With the arrival of that graceful figure, the square fell into a brief moment of stillness. After a while, it was first broken by a startled exclamation: "Queen Medusa?" The mere few words sent a shiver through every person present. This name was well known to most of the people of the Gamma Empire—the cold, resolute, and ruthlessly capable woman who had personally defeated countless renowned warriors during past wars against the Empire. Only a handful of individuals in the Empire possessed the strength to match her. This woman, wielding a tenacity no less fierce than that of the empire's iron-willed monarchs, had established such dominance over several neighboring empires in the Togor Great Desert that they dared not initiate conflict without great hesitation. To many, she was simply feared. Above, the sea wave Dong, who had previously been grave-faced, was now completely filled with fear. Though he could remain composed before Yunshan, he had always struggled to conceal his deep apprehension before the Queen of Medusa. The battle in the desert remained a source of lingering anxiety ever since. The very seal that had granted him decades of peaceful seclusion—his life as a reclusive figure—had made him regard the Queen of Medusa as both a serpent and a scorpion. Amidst his fear, he suddenly shivered. The intense beam of light earlier clearly revealed the seven-colored great serpent as the embodiment of the Queen of Medusa. And now, recalling that he had spent an unknown length of time in her presence without ever realizing it, Dong felt a coldness spread across his back. "Xiao Yan? With the Queen of Medusa by his side, he hasn't told me a word! Damn it—does he really intend to kill me?" he muttered, slightly exasperated. "Hmm, Queen Medusa... This young one truly is the one the lady admired. Though his strength isn't particularly outstanding, his protective allies are more than exceptional—each one more remarkable than the last. This journey to Yunlan Sect—without even my assistance, I'm certain he'll manage to make it through smoothly." Ling Yin admired and shook his head, equally astonished by the sudden appearance of the Queen Medusa. On the great tree, Jia Xingtian and Fama also now looked exceedingly serious. They exchanged glances, took deep breaths, yet could find no words—this blow was simply too profound. "Queen Medusa... Didn't she fail during her promotion attempt?" Gǔhé stared at the stunning woman, his gaze slowly drifting to Xiao Yan beside her, his brows slightly furrowed as he murmured, "It seems we didn't fail—we were simply taken under Xiao Yan's quiet, unnoticed watch after our promotion. This fellow... truly is bold beyond belief. As for this woman, when she kills someone, it's not much more difficult than slaughtering a chicken. Fortunately, he's managed to survive this long." Li Lin sighed, now clearly seeing that Xiao Yan's strength had surpassed even the younger generation—those of the elder ranks could only look on in awe. Beside Gǔhé, Nàlán Jié and Mùchén and the others exchanged glances, each silent, unable to speak a word in the face of the formidable reputation of the Queen of Medusa. Xiao Yan subtly shifted his position, his throat rolling slightly, and glanced back at the beautiful woman behind him. Though he had seen her many times before, he still found himself quietly praising her beauty once again. Now, the Queen of Medusa stood before him, clad only in a soft lavender silk robe that draped gently over her form. Her long, silvery hair flowed down her shoulders, cascading like a waterfall to her full, swaying hips, where it finally settled. Her curvaceous figure—forward-tilted and gracefully arched—radiated a warm, intoxicating charm, reminiscent of a perfectly ripe peach, constantly sending waves of heat through the air. As his gaze shifted downward, Xiang Yan was momentarily struck by surprise: the Queen’s once-serpentine tail had, without any apparent notice, transformed into two long, slender, fair human legs. Her delicate, snow-white feet hovered just half an inch above the ground, pristine and untouched by dust. Her slender, jade-fingered hand gracefully lightly tapped, and the spreading energy ripples naturally dissipated. Queen Medusa advanced one step, aligning herself parallel to Xiao Yan, her strangely alluring gaze sweeping over