BTTH: DISCIPLE CASHBACK SYSTEM

Chapter 402: Setting Out!

"Well, Xiao Yan, feeling confident for this duel now?"

Observing Xiao Yan's current state, Yao Lao’s eyes reflected a look of satisfaction.

"Teacher, I feel more confident than ever!"

Xiao Yan replied excitedly, then slowly stood up. With a sudden stomp of his foot, his body moved with lightning speed, appearing about two meters to the left. His fist, carrying a powerful energy that could take one's breath away, slammed fiercely into a massive pillar before him.

"Boom!"

A loud noise echoed as wood splinters flew everywhere. Xiao Yan glanced at his fist, which had gone straight through the pillar, and gave a slight smile. He slowly withdrew his arm, leaving a hole and several deep cracks in the pillar.

Curling his fingers slightly, Xiao Yan’s fingertips gathered a faint red glow. Moments later, with a light flick of his finger, the red energy shot out like an arrow, hitting a vase on the table with a bang and shattering it into pieces.

"Releasing dou energy externally!"

Seeing the shattered vase, Xiao Yan felt a surge of joy. At the level of Dou Grandmaster, dou energy could finally be released outside the body, no longer confined or restricted.

"Xiao Yan, this little room can’t handle your testing anymore. If you want to practice, head outside!" Yao Lao said with a grin.

"You're right!"

Xiao Yan replied, then glanced outside the window, pausing in surprise. It had grown dark again; night had clearly fallen once more.

"How is it night again?" Xiao Yan murmured.

"If you had broken through any later, you’d have missed today's duel! There's only about two hours left until dawn!" Yao Lao explained.

"So this breakthrough took almost a full day and night... I’d better set off immediately and get used to my strength along the way!" Xiao Yan mused.

"Let’s go. Hopefully, all will go well."

With a soft sigh, Yao Lao collected the black cauldron and retreated into the black ring on Xiao Yan’s finger.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan slowly removed the face mask he had been wearing and stored it in his storage ring. From this moment, he no longer needed to hide under the alias of Yan Xiu.

He also took off the night suit he was wearing, replacing it with a close-fitting black robe adorned with golden patterns. Afterward, he splashed some cool water on his face to refresh himself.

With two hours remaining before dawn, Xiao Yan wanted to avoid drawing too much attention, so he slipped out of the inn through the window.

At this hour, the streets of the Jia Ma Empire's capital were still deserted, with most people still deep in slumber. Xiao Yan walked at an unhurried pace, following the streets and eventually leaving through the massive city gates.

Before long, he found himself on a high slope outside the capital, from where he could faintly see a towering, snow-white mountain peak in the distance.

"This will do. I’m only a few miles from the Yun Lan Sect here. I’ll get used to my Dou Grandmaster power first, then go meet Nalan Yanran!" he murmured to himself. Reaching out his right hand, his storage ring glowed, and a massive black ruler as tall as Xiao Yan himself appeared with a flash.

Grasping the handle of the ruler, he swung it, stirring up a powerful gust of wind that surged around him.

"Boom!"

With a resounding boom, the two-meter-tall boulder before Xiao Yan was deeply cracked by his black ruler, sending fragments of stone flying in all directions. As he lifted the ruler, the crack slowly spread, eventually causing the entire boulder to split apart.

"Bang!"

On this small hillside, Xiao Yan joyfully unleashed the newfound power of a Dou Grandmaster, striking nearby boulders and trees with various techniques. This venting lasted a full half-hour before he finally stopped, and the aura that had overflowed from his recent breakthrough gradually reabsorbed back into his body.

"Xiao Yan, it’s time to set off… Remember, because of your cultivation method, you’re not suited for prolonged battles. In the upcoming duel, you must rely on your combat techniques to end the fight quickly!" Yao Lao's aged voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind as he stopped.

"Understood!"

Xiao Yan nodded, then took out a green pill and quickly swallowed it. With this pill, the dou energy depleted from his earlier exertions began to replenish rapidly. This quick-recovery pill was one of three that Yao Lao had specially refined for Xiao Yan the day before, in anticipation that his low-grade cultivation method might cause his energy to drain too quickly during intense combat.

As the sun rose over the horizon, breaking free from the earth’s embrace, Xiao Yan stopped again, standing on a slope and gazing at the massive mountain base in the distance. There, a sprawling military camp stretched across the flat grassland. Through the rows of white tents, he could vaguely make out soldiers practicing drills.

"Just as they say, the Jia Ma royal family has stationed an elite army at the base of Yun Lan Mountain!"

Shaking his head, Xiao Yan descended the slope, following the main road toward the mountain’s base.

Though the military camp was heavily guarded, the soldiers did not interfere with those ascending the mountain. Xiao Yan passed through effortlessly, only receiving casual glances from the soldiers on duty as he made his way along the path up to the mountain base.

As lush greenery began to appear on either side, the sounds of soldier training gradually faded. Looking ahead, Xiao Yan found himself before an ancient stone staircase that stretched to the limits of his sight, like a path to the heavens.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, Xiao Yan raised his head, his gaze fixed on the stone steps that had likely stood there for countless ages. Closing his eyes, he seemed to hear a faint, sharp sound like a sword hum coming from the far end of the steps. The sound echoed subtly through the forest, like a bell ringing, captivating his spirit.

After a long moment of silence, Xiao Yan opened his eyes, gently patted the Heavy Xuan Ruler on his back, and stepped firmly onto the slightly damp stone steps.

As his foot fell, Xiao Yan felt a weight lift from his soul, as if he had just exhaled a breath of air that had been stifled within him for three years.

"Nalan Yanran, I, Xiao Yan, have come. The shame you brought to the Xiao family three years ago—I will make you pay for it doubly today!"

With a low growl in his heart, Xiao Yan continued to place his feet steadily, one step at a time, on the ancient stone staircase.

(End of Chapter)

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