Chapter 271: Reduced to Ashes with a Flick
Xiao Yan's smirk and casual demeanor were almost too much for the students to bear. Even they found his mocking words unbearable.
Insulting someone to such a degree, especially someone as narrow minded and vengeful as Fan Lao, was bound to have explosive consequences.
While Fan Lao swore he would kill Xiao Yan in the most gruesome manner possible, deep down, a sliver of fear lingered in his heart.
The source of this fear?
He had an "Heavenly Flame."
If his opponent were any other Dou Huang, Fan Lao would have been confident enough to fight head on. But someone in possession of a Heavenly Flame was a completely different matter. Heavenly Flames had the power to incinerate even the strongest fighters if underestimated.
Through his investigations into his son's death, Fan Lao had discovered that this "Yan Xiao" was the wielder of such a flame. That knowledge filled him with both hatred and caution.
Despite his fears, Fan Lao refused to abandon his vengeance. He activated a secret technique, his figure vanishing into thin air as he prepared to strike.
"Elder Yan Xiao, watch out!"
Han Yue and Lin Xiuya shouted in unison the moment Fan Lao disappeared.
Before their words could even register, the suffocating stench of blood filled the air, and a massive crimson shadow descended upon them like a bloodthirsty bat, enveloping them in darkness.
Fan Lao wasn't stupid charging Xiao Yan head on was not a viable option. Instead, he sought to exploit his opponent's weaknesses.
"Attack their companions," he thought coldly.
Under the weight of moral and emotional constraints, Xiao Yan would hesitate, giving Fan Lao the opportunity to cripple him.
His sinister gaze landed on Han Yue. Her slightly lower cultivation made her the perfect target.
Fan Lao's enormous shadow loomed over Han Yue, whose body froze in place, her face turning pale. Despite being a top talent in Jia Nan Academy, facing a Dou Huang with such a terrifying aura left her paralyzed with fear.
Just as despair began to set in, a calm, steady voice sounded in her ear.
"Are you scared? Even in the face of death, you must have the courage to fight back."
Before she could process the words, a strong, warm arm wrapped around her slender waist. Turning her head slightly, she saw Xiao Yan's confident, mischievous face.
Her stiff body instantly relaxed, and for the first time in her life, a single tear of relief welled up in her eye.
"The next scene might be a bit intense. Prepare yourself," Xiao Yan said gently, flashing her a reassuring smile.
Then, without warning, Xiao Yan puffed up his cheeks as if preparing to blow out a candle.
"This guy... he's fast!"
Fan Lao's pupils contracted as Xiao Yan suddenly appeared in front of him.
Seeing Xiao Yan's peculiar action of puffing up his cheeks, Fan Lao sneered inwardly.
"Trying to use the same trick you used on my son? Foolish!"
Fan Lao's hand, shaped like a deadly eagle claw, lashed out toward Xiao Yan's head. But before it could connect, Xiao Yan opened his mouth.
A wisp of dazzling seven colored flame shot out.
"Boom!"
In an instant, the tiny flame transformed into a massive sea of fire, spanning over a hundred meters.
The blazing flames engulfed Fan Lao's figure, and his chilling screams pierced the air.
"Aaaahhhhh!"
The terrifying scene left the students frozen in place. In the center of the inferno, Fan Lao's silhouette writhed and struggled desperately, attempting to escape the flames.
But he looked like a moth caught in a firestorm, helpless against the overwhelming blaze.
Within three seconds, Fan Lao's once powerful form collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Yan calmly closed his mouth, and the flames receded as quickly as they had appeared. The area where the fire had raged was now reduced to a barren wasteland of ash.
Amidst the charred remains lay a humanoid figure still smoldering with traces of the Heavenly Flame. After a few weak spasms, the figure went completely still.
Moments later, even the residual flames dissipated, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ashes shaped like a human body.
"Silence."
Not a single sound escaped the surrounding forest.
The students stared in stunned disbelief, unable to process what had just happened.
For the blood robed members of the Blood Sect, however, the scene inspired pure terror.
Their leader, a powerful Dou Huang, had been reduced to ashes in mere seconds by this terrifying man.
"Run!"
A panicked voice shattered the silence, and the Blood Sect members scattered like frightened animals.
Xiao Yan didn't move from his spot. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle. "You came all this way... and now you think you can just leave?"
With a flick of his fingers, several wisps of the seven colored flame shot out, striking a handful of the fleeing enemies.
The targeted Blood Sect members, some of whom were at the peak Dou Ling or even Dou Wang levels, instantly ignited into blinding flames.
Their screams lasted mere moments before their bodies crumbled into ash.
Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame had reached a terrifying level of strength. Even Dou Zong experts would struggle to withstand it, let alone Dou Huang or Dou Ling cultivators.
Fan Lao's swift demise was partly due to his blood based cultivation technique, which made him especially vulnerable to Xiao Yan's flames.
With the strongest of the Blood Sect eliminated, Xiao Yan turned his attention to the remaining members. His expression was calm, but his voice carried a chilling finality.
"Burn."
A faint wisp of the Fallen Heart Flame emerged from his fingertips. In an instant, the heart flames of every Blood Sect member within his spiritual range ignited uncontrollably.
One by one, the enemies clutched their chests, their faces twisting in agony as they exploded into clouds of ash.
From the students' perspective, it looked as though Xiao Yan had turned the forest into a massive field of fireworks, each burst marking the death of another enemy.
Within moments, the once dense forest was eerily quiet, the only evidence of the massacre being the piles of ash scattered across the ground.
The students turned to Xiao Yan, their faces pale with awe and fear.
"This... is a god," Lin Xiuya murmured, breaking the silence.
For everyone present, Xiao Yan's calm and overwhelming power was nothing short of divine.
(End of Chapter)
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