From the silver scroll to his hands, and then taken away in the span of a flash—only a moment had passed. Yet, upon hearing that mocking laugh, Fan Ling finally regained his composure from the sudden turn of events, his face instantly darkening. He slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes sharp and piercing, fixed upon the black-robed figure on the tree trunk. Recognizing the familiar attire from the auction hall, he was momentarily stunned, then coldly remarked, "You?" As Fan Ling spoke, the remaining fifteen blood guards with fighting strength moved in perfect unison, scattering to the sides and encircling the black-robed figure. The Luo Elder, too, maintained a cold demeanor, his eyes cold and filled with determination. Regardless of the visitors' intentions, since he had uncovered their secret plans, he would not allow them to leave alive. "Ah, Fan Ling, Young Master of the Sect. It's good to see you again." A playful smile spread across the refined features beneath his black robe. Xiao Yan idly twirled the silver scroll in his hands, paying no attention to the blood guards surrounding him on all sides. "Hand over the scroll, and I'll leave you intact," said Fan Ling, his voice low and cold, the intensity of his murderous intent radiating from his words. Xiao Yan merely shrugged, not even acknowledging him. With a simple hand motion, he caught the scroll spinning in his palm and slipped it into his storage amulet. "Excellent! Excellent!" Fan Ling's mouth twitched as he watched Xiao Yan's actions. His pale face turned ashen, the consecutive use of two sharp, forceful words—“Excellent!”—spilling out with growing frustration. As the character "Fan Ling" was just settled, the十余 blood guards forming a circular formation around Xiao Yan suddenly roared in unison, channeling their dark, eerie blood qi from within outwards, which fully enveloped their long swords. With a sudden foot press against the tree trunk, the figures launched themselves at Xiao Yan like a barrage. "Clang, clang, clang..." As the black whirlwind passed, sparks flew everywhere, and the long swords held by the Blood Guards were directly knocked from their hands by the immense force emanating from the whirlwind. Only a few stronger Blood Guards managed to grasp their weapons, though even then, their palms were cracked and torn. Suddenly, the rotating footfall halted, and the black whirlwind dissipated. Looking up at the Blood Guards who had closed in to just half a meter away, still fiercely determined, Xiao Yan smirked. With a powerful footstep against the tree trunk, a surge of energy erupted, and his body transformed into a streak of lightning-black shadow, darting swiftly through the attacks of over a dozen Blood Guards. "Thud, thud..." With each passing movement, deep resonant impacts echoed, and every time one sounded, a Blood Guard fell, spitting blood and crashing through the dense branches, landing heavily on the ground. After struggling briefly, they collapsed helplessly. Looking up at the thunderous battle unfolding in the sky, the previously cold expression on Fan Ling's face suddenly grew calm. With a gentle tap of his foot on the ground, he lifted a long, blood-stained blade, then reached out to grasp it firmly. He casually tore open his robe, slowly wiping the blood from the blade, his tone detached. "A four-star Grand Battle Mage, perhaps—this level of strength dares to challenge my Fan Ling? That takes courage, that takes flair." "Senior Luo, I'll take care of this man. You stay by, just in case he decides to flee and needs to be stopped." "Very well, Young Master, be cautious." The elder beside him nodded slightly, supporting the other韩长老 who had temporarily lost his strength, and stepped back a few paces. From the earlier confrontation between Xiao Yan and the Blood Guards, he had gained a clear sense of the latter's capabilities. Though this black-robed man was notably stronger in strength and agility than the previous black skeleton's Grand Duelist, he remained no more than a Grand Duelist. In contrast, Fan Ling had already proven himself a genuine Grand Spirit-tier warrior. The heavy ruler trembled slightly, and the clear, refined face beneath the black robe suddenly carried a distinct chill. "Hehe, it seems my luck truly isn't bad. By sheer chance, I've managed to secure these treasures. Since you're so particular about this item, it mustn't be ordinary. Once I return, I'll have my father examine it carefully. With his experience, he should be able to discern some clues in this fragmented map." Though Xiao Yan's movements were subtle, Fan Ling had been intently observing every detail, and couldn't help but chuckle coldly. "You might not have this chance anymore..." A calm voice, emanating from beneath the black robe, slowly spoke, as green qi surged rapidly through Xiao Yan's body and eventually enveloped his entire form. "Indeed. I've seen many such brash men—those whose minds are consumed by treasures—in the Black Spire Region. Yet, their fates, it seems, haven't been very favorable." Arched his brow, emitting a cold, scornful laugh. Cold, blood-colored qi began to rise slowly from Fan Ling's body, filling the space with a thick, metallic scent. As the blood qi spread, Fan Ling's back slightly bent, resembling a wild beast detecting prey; the blood vessels in his pupils gradually thickened, lending him a more primal, feral