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

Chapter 281 The Curtain Falls, Betrothal

Gu Zhen calmly assumed a fighting stance, his body surrounded by a slow flow of azure battle qi, his long, flowing hair moving without wind, making him resemble a mountain poised to unleash its power.

Xiao Yan smiled slightly, gently raised his right hand, and a wisp of pale white flame danced at his fingertips. It was the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. The surrounding temperature dropped suddenly, and tiny ice crystals even condensed in the air.

On the high platform, Gu Yuan and Gu Lie merely glanced at it indifferently, showing little interest in this level of competition.

Lu Yu watched with great interest, thinking to himself, "It's been a long time since I've seen a sparring match of this level. When was the last time I watched a Dou Zong battle?"

"please!"

Gu Zhen let out a low shout and suddenly rushed forward, his right fist carrying fierce fighting spirit, aiming straight for Xiao Yan's face.

This punch, though seemingly simple, contained the full power of a Seven Star Dou Zong, and the air itself exploded wherever the fist passed.

However, Xiao Yan simply shook his head slightly, and the Bone Spirit Cold Fire at his fingertips suddenly expanded. At the same time, three other strange flames also appeared: the Earth Core Flame, which was as red as magma; the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, which was as yellow as earth; and the Yin Yang Twin Flames, which were intertwined in black and white.

The four-colored flames swirled around Xiao Yan, transforming into a dazzling flame barrier that illuminated the entire training ground with shimmering light.

Gu Zhen's fist struck the barrier, but it didn't even create a ripple. The force of his punch, which contained the power of a full-force attack, seemed so powerless in the face of the barrier formed by the intertwining of four different flames.

"what?"

Gu Zhen's expression changed drastically. Before he could react, Xiao Yan had already struck out with a backhand palm. The seemingly light palm strike contained the terrifying power of four different flames intertwined, with four-colored flames faintly visible swirling and rotating within the palm wind.

"boom!"

Gu Zhen was sent flying backward, tracing an arc in the air before landing heavily at the edge of the training ground.

He struggled to get up, only to find that his meridians had been invaded by the power of the strange fire, and his body was wrapped in eerie red and white flames. He was unable to move and could only watch helplessly as the strange fire slowly spread throughout his body.

The whole place was in an uproar!

The ancient clan disciples watching the battle were all dumbfounded. No one expected that Gu Zhen, who was also a seven-star Dou Zong, could not even withstand a single move from Xiao Yan.

Even the elders couldn't help but sit up straight, clearly shocked by the power of these four strange flames.

"Four kinds of strange flames?"

An elder in blue robes looked surprised and turned to Elder Tongxuan beside him, whispering, "Elder Tongxuan, could this be the unique secret technique of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion? I've heard that Pavilion Master Lu Yu also used various techniques for fusing different flames on Tianmu Mountain..."

Elder Tongxuan sighed softly and shook his head: "To be honest, I was a step too late that day, and the battle was already over when I arrived. However, according to the descriptions of those present, Pavilion Master Lu Yu did indeed use the technique of fusing three different flames to kill several Soul Palace Heavenly Venerables in succession, and afterwards he even used a great formation to capture the old ghost Gu You alive."

He gazed intently at Xiao Yan in the arena, his tone tinged with admiration: "To be able to master such an exquisite technique of fusing different flames at the Dou Zong realm, this young friend Xiao Yan's talent is truly extraordinary."

Although the two spoke softly, their words immediately caused a murmur among the elders present, who were all highly skilled cultivators.

When many elders looked at the black-robed youth in the arena again, their gazes held a mixture of solemnity and curiosity.

"Gu Zhen actually lost, who among you will go up?"

Gu Hua looked at the other three commanders with great interest, a playful smile on his lips.

Gu Xing immediately stepped forward, rubbing his hands together and saying, "Let me try! I want to see just how powerful this strange fire is!"

"Just you?"

