Gazing at Xiao Yan's unrelenting actions, Galleo's face turned pale, his fear evident upon his features. On the street, as it seemed Galleo was about to be struck down, everyone took a sharp breath—Xiao Yan's decisive and clean execution had instilled a newfound respect in many of them. Xiao Yu stood rigid, her rosy lips slightly parted, stunned by Xiao Yan's sudden and ruthless efficiency. It completely overturned her previous image of him as gentle and composed. She never expected that the boy who usually played pranks and spoiled her would, when truly determined, display such seasoned composure. Everyone's eyes followed the iron staff in Xiao Yan's hands. Yet, as the staff hovered just half a meter from Galleo's head, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted on the street: "Xiao Yan, you've only come to challenge and spar with us—how dare you act so brutally?" Hearing the sharp, angry shout, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold smile playing at his lips. His iron staff not only did not cease, but instead struck down with even greater force. "Get out of the way!" Xiao Yan's actions clearly roused the fury of the man who had previously shouted. A sharp, screeching gust of wind surged forth, cutting across Xiao Yan's staff like a streak of emerald lightning, and instantly splitting the sturdy staff in two—its break surface smooth and mirror-like. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Xiao Yan tightly gripped the iron staff in his right hand, slightly leaned his body, and then suddenly twisted, launching the staff out with a force that turned it into a dark silhouette, striking the figure soaring upward with full force. "Hmph!" Upon seeing Xiao Yan dare to attack him, the figure emitted a cold sigh. He curled his hands into fists and swiftly swung them in front of him, generating several pale green energy blades of concentrated qi. With a flick of his fingers, the blades launched out, slicing the iron staff into dozens of fragments. "Such a young one—so cold and ruthless. Today, I shall personally give Xiao Zhan a proper lesson!" After shattering the staff, the figure sneered, rapidly gathering pale green qi in both palms. A spiraling gust of wind formed beneath his feet, lifting him into the air like a projectile, and he dove downward toward Xiao Yan. With a sweeping motion of his hand, a fresh pale green energy blade appeared, rushing straight toward Xiao Yan. The powerful wind pressure generated by the wind blade swept away all debris on the ground, leaving not a single speck of dust. "Teach me? You're nothing! Go take care of your own son!" With a cold smile, Xiao Yan had already recognized from the nature of the qi that the person before him was precisely Galio's father, Galib. Gazing calmly at the swiftly approaching wind blade, Xiao Yan suddenly slammed his palm down onto the ground as the blade neared within five meters of his head. An invisible surge of force erupted, propelling him upward and then flipping him through the air before he landed steadily on open ground some fifteen meters away. The wind blade missed, leaving a deep gouge—several inches long—on the solid stone surface. "Father! Kill him!" Galio's face lit up with joy as he watched the figure descending from the sky, then turned fiercely and shouted with resentment. He stepped down, his expression darkening as he glanced at Galio's arm. A slight twitch crossed his face, and a cold, lethal intent flashed in his eyes—yet he said nothing. With a firm tread on the ground, he surged forward once more, straight at Xiao Yan: "Let me see just what makes your Xiao family prodigy so special!" From Galio's arrival to Xiao Yan's sudden retreat, it had only been a matter of moments. As the crowd watched Galio, a seasoned Grand Master, successfully strike a young competitor, they all erupted in murmurs of disapproval. "For heaven's sake, Galio, you old dog—what kind of a big watermelon are you, showing up like this!" Xiao Yan's face finally grew stern as he watched Galio disregard the gap in their ranks and charge again. "You broke my son's arm. You think you can just walk away unscathed? That's not going to happen!" Gale stepped his foot firmly onto the ground, and his figure suddenly materialized like a gentle breeze, appearing mysteriously atop Xiao Yan's head. A fierce expression flashed across his otherwise composed face as he clenched his fists, the surging azure qi rapidly coalescing into a massive vortex of deep azure. "For heaven's sake! He's still using a pygmy-stage technique! Gale, old dog! You've completely disgraced the Gale family!" Feeling the powerful surge of force emanating from Gale's clenched fists, Xiao Yan's face