Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

316: Section 316A mysterious aura resonated among the six Young ladies practicing the ”Heavenly Palace Fairy Cultivation Method.”

The Dou Qi in their bodies circulated at an unprecedented speed, and the growth of their power was clearly palpable.

Even Xue Ni, who was usually the least confident, found a power surging through her body that far exceeded her usual strength. Only Xun’er, because she had not practiced this cultivation method, stood quietly outside the formation; that resonance did not include her. ”Two-legged apes! You—you’ve crossed the line!”

That giant ape was actually more intelligent than ordinary Rank 5 magical beasts, already capable of human speech. Its low, tyrannical roar shook the leaves in the forest, making them rustle down.

The sharp pain in its single eye made it go berserk, but the aura of the newcomers was merely that of Dou Lings, which caused a bit of contempt to arise within its rage. However, the Young ladies ignored its roar; what responded to it was an even more fierce offensive.

The giant ape roared and swung its other intact fist, wanting to crush these two audacious ”two-legged apes” into meat paste.

The speed of the fist was so fast that the resulting wind even made Liu Qing in the distance feel a jolt of alarm. She told herself she wouldn’t be able to dodge that punch easily. ”Flowing Cloud Thirty Thousand Miles!”

Nalan Yanran gave a clear cry, her figure suddenly becoming elusive. She took a step forward, and Dou Qi like flowing clouds spread out beneath her feet; her whole person moved several zhang in an instant, narrowly avoiding that devastating punch.

At the same time, the Flowing Cloud Dou Qi swirling around her transformed into countless invisible wind blades, fiercely scraping across the giant ape’s thick arm, leaving behind deep gashes that reached the bone, blood splattering.

”Take this sword!”

Avoiding the attack, Nalan Yanran did not stop for a moment, her long sword tracing a brilliant sword flower.

The opening stance of that sword move vaguely carried some of the charm of Yun Xiancheng’s Yunlan Sword Dance; as the sword was thrust out, it actually drew in the surrounding airflow. Its power was already no less than that of an ordinary low-grade Earth Rank Dou Technique.

On the other side of the battlefield, Xiao Yan was much more silent.

She didn’t call out the name of her move like Nalan Yanran did; instead, at the moment the giant ape’s attack approached, green flames suddenly erupted around her. The first transformation of the Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations—the Green Lotus Transformation—was boldly activated.

Her figure became uniquely blurred under the envelope of the flames, nearly invisible, as she brushed past the wind of the fist at an incredible angle.

The Green Lotus Core Flame, like a maggot on a bone, clung to the giant ape’s other arm. The high temperature instantly ignited its thick fur, and a burnt stench filled the air. With threats coming from both the left and right flanks simultaneously, this massive creature had nowhere to hide.

It let out a painful roar as its body, harder than steel, was hit simultaneously by Nalan Yanran’s long sword and Xiao Yan’s xuan heavy ruler, each adding a deep, long wound.

The movement techniques these two displayed were precisely the unique Dou Techniques Yun Xiancheng had custom-created for them after thoroughly analyzing the Three Thousand Lightning Movement, grasping the essence of the cultivation method, and combining it with their respective Dou Qi attributes.

The combined offensive of Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan was so swift and ingenious that Han Yue and Liu Qing, who were preparing to provide support nearby, couldn’t help but widen their eyes. This... so powerful!? Han Yue’s heart was in turmoil.

Liu Qing was even more shocked. She could not associate these two one-star Dou Lings, who coordinated so perfectly and had such startling combat power, with the ”delicate” Young ladies in her memory who needed protection.

”Two-legged apes—!”

An even more berserk roar echoed through the valley.

The giant ape’s single eye was bloodshot, its muscles bulging, and an aura far more ferocious than before exploded forth. It had entered a berserk state. It accurately caught the brief gap after Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan’s offensive ended, when their old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been born, and struck out with both fists.

