Amid the spacious arena, the young man's cool, calm voice echoed slowly, drawing countless eyes. "Xiao Yan?" Looking at the black-robed youth who had suddenly appeared, Xiao Ding was momentarily taken aback on the opposite side of the square. Then, a surge of exhilaration instantly spread across his slightly stern face, as he firmly clapped his hands together: "He's arrived just at the perfect time!" "Heh, it seems our Mo Tie Guild doesn't need to fade away after all." Gradually loosening his tightly clenched fists, Xiao Ding took a deep breath, calming the rising excitement within him. He then smiled gently toward his fellow guild members. Though Xiao Yan was still young, Xiao Ding had always held strong confidence in him—especially considering the previous incident when Xiao Yan had single-handedly intimidated the Sand Guild so much that they had dared not even leave their city walls. That event had only deepened his confidence. Seeing Xiao Ding's cheerful smile, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Though many of them didn't fully understand why this young man had earned such strong confidence from the two captains, they had personally witnessed Xiao Yin's and Xiao Li's earlier sparring matches. Yet now, even Xiao Li wasn't able to hold his own against that senior Duelist. So perhaps... The members of Mo Ti felt a touch of apprehension. Still, having followed Xiao Ding for so many years, they knew well that this captain, who always remained calm and composed, would never make empty promises in such a moment. They exchanged glances with one another, their eyes bright with a sense of relief and hope—hoping that this young Xiao Yin would truly be able to avert the looming crisis for their entire Mo Ti Guild. Holding a measuring ruler, Xiao Yan turned his head to gaze at Xiao Li, who was covered in blood. The dark eyes of Xiao Yan shimmered with an uncontainable intensity of murderous intent. From his meditation pouch, he withdrew a vial of healing pills, tossed it into Xiao Li’s arms, and softly inquired. “Cough… cough…” With intense coughing, Xiao Li wiped the blood from his lips and then swallowed the pills. He raised his head to gaze at the tall, upright figure standing before him. A gentle flush of color spread across his pale face, and with a slight smile, the tension in his body gradually eased. Leaning against the massive stone behind him, Xiao Li chuckled, his voice slightly hoarse: “Little one, you’ve finally arrived. If you’d come any later, you might have to come visit your elder brother at the cemetery instead.” “I’m sorry I came late.” Xiao Yan spoke softly, suddenly smiling, his expression revealing a fierce, wolf-like intensity and cold determination. He locked eyes with Xiao Li, whose gentle smile carried a sharp, watchful edge: "Brother, don't worry—I'll take care of that man's life." "Ah, his name is Mo Ran. He's a first-star Battle Master with earth-based techniques. This attribute is known for its enduring strength and depth, making him well-suited for prolonged combat. Moreover, my lightning-based Battle Qi's paralyzing effect isn't particularly effective against him—otherwise, I could have held out for a while. Unfortunately, the gap in our battle ranks is too wide, so during this fight, he hasn't been able to deploy any Battle Techniques. Therefore, I'm still uncertain about the level of his techniques. Be cautious during the fight." Nodding with a smile, Xiao Li coughed once more, drawing a breath, and spoke slowly. "A first-star Battle Master, then?" Smiling faintly, Xiao Yan gave a slight nod to Xiao Li, then slowly turned around. The previously elegant, slightly smiling face suddenly transformed into a fierce, Asura-like countenance, his cold, nine-hells-icy gaze making the yellow-robed middle-aged man feel a slight tingling of unease on his scalp. "Who are you?" the yellow-robed man snapped, shaking his arm—still slightly numb from the rebounding qi—and addressing Xiao Yan with a stern voice. Ignoring the man's outburst, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, allowing streams of jade-colored qi to flow out from the spiraling aura and surge through his body. Instantly, a soft, pale jade-colored flame shimmered gently, rising from the surface of his garments. Gazing at the slightly unusual aura of qi flowing through the robe draped over Xiao Yan's body, the middle-aged man in yellow robes slightly frowned. This was the first time he had ever witnessed qi manifesting as tangible flames. His expression grew serious, and he barked out, "Young man, I urge you not to interfere—don't want to end up caught in the flames!" "You