As that gentle laugh drifted into the hall, everyone's hearts subtly tightened. Looking up, they saw the black-robed youth standing casually at the entrance, sunlight slanting down and just illuminating him. At first glance, he seemed as warm and inviting as the smile on his face. Their gaze swept over his bright, cheerful features and settled on his dark eyes—there, instead of warmth, there was a quiet, unyielding stillness, a sense of cold detachment. Observing Xiang Yin's posture, the guests in the hall hurriedly stepped back, gathering around Luobu, even the few strangers standing by did the same. As Xiang Yin slowly walked in, the others—Xiao Ding and the rest—followed one after another, their eyes fixed on the group with a clear sense of reserve and scrutiny. "Luobu, your approach has been quite firm." His gaze first swept over the few individuals whose attire differed somewhat from that of the Sand Corps members, and Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly before shifting to Luo Bu, who sat in his chair. With a smile, he said, "I remember saving your life last time—seems like a rather poor decision." Under the steady, unyielding gaze of Xiao Yan, Luo Bu felt a slight chill, awkwardly twisted his body, and glanced toward his subordinates standing behind him. A subtle tremor passed across his eyes, and with a sudden force, he crushed his teacup beneath his palms. "You're Xiao Yan, aren't you?" The tea, now mixed with tea leaves, dripped steadily down his palm as he made an effort to keep his expression composed. "I don't know exactly where you come from, nor do I care—yet, your bold entrance into my Sand Corps today demands an explanation." Luo Bu said, with a cold smile. "Hehe, sorry, actually, I don't really have anything to say..." Xiao Yan casually tilted his head, smiling brightly. "If I had to say something, then I'd just smash your entire mercenary company to pieces." His playful demeanor constantly made Luo's face flush with anger, and beneath that anger, there was also an undercurrent of uncertainty about Xiao Yan's true intentions. Clenching his teeth, Luo suddenly slammed his palm hard onto the table in front of him, causing the sturdy surface to crack with a sharp sound and shatter into fragments. "Well, today I'm truly going to find out—what exactly gives you the right to challenge my Sand Mercenary Company!" Roared Luo, as a thick layer of potent qi rapidly condensed over his body, forming a solid, protective armor within moments. "Since you've all come to me of your own accord, I've saved myself some effort. So, all of you—stay right here!" The robust ki beginning to surge within Luo Bu's body gradually strengthened his frame. With a sweeping gesture, a powerful atmosphere of a Grand Master-level cultivator immediately spread throughout the hall. Noticing this strong pressure, Xiao Ding and the others' faces slightly changed, their steps instinctively retreating by a step. While calmly observing Luo Bu's body, where the ki grew increasingly dense, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes, fully drawing in and refining his own energy. To someone not paying close attention, he would appear no different from a mere ordinary youth without any ki. Seeing Xiao Yan's unusual demeanor, Xiao Ding and the others were momentarily taken aback, yet they remained silent, choosing not to interrupt, and simply stood quietly behind him. As Xiao Yan closed his eyes, a moment later, the otherwise composed Hai Bo Dong's pale face suddenly flickered with surprise. He turned his head, fixing his gaze tightly on Xiao Yan. In his perception, the aura of the young man before him had suddenly become both unfamiliar and terrifying. Frowning slightly, he murmured to himself in bewilderment, "It's this very aura... so powerful. Even now, I can't match it. What on earth is going on with this guy? One moment he's only at the Battle Master level, and the next, he's suddenly so formidable? Truly a strange and unpredictable one." Upon hearing Luo Bo's command, the十余 elite members of the Sand Company behind him exchanged glances, then clenched their teeth, drawing their sharp weapons from their sides. Several Du Shis quickly summoned their Qi Robes, and with impressive momentum, charged straight toward Xiao Yan. Observing their actions, Xiao Ding's expression grew cold. He raised his hand, preparing to lead his troops forward—yet suddenly, Hai Bo Dong spoke calmly, "No need to move. Just watch." Xiao Ding was momentarily taken aback, turned to gaze at Xiao Li, and then nodded. Though they were unfamiliar with Hai Bo Dong, anyone capable of earning Xiao Yan's praise as a true strength must surely possess formidable power—necessarily surpassing their own in both reach and depth. With his troops now firmly held in place, Xiao Ding fixed his gaze steadily on the charging Sand Company members, his tightly clenched palms slightly damp with sweat. As the members of the Sand Company approached their attack range, Xiao Yan, who had been closed-eyed, finally opened his eyes once more. The depth