presence. His feet plunged deeply into the ground. At a sudden moment, a low roar burst from his throat. With a powerful thrust of his foot, his body launched forward like a bolt from a bow, instantly appearing before Xiao Yan. The sharp, blood-tinged long blade in his hands sliced through the air with a piercing, sharp force, delivering a powerful downward strike. Under the force of Fan Ling's blow, a continuous series of sharp sonic booms echoed through the air. The massive black ruler suddenly rose, its green qi so dense it seemed like a viscous liquid, finally colliding with the blood-bladed strike. "Boom!" The sound of metal meeting metal erupted, accompanied by a burst of sparks. A ripple of energy, blending green and crimson hues, radiated outward from where the blade and ruler met, forcefully gouging the soil beneath both combatants' feet, lifting it nearly half a foot into the air. Dust and fragments scattered across the sky. Feeling the numbness in his arms, Xiao Yan's face beneath his black robe subtly changed. Indeed, a true Spirit Peak cultivator—this level of power surpassed even the strongest Great Spirit Masters by a considerable margin. Yet... why did the opponent's aura feel somewhat hollow and diffuse? With Xiao Yan's current strength, even without employing any techniques, he could hold his own against a Spirit Peak cultivator for several rounds, albeit at the cost of immense energy expenditure. Yet the seemingly powerful strike delivered by Fan Ling earlier had not reached the intensity Xiao Yan had anticipated. "This guy has tremendous strength..." As the blades met, Fan Ling and Xiao Yan exchanged swift blows, then stepped back after being struck by the heavy, oblique slash from the other. Feeling the lingering faint ache in his legs, Fan Ling was struck with surprise. "Father's words are indeed true. Though our Blood Sect's cultivation techniques are bold and unconventional, progressing rapidly, we remain overly reliant on external force, which hinders the solidification of our internal qi. In combat, we often find ourselves at a disadvantage. Fortunately, this opponent is only at the Grand Master level—defeating him won't be difficult." As this thought swiftly passed through his mind, Fan Ling suddenly dropped his weapon. His previously pale face turned unexpectedly crimson. As the color spread across his face, blood surged rapidly onto his palms, seeping into the creases of his hands. Within mere moments, a pair of blood palms—identical to those he had used to defeat Qing the Elder—appeared on his arms. "Regardless of who you truly are, today you have no chance to regret anything anymore! However, in gratitude for the wonderful news you brought—about the hidden secrets within that tattered map—I promise that when you die, you won't turn into a lifeless corpse!" With a thick, repulsive scent of blood continuously emanating from his palms, Fan Ling lifted his head and gave Xiao Yan a cold, resolute smile. His feet thundered down to the ground, and his body dissolved into a swirling mist of blood, which then surged toward Xiao Yan. As his palms swept back and forth, the blood mist nearly filled the entire open space. "The Bone-Infused Blood Palm?" Seeing Fan Ling's palms now transformed into eerie, blood-like forms, the two Blood Sect elders outside were momentarily stunned. They exchanged glances and remarked, "We never expected the Sect Master to teach such a technique to the junior master. That black-robed man has certainly stumbled into the crosshairs." "Hmph. He deserves it. He just stole our Blood Sect's treasures. If it were me, I'd have drained every drop of blood from him alive." The Han elder, now powerless, smiled coldly. The pair of dark eyes beneath his black robe fixed intently on the surging blood-colored mist, detecting the pervasive scent of blood. His exceptional soul perception allowed Xiao Yan to clearly sense the fierce power of the blood palms embedded within the mist. "Young one, be careful—right now, you're still no match for a True Spirit Realm master," the Ye Elder's voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind. "That's not certain," Xiao Yan replied, chuckling softly. He slowly closed his eyes, and from the core of his internal energy spiral, at the Nalíng point, streams of jade-green flames erupted like volcanic eruptions, then surged along an unusual pathway, racing swiftly through his body. "Do you…?" As the jade-green flames rotated strangely, suddenly, Xiao Yan, still closed-eyed, began to sense a powerful, turbulent energy—vast and surging—penetrating rapidly from every part of his body, intensifying with each rotation of the flames. A surging wave of blood energy rushed toward him, and the cold, potent qi embedded within the blood mist instantly enveloped him. Yet, as the blood mist began to encase his body, the eyes beneath the black robe suddenly snapped open, blazing with vibrant jade flames. A powerful, undiminished aura surged forth from within him, equal in strength to that of any other person on the field. With lightning speed, his hands shot out from beneath the robe, the jade flames spiraling around them. A thunderous roar erupted in his heart, and his palms, carrying an overwhelming wave of scorching heat, crashed forcefully into the blood mist ahead. "First Phase of the Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation: The Lotus Transformation!"