must understand," he pointed toward the large gathering of figures on the other side of the square, his voice cold, "our Murong Mercenary Corps is still far from capable of challenging us. So, stop making such pointless efforts!" "You're talking too much," Xiao Yan said, his eyes opening. He gently shook his head, then tightly clenched his hand around the Xuanzhong Chi, and forcefully planted his foot into the ground. With a burst of energy, a crater instantly formed in the hard stone beneath. As the explosion echoed, Xiao Yan's body swiftly transformed into a streak of black, charging straight toward the middle-aged man named Mo Ran. The speed was so swift that several people in the crowd gasped in surprise. Watching Xiao Yan's swift pace, Mo Ran's expression grew increasingly gloomy. With a cold laugh, he rubbed his fingers on the storage ring, and a pair of solid, jet-black gloves, adorned with sharp, jagged spikes, materialized. He quickly donned them, and at once, a fierce gust of wind surged forward, accompanied by a sharp tearing sound, crashing directly toward his head. With his fists clenched, golden aura of combat energy rapidly coalesced on the gloves, radiating a steady ripple of power. Facing Xiao Yan's heavy staff attack, the middle-aged man did not retreat. His specialty seemed to be direct, forceful combat, so he stepped forward without flinching, the sharp black iron gloves carrying powerful energy, meeting head-on the dark, shadowed staff that had swept across the battlefield. "Clang!" A crisp sound of metal clashing echoed from where the two combatants had met, and as the wave of sound spread, a fierce surge of energy and force erupted between the black staff and the拳套, instantly causing subtle cracks to form in the ground beneath both Xiao Yan and the middle-aged man. Holding firmly onto his heavy staff, Xiao Yan stepped back several paces under the force of the impact, while in contrast, Mo Ran only retreated half a step before stabilizing his stance. "Hmph. So you're only slightly stronger than that fellow I faced earlier—how dare you act so arrogant before me!" Stepping back himself, Mo Ran glanced at Xiao Yan, who had retreated several steps. Having now gained a clearer sense of Xiao Yan's strength through their initial exchange, he gave a dismissive smile and spoke with condescension. Ignoring his words, Xiao Yan suddenly stepped back and then launched forth again, his body shooting out like a sharp arrow. With the massive black ruler in his hands, he swung it with powerful force, generating a steady, pressing wind. As his body approached the range of Mo Ran's attack, Xiao Yan suddenly kicked the ground with his foot, his body mysteriously shifting sideways to the left. He then tightened his grip on the ruler and slammed it down toward her head. Having previously engaged in contact, Xiao Yan had already gained a clear, though somewhat vague, understanding of Mo Ran's capabilities. While the earth-based qi was exceptionally well-suited for prolonged combat, it was thick and substantial—thus, not particularly swift. Precisely because of his own agility, Xiao Yan was able to launch a relentless and vigorous assault upon her. As for his own shortcomings, Mo Ran was equally clear, so he didn't bother with any unnecessary evasive maneuvers. With his black iron fists dancing in a dense, unbroken rhythm, he would forcefully repel any attack that reached his body surface, sending them back with even greater strength and force. "Clang, clang, clang..." Amidst the dazzling attacks and defenses exchanged between the two, the crisp sound of metal striking metal filled the spacious square, resonating throughout the air and lingering for a long time. As the intensity of their combat grew, the initially somewhat dismissive Mo Ran—having judged Xiao Yan's strength merely as a Battle Master level—began to be genuinely surprised. He had always prided himself on his exceptional endurance in battle. Yet this young man had chosen from the very beginning to meet him head-on—how could a Battle Master consistently hold his own against a Grand Battle Master in such direct, unrelenting clashes? And yet, seemingly unscathed, he has persisted all this way? "This youngster must be practicing a high-level cultivation technique—otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to match me point-for-point, wasting so much Qi!" Fixing his gaze tightly on the black-robed youth darting swiftly in attack, Mo Ran murmured firmly within himself. "Let's finish this quickly. If we're dragged on like this by a Cultivator, the others in the family will surely find it another source of