Yun Shan. With a faint tone, she said, "I didn't expect you to truly break through the Duke-level barrier and reach the Master-level rank." "You too have successfully evolved," Yun Shan smiled, glancing at Xiao Yan. "But I must admit, I find it quite surprising—given your nature, you'd actually go out of your way to assist a human." "If you hadn't moved the Heaven-Eating Python, I wouldn't have come. His life or death isn't particularly important to me," the Queen glanced at Xiao Yan softly. Xiao Yan spread his hands, gripping the handle of the Xuan Zhong Chi firmly. His internal qi surged rapidly, always ready to retreat at the slightest sign of movement from the Queen—his deep sense of caution toward this enigmatic woman remained unchanged. "So now that you've come out, what do you intend to do?" The long white hair of Yunshan swayed gently in the clear breeze, as if casually inquiring. "Take him," the Queen of Medusa said, playing with her slender jade fingers, speaking with quiet ease. "I could leave your great serpent form unmoved..." Yunshan furrowed his brow, for after their earlier lightning duel, he was well aware that the current Queen of Medusa was no weaker than himself—should a full-scale battle unfold, the outcome would truly be uncertain. "If I don't take him, that young one will immediately grow restless. I was able to emerge from his suppression precisely because of his crisis—only then did he loosen his grip on me," the Queen murmured, gently rubbing her smooth forehead. A faint sense of resignation lingered in her expression, clearly indicating that she had not been eager to come to save Xiao Yan. Yunshan, though, understood her somewhat enigmatic words well, and his forehead lines deepened further. He slowly scanned the surroundings, his face shifting in expression, as though pondering something deeply. On the plaza, as Yun Shan grew silent, the atmosphere also settled into quiet, leaving others without the qualification to interrupt the conversation between these two elite strongholds. Rubbing his hands, Yun Ling glanced at Yun Shan, who now seemed increasingly hesitant, and felt a growing sense of urgency. Naturally, he didn't want to have exerted so much effort only to see Xiao Yan depart smoothly from Yunlan Sect. Gently touching the severe wound on his head—though now covered with a blood clot—the intense pain still circled his mind, fueling Yun Ling's anger with each passing moment. "Senior Master," he exclaimed, his voice rising with both fury and pain, "if we allow Xiao Yan to leave this way, it will surely tarnish the reputation of our Yunlan Sect!" The mounting pain and rage gradually eroded his composure until, at last, he could no longer contain himself and shouted out. "Hush..." With a slight frown, the elegant brows of Yun Hua narrowed. The Queen of Medusa turned her gaze upon Yun Ling, her alluring eyes shining with an otherworldly radiance. Gazing at the strange radiance in the Queen Medusa's eyes, Yun Ling suddenly felt a sharp sense of unease. Just as she intended to retreat urgently, her head spun violently, and when she looked down, she was horrified to see gray-white rock layers spreading up from her feet. "Stop!" The voice rang out sharply, and Yun Shan materialized beside Yun Ling, planting a powerful kick on her wrist. The force surged through, shattering the spreading rock into a fine powder. With the rock now dispersed, Yun Ling finally broke free from the hold, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead. She hurried back several steps, taking shelter behind Yun Shan, silent and motionless. "Take him away," Yun Shan exhaled gently, fixing his gaze on the Queen Medusa. Then, with a sudden motion, he spoke firmly. Hearing Yunshan's words, countless sighs of relief erupted across the plaza. The current situation had indeed grown quite significant—everyone had hoped it would conclude swiftly. If it continued to escalate, it was uncertain how many more powerful figures would be drawn into the matter. Inhaling deeply, Xiao Yan bowed slightly to Yun Shan and smiled gently. "Let's go." With a wave of his hand, Yun Shan's expression grew slightly displeased. Queen Medusa glanced at Xiao Yan, said nothing, and turned to walk toward the stone staircase outside the plaza. Xiao Yan, holding his Xuan Zhong Chi, stepped back a