A sudden surge of powerful aura, no less formidable than that of a Duke-level warrior, not only left the countless students at a distance gaping in astonishment, but even caused a subtle hush to fall over the chaotic battlefield in the sky. A stream of eyes turned toward the location where the surge of energy had erupted. Upon observing the source of the energy, numerous strong contenders were momentarily stunned. When they turned to examine the one opposing him—Fan Lao—their expressions varied widely. Among those led by Han Feng, his face grew increasingly grim. In such a balanced confrontation, the influence of a single Dou Huang-level warrior was no small matter—indeed, it might even determine the final outcome of the battle. As for Su Qian and Huo Qian, the inner academy's stalwarts, while they were surprised by the sudden emergence of Xiao Yan, their primary reaction was one of genuine delight. At this moment, Xiao Yan had arrived precisely when needed—his intervention would eliminate at least one Dou Huang-level warrior from the battlefield, significantly easing the pressure on the senior elders. "This young man... truly has held back. I always thought that, given how he managed to pressure Yunlan Sect into such a state, he certainly wouldn't have any real reserves left." Huo Qian gazed at Xiao Yan, whose aura had surged powerfully despite not being weak himself, and couldn't help but silently admire him. Then, he glanced at Han Feng across the table, whose brows were furrowed, and coldly remarked, "Han Feng, I hope you pray that the headmaster won't return soon—otherwise..." With his eyes slightly narrowed, Han Feng calmly replied, "Such a rare celestial treasure as the hetero-fire is meant for those who have the fortune to obtain it. Your method of sealing it within the inner academy's cultivation halls seems a bit out of the ordinary." "Isn't it supposed to be handed over to the alchemists for refinement?" Huo Qian scoffed. Han Feng's brows furrowed slightly, but he chose not to engage in further pointless arguments. While maintaining a steady gaze with Huo Qian, his eyes kept shifting toward Xiao Yan's direction—something peculiar always stirred within him whenever he looked at the young man. "This feeling... why does it feel so familiar?" "Murmuring to himself, Han Feng, having failed to find a solution, turned his gaze toward the battlefield where Su Qian and the two elders, Jin and Yin, were engaged. As the three strongest fighters present, their combat zone, extending a hundred meters, remained untouched by any other figures—so powerful was the ripple effect of their battle that even these Du Phong-level warriors dared not overlook it. While Jin and Yin together could certainly hold their own against Du Zong-level opponents, defeating Su Qian seemed unlikely, and as time passed, they would inevitably begin to lose ground. Should Su Qian eventually become distracted, the situation would surely grow complicated. It was clear that he needed to intervene soon. His thoughts raced swiftly. After a moment, Han Feng's expression grew colder, and with a swift motion of his palms, a deep blue flame surged upward from his palms. Seeing the deep blue flames swirling in Han Feng's hands, Hu Qi's expression also grew increasingly serious. With Han Feng's current strength, the flames he could command were extremely formidable—any Top-tier Duke-level warrior would be deeply wary, and this certainly included Hu Qi himself. Powerful qi surged from within him, causing his garments to ripple and bulge. Hu Qi slowly exhaled, and then a thunderous burst erupted from his tongue—immediately amplifying his overall aura significantly. "To seize the unique flames from Gan Nan Academy? That's pure fantasy," Hu Qi scoffed, twisting his body mid-air and vanishing from sight. Moments later, he reappeared directly before Han Feng, his palm strikes crashing with thunderous force. … "You two step back—I'll handle this," Xue Yan slowly turned to face her companions, Zhi Qing and Li Qing, with a smile. Liu Qing and Zi Yan stared at Xiao Yan in stunned silence, struck by the fierce aura radiating from him—no less potent than that of Fan Lao across the table. In just this brief span of time, Fan Lao’s strength had surged with an astonishing, almost inexplicable intensity. While they were aware of Xiao Yan’s secret technique capable of boosting his power significantly, they had always assumed it would only elevate him by a few star levels. Now, however, it seemed as though Xiao Yan had not just advanced—but had actually leapfrogged over two entire tiers. Zi Yan was most eager to satisfy her curiosity, and without hesitating, she disregarded the slightly weakened inner vitality in her body, which had been shaken by Fan Lao's attack, and exclaimed with wide-eyed astonishment. "How could there be such a powerful pill?" Xiao Yan smiled, tugging at Zi Yan's ponytail, only to