amusement." A thought flashed through his mind, and the middle-aged man's expression gradually hardened. "Clang!" The heavy staff was struck again, and the sharp spikes on the gloves had dulled considerably. "Young man, it's over!" After withstanding Xiao Yan's assault, the middle-aged man suddenly took a decisive step sideways, just blocking Xiao Yan's evasive path, and issued a stern command: "Earth-Explosion Star-Storm!" As the middle-aged man's deep roar settled, fierce yellow qi surged and coalesced wildly upon his fist. Moments later, a vortex of yellow sand formed atop the punch, with a dark hollow at its center where powerful qi rapidly condensed. "Die, youngster!" he grinned, his face contorted with ferocity, then drove his arm down with a powerful strike. As his arm swung, a deep yellow wave of intense energy surged outward, radiating along its path. The vortex on his fist suddenly paused. From the dark hollow, a dense, almost tangible yellow energy sphere, carrying a forceful gust of wind, slammed directly onto Xiao Yan's black ruler. Upon impact, the sphere rippled slightly before exploding like a bomb with tremendous force. "Boom! Clang!" The sudden clash of golden and iron resonated like thunder, exploding violently across the square. The powerful wave of sound caused the onlookers to instinctively cover their ears, staring in wide-eyed astonishment at the scene. Black Scale was struck by the fierce energy surge, and Xiao Yan's face briefly tightened as he stepped back hurriedly. With each step, a distinct impression of his footfall was etched into the hard stone beneath him. After retreating nearly fifteen paces, Xiao Yan's heavy scale suddenly trembled violently and, against his will, slipped from his grasp, skidding diagonally to land on the open ground nearby. "Hehe, what's there to sigh about? Don't you remember last time Xiao Yan challenged the Second Commander?" Xiao Ding inserted both hands into his sleeves, gazing steadily at Xiao Yan on the field, and smiled softly, murmuring, "Only when he's freed from that odd black ruler is Xiao Yan at his absolute strongest!" With the support of the massive stone, Xiao Li's breathing had stabilized considerably. He glanced up at Xiao Yan, who had been knocked off his weapon, and shook his head in resignation, smiling, "Well, now, isn't it time for him to really step up?" His true strength, although Master Yao has rated him as a four-star combatant, has recently become evident to Xiao Yan—thanks likely to the Qinglian Earth-Core Fire—indicating that his actual rank is likely around five-star. As for his technique, the Burned Decree has evolved into a mid-tier xuan-level technique after absorbing the unique flames. Yet, due to its distinctive special effects, its actual capabilities are no less than those of a high-tier xuan-level technique. Therefore, when converted into equivalent strength, Xiao Yan's combat power should match that of an ordinary seven-star combatant. Furthermore, enhanced by the Qinglian Earth-Core Fire and his resilient physique forged through rigorous training, Xiao Yan is confident he can hold his own against even a nine-star combatant. Of course, for a Nine-Star Grand Battle Master compared to a One-Star Grand Battle Master, the gap is naturally immense. Yet for Xiao Yan, who possesses the powerful techniques of Qinglian Earth-Core Fire and the Earth-Rank Battle Technique: Flame Divided, Consuming the Tsunami Pole, this gap is far from insurmountable. Thus, although this was Xiao Yan's first true encounter facing a Grand Battle Master on his own, he showed no hesitation whatsoever—instead, he brimmed with passionate determination. Xiao Yan lifted his eyes, still paying no attention to this quiet fellow. His body slightly trembled, and after a moment of stillness, the aura robe enveloping him suddenly surged upward by nearly half a meter. Waves of jade-colored qi surged like a swirling flame, completely encasing Xiao Yan, with gentle warmth spiraling around his body. Fine cracks slowly spread from his feet, extending outward. The surging qi rose steadily, and at this moment, a powerful aura erupted from within Xiao Yan. Under the weight of this aura, the voices of the Sand Corps members who had been mocking him gradually softened and eventually faded entirely. "Hmph, youngster—no matter how hard you struggle today, it'll all end in death!" A surge of anger suddenly rose within him, and Mo Ran said coldly. At a certain moment, a surge of energy erupted from Mo Ran, slightly more fierce than Xiao Yan's. The black iron gloves, adorned with sharp spines, sliced through the air with a piercing