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The Jia Ma Empire wasn't very vast. Following the map, Qian Renhan arrived at Wu Tan City within just a few hours. With a sweep of his spiritual power, he quickly located the city's strongest expert—Ge Qing, an Eight-Star Da Dou Shi.
Soon, Qian Renhan stood silently atop the main hall of the Xiao Clan. Inside, the Xiao Clan disciples sat in perfect formation, hosting three visitors—two men and one woman—dressed in moon-white robes. Outside, the first Dou Huang of the Gu Clan, Ling Ying, was secretly stationed nearby to protect Gu Xun'er at all times.
The scene beneath the rooftop was extremely dramatic. Nalan Yanran had just announced the annulment of her engagement, causing a heated confrontation between Xiao Zhan and Ge Qing. Then, it was time for Xiao Yan to take the stage.
"Nalan Yanran, there's no need to put on such a domineering front. You want to break off the engagement simply because you think I, Xiao Yan, am a worthless loser unworthy of a genius like you. Let me be blunt—aside from your appearance, there's nothing about you that I care for! Yes, the Yun Lan Sect is strong, but I'm still young. I have time! I became a Dou Zhe at the age of twelve. And you, Nalan Yanran, what level was your Dou Qi when you were twelve? Yes, I may be a failure now, but if I could achieve a miracle three years ago, what makes you think I can't turn things around again in the future?"
Faced with her aggressive attitude, the long-silent Xiao Yan finally erupted like a volcano. His young face turned icy cold, and his fierce words left everyone in the hall momentarily stunned.
"Miss Nalan," Xiao Yan said with steely resolve, "for the sake of Old Master Nalan, I'll offer you one piece of advice—'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Don't look down on the youth while they are poor!'"
His defiant declaration made Nalan Yanran's delicate body tremble slightly.
So intense! So fiery!
Xiao Zhan's eyes lit up. The Xiao Clan members were stunned, and even Nalan Yanran froze. Gu Xun'er looked at Xiao Yan with sparkling eyes full of admiration, and even Ling Ying gave the boy a new level of respect.
Qian Renhan, however, remained expressionless, his gaze calm and undisturbed. The moment was undoubtedly stirring, and Xiao Yan's words had practically founded a new archetype—but Qian Renhan had long outgrown such dramatic confrontations and no longer cared for theatrics.
After delivering the letter of annulment, Xiao Yan, feeling emotionally drained and disheartened by the bleakness of his future, climbed the back mountain of the Xiao Clan out of habit. Sitting atop a cliff, he quietly stared at the mist-covered peaks in the distance.
"The Heavenly King covers the Earthly Tiger."
A calm voice reached Xiao Yan's ears.
"The Pagoda suppresses the River Demon."
Xiao Yan instinctively responded, then quickly tensed as he turned toward the source—the unfamiliar figure of Qian Renhan, who had appeared behind him without a sound.
Xiao Yan's current body was only fifteen years old and hadn't fully matured. Seeing Qian Renhan's two-meter-tall frame, he subconsciously gulped and asked cautiously, "Eastern Lion of Asia, descendant of the dragon?"
Qian Renhan gave a faint smile and nodded slightly.
"Countryman!"
In this foreign world, after three years of sorrow, three years of humiliation, and the shame of today's broken engagement, Xiao Yan couldn't hold it in anymore. Finding someone from his homeland made everything boil over. He collapsed into Qian Renhan's shoulder, crying tears of relief, prompting Qian Renhan to uncomfortably push him away.
Wiping away his tears, Xiao Yan said, "Countryman, what took you so long? These past three years, I've lived worse than a dog—my dignity trampled on every single day!"
"All right, I just arrived myself," Qian Renhan replied. "I saw everything that happened in the main hall. As they say, 'knowing shame brings courage.' When a person hits rock bottom, great fortune is sure to follow."
Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. After all, he had met someone from his homeland.