Gu Yao spoke coldly, his eyes flashing with icy light, "Wasn't the lesson from the competition a few days ago enough? Let me have a go at him."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xing's face flushed red. He had indeed lost to Gu Yao in a private duel a few days ago, and being brought up in public now made him both embarrassed and angry.

Seeing the two men on the verge of exchanging blows, Gu Qingyang frowned slightly and gently advised, "Calm down. Since they are guests, we should also observe proper hospitality."

He turned to Gu Hua, "Gu Hua, why don't you go and give it a try first?"

Gu Hua's amused smile froze on his face. He helplessly spread his hands and said, "Brother, that's not fair of you. It was clearly those two who were eager to go first, so why am I being made to go first?"

Gu Qingyang smiled slightly: "It's precisely because those two are too impulsive that I'm worried. You have a gentle nature and know how to act with restraint, making you the most suitable."

Upon hearing this, Gu Hua shrugged helplessly, but a hint of eagerness appeared on his face: "Alright, since my elder brother has said so, then I'll go and meet this genius from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion."

He straightened his silver robes and smiled at Gu Xing and Gu Yao, who were still glaring at each other angrily, "Please be patient, gentlemen. Let me go and test the waters first. If even I am defeated..."

Gu Hua paused deliberately, a sly glint in his eyes: "You don't need to go up there anymore. Just let Big Brother handle it. After all, if even I can't deal with an opponent, you'll only be asking for trouble."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xing flew into a rage: "Gu Hua, what do you mean?!"

Even the usually aloof Gu Yao frowned.

Gu Qingyang shook his head helplessly but did not say anything to stop him. He knew that Gu Hua was using reverse psychology to divert attention from the problem.

This not only prevented Gu Xing and Gu Yao from getting into a fight due to their competitive nature, but also paved the way for a possible defeat.

If Xiao Yan can truly defeat Gu Hua, then it would be better for Gu Qingyang to personally take action than for Gu Yao and Gu Xing to suffer consecutive defeats. This would save face for the Gu clan and avoid embarrassing this outsider prodigy.

After saying that, Gu Hua laughed heartily and said no more. With a flicker of his figure, he gracefully landed in the martial arts arena. He bowed to Xiao Yan, his long silver hair fluttering gently in the wind: "Gu Hua, a one-star Dou Zun, please enlighten me."

The disciples of the ancient clans in the audience immediately perked up. Among the four commanders, Gu Hua was not the strongest, but he was known for his exquisite moves and flexible responses.

In terms of actual combat strength, he was on par with Gu Yao, second only to the three-star Dou Zun Gu Qingyang. Having him test Xiao Yan's abilities was indeed the most suitable option.

Xiao Yan also restrained his previous casualness and returned the greeting solemnly: "Xiao Yan, please give me your guidance, Brother Gu Hua."

He could sense the restrained yet refined Dou Zun aura emanating from the other party, which was far superior to that of Gu Zhen from before. This silver-haired commander appeared casual, but in reality, his aura was as steady as a mountain, clearly making him a formidable opponent.

The two stood facing each other, and the atmosphere in the arena tensed up once again. Gu Hua's silver robe fluttered without wind, and a faint silver battle aura began to circulate around him.

Xiao Yan focused his mind and waited, his four different flames slowly circulating within his body, ready to be unleashed.

On the viewing platform, Lu Yu nodded slightly and whispered to Xun'er beside him, "This Commander Gu Hua is indeed extraordinary. Brother Yan, this battle will probably not be so easy."

Xun'er responded softly, "Brother Gu Hua is known in the clan for his quick thinking and adaptability, so I'm afraid he won't go head-to-head with Young Master Xiao Yan."

A knowing glint flashed in her beautiful eyes. "Given his fighting style, he will most likely employ hit-and-run tactics to wear down Young Master Xiao Yan's fighting spirit first."