In its berserk state, its strength and speed were greatly enhanced; this strike was as fast as thunder, and the two Young ladies could no longer dodge as calmly as they had just now.

At this critical moment, Xiao Yu from the rear gave a clear shout: ”Now! Let’s try it!”

352 Joining Forces

Xiao Mei, Xue Ni, and Hu Jia did not dare to be the least bit slow and immediately followed her instructions, simultaneously circulating the Quasi-Heaven Rank combination Pupil Technique taught by Yun Xiancheng.

Deep within the eyes of the four Young ladies, a phantom of ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers seemed to flash by.

Through the mysterious resonance of the ”heavenly palace fairy” cultivation method, the power of four independent Pupil Techniques merged instantly; its power was by no means a simple addition.

Ultimately, using the cultivation of four Great Dou Masters, they condensed an invisible spiritual shock that pierced fiercely into the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape’s remaining intact eye. ”Roar—!”

The giant ape’s movements suddenly stalled. The sharp pain originating from the depths of its soul caused the speed of its swinging fists to abruptly slow down.

At this moment, two figures appeared to the left and right in front of Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan; it was precisely Liu Qing and Han Yue, who together met the much-weakened wind of the fists.

Even though the power of this strike had been weakened by more than half, the two who met it head-on still felt their blood surge; they both let out a muffled groan, and blood seeped from the corners of their mouths. The giant ape’s offensive was finally blocked by them, and the four used the force to retreat, landing steadily on the ground.

Liu Qing raised her hand to wipe the blood from her lips, looking at Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan beside her with complex eyes. In her voice, which was usually as cold as ice, there was now a hint of heartfelt recognition:

”I take back my previous words. You... are really powerful.” ”Of course!”

Nalan Yanran was still catching her breath, but she didn’t hesitate to wink at her and jokingly ”preach”: ”So, Senior Sister Liu Qing, would you consider also becoming my husband’s... family member?”

Liu Qing’s hand holding the spear almost slipped. She gave Nalan Yanran a cross look, having no time to argue with her, because that giant ape had already roared and charged over again.

The four did not dare to be careless and immediately circulated their Dou Techniques to meet the fist that smashed down like a small mountain. Boom!

The violent collision of energy kicked up a cloud of dust that instantly enveloped half the valley.

Seeing this from a distance, Yun Xiancheng simply tapped the air; an invisible barrier quietly rose, perfectly blocking out all the dust to avoid dirtying the food he had meticulously prepared.

”Their performance is quite good.” Yun Xiancheng withdrew his finger, a satisfied smile on his lips. ”They... were all taught by you?” Zi Yan, who was beside him, couldn’t help but ask.

She had seen countless Dou King Experts in the Inner Academy. But she was seeing a scene where a combination of one-star Dou Lings and Great Dou Masters could face a Dou King head-on for the first time.

”Yes.” Yun Xiancheng nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the rolling dust. ”Finally, use one more combination technique, and we can wrap this up.” Just as he finished speaking, a strong wind suddenly rose, blowing away all the pervasive dust.

Where the dust cleared, the situation on the battlefield had become clear. Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan stood side-by-side at the very front; behind them, Hu Jia, Xue Ni, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei were positioned at the Four Symbols directions, forming a profound formation.

The ”heavenly palace fairy” cultivation method within their bodies resonated with unprecedented intensity, and a surge of majestic energy was rapidly gathering in the formation.

Xun’er stood outside the battle circle, looking at the formation where light was flowing. In her eyes, which were like autumn water, a complex expression flickered—there was relief, and also a hint of yearning that was hard to hide.

That cultivation method called ”heavenly palace fairy” could only be practiced by Young ladies who had completely entrusted their pure bodies and hearts to Yun Xiancheng. Because of her clan’s precepts, she had still not been able to take that step, so she simply couldn’t learn it.

Otherwise, even if ”heavenly palace fairy” was currently only a high-grade Earth Rank cultivation method, even if she practiced her clan’s high-grade Heaven Rank cultivation method, she would not hesitate to switch.

