's chest. Staring indifferently at the sword tip swelling within his pupils, Xiao Yan completely released his hand from the handle of Xuanzhong Chi. With that release, the qi swirling within him erupted, roaring through his meridians and filling his body with a powerful, surging sensation. As the sword, wrapped in a tangible, pale-green gust of wind, approached half a span before his chest, Xiao Yan finally moved—taking a fierce kick at the Xuanzhong Chi planted beside him in the ground, and smoothly shifting his body half a meter to the left, nimbly evading Nalan Yanran's sharp attack. Five sharp spiraling sword gusts pierced through the air, appearing before Xiao Yan almost instantly. The jade light trembled suddenly, then split into five separate spiraling sword gusts from the center, each rushing toward five vital points on Xiao Yan's body. The fierce gusts carried by the blades caused Xiao Yan's eyes to narrow slightly. "Such speed..." The attack's velocity left even Xiao Yan astonished. At this close range, complete evasion was clearly impossible. Within that brief window of time, Xiao Yan swiftly launched three strands of jade flame from his fingertips. These slender flames diverged and struck precisely, successfully deflecting and incinerating the three spiraling sword gusts. Yet although they withstood three spiraling sword gusts, two of them still struck hard into Xiao Yan's left and right arms. The sword gusts pierced through his aura armor, producing sparks and a sharp grinding sound upon impact. After a moment, as the energy waned, the sword gusts gradually dissipated. On Xiao Yan's aura armor, two noticeable holes appeared—though these were slowly being repaired by the aura, bloodstains remained faintly visible within the holes. It seemed that this attack had caused Xiao Yan a minor external injury. Of course, for Xiao Yan, such superficial injuries would hardly affect his combat prowess. After successfully withstanding the opponent's sharp assault, he suddenly drove his left foot down with a powerful strike, sending out a thunderous crash. His body then transformed into a streak of black shadow, swiftly approaching Lan Yanran while nearly touching the ground. With both hands pressing against the earth and his feet radiating fierce momentum, he slammed his palms hard against her neck. The rushing sounds heard in the air suggested that Xiao Yan had not spared any effort in his strength. Perceiving the cold blade energy pressing against his legs, Xiao Yan suddenly spread his right hand forward, unleashing a fierce, intangible force that struck squarely against Lan Yanran's chest. The sudden gust of energy pushed Lan Yanran back several steps, though her defensive armor absorbed much of the impact. Thus, while Xiao Yan successfully countered her attack, he did not achieve significant results beyond that. Xiao Yan himself was fully aware of this—he had not expected much damage from this single blow. As Lan Yanran retreated, he sharply slapped the ground with his palm, the force causing several cracks to spread across the hard stone surface. Then, leaping into the air like a ghost, he closed the distance between himself and Lan Yanran, and immediately unleashed the most intense attack of his performance since entering the battlefield—resembling a volcanic eruption. Xiao Yan excelled in close-quarters combat, and thus, at this moment, every part of his body—his hands, arms, elbows, legs, and head—became an exceptionally deadly weapon. As his arms and elbows swung with powerful force, continuous sonic booms echoed through the surrounding air. Each time his energy waves struck the ground, they left deep, noticeable indentations on the stone surface. On the field, shimmering emerald light pulsed, sending forth waves of scorching qi and sharp sword gusts from within its glow. Two figures darted and shifted swiftly across the arena, their crisp sword clashes and the sharp sounds of steel meeting echoing constantly from where they clashed. As the battle intensified, the intensity of their attacks grew more frenzied, growing increasingly astonishing. Gazing at the two indistinct, constantly flickering figures in the center of the field, the Yunlan Sect disciples around them were all slightly stunned. During the earlier tense battle, they had clearly sensed that Lan Yanran had employed at least three techniques of roughly Xuanyuan level. Yet these techniques—enough to easily defeat opponents slightly stronger than her—had all been effortlessly neutralized by Xiao Yan, whose combat strength appeared only marginally inferior. Only now did these Yunlan disciples realize that the constant remarks from their senior brothers about Xiao Yan being a useless, overconfident performer were nothing but a foolish rumor. To have held their own against Yunlan Sect's most outstanding young prodigy, Lan Yanran, for so long without showing a single sign of defeat—merely by thinking with their butts—they knew beyond doubt that the poised young man before them was far from a mere average performer.