While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 135 The wind rises and the clouds gather; Xiao Yan of the Xiao family arrives for the appointment!

Soon after,

Lu Yu put on the snow-white storage ring containing the Heavenly Fire Venerable's energy and quickly walked out of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.

At this moment, Zi Yan was nowhere to be seen at the bottom of the tower; presumably, that little girl had run off somewhere to search for treasure again.

After taking out the sound transmission conch and exchanging a brief conversation with Xiao Yan, Lu Yu headed towards his courtyard.

From afar, one could see Little Fairy Doctor standing in front of the courtyard gate in a white dress, with an exquisite medicine pouch at her waist, clearly having been prepared for some time.

What's even more amusing is that Qinglin is struggling to carry a miniature version of the Eight-Winged Black Serpent King. The infamous beast is now only the length of an arm, twisting and turning in her hands, but she can't break free no matter what she does.

"Son!"

Qinglin waved excitedly, almost letting the Black Serpent King slip away, and said happily, "While you were in seclusion, Sister Little Fairy Doctor and I were not idle!"

Lu Yu's gaze fell on the struggling eight-winged black serpent king, and he raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's going on?"

Qinglin shook the small snake in his hand somewhat embarrassedly and explained, "During the time you were in seclusion, the beasts of the Heavenly Serpent Palace have been using secret methods to contact the outside world."

A glint of light flashed in her emerald green pupils as she continued, "But I controlled them all, making them send back false information, saying that it was just the Azure Serpent with Three-Flower Pupils that appeared at Canaan Academy, and that they were looking for the right time to capture it."

Little Fairy Doctor picked up the conversation, her voice clear and cold: "We took the opportunity to interrogate them and obtained a lot of information about the Heavenly Serpent Palace. Their palace master is a Dou Zun powerhouse, and their inner palace has nine elders..."

"The first six are all magical beasts, while the last three are human elders. The entire Heavenly Serpent Palace is dominated by magical beast forces, and it raises a large number of fifth and sixth-order magical beasts."

Qinglin added, her little hands unconsciously tightening, causing the Black Serpent King to twist in pain.

A glint flashed in Lu Yu's eyes as he asked, "The Heavenly Serpent Mansion has been entrenched in the Northwest Continent for many years, so its strength and foundation must be considerable. What are the specific strengths of their Mansion Master and the nine Inner Mansion Elders?"

Qinglin blinked her emerald eyes and whispered, "I heard from Xiao Hei that their lord is a one-star Dou Zun level expert. Among the nine elders, six are peak seventh-tier magical beasts..."

She counted on her fingers and said, "Three of them are former officials left behind by the old lord, and the other three are rare peak seventh-tier triplet magical beasts."

"The most terrifying thing is..."

Qinglin unconsciously swallowed and continued, "It is said that the Lord of the Heavenly Serpent Palace and these six demonic beast elders also possess a combined attack technique, which, when they join forces, is comparable to a three-star Dou Zun!"

"In the last sect competition, the Lord of the Heavenly Serpent Palace almost swept all the major sects in the Northwest Continent with this move."

"If it weren't for the intervention of several other reclusive old monsters, the Heavenly Serpent Palace would probably have taken the position of overlord that year."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu nodded thoughtfully and said, "It seems that the Heavenly Serpent Mansion's strength as a top-tier power in the Northwest is indeed not to be underestimated. And this is only its apparent strength; I wonder if there are any hidden old monsters among them..."

"In that case, Qinglin, you stay at Canaan Academy for now. I'll deal with Yandi's matter first, and then I'll go and meet with the Heavenly Serpent Mansion."

Qinglin nodded obediently and replied, "Yes, I will do as you say, young master."

Lu Yu then looked at Little Fairy Doctor: "Fairy, let's go. Brother Yan is already waiting outside the academy."

Little Fairy Doctor nodded slightly, her delicate hand lightly brushing against her sleeve, ready to depart.

Before long, the two arrived at Peace Town, located on the outskirts of the academy. From afar, they spotted a familiar figure—the black-robed youth carrying a giant ruler, eagerly awaiting them at the town entrance. Upon seeing them, Xiao Yan waved vigorously:
"Brother Lu! Over here!"

"It's been many days, and Brother Lu's aura has become even more unfathomable..."

“Even my sister-in-law is already an eight-star Dou Huang…”

Xiao Yan looked at the two people walking towards him from a distance, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Lu Yu strode forward, glanced at Xiao Yan, and said with a smile, "Five-star Dou Ling? You got the Yin-Yang Twin Flames?"

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, somewhat helplessly saying, "Only half of it is in hand..."

As he spoke, a milky-white flame rose from his palm, radiating a rich life force.

"This is... Kagerou?"

Lu Yu frowned slightly and asked, "Where is Yin Yan?"

"That Yin-Yang Venerable has an eccentric personality..."

