Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed across the sky, causing Xiao Yan to tremble and swiftly turn his head. Before him, a blood-red figure rapidly expanded in his field of vision. "Oh no—how did this old man discover it?" Xiao Yan clearly heard Fan Lu's exclamation, his heart now filled with astonishment. At the same time, his wings behind him vibrated rapidly, and he darted forward with lightning speed, attempting to push Fan Lu away. "Whoosh!" As soon as he turned, a sharp gust of wind swept past him. Xiao Yan felt a chill, forcefully twisting his body to narrowly deflect the blood-red energy stream, sending himself flying backward. He shouted in frustration, "Old dog! You really are ruthless!" Fan Lu's face was filled with resentment and sternness, his eyes fixed firmly on Xiao Yan. As his blood-colored wings vibrated, his form transformed into a streak of blood, charging straight toward Xiao Yan. On his palms, blood-tinged combat energy rapidly coalesced. Although Xiao Yan also had the advantage of flight techniques, his flight speed paled in comparison to true spirit wings. In just a few blinks, Fan Lu had materialized above Xiao Yan's head, delivering a powerful crimson energy strike that sent ripples of shockwaves through the very space—clearly, Fan Lu had shown no mercy, striking with full force. "Give me my son's life!" Fan Lu growled, his face contorted with fury. He could sense Xiao Yan's strength—just a Spirit Realm youngster—and knew that killing him was nothing short of effortless. "Shhh!" A wave of blood splashed across the sky, and suddenly, a faint thunderous rumble echoed. At that moment, Xiao Yan, standing still in the heavens, trembled slightly, his form beginning to blur and grow ethereal. "Boom!" The blood-like luminescence surged downward and struck Xiang Yan solidly upon his body, yet instead of the expected spilling of blood and severe injuries, it passed through him unimpeded. Then, that very body—slowly faded away. It turned out this figure had been only a residual shadow! At a distance of several tens of meters, Xiang Yan suddenly reappeared, gasping, and chuckled at Fan Lu's stunned expression, "Killing me isn't that easy, old dog!" With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the sweeping blood-luminescence. Fan Lu, his gaze dark and沉, stared at Xiang Yan, his voice low and measured, "Three Thousand Thunder Waves? It seems the one who killed my son was indeed you." Xiang Yan fixed his eyes on Fan Lu. No matter what he said, the latter remained a top-tier Dueling Sovereign. Had it not been for Xiang Yan's unexpected deployment of the "Three Thousand Thunder Waves," he likely would have been cut down instantly. The gap between them was simply too vast. Within his body, powerful qi flowed continuously from the battle crystals, surging forth like a flood within his meridians, bringing a sense of fullness that gave Xiao Yan a slight sense of confidence. "Excellent! Truly excellent!"范Lao's blood-colored qi wings vibrated slightly, and suddenly he burst into laughter—his tone venomous, sending a shiver down every bone. "When I capture you, I won't let you die easily. I'll raise you as a blood slave, feeding you fresh blood every day and night. Otherwise, I shall not be able to rest in peace for the sake of my deceased son!" "Old dog, come and try?" In Xiang Yan's dark eyes, a growing chill of coldness now settled. He spoke slowly and calmly. With his status, being called "old dog" so bluntly by Xiao Yan had infuriated him beyond measure. At that moment, he resolved firmly to make him suffer beyond endurance. The slightly sharp palms of Fan Lu spun gently, and a surging tide of blood-colored qi flowed forth like fresh blood, gradually forming countless blood threads that spiraled around Fan Lu, rushing and roaring in swift motion. Thus, at once, many people began to hold deep admiration for Xiao Yan. Having trained within the inner academy for so many years, they carried strong emotional ties to this place. Now, with a formidable foe approaching, they naturally rallied with a unified spirit, determined to stand together against the threat. Yet, due to differences in strength and other factors, they could only watch helplessly as the battle began, powerless to intervene. Now, with Xiao Yan stepping forward to take the lead, he had become a source of hope and confidence for them. As a result, thunderous waves of cheers erupted from the enthusiastic shouts of countless students gathered at a distance. At this moment, it was undeniable that Xiao Yan's reputation had truly surpassed that of Lin Xiu'ye, Liu Qing, and the others! Suddenly struck by the resounding cheers echoing across the sky, Xiao Yan was taken aback. He glanced toward the direction of the sound, and upon seeing the enthusiastic and