Staring at the courtyard where the mercenaries were gathering in increasing numbers, Xiao Yan smiled slightly and slowly walked in, right before everyone's eyes. "Sorry, I'm here to kick things off!" "Kid, you've got guts!" Seeing Xiao Yan's confident demeanor, Mu She grew furious and burst out laughing. With a wave of his hand, a thick black gate, previously shattered, suddenly shot forth from a hidden passage and slammed shut with a thunderous crash, completely sealing off the exit. As the gate settled, more and more wolf-headed mercenaries poured out of the courtyard, eventually surrounding Xiao Yan with fierce expressions, their weapons gleaming brightly under the sunlight, casting a cold, sharp sheen. Glancing around at the half-dozen or so mercenaries gathered, Xiao Yan shook his head with a touch of resignation. "Don't expect me to engage you in some one-on-one duel. I'll use the safest method—complete and final elimination," Mu She said, his voice cold as he fixed his gaze on Xiao Yan's face. Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Mu Snake had indeed proven himself no mere brute force, lacking in strategy. If it were himself in that situation, he would not have opted for one-on-one duels—after all, there is no absolute fairness in the world. As long as the goal is achieved, even through the most underhanded means, it is the best course. It is the rule of kings and conquerors—something Xiao Yan deeply understands. "Attack! Kill him!" With no further hesitation, Mu Snake suddenly pointed a finger directly at Xiao Yan, his voice cold and charged with murderous intent. Upon receiving the order from the commander, the mercenaries around him immediately gripped their weapons tightly and roared in unison, charging fiercely toward Xiao Yan. Standing on the steps, Mu Snake stared coldly at the young man, who remained remarkably calm amidst the onslaught. He gradually clenched his fists, his voice growing colder: "No matter what, you must die today!" "Lì!" As the crowd surged toward Xiao Yan, besieging him, a sudden cry of an eagle echoed from the distant sky. A massive shadow plunged down from the heavens, followed by a steady stream of white powder that poured out, gradually blanketing the otherwise empty courtyard. "Don't worry about them—kill him first!" Mu She's brows furrowed in concern, his voice sharp and commanding. Hearing his command, the already somewhat panicked mercenaries immediately redoubled their efforts, charging fiercely toward Xiao Yan who now stood mere steps away. Glancing at the mercenaries converging from all directions, Xiao Yan raised his head, noting that the layer of white powder drifting from the sky was now nearing the ground. Exhaling gently, Xiao Yan finally began to move. His feet settled slightly, and with his right hand tightly gripping the Xu Cheng Chi behind his back, he roared softly. The black staff shot out from his palm, reversing direction and spiraling around him once before striking several of the first mercenaries who had charged forward. The force of the impact scraped them violently, sending them reeling and spewing blood from their mouths. "Ah, ah…" A white dust, swirling like a storm, surged outward from Xiao Yan as the origin point, enveloping all the mercenaries within it and causing them to cough violently. "This dust is unusual!" Retreat! Under Xiao Yan's impetus, the dust rapidly advanced toward Mu She. However, upon taking a deep breath and inhaling it, Mu She's face paled, and he shouted in urgency. Hearing his cry, the mercenaries struggling to move randomly in the dust hurried to retreat. Yet, after advancing only a few dozen steps, they began to fall one after another. Only a handful of stronger mercenaries managed to stagger and remain upright, quickly seeking shelter within the courtyard. Observing that only a few had emerged from the dust, Mu She's expression darkened. With a swift motion of his sleeve, a powerful gust of wind materialized before him and swept forcefully against the encroaching dust. Under the gust of wind, the dust gradually dispersed, and where the dust had cleared, all the mercenaries lay soft and lifeless upon the ground, emitting continuous groans of pain. Seeing that the mercenaries seemed far from in danger, Mu She finally exhaled softly, lifting his gaze with a stern expression to the young boy standing in the courtyard and snapped, "Little brat, you've actually used poison!" "You could rely on numbers, but why couldn't I use poison?" With a casual gesture, Xiao Yan smiled at the few remaining mercenaries. Smiling gently, Xiao Yan carried his heavy