The azure sky echoed with the crisp sounds of wind torn by swiftly moving figures, while bursts of energy roared like successive fireworks. That powerful energy surge was still perceptible even a hundred li away. Within the inner courtyard, most areas had been reduced to ruins by the expanding aftermath of the combat, forcing the inner courtyard students to retreat outward to escape the lingering waves. Amid their retreat, their eyes remained fixed on the chaotic battle above. Many of them, especially those focused on one particular battlefield, radiated intense enthusiasm and excitement—there, a young figure unleashed his power with unrestrained vigor, while his opponent, the highly esteemed Supreme Sovereign warrior from Black Corner, struggled desperately, clearly falling behind. "Xiao Yan is going to win," Li Qing said, his gaze sharp and steady on the two figures barely visible in the distance, his voice brimming with unmistakable awe. Standing behind Liu Qing, a graceful figure stood tall—her beautiful appearance clearly that of Liu Qing's cousin, Liu Fei. Until now, this woman, who had harbored deep resentment toward Xiao Yan, now gazed at the figure in the sky with a completely transformed expression, no longer burdened by her former grievances. With one delicate hand gently covering her full red lips, her eyes flashed with intense light, her face displaying a complex array of emotions. She had never imagined that the person she once looked down upon so greatly would now demonstrate such an astonishing level of strength—one that even Liu Qing himself found profoundly impressive. This strength surpassed that of mere students, and even surpassed some of the senior elders within the inner halls. If, previously, Xiao Yan's ability to hold his own against Liu Qing, ultimately resulting in both of them being severely wounded, had only instilled a touch of caution in Liu Fei, then now, with Xiao Yan's renewed display of power, this proud and formidable woman had been utterly subdued—transformed into a meek, unyielding cat before him. This strength had long since stripped her of the courage to resist—even to dare to offend! For now, even her greatest ally, Liu Qing, offered no resistance whatsoever. Thus, as Xiao Yan pressed the Dao-Phoenix ranked Fan Lu to his knees, the resentment Liu Fei had harbored toward him instantly vanished—complete and utterly—though she was known for her stubbornness, she was no fool; she knew precisely who could be challenged and who could not. "Whoa!" Just as Liu Fei's thoughts were shifting, a sudden wave of murmurs erupted around her. She quickly lifted her head, her gaze fixed on the battlefield where the entire student body was gathered. Though distant, she could clearly sense a powerful gust of wind suddenly surging forth. "Eight-Direction Collapse!" Above, suddenly drawing closer to Fan Lao’s form, Xiao Yan’s eyes flashed with sharp intensity. As his palm, about to reach Fan Lao’s shoulder, abruptly clenched tightly, his elbow unexpectedly protruded forward. With a sudden surge of momentum, a powerful gust of wind instantly coalesced at the tip of his elbow. Then, accompanied by a sharp cry and a deep burst of air pressure, it struck Fan Lao squarely in the chest, who had already grown pale. The blood membrane shattered, and with his greatest defensive strength—his stamina—now gone, he began to show clear signs of defeat. As he violently expelled waves of inner energy, the pallor of