Douluo Dalu: Legend Of Xiao Yan

A/N: Be advised, there is some info dump for readers who hasn't read or watched the original Douluo Dalu down below.

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Tang San slowly opened his eyes, slight fear creeping in his heart as the image of the ball of death and destruction on Xun Er's palm replayed in his mind.

When he fully opened his eyes, he opened them wide with twitching lips as he stared down at the now adorned golden armored figure Xiao Yan standing in the middle of a giant crater, with everything within it burning and melting except the young man standing with golden armor and his arms crossed in front of him.

Xiao Yan wore a golden sleeveless armor that only covered his torso, white bleached wild fur was on the lower end of his armor and two more on both sides.

His black green-tinted hair was disheveled, his smirk was replaced with a excited grin, and some burns appeared on his skin that was now patching itself up.

Tang San looked around, surveying his surroundings for the damages caused by them earlier on, only to find out that there was only the crater.

He was shocked though, not at some of the undamaged environment, but at the act of what his spider lancers are currently doing.

"F.u.c.k!" Tang San cursed out loud as he saw his eight spider lances had been embedded themselves into the flesh of his unconscious teammates, all of which are standing in place except for the Ma siblings that were prone on the ground. All sharp appendages are all sticking into different parts of the their bodies, their spirit power and stamina slowly being drained and be absorbed into Tang San's own body as his own.

He was draining all of them dry of their energies, well, almost everyone.

"Cursing, Xiao San? That's not like you at all..." Xun Er giggled as she melted the spider lance that had been sticking into her right arm, trying to absorbed her spirit power and stamina but it was futile as the heavenly flame within her body had acted as some sort of barrier to prevent the spider lance from absorbing any energy from her.

Tang San let out a sigh of relief that he at least wasn't able to absorbed one of his teammates energies, though his lips twitched as he saw and felt one of his spider lances being melted.

"It's a relief that you're okay Xun Er, but really? Did you seriously have to melt it? You know it'll take a while, a few days at least, for it to regenerate back right?!" Xun Er shrugged as she stepped towards the cliffside of the crater, staring down at Xiao Yan. Her body covered with her golden flames and eyes turned golden, and she nonchalantly replied.

"Not my fault that you and the others were easily caught in Yan's spiritual attack, making me the target of our teammates attacks while dealing the one we're supposed to attack..." Tang San then noticed that Xun Er had some severe bruises on her body, that was slowly being healed, and several cuts on her dress, that he promptly looked away from. He felt apologetic and regretful as what she said was true from what he has seen.

Tang San knew about Xiao Yan's one of the most powerful trump card in his hand, Mind Over Reality, a powerful spiritual attack that puts anyone into a perfect hypnosis. Tricking a person's five senses into whatever the caster let them see as reality.

It wasn't really a threat before as he and others knew that Xiao Yan's spiritual ability, Mind Over Reality, had only a single target range use. But that all changed when a week into their hell training, Xiao Yan's spiritual power had brokethrough into the 6th tier! A spiritual power might equaling to that of a Spirit Emperor, that even some Spirit Emperors wouldn't even have.

At that moment of breakthrough, it had evolved Mind Over Reality range of targets into a dozen or even more! That was the day, Tang San and everyone else experienced hell when Xiao Yan uses the ability. Tang San had tried to recreate the skill to counter it with Xiao Yan or even get back at him but it fell short. Tang San's spiritual ability, Temporal Chaos, was to have the same effect of Xiao Yan's ability but even beyond it to effect the target's sense of time and nervous systems. But alas, it also followed the same principal of not being able to affect people who are beyond his spiritual power.

Back to the Mind Over Reality, the only weaknesses of Xiao Yan's spiritual ability, is that it cannot be cast upon people who has a stronger spiritual power than him, which Tang San and co are not, people who made a connection with him like Ma Xiaotao, and making Xiao Yan lose concentration.

