In the spacious hall, the atmosphere was utterly silent, so quiet that the cries of pain heard from outside seemed to echo through the stillness. Every member of the Xiao family clutched their fists tightly, their faces glowing with a sense of relief and satisfaction. The series of upheavals that had befallen the family in recent days had filled them with growing resentment. Now, with Xiao Yan's return, the family—on the brink of collapse—had finally been lifted back to its feet. The accumulated grievances from the past few days began to fade, gently dissolving as the cries from outside gradually subsided. Xiao Yan slowly stood up from his seat and turned, offering a gentle smile. Gazing at the smile—so different from the stern, commanding expression he had previously displayed—the Senior Elder was momentarily taken aback, then nodded with a warm smile, "Now, in this family, your words will carry the authority of the Clan Head." "Father won't agree with that at all..." Xiao Yan chuckled, shaking his head playfully. With a light flick of his fingers, a dozen small jade vials appeared on the table. "Here are some healing remedies for internal injuries—let's have the injured clan members take them first." At this, the Senior Elder quickly nodded, raised his hand, and two clan members hurried forward to take the vials, then distributed them one by one. Watching the members who had taken the healing potions, Xiao Yan grasped the Xuan Zhong Chi, casually tucked it behind his back, and then walked toward the hall's entrance. "Click—" As he opened the door, sunlight poured in, washing out the previously dim and shadowed atmosphere of the hall. Stepping out of the gate, Xiao Yan stood at the entrance, scanning the surroundings. The scene of scattered corpses was absent; under the sunlight, only the Queen of Medusa was seen lounging lazily against a willow tree, her delicate hands casually twirling green leaves. Her graceful silhouette, gently rippling on the ground, was especially alluring. Upon noticing Xiao Yan's arrival, the Queen raised her head, glanced at him briefly, and said softly, "All the bodies are gone—none remain. As for that eight-kingdom magic needle fruit, it's mine." "Indeed, she is quite ruthless," Xiao Yan murmured, nodding in approval, then turned to gaze at the Xiao family members who had followed behind him. They were now staring in astonishment at the now-empty grounds, though even the fiery-tempered Third Elder dared not step forward to inquire, intimidated by the queen's imposing presence. "In the future, there will be no more families of Jiale or Obata in Wutan City." Xiao Yan's voice eased the breath of the Xiao family members. "By the way," suddenly remembering something, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows and said seriously, "Grand Elder, where are the other family members? The Xiao family seems to have more than just these few, doesn't it?" "Don't worry," chuckled the Grand Elder, shaking his head, "If the Xiao family had dwindled down to just these few, then what would I have left to face my ancestors?" He explained, "I anticipated that some would take advantage of the current situation, so I've already arranged the family members to the back mountain of the clan. There, a number of capable family members are guarding them." Hearing this, Xiao Yan finally relaxed, turning to see a small head pushing through the crowd. The delicate little girl with a neat braid was now gazing at Xiao Yan with eyes full of admiration, as if stars were shining in them. "Little one," Xiao Yan smiled and waved, "Go to the back mountain and gather all the family members. Your cousin has returned—the Xiao family is safe now." Hearing Xiao Yan's instructions, Xiao Qing quickly pushed through the crowd, responded with a bright, clear voice, and then jumped and cheered off toward the back of the Xiao family compound, her cheerful "xixi" laughter echoing along the way. The boy she had always believed to be invincible had not let her down—within less than an hour, he had completely resolved even the challenge that had stumped even the family elders. "Speaking, he turned first and walked into the hall. The second and third elders exchanged glances, their faces darkened, and followed closely behind. Observing the three of them, Xiao Yan's fingers trembled slightly as he lifted his foot and stepped after them. Upon re-entering the hall, the somewhat disheveled space had already been swiftly cleaned by the Xiao family members. The four of them took their seats in turn, and the attendants hurried to serve hot tea. Holding the teacups in both hands, feeling the warmth seeping into his body, he glanced at the solemn-faced senior elder and softly said, "Go on, what's happened?" The senior elder nodded, about to speak, but then closed his mouth, his gaze fixed on the chair beside Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan slightly turned his head in response, only to find that the Queen Medusa had already settled