have it shaken off impatiently as she stepped away. Then, he said, "Alright, little one, take Liu Qing and Lin Xiu'ya down. I'll handle this here." Pouting slightly, Zi Yan reluctantly nodded, "Well, that old man is absolutely unbearable. You'd better help me even the score—give him a good beating." "I'll make sure of that," Xiao Yan replied with a warm nod. The bright smile he offered, however, sent a wave of chill through Fan Lao, who stood nearby. Seeing Xiao Yan agree, Zi Yan quickly grabbed Liu Qing and, with a swift movement, appeared beside Lin Xiu'ya, whose dual wings of aura were growing increasingly translucent. Holding one in each hand, she swiftly ascended into the sky and returned to the spot where the group had previously paused. On the roof, Lin Yan, Yan Hao, and the others hurried forward to greet the trio of Zi Yan descending from the sky. In response to their greetings, Liu Qing and Lin Xiu崖 merely shook their heads with a smile, then simultaneously raised their eyes to gaze at Xiao Yan, who was now once again standing alone in the sky, facing Fan Lao. After a long pause, both sighed deeply, exchanged a glance, and smiled wistfully. "Perhaps this one truly deserves to be the top-ranked student of the Inner Courtyard. We never expected him to have hidden so well," they said. While these words were spoken, Zi Yan—being one of the direct participants—did not show any signs of discomfort or frustration. She was well aware that, with the strength Xiao Yan now displayed, even she fell short. Behind them, Lin Yan and Yan Hao, along with the others, nodded in quiet agreement, deeply impressed by the astonishing power Xiao Yan had suddenly revealed. … "I never expected you to have such reserves—now I understand why Ling'er fell at your hands." Frowning at the surge of energy radiating from Xiao Yan, Fan Lu said coldly. "Honestly, I don't need to go this far to defeat him." Xiao Yan smiled, his gaze steadily growing colder. "Since you've been operating within the Black Angular Domain, you must know how cheap life is there—people are simply killed, regardless of status. Even your son, if he falls, won't matter much. As for you, an old dog who's always fond of human blood—when you're gone, I doubt many will even notice." Xiao Yan gave a slight arch of his mouth, unwilling to waste any more words with this self-assured old man. With a flick of his fingers, a surge of emerald flame erupted from his fingertips, then surged forward like two flaming lances, whipping sharply in front of him. The result was a wave of intense heat accompanied by thunderous crackling. As he felt the steadily rising flames surrounding Xiao Yan, Fan Lu's expression grew increasingly serious. Though he spoke with confidence, he could no longer afford to underestimate Xiao Yan. Due to the nature of his cultivation technique, Fan Lu's qi was inherently cool and damp—particularly vulnerable to the vibrant, fiery, yang-based qi and flames. Xiao Yan not only possessed a fiery nature but also controlled a special spiritual flame known as the "Yi Fire." Thus, in their battle, Fan Lu was at a distinct disadvantage. While earlier, the gap in strength had made the difference less apparent, now that Xiao Yan had significantly strengthened both his overall power and his mastery of the Yi Fire—its intensity and temperature having surged dramatically—Fan Lu found himself increasingly pressured. Thus, facing such a tenacious opponent, Fan Lao could no longer afford to treat him the same way he had treated Xiao Yan before. With a sweeping motion of his robe, the vast sea of blood—stretching several dozen paces wide—roared to life, and Fan Lao's form once again vanished within it. This sea of blood was a refinement of his cultivation technique, fully matured through the concentration of qi to form a tangible entity. When engaged in combat within it, whether in offense or in recovery of qi, his capabilities were significantly enhanced, and the very presence of the sea provided him with excellent concealment. It was precisely this sea of blood that enabled Fan Lao to establish the Blood Sect in the Black Corner Region—a land where people were consumed—and grow it into a dominant force. As Fan Lao disappeared into the sea, his aura immediately grew stronger, surging across the heavens with a distinct blood-like scent. By the end, the vast expanse of sky around him had subtly taken on a faint shade of deep crimson. Below, far away, countless students gazed upward at the faint crimson hue drifting through the sky. Even though they were distant, the scent of blood still reached them, sending a chill through many. Time paused momentarily. Then, the endless flame surged and darted swiftly, rapidly coalescing into a vast expanse of fire under the countless astonished gazes—within that blaze, a sea of blood was swiftly evaporating, its vitality vanishing... "Even this sea of blood has been burned."