Tang San now understood why Ma Xiaotao acted strange for a moment before she went unconscious. She and Ma Hongjun needed to reconnect for them to have their spirits fused, but that would also make hers and Xiao Yan's connection severed temporarily. The moment she and her brother's spirit fusion was undone, she had probably subconsciously reconnected with Xiao Yan then finally found out the truth.

'And the reason why I'm able to break free from Xiao Yan's control is probably due to Xun Er, enough so for me to escape the moment I use the Purple Demon Eyes full output. A moment of luck to brought me back to the real world. That answers those question, but...' The seven spider lances retracted back into Tang San's back, making his teammates fall into the ground. Making a silent apology to them and he would make it up to them later on, he stepped besides Xun Er and asked.

"How were you not affected?" Xun Er lightly glanced at him for a moment before turning back towards Xiao Yan with her hands clenched into fists, and answered.

"After the spirit fusion ability attack on him, then I was suddenly besieged by you all." Tang San gasped in surprise. "I don't know how, but Xiao Yan was able to use his spiritual ability on me when I used my third spirit ring ability. I unknowingly got dropped into his palm to be played with, until I pieced what was going on it at the time when Oscar and Rongrong was attacking me." Xun Er lightly slid her right foot back fluidly, her hands coming up high into opened palms, golden searing flames bathed her body that converted into her beautiful slender golden armor set. The golden flames vanished for a moment before they reappeared on her hands and pair of feet with her four spirit rings circling around her body.

"...Okay, how was he able to bypass your ability to control time and controlled us at the same time?" Tang San asked, blue spirit power covered his entire torso for a moment before it slowly condensed into a familiar dark-purple piece of armor that now covers his entire neck and his lower part of his face, covering his nose and entire jaw into a dark blue breathing mask that strangely looked similar to a certain ice ninja of a death match universe.

Tang San lowered his pair of arms to his waist area, spreading his hands opened, two 20cm long and 5cm wide finely sharp iron hidden blades popped out of his wrists, which is under his long blue jacket.

He let his spirit power cover the pair of hidden blades, darkening into a eerie darkish-blue, making it looked as if it were blades made out of the total dark night sky.

Although it wouldn't penetrate through Xiao Yan's defenses but he'll improvised with what he has.

"My guess? He either simply wasn't effected by my spirit ability, which is impossible, or he is able to somehow control time as well." Tang San's eyes widened in shock. Controlling time? It's impossible for someone to do so, if they don't have the spirit to have such a passive ability or a spirit ring ability like Xun Er's. Which in Xiao Yan's case, who dosen't have both of those, is truly impossible!

"You, Xiao Wu and I, and probably everyone else around us, know that Xiao Yan is someone who doesn't follow common sense and capable of creating miracles like those techniques and pills he gave us. He is someone, that given enough, I wouldn't be surprised he would become a god."

Tang San nodded in agreement on some of what she said. As he himself, someone whose had a previous life from another world that trains in assassination arts like poison, hidden weapons, martial skills, etc. Couldn't help but be awed at the abilities and techniques Xiao Yan has. Especially since Xiao Yan had somehow changed the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the greatest treasure of the Tang Sect of his world, inner structures and workings to fit the former's body of hosting heavenly flames.

As someone whose also a practioner of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang San was curious if he could use the newly remodeled version of Xiao Yan's. But sadly, the latter stated that it could be used if someone had a heavenly flame in their body.

Tang San's impression of Xiao Yan, is someone that is destined for greatness, if he was able to change the Mysterious Heaven Skill, a powerful and mysterious skill that was held within the inner circle of the sect that not even the current sect master of his previous life was able to unlock most of it's secrets, much less make any changes to it, Tang San's certain that within just a decade or less Xiao Yan would become a Titled Douluo!

Sometimes he thought that Xiao Yan is also a reincarnated person, just like him. But it can't be that convenient, right?

'Also, a god? Yeah no' Tang San snorted. 'Gods aren't real, or from what I know of, even if they were its not like mortals like us can easily become one. Portrayals of Gods, Demons and Immortals from my past are just too far fetched for me or anyone to think that someone can become one. Close to one I'll believe, considering what I heard about Titled Douluos.'