wind, and struck directly at the beam of light. Sensing the powerful force rushing toward it, the lightning-like glow suddenly halted, then the figure swiftly shifted sideways, materializing behind the middle-aged man. With a subtle spin, he clenched his fists, the energy swirling around them, and delivered a powerful punch. At that instant, bursts of sonic waves echoed through the air. "Boom!" A deep, resonant thud rang out as Xiao Yan's fist crashed into the middle-aged man's back. The heavy impact caused a ripple of shock throughout the crowd. "Crack!" Several cracks rapidly spread from where Xiao Yan stood—demonstrating the sheer strength of this blow. "How fast!" But you really think a Grand Combatant's defense is that easily broken?" As struck by Xiao Yan, Mo Ran's body trembled violently. After a brief lull, his left foot suddenly drove a fierce kick backward, while a low, grim laugh escaped his lips. When Xiao Yan's fist made contact, Mo Ran's brows furrowed slightly—his sensation was that he wasn't hitting flesh at all, but rather a solid armor layer. Mo Ran's body moved like eel, twisting strangely, and his powerful, aggressive footwork skimmed past Xiao Yan's waist, sending sharp gusts of wind that, even with the barrier of his combat robe, caused small bumps to rise on Xiao Yan's skin. Dodging Mo Ran's attacks, Xiao Yan suddenly closed the distance, leveraging his agile, eel-like dodging ability and swift speed, darting like a flea across Mo Ran's body. With every appearance, his powerful, forceful punches struck hard against his opponent's frame. Under Xiao Yan's relentless assault, a continuous series of deep, resonant thuds echoed throughout the arena. "Young man, ha ha! I've already said it—based on your current strength, you won't be able to break through a Grand Warrior's defense!" Mo Ran laughed loudly, standing still, allowing Xiao Yan's frenzied attacks to rain down upon him. He only stepped in to block when the attacks targeted his vital points; otherwise, he let them land unimpeded. "Thud!" Another dull sound, and the garments that had endured Xiao Yan's attacks for nearly fifty times finally burst apart. As the fabric shattered, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed sharply. Beneath the garments, a layer of earth-yellow breastplate shimmering with a soft glow enveloped the upper part of Mo Ran's body. Scattered marks of fists pressed into the armor were visible—clearly the imprints left by Xiao Yan himself. "Hah! Young man, this is a battle armor forged only by grand martial cultivators—evolved from the martial cultivator's standard martial robe. Regrettably, I've only recently reached this level, so I haven't yet developed the strength to fully cover my entire body. Still, even with this armor, your offensive power wouldn't be enough to breach it!" With a sigh of regret, Mo Ran glanced down at the luminous yellow breastplate, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan with a broad, hearty smile. "The Power Armor... I see. Now I understand." Gazing at the chest plate glowing with a dense yellow light, as if solid and tangible, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, and coldly remarked, "I simply won't believe that your turtle shell can actually withstand a blow!" With a sudden, powerful step, Xiao Yan surged straight toward Mo Ran. As his body twisted strangely, he deftly avoided the sharp gloves. Twisting his foot, he slipped into her embrace, forcing his body into an odd, curved posture, then drove his elbow with a sharp impact against the chest plate. "Eight-Point Collapse!" With a low command in his mind, Xiao Yan's overall aura instantly sharpened, becoming as sharp and commanding as a sword just drawn from its scabbard. The force of his elbow generated a fierce surge of energy, creating sharp, piercing sonic booms. Noticing the suddenly terrifying qi pressure emanating from Xiao Yan's elbow, the slightly pale face of Mo Ran, previously aglow with laughter, subtly shifted. He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to unleash an attack of such formidable strength. At once, the qi within him surged rapidly, and the glow on his chest armor intensified. "Thud!" Xiao Yan's elbow struck solidly against the chest plate, sending out a wave of invisible force at the point of contact. Instantly, cracks erupted across the surrounding stone surface, creaking and splitting with each impact. "Good boy! I never thought you possessed such refined combat technique—truly underestimated you!" With a stern gaze fixed upon the armor now splintered with cracks from Xiao Yan's assault, Mo Ran's eyes burned with fury. His