When the icy, white mist enveloped the house, Xiao Yan felt a sense of unease, as he noticed the mist was causing him to lose his sense of direction. Moreover, as the mist seeped into his body, he clearly sensed his speed slowing down considerably. Even before the formal clash began, he had been restrained in his mobility, which made Xiao Yan feel a subtle sense of apprehension. With a subtle mental effort, a stream of purple flame combat energy emerged from the swirling purple vortex within his abdomen, swiftly flowing through his meridians. Instantly, Xiao Yan's body trembled, and a delicate purple combat energy robe completely enveloped him. Upon the surface of the robe, streams of purple flame surged, burning the icy mist that had penetrated his body into mere nothingness. With the Qi Robe of Flame aura manifesting upon him, Xiao Yan clearly sensed a significant improvement in his own condition. He then tightly grasped the Xu Zhong Chi behind him, pulling with force—upon a soft sound, the heavy staff drove deep into the ground, leaving a distinct impression. Holding the staff firmly, Xiao Yan carefully scanned the surrounding misty atmosphere with cautious eyes. As the purple Qi Robe, glowing with purple flames, appeared on Xiao Yan’s body, a low, surprised murmuring emerged clearly from the white mist—apparently, the enigmatic elder had not anticipated that Xiao Yan could summon a Qi Robe infused with flame. "Sir, I have no intention of causing any disturbance or inconvenience. I truly value this fragmented map, and I kindly request your indulgence," Xiao Yan declared, his voice loud as he cast his gaze around. "Hmph. I went to great lengths back then to obtain this item, and though I've studied it for over a decade, I still don't know exactly what it's for. Still, I can be certain that it holds no small secrets. To hand it over to you without any reason—well, that's pure fantasy!" The old man chuckled coldly amidst the drifting mist. The elder's face slightly changed as Xiao Yan lightly flicked his fingers, causing a vibrant purple flame to surge forth from his palm. He swiftly brushed it across the length of the measuring rod, instantly melting away the frost and cold vapor clinging to its surface. "Hmm? Purple flame? I didn't expect someone so young to possess such diverse rare items—this explains your boldness," the elder, hidden within the mist, exclaimed in growing astonishment. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, said nothing, and kept his gaze fixed on the surrounding white mist, slowly retreating step by step along the route he had memorized earlier. "Though that troublesome thing has significantly diminished my strength, bringing down a mere youngster like you won't be difficult at all!" As he observed Xiao Yan's subtle movements, the elder chuckled coldly, and a white figure surged forward with sudden force—moving like a flash of lightning—closing in swiftly on Xiao Yan. The elderly man who suddenly charged in startled Xiao Yan slightly, who immediately gripped his heavy staff and forcefully slammed it into the figure before him. Observing the massive staff rushing forward with a strong gust of wind, the old man quickly formed a hand seal with his dry, withered hands and shouted, "Congealing Ice Mirror!" As he completed the seal, the white mist before him surged rapidly, and within an instant, a transparent ice mirror about half a meter in length and width suddenly materialized before him. "Thud!" The heavy staff struck down with force and landed squarely on the ice mirror. At that moment, Xiao Yan's face changed dramatically—he realized that upon impact, a powerful rebound force emerged, strangely flowing back in the opposite direction, knocking him off balance and sending him staggering backward. Gazing at the slightly pale figure of Xiao Yan reflected back, the elder let out another cold laugh, then waved his hand. In a flash, dozens of spiral-shaped ice spikes rapidly took shape before him, then surged forth in a sweeping wave, roaring toward Xiao Yan as the elder continued his motion. After pushing his feet along the ground for a short distance, Xiao Yan raised his head to meet the dense barrage of icy spikes carrying a sharp chill. His brows furrowed slightly, and with a sudden thrust of his foot, a burst of energy erupted as his body surged upward. Yet amazed as he was, the elder did not hesitate a moment. With a smooth opening and closing of his palms, countless fine strands of ice condensed, then launched skyward. These ice filaments spread out and swiftly wound themselves around the heavy ruler, completely enveloping it within a thick layer of white filaments within mere moments. Under the overwhelming cascade of ice strands, the fierce qi carried by the ruler was rapidly dissolving. When it reached only half a meter from the elder’s head, it finally came to a complete halt. He glanced casually at the ruler, now tightly encased in ice strands, and chuckled. With a simple flick of his hand, the ruler spun once in the air, still wrapped in the ice