Hearing the sound gradually rising from the plaza, Xiao Yan's steps, which were about to descend the steps, suddenly halted. Facing away from the plaza, he took a long, deep breath, while the fist clenched gently within his sleeve. On the great tree, Hai Bo Dong's brows also furrowed at that moment, his gaze shifting toward the center of the plaza, where Yun Ling and the others' expressions seemed rather strange. "Damn it," Hai Bo Dong murmured softly, "has he—has he been recognized?" His powerful qi began to circulate subtly within him. On the plaza, as Yun Ling's voice echoed, the various eyes once again turned toward the slender figure about to step down. Nalan Yanran wiped the blood from her lips, looked at Xiao Yan's back with a complex expression, then turned to Yun Ling and the others, saying, "Grand Elder, today's competition, Yanran truly fell short." "Yanran, this isn't due to the match itself—please step back a bit for now." Yun Le waved his hand, yet his expression was surprisingly serious. Seeing Yun Le's demeanor, Nalan Yanran was momentarily taken aback, hesitated slightly, and then nodded in agreement, slowly retreating to the side with her injured body. Several disciples from the Yunlan Sect promptly rose to make room for her. "There's nothing," Hai Bo Dong said casually, shaking his head. Yet his gaze remained fixed on Xiao Yan's back. If his identity were revealed today, things would truly become troublesome. Once Yun Ling's voice had settled, the arena fell into silence, with countless questioning eyes fixed on the motionless figure. Yun Ling stared intently at the slender silhouette, his faint aura building steadily in his palms. Should Xiao Yan attempt to flee, Yun Ling would immediately intercept him. The quiet plaza felt heavy and strangely tense. Silence lasted for a while. Then, the statue-like figure stirred slightly. As the figure trembled, Yun Ling's eyes gradually narrowed, and his body leaned forward slightly, like a great eagle poised to strike at its prey. "Senior Yun, what is it?" The sudden, soft voice finally broke the quiet of the plaza, causing Yun Ling's slightly forward-leaning posture to stiffen momentarily. Countless sets of eyes shifted again, now all focused on Yun Ling. Aside from a few individuals, most of the Yunlan Sect disciples had no clear understanding of why Yun Ling had suddenly stepped forward to block Xiao Yan at this very moment. With everyone watching, Yun Ling slowly rose to his feet, his gaze sharp and intense on Xiao Yan, and said in a steady tone, "Have you, Mr. Xiao Yan, heard the news of the recent passing of our outer gate official, Mo Cheng of the Mo family, several months ago?" "Upon hearing this, murmurs immediately arose across the plaza. Mu Cheng held a respectable position within Yunlan Sect, and thanks to his exceptional interpersonal skills, his relations within the sect were generally strong. His death had indeed stirred some waves at the time, and the disciplinary team had specifically dispatched personnel to investigate in Yancheng. However, their findings were rather limited—they only learned of two exceptionally powerful, mysterious figures who had ultimately killed Mu Cheng. Yet, the Yunlan Sect itself had little to offer regarding these two enigmatic individuals. Thus, Mu Cheng's passing remained a persistent concern and sore point among several senior monks with close ties to him. Now, at this very moment, Yun Ling suddenly brought up this matter—seeming rather out of place. Did he really believe that the very individuals who had slain Mu Cheng were none other than Xiao Yan?" With that thought passing through his mind, the onlookers couldn't help but find it amusing. After all, Mo Cheng had been a Supreme Spirit Strength cultivator for many years, while Xiao Yan was merely a Grand Spirit cultivator—there was a gap between them as vast as that between heaven and earth. How could Xiao Yan possibly be involved in this matter? Ignoring the murmurs spreading across the plaza, Yun Ling fixed her gaze firmly on Xiao Yan, waiting for his response. The palm within his sleeve trembled slightly. Xiao Yan pressed his lips together, took a deep breath to calm his rapidly accelerating heartbeat, and slowly turned to face once again the vast plaza and the countless Yunlan Sect disciples. His voice, soft and gentle as a breeze, echoed throughout the plaza: "What exactly does Elder Yun mean? Do you really think I killed Mo Cheng?" "Indeed..." Cloud Ling chuckled, then pointed toward Ge Ye, his deep voice resonating clearly. "Yanran and Ge Ye were both present at Mo Cheng's birthday celebration, so they were there in person. In fact, Ge Ye personally faced off against that mysterious figure. During the encounter, he caught a glimpse of the man's face—though only a brief one, so it was somewhat blurred. It wasn't until just now that he had the confidence to confirm—that mysterious figure..." "Is you, Xiao Yan!!" Cloud