there, her expression now calm and composed. "Don't worry about her—just speak," Xiao Yan said, shaking his head. With a smile, the Senior Elder nodded, remained silent for a while, then sighed, "Since you left Utan City, the Xiao family has steadily strengthened its influence there, leveraging the large stock of healing medicines you left behind. Although the Jialei and Obawa families once attempted to collaborate and suppress us, thanks to Lady Yafeng's steadfast support, we have managed to withstand each challenge. However, over the past two years, the substantial profits the Xiao family has earned from the healing medicines have intensified the conflict with both the Jialei and Obawa families. By the three months before your return, they finally resorted to military action. Fortunately, the Xiao family's strength has grown significantly in recent years, and even when the two families combined their forces, they have not achieved significant gains in terms of military pressure..." "Just three days ago, the Xiao family suffered its most devastating blow." His eyes flickered as Xiao Yan slowly sipped at his tea. "It was deep night, precisely when the Xiao family's defenses were at their weakest. Three mysterious figures in black robes, completely unexpected, suddenly descended from the sky. Though they didn't actively attack anyone, their actions left the Xiao family in ruins. Their disruption sent shockwaves throughout the entire clan. The clan head was furious and led us, the more capable members of the Xiao family, to attempt to halt them. Yet, their strength—how formidable it was—surpassed our expectations. Against the leading figure in black robes, we had barely managed to exchange a single move before we were severely injured. We all knew he had spared us. Otherwise, with that single move, none of us would have survived." The senior elder's body slightly trembled as he looked down. "Crack…" A crisp sound suddenly erupted, and the senior elders quickly looked up to see Xiao Yan's face suddenly turn pale. In his hands, the teacup had been crushed into powder, which mixed with the tea and dripped steadily through his fingers. "Where is Father?" Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on the three elders, breathing rapidly and his voice slightly hoarse. A fierce aura suddenly surged forth throughout the hall, causing the table beside it to collapse with a thunderous crash. The members of the clan who had been bustling about clearing the hall froze, all staring in stunned silence at Xiao Yan, whose face was now grim and fierce. "Have you any news regarding those three mysterious figures?" Xiao Yan's voice, enveloped in a blazing jade-colored flame, sounded as though it had emerged from the depths of the Nine Tombs—icy, yet laced with an intense, unrelenting rage. "No..." The Senior Elder gritted his teeth, struggling against the searing heat pressing upon him, and shook his head with a pained expression. "Though we don't yet know the exact condition of the Clan Head, we can confirm that he is at least safe—no immediate life threat." Suddenly, the Elder carefully withdrew an ancient box from his sleeve, opened it, and revealed a jade slab of a vibrant green hue inside. At the center of the slab, a luminous dot was slowly gliding, as if endowed with a living spirit. With careful hands, the Senior Elder examined the jade fragment thoroughly from head to toe, then exhaled a sigh of relief and murmured, "This jade fragment was passed down by the ancestors of the Xiao family. Each family head will leave a portion of their spiritual essence within it. Once the head of the family passes away, the drifting light spot will gradually fade. Since the current spiritual light left by the head of the family remains strong and vibrant, I believe he is far from in any immediate danger of death." The Elder's words calmed the storm of rage that was about to erupt within Xiao Yan. Receiving the jade fragment from the Elder, he gently traced its surface. "Can it tell me where my father currently is?" Xiao Yan asked, his voice cold and sharp. "Not exactly," the Elder chuckled, shaking his head. Xiao Yan drew in a deep breath of cool air, slowly closing his eyes filled with murderous intent, as the fierce rage within him strained against the edge of his waning reason. "There are traces of energy left behind by members of Yunlan Sect within the bodies of these three." The Queen of Medusa, sitting quietly by, suddenly glanced at Xiao Yan with a faint, composed gaze, saying, "He bears a striking resemblance to the Senior Monastery Elder of Yunlan Sect..." Her tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and a cold, decisive aura—so potent that even the Queen of Medusa could not help but be struck by it—began to seep out from within Xiao Yan. He slightly raised his head, and the previously delicate features of his face were now etched with fury and wild intensity. "Tonight, he must die! Whoever stands in his way—shall also die!"