filaments, before suddenly turning and crashing down with full force upon Xiao Yan, who was suspended mid-air, powerless to resist. Under the influence of the elder's momentum, the vital energy carried by the heavy staff was no weaker than when Xiao Yan had poured all his strength into a single strike—should it hit, Xiao Yan would surely suffer serious injuries. Watching the heavy staff closing in, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly. A slight vibration rippled through his back, and the Purple Cloud Wings suddenly launched forth. With a swift flap of his wings, his body surged upward rapidly, ultimately deflecting the oncoming staff. Ignoring the profound impact that Zhi Yun Yi had on the elder, Xiao Yan seized the moment when the elder was distracted, suddenly lunging downward. Purple flames surged from his palms, and with a flick of his fingers, a stream of purple fire shot forth, ultimately severing the ice threads connecting the Xuan Zhong Chi. Without the guidance of the ice threads, the Xuan Zhong Chi plummeted swiftly. Xiao Yan vibrated his wings, swiftly descending, and with rapid finger movements, streams of fine purple flames burned away every remaining ice thread on the Xuan Zhong Chi. Only after completely clearing the ice threads did Xiao Yan dare to grasp the Xuan Zhong Chi firmly once again. With both wings vibrating rapidly, Xiao Yan surged upward, his body soaring skyward. Below, the elder watched Xiao Yan, who had intended to break through the roof, and a touch of mockery and amusement spread across his face. Xiao Yan's form rapidly rose, yet as the purple cloud wings vibrated twice, he suddenly sensed a steadily emanating cold aura emanating from a distance above his head. Feeling this chill, a slight tension tightened in his chest, and he swiftly drove his heavy staff upward with fierce determination. "Clang!" The staff struck something, producing a crisp sound, while at the same time, several small ice fragments slowly fell, eventually landing upon Xiao Yan's face. The cool, refreshing sensation sent a subtle weight settling in his heart—he hadn't expected the old man to have transformed the entire room into a solid ice cellar so swiftly. Abandoning his attempt to forcibly pierce through the barrier, Xiao Yan gently扇ed his wings, descending steadily, and coldly gazed upon the elderly figure standing amidst the white mist. "Hmm, quite rare flying combat technique. That strange purple flame, the odd footwork—far beyond the capabilities of ordinary combatants. Young man, are you indeed the heir of Yunlan Sect's master, or one of the sons from those distinguished noble families, or perhaps a member of the royal house?" The elder raised his gaze with keen interest, watching Xiao Yan gracefully flapping his dark purple and black wings in the sky. "But even if you truly hold one of those titles, you won't be able to leave with just this fragment of the map today." Gently stroking the scar across the elder's weathered face, his voice gradually grew colder. "Though you possess several exceptional techniques, you're still only a combatant. Even though my strength has diminished over time, I find it quite manageable to defeat you." The elder spoke calmly. "Hand over the items, and I'll let you go. I have no desire for anyone to disrupt my decades of peaceful seclusion." Staring at this tenacious old man, Xiao Yan sighed in resignation, his heart murmuring, "Master, it seems only you can step in. Indeed, I'm no match for him. Even though his strength has declined from his former peak, as he himself said, bringing me down won't be difficult." "Indeed, it won't be difficult," came the elder's voice in Xiao Yan's mind. "After all, you're two stages behind him, and the combat technique he possesses is no weaker than yours. Their earlier clash was merely a test. If he truly commits himself, you won't last more than five rounds." Xiao Yan nodded with a wry smile, knowing well the old man's strength—had it not been for his current inability to transform his qi into wings, he would have been captured long ago. "Then it's up to me. I'll take control of your body for now." "As for this, the old doctor didn't decline. He knew that even if he wished to test Xiao Yan through practical combat, there would be a limit—given Xiao Yan's current status as a mere Battle Master, challenging a warrior whose battle awareness had once reached the Battle Emperor level would undoubtedly be a harsh trial. 'Master, I've already said this—I absolutely must have this map fragment!' First, he gave a slight nod, then lowered his head and shrugged slightly at the elder. Suddenly, he slowly closed his eyes. Observing Xiao Yan's unusual demeanor, the elder was momentarily startled, his brows furrowed. But after a moment, his face suddenly changed—what he noticed was a fierce aura, no less powerful than his own, gradually radiating out from within the young man in the air. 'How is this possible?' As the aura steadily intensified, the elder's composed expression finally gave way to genuine astonishment.