reverent expressions on the students' faces, he found himself at a loss for words. If it weren't for Fan Lao spotting him, he would have already fled far away—how could anyone willingly face such great danger to battle against a Duke-Level warrior? "I'll have you discredited in their eyes," said Fan Lao with a cold smile, then swiftly waved his hand. Instantly, the crimson energy threads swirling around him surged forth in a sweeping wave, hissing continuously with a sharp, piercing wind. Fixing his gaze firmly on the surging streams of energy blood rushing in, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and suddenly roared, causing a surge of vibrant cyan flames to erupt and fully envelop his body. The appearance of the cyan flames immediately caused Fan Lu's face to pale. With his extensive experience, he could instantly recognize the nature of this flame, yet as the offensive had already begun, he could only continue pressing forward regardless of the attack. Moreover, even if Xiao Yan truly possessed a unique flame, its full potential would still depend on his own strength. Thus, while Fan Lu was genuinely surprised by the cyan flames, he did not feel particularly panicked. The streams of blood surged across the sky, cutting through space with lightning speed and appearing before Xiao Yan in a matter of moments. However, just when the streams were still three meters away from Xiao Yan, a sudden burst of intense heat erupted, instantly melting the already cool, Yin-natured blood streams into nothingness! However, although the azure flame had some restraining effect on the cold, blood-like threads, those threads poured forth endlessly and showed no signs of dwindling. As a result, Xiao Yan's flame was gradually retreating as the threads kept surging upon it. A venomous smile curled at the corner of his lips, Fan Luosh shook his arm sharply, and the blood-red lance surged through the space like a lightning bolt, carrying a sharp gust of wind, aimed directly at Xiao Yan trapped within the network of blood orbs. "Old man, when a Duke of Battle fights a Duke of Spirit, don't you feel ashamed?" Just as the blood-red lance was about to pierce the network of blood orbs, a youthful voice suddenly rang out in the sky. Instantly, a small, unexpected figure appeared outside the network. With a flick of her light purple ponytail, she swung her slender fist forward with force, compressing the air before her into an invisible air cannon that collided powerfully with the blood-red lance. "Boom!" The deep explosion sent ripples of air spreading rapidly, shaking the very space around. With eyes like a serpent's, fixed tightly on the delicate young girl now standing outside the network, Fan Luosh's face darkened. "You're trying to die, aren't you?" he demanded. Zi Yan pursed her lips, her small fists swinging vigorously in front of her, forming a deep, resonant sound with each punch. She lifted her head, meeting Fan Lao's gaze with unwavering courage, asking, "Old man, if you kill Xiao Yan, will you come and make me pills?" Her expression gradually darkened. Fan Lao, unwilling to waste further words, was by nature unyielding—whether it was a little girl or even an infant, if he grew angry, he would not hesitate to kill without mercy. Thus, at that moment, blood-energy surged once more, intensifying in his palms. Sensing the rising intensity of Fan Lao's resolve within him, the delicate, porcelain-like calm of Zi Yan's face grew slightly serious, and she gradually tightened her fists. "Shhh—" Just as Fan Lao was about to act, two more gusts of wind suddenly sounded, and two figures flashed into the air, appearing beside Zi Yan. A quick glance at their targets revealed that they were Lin Xiu'ya and Liu Qing—surprising, indeed. At this moment, both of them bore pairs of somewhat frail aura wings extending from their backs. Among all the inner academy students, aside from Zi Yan and Xiao Yan, only these two could possibly manage to rise and fight in the sky. "The crisis facing the inner academy isn't just your concern," Liu Qing said, glancing back at Xiao Yan, who was struggling to break free from the blood-threaded prison. In his eyes, there was a subtle sense of admiration. "Heh, Liu Qing is right," Lin Xiu'ya said, gently shaking his long sword. "You take care of your own matters first—we'll hold off Xiao Yan for a while." "Honestly," he added, "you're truly fearless. If you hadn't stepped forward first, I'd hardly have dared to intervene in such a situation." Staring in astonishment at the three outside, Xiao Yan could only shake his head with a wry smile—he hadn't intentionally meant to be the one stepping forward. "Well... I guess I'll have to give it my all," he murmured softly, gazing at Fan Lu, whose eyes were filled with resentment and murderous intent.