Gazing down at the fair, youthful woman beneath him, Hemon's face bloomed with a lecherous smile. Though his inner passion had just flared up, his long-acquired, knife-edge sensitivity—sharpened by years of surviving on the edge of danger—caused his skin to tense instantly. A flash of alertness surged through him as he grasped the blanket beside him and hurled it toward the back of the tent with sudden force. With a slight curl of his palm, a piece of charcoal was drawn into his hand. Xiao Yan turned without looking back, launching it straight toward the figure behind him. As a soft, muffled sound followed by a piercing scream abruptly ceased, the disturbance was silenced. "Who are you? Why have you attacked me? Didn't you know I am the third captain of the Wolf-Head Guild?" Hermon, retreating in alarm, shouted with growing fury. "Exactly because of this, I have come to kill you." The shadow lifted his head, revealing a young, refined face. "You... Xiao Yan?" Hermon was momentarily stunned upon seeing the youthful countenance, then his gaze shifted to the massive black ruler behind the young man, his eyes narrowing sharply, and he roared. "It is truly an honor to be remembered by the third captain." With a gentle smile, Xiao Yan slightly pressed his palm into the sword's hilt, then suddenly struck it with force. Instantly, the sword flashed into a streak of cold light, shooting toward Hermon like a lightning bolt. The speed of the sword's attack was exceptionally swift; even though Hemong reacted promptly, he still sustained a gash of blood across his face. Licking the blood from his lips, Hemong's eyes glowed with intense determination, his voice cold and sharp. "You truly have courage—coming alone to strike me down. Well then, let us settle this right here. No need to search the entire mountain range later." As he spoke, Hemong gently turned his head, and faint aura of ki began to shimmer subtly over his body. His hands clenched into fists, the joints emitting a steady series of crisp cracking sounds. Watching Hemong enter full combat readiness, Xiao Yan sighed and shrugged helplessly. This man's sensitivity to danger far exceeded his expectations—thus, his original plan for a surprise assassination had completely failed. However, the surprise attack was merely a way for Xiao Yan to conserve some energy; once his plan to save effort had crumbled, he no longer cared about expending extra effort. After months of rigorous training, he truly needed combat to assess his progress. His body subtly twisted, the crisp crack of bones echoing just as vividly as Hermon's. His palms slowly spread out, then clenched tightly again, golden-yellow qi rising steadily into his fists. "Young man, treating me as prey is your most foolish decision!" With a bloodthirsty smile curling at the corner of his mouth, Hermon gave a cold, calculating chuckle. He then planted his feet firmly onto the ground, his movements powerful and relentless, like a colossal beast charging straight toward Xiao Yan. Observing Hermon's fierce assault with calm eyes, Xiao Yan slowly raised his hands. At the very instant, he suddenly spread them wide, and with a light cry, commanded, "Get out of the way!" As Xiao Yan's voice settled, a surge of powerful qi erupted violently from his palm and slammed into Hermon's advancing body. "Boom!" A deep thud echoed as the bloodlust on Hermon's face momentarily froze. His forward momentum suddenly reversed, his feet gripping the ground tightly until he carved a deep furrow several meters long before finally coming to a slow halt. "This youngster truly has some skill," Hermon murmured, a serious expression now evident on his face. He exhaled slowly, then pounded his chest with his fists—only to find that the once bronze-toned skin was gradually turning pale. "I've trained in the Rock Technique, renowned for being the strongest in defensive prowess. With your current strength, you should not be able to penetrate my defenses!" With a scoff, Hermon clenched his fists, and even his arms began to pale. The soles of his feet once again struck the ground, and this time, He Meng's speed was noticeably faster than before—his vigorous pace generated a powerful wind pressure that inflated the tent. With a calm expression, He Meng felt the force of that rushing wind pressing against him. As he slightly inclined his body, his massive fist, charged with intense qi, swept diagonally past his ear. With a gentle stroke of his toes across the ground, Xiang Yan moved like a ghost to reach behind He Meng, delivering a solid blow to his cervical vertebrae. "Clang!" The impact on He Meng's body produced a crisp, resonant sound, like striking a stone. Frowning slightly, Xiang Yan swiftly retracted his fist, then launched a series of rapid strikes—his punches, kicks, and elbows all targeting the same precise point. With each blow, the sound of stones being struck echoed continuously throughout the