In the hall, as those members of the Mo family were gradually consumed and vanished, the atmosphere instantly grew utterly silent—so still that not a single sound could be heard. Sweat dripped slowly from the tips of Luo Bu's forehead. Seated in his chair, he dared not move a single muscle, secretly glancing at the dark-robed youth whose face had grown increasingly stern. A deep chill now wrapped around him once more. The lone surviving man from the Mo family stood rigid in place, his face suddenly pale as a sheet, his lips trembling, his eyes filled with sheer terror—had the white flames drifted just a little further, he would have been reduced to nothing but ashes. "You... you're daring to challenge us, the Mo family!" the man stammered, his voice trembling with indignation. "I'm not merely challenging you—I'm going to crush this entire, baseless Mo family!" Xiao Yan said coldly. "Don't think you're so bold—our Mo family still has strong backing from Yunlan Sect!" "The man shouted angrily, as if trying to bolster his own confidence, speaking with considerable volume." Xiao Yan crossed his fingers in front of him, glancing steadily at the man, who was trembling, and said calmly, "Either take me to the Mo Clan, or follow the path of your previous companion—choose one, yourself." "The Mo Clan has not rebelled..." the man struggled to suppress his fear, maintaining a firm tone in his voice. Yet this time, Xiao Yan seemed to have lost patience. With a gentle wave of his hand, a slender, pale flame shot out from his fingertips, swiftly engulfing the man in a blaze of white fire, leaving only a hollow space in his presence. "The headquarters of the Mo Clan is located in Yan City in the eastern part of the Empire—the largest city in the eastern province," Xiao Ding said softly from behind Xiao Yan. "By foot, it would take about eight days to travel from Shishuo City to Yan City. By flight, however, the journey can be completed in just over one day." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan turned to Luo Bu, fixing his gaze upon him and smiling warmly. "Luo Bu,团长, it seems now is the time for us to address the issues between us. Regardless of who may have instigated you, your actions have indeed caused significant losses to our Murong Iron Guild. That's a matter of fact." "...” Upon hearing this, cold sweat broke out on Luo Bu's face, and he couldn't wipe it away as he trembled, his complexion pale. "Our Sand Guild is ready to compensate you with approximately ten thousand gold coins. Would that be acceptable?" Xiao Yan shook his head with a smile. "Ten thousand?" "Thirty thousand?" Watching Luo Bu, who continued to shake his head with an increasingly cold expression, finally sighed in despair. "Xiao Yan, sir, please tell me exactly what you expect. With your strength, our Sand Guild has absolutely no chance to resist." "By now, Luo Bu had truly given up hope. With Xiao Yan's staggering strength, the Sand Corps simply had no room to negotiate. "Merge the Sand Corps into the Mo Tie Corps. For junior members, provide some financial compensation and remove them. Members ranked above Seven-Star Battle Users may stay on; if they are Battle Masters, their current status shall be preserved," Xiao Yan gently tapped his forearm and spoke slowly. Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was momentarily stunned, their expressions now varied. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged glances, their minds slightly stirred. If the Mo Tie Corps indeed absorbed the Sand Corps, not only would they dominate Shishuo City, but even neighboring city factions would find it difficult to compete. The growth of the Mo Tie Corps would undoubtedly accelerate dramatically. However, while the benefits of this measure are significant, the drawbacks are equally apparent. The Sand Company is inherently stronger than the Mo Iron Company. If they merge, there might arise a risk of the Sand Company overshadowing and even displacing the Mo Iron Company, potentially causing internal chaos within the latter. In that case, the outcome might prove to be counterproductive. While Xiao Ding and Xiao Li were carefully weighing the pros and cons, Luo Bu found himself growing increasingly bitter. Though he had no grand ambition to dominate, he certainly did not wish to serve under others. Moreover, his own strength far surpassed that of Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, so being asked to follow their orders naturally made him feel uneasy. "The Mo Iron Company was founded by our three brothers," said Xiao Yin, clearly sensing Luo Bu's discomfort. "Therefore, I can also be considered its commander. You two working under me—shouldn't that be a fair arrangement?" With that, Luo Bu and several nearby Dou Shi-level warriors found their expressions slightly improved. Working under a potential Dou Wang-level powerhouse, they didn't just feel they wouldn't lose face—they