"So, I'm going to guess you fought against all of us? Even Xiao Yan?" Tang San curiously asked.

"Yes on the former and no on the latter. For the past five minutes I've been fighting against you all except for Yan," Xun Er's eyes narrowed and her body tensed as she looked to see Xiao Yan taking a single step towards them.

"Although I've been fighting against everyone, I was still keeping my guard up for any surprise attacks but there was nothing. It wasn't until I was just going to crashed into the ground from Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's double team attack that I was able to sensed where Xiao Yan is, that I quickly used my fourth spirit ring ability to change our positions and immediately used that huge flame attack on him."

Tang San nodded in awe and respect at Xun Er, for her to defend against all their constant attacks, keeping up her guard at the same time and immediately go for a retaliation against Xiao Yan, such multitasking ability is something some control system spirit masters at her spirit rank wouldn't be able to do! He always knew that when comparing in skills, intellect and overall control abilities of the surrounding and against most stronger spirit masters against her, he would easily come on top, but on battle instincts, environmental analysis and quick thinking? She would beat him by a mile away.

He still can't believe and understand how a girl her age would have a better understanding in battle than him, who has a couple of decades of experience in battle due to his past life. But how could Tang San know; that Xun Er is a hundred thousand year old spirit beast dragon, who are all known for their instincts, and have more than eons of battle against spirit beasts and humans?

Snapping out of his senses, Tang San then asked.

"I still so confused. What about our battle against him, I mean, you? What really happened?"

"...After Oscar and Ning Rongrong boosted all of you." The two turned their attention back towards Xiao Yan, who had been silently standing in front of them with a passive and grinning face. "I manipulated your senses to have you guys think that Xun Er was me and vice versa. The Xun Er by your side fighting, or well, passively waiting by the side? That was me. You guys can see me but Xun Er wasn't able to."

Cruel and brutal. And so much more when Xiao Yan revealed of what he had done but Tang San and the others are already accustomed to this kind of treatment as by the orders of Grandmaster, they needed to be tempered in both body and mind when they come across opponents who doesn't give a shit about their well beings. They needed this, but that dosen't mean they like it.

For some reason though, Xiao Yan was more calm and the first to got used to it. The battle trainings he went under the teachers and students were proof. It was like, he already understood the way of being cruel and efficient. But how could they know that Xiao Yan had been assimilating more of the Flame Emperor's life? The memories and experiences of another life have been changing his personalities and mannerisms.

He's still the same but at the same time not. He's still the same cunning, carefree, protective and determined Xiao Yan but much more cunning, scheming and m.a.t.u.r.e than before.

Whether this change is good or not, is something the others are yet to decide.

"Just as what happened, when Xun Er was besieged by Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's attacks, she was sent crashing into the ground and, before anyone complains, I know that she's more durable than even Spirit Kings, so I knew she would be fine and had let her be." Xiao Yan stopped as he placed his right hand on the sternum area of his armor.

"I needed her out of the game first cause she was the biggest threat in your group, what with her time ability and her flame is the only one that can actually do damage to me. So when Xun Er was just moments away from being out of the game, I unknowingly let down my guard for a moment, relaxing my mind, then she used that moment to change the whole game." Xiao Yan looked up back towards the bright golden eyes of Xun Er, saying.

"How did you do it? Changing our positions and stopping my entire movements in here? If it weren't for my External Spirit Bone, I would have been injured enough that my regeneration wouldn't be able to caught up, making it so my hold on the others would be cut off and hence being flanked by all of you and it'll be my loss." Tang San and Xun Er both frowned as they heard what Xiao Yan said.

External Spirit Bone. The most sought after and d.e.s.i.r.ed upon the categories of spirit bones.

Spirit bones are a kind of extremely unusual thing. One might say, they are something Spirit Masters most hope of obtaining in their dreams. To put it simply, spirit rings and spirit bones both come from spirit beasts. But they also possess enormous differences from spirit rings. First, the probability of spirit bones appearing are only one in a thousand, or even less, generally speaking, only when the circ.u.mstances of killing the spirit beast has some special circ.u.mstances is it possible for spirit bones to appear after killing it, not at all like how a spirit ring will appear from every spirit beast. Consequently, spirit bones have become extremely uncommon, and extremely precious.

