A thunderous roar erupted above the vast plaza, like the wrath of Thor himself, sending the hearts of onlookers trembling with fear. Following the roar, a volcanic eruption of energy surged forth—two formidable energy streams, upon brief contact, unleashed their hidden, terrifying might simultaneously. A fierce gale materialized suddenly above the plaza, howling across the sky, while at the point of their collision, even the ethereal air became blurred and distorted under the force of the energy impact. As the gale swept onward, the energy shockwaves that surged from the heavens descended like a celestial fire, sweeping across the plaza and directly toward Nalan Yanran! "Pfft... Pfft..." The energy shockwaves first struck against the defensive shields set up by some disciples of Yunlan Sect. However, the defenders evidently underestimated the tremendous force generated when the two energy streams collided. As a result, the relatively fragile shields were instantly obliterated, and several less experienced Yunlan disciples turned pale, spewing out blood. "With the orderly roar of voices rising once more, vibrant streams of qi light surged forth from the bodies of the Yunlan Sect disciples. These qi streams spiraled above them, then collided and rapidly fused together. In a matter of moments, they coalesced into a colorful qi shield that spanned nearly half the plaza. 'Boom!' As the shield was just taking shape, another devastating wave of energy surged from the sky, crashing down upon it. The shield rippled like a lake disturbed by a large stone, sending out continuous waves of ripples outward. Yet this time, the shield—formed through the unified effort of the Yunlan Sect disciples—remained unbroken." At the moment when energy waves collided in the sky, besides Famu, Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodo, and Guxue—those skilled artists who dared to remain—everyone else waved their hands to summon energy shields over their bodies and stepped back. Though Lan Yanran and Xiao Yan's strength had only just reached the level of Great Combatants, the energy released from their mutual attacks, after colliding, was powerful enough to pose a threat even to a Great Spirit-level warrior without adequate protection. The solid plaza trembled under the force of these fierce energy waves, gradually developing cracks that slowly spread out, eventually forming a continuous line. Xiao Yan raised his head, his face serious as he gazed at the energy surge that crashed toward him like a lightning bolt. Feeling the terrifying power within it, his back trembled slightly, and his purple cloud wings—over a meter long—shot out from his shoulders. With a light tap of his toes on the ground, his body slid smoothly backward, retreating swiftly. The visible energy wave surged forward like a roaring sea, its sound echoing as it closed the distance, leaving the solid plaza in ruins wherever it passed. Gazing at the energy wave that seemed almost alive, Xiao Yan was not at all surprised. The Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus he had launched carried with it some of his own soul forces, so when it collided with the opposing energy, residual power followed these soul force pathways to reach the attacker. Although the bright skylight obscured his view, he presumed Lan Yanran must have endured a severe energy impact. As his body, retreating swiftly, suddenly halted, leaving a half-inch deep imprint on the green stone, his back wings vibrated powerfully and instantly lifted him off the ground—right at that moment, the cloud-clad elders behind him, who had been watching in silence, were revealed. Due to inertia, the energy wave had not yet turned to pursue him and instead surged forward, roaring toward the stone platforms where Yun Ling and others stood. "Cunning youngster!" After a moment of astonishment, Yun Ling quickly regained her composure and suddenly shouted in rage, slamming both palms hard onto the ground. "Heavy Rock Wall!" As the command echoed, the ground several meters ahead of her surged violently, then erupted with a thunderous roar—massive stone walls surged upward, forming a colossal barrier that shielded Yun Ling and her companions like a giant. "Boom!" The rushing energy wave slammed into the wall with tremendous force, and the sharp impact caused several disciples of Yun Lan Sect to instinctively clutch their ears. Stones rained down continuously, and fine cracks rapidly spread across the surface. Yet Yun Ling remained utterly calm. After summoning the wall, she lifted her gaze to the figure now soaring into the sky, her voice filled with astonishment. "Dual Qi Wings? That doesn't seem right... Could it be a flight technique? Hmph. Remarkable—this rare feat has actually materialized." "This cunning youngster has actually forced us to intervene and absorb that incoming energy wave." One elder brushed the dust from his head, speaking with a slightly exasperated tone. "Yanran's condition seems rather dire. Moreover, Xiao Yan possesses a flight technique—though Yanran