A cold, thunderous roar swept across the mountains. Within the Yunlan Sect, every disciple raised their heads, fixing their gaze upon the azure sky where two figures stood suspended in the air—fierce, lethal intent radiating forth from the black-robed young man leading the charge. "Xiao Yan? How has he come again?" As keen-eyed disciples recognized the impassive face of the young man, waves of exclamations erupted throughout the sect. This very youth, who once had stirred chaos throughout the Yunlan Sect, had become an indelible name in every disciple's memory. Xiao Yan's cold gaze slowly swept across the various plazas beneath, finally settling upon a grand hall. There, a beam of white light suddenly surged with fury, blasting upward and hovering in the sky, where a furious roar echoed throughout the heavens: "Xiao Yan! How dare you be so impolite? Are you truly seeking your death?" "Staring intently at the floating figure in the sky, Yun Ling's face was as pale as paper. Xiao Yan suddenly drew out the Xuanzhong Chi from behind his back, pointing it directly at the figure with a cold voice: "Old fool! Even if Yunshan protects you today, I'll have your life!" Several streaks of white light flashed across the sky, and suddenly, several figures materialized in the heavens, scattered and arranged in a graceful formation. At the center stood a woman dressed in a moon-white robe, her robe's edges gently swaying with the breeze. Her long hair was coiled into the shape of a phoenix, accentuating her beautiful face—elegant, yet radiating an undeniable dignity and authority. In the quiet air, two voices of astonishment, tinged with bewilderment, suddenly emerged from Xiao Yan and the Cloud Lane Sect's master, Yun Yun. As the words escaped their lips, both paused, gazing around them with a sense of realization—seemingly sensing something unspoken. Their expressions now subtly shifted. "Yunzhi..." Staring intently at the slightly flushed, composed face, Xiao Yan finally took a deep breath, his heart unexpectedly growing cold despite his efforts to remain calm. A tremor of anger ran through his voice: "Perhaps it's better to call you Yun Yun, the master of the Cloud Lane Sect?" "You...?" The steady, authoritative gaze from earlier now flickered with uncertainty and slight disarray. Yun Yun smiled faintly, a touch of embarrassment in her tone. "You never imagined that the Xiao Yan mentioned by Yan Yan would be you, did you?" "Yun'er, have you known Xiao Yan before?" "Hearing these somewhat incoherent remarks from the two, the others around them, including Yun Ling, were momentarily stunned, exchanging puzzled glances. Yun Shan frowned slightly and couldn't help but interject. "Ah... I've had a few meetings with him, though he has also concealed his true name, so..." Yun Yun's gaze slightly avoided the others, speaking softly. Upon hearing Yun Yun's words, Xiao Yan's heart gradually grew colder. With a self-deprecating shake of his head, he looked up and offered a gentle smile, "Master Yun Yun, esteemed as the Grand Master of Yunlan Sect, how could I, a mere unknown youth, possibly have known her? The person I know is named Yun Zhi—not Yun Yun at all." With her delicate teeth clenched tightly against her full lips, Yun Yun fixed her gaze on the young face, radiating self-mockery. Her words stirred a subtle ache within her heart. Her hand, concealed within her sleeve, tightened with growing force—so much so that the bones of her fingers began to whiten. His gaze swept back and forth between Xiao Yan and Yun Yun, and Yun Shan's brow furrowed even deeper. He could feel that there must be something going on between the two of them. "His expression slightly changed. Yun Shan gave a sharp glance to Yun Ling and said solemnly, 'Yun Ling's actions this time were merely driven by impulse. Moreover, he hasn't caused too much damage to your Xiao family. The things he damaged—we, the Yunlan Sect, will send people to compensate you. That's settled. If you've come about this matter, then you may now leave.' "Heard this, several figures in the sky exchanged subtle expressions of surprise. Yun Shan and Yun Yun both looked visibly displeased—they hadn't expected Yun Lei and Yun Ling to hold back so much." "This matter truly is beyond Yun Ling's tolerance. What compensation would you like? The Yun Lan Sect will do its best to accommodate." Yun Shan spoke seriously. This time, perhaps due to the sect's own sense of being at a disadvantage, his tone had softened slightly. "Compensation? You *always* talk about compensation!" roared the thunderous fury from the stern face of Xiao Yan. Hearing this direct and unyielding outburst of anger, every member of the Yun Lan Sect—including Yun Shan himself—felt a moment of dizziness. For someone of his stature, how many times had he ever been spoken to with such disrespect in all these years? As