Another difference between spirit bones and spirit rings is that it doesn't require like spirit rings for whoever kills the spirit beast to use it. After obtaining spirit bones they can even be traded.

Spirit rings add spirit abilities. Although also somewhat improving the Spirit Master's own capabilities, their main purpose is after all to add spirit abilities. But spirit bones happen to be the opposite. Spirit bones might not add abilities, but the improvement to the Spirit Masters themselves is tremendous. Even more importantly, the growth capability spirit bones possess make them even more valuable than spirit rings. The abilities spirit rings add will all improve along with the growth of spirit power, this you are familiar with. But it should also be known, the spirit rings' age limit will restrict their growth. Even if it's a ninetieth ranked or higher Title Douluo, his first spirit ring ability still won't grow to a sufficiently formidable level, this principle, but spirit bones are different. Spirit bones will not be restricted by the age of their spirit beast, and will only evolve along with the Spirit Master's own strength. In other words, the earlier spirit bones are obtained, the more time it will have to evolve.

Although there are many bones in a person's body, they are subdivided into a few larger sections. Therefore, generally speaking, one is also only able to absorb a few types of spirit bones: four limbs, head and torso. In other words, an ordinary person would be able to absorb six spirit bones, just like a Spirit Master is able to absorb nine spirit rings, the quality of spirit bones as well as effect on the Spirit Master, mainly depends on how early they're absorbed and whether their properties are compatible.

Right now, among the Shrek students there are only two students currently in possession and of use. They are undoubtedly Tang San and Xiao Yan, and most importantly, they both have External Spirit Bones. The former has a eight spider lances on attached to his back while the latter has a piece of golden armor that covers only his torso area but also covers his entire body in a golden protective layer when being attacked.

External spirit bones are a kind of miraculous existence, a special existence apart from the six main classes of spirit bones. If speaking of the probability of common spirit bones appearing from spirit beasts as one in a thousand, then, the probability of external spirit bones appearing isn't even one in ten thousand. Moreover the prerequisites for absorbing the external spirit bone, is that you must first absorb the spirit ring of the spirit beast this spirit bone came from.

In the Spirit Master world, to Spirit Masters, the most well-known treasures have a ranking like heavenly flames, called a Spirit Master's dream ranking. Within it, external spirit bones have always occupied the Spirit Master's dream ranking's second place. Second only to the first rank, the almost impossible existence of the hundred thousand year spirit ring.

And right now, Xiao Yan is displaying that said External Spirit Bone which called the Golden King's Aegis he had unknowingly gotten from the Golden Lion King. It is a torso piece golden armor that not only it protects the user's entire body in a golden protective layer of lightning spirit power energy but it also increases the user's strength, defense and speed by 150% and it's layer of protection is so powerful that not even an entire realm of rank can one penetrate through it.

Tang San, who also has a External Spirit Bone as Xiao Yan, somewhat feel cheated that his wasn't so OP.

Before, Tang San and the others had a chance of defeating Xiao Yan if they could trapped him and attacked him all at the same time. But that plan fell apart and now their target is starting to get a little serious.

Xun Er cracked a sweet smile towards and said.

"Hm? Yan, are your ears not working from constantly talking to yourself that you didn't hear how I did it?"

Xiao Yan right eye twitched and replied.

"Before you start talking crap about me, at least make your own skill, you skill stealing copycat!"

Xun Er blushed a deep red on her face at what she heard and started retorting incoherently while Tang San snickered at her, which earned him a pair of golden eyes glare.

Xun Er's fourth spirit ring ability is currently a mystery to everyone except herself. She herself said it was one of her greatest trump card that she wouldn't easily tell to anyone, even to Xiao Yan.

