The dark night sky was streaked with two flashes of light, like meteors. Nalan Jie and Mitel Tengshan remained motionless, their expressions as still as water, their eyes fixed steadily on the distant northwest—where, seemingly, the imperial royal gardens of the capital usually so secluded, had suddenly come alive with two powerful Duohuang-level warriors. Of course, though surprised, the two were no ordinary younglings like those from Mu Zhan. With their broad experience and keen insight, they remained composed. Though currently, wings extended behind Xiao Yan, his aura still hovered at the level of a Battle Seer. "Old man," said Teng Shan, slowing his pace as he gazed at Xiao Yan swiftly approaching, "do you still remember a now-lost battle technique we once discussed?" "You mean the one involving flight?" Nalan Jie blinked, then nodded in understanding. "Indeed," Teng Shan continued, "I didn't expect Rock Hawk to possess such deep roots—having secured even that now-forgotten flight technique. Clearly, his mentor or his supporting network must be quite powerful." Nalan Jie nodded slightly, his growing regard for Xiao Yan deepening once again. "Both of you elders, with such a slow pace, we might just miss the battle by the time we get there." With a single flap of his wings, Xiao Yan appeared behind the two elders, smiling. "Heh, Yan Xiao, you always surprise me. This flying technique is so rare—how you managed to acquire it is truly remarkable. I must say, quite impressive." Teng Shan chuckled. Upon hearing Teng Shan immediately reveal the origin of the wings on his back, Xiao Yan was momentarily surprised, then at ease. After all, these seasoned elders had lived half a lifetime, and their experiences and observations far surpassed his own. It was entirely natural that they would recognize such a rare technique at once. "It's just a matter of good fortune, nothing more," Xiao Yan smiled, then nodded toward the northwest direction. "Come, let's go." With that, he gently flapped his wings and stepped forward. "Heh, excellent." Nalan and Jie smiled and nodded in agreement, their dual wings vibrating as they closely followed behind Xiao Yan. Not long after Xiao Yan and his companions vanished into the night sky, Li Wu and the others emerged from the distance, somewhat out of breath, gazing at the three faint streaks of light fading on the horizon. They shook their heads in resignation—indeed, the speed afforded by their wings was truly beyond reach. "Heard the conversation between the two, the dry skin of Nalan Jie couldn't help but twitch. After a moment, he finally couldn't hold back and asked Mitel Tengshan, 'Old man, do you know one of those Du Phong-level presences?' Upon hearing this, Mitel Tengshan beamed with pride and spoke in a mysterious tone, 'Hehe, you'll find out soon enough...' Then he smiled at Xiao Yan, and the two of them surged forward with renewed speed, heading toward the location where the aura had just erupted. Nalan Jie stared at the two ahead, his brows furrowed, murmuring, 'What's going on with this guy? Does he really know the owner of that aura?' After murmuring in confusion several times without any resolution, Nalan Jie shook his head in resignation and flapped his wings, quickly catching up behind." ... As they gradually approached the location where the surge of energy would erupt, Xiao Yan and his two companions also began to slow down. They exchanged glances, and finally came to a halt in the sky just outside the vast sanctuary, their faces serious as they gazed intently at the two massive luminous orbs at the center of the sanctuary. Unlike the white light sphere, the yellow one exuded a solid, earthy sense of stability and weight. Though the white light sphere's attacks were exceptionally fierce, they were all effortlessly deflected by him. The seamless, unimpeded movement of the yellow sphere clearly indicated that the white light's assaults posed little real threat. "Hehe... I still have quite a while ahead of me... not so easily going to fall." The elderly voice, emanating from the yellow light sphere, spoke calmly, yet the words, though serene, carried a noticeable weight that Xu Xiao and his companions easily sensed. "Hmph, don't you believe that yourself?" "Ice Emperor?" Hearing this once-renowned title from the former glory of the Jima Empire, Nalan Jie was momentarily stunned, then suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring in disbelief at Mitel Tengshan, who was smiling with pride, and exclaimed, "Ice Emperor? Wasn't that Hai Bo Dong? He's actually still alive?" "Hehe, Hai old man wouldn't fall so easily—only he's been living in seclusion outside the capital for over forty years," Mitel Tengshan said with a cheerful smile, finding great satisfaction in Nalan Jie's visibly astonished expression. Hearing Mitel Tengshan's statement that did not deny the matter, Nalan Jie's expression immediately grew stormy. He naturally knew well the longstanding ties between Haibo Dong and the Mitel family. When the Mitel family's patriarchal position had remained vacant for an extended period, it was he who had shoulders the weight of this historically significant lineage, and under his stewardship, the family had not declined despite being leaderless for so long. The three major families of the current empire are now nearly equal in strength—this, however, is excluding the influence of Hai Bo Dong. A single warrior at the Duke of the Realm level can instantly multiply a family's strength by several times. With a Duke-level warrior at its core, the Miter family will not only easily surpass the other two families, but even the Gamma royal house may find itself genuinely alarmed by its rising power. Indeed, during the last transition of power in the Gamma Empire, the royal house itself had been one of the dominant, powerhouse families of the previous reign, so it has always maintained a quiet but vigilant watch over the country's other major families. "This situation is becoming quite troublesome," murmured Nalan Jie, sighing as he once again turned his gaze toward the cemetery. Though the matter was complex, Nalan Jie did not appear overly concerned. With policies at the top and corresponding strategies at the bottom, even though Hai Bo Dong has returned to the Miter family, Nalan's family enjoys particularly strong