Chapter 365: The Fourth Elder of Demon Flame Valley, Xiao Yu's Bad Feeling
In a remote valley in the Black-Corner Region, a large group of people stood clustered together. Although their faces were mostly pale, there wasn't much panic in their expressions. They clutched their weapons tightly, their eyes cold and focused on the distant mountain at the entrance of the valley, where shadows flickered menacingly.
The group consisted mostly of young people, around seventeen or eighteen years old, the age of peak vigor. Both boys and girls were present, many with pale faces and bodies covered in wounds.
At the forefront of the group, a few men and women stood with grim expressions, their eyes fixed on the distant entrance. There, faint glimpses of movement could be seen as cold gleams of weaponry flashed.
"Senior Elder Xiao, what should we do now? Demon Flame Valley clearly intends to kill us all." A middle-aged man, around thirty years old, sighed bitterly as he turned to a tall woman with long legs, who was carrying a green longsword on her back.
The woman, dressed in the red robe of a high-ranking elder, radiated an air of mature charm. Her robe had a slit that revealed part of her long, shapely legs, and despite the dire situation, some of the male students couldn't help but steal glances at her.
This long-legged woman was none other than Xiao Yu, Mo Yu's fiancée.
"We have no choice but to wait. Hopefully, Mentor Mai Di and the others will manage to escape and send for help. If they can get the message out, and if there are any powerful fighters from the academy or Yuan Mansion nearby, we might be rescued." Xiao Yu's beautiful eyes swept over the faces of the students in the valley, and she sighed softly.
Hearing this, the middle-aged man nodded slightly before replying with a hint of resignation, "I'm afraid those people won't give us the chance."
Just as the man finished speaking, Xiao Yu's face changed suddenly. Her sharp gaze darted back to the entrance of the valley as she spoke in a tense voice, "Everyone, be alert. Something's happening. It looks like Demon Flame Valley is on the move."
At her words, the other teachers nearby were alarmed. They quickly spread out, forming a protective barrier around the younger students.
"Heh, well, well. Who would have thought we'd come across the famous 'Green Maple Sword' Elder Xiao Yu of Jia Nan Academy. What an honor." A mocking voice rang out from the distant mountain peak, where a gray-robed figure flapped his Dou Qi wings and hovered, looking down at the group below with a sneer.
Behind the gray-robed man stood over a dozen black-clad individuals, their eyes gleaming coldly as they glared at the group in the valley.
"The people of Demon Flame Valley always resort to underhanded tricks. If you have any courage, come down here and fight me!" Xiao Yu's eyes were icy as she locked her gaze on the gray-robed figure, her tone filled with contempt.
"Haha, Elder Xiao, your reputation as the Green Maple Sword is well known in the Black-Corner Region. But more importantly, you're known as the fiancée of Yuan Mansion's leader. I wonder what it would be like to taste the woman of such a powerful man?" A lewd voice rang out, and another figure with Dou Qi wings appeared. Judging by his aura, he was clearly another Dou Wang.
Xiao Yu's heart sank as she gazed at the two Dou Wang experts hovering above the valley. Her own strength had only reached the level of a Four-Star Dou Wang.
Over the past few years, thanks to the cultivation techniques and Dou Skills gifted to her by Mo Yu, her strength had steadily increased, rivaling that of many other prodigies of her generation. Additionally, with Mo Yu's influence, she had received ample support from Yuan Mansion's top experts, like Qi Shan, the master of the Thousand Medicines Hall, and Su Qian, the academy's Grand Elder. She had access to high-grade pills and even enjoyed special privileges in the academy's Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.
Because of this, Xiao Yu had grown from a relatively unknown talent in a small town of the Jia Ma Empire to the famed Green Maple Sword of the Black-Corner Region. Deep down, she had always harbored a dream of one day catching up to Mo Yu.
But recently, when she finally managed to secure an opportunity to lead the new students on an outdoor training exercise, they had fallen into a trap set by Demon Flame Valley.
From the aura of the two experts above, Xiao Yu knew that they were on par with her. She might be able to defeat one of them, but fighting two at once would put her at a severe disadvantage. Still, if it came to the worst, she would rather die fighting than be captured and humiliated.
"Elder Xiao, if you surrender now, I can guarantee the safety of all the students from Jia Nan Academy," the gray-robed man said with a grin.
"Do you take me for a child? If I fall into your hands, my fate will be far worse than dying in battle!" Xiao Yu took a graceful step forward, her long, slender legs moving as her cold smile deepened. "Two cowards who don't even dare to fight a lone woman. You're a disgrace to Demon Flame Valley!"
"Oh? The fiancée of Yuan Mansion's leader certainly has a fiery temper. Capturing you would give us quite a useful bargaining chip against Yuan Mansion!" At that moment, an aged voice echoed through the valley. A moment later, an elderly man in a green robe appeared in the sky above them, his wide Dou Qi wings stirring the air like waves.
With the arrival of the green-robed elder, everyone's expressions shifted. The two Dou Wang experts quickly retreated and knelt on one knee, respectfully addressing the elder: "Greetings, Fourth Elder!"
Xiao Yu's face grew more solemn as she gazed up at the elder. She recognized him immediately. He was Xie Zhen, the Fourth Elder of Demon Flame Valley, with the strength of a Six-Star Dou Huang. His close-combat skills were renowned, especially his claw techniques, which had struck fear into many opponents.
Over the past half-year, many powerful members of Yuan Mansion had fallen to this man's hands during the ongoing conflict with Demon Flame Valley.
Xiao Yu's expression tightened as she gripped her green longsword. "Xie Zhen, you're a well-known figure in the Black-Corner Region. Is it really fitting for you to attack a group of juniors like this? People will laugh at you if they hear of it."
