Vivid, pale flames exploded across the azure sky, surging outward like tidal waves, sweeping the heavens. In an instant, the temperature of the land rose dramatically. In Yancheng, countless people stared in stunned silence at the terrifying wave of fire sweeping across the sky. Even at distances of hundreds or thousands of meters, the intense heat left them drenched in sweat. The vast city fell utterly silent; everyone swallowed dryly, a wave of awe spreading from within. If the fire wave had come any closer, the city would surely have been reduced to rubble. "This is the power of a Duke-Class warrior? Truly astonishing," murmured the crowd, trembling in awe. A vibrant, jade-white wave of flame gradually spread out hundreds of meters before finally dissipating, leaving the sky and the two figures and the beast in a state of great disarray. The colossal eight-winged black serpent king, due to his immense size and proximity to the epicenter of the explosion, endured the most intense impact among the three. Within the surging wave of destructive fire, nearly half of his hard, scale-like plates were completely shattered. Crimson blood seeped continuously through the dark, lustrous body of the serpent, dripping steadily, like a steady rain. Beneath the broken scales, several visible, terrifying wounds stretched across his entire back, almost covering the entire dorsal surface. Upon close inspection, the white, bony structures beneath were clearly discernible. Eight pairs of wings—three were brutally crushed outright, one remained only half-intact, its wings bleeding profusely. The once-confident, proud triangular eyes now bore only complete shock and utter dismay, stripped of all former arrogance and composure. At a distance from the Eight-Winged Black Serpent King, a snow-white ice dome gradually cracked, fragments of ice cascading down until finally revealing the elderly figure, whose black robe had nearly been consumed by flames. At this moment, Hai Bo Dong's face was pale, with a few traces of blood still visible at his lips. He wiped the blood away casually, and without realizing it, his hands began to tremble. In the previous explosive surge, Hai Bo Dong had nearly exhausted all his strength to form over forty layers of solid, resilient qi-ice within a brief span of time. Yet, under the devastating wave of bright, silvery flame, these seemingly impregnable defenses had been almost completely obliterated—crushed as if by a gentle breeze. After the flame passed, only the final, nearly collapsing layer of qi-ice remained. "Such a madman! That madman! How dare he act so recklessly!" recalling the dire fate that would have befallen him if his defenses had shattered, Hai Bo Dong's face turned stern, his lips quivered, and his voice came out hoarse with frustration. Yet, though he vocally berated the young man, Hai Bode himself had not realized that deep within, he harbored a growing sense of fear toward the boy—no older than twenty. After a while of scolding, his gaze swept through the air, finally settling on Xiao Yan, who floated motionless in the midst of the sky, seemingly lifeless. At this moment, nearly half of the black robe covering Xiao Yan’s body had been destroyed, and the sea-heart armor gifted by Yun Zhi, which had once been so sturdy, had now cracked and shattered—fragments of pale blue armor drifted gently downward, revealing the body beneath, now slightly scorched and reddened. With a gentle flutter of his wings, Hai Bode materialized beside Xiao Yan, gazing at his pale, unconscious form. Then, his eyes briefly passed over the pale blue inner armor, and a moment of surprise flickered across his face—this armor’s defensive strength had indeed exceeded his expectations. Clearly, had it not been for this inner armor, Xiao Yan would have likely been crushed to death right on the spot by the previous terrifying explosion. "This madman—first time combining two unique flames, he dares to fuse them together. Now, look at what he's created! Even you, the owner, don't recognize it anymore. Oh well, if he dies at his own hands, that would truly be a rare occurrence." Gazing at Xiao Yan's uncertain condition, Haibo Dong shook his head with a sigh, his hand gently pressing against Xiao Yan's arm, briefly probing before shaking it slightly and exhaling. The sheer devastation he'd caused wasn't without cost—Xiao Yan's body was now nearly shattered, a state that was utterly unprecedented for this typically resilient, tenacious fellow, who had always been as tough as a cockroach. "For my Rejuvenating Purple Pill, you absolutely can't just fade away like this." Haibo Dong murmured, supporting Xiao Yan with one hand. "For heaven's sake, damn it! You're mad, aren't you? I hate fighting people like you—madmen! A bunch of rotten, useless idiots..." From afar, the Eight-Winged Black Serpent King finally regained his composure, feeling the severity of his injuries. Shaking his massive body, he raged in fury. Deep within him, he knew that had it not been for Xiao Yan's first use of that strange, ethereal Qing-Bai Fire Lotus—whose accuracy