"Yan Xiao!"
A voice rang out—bright with surprise and disbelief—echoing through the silent sky. All eyes instinctively turned toward its source. The next moment, when they saw who had spoken, a collective pause overtook the crowd.
Suspended mid-air was a figure clad in a simple, flowing dress that hugged a graceful and curvaceous frame. Her lustrous black hair was styled into an elegant phoenix crown, framing a face of striking beauty and serene composure. Yet beneath that calm exterior radiated an aura of nobility and regal poise that could not be concealed.
"The Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect—Yun Yun!"
In the distance, Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, and the others were stunned. None could understand how she knew Xiao Yan. Her words just now were clearly directed at him—none here were fools.
But then, the onlookers' gazes shifted from Yun Yun to Xiao Xun'er. That tone of joyful surprise just now—it wasn't the kind of emotion you felt meeting an ordinary acquaintance...
"Damn! This is wild. Senior Sister's got a love rival!"
High above, behind the Spear Venerate and an elder, a handsome young man appeared. His eyes blazed with gossip-hungry fire as he stared eagerly down at Xiao Yan, barely able to contain his excitement.
The Spear Venerate and the elder both frowned, exchanging glances. The elder gave a subtle shake of his head, clearly unwilling to intervene.
"Keep your man in check. If he slips away again, you'll be the one to answer for it."
With a flick of his wrist, the Spear Venerate swatted the young man back, clearly feeling uneasy with him loitering nearby. After all, this guy had been eyeing his spear for far too long.
"Uh…"
Xiao Yan, who had been lost in tender conversation with Xiao Xun'er, froze as the familiar voice rang out behind him. A chill shot through his spine as unpleasant memories came flooding back.
After a brief pause, Xiao Yan made his decision. He wouldn't run. Not with Xun'er standing right here. If he tried to escape, how could he ever explain himself?
"Yun Zhi… I didn't expect we'd meet here."
He turned around slowly, his expression slightly awkward, his gaze evasive. But with Xun'er beside him, he had no choice but to face it.
"It really is you, Yan—"
Yun Yun's eyes lit up, her wings trembling slightly as she prepared to approach. But when her eyes landed on Xiao Xun'er beside him, her steps faltered. Something flickered in her gaze—a moment of melancholy—and her voice trailed off into silence.
Xiao Yan saw the shift in her demeanor and wanted to speak, to explain. But in the end, he held his tongue.
It had all been a misunderstanding. In his heart, there was only Xun'er!
He kept repeating it to himself—again and again.
"Uh…"
Meanwhile, Xiao Xun'er's face gradually darkened. A woman's intuition told her something was off. There was something… between this Yun Yun and Xiao Yan.
Her hand subtly pinched Xiao Yan's waist. A chill surged up his spine as he clenched his teeth and turned to meet Xun'er's fiery glare—utterly helpless.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Xun'er stomped off the ground and flew up, placing herself directly in front of Yun Yun. The confrontation was instant and electric.
"Yes! Fight! Fight! Fight already!"
The handsome young man—somehow having reappeared beside Xiao Yan—cheered on with gleeful enthusiasm, fists pumping in excitement as he stared intently at the two women, clearly itching for a showdown.
Already stressed, Xiao Yan's mind felt like it had exploded into a chaotic mess.
He cared for Xun'er deeply—but he also didn't want Yun Yun to be hurt!
"What the hell is going on with these two?"
"They both seem connected to Xiao Yan… Could it be?"
"No way. No way! She's the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect—how could that be?"
"Why not? That girl who arrived later has even stronger cultivation than Yun Yun!"
"Xiao Yan's incredible. Is he going to conquer the entire Jia Ma Empire with just his spear?"
"…"
From afar, Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma gulped nervously. The situation had escalated so quickly, they hadn't even had time to react.
And now, just after her return, Yun Yun was facing off against a terrifyingly strong woman—all over Xiao Yan. No one knew what might happen next, but somehow… there was a hint of eager anticipation in their hearts.
Fight. Fight. Fight!
"Hoo…"
High above, Yun Yun and Xiao Xun'er faced each other. An invisible tension radiated from both women—not a clash of cultivation, but of something far more personal.
"Xiao Clan, Xiao Xun'er."
Xun'er broke the silence first. Her calm tone held layers of meaning, simultaneously introducing herself and asserting her status as a member of the Xiao Clan.
"Misty Cloud Sect, Yun… Zhi."
Yun Yun's eyes flicked to Xiao Yan. After a brief hesitation, she chose not to reveal her real identity. But the pressure from the woman before her was undeniable.
"What business do you have here?"
A sharp glint flashed in Yun Yun's eyes as she spoke. As the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, she was not one to be outshone.
"You're a guest. Since you're a friend of Yan Xiao's, allow me to welcome you properly."
As her words fell, Xiao Xun'er's expression changed. That phrasing—was she calling her a guest? Offering her hospitality? What exactly was her relationship with Xiao Yan?
A faint trace of annoyance crossed Xun'er's delicate face. She glanced sideways at Xiao Yan, ready to reply—until her eyes lit up in sudden realization.
"Yan Xiao?" She didn't know who he really was!
In that instant, Xun'er's gaze filled with joy. A woman who didn't even know Xiao Yan's real identity clearly wasn't important to him.
"Thank you for the kind offer, but there's no one named Yan Xiao here. And I'm certainly not his friend."
Her voice was cool and casual. With a graceful motion, she drifted down to Xiao Yan's side and wrapped her arm around his. Smiling sweetly, she looked back up at Yun Yun.
"This is Brother Xiao Yan—not whoever it is you're talking about."
Yun Yun's figure trembled mid-air. Her eyes locked onto Xiao Yan's face, where she saw a swirl of emotions—complicated, unreadable, but unmistakably real.
He stared at her for a long time, as though wanting to speak. But in the end, he said nothing.
"…Heh. Yan Xiao… Xiao Yan…"
Yun Yun murmured the names to herself. For reasons she couldn't explain, a deep, stinging sorrow welled up within her.
She was… truly hurt.
A dazed look crossed her eyes, and the memories of their time together seemed to whisper through her heart—fragments of moments once precious, now hidden in the furthest recesses of her soul. And at the center of those memories… was a man named Yan Xiao.
A glint of clarity flashed through her eyes. Yun Yun looked once more toward the sweetly smiling Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er. She took a gentle step forward, her crimson lips parting slightly.
"Misty Cloud Sect—Yun Yun."
Her voice was calm—unnaturally so. Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned at the sound. A flicker of remembrance passed through his gaze, surfacing from deep within—the memory of a woman once called Yun Zhi. A faint, bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He had long known this moment would come, yet its arrival still caught him unprepared.
He stepped forward.
The look in his eyes, once filled with nostalgia, was now buried—intentionally, irrevocably. His voice was steady as he responded:
"Xiao Clan—Xiao Yan."
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