grew increasingly grim, one hand gently resting upon the dark ring on his finger. Nearby, Xun's face slightly changed as she watched Xiao Yan caught in peril. She slowly exhaled, the golden flames in her autumn-water-like eyes gradually intensifying, and the delicate golden qi in her hands began to gather into a more formidable force. Yet as Xiao Yan was preparing to save himself and Xun'er was rushing to stabilize the situation, a sudden, furious roar erupted across the street: "For heaven's sake, old dog Galie! When did it become your turn to scold my son, Xiao Zhan?" As the roar faded, a figure blazing with fiery red light surged from beyond the marketplace, leaping onto a rooftop with a powerful footfall, and materializing before Xiao Yan in a flash. He raised his head and roared, his voice carrying a subtle lion's growl. "Lion's Mountain Shattered!" With a stern expression, Xiao Zhan clenched his fists tightly and then thundered a powerful blow toward Galie's head. A massive red lion's head shimmered faintly on the surface of his fists. "Boom!" The collision of intense green and crimson energy reverberated like a deep thunderclap, momentarily blinding many on the street. In the air, both combatants staggered slightly before retreating sharply—Xiao Zhan, in his retreat, also swept Xiao Yan securely behind him. His steps were hurried, retreating several paces, each step leaving a clearly visible imprint on the floor—testimony to the immense force of the clash between the two. Exhausting his qi, Xiao Zhan coldly glanced at Gallebi, who stood at a distance, and coldly remarked, "Gallebi, you've truly lived up to the dog's standard—how dare you launch an attack on a junior like this?" Gallebi's face darkened, his lips slightly drawn, pointing at Galleoi lying on the ground and coldly stating, "He's left my son in this condition. Xiao Zhan, today, you must give me an account!" "An account? What kind of account? Had it not been for my son's quick thinking, the one now lying on the ground would have been you by now. Then, would I have needed you to give me an account?" Xiao Zhan scoffed, launching into a vigorous outburst of anger. "This challenge was initiated by your son—everyone present can bear witness. And breaking arms and legs is entirely normal in such a challenge—so what's the fuss?" Xiao Zhan gradually softened his fierce expression, smiling calmly. "You...," Galib's face twitched urgently, gazing at the mocking expressions all around him. Knowing that today he had lost his best chance to strike against Xiao Yan, he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't let me catch you off guard—otherwise!" "Then, let me return that very sentence to you," Xiao Zhan's eyes flashed with sharp determination. "Very well, very well—just wait!" With a surge of anger that turned into laughter, Galib nodded and stepped forward, cradling the suffering Galio under his arm, turning to leave. As he passed by Liu Xi, who stood in stunned silence, Galib's anger flared once more. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his frustration and said firmly, "Mr. Liu Xi, let's go." "Huh? That girl..." Liu Xi cast a look of reluctance toward the girl at a distance, Xun'er. The corners of his eyes fluttered urgently several times. Now, Galib felt an almost irresistible urge to snap the whitebrowed fool right there, right then—someone whose mind was filled solely with women. He clenched his fists tightly, then, after a moment, forced himself to offer a rather unconvincing smile. "This matter, we'll discuss it thoroughly upon our return." "Ah, very well," sighed Xiu, nodding reluctantly as he watched Galib's face etched with evident discomfort. His gaze lingered once more, indulgently, over Xun'er's graceful figure before he finally hesitantly followed Galib out of the marketplace. Watching the clumsy group of Galibis depart the marketplace, Xiao Zhan sneered, glanced around, then turned to look at Xiao Yan, whose mouth still bore a trace of blood. His gaze softened gradually as he firmly patted his shoulder. Sighing, he remarked, "You're still not sharp enough, kid. Galibis only has one son. If you'd broken Galibao's thing completely, I'm sure Galibis would've gone mad right now. And once he did, the three elders stationed outside would have had a solid reason to unite and eliminate him. Oh well, that's a pity." Xiao Yan stared, blinked in surprise, and shook his head with a helpless expression. Xu Er and Xiao Yu, however, blushed warmly at the more earthy remarks. Hearing Xiao Zhan's words, the surrounding mercenaries couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines—no wonder his son was so ruthless; clearly, the father was even more so.