The times she used it during her spar with Xiao Yan had divulge it's information of increasing all her attributes by 40%! It had immediately shocked everyone who heard her, as increasing an entire attributes of someone is something in the realm of support type system Spirit Douluos and Titled Douluos can only do! To which those types of support type spirit masters are as rare as hundred year old spirit beasts!

Now, she said she just used her fourth spirit ring ability that changed the positions of others like it were teleportation!

Was she lying about the increased of attributes?

'No wait.' Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed in doubt. 'In previous spars, I myself been fighting her during the times she used her fourth spirit ring ability and I know for a fact it increases her overall attributes by 40%. So, how? A spirit ring cannot have two abilities, unless it's hundred thousand years old and more, so how Xun Er did it?'

Xiao Yan was troubled at the mysterious ability of Xun Er that he thought he would sought the answer from his two ghosts but decided against it. He had made a deal with the two former godly beings that unless it's a life and death situation, he wouldn't sought for their help. He wanted to grow for himself after all. He can't be overly reliant on them all the time.

Unknown to Xiao Yan, the said two former godly beings smiled proudly in the mindscape of the former. Then one of the beings stretched his hand towards the other, mouthing: "pay up".

"Okay fine, don't tell me." Xiao Yan let out a sigh and with a another step forward he jumped into a series of blurs into the sky that made Tang San and Xun Er immediately tensed up. The technique that he had used was something the two had seen before and currently practising to use it as well. The second stage of the Instant Movement Technique, Void Instant Movement Technique.

Void Instant Movement Technique is a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. The second stage or a variation of the original Instant Movement Technique. Used by concentrating the internal strength or vigor into the feet to get from point A to point B in the least amount of steps, but allowing the user, in this case, to "kick" on empty air, instead of the ground.

Xiao Yan had finally found a way to use his vigor by using it in techniques that dosen't work on spirit power. To which only a couple of the students could practiced it as well.

Continuesly stepping in zig zags up in the air, Xiao Yan stopped 10 meters high above where Tang San and Xun Er stood, with his arms crossed between his c.h.e.s.t as a flashed of gleam light appeared in his eyes.

Xun Er and Tang San's eyes narrowed before they widened as their ears picked up the sounds of air being slashed towards them.

Without thinking, they immediately used their own set of movement technique to moved away from their current position. Tang San moved to the left while Xun Er moved to the right, the two successfully dodging a series of attacks on where they were.

They both looked back to see Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu standing just behind where they were and with their spirits activated. They all looked extremely exhausted and was on the verge of falling down but they stared at Tang San and Xun Er with looks of determination.

"You can't get away..." Dai Mubai growled.

"Hah, hah... We will have our vengeance!" Xiao Wu declared as she went into her battle stance.

Tang San and Xun Er both looked confused and shocked at what their friends had done, attacking them, but then they noticed that their friends' eyes seemed hazy and glowing green as well as what they were saying.

They had been hypnotized by Xiao Yan into thinking that Tang San and Xun Er are him, making them attack the duo.

Tang San gritted his teeth and glared towards Xiao Yan, his pair of hidden blades made cl.i.c.k.i.n.g sound and the blades fell out of his sleeves and into his hands. He wielded the blades skillfully in a reverse grip. He revolved the Mysterious Heaven Skill within his body to channel his spirit power to his back, seven spider lances burst out of his back.

He was just about to jumped and fight Xiao Yan head when he was abruptly stopped by a slender arm.

"Xun Er?" Tang San muttered as he stared back towards a serious looking Xun Er.

"Xiao San, please step back and let me handle Yan." Xun Er said, her body now completely healed except for her ruined clothes.

"... Although your body is healed, your spirit power and stamina is nearing depletion." Tang San said. "Xun Er, stand back and handle the rest while–"

"Xiao San, let's be real here." Xun Er interrupted him. "There's a snowball chance in hell that you'll ever win against Xiao Yan. Your spirit's plant type cannot stand against his, a high level type of flame. Even your martial skills and hidden weapons are of no use against Xiao Yan as he could counter them with his own and even then, it could not penetrate through his External Spirit Bone. Even if you use your second spirit, it still would be of no use as he could use 'that' to easily overwhelmed and defeat you."