measuring rod and took two steps forward. However, as he settled his second step, a sudden turn of events unfolded. The mercenary who had been lying on the ground, groaning continuously, suddenly leapt to his feet, his sharp long sword slicing through the air with a thin layer of qi, striking fiercely and precisely at Xiao Yan's abdomen. Faced with the sudden assault, Xiao Yan showed not the slightest sign of慌张. With his hands tightly gripping the Xuanzhong Chi, he suddenly drove the staff forcefully forward, embedding it firmly in front of him. The massive staff completely covered half of Xiao Yan's body, effortlessly deflecting the incoming sword attack. "Clang!" The sword swiftly struck the staff, sending sparks flying. Yet, on the dark surface of the staff, not a single white mark remained. The surprise attack failed. The attacker, instead of pressing forward, used the rebound force from the sword to swiftly retreat. "If you've already struck me, why retreat?" As soon as the attacker began to step back, Xiao Yan noticed, smiled lightly, and then planted his feet firmly on the ground. A sudden explosion followed, propelling his body forward with great force. In an instant, he was only half a meter away from the attacker. Their eyes met. A slow, cold smile curled at the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth, for he realized that the attacker was none other than his long-time rival, Mu Li. Mu Li stared at Xiao Yan, who was now mere steps away, his face cold and his eyes flickering with a hint of panic. When the medicinal powder first fell, he had seized the moment to approach Xiao Yan, feigning poisoning just a few feet away—yet he hadn't anticipated that his ruse had been completely uncovered by Xiao Yan. The thought flashed through his mind, and Mu Li bit down on his teeth. Now completely enveloped by Xiao Yan's attacks, his speed made it impossible for him to fully evade them. Thus, he had to forcibly absorb the strikes. His mouth twitched as he poured his internal qi into the long sword in his hands, then, gritting his teeth, he drove the sword forward with a sharp, piercing wind sound, aiming straight for Xiao Yan's chest. "Boom!" The massive sword blade swiftly swept through the air, finally crashing heavily into Mu Li's chest. Instantly, Mu Li spat out a fountain of blood. The intense pain caused a surge of resentment to flash in his eyes. As his body began to recoil, he suddenly slammed his palm against the hilt, causing the sword to fly out of his hands and pierce straight through Xiao Yan's chest, meeting his fierce gaze. Under the sheer force of Xiao Yan's assault, Mu Li's body was thrown like a cannonball across the ground, skidding several meters before crashing hard against a massive wooden post, spitting out another mouthful of blood and blacking out momentarily. The long sword, charged with powerful momentum, drove straight into Xiao Yan's chest, and surprisingly, Mu Li's desperate strike had even caused Xiao Yan to step back slightly. Above, perched upon the back of the eagle, the young healer gasped in alarm, reaching out to command the blue eagle to descend and assist. Yet Xiao Yan raised his hand, gently waving it toward her. Peering down at the long sword embedded in his chest, Xiao Yan grasped the hilt and pulled it free effortlessly. Not a single drop of blood clung to the tip of the sword. "The inner armor left by Yunzhi truly is extraordinary..." Staring at the sword tip, now devoid of any blood, Xiao Yan couldn't help but marvel silently. Then he set the sword aside and looked up at Mu Li, who showed no sign of giving up. "Li'er!" Xiao Yan watched Mu Li being carried inside, a faintly detached expression spreading across his lips. When the Xuan Chong Chi had struck Mu Li earlier, the force contained within the staff had passed through his body, ultimately shattering the qi vortex at his abdomen—completely disrupting it. Thus, even if Mu Li recovered, he would merely be a broken man. Though this move was somewhat ruthless, Xiao Yan did not care. Their relationship had always been irreconcilable. The ambush in the cave and the subsequent pursuit—had it not been for his own fortune, he likely would have perished at the hands of the elder and younger members of that family. Xiao Yan knew well that should he fall into their grasp, even death would have been a mere fantasy. Therefore, when dealing with enemies—especially those whose relations were particularly strained—he would never hesitate to act decisively. He would kill if he could; if not, he would ensure that the enemy lost the means to retaliate.