tent. "Get out of the way, bothersome fly! I've already told you—based on your current strength, you won't be able to break through my rock-like defense!" With a powerful surge of qi, Hermon's right foot slammed hard against the ground behind him, and he chuckled coldly with satisfaction. Slightly curling his palms, they made brief contact with Hermon's foot, instantly transferring a strong force that sent Xiao Yan shooting backward. "Indeed, this is one of the most effective melee techniques—this power is truly impressive," Xiao Yan exclaimed as he flipped gracefully in the air, landing steadily on the ground. He shook his slightly aching palms, marveling internally. "Young man, with your meager strength, do you really think you can stand against the Wolf-Head Mercenary Corps? You're simply asking for it!" Dusting off the dust from his shoulders, Hermon sneered, "I don't have time to waste with you—let's get you settled quickly so I won't have to interrupt my own plans." The two fists slowly unfolded at his chest. As Hemong tightened his legs, the strands of hair atop his head stood rigid and straight, a faintly pale aura of ki flashing rapidly within his pupils. A stream of white gas escaped from his mouth, and at that moment, Xiao Yan noticed that Hemong's hands and feet had suddenly grown stronger and more solid. The pale muscles on his bare arms surged continuously, gathering fierce power beneath. "It's over, kid!" Hemong grinned, revealing his sharp, white teeth with a fierce gleam. Observing Hemong's sudden surge in strength, Xiao Yan's face grew serious, and he began to gather ki in his palms. The power within him reached its peak almost instantly after building up. With a single step, Hemong's speed surged to match Xiao Yan's. Before his vision even had time to clear, He Meng burst into view with a fierce, grim smile, his massive fist roaring with a pressurized wind, crashing down with force upon Xiao Yan's head. The powerful gust rushing upward from above caused Xiao Yan's face to pale slightly; with a surge of energy erupting from his palms, he used the counterforce to propel himself backward. "Want to escape?" He Meng sneered, taking a step forward and closing the distance, his body slightly bent, like a crouched leopard, reappearing before Xiao Yan in a flash. "Die!" He roared, once again charging his fist straight at Xiao Yan's head. Seeing that Xiao Yan had no choice but to meet the blow, his brows furrowed, and his internal Qi surged rapidly, meeting He Meng's force with determined fists. "Boom!" A dull roar erupted within the tent, and the loam beneath where the two had made contact was violently scoured away by the immense force of their bodies. "Dare to meet me with a direct clash? Get out!" Seeing that Xiao Yan had the audacity to meet him head-on, Hemon's eyes flashed with cold determination. His internal qi surged through his meridians and then erupted in a powerful surge. "Hmph..." The sheer force caused Xiao Yan's face to pale slightly, and a low, muffled groan escaped his throat. He stumbled back, retreating swiftly until he reached the thick edge of the tent, where he finally slowed to a stop. "I didn't expect you to withstand my direct clash so well. It seems you must have been training your physical strength regularly," Hemon remarked, somewhat astonished. After all, the hardships of physical cultivation far surpassed those of merely refining internal qi. Given Xiao Yan's delicate, slender appearance, Hemon found it hard to believe that he was someone who had dedicated himself to physical cultivation. "It seems that without releasing these constraints, it will still be quite difficult to take on the Eight-Star Combatant... " Rubbing at his slightly heavy chest, Xiao Yan suddenly murmured softly to himself. Listening to his quiet words, Hemong furrowed his brows, then scoffed. Shaking his head in resignation, Xiao Yan, in front of Hemong, slowly withdrew the Xuanzhong Chi from his back and casually tossed it aside. "Thud!" The Xuanzhong Chi landed precisely on a solid rock, which, under the immense weight of the staff, was instantly crushed into fine powder. Staring in disbelief at the white dust, Hemong's eyes narrowed to pinpoints, a wave of astonishment rising within him. How could this young man have been carrying such a heavy burden throughout their battle? Taking a deep breath, Hemong turned his gaze back to Xiao Yan, now filled with a sense of seriousness and awe. Ignoring the changes in the other's expression, Xiao Yan gently stretched his body, and a surge of qi instantly flowed through him, filling his entire frame with strength. "Sorry," he said, lifting his face. The young man's delicate features carried a touch of apology as he gave a slight smile to Hemon before suddenly darting into motion. The shadow before him vanished in an instant, and Hemon still hadn't reacted when the young man's soft voice began to drift gently into his ears.