"Heh, but you're no ordinary junior—you're Mo Yu's woman. That makes you a target worth my personal attention," Xie Zhen chuckled, his voice turning cold. "Enough talk. Will you surrender, or do you intend to continue resisting?"
"Jia Nan Academy has never surrendered!" Xiao Yu's beautiful face hardened as she gripped her longsword tightly, her voice resolute.
"As expected, Jia Nan Academy people are always stubborn. But you're only making things harder for yourself," Xie Zhen sneered, his eyes turning cold as he slowly descended towards Xiao Yu and the others.
Though Xiao Yu's strength was considerable, it was far below that of her fiancé, Mo Yu. Xie Zhen's goal was clear: capture Xiao Yu and use her as leverage against Yuan Mansion.
As he walked towards Xiao Yu, Xie Zhen's voice rang out once more, "Seal the valley entrance! Don't let a single person escape, or you'll pay with your lives!"
At his command, the black-clad members of Demon Flame Valley quickly moved to block the valley, forming an impenetrable barrier. Seeing their intentions, Xiao Yu's heart sank. These people clearly intended to eliminate everyone.
As Xie Zhen approached, Xiao Yu's eyes filled with a resolute determination. She tightened her grip on her sword, her body as light as a feather as she launched an attack. Her sword moved with an unexpected speed and angle, aimed directly at Xie Zhen's heart.
Xie Zhen, surprised by her sudden aggression, narrowed his eyes with interest. "Not bad! A woman of Mo Yu's caliber wouldn't be using ordinary Dou Skills—this must be a high-level earth-rank Dou Skill!"
However, when Xiao Yu's sword was just two feet away from Xie Zhen, his hand shot out like a hawk's claw, deftly capturing the blade mid-air. His five fingers clamped down like iron, completely halting her sword's momentum.
Seeing her attack frozen, Xiao Yu's face paled. Though her sword technique was extraordinary, the sheer difference in strength between her and the Six-Star Dou Huang Xie Zhen was too great.
"With this level of power, how dare you act out in front of me? Today, I'll capture you and see if Mo Yu dares to provoke us again!" Xie Zhen sneered, his fingers flexing as he flicked the sword out of Xiao Yu's grasp, sending it flying several meters away.
Xiao Yu's face turned ghostly pale as her sword was disarmed. Xie Zhen's hand reached out, aiming for her slender neck.
Clang!
A sudden sound echoed through the air, followed by a black shadow that shot down from the sky, colliding with Xie Zhen's outstretched hand.
Boom!
The force of the impact caused Xie Zhen to retract his hand in shock. Dust filled the air as the object embedded itself into the ground, leaving everyone momentarily stunned. Xiao Yu, who had closed her eyes in preparation for capture, slowly opened them, her gaze landing on the long black spear now standing before her.
Her eyes widened in recognition, and after a brief moment of disbelief, a bright gleam of hope flickered in her eyes. "Mo Yu? Is that you?"
Up in the sky, a young man with silver eyes hovered in the air. Upon seeing him, Xie Zhen's face changed drastically, and he quickly retreated, shouting in shock, "Yuan Mansion's leader! I thought you went to the Northwestern Continent—how are you back already?"
Meanwhile, the students from Jia Nan Academy, who had only heard legends of Mo Yu, now watched in awe as the famous figure descended from the sky.
Mo Yu smiled faintly as he slowly dissipated the lightning wings on his back and landed gracefully beside Xiao Yu. Brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, he smiled gently and said, "I didn't expect you to have reached the level of Dou Wang already. You've even become an Elder in the academy. The last time we parted, you were still a high-ranking Dou Ling. In just half a year, you've made great strides, but you didn't need to push yourself so hard."
Hearing Mo Yu's gentle words, Xiao Yu felt a wave of emotion well up inside her. Her nose tingled, and a hint of moisture appeared in her eyes. "I didn't want to be a burden to you. I didn't want to be in Yuan Mansion, respected only because I'm your fiancée."
Mo Yu sighed softly. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will ever mistreat you."
"Mm." Xiao Yu nodded, biting her lip before adding, "Don't let these people get away. Three of our students have already been killed by them."
"Don't worry, not a single one of them will escape," Mo Yu replied with a light smile.
His casual response caused Xiao Yu to roll her eyes. Sure enough, several female students were now gazing at him with admiration in their eyes.
But Xie Zhen and his men weren't filled with anger at Mo Yu's words—instead, they were gripped by fear. The man standing before them wasn't just anyone. He was the leader of Yuan Mansion, the top-ranked figure on the Black-Corner Region's Black List.
As they exchanged nervous glances, ready to retreat, the sound of rushing air filled the valley. Powerful figures emerged one by one, their presence suffocating as they surrounded Xie Zhen and his men like a steel trap.
With a cold glint in their eyes, Yin Gu Lao and the others stood ready for battle.
In less than ten minutes, the powerful group from Demon Flame Valley, including Xie Zhen, was utterly crushed, their bodies broken like fragile insects.
The students from Jia Nan Academy were left in awe, gazing at Mo Yu as if he were a deity. As for the female students, they couldn't help but look at Xiao Yu with envy.
Having such a powerful, handsome, and young fiancée, Elder Xiao Yu was truly lucky.
Feeling the admiring gazes around her, Xiao Yu's heart swelled with pride. She turned to speak quietly with Mo Yu but suddenly noticed a figure approaching them.
The woman walking toward them was dressed in a loose purple-red robe, her long white hair shimmering like snow. Xiao Yu was startled by the woman's unique and noble aura—she had never seen anyone quite like her.
A sinking feeling gripped Xiao Yu's heart. Glancing up at Mo Yu, whose gaze had subtly shifted, her premonition grew even stronger.
(End of Chapter)
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