can temporarily hover in the sky thanks to her mobility technique, she's clearly no match for him in that regard. If the battle takes place in the air, however, Yanran will definitely be at a disadvantage, lacking Xiao Yan's agility and flexibility." Another elder looked upward, frowning, his bright sunlight seemingly having no effect on him. "Senior Elder, the situation now seems to be beyond our control. Xiao Yan is truly formidable!" Yun Ling frowned, gently stroking his beard, and after a pause, spoke in a low tone: "Let's observe closely. We must do everything we can to ensure Yanran doesn't lose—otherwise, how will Cloud岚 Sect face so many powerful figures?" "Senior Elder's suggestion?" "Heard that, several white-robed elders glanced at one another, then furrowed their brows slightly. 'Let's take a look first...' Cloud Ling waved his hand, said nothing more, and lifted his gaze toward the sky, his expression suddenly turning pale. 'Yanran has been injured!' With her hands pressed against her chest, Lan Yanran struggled to endure the pain radiating from within. As she prepared to materialize into the air, her eyes suddenly narrowed, and she swiftly turned to see a young man in a black robe standing not far behind her, arms crossed over his chest, his purple wings gently flapping behind him, his dark gaze cold and unyielding. Their eyes locked in the air, Lan Yanran bit firmly into her full red lips, then suddenly thrust her jade hands forward toward Xiao Yan, causing a vast array of pale green wind blades to materialize before her and surge toward him. Leveraging the counterforce, Lan Yanran's body rapidly descended toward the ground—she was well aware that, in aerial combat, Xiao Yan, with his wings, would have a distinct advantage, especially now that she was injured. At the very moment Nalan Yanran began to take action, Xiao Yan had already initiated his movements. His wings vibrated behind him, and his body surged downward in a sudden plunge. Then, slightly tilting his form, he narrowly evaded the slicing wind blade, his swift gliding speed surging dramatically. With fluid movements, he materialized like a ghost above Nalan Yanran's head, gazing coldly at the girl whose delicate features had subtly changed. Gazing closely at that refined face, Nalan Yanran could still faintly make out the blurred outline of the resolute young man from her past. Her eyes were slightly misty, and once again, the image of the ordinary young man in his药师's robe, appearing at the Pharmacists' Grand Assembly, slowly surfaced in her mind. A touch of self-mockery warmed her cheeks. "This is your revenge, then—crafting a splendid, almost flawless ideal that leaves me awestruck and humbled, only to shatter it, so that I realize the very person I once dismissed as a mere waste has truly earned my admiration. Xiao Yan. Indeed, back then, I did lower my eyes to you because of your strength. The facts now confirm that I was, in truth, shortsighted. Yet..." Suddenly lifting her face, Nalan Yanran met Xiao Yan's gaze, who was now raising his hand to strike. Her teeth clenched tightly against her full lips, the determination on her cheeks mirroring that of the young Xiao Yan from years ago. "Yet, I've already said this—no matter how many times time repeats itself, I will still go to the Xiao family and call off our engagement. My marriage doesn't need their approval. To spend a lifetime with a stranger—I simply cannot do that!" Gazing steadily at the resolute Lan Yanran, the dark pools of Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with a hint of weariness. His body suddenly leaned forward, his palms gently pressing against her chest, his lips brushing her ear as if speaking softly to himself, his words flowing slowly and gently. "I've never said there's anything wrong with you calling off the engagement. It's just... the way you've chosen to do it—that's where the flaw lies. Unfortunately, your lofty pride has never made you consider this point." "But now that things have come to this, the question of who is right or wrong has lost its meaning. From here on, we will have no further connection. You will remain the deputy chief of Yunlan Sect, and I will continue to be a hermit monk, living my own life." "The three-year promise is over, Lan Yanran..." As the murmured words settled, the strength in Xiao Yan's hands, resting gently on Lan Yanran Xiao Yan's words left Lan Yan's face pale. "Xiao Yan, in the interest of Yunlan Sect's face, I hope you can grant Yan a little favor. Afterward, Yunlan Sect will surely offer you a satisfactory reward!" Just as Xiao Yan was about to act, a faint voice suddenly reached his ears. With a smirk of contempt, Xiao Yan recognized the voice—Master Yun Ling, the Grand Elder of Yunlan Sect. How utterly ridiculous and childish it was for him to deliver such a message at this very moment! With a gentle smile, Xiao Yan looked down at the scene, showed no hesitation, and then suddenly shook his arm. The powerful qi surging in his palm erupted forth like a volcanic eruption!