Xiao Yan’s light, biting scorn was like dropping a bucket of cold water into boiling oil, instantly causing a vast, blood-red aura to surge forth from Fan Lao’s face, now contorted with fury. His pale, withered hands suddenly shot out, swiftly forming an eerie hand seal. The surging blood-red aura rippled and danced before finally solidifying into a spear thick as a man’s thigh, entirely dark red, which then appeared clearly before everyone’s eyes. As the spear solidified, Fan Lao grasped it firmly with his hand, then lifted his head, moving his lips slightly to reveal a sharp, pale set of teeth. The dual wings behind him suddenly trembled, and at once, a sharp, furious roar burst forth from Fan Lao, laced with unmatched killing intent. As this resonant sound surged, his form shimmered like a windborne silhouette, swiftly closing the distance to Xiao Yan. With his long spear slicing through the crisp, cold air, he delivered a ruthless thrust straight toward Xiao Yan's heart. Previously, when Xiao Yan had pushed the "Three Thousand Thunder Waves" to its first-level peak, he could only勉强 leave behind a faint afterimage—clearly inferior to Fan Lu's. Of course, at that stage, Xiao Yan's strength was merely at the Du Ling level; being able to produce an afterimage that even ordinary Du Wang强者 found difficult to achieve was already something he could take pride in. Fan Lu's displayed speed left countless spectators awestruck, yet Xiao Yan, facing him, remained largely unmoved. Within his dark pupils, a streak of crimson light rapidly expanded, then suddenly solidified into a fierce, grim visage. The sharp, piercing energy spear cut through the air, carrying a cold wind, and surged forward. "Clang!" A broad, dark silhouette suddenly emerged, its solid back resembling a shield, standing straight before Xiao Yan. The blood spear struck firmly upon it, sending a gust of wind surging forth like a gale—so powerful that subtle crackling of wind and thunder could be heard. The jade-green wings on the back flapped violently, and Xiao Yan stepped back two paces, shaking his arm vigorously to absorb Fan Lu's furious blow. Raising his gaze through the Xu Zhong Chi, he observed Fan Lu's cold, fierce face, his blood-red eyes radiating unmatched killing intent and bloodlust. "Little scrawny thing, I'll pierce you with countless blood holes!" Fan Lu sneered darkly, then suddenly twisted his grip on the blood spear. The spear, which had been resting on the staff, bent sharply, tracing a crimson arc before plunging again with renewed force. "Right now, you've no right to speak." Xiao Yan smiled, and a sudden streak of silver lightning flashed beneath his foot. With a swift motion, his figure materialized like a ghost, gliding along the blood spear. His five fingers clenched tightly, with a steady surge of emerald flame swirling around them, radiating intense heat, and he delivered a direct, unadorned strike toward Fan Lu's face. Fleeting thoughts surged through his mind, and in an instant, Xiao Yan's arm suddenly trembled. The jade-colored flames hovering over his fist detached and shot forward, forming a spherical flame aimed directly at Fan Lu. As it launched, the sphere burst forth with the full force of the temperature previously restrained, deepening in hue. The flame appeared denser and more intense, its passage causing subtle ripples in the space around it—distorting and shimmering much like the atmosphere above a desert. The shift in Xiao Yan's attack had occurred in the blink of an eye. By the time Fan Lu registered the change, the deep jade flame sphere had already reached him. Though shielded by his aura, the intense heat still caused waves of burning sensations across his skin. At this distance, evasion had become impossible, so Fan Luo made no slightest retreat. Strong, vibrant crimson qi surged forth from every pore of his body, swiftly coalescing into a radiant crimson light membrane that solidified on the palm of his hand. "Explosion!" As he swiftly retreated, Xiang Yan observed the deep emerald flame sphere now mere inches away from Fan Luo, his mouth slightly parting to emit a clear, resonant syllable. With the sound falling, a powerful surge of light erupted from within the flame sphere, followed immediately by a thunderous roar that reverberated across the sky. The scorching flames surged forth from the point of explosion, sweeping out in all directions, enveloping the heavens. