Doupo: When Yan DI returns to the three-year agreement!

Ling Ying could see it clearly—his young mistress harbored special feelings for Xiao Yan.

For the past two years, despite being separated, Xun'er had never stopped paying attention to Xiao Yan, even going so far as to send Ling Ying himself to secretly protect him. To her, nothing in the world was more important than Xiao Yan.

However, seeing Xiao Yan entangled with women like Yun Yun and Queen Medusa, Ling Ying worried that in the end, Xun'er would be the one to suffer the most.

"Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan… Though you possess some talent, you are still far from being a true genius," Ling Ying murmured to himself. "The young mistress, on the other hand, will inevitably become a supreme expert, far beyond what most can dream of. If you think you can have it all, you're sorely mistaken…"

Yet, if he knew that the power Xiao Yan displayed now was not borrowed from others but purely his own, he might have thought differently.

"Yun Yun, I can't explain everything to you right now, but please don't blame me."

Seeing the tears welling in Yun Yun's eyes, Xiao Yan felt a deep conflict within him.

No one understood Yun Yun's nature better than he did. On the surface, she appeared indifferent, yet deep down, she was incredibly sensitive.

In his past life, had their positions not been so irreconcilably opposed after the three-year agreement, perhaps things would have turned out differently.

In this life, Yun Shan had not yet harmed the Xiao family. Killing him outright would make Xiao Yan appear ruthless. In his previous life, his hatred for Yun Shan had been unshakable, and his death had been inevitable. Yun Yun had understood this but had never truly accepted it.

Now, if Yun Shan were to die at this moment, it would cement a life-and-death feud between him and Yun Yun.

Sigh…

Xiao Yan sighed deeply, hesitation flickering in his eyes before sharpening with resolve as he looked at Yun Shan.

"Yun Shan!"

"Xiao Yan, if you want to kill my master, you'll have to go through me first!"

Seeing Xiao Yan's intense gaze, Yun Yun immediately stepped forward, drawing her sword and positioning herself between them.

At the same time, Nalan Yanran, along with the elders and disciples of the Yunlan Sect, stood behind Yun Yun, their voices resolute: "We swear to protect the Yunlan Sect with our lives!"

"Yun Shan, your breakthrough to the Douzong realm… It wasn't achieved by your own strength, was it?"

Xiao Yan's voice turned cold. He could kill Yun Shan effortlessly, even without harming Yun Yun and her followers. However, Yun Yun's presence made things complicated.

Hearing his words, Yun Shan's expression faltered, his guilty conscience laid bare.

"He knows… He actually knows! He even knows about the Protector Wu assisting me in breaking through to Douzong. I can't hide it any longer."

After a moment of silence, Yun Shan slowly nodded. "Yes… The Protector Wu did aid my breakthrough. However, that individual is extremely secretive. I know very little about him."

"The Protector Wu?"

Yun Yun's brows furrowed. "Why is Xiao Yan searching for him? Could today's events all be connected to the Protector Wu?"

Now that Yun Shan had admitted his connection to the mysterious figure, the crowd fell into deep thought.

"You must have a way to contact him."

Xiao Yan ignored their speculation and spoke directly. He had already swept Yunlan Mountain with his soul power, yet the Eagle Protector was nowhere to be found.

"Summon him. Do that, and perhaps I will spare your life. Refuse, and…"

A chilling intent radiated from Xiao Yan's words, making Yun Shan shudder. If he refused, he had no doubt that Xiao Yan would kill him on the spot.

"This… Fine."

With a heavy heart, Yun Shan reached into his ring and retrieved a black token. "This was left by the Eagle Protector. He once told me that if I crushed this, he would sense it—so long as he is still within the Jia Ma Empire."

He tossed the token toward Xiao Yan, who caught it, scanning it with his soul power. It was a simple communication tool, one any Douzong could refine.

"In my past life, three days after the three-year agreement, disaster struck my family. That means the Eagle Protector and his minions must already be here, within the Jia Ma Empire."

Xiao Yan's grip tightened, and with a crack, the token shattered. A wisp of eerie black smoke floated out, dispersing into the surrounding space.

The crowd fell into a hushed silence, watching the bizarre scene unfold.

"A Dharma Protector… That title, and the aura in the token… Could it be that this boy is targeting someone from the Soul Hall?"

Unlike the others, Ling Ying's face darkened in realization. Most people knew nothing of the Soul Hall's existence.

"Xiao Yan, since my master has complied with your request, will you now spare him?" Yun Yun's voice was soft, yet firm.

"We'll see once the Protector Wu arrives."

Xiao Yan's response was calm, his eyes closing as he meditated, waiting patiently.

Yun Shan, realizing resistance was futile, could only sit down and focus on recovering from his injuries. None of the thousand disciples of the Yunlan Sect dared to act against Xiao Yan.

"What should we do?"

"For now, let's wait. Soon enough, we'll understand why Xiao Yan is taking action against the Yunlan Sect."

The spectating crowd also chose to remain, eager to witness what would unfold next.

"It seems another Douzong expert will be arriving soon."

Queen Medusa remained in the square, unable to leave Xiao Yan due to the Sky Swallowing Python's connection with him. Moreover, after witnessing his extraordinary alchemical skills, her curiosity toward him only deepened.

As time passed, the sun dipped below the horizon, and dusk enveloped the sky.

"They arrived rather quickly."

Suddenly, Xiao Yan opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through the distant sky beyond Yunlan Mountain.

"The Soul Hall is always shrouded in darkness. Now that you're here, are you still planning to make me invite you out?"