Fighting: I am Han Feng, I respect my teacher

"Ah."

Nalan Yanran nodded, a relieved smile on her face.

"That's great."

Yun Yun smiled.

The master and disciple walked together into the sect.

"Tomorrow is your three-year agreement with Xiao Yan. Are you nervous?"

Nalan Yanran shook her head.

"It was just a simple battle. Even if Xiao Yan's talent is restored, he's already too late to start."

Yun Yun pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.

Two years ago, she met the young master of the Xiao family in the Monster Mountain Range. Accompanying him was Master Han, who was famous in the capital at the time.

From that day on, Yun Yun knew that the scales of victory were gradually tipping in Xiao Yan's favor.

Of course, Nalan Yanran is not without a chance of winning.

Seeing her disciple's confident and casual demeanor, Yun Yun still spoke up to remind him: "In my opinion, the three-year agreement was a promise you two made when you were young and impetuous. Three years have passed, and I think not only Xiao Yan, but you have also grown a lot."

Nalan Yanran was somewhat puzzled.

What did the teacher mean by that?

"What would you do if you lost?"

Yun Yun looked at her disciple and suddenly asked.

"lose?"

Nalan Yanran was taken aback, then frowned.

"If I lose, the sect's reputation will be damaged, so I will not lose!"

A smile appeared on Yun Yun's face. She reached out and patted her disciple's head.

"The sect's reputation won't be damaged because of your one battle. If that's what you're thinking, then there's no need to worry."

"But many people will be watching this three-year promise!"

Nalan Yanran said.

Yun Yun nodded, walked to the edge of the cliff, and gazed at the vast scenery below.

"When Ancestor Yun Potian established the Yunlan Sect, he encountered more difficulties than we imagined."

Yunyun's face was framed by the mountain breeze, her soft, dark hair fluttering in the wind.

"Yanran, life is a long journey. Winning or losing for a moment doesn't mean anything. We all have to keep going."

Nalan Yanran fell silent after hearing this.

How could she not understand that the teacher was worried she would lose?

Yun Yun turned her head and saw her apprentice looking thoughtful, so she walked over and patted her on the shoulder.

"Let's go, don't overthink it, just do your best tomorrow."

Yun Yun said with a smile.

Nalan Yanran regained her composure and nodded emphatically, "Yes, teacher!"

--------

imperial capital.

Xiao Yan is ready to go again, but this time, he doesn't wear a mask. Instead, he uses his identity as Xiao Yan of the Xiao family to reclaim the honor that belongs to him.

A strange sense of anticipation arose from the bottom of my heart.

Xiao Yan glanced at the people accompanying him and smiled gently.

Wow, that's quite a large group.

"Let's go."

"Go to Yunlan Sect!"

Meanwhile, the other factions in the capital were also invited to the Yunlan Sect to watch the competition.

The royal family's Jia Xingtian, the Alchemist Guild's Fa Ma, and the leaders of various families.

The reason they went to watch the competition was because Yunling, the Grand Elder of Yunlan Sect, wanted to use it to promote the reputation of the young sect master of Yunlan Sect.

Logically speaking, this matter is perfectly justifiable. Yun Leng's actions will indeed bring Nalan Yanran fame again, and the marriage agreement with the Xiao family will be completely severed under everyone's watchful eyes.

Unfortunately, all of this is predicated on Nalan Yanran being able to defeat Xiao Yan. If she fails to do so, all the expected benefits will become burdens.

The bet that Nalan Yanran made back then, to be a slave or maid, would have caused her, as the young sect leader, to lose all face.

Yun Leng did not seek Yun Yun's consent when he did this. As the Grand Elder, he was also qualified to do certain things.

Moreover, he has always been autocratic, and even if Yun Yun objects, he probably won't give up easily.

In short, thanks to the Yunlan Sect's own efforts to promote the three-year agreement, this private matter has been transformed into a highly influential public event.

Besides the dignitaries who came to watch the competition, the people of the capital were also very curious about the outcome of the contest.

Nalan Yanran recuperated and prepared herself to be in the best possible condition backstage at the sect.

The teacher's reminder yesterday made her a little more cautious.

Indeed, Xiao Yan's talent was undeniable. Even if his current cultivation level is likely inferior to mine, I cannot be careless.

We must never let our guard down when facing any opponent!

At this moment, Liu Ling arrived backstage and walked to Nalan Yanran's side.

"Yanran, congratulations on breaking free from your former shackles today."

Liu Ling had a smile on her face.

When Nalan Yanran went to Wutan City to annul the engagement, he played a part in it.

Nalan Yanran was so focused on her cultivation that she might not have even noticed what was happening in Wutan City.