ties with Yunlan Sect due to Nalan Yanran. Should any conflicts arise, it is unlikely that Hai Bo Dong would deliberately antagonize either the Nalan family or Yunlan Sect. And Midel Tengshan likewise understood this situation, so he could only display his satisfaction on the surface—truly speaking, he still lacked the courage to take any decisive action against the Nalan family. "From their conversation, the one within the yellow light sphere must be the royal elder, Jia老, isn't he?" Nalan Jie mused. "Yes, aside from him, no one in the capital could speak to Ha老 with such ease." Midel Tengshan nodded with a smile. "So all along, it's just a matter of mutual refinement—what a relief! I was genuinely worried all along." Observing that there had been no unexpected fierce struggle, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief and offered a somewhat helpless chuckle. "By the way, have you met Ha老 before, Rock-Jiao?" Nalan Jie asked, noticing Xiao Yan's expression. "Heh, Ha老's return is actually thanks to Rock-Jiao's efforts. So, Rock-Jiao is also a benefactor of my Midel family." By the side, Mitel Tengshan smiled warmly and took up the conversation, deliberately emphasizing the close relationship between Xiao Yan and the Mitel family. Upon hearing this, Nalan Jie's face slightly tightened, but soon he regained composure, nodded in agreement, and smiled gently, his gaze fixed on Xiao Yan, growing increasingly intrigued—how could this young man have such access to even a Supreme Emperor-level warrior? The battle within the garden was nearing its conclusion as the others, including Mu Zhan and his companions, arrived breathless at the garden's edge, leaping with the agility of monkeys to the tips of towering trees, gazing up in admiration at the three figures suspended in midair, then turning their attention toward the garden itself. "That aura... it seems to be from my grandfather," the young princess murmured, frowning at the cluster of golden light. "And who is the other one? In the entire Jiaema Empire, Supreme Emperor-level warriors are rare, and among those near the capital, there seems to be only Yun Yun, the head of the Yun Clan, right?" Mu Zhan furrowed his brow. "That person isn't Master..." Nalan Yanran took several deep breaths, shook her head, and said. "Then who could it be?" Everyone stared at each other, utterly puzzled—how could a contender of such caliber simply appear out of nowhere? "Boom..." Within the Yulan Garden, two beams of light collided once again with tremendous force. In this fierce impact, the white light clearly suffered, retreating a considerable distance before finally halting. "Well, then, I'll just withdraw. Right now, you truly are beyond my reach..." Sea Bo Dong, within the white light, sighed and acknowledged defeat with a sense of resignation. "Heh, Old Ice, your strength has truly declined this time..." The yellow light trembled slightly, gradually dimming, until a plain white-haired elder in simple hemp robes emerged. He smiled warmly at Sea Bo Dong, whose own aura had also settled, and said. Hai Bopo flicked his eyes, rolled them, and said with a sniff, "After a while, my strength will naturally recover—there's no need for you to worry. Also, you can set aside your concerns. This time, I have no intention of continuing to manage the Mitel family; the younger generation will handle things on their own." "Ah, we're both getting old now. Why bother with all those troublesome matters? Why not simply enjoy tea, stroll around, and savor the simple pleasures?" Hearing this, the elderly man in the hemp robe smiled gently, his face softening. "Hmph. Don't think I haven't noticed what you're worried about," Hai Bopo said coldly. Smiling lightly, the elderly man didn't seem particularly concerned, and turned his gaze toward the group of travelers beyond the garden, saying, "It seems we've stirred up quite a few people tonight, haven't we?" His eyes swept over the group, finally settling on the shy young princess, who was hiding behind everyone else. He paused, then shook his head with a mixture of surprise and resignation. "Ah, Jia, it's been several years now, and you're even more vigorous than ever As the elderly man in the coarse robe looked their way, Mitel Tengshan and Nalan Jie both hurriedly bowed. "I didn't expect to disturb you both as well. Truly sorry—getting older, I'm becoming more and more capricious..." the elderly man smiled and nodded. "Master Jia is just joking," Nalan Jie and Mitel Tengshan quickly replied, bowing in apology. Master Jia, the elderly man in the coarse robe, glanced over them, finally settling his gaze on Xiao Yan. His cloudy eyes swept over the pair of wings behind him, and he paused, surprised, saying, "Hm? Flight Technique? Is this the one? This young fellow?" "Master, I'm Xiao Yan, and I'd like to introduce myself to Master Jia," Xiao Yan bowed slightly and smiled gently. "Hmm, quite impressive—such a rare technique at his age. Clearly, this young man is no ordinary one," Master Jia said warmly. "Hey, you came too?" A flash of white light, and Haibo Dong appeared before Xiao Yan, smiling at him. "You've been missing for two days, and I thought you'd actually fled!" Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. "Heh, how could that be? I was just caught by this old monster, who was worried I'd cause some disruption to the empire's stability. So he pulled me aside and gave me a good lecture." Hai Bo Dong chuckled with a mocking tone. "You really are something," Xiao Yan muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "Master Ice, this young man is one of your disciples, isn't he? Seems to have quite a promising talent." With a sharp, observant gaze, the elder looked at Xiao Yan, noting the tone of conversation between them, and smiled, asking. At the sound of the elder's words, not only did Mu Zhan and the others instantly lean in, but even Nalan Jie quietly turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan, equally curious about the nature of the relationship between Xiao Yan and the former Ice Emperor. Hearing the elder's question, Hai Bo Dong was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter as he patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder—his words, however, left everyone, including the elder, utterly astonished. "My disciple?"