of his black gaze now carried less of the youthful vigor and more of the seasoned wisdom gained through life's experiences. With a calm, steady gaze fixed upon the mercenaries, whose fierce expressions were now clearly visible, Xiao Yan slowly raised his hand. A pale, sharp flame flickered briefly at the tips of his slender fingers and then vanished. At the very instant the forest of white flames faded, the dozen or so mercenaries who had charged forward suddenly stiffened. Then, under the stunned gazes of those watching, a shimmering layer of pure white ice began to rise from their feet and spread upward—within just a few seconds, all the figures were transformed into smooth, radiant ice sticks. "Ah—" Sea Bode, standing beside them, felt his cheeks tremble rapidly as he stared at the frozen mercenaries. He drew a sharp breath, feeling a sudden chill. While others might think the ice formed from cold energy, to someone who had spent most of his life mastering ice, as he had, it was clearly not cold energy at all. In Hai Bo Dong's perception, at the very instant the ice layer enveloped them, those dozen mercenaries vanished in an instant—truly vanished, leaving not even ashes behind. Though this white crystalline substance resembled ice remarkably, Hai Bo Dong knew it was no ordinary ice, for within its structure, a nearly terrifying heat surged. "This man's skill is absolutely astonishing… this is truly his full potential?" With a slight roll of his throat, Hai Bo Dong felt grateful once again for not having confronted Xiao Yan directly at the time he had initially reported his capabilities. The sudden emergence of a dozen humanoid ice sculptures in the hall plunged the space into a near-still silence, everyone staring in wide-eyed astonishment at the figures that had transformed into ice statues without warning, now suddenly feeling an intense, internal chill radiating from their very bodies. Beside Luo Bu, several elite combatants not belonging to the Sand Guild were also staring in wide-eyed disbelief at the dozen ice statues, their minds gradually filling with a growing sense of unease. Now, they began to realize that Luo Bu's initial intuition had, in fact, been correct. "Trouble this time," the leading man murmured to himself. Xiao Yan stepped slowly into the hall. After a moment, standing before Luobo under the gaze of a crowd, he slightly bowed his head, tugging at the corner of his mouth as if offering a smile, and spoke softly, "I gave you a warning last time—why are you still so foolish?" "Gurp..." Luobo swallowed hard, cold sweat dripping down his forehead and tracing paths across his cheeks. He lifted his eyes to the boy's clear, composed face, gently smiling, and a deep, unrelenting chill surged from his soles, making him feel as though he were in an ice chamber. At that very moment, Luobo sensed the presence of death, and the overwhelming fear that surged before it, as if the very air were pressing down on him. Clenching his teeth tightly, Luobo did not wish to yield—he desperately summoned the power within him. Instantly, the layer of aura armor forming on his body grew stronger and more resilient. His gaze carried a hint of mockery, fixed upon Luo Bu, who was still fighting to the death. Xiao Yan smiled lightly, lifting his long, slender, pale hand slowly, and then allowing it to drift gently toward Luo Bu's neck. Fixing his eyes on the steadily expanding hand, Luo Bu tried to dodge, yet was startled to find that his body had, at this very moment, seemingly taken on a new master—completely unresponsive to his own will. The hand, as delicate and graceful as a woman's, gently touched the thick aura armor just beyond Luo Bu's neck. Xiao Yan smiled faintly, and then—gradually, the aura armor began to melt on its own. At that instant, Luo Bu's pupils shrank to pinpricks. He could feel the armor melting swiftly, yet before he could utter a word, a cool hand settled gently upon his throat. In that very moment, his pores suddenly stood rigidly erect all over his body, and a faint shadow of death clung tightly to his heart. "Great... sir... please spare my life!" During this encounter, Luo Bu finally clearly sensed the other's overwhelming strength. His body had gone stiff in the chair, afraid that even the slightest movement might cause that death-dealing hand to suddenly squeeze and take his life. His face was as pale as a zombie, sweat seeping out from all over his body. In just a brief moment, his robe had become as soaked as if it had been drenched. "Do you know anything about Qinglin?" Xiao Yan slightly tilted his head and suddenly smiled, asking gently. Hearing this, Luo Bu was slightly stunned. During the silence, his palm at the neck suddenly grew cold—so icy that it sent a shiver through him. Raising his head, he gazed into the dark, serene eyes, as if they were made of ice. He had no doubt that if he hesitated just a moment longer, the other would instantly freeze him solid. With a quick, eager nod, his voice slightly hurried and sharp with fear, he said, "My lord, I understand!"