To practice the method and be a carefree heavenly palace fairy.

This resulted in her, the noble favored daughter of the Gu Clan, only being able to watch from the sidelines at this moment, unable to personally participate in this exhilarating combined attack.

But she did not become despondent because of it. Her clear voice rang out clearly on the battlefield, carrying decisiveness: ”Senior Sister Liu Qing! Senior Sister Han Yue! Buy them three breaths of time!”

Before her voice had even faded, a brilliant golden flame suddenly ignited deep in her pupils, and the tips of her long black hair were also dyed with a faint golden halo. She had actually used a secret technique of her clan to forcibly raise her Realm temporarily to the level of a high-star Dou Ling.

Golden Dou Qi gushed out, and her figure flashed; she had already landed in front of Liu Qing and Han Yue, leading the two senior sisters to face the giant ape’s final frantic counterattack.

Three breaths of time passed in an instant.

In the rear, the combined attack technique of the six Young ladies, including Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan, had already reached its limit.

Majestic energy soared into the sky, and in the air above their heads, it actually slowly condensed into a phantom image of a figure dressed in white as white as snow—the bearing and charm of that figure was exactly that of Yun Xiancheng.

That immortal phantom image slowly raised its hand, joined its fingers into a sword, and toward the berserk Snow Demon Heavenly Ape below, it lightly swept out a sword strike. There was no earth-shaking momentum, nor was there any brilliant and dazzling light.

A sword light that seemed ordinary and unremarkable ignored space and distance, passing through the giant ape’s neck without any hindrance.

The giant ape’s roar came to an abrupt halt. A massive head soared into the sky, and that sword light did not dissipate; instead, like a living thing, it followed the wound on the neck and instantly spread throughout its entire body.

”Awoo—!”

Countless fine sword qi exploded inside the giant ape; its massive body, the moment it hit the ground, had already turned into dust filling the sky.

Seeing this, once the tense nerves relaxed, a huge sense of fatigue swept over them like a tide. The Young ladies could no longer hold on and fell to the ground one after another, exhausted, breathing rapidly, their fragrant sweat soaking their clothes.

This battle did not last very long. However, whether it was the circulation of Dou Qi or the high level of mental concentration, it was an unprecedented test of limits for them, and the consumption was far beyond imagination.

Especially Liu Qing and Han Yue, who had directly faced the violent offensive of the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape; their pretty faces were now deathly pale.

Their surging blood could no longer be suppressed, rushing up through their throats. Simultaneously, the two of them turned aside and vomited several mouthfuls of blood, which splattered in crimson dots across the green grass.

The bouts of sharp pain coming from their internal organs made them knit their beautiful brows tightly.

”That was... thrilling.” Liu Qing spat out another mouthful of blood-streaked saliva. The stifling air in her chest eased slightly, and her mind cleared a bit. She immediately turned her head, her sharp gaze searching through the crowd for her sister.

Not far away, Liu Fei was wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. Although she hadn’t faced the pressure head-on, the aftershocks of that final violent punch had still caused her blood to churn, leaving her with some minor internal injuries.

The magnificent gold at the tips of Xun’er’s hair had faded, returning to its ink-like black luster.

The sense of weakness brought by the secret technique made her body feel somewhat soft, but her autumn-water-like clear eyes were rippling with a satisfied smile. In her sight, a purple figure was walking over slowly, holding several sizzling, fragrant meat skewers in his hand.

Yun Xiancheng knelt down in front of her and held a skewer to her lips. Xun’er obediently opened her small mouth and lightly bit off the topmost piece of charred, tender meat.

As the rich aroma of the meat dissolved in her mouth, she narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. Then, regardless of anything else, she threw herself into Yun Xiancheng’s arms and claimed credit in a volume only the two of them could hear: ”Aren’t we amazing?”

Yun Xiancheng’s warm palm landed on the top of her head, rubbing it gently. His voice was full of indulgence: ”Yes, Xun’er is very amazing.”