It was Liu Ling who, seemingly unintentionally, revealed Xiao Yan's recent situation and deliberately smeared him, saying that such a useless young master was not worthy of Nalan Yanran, who was about to become the young sect leader.

These words, in retrospect, certainly had an effect. Nalan Yanran was inherently proud and unwilling to be controlled by the rules set by her elders.

Then came the highly publicized annulment of the engagement three years ago.

Nalan Yanran frowned slightly as she looked at the smile on Liu Ling's face.

Since meeting Mr. Yanxiao, she has lost the desire to speak intimately with other men.

Although Nalan Yanran always felt a sense of superiority when talking to other men, it was a feeling of being above others.

For Nalan Yanran, who was used to being the young sect leader, this was quite ordinary.

But she couldn't feel any sense of superiority from Yan Xiao.

This contrast also made her develop a special kind of affection for Yan Xiao.

Looking at Liu Ling now, Nalan Yanran felt that she should keep a certain distance from him.

At the very least, you should give a clean and concise answer.

"Liu Ling, do you like me?"

Liu Ling paused abruptly while fanning herself with the painted fan, then looked at Nalan Yanran with some surprise.

"Yanran, you've finally agreed..."

Nalan Yanran reached out to stop the other person from speaking.

"You've misunderstood. I just wanted to confirm your attitude."

Liu Ling hurriedly put away her fan and said sincerely, "You know me. My attitude towards you couldn't be more genuine!"

Nalan Yanran nodded lightly, "Okay, I understand."

"But what I want to tell you is that I don't like you, so don't hold those feelings for me anymore."

"I won't promise you."

After saying that, Nalan Yanran walked towards another platform.

Only Liu Ling remained, petrified, standing there dumbfounded.

"Yanran, why don't you understand me...?"

Liu Ling clenched her fist, her black hair flowing freely, and a longing look appeared in her eyes.

"Hehehe, young man, do you want power?"

Suddenly, a wisp of black mist rose from the corner.

The hawk had long been eyeing Gu He and his apprentice. They were sixth-grade alchemists whose soul power had surpassed the middle level of the mortal realm and reached the advanced level of the mortal realm.

Such a soul can be exchanged for a considerable amount of merit.

"who are you?"

Liu Ling cautiously took a step back.

"Hehehe, don't be afraid. As you can see, I am someone who can give you power. As long as you accept my gift, you will have endless power!"

"who are you?"

Liu Ling remained vigilant.

Upon seeing this, the eagle spat lightly, then secretly flew out as a wisp of black mist, which entered Liu Ling's body from underground.

"You should think about it carefully, kid. Sooner or later, you'll be willing to accept me."

Although Liu Ling did not win the championship at the alchemy competition, she did manage to refine a fourth-grade pill.

It has great talent, but it's still too young for a hawk; it needs to be nurtured and developed.

Liu Ling watched as the other party brazenly fled, as if they were in the Yunlan Sect without anyone's presence.

"What is it? Why did I see it for the first time at the Yunlan Sect?"

Liu Ling pondered this with a sense of unease.

Logically speaking, he had spent quite a bit of time at the Yunlan Sect, so he shouldn't have missed this strange black mist.

Liu Ling didn't take the matter too seriously, but planned to tell her master, Gu He, about it later.

"Oh!"

Just then, a cheer erupted from outside.

It turned out that the Mittel family had arrived.

As a family whose status in the empire has risen significantly, the Mittel family has surpassed the ranks of the three major families and is no longer even seated at the same table for banquets.

Looking at the popular Mittel, Jia Xingtian felt a surge of anger.

Fighting Sect Masters! Fighting Sect Masters!

That despicable Hai Bodong! If he hadn't broken through to the Dou Zong realm, the royal family's strength would have been enough to suppress the other forces.

Now, the situation is completely out of control.

The Mittel family, in particular, is growing stronger and stronger, and I recently heard that they are going to do business in the Black Corner Region.

This is a rather ambitious step; even their royal family had never considered such a plan.

After taking his seat, Hai Bodong calmly swept his gaze over everyone before looking towards the steps leading to the mountain gate.

They're just here to kick things off; the real action is yet to come.

At the top of the stairs, Han Feng and Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan.

"Junior brother, let's go look at the stage first. You can choose how you want to go on stage."

Yao Chen chuckled from the side, "Choose a cool pose. Don't you know the Purple Cloud Wings?"

Xiao Yan said awkwardly, "Teacher, I'd better not use the Purple Cloud Wings, otherwise I'm afraid Nalan Yanran will mistakenly think I'm a Dou Wang and won't dare to fight anymore."

Yao Chen laughed heartily, "Whatever you say, we'll just wait and see how you perform."