and control were still imprecise—his condition would have been far worse. He was certain that, at that moment, he would have plunged into deep, critical injury, possibly suffering a dramatic drop in strength, or even falling at the very moment. Yet, as Hai Bo Dong was preparing for battle, the Eight-Winged Black Serpent King, after shouting in fury, suddenly retracted and dared not advance any further toward Xiao Yan and his companions. After this tense standoff lasted for several minutes, the remaining wings of the Eight-Winged Black Serpent King suddenly vibrated powerfully, and then, in Hai Bo Dong's stunned gaze, turned and fled. "Damn it! This madman—well, I've finally got to admit it, I'm afraid of you now! From this on, whenever there's this madman around, I'm not coming near at all! Truly mad! Truly mad! This is a serious loss. If Green Mian doesn't increase her pay, I'll wipe out her entire territory!" The massive body of the Eight-Winged Black Serpent King sped rapidly toward the horizon, his breathless exclamations of frustration and relief echoing continuously across the sky. Staring in astonishment at the eight-winged black serpent king who had instead chosen to retreat, Hai Bo Dong blinked, then shook his head with a mixture of amusement and resignation. At this moment, if he were to battle a creature of six-star Duke Emperor strength, he likely wouldn't stand a chance—especially since he still had to protect the unconscious Xiao Yan. Seeing the eight-winged black serpent king make the decision to withdraw on his own, Hai Bo Dong felt a great relief. "Ah well, once this incident is known, even across the entire Qi Continent, you'll surely be recognized as someone special. A single move that sends the renowned eight-winged black serpent king scrambling—fleeing in fear—this is something even the old royal sage hasn't managed before." Turning to gaze at Xiao Yan, pale and unconscious, Hai Bo Dong sighed with admiration. "Ah, the terrifying Flame... that frantic young man." Once again marveling at the devastating energy that had just surged forth, Hai Bo Dong's brow furrowed as he lifted his gaze, scanning the eastern and western horizons—there, two powerful streams of energy were swiftly approaching. "Finally, they've arrived," he thought. "According to Xiao Yan's earlier account, they seem to have some lingering grievances with Yunlan Sect. For now, let's take him and get him out of here." After a brief pause, Hai Bo Dong glanced down, then grasped Xiao Yan firmly in his arms, lifting his back ice wings and propelling himself into a streak of light, swiftly heading toward the edge of the sky. As Hai Bo Dong vanished, the sky, which had just endured a thrilling battle, gradually settled into calm. Yet, this tranquility lasted only a few minutes—two streaks of light swiftly approached from both east and west, eventually coming to rest over the very spot where the battle had once unfolded. The light faded, and a elderly man and a woman stepped forward. The elder wore a simple yellow robe, his hair snow-white and youthful, exuding a sense of elegance and grace; his gaze, as he scanned the room, carried an air of dignity. The woman dressed in a golden, purple-embroidered fitted robe, her three thousand strands of dark hair coiled into the form of a phoenix in flight, radiating an undeniable nobility. Her face was serene and beautiful, like a clear spring flowing through a quiet mountain valley—so noble in bearing that one felt respectful, yet could not help but be drawn to her with a gentle admiration. Smiling and waving his hand, the elder known as Jia La surveyed the surroundings. As his gaze settled upon the colossal mountain peak shattered into fragments, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he chuckled lightly, "It seems we've missed a splendid gathering." "Earlier, there were four distinct Du Huang energies present, correct?" the woman in a brocade robe furrowed her brows. "Yes, there were two—definitely not from the Jia Ma Empire's ranks. As for the other two who fought against them, I'm not entirely sure whether they were indeed from the Jia Ma Empire. After all, with such a vast territory, some elders often remain hidden, never making an appearance until the very end." The elder smiled, but his expression gradually grew more somber. "Still, that initial energy explosion was quite astonishing. I believe, facing such an explosion, I myself would have sustained serious injuries." "It's a pity that the Jia Ma Empire has yet to produce such formidable figures again. If only we had the opportunity, I'd love to meet them." He expressed with a touch of regret. The woman in the brocade robe nodded with a smile, her beautiful eyes casually sweeping across the ground. After a moment, she suddenly murmured softly, raising her jade hand toward the ground. Instantly, a series of delicate blue metal plates shot upward and were firmly grasped in her hand. "This...?" She glanced at the somewhat familiar pale blue metal plate, her delicate features suddenly brightening as she gasped softly, "The Sea's Heart Armor?"