Staring at the young man who had suddenly grown calm, Mu She furrowed his brows, tightened his grip on the great sword in his hands, and coldly remarked, "I still don't believe you'll be able to grow wings and fly for me today!" Taking steady, determined steps, Mu She slowly advanced toward Xiao Yan. As he drew nearer, he suddenly planted his foot firmly on the ground, launching himself forward with explosive momentum, and swung his great sword in a furious downward cut toward Xiao Yan. "Haunch!" The black staff and the great sword clashed, sending sparks flying, and the crisp sound of metal on metal resonated steadily beside the abyss. For the first time facing a Master-level warrior, Xiao Yan had truly experienced the sheer power of Master-level combat energy—the force transmitted through the heavy staff pushed him back several steps before he could fully absorb it. Compared to Xiao Yan's retreat, Mu Snake moved with remarkable composure, stepping only a slight half-step back while maintaining a steady stance. "Commander, kill him—avenge our third-in-command!" "Kill him!" As Xiao Yan found himself at a disadvantage with his first move, the members of the Wolf-Head Mercenary Corps erupted into excited cheers. "Such a heavy weapon!" Mu Snake's eyes gleamed with astonishment as he fixed his gaze on the black heavy staff in Xiao Yan's hands, shaking his head in admiration before turning with a cold smile to regard Xiao Yan. "If that's all you've got, then it's time to be pragmatic and surrender." Shaking his slightly aching hands, Xiao Yan stared coldly at Mu She, slowly lifting the heavy staff. He exhaled a long, thick breath, and then, unexpectedly, closed his eyes right in front of everyone. Holding the great sword tightly, Mu She, his heart uneasy, no longer hesitated to address the disparity in strength or status between the two parties. With careful, cautious steps, he advanced slowly toward Xiao Yan. Observing Mu She's serious demeanor, the surrounding mercenaries noticed something amiss, exchanged glances, and instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons. "You theatrical fool—die!" With another step, Mu She entered the range of attack. A fierce expression now etched on his face, he hesitated no longer, and with a powerful motion, drove his great sword down in a fierce slash toward Xiao Yan's neck. "Too late," Xiao Yan murmured, his tightly closed eyes suddenly opening. With a sudden lift of his hand, the pyroclastic energy surged onto the surface of his Xu Zhong Chi—now for the first time under his control. "Yan Fen Shi Lang Chi!" As the sound resonated in Xiao Yan's heart, the celestial energies above the abyss surged violently, countless visible streams of energy rushing like drawn threads into the Xuangong Chi within his hands. With the relentless influx of energy, the intense heat radiating from the Chi rod intensified, and the peculiar patterns etched upon its surface glowed a vibrant crimson. At the same moment, the Qi within Xiao Yan's body surged forth in a tidal wave, leaving his internal reserves nearly depleted within just a brief instant. Sensing his Qi rapidly dwindling, Xiao Yan slightly moved his lips, and the previously held breath-restoring pill in his mouth was instantly swallowed. Supported by the Qi generated by the pill, Xiao Yan gained the final strength needed, and the now blazing red Chi rod, radiating scorching heat, sliced through the void, cutting across Mu She's astonished face. As the Xiongzhong Scale passed through space, it appeared as though the very space itself had been evaporated and slightly distorted. When Xiao Yan poured the final thread of Qi into the Scale, a brilliant flash erupted at its tip, and a crescent-shaped crimson glow, stretching half a zhang in length, shot out like lightning, carrying intense heat and striking Mu She directly. Within the field of vision, a cascade of red light shimmered. At the very moment the crescent glow emerged from the Scale, Mu She's pupils instantly narrowed to pinpoints. Qi condensed into a tangible form and radiated outward? That was something typically achievable only by a high-level Battle Seer—yet this young man before him, merely at the Battle Level, seemed capable of unleashing such a perfectly executed condensed Qi attack. A wave of astonishment swept through Mu She's mind, leaving him with no time to ponder the seemingly extraordinary and even mad phenomenon. His internal Qi surged violently, flowing along the large blade and forming a thin, pale green energy film that adhered to its surface. "Wind Blade Dance!" Exhaling a long, steady breath, Mu She's great sword suddenly surged into a whirlwind of motion, one after another, dense traces of jade-green blade imagery emerging before him, forming an intricate, tightly woven network of