Xiao Yan explained with a wry smile, "According to the information he left behind, before he died, he buried the Yin Flame in the graveyard of his mortal enemy, an eighth-tier snake-type magical beast. To obtain the Yin Flame, unless..."

"Unless we dig up that person's grave?"

Lu Yu's lips twitched, and he replied with a wry smile.

After the three talked for a while, Lu Yu shook his head and chuckled, deciding to leave the matter of the Yin-Yang Twin Flames to Xiao Yan to worry about himself.

With a flick of his sleeve, the surrounding space rippled: "Let's go, we'll head straight to the Yunlan Sect."

The surrounding space distorted like ripples on water, and in the next moment, the three of them appeared a thousand miles away. They traversed space repeatedly in this way, and arrived at the border of the Gama Empire in just half a month.

……

Soon after,

At the summit of Yunlan Mountain, clouds and mist swirl around.

On the vast blue stone plaza, nearly a thousand disciples of the Yunlan Sect, dressed in moon-white robes, sat cross-legged in a semi-circle. The cloud and sword patterns on their sleeves fluttered in the wind, subtly revealing a sharp sword intent.

In the center of the square, a ten-zhang-tall black stone tablet stands majestically, engraved with the names of powerful figures throughout history. The surface of the tablet is smooth, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

On the high platform, a dozen white-robed elders sat motionless, their beards and hair fluttering in the wind. On the stone steps at the very front, Nalan Yanran stood quietly in a moon-white dress, her eyes slightly closed, only her trembling eyelashes revealing the turmoil in her heart.

At the top of the ancient trees surrounding the plaza, the leaders of the major powers of the Jia Ma Empire gathered. Hai Bodong stood with his hands behind his back, Jia Xingtian's eyes were piercing, and Fa Ma, Mu Chen and others arrived one after another.

In short, all the prominent figures in the entire Gama Empire came to witness the ceremony.

A tense atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing, permeated the entire summit of Yunlan Mountain. Everyone held their breath, awaiting the arrival of this three-year agreement.

The midday sun grew increasingly intense, making every bluestone slab in the square slightly warm. Just as everyone was watching—

"right here?"

A clear voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the mountaintop.

Everyone looked up in surprise and saw three figures standing in mid-air.

The leading man in a green robe stepped into the air with his hands behind his back, causing subtle ripples to appear around him. To his left, a woman in white robes fluttered in the breeze, while to his right, a young man in a black robe carried a giant ruler on his back. It was Lu Yu, accompanied by Little Fairy Doctor and Xiao Yan, who had arrived!

"Walking on air...that's a Dou Zong level expert!"

The disciples of Yunlan Sect were in an uproar.

At the top of the ancient trees surrounding the square, Jia Xingtian and the others looked at each other, unable to hide their joy.

Only Hai Bodong stroked his beard and smiled calmly, looking completely confident. "Old Hai."

Jia Xingtian lowered his voice and asked, "Did you know all along that Mr. Lu was on good terms with the Xiao family boy?"

Hai Bodong smiled without saying a word, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes.

He had already noticed something amiss when he stayed at the Xiao family's house. Someone who could be on friendly terms with Lu Yu was no ordinary person.
Today, the Yunlan Sect is likely to suffer a major setback.

On the high platform, more than a dozen white-robed elders simultaneously opened their eyes, their faces showing surprise. The Grand Elder Yunling, standing in the center, forced himself to remain calm, rose, and bowed.

"I wonder what connection you have with young friend Xiao Yan? I am Yun Ling, the Grand Elder of the Yunlan Sect. Greetings, Senior."

Lu Yu smiled calmly and slowly landed in the center of the square: "Elder Yun, there's no need for formalities. I've come here today only to witness this three-year agreement."

His gaze swept across the entire room, his voice soft yet clear enough to reach everyone's ears: "However..."

"If someone breaks the rules and tries to be clever..."

Before he finished speaking, an immense and abyss-like pressure descended upon them!

"Click..."

The hard bluestone pavement of the square cracked inch by inch under this oppressive force, and spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly from Lu Yu as the center. The air seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, and even the light was distorted.

Yun Leng and the other elders were struck dumb, their bodies trembling violently. Their faces instantly turned ashen, and large beads of sweat rolled down their cheeks. The elders with weaker cultivation levels almost collapsed to their knees.

"Your wisdom is profound!"

Yun Leng suppressed his trembling and bowed deeply: "My Yunlan Sect has always acted with integrity and fairness, and would never dare to violate the principles of justice!"

His forehead was pressed against the ground, and his voice was filled with barely concealed fear.

Lu Yu then slowly withdrew his oppressive aura and nodded lightly, saying, "That's very good."

Those four simple words brought a sigh of relief to everyone present.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Yu turned around, patted Xiao Yan's shoulder lightly, and said gently, "Go, let everyone see what progress you have made in the past three years."