fists clenched tightly, ready to deliver a crushing blow to Xiao Yan. Yet, just then, two deep, resonant sounds suddenly echoed within his body. At the very moment the subtle inner pressure surged, Mo Ran's body convulsed violently, his face turning first pale, then ashen, with a thin stream of blood oozing from his lips. "Dark Qi?" Wiping the blood from his lips, Mo Ran's furious visage, like that of a tiger devouring its prey, was terrifyingly imposing. He hadn't expected that merely a slight lapse on his part would leave him so embarrassed and at a disadvantage before Xiao Yan. Clenching his fists tightly, which trembled with rage, Mo Ran suddenly lifted his head and roared, his voice carried by the surge of combat energy, silencing every sound on the entire plaza. "Little scoundrel! Today, you shall die!" Faced with a fierce roar of rage, Mo Ran suddenly extended his left hand, gripping tightly onto Xiao Yan's wrist as he still hadn't had time to withdraw. On his right fist, yellow qi rapidly coalesced, and within a moment, a powerful surge of pressure erupted, striking Xiao Yan squarely in the chest with such force that if he were hit, even if he didn't die, he would surely suffer a severe injury and lose his combat ability. The intense gust of wind pressing down made it difficult for Xiao Yan to breathe; he clenched his teeth and strained his arms, desperately trying to pull free. Yet, as if determined to finish him off in one blow, the other hand remained firm, like a claw, holding him tightly in place. After several more struggles without success, Xiao Yan finally erupted into rage, his expression darkening with determination. His right hand trembled, with jade-colored qi swirling around it, and he then struck again—this time directly at the crack in the armor created by the previous Eight-Directional Collapse technique. Two arms of slightly different proportions passed gracefully between the two combatants, each carrying a potent qi that made the other feel a deep sense of apprehension. Xiao Yan did not intercept the attack at all, clearly adopting a resolute, life-or-death stance. Coldly observing Xiao Yan's fierce determination, the middle-aged man's face flickered with a grim, cruel smile—had this man truly gone mad, comparing himself to a Grand Combatant in a mere endurance battle? Around the plaza, spectators who had watched the two fighters now nearly bare-chested and engaged in fierce combat could no longer help but emit fresh murmurs of awe. Xiao Yan's unyielding, head-on confrontation with a Grand Combatant seemed to many to signal that he might have lost his senses entirely. Under the collective gaze of the crowd, the fists of Xiao Yan and Mo Ran finally approached each other, their impact generating a sharp, ear-splitting wind sound. At that very moment, everyone around instinctively held their breath, eyes wide open, fixed intently on the two figures in the center. All of them felt a strong sense that in this clash, one of them would surely fall—perhaps the powerful Grand Combatant, though more likely, the slender black-robed youth. After all, no one could believe that such formidable strength could be concealed within that delicate frame. The sudden change in the air likewise triggered Meng Ran's awareness. She suddenly lowered her head, gazing at the swirling streak of emerald flame. Her eyes first flickered with bewilderment, then instantly narrowed to pinpoints, her face flushed with shock—so intense and alarming it was almost unbearable. A subtle sense of pressure hovered over the training ground, pressing upon the crowd and making their breaths slightly hurried—yet they dared not take deep, deep breaths, and many found themselves turning red in the face from the effort. After the silence had lasted nearly a minute, Muran's body suddenly trembled slightly. As his body shook, Xiao Yan across from him flushed, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood with a soft *pffft*. The people surrounding them grew pale, remaining silent, enveloped in a heavy, dim atmosphere of fading hope. The oppressive silence made each of them feel as though a great stone were suspended above their hearts. Xiao Ding’s hands, tightly clenched within the folds of his robe, fixed his gaze steadily upon the young man’s face, his body subtly trembling. In quiet confusion, he murmured, “Has it truly failed?” Yet at a sudden moment, Xiao Ding convulsed violently throughout his body, and then a smile broke across his face—clearly, he had just noticed the young man, who had smiled at him earlier. Before everyone’s eyes, the young man who seemed destined to fall and