blades. This "Wind-Edge Sword Dance" was the highest-level combat technique Mu She had mastered—a lower-tier technique of the Xuàn Rank. With this skill, he had previously earned the title of the strongest fighter in Qingshan Town on several occasions. Now, facing the enigmatic and unpredictable assault from Xiao Yan, cautious and determined to ensure maximum safety, Mu She had resorted to deploying his very strongest technique. A streak of crimson moonlight flashed swiftly and reached the depths. Before the onlookers could even discern what the glow was, a thunderous roar erupted suddenly above the chasm. "Boom!" As the sound of thunder fell, the soil at Mu She's feet erupted skyward. Suddenly, a figure surged upward from the mud, its feet firmly planted in the ground. After retreating over ten meters, the figure finally collided heavily with a massive tree, causing it to burst apart. At that moment, the figure gradually came to a halt. The onlookers stared in awe—what they had seen was none other than Mu She, the two-star combatant, now looking disheveled and scrambling. Their eyes remained fixed on Mu She, who appeared slightly pale and startled. With a quiet gulp, they all turned their gaze toward the area where the soil had been thrown upward. There, cracks spread out in all directions, gradually stabilizing after extending for over ten meters. At the center of the spreading cracks, a deep depression—more than a meter in depth and half a meter in width—stood out, striking the audience with a sense of profound astonishment. Staring at the glaring crater, and then at the pale-faced Mu She, silence reigned above the abyss. Everyone felt a wave of dizziness surge through their heads. How could a warrior of merely eight-star strength have left a two-star warrior—having deployed a senior-tier technique—so thoroughly defeated? The harsh reality made everyone's mouths twitch as though strained by muscle. Finally, the dust swirling in the air settled, and the young man, holding his heavy staff, slowly came into view. The youth himself was also pale, gently running his hands over the black staff, his dark eyes blazing with a fervor that sent a chill through the onlookers. Though the use of this mid-tier technique had nearly cost Xiao Yan his strength, the sheer power it unleashed filled him with immense satisfaction. The gap between warrior and warrior-master had been powerfully bridged by this formidable mid-tier technique. Coughed violently several times, Xiao Yan extracted another Gui Qi Dan and quickly swallowed it. His gaze remained cold and piercing, fixed firmly on the surrounding mercenaries. Having previously impressed them with his presence, everyone who made eye contact now instinctively averted their gaze, filled with fear. "Kill him! Act now!" With a forceful shove, he pushed away the mercenary holding him. The creases at the base of his palms had been shattered, blood seeping through his sleeves. His face bore a fierce, almost frenzied expression—Xiao Yan's demonstrated strength had stirred deep-seated fear within the seasoned团长, someone who had weathered countless storms. At such a young age, not only had he advanced so swiftly in power, but he also possessed a mysterious and immensely potent combat technique. Such a foe... was truly every commander's nightmare. If there were a remedy for regret, Mu She would rather never have encountered this enigmatic youth again. Of course, there's no remedy for regret—thus, the fear in Mu Snake's heart naturally transformed into a fierce, unyielding rage. Only by killing Xiao Yan could he truly find peace. At this moment, Mu Snake even set aside the precious items that Xiao Yan was carrying. "Kill him! He's spent his strength!" Mu Snake roared. Hearing the commander's orders, the mercenaries who had hesitated stepped forward, gripping their weapons tightly and carefully encircling Xiao Yan. "Today, you must die!" Mu Snake snarled, his gaze fixed on the young man standing at the cliff's edge. "Sorry, perhaps I won't be able to fulfill your wish." Gazing at Mu Snake's face, now twisted with fury, Xiao Yan's pale complexion flushed, and his body trembled slightly. Suddenly, a pair of dark eagle wings—each about half a meter in length—erupted from his back in an eerie manner. Watching the eagle wings unfold behind Xiao Yan, everyone was once again stunned. Xiao Yan shook his wings once, then leapt downward toward the abyss with sudden force. His wings vibrated rapidly, and then, under the all-encompassing stunned gazes of the onlookers, he wobbled slightly as he flew toward the opposite cliff. "Today's ambush will be remembered. I will repay you in full when the time comes!" The figure of the young man gradually faded into the darkness, yet the faint, lingering chuckle continued to spiral through the air.