"A Dou Zun and a Dou Zong fighting each other?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu's eyes flashed with a strange light, but he didn't say anything more and turned to look at the scene.

The two people in the arena continued to rise in power, and Xiao Yan made the first move.

His hand seals flew, and three kinds of strange fire suddenly wrapped around his body. The Bone Spirit Cold Fire turned into a chilling white aura, the Earth Core Flame ignited a crimson flame, and the Wind Fury Dragon Flame stirred up an earthy yellow whirlwind. The three different colored strange fires intertwined and swirled, and his aura suddenly surged, briefly raising his cultivation to the level of a one-star Dou Zun.

It was none other than the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire!
This sudden change drew the attention of everyone watching. Three different flames formed a dazzling halo around Xiao Yan, with alternating bursts of cold and heat, and even the air emitted subtle popping sounds under the three extreme temperatures.

Seeing this, Gu Hua raised an eyebrow and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he did not interrupt. Instead, he waited with great interest for Xiao Yan to complete the secret technique.

"Baji collapse!"

Xiao Yan let out a low shout and his figure flashed out like lightning, his fist carrying hidden force, aiming straight for Gu Hua's face. Gu Hua remained calm and composed, his silver robe fluttering as he struck out with his palm, the palm wind solid as a silver moon, colliding head-on with Xiao Yan's fist.

"boom!"

The moment the two forces collided, Gu Hua's expression changed slightly. He clearly felt three completely different scorching energies eroding him along with his palm force. The characteristics of the three different flames alternated, sometimes chillingly cold, sometimes unbearably hot, causing his battle qi circulation to stagnate for a moment.

"What a strange and eerie flame!"

Gu Hua frowned, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure floated backward like a flowing cloud. In a flash, he transformed into several silver afterimages, nimbly weaving across the martial arts arena, no longer engaging Xiao Yan in direct combat.

"Where to go!"

Xiao Yan pursued relentlessly, waving his hand and unleashing the Xuan Heavy Ruler, which was wreathed in blazing flames.

However, Gu Hua's movement techniques were truly exquisite; every time the blade was about to strike, he could always dodge by the slightest margin. Xiao Yan changed several movement techniques in succession, but he still couldn't even touch the hem of his opponent's clothes.

"Flame Devouring Wave Ruler!"

Xiao Yan roared, and his ruler-shaped shadow transformed into a vast net of fire, engulfing everything. But Gu Hua merely spun around, his silver robes billowing as he effortlessly passed through the gaps in the fire net, his demeanor calm and composed. "Flame Shadow Step!"

Xiao Yan suddenly accelerated, flames erupting beneath his feet, his speed skyrocketing. However, Gu Hua seemed to have anticipated his movements, always managing to change his position at crucial moments, rendering Xiao Yan's pursuit futile.

The ancient clan members watching from the sidelines were dumbfounded. They never expected that this commander, known for his dashing and unrestrained style, would adopt such a cautious tactic.

"It's getting too boring to keep playing like this..."

"Why is Commander Gu Hua still hiding...?"

The ancient clan members watching from the sidelines began to whisper among themselves, clearly bored with this one-sided fighting.

"What a cunning trick..."

Lu Yu gently shook his head and turned to Xun'er beside him: "Xun'er, your Commander Gu Hua has taken the word 'cautious' to the extreme."

Xun'er smiled faintly upon hearing this and explained softly, "Brother Yu, you may not know this, but Brother Gu Hua has always won by using his wits. He must have seen that Young Master Xiao Yan's strange fire was incredibly powerful, which is why he chose to fight a hit-and-run battle to wear him down."

She paused, a knowing glint in her eyes: "Moreover... I guess he's also waiting for the effects of Young Master Xiao Yan's secret technique to wear off."

"This is interesting..."

Lu Yu smiled calmly, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of his chair. "The aftereffects of the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations are indeed troublesome, but..."

He gazed intently at the arena: "Since Brother Yan dares to use this technique in this situation, he must have made some preparations."