"Countryman, do you know why my strength suddenly disappeared?" Xiao Yan asked. "Every time I try to cultivate Dou Qi, it mysteriously vanishes. My cultivation has been stripped away. Do you know what's happening?"
Given that this man had seen everything in the hall and still went unnoticed by his father and Elder Ge Qing, Xiao Yan guessed that this "countryman" was likely stronger than both of them.
"I know. Something is hiding within your body. Just now, as I was about to approach you, it sensed my presence and drew back. Am I right... the one hiding inside the ring?" Qian Renhan's gaze locked onto the ring on Xiao Yan's finger.
Before Xiao Yan could react, a pale and eerie flame burst forth from the ring—it was the Bone-Chilling Flame. An old man's figure emerged from within, eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Qian Renhan.
"You member of the Soul Hall! After all you've done to me, it's still not enough? If that's the case, then let us perish together!"
Qian Renhan was momentarily stunned—what did he have to do with the Soul Hall?
Sensing the terrifyingly cold temperature radiating from the flame, Qian Renhan's expression darkened. Realizing the threat, he instantly moved into action. Twelve dark wings unfolded from his back, shielding Xiao Yan as black soul power surged from his palms to resist the Bone-Chilling Flame.
A ripple of residual energy exploded outward, obliterating every tree in the vicinity. Even the entire Wu Tan City trembled, and the Xiao Clan's hall bore the brunt of it—everyone there, save for the Gu Clan's strongest Dou Huang and the protected Xiao Yan, was knocked unconscious.
"Five-Star Dou Zun!"
Yao Lao's face turned ashen. His soul power had only just recovered to low-star Dou Zong—despite the Bone-Chilling Flame's Dou Zun grade characteristic, he couldn't match a true Dou Zun, much less five stars.
I'm a Five-Star Dou Zun, Qian Renhan thought. So before my soul rings shattered I was only a Three-Star Dou Zun, and twenty soul rings boosted me two stars? The Douluo World's standards really are pathetic. He let his Dou Qi form into chains that bound Yao Lao and asked, "Can we talk now?"
"I have nothing to discuss with the Soul Hall," Yao Chen snarled through gritted teeth, fury and helplessness warring in his eyes. "If you want my soul, take it—my strength can't match yours, so I'll admit defeat."
"First," Qian Renhan said evenly, "I'm not from the Soul Hall. Second, who have you ever seen in the Soul Hall reach this level using such a common cultivation method?" He activated his Tianming Skill, drawing in the world's Dou Qi. A deep yellow aura rippled around him.
Yao Lao opened his mouth to mock him, but froze at the sight of that aura, his worldview shattering. "A quasi-Xuan-rank cultivation technique!"
Under normal circumstances, one practicing only a Yellow-rank method could never break through to Dou Wang, let alone Dou Zun. Qian Renhan's existence defied all logic.
Qian Renhan sighed inwardly. Quasi-Xuan rank, huh? The Tianming Skill is an upgrade I forged by fusing Xuantian Gong and the Angel Meditation Method—so Xuantian Gong must be advanced Yellow rank, and the Meditation Method low Yellow rank! No wonder earlier attempts only unclogged soul-ring energy without helping me breakthrough—this technique really was rubbish.
"Now, can we speak properly?"
He sat cross-legged and met Yao Lao's wary gaze. Xiao Yan stood awkwardly to one side, unsure whether to intervene, yet his heart thrummed with excitement—his countryman turned out to be a Dou Zun, an absolute powerhouse!
Qian Renhan took the initiative. "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Qian Renhan."
"As I mentioned before, I'm not from this world. I've only just arrived and am still familiarizing myself with this continent."
"Yao Chen."
"Countryman," Yao Chen asked curiously, "what world did you come from? What kind of environment could let someone using a quasi-Xuan-rank method reach Dou Zun? It makes no sense—unless your world is supremely advanced, with incredibly rich spiritual energy, or you carry the legendary Dou Emperor's bloodline!"
(End of Chapter)