perish suddenly coughed several times, then slowly turned around, walked to the side, picked up the Xuan Zhong Chi, and placed it over his shoulder, then slowly made his way toward Xiao Ding and the others. As Xiao Yan turned, Mo Ran, who had remained motionless, slightly leaned back and then collapsed heavily. His face, still pale with shock, now came into view under the collective gaze of everyone. A series of stunned glances swept over his body, finally settling on his chest—where, once covered by a thick aura armor, it now lay entirely blackened. A large, dark hole had formed in the center of his chest. Upon closer inspection, everything within that hole had been completely reduced to nothing. "Shh..." Gazing at Mo Ran's terribly惨 state, the crowd around him felt a sudden chill run down their spines, their faces filled with shock. Taking a deep breath of the cool air, they turned their eyes, now filled with fear, toward Xiao Yan beside them. No one had expected the seemingly harmless youth to be so merciless when it came to taking action. Xiao Yan smiled, clutched his mouth with his hand, and coughed violently, some blood splashing onto his palm. He glanced at it casually, then wiped it off indifferently on his sleeve, gently lifted his outer robe, and pointed to the inner armor he had received from Yunzhi during their time in the Monster Mountain, saying, "Thanks to this armor, otherwise I would have truly sustained serious injuries." "Hmm, truly remarkable! You've actually defeated a senior Battle-Technician—no small feat," Xiang Ding remarked, eyeing the body of Mo Ran beyond. This was the first time he had witnessed Xiao Yan truly display his full strength. Xiao Yan then retrieved a Regeneration Pill from his storage ring and swallowed it, taking a deep, steady breath. Honestly, this battle had been a bit of a lucky escape—though he still had his reserves, Mo Ran had only employed his battle technique once. Had it not been for the fact that this man, due to his own rank, had grown complacent and underestimated the challenge, the battle's difficulty would have increased by several folds, perhaps even more. Moreover, he placed such unwavering confidence in his qi armor that when Xiao Yan finally summoned the Strange Fire, he had already lost his final defensive capabilities. It is therefore evident how fragile that seemingly solid qi armor was, especially against the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire—a celestial marvel so potent that even the Queen Medusa herself had to hesitate before it. As a result, Xiao Yan's fist, enveloped in the Strange Fire, effortlessly pierced through Mo Ran's defenses. Furthermore, since Xiao Yan was still somewhat inexperienced in controlling the Strange Fire, the sudden surge of flame as it penetrated Mo Ran's body instantly incinerated all of his internal organs to ash. This is precisely why Mo Ran met such a dramatic and agonizing end—indeed, Xiao Yan had done so quite unintentionally. "Let's finish off these guys too..." Xiao Yan gave a gentle smile to Xiao Ding, then turned to the large group of Sand Company members stationed on the other side of the training field, where he beamed with a bright, confident smile. Thanks to his unexpected, devastating performance against the senior Battle Master Mo Ran, which had created a powerful ripple effect, Xiao Yan now carried an exceptionally commanding presence. As a result, when the Sand Company members saw him approach, they hurriedly stepped back, murmuring and pushing one another, their morale completely shattered. With a sudden, decisive motion, Xiao Yan drew his heavy staff from his back and charged straight toward the Sand Company troops. The already demoralized soldiers—having lost their leader—immediately cried out in alarm, scrambling and fleeing disorganized from the headquarters of the Mo Tie Company. "Hmph…" Gazing at the sand mercenaries panicking and scrambling, Xiao Yan gave a slight sigh, shook his slightly dizzy head, and looked down at the blood on his palms. A soft smile formed on his lips. After all these years, this was the first time he had faced an opponent he could not overcome yet still chose to rely on his own strength—and yet, he had succeeded! "Heh, little one, well done. I thought this time I might have to step in personally, but you… relied entirely on your own strength. Perhaps you didn't even realize it, but the belief in oneself, the conviction that one's own power is sufficient—that is the very essence of strength." Within him, the usually quiet, gentle voice of Yao Lao suddenly stirred, warm with satisfaction, rising softly and steadily.