actually felt honored. "Luo Bu, Commander, shall we proceed with the merger, or shall I take charge of the cleanup? It's up to you to decide," said Xiao Yan, pausing briefly before adding with a warm smile, "I hope you won't let me down again." Silence lasted for a long time. Just as the smile on Xiao Yan's face began to fade, Luo Bu finally sighed, a look of weariness on his face, and looked up at Xiao Yan, saying, "If I don't agree today, I fear the Sand Mercenary Regiment will have to be disbanded immediately." Xiao Yan smiled, remaining noncommittal. "Do you think I have any other options?" Luo Bu asked, his face full of bitterness. "It seems not," Xiao Yan replied, seeing the weary expression on Luo Bu's face and knowing that his choice had been made. He shrugged slightly, then gently flipped his palm, and a small jade vial appeared in his hand. He glanced at Luo Bu and the three Battle Masters behind him, tilted the vial slightly, and poured out four red pills. With a light flick of his fingers, the pills shot into the hands of the four astonished recipients. "Don't tell me I don't believe you. Of course, if I say right now that I believe you, I'm sure you won't believe me either..." After saying something rather convoluted, Xiao Yan smiled and added, "This isn't exactly a deadly poison, but if it takes effect, I believe only Luo Bu团长 will be able to hold out a bit longer—everyone else will likely die on the spot." Turning to Luo Bu, he补充 said, "Remember, I'm saying 'a bit longer,' not that you're able to resist its toxicity." Watching the slightly stiff expressions on Luo Bu's and the others' faces, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "These are just some precautionary measures on my part. After all, I can't completely trust you yet. The antidote will be delivered in stages to my elder brother. As long as you don't pull any tricks, everything will be fine. Once you've earned my true trust, I'll be the one to help you eliminate the poison." "Seems... we have to eat it, don't we?" Holding the crimson pill in his hands, Luo Bu remained silent for a moment, sighing. He knew, deep down, that if they didn't take the pill, Xiao Yan would never believe they were truly willing to merge. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, speaking softly, "Luo Bu is a wise man—he must understand that my actions are also driven by caution." With a wry smile, Luo Bu looked steadily at Xiao Yan. Though his face still carried a faint smile, the dark eyes remained cool and detached. Under that piercing gaze, Luo Bu felt a subtle shiver run through him. He was certain that if his team refused to take the pill, their fate would not differ much from that of the several members of the Mo family earlier. Taking a deep breath, Luo Bu turned to his three subordinates, each of whom nodded in resignation with a wry smile. Finally, with a sense of relief, he swallowed the crimson pill. After all, today, at least, their lives were safe. Looking at the four members who had just taken the pills, Xiao Yan nodded slightly and slowly rose to his feet, saying, "You take charge of the merger preparations. Some of the internal complacent members need to be removed—remember, Meng Tie Guild doesn't want any useless, mere show-off types who only pretend to be powerful." After speaking, Xiao Yan turned and walked toward the hall's entrance, where Xiao Ding glanced at Luo Bu's visibly defeated expression and followed suit. "Behind me, a Battle Master smiled wistfully. "Not like this, how else? You've all seen firsthand the strength of Xiao Yan—should he decide to destroy our Sand Guild, it would be mere flip of a hand. Moreover... following a guild protected by a Battle King-level powerhouse, isn't inherently safer than before?" Luo Bu rubbed his forehead. Hearing this, the three Battle Masters exchanged weary, helpless glances. "It's a bit troublesome, but with the move you just made, I'm confident I can keep Luo Bu from making any hasty moves. As for the mercenaries transferred from the Sand Company, I don't need to worry about them—there's a way I can handle them," Xiao Ding smiled. "That's good," said Xiao Yin, relieved that Xiao Ding had no hesitation. "I'll be heading to the city where the Mo Family is based next. From here on, it's up to you." "To the Mo Family?" asked Xiao Li, frowning slightly at the news, then nodding after a moment. "Be careful—Mo Family is the established power in Yancheng, and they have a particularly strong relationship with Yunlan Sect." "Understood." Smiling and nodding, Xiao Yan waved to Hai Bo Dong beside him. Then, a subtle tremor passed through his back, and the purple cloud wings unfolded, lifting him gently into the air. He waved cheerfully to the astonished Xiao Ding and others below, before ascending alongside Hai Bo Dong. As their wings vibrated, their forms transformed into two streaks of light, swiftly vanishing against the horizon.