few paces from Yun Shan and the others, then glanced at Na Lan Yanran in the crowd, noticing that she had just returned his complex gaze. Their eyes met—two completely different emotions from when they first met. After withdrawing his gaze, Xiao Yan lowered his eyelids and, under the weight of countless stares, turned to follow Queen Medusa. In the sky, Hai Bo Dong watched Queen Medusa for a long time, his expression shifting between gloomy and composed, before finally flapping his wings and hovering high above, refusing to descend. Under the gaze of all at the Cloud岚 Sect, the silhouettes of Xiao Yan and the Queen of Medusa slowly vanished into the endless stone staircase shrouded in mist. "Ah... Finally, it's over..." The various strong contenders perched upon the great trees exhaled deeply, exchanged weary smiles. Who could have imagined that a mere match between two young disciples would culminate in such a formidable array, one that left them all awestruck? "Ladies and gentlemen, let us conclude today's affair here. I apologize for having presented such a rather trivial spectacle for all of you." Cloud Mountain raised his head and surveyed the gathering with a gentle smile. "Haha, Cloud Mountain Master is being overly modest. Since the matter has been settled, we shall not linger any longer. We will certainly visit the Cloud岚 Sect again when we have the opportunity." The people on the tree branches naturally picked up the clear signals of dismissal in Yunshan's dialect. Realizing that staying any longer would be inappropriate in such a setting, they all politely exchanged a few words before bidding farewell, gathering their retinues and swiftly descending from the branches, gliding toward the foot of the mountain. "Master Elder, are we really going to let Xiao Yan leave without a struggle? He's turned our Yunlan Sect into this mess..." Cloud Ling, gazing at the departing figures, cast a look of lingering resentment toward where Xiao Yan had vanished, and finally couldn't hold back his words. "What else do you expect me to do?" Yunshan calmly glanced at him. "Even I haven't been able to defeat the Medusa Queen. With two more Douhuang-level warriors on her side, what kind of cost would it take to hold Xiao Yan here?" Clenching his teeth, Cloud Ling said, "Today's events clearly show that Xiao Yan has not given our Yunlan Sect the respect we deserve. If we don't seize the opportunity to mend the situation, what will become of us when this story spreads? Won't that be a source of ridicule?" Frowning slightly, Yun Shan said, "What do you intend to do?" "Looking at the support behind Xiao Yan today, I'm certain that Mo Cheng's death is directly tied to him. Since he refuses to stay at Yunlan Sect, perhaps we can go to Wutan City and 'invite' his father there..." Yun Ling spoke softly. "Stupid!" Yun Shan's face darkened, and he quietly scolded, "I truly think you've grown old and foolish. You know there are many supporters behind Xiao Yan—so why risk offending him over one person, Mo Cheng? Is it worth it? This matter is settled now. Never mention it again!" With that, Yun Shan waved his sleeve and turned toward the center of the square, beginning to assign people to clean up the aftermath. Watching Yun Ling's face turn from pale to ashen as Yun Shan walked away, his hand slowly tracing the terrifying wound on his head, the old man's stern features grew even more fierce. With eyes fixed on where Xiao Yan had disappeared, a deep resentment and cold malice filled his gaze. Not long after the conclusion of the scene on the ground, a sudden gust of wind roared across the sky, and then, abruptly, a graceful and elegant figure materialized above the plaza. Her gaze swept over the scattered wreckage, and her delicate features instantly darkened with concern. "Master..." At the scene, Lan Yanran was the first to notice the regal woman descending slowly from the sky. She was momentarily stunned, her eyes glistening with emotion, and quickly rushed forward, colliding into the woman's arms. Overflowing with sorrow, she began to weep softly. "Master! Master has returned!" On the plaza, upon seeing the woman in her moon-colored robe, all the Yunlan Sect disciples fell to their knees in excitement and reverence. "All right, all right, Yanran, don't cry anymore. Tell Master what happened.