Having received her praise, Xun’er was satisfied. She withdrew from his arms but gave his chest a light push with her small hand, signaling him to look after those who were more seriously injured.

353 Don’t treat the meat skewers as something strange.

Yun Xiancheng’s steps remained steady, not faltering in the slightest due to Xun’er’s movement.

He came before Han Yue and naturally reached out to take her slightly cool wrist. A warm and mellow strand of Dou Qi then flowed through her meridians.

Wherever that Dou Qi passed, it was like a spring breeze turning into rain, instantly soothing her trembling internal organs. Han Yue only felt a warm current wandering through her body, and the original sharp pain quickly receded.

She did not resist that warm and powerful hand, and following the strength of his pull, she slowly stood up.

”We... really won.” Han Yue spoke somewhat dazedly, still immersed in that incredible victory from just now.

Between a Six-star Dou Ling and a Five-star Dou King, there was an insurmountable chasm. She knew very well that if she had faced that violent giant ape alone, she probably wouldn’t have lasted even ten breaths.

”This battle relied heavily on Senior Sister Han Yue.” Yun Xiancheng thanked her on behalf of the girls. His gentle words brushed past her ears, making Han Yue’s cheeks feel slightly warm. She hurriedly waved her hands: ”It’s nothing, really. Everyone is just working together for common progress.”

By the end, her voice was barely audible as she lowered her head slightly. She could still tell who was actually more capable of fighting.

However, Yun Xiancheng handed her a meat skewer. Han Yue followed Xun’er’s example and lightly bit into it. ”Mhm.”

Her cheeks were flushed, though it was unclear for what reason.

Just then, a graceful figure ran over quickly. Liu Fei grabbed Yun Xiancheng’s sleeve, completely ignoring the blood remaining on her lips. Her bright eyes were sparkling, full of excitement and anticipation: ”Classmate Cheng, Classmate Cheng! How did I perform?”

Yun Xiancheng smiled and took her into his arms, his large hand soothingly stroking her long hair as he praised her softly: ”Fearless in the face of danger, standing firm even against the strong. Liu Fei is naturally amazing.”

This unreserved praise made Liu Fei’s heart almost jump out of her chest.

Her blood surged, and two streams of warm liquid actually flowed slowly from her nose, staining two small red plum blossoms onto Yun Xiancheng’s light purple academy uniform.

Liu Fei touched it blankly and felt the warm stickiness on her fingers. Suddenly embarrassed, she hurriedly broke free from his arms and apologized incoherently: ”S-Sorry—I, I got a bit too excited.”

”A Liu Fei like this is also very cute.” Yun Xiancheng condensed a wisp of gentle Dou Qi on his fingertip and lightly tapped her nose, stopping the bleeding and rubbing her hair to smooth out those negligible internal injuries.

”Feier, want some?”

A meat skewer appeared before Liu Fei, blocking her eyes. ”Mhm, mhm.”

She said with a red face.

”Why do I feel like they’re treating meat skewers as some kind of strange thing?” Yao Chan complained.

Finally, his gaze fell on Liu Qing not far away. Liu Qing’s gaze had already been lingering on him for a long time.

He moved so familiarly among the girls, soothing this one and hugging that one, his intimate behavior appearing natural. For some reason, an inexplicable sourness welled up in Liu Qing’s heart.

Yun Xiancheng walked up to Liu Qing and gave her a cupped-hand salute, his words sincere: ”For this battle, I must also thank Senior Sister Liu Qing. You were the main force; without your world-shaking initial spear strike, the girls could never have won so easily.”

Faced with this solemn praise, Liu Qing merely crossed her arms and turned her head to the side. The words coming from beneath her silver mask remained cold: ”I only did it to keep Feier safe; I didn’t intend to help you.”

As soon as she said this, Queen Cai Lin chuckled with approval in Yun Xiancheng’s mind: ”Right! That’s the attitude. She has the style of this Queen.”