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, Xiang Yan dispersed the wave of heat rippling before him. Gazing steadily at the spreading flame, he knew clearly that this intensity of attack could not possibly injure a warrior of Fan Luo's caliber. As Xuanyin gazed, a blood-colored light beam suddenly burst forth from the point where the fire waves spread. Within the beam, Fan Lu's figure drifted upward slowly. His face remained fierce, his right hand high, holding a thick and sharp blood spear. His body formed a half-rotated projection, and the blood qi swirling around him flowed continuously into the spear, as though drawn by an invisible force. As more and more qi poured into the spear, its color grew darker and darker, eventually becoming as dense as solid blood, with an increasingly rich blood scent. At the tip of the spear, a blood-glowing arc emitted a cold radiance, and the sharp tip seemed capable of piercing through any defense. Xiao Yan's expression grew steadily more serious as the blood spear coalesced. He could clearly sense that Fan Lao had truly poured all his strength into this attack— a full-force strike from a Duke of Battle could shatter a mountain peak. Even with the support of Yao Lao's power, Xiao Yan dared not afford the slightest sense of underestimation. Gently lifting his Xu Zhong Chi, a steady and powerful surge of azure flame combat energy erupted from within him, flowing continuously and steadily into the air. Between the two figures, separated by less than a hundred meters, an unusual stillness now prevailed. Yet everyone knew that beneath this quiet surface, a terrifying storm of collision was gathering momentum. And the moment this storm would erupt—was precisely the next instant! Under the countless stares of awe, Fan Lao's blood spear finally ceased drawing qi. At this moment, the spear subtly twisted, stirring a ripple of spatial disturbance—its contained energy had reached a terrifying threshold. With a firm grip, his hands tightly clutching the pulsating spear, Fan Lao's fierce face now pale, his blood-red eyes fixed intently on Xiao Yan. A strange, booming laugh echoed across the sky: "Little scamp, it's all over!" As the laughter faded, Fan Lao gave Xiao Yan no chance to gather qi. With a sudden shake of his arm, the spear, charged with his full strength, launched itself into the air. "Great Blood Bodhisattva's Devouring!" At the very instant the blood spear was released, countless people below suddenly felt an intensely rich, blood-like scent rushing toward them. Despite the blazing summer sun, the sensation was as if they had plunged into a deep abyss, their bodies growing cold. The once-clear sky was now enveloped in a hazy, blood-tinged atmosphere, rendering the entire realm desolate and eerie. This sudden transformation of the heavens caused combat on other battlefronts in the sky to momentarily stall. Numerous sets of eyes, filled with astonishment, turned toward Fan Lu and Xiao Yan's location. When they saw the blood-colored spear departing from Fan Lu's hands, many elite warriors from Black and Angular Domain erupted in gasps. "It's the Great Blood Bodhisattva's technique!" "Fan Lu has been pushed to resort to such a technique by this young man?" "This old fellow is truly furious—having summoned even a Ground-Rank Combat Technique! It seems the black-robed young man is in serious trouble now. Indeed, many Combat Emperors who fell at Fan Lao's hands were defeated precisely in this manner..." As the gasps echoed across the sky, a streak of blood-red lightning surged through the spatial barrier almost instantly, appearing within mere blinks—carrying with it a pungent, nauseating scent of blood, directly before Xiao Yan's eyes. A surge of scorching air was drawn deeply into his lungs, and the dark, heavy Xuanzhong Scale, which he held high above his head, now glowed an intense deep red, as if it were a scale blazing with flame. The terrifying gale generated by the crimson lightning caused every pore on Xiao Yan's body to tighten, his eyes fixed intently on the blood-colored streak piercing through space. Suddenly, a sharp roar erupted, and the heavy jade staff thundered down with furious force—its stance as if it were about to cleave the entire earth in two!