Xiao Yan nodded solemnly, then strode confidently towards the center of the plaza. Little Fairy Doctor stood quietly beside Lu Yu, her eyes filled with gentle encouragement.

On the high platform, Nalan Yanran had already risen. She looked at the young man she had once rejected, and a strange unease suddenly welled up in her heart.

"Xiao Yan!"

She suddenly raised her voice, feigning composure as she shouted, "Don't think that just because you've invited a Dou Zong realm expert to back you up, you can..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Xiao Yan suddenly raised his head, his deep eyes burning with what seemed like flames. He glared at her and shouted, "Nalan Yanran!"

This shout was like a thunderclap, instantly spreading throughout the entire square!

"For the past three years, I've been waiting for this moment day and night!"

"Now, I stand here with my head held high, ready to show you with my strength how absurd and ridiculous your decision back then was!"

With that, he ripped the Xuanzhong Ruler off his back and slammed it into the ground. With a loud "boom," the hard bluestone ground shattered, and a violent surge of battle energy swept across the entire area.

The expressions of Jia Xingtian and the others on the treetop changed drastically. They looked at each other and saw the shock in each other's eyes. This was clearly the aura of a Dou Ling expert!

Nalan Yanran's pretty face paled slightly, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the long sword in her hand. She never imagined that the boy she had regarded as a waste three years ago would now stand at such a height!
"one move."

Xiao Yan's gaze was indifferent as he slowly raised the Xuan Heavy Ruler. Earthy yellow flames suddenly rose from the ruler, and the intense heat caused the air to distort slightly.

Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth, her internal fighting spirit surging wildly under Xiao Yan's immense pressure. Knowing she couldn't just sit and wait to die, she immediately rang out a clear "clang" from her longsword, its blade crackling with azure sword energy, like a venomous snake ready to devour its prey!
"The Ultimate Wind·Death!"

She let out a delicate shout and made the first move, her sword suddenly thrusting out, a beam of cyan light as thick as a thumb shooting out with such speed that it almost tore through the air!

however--

Xiao Yan simply waved the Xuan Heavy Ruler casually.

"Boom!"

The blade of light roared like an angry dragon, and the earthen-yellow flames, carrying destructive power, instantly crushed the cyan light!

The aftershocks continued, slamming heavily into Nalan Yanran's battle aura armor!
"Crack!"

The armor shattered inch by inch, and Nalan Yanran was struck as if by lightning. She was sent flying backward and crashed heavily into a stone pillar dozens of feet away!
"puff……"

She spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled to get up, only to find that all the bones in her body seemed to have fallen apart, and she had even lost the strength to hold a sword!

The whole place was dead silent!

The elders of the Yunlan Sect abruptly stood up, and the teacup in Yun Ling's hand shattered with a "crack." Everyone stared intently at the black-robed youth standing in the center of the room, holding a ruler, their eyes filled with horror.

Xiao Yan slowly withdrew his ruler, his gaze sweeping coldly over everyone before finally settling on the disheveled Nalan Yanran. He said indifferently:

"Now, are you convinced?"

Xiao Yan's icy voice echoed across the plaza. Nalan Yanran struggled to support herself, crimson blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, staining her snow-white clothes. Her trembling hands braced against the ground, but she remained unable to stand.

The boy she looked down on three years ago has now defeated her so thoroughly with just a casual strike!
Nalan Yanran suddenly looked up, her stubborn gaze fixed on Xiao Yan. That once-childish face now had sharp features, and the coldness in his eyes sent a shiver down Nalan Yanran's spine.

She bit her lower lip until she tasted blood, then released it and said in a trembling voice, "Xiao Yan, the three-year agreement... I lost."

"But I'll say it again, even if time could turn back, I would still go to the Xiao family to annul the engagement!"

Her voice suddenly rose, "My destiny, Nalan Yanran's destiny, is not for others to arrange! I cannot marry a complete stranger!"

A hint of weariness flashed in Xiao Yan's dark eyes. He slowly shook his head and said, "I never said that breaking off the engagement was wrong. What was wrong was the way you chose to do it..."

"Unfortunately, someone as proud as you will never understand this."

"Right or wrong is no longer important."

Xiao Yan turned around, his black robe fluttering in the wind, and finally walked towards Lu Yu and the other person not far away.

"From now on, we will be like strangers. You will continue to be the young sect master of Yunlan Sect, and I will continue on my path of cultivation."

"The three-year agreement ends here."

Nalan Yanran's face turned deathly pale. Xiao Yan's words struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

Around the plaza, the Yunlan Sect disciples stared in disbelief at the scene before them. Their proud young sect leader had been defeated so thoroughly.

Even more unbelievable is that the good-for-nothing boy who wasn't even a Dou Zhe three years ago is now a five-star Dou Ling powerhouse!
This fact silenced everyone.

(End of this chapter)