Yao Chan, however, gave a dismissive ”pfft”: ”She says one thing but means another. She’s nowhere near as straightforward as that girl Liu Fei.” Xiaoer was also paying close attention to the performance of her several aunts, learning deeply.

Yun Xiancheng turned a deaf ear to the discussion in his head. Without saying a word, he abruptly reached out and grabbed her fair wrist, which was covered by a leather glove.

The moment their skin touched, the Dou Qi in Liu Qing’s body reacted instinctively, almost counterattacking, but she forcibly suppressed it with her powerful willpower.

In the next moment, a strand of warm Dou Qi flowed over, wandering through her chaotic meridians and repairing the damage caused by the earlier head-on clash. ”Who asked you to be so nosy?” Her mouth was still stubborn.

”I only want Feier’s sister to be safe and sound; I have no intention of helping you.” The corners of Yun Xiancheng’s mouth curled up as he returned her own words to her exactly as they were.

Hearing this familiar phrasing, Liu Qing was momentarily speechless. Beneath her silver mask, a blush quietly crept onto her cheeks. She no longer argued, and her tense shoulders finally relaxed, allowing that warm current to heal her injuries.

Once her injuries had stabilized, Yun Xiancheng released her hand and stepped aside with a ”please” gesture: ”Then everyone, please follow me into the cave to explore.” Liu Qing lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet his eyes again, and walked quickly to her sister Liu Fei’s side, taking her hand.

At this time, clusters of soft white clouds appeared out of thin air, lifting Xiao Yan and the others who were scattered about and gently delivering them to Yun Xiancheng’s side.

Nalan Yanran leaned against a cloud and playfully gave Yun Xiancheng a thumbs-up, her eyes full of mischievous laughter: ”Senior Brother’s methods of soothing people’s hearts are truly superb. This Junior Sister is impressed.”

She had another half-sentence hidden in her heart: Why does it feel like Senior Brother is even better at ”coaxing” girls than when he was at the Cloud Mist Sect?

She couldn’t help but recall those years at the Cloud Mist Sect. Back then, although her Senior Brother was equally gentle, it was more of a youthful deep affection, far from the calm and effortless ease he showed now.

This thought caused an inexplicable pride to well up in Nalan Yanran’s heart.

Hmph, no matter what, I’m the childhood sweetheart who has walked alongside Senior Brother all the way.

She glanced at Liu Qing in the distance and secretly clenched her fist. As Senior Brother’s most legitimate wife, I must win the Grand Competition in a few months! ”Yan Ran, how do you feel this time? Are you confident about the Grand Competition in three months?” Yun Xiancheng reached out and lightly tapped her smooth forehead. ”Naturally, I’m one hundred percent confident!” Nalan Yanran puffed out her chest, full of self-confidence.

After personally experiencing the power of that Quasi-Heaven Rank Dou Skill, she had absolute confidence that she could defeat that ”jade-faced spear” Liu Qing. After defeating a high-ranking expert from the strong ranking list, she should also have a resounding nickname. Should it be ”Cloud Mist Warrior” or ”Cloud Mist Guest”?

Yun Xiancheng stopped paying attention to the fantasizing Nalan Yanran and instead pressed his hand on Xiao Yan’s fragrant shoulder, asking only one word: ”Well?”

Xiao Yan looked up, her usually cold phoenix eyes now filled with a deep, inseparable attachment: ”I like this movement technique very much. I also like Senior Brother. I like... Husband.”

”Well, we’re already an old married couple, yet you’re still so direct.” Yun Xiancheng chuckled and scratched her nose, turning his gaze toward Hu Jia and Xiao Mei, who had already approached.

Hu Jia’s face was full of excitement, her fists tightly clenched.

With a mere Seven-star Great Dou Master cultivation, she had actually been able to participate in a battle to hunt a Five-star Dou King. To her, this was something she wouldn’t have even dared to dream of before!