the dizziness passed, a wave of rising anger surged through him, and Yun Shan's expression grew increasingly grave. "That old dog, Yun Ling, chased my father out of the Xiao family and has never returned since—his fate remains unknown. If you don't give me an answer today, I'll stake my life on it to utterly devastate your Yunlan Sect!" Originally, Xiao Zhan's disappearance had filled Xiao Yan with fury and rage. Now, upon discovering Yun Chi's true identity, his irritation had only deepened. With Yun Shan's endless babbling, Xiao Yan's simmering rage finally erupted like a volcanic eruption. "Your father? Yun Ling never mentioned that he injured your father, did he?" Cloud Yun couldn't help but remark, watching Xiao Yan storming about. "Then your point is that the facts we witnessed—hundreds of members of our Xiao family—can be fabricated? To draw away Yun Ling's three old dogs, my father single-handedly escaped from Wutan City, while Yun Ling's trio pursued him all the way. Since then, my father has never returned. This account—I won't settle it with your Yunlan Sect. Who else shall I turn to? Who else?" "You're telling me that?" Xiao Yan roared at Yun Yin, his face contorted with fury. For all these years, this was the first time he'd been spoken to with such passionate anger. One would have expected Yun Yin to be instantly incensed, yet for some reason, she felt no anger toward this person at all. With her delicate teeth biting into her full lips, she finally turned her gaze to Yun Ling, her eyes blazing with indignation, and demanded, "Yun Ling, explain what happened clearly. Otherwise, I have the right to temporarily remove you from your position as Senior Elder!" "You're lying—so at least come up with a decent excuse!" "I don't know what to say, but the facts are exactly as I've stated. If Master Yun doesn't believe me, he can ask Yun Lei and Yun Shan—they saw it firsthand. I swear to you, this is true, not a single word of fiction." Yun Ling sighed, a wry smile on his face. Yun Yun and Yun Shan exchanged glances, their brows furrowed. Even if they believed him, Xiao Yan would absolutely not let this matter rest. Indeed, they looked up and saw the steadily darkening, increasingly stormy expression on Xiao Yan's face. With a cold, piercing gaze fixed on Yun Ling, Xiao Yan's inner fury boiled over—he could no longer bear to hear another word of explanation. Taking a deep breath of cool air, he waved his hands, and the massive Xuanzhong Scale vanished from his palms. Then, with his right hand gently extended, a steady, gentle glow of emerald flame rose up, rising steadily under the watchful eyes of all present. "Today, if I can't secure the people here, then I shall destroy this place myself..." Xiang Yan stared at the jade-colored flame, the dark pools of his eyes reflecting a fierce, jade-gleaming intensity. The deadly aura emanating from his quiet words sent subtle shifts through every person present. "Xiang Yan, give me a few days. I can dispatch people to search for those missing. If it truly follows Yun Ling's account, then your father should be safe." Seeing Xiang Yan on the verge of losing his composure, Yun Yun urged urgently. "No need. I don't trust the people of Yun Lan Sect." Xiang Yan gently shook his head, gazing down at the jade flame drifting softly upon his palm. "Today, I claim the life of Yun Ling himself." "Xiang Yan, it is indeed Yun Ling's fault," said Yun Shan calmly, "yet you're taking such drastic action merely on this? That seems rather excessive. Moreover, even with the aid of Queen Medusa, can you truly defeat Yun Ling solely by your own strength?" "Regarding today's matter, I won't hold it against you—go now." Xiang Yan watched Yun Shan wave his hand, yet a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. With his left hand, he slowly raised it, and at the palm, a shimmering, pale flame suddenly burst into view, vividly illuminating everyone's sight. "That... the rare flame?" The onlookers' eyes widened in astonishment as they gazed upon the pale flame. "Yun Shan, it's you who pushed me to this point..." Xiang Yan murmured softly, eyes fixed on the two distinct flames now dancing in his palms. After a brief pause, he steadily advanced toward Yun Shan, under the collective gaze of all present. Outside the Yun Lan Sect, several streaks of light flashed swiftly and halted upon a towering tree. As their eyes fell upon the two rare flames slowly approaching in Xiang Yan's hands, they couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath. "By heaven! This man has truly gone mad! Does he intend to utterly destroy the Yun Lan Sect? How have these foolish members of the Sect driven him to such a pass?" Hai Bodo appeared on the tree's tip, eyes wide open, gazing in stunned silence at the approaching pale-blue flame, murmuring softly as though stunned to speech.