Upon hearing this, Xun'er's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of understanding: "Brother Yu, are you saying that Young Master Xiao Yan has another plan?"

Lu Yu nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Just watch. Gu Hua's maneuvering may not be enough to achieve his goal."

In the arena, Xiao Yan wielded his Xuan Heavy Ruler with impenetrable precision, the four different flames flowing across its body illuminating half the arena with dazzling brilliance. Each swing of the ruler was accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, and where the ruler's wind passed, even the ground was scorched with marks.

However, Gu Hua's agility was indeed remarkable; his silver robes fluttered as he always managed to evade fatal attacks at the last second.

He would sometimes drift away as lightly as willow catkins, and sometimes shift his position suddenly like a ghost. Occasionally he would launch a counterattack, his palm strikes fierce but he would retreat immediately upon contact, never engaging Xiao Yan in a direct confrontation.

This fierce battle lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Suddenly, Xiao Yan's figure swayed, and the surge of energy around him receded like a tide, his face instantly turning pale.

The effect of the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations has expired!

A glint flashed in Gu Hua's eyes, and he suddenly appeared, striking Xiao Yan, whose aura was waning, with a palm. This palm strike concentrated the full power of his one-star Dou Zun, and the space rippled wherever the palm wind passed.

At this critical moment, Xiao Yan suddenly formed hand seals, and countless fine lines of fire emerged from all directions.

These fire lines, based on four different types of fire, intertwined in red, white, yellow, and black, instantly formed a massive fire net covering the entire training ground, completely sealing off the space.

"Trying to trap me?"

Gu Hua snorted coldly, his silver robe billowing as he unleashed a series of palm strikes, the sharp palm winds slashing towards the fire net like silver moons. Each palm strike landed precisely on a node of the fire net, causing the entire fire net to tremble violently and strange flames to scatter in all directions.

Xiao Yan's lips curled slightly as he said loudly, "Who said it was just to trap you?"

Before he finished speaking, the hand seals on his hands changed again. Suddenly, the countless lines of fire began to spin rapidly, and the four-colored flames intertwined and entwined in the air, instantly condensing into a giant four-colored fire lotus!

This fire lotus is several meters in diameter, and each petal is a perfect fusion of four different kinds of fire, radiating a heart-palpitating energy fluctuation, just like a finely crafted work of art.

Even more shockingly, this giant fire lotus completely enveloped Gu Hua as soon as it took shape.

The lotus petals slowly closed, trapping Gu Hua in the center. The entire process was smooth and effortless, from the swirling of the fire line to the formation of the fire lotus in the blink of an eye, demonstrating a mastery of fire control that could be described as unparalleled.

"This is……"

Even the elders of the ancient clans involuntarily sat up straight in the spectator stands.

"burst!"

Xiao Yan gave a soft shout, and the enormous four-colored fire lotus responded by bursting forth with dazzling light. The lotus petals unfolded completely in an instant, and the center of the fire lotus was initially extremely silent, before erupting with a suffocating energy fluctuation.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion resounded through the sky, and the entire training ground was enveloped in four-colored light.

The energy storm generated by the intertwining of different flames swept across the entire venue, and even those in the audience could feel the eerie temperature that was both scorching and freezing.

As the light faded, Gu Hua was seen kneeling on one knee, his silver robe tattered, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with disbelief and shock.

He looked up at Xiao Yan, his eyes no longer showing the composure they once had, but instead filled with deep apprehension.

This exquisite fire control technique clearly took everyone by surprise.

The many ancient clan experts present looked at each other in disbelief, and could see the same shock in each other's eyes. This young man, who seemed to be only at the Dou Zong level, was probably no less skilled in fire control than many well-known alchemy masters.

"I lost..."

Gu Hua managed to utter those words, spitting out another mouthful of blood. He had just been completely enveloped by the four-colored fire lotus, and had endured the most intense explosion at its heart.

