Chapter 272: Entering the City
"Elder Yan Xiao… are you really just a Dou Huang?"
After a long silence, Han Yue finally broke the tension with her question, her tone filled with both awe and doubt.
"Dou Huang?" Xiao Yan responded with a faint, enigmatic smile.
"I don't recall ever saying I was a Dou Huang."
Though he didn't elaborate further, Xiao Yan deliberately left his true strength shrouded in mystery. The allure of mystery often works wonders, drawing admiration and curiosity alike. For many, what they fall for isn't a person but the veil of intrigue surrounding them.
Hearing Xiao Yan's cryptic response, the group of students exchanged glances, each wearing expressions of astonishment and wonder.
Initially, they had assumed that Elder Yan Xiao's strength was perhaps just slightly below that of Great Elder Su Qian. But after witnessing how Xiao Yan had incinerated a Dou Huang level expert like Fan Lao into ashes with a single breath of flame, their perceptions had completely changed.
"A Dou Huang?" they thought. "That was no Dou Huang this man is far beyond that!"
As for the Blood Sect underlings who had exploded like fireworks under Xiao Yan's subtle control, the sheer strangeness and terror of the scene made the students shiver.
"Alright, stop standing around in a daze. Pack up quickly. We're heading to our next destination," Xiao Yan said casually, his tone indifferent as though the earlier massacre had been nothing worth mentioning.
The students snapped out of their daze and hastily collected their belongings. However, the way they now looked at Xiao Yan had changed. Their gazes were filled with both awe and fervent admiration.
Each of these students was ambitious, striving to carve a name for themselves. Watching Xiao Yan effortlessly annihilate a Dou Huang with a breath of flame had lit a fire in their hearts.
"One day, I'll be like Elder Yan Xiao. A single breath to slay Dou Huangs, a mere flick to turn countless experts to dust," they silently vowed.
As the group resumed their journey, Han Yue occasionally found herself stealing glances at Xiao Yan. Beyond her admiration, a glimmer of something deeper something she herself had yet to fully realize was beginning to stir within her.
"Elder Yan Xiao, may I ask… how old are you?"
Perhaps due to their growing familiarity, Han Yue couldn't help but blurt out the question.
"Seventeen," Xiao Yan replied with a calm smile.
Han Yue almost stumbled at his answer. "Seventeen? You expect me to believe that?"
"If you'd said twenty seven, it would still be shocking, but at least believable. Seventeen? A Dou Zong at seventeen? Do you take me for a fool?" she said, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
"I'm telling the truth," Xiao Yan said, shrugging helplessly. "Believe it or not, that's up to you."
Indeed, Xiao Yan wasn't lying. At seventeen years old, he had already achieved a level of strength most could only dream of. Even among the legendary Ancient Clans, such a monstrous prodigy was exceedingly rare.
Han Yue pouted slightly and turned away, muttering under her breath. She returned to the group of students, where she was immediately surrounded.
"So, how old is Elder Yan Xiao?" one of them asked eagerly.
"He said… seventeen," Han Yue replied, exasperated.
The group erupted into gasps and whispers.
"Seventeen? No way! He's definitely hiding his real age."
"It's obvious he doesn't want to tell us. I mean, a Dou Zong at seventeen? That's ridiculous."
Still, they couldn't help but marvel. Even if Xiao Yan wasn't seventeen and was actually much older, his strength was undoubtedly extraordinary. A Dou Zong in their thirties was already a rarity, a genius among geniuses.
"Well, he might not be seventeen, but based on his demeanor, I'd guess he's no older than thirty. Even so, that's incredible!" a female student remarked.
"Yeah, if he's reached Dou Zong at that age, he's got a good chance of stepping into the Dou Zun realm one day."
As they spoke, the students' gazes naturally drifted toward Han Yue, their expressions turning teasing and suggestive.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Han Yue asked, flustered.
"Just saying, you'd better seize the opportunity, Yue Yue," a female student said with a mischievous grin, patting Han Yue's shoulder.
The others chuckled knowingly before moving away, leaving Han Yue red faced and fuming.
"You bunch of idiots!" she hissed, though her blush deepened when her gaze involuntarily returned to Xiao Yan.
At that moment, she caught Xiao Yan looking back at her with a warm, teasing smile. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned away, her face burning.
Sitting atop a massive bird like mount, Xiao Yan chuckled to himself as he watched the group's antics.
"These students act so prim and proper, but they're just as gossipy as anyone else."
Still, their matchmaking efforts amused him. If he truly succeeded in winning over Han Yue, he figured he'd owe the students a little extra reward for their help.
For the next three days, the journey was peaceful. However, as the group approached their destination, a foreboding sight greeted them.
Before them loomed Spring God City, its once proud walls now stained dark red with blood. The air was thick with the stench of death, and a sinister aura of demonic energy seeped from the city's every corner.
The students' faces paled as they took in the ghastly scene.
"Is this… Spring God City?" Xiao Yan muttered, his expression finally growing serious.
If it were only Han Feng he had to deal with, Xiao Yan wouldn't be concerned. But the presence of this strange demonic energy made him wary. It reminded him of the ominous aura he had encountered in the ancient tomb of the Yin Yang Saint.
"This demonic energy isn't as concentrated as what I encountered in the tomb. Still, caution is key."
Recalling the terrifying power of the Dou Di corpse, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
"Elder Yan Xiao… are we really going inside that city?" one of the students asked nervously, their voice trembling.
Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment before nodding.
"I'll go in first. If it's safe, I'll call you in. Wait here."
With that, he began walking toward the city gates, his figure calm and steady despite the oppressive aura emanating from within.
(End of Chapter)
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