Tang San paused for a moment cl.i.c.k.i.n.g his tongue to realize that Xun Er is right on all accounts. There's a reason why Xiao Yan is crowned as the King of Monsters in the academy.

"So what the hell are we going to do now?" Tang San asked.

"It's easy." Xun Er turned towards Xiao Yan's figure on the air with the help of his movement technique, she then declared.

"You inject me with all the spirit power and energy you got from the others so I'll have the ability to fight against Yan, while you deal with the others."

Tang San's eyes widened in surprise and paused to think about it for a moment as he himself hadn't thought about injecting someone with his spider lance as it also contained the venom of the Man Faced Demon Spider and other poisonous herbs he had it devoured with the help of Xiao Yan. As he, Xiao Yan and Grandmaster only know, the poison in the External Spirit Bone could potentially kill even a Spirit King easily!

From the previous experiments he done, using his spirit bone to absorbed life energy, spirit power, stamina, etc. from spirit master or a spirit beast has no adverse effects of being poison. But injection? If the poison wasn't so overbearing, he would have a hundred percent certainty to control his spirit bone to not inject said poison into someone while giving said someone his spirit power or any kind of energy.

Tang San hesitated for a couple of moments before nodding towards Xun Er in agreement.

If there were anyone within his peers that he had confidence that his poison wouldn't be affect, that'll be Xiao Yan, Ma Xiaotao and Xun Er. The trio had such powerful flames that before his poison could even reach their systems, it will all be burned to nothing.

Without saying anything further, Tang San moved behind Xun Er with a grim expression and let his seven long spider lances spread up high in a terrifying position and had them stabbed down towards Xun Er's back.

Xun Er didn't let out a tiny pained voice nor even flinched. She only continued to stare towards Xiao Yan's eyes, her own glowing in fiery gold of determination and will.

An untold amount of spirit power channeled and coursed from the spider lances into Xun Er's body, causing an abrupt eruption of her golden flames, bathing her body with it.

The sudden burst of her flames was so hot that it had immediately burned Tang San's skin, who was behind her, into almost a crisp.

Letting out a pained yelp, he quickly separated from Xun Er after he injected the last amount of spirit power. It had only taken five seconds, but Tang San had felt like he was being burned for hours!

Then his instincts screamed at him, quickly ducking to dodged a leg swipe from Xiao Wu, Tang San jumped away to make some ground as the rest of the shrek students went after him.

Xiao Yan didn't glance at them, his entire focus was on the girl he loved in front of him. Her spirit power had taken a shot up rise that if she wasn't displaying four spirit rings, he would have thought she was a Spirit Emperor!

Xun Er's body fully engulfed her for several moments before dying down, revealing her being covered in a golden cheongsam with white linings. Her once silky smooth black hair turned into a mixed of golden and white rising high up in the air. Her eyes is completely golden in color, there was no white or black, just gold.

Xiao Yan's jaws dropped and he slightly blushed, thinking.

'Don't popped a boner. Don't popped a boner. Don't popped a boner. Don't popped a boner. Don't popped a boner. Don't popped a boner...'

Coughing into his fist, Xiao Yan quickly calmed down and started to get serious. His eyes stared directly at Xun Er, saying.

"Nice power up, but will it be enough?" He raised his right hand in the air, a sudden burst of green spirit power surrounded his body as three spirit rings; Black, Purple, and Black, appeared underneath him. The green spirit power then converged and spiraled up his raised hand, slowly forming and showing the second form of his first spirit.

It's green edge gleamed as it was reflected by the morning light. Green constructed angel like wings appeared behind Xiao Yan as he slowly brought his sword down to point towards Xun Er.

"Well?"

Xun Er didn't say anything, actions speak better in battle after all.

With a burst of speed, her figure blurred and appeared in front of Xiao Yan with her fist completely engulfed in golden flames. Xun Er narrowed her eyes as her fist was stopped by the back side of the latter's sword.

"Is that all you've got?" Xiao Yan arrogantly said as he stared into the golden eyes of Xun Er.