At this moment, his silver robe was completely shattered, and his whole body was charred black. If Xiao Yan hadn't restrained some of his power at the last moment, he would probably have been seriously injured and unconscious.

A hush fell over the stands; everyone was speechless with shock at the result. A seven-star Dou Zong had actually defeated Gu Hua, a one-star Dou Zun!

Just then, a light blue figure gracefully landed in the arena.

Elder Gu Yun formed hand seals, and gentle water-attribute battle qi flowed towards Gu Hua like a clear spring, rapidly healing his meridians burned by the strange fire. The pure water energy and the remaining power of the strange fire mingled together, emitting a faint sizzling sound.

"Xiao Yan has won this battle."

Gu Lie's deep voice resounded throughout the arena, but he immediately changed the subject: "According to the rules of my Black Annihilation Army Grand Ceremony, the winner may continue to challenge. Next..."

"Wait a minute."

Xiao Yan, pale-faced, cupped his hands and said, "I suffered a severe backlash after using my secret technique and have no strength left to fight. Please forgive me."

He swayed slightly as he spoke, clearly struggling to stay upright. The backlash from the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations was indeed not to be underestimated; at this moment, his internal fighting energy was in disarray, and his meridians were throbbing with pain.

Upon hearing this, Gu Lie's gaze lingered on Xiao Yan for a moment. Seeing that Xiao Yan was indeed weak, he nodded and said, "In that case, let's stop here. It's already quite remarkable that you were able to defeat Gu Hua with your Dou Zong cultivation."

Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief, took out a few pills and swallowed them, then slowly walked back to the spectator stands. Seeing this, Lu Yu took out a few jade bottles from his storage ring and handed them over: "These pills are very effective in dealing with the backlash of secret techniques, please accept them."

The old medicine master stroked his beard and smiled, "Young friend Lu is very thoughtful. However, I have also prepared some warming pulse pills here, enough for this lad."

As she spoke, she took out another white jade bottle and handed it to Xiao Yan, her eyes filled with a kind smile.

Xiao Yan gratefully accepted the pills offered by the two and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing while seated. Although he had won this challenge against a higher level, it had also greatly depleted his energy.

Seeing this, Xun'er whispered to Lu Yu, "It seems that Brother Yu's judgment is more accurate. Xun'er was wrong. I didn't expect that Young Master Xiao Yan could turn defeat into victory under such a disadvantage."

Lu Yu smiled slightly, his gaze still fixed on Xiao Yan, who was adjusting his breathing: "Brother Yan's Buddha's Fury Lotus technique was indeed unexpected. But what's even more commendable is that he was able to remain calm even in dire straits. This composure is the most important thing."

With Xiao Yan's departure, the Black Annihilation Army ceremony continued.

Because both Gu Zhen and Gu Hua were injured in their battles against Xiao Yan, their final rankings were affected. After subsequent competitions, Gu Zhen ranked third among the eight commanders, while Gu Hua ranked fourth, the last among the four grand commanders.

This result left many members of the ancient clans sighing in dismay. No one expected that the intervention of a young man from another ethnic group would cause such a change in the rankings of this year's ceremony.

After all the competitions were over, Gu Lie surveyed the entire arena and announced in a booming voice, "This year's Black Annihilation Army Grand Ceremony has come to an end. You may all leave now."

Just as everyone was about to leave, a calm yet weighty voice rang out:
"Wait a minute."

Gu Yuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. His gaze swept across the entire room, and his voice, though calm, carried an undeniable air of authority:
"With all the elders here today, I have something to announce."

He paused slightly, his gaze falling on Lu Yu and Xun'er in the VIP seats, his tone unusually gentle: "My daughter Xun'er and Lingbao Pavilion Master Lu Yu are deeply in love, and I have decided to betroth Xun'er to Pavilion Master Lu."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

(End of this chapter)