Ling's eyes widened dramatically, and he roared loudly. Silence! Complete, absolute silence! The vast plaza seemed to have frozen in time. Every face had gone rigid, eyes wide and expressionless, gazing in stunned disbelief at Cloud Ling's stern, grim demeanor. The thoughts that had been flowing in their minds had, under the weight of this thunderous revelation, gradually ceased. High above on the great tree, both Fang Ma and Jia Xingtian were momentarily stunned by Yun Ling's words. Jia Xingtian had personally gone to Yancheng back then, so he knew well that the mysterious figure who had slain Mo Cheng must have been at least as strong as himself. If, as Yun Ling suggested, Xiao Yan was indeed that figure, then it meant Xiao Yan's true strength had already reached their own level—equal to theirs. A young boy, barely transitioning from adolescence into young adulthood, possessing the rank of a Battle Emperor? That was simply unimaginable, even if he had been training since birth! They exchanged glances, their brows furrowed. Though they knew Xiao Yan's identity as the mysterious killer seemed farfetched, their experience and insight far surpassed that of the Yunlan Sect disciples. Yun Ling's words, though seemingly absurd, could not have been entirely random—could he have simply made them up, or did he possess solid evidence proving that Xiao Yan was the very one who had slain Mo Cheng? If that's true, then... this young man from the Xiao family must be quite terrifyingly impressive, isn't he? Behind the still-astounded Fama and Jia Xingtian stand Nalan Jie and Mu Chen, yet even they are now frozen in disbelief—Cloud Ling's words have struck them with such force. If what he says is indeed accurate, doesn't it imply that the strength currently displayed by Xiao Yan is merely a fraction of his true potential? Amid the stillness that filled the arena, Xiao Yan lifted his head and slowly scanned the square, taking in the expressions of stunned silence on every face. After a while, his gaze settled on Nalan Yanran, whose face was filled with surprise. He suddenly offered a gentle smile and turned to Yun Ling, saying, "Senior Yun, I must express my deep regret regarding the passing of your esteemed official, Mu Cheng. However, this does not mean that you can freely slander others at will. Everyone knows that Mu Cheng was a Dou Ling-level master. The mysterious figure who defeated him did so with remarkable decisiveness and efficiency—clearly, that person's strength must be at least at the Dou Wang level. So, perhaps... you believe I possess such strength? If so, then aren't you being rather generous in your expectations? And yet, the only evidence you present is merely a statement from Ge Ye. With just that, you wish to convict me of having killed Mu Cheng? That seems rather far-fetched, doesn't it? Staring coldly at the smiling Xiao Yan, Yun Ling knew he would surely have to justify himself in this manner. In truth, if it weren't for Ge Ye's life guarantee, even he himself wouldn't have been certain that Xiao Yan was indeed the mysterious figure—after all, the two were worlds apart, how could they possibly be connected? Taking a deep breath, recalling Ge Ye's genuinely fearful expression, Yun Ling felt a bit more reassured. His gaze then shifted to Nalan Yanran, and he spoke solemnly, "Yanran, you were also present that day. Though you never saw the stranger's face, you should have noticed certain details about their posture or some distinctive features, shouldn't you?" Immediately, Yun Ling's words drew everyone's attention to the slightly pale Nalan Yanran, including Xiao Yan standing at the edge of the plaza. The sudden question startled Lan Yanran, whose mind was still a thick paste. She slowly turned her head, her gaze fixed on that composed, delicate face, then carefully swept her eyes over his body. As her gaze moved across him, every person on the plaza felt their hearts leap into their throats—though Lan Yanran's words couldn't be said to be decisive, they certainly amplified the suspicion against Xiao Yan. The atmosphere on the plaza grew still once more. After a while, Lan Yanran lowered her gaze, shook her head gently, and said, "The mysterious figure that day wore a broad robe, concealing his true form, so I was unable to identify his identity." Hearing this, Xiao Yan exhaled a quiet relief, while Yun Ling and the others' faces grew slightly pale. "By the way, I remember now—when that mysterious figure killed Mo Cheng, he had unleashed an exceptionally terrifying white flame!" The voice, slightly sharp, suddenly burst forth from Ge Ye's flushed face. Upon hearing Ge Ye's exclamation, Fang Ma, Jia Xing Tian, Na Lan Jie, and the others instantly grew pale, suddenly recalling that during the Pharmacist Grand Assembly, Xiao Yan had also employed a highly mysterious white flame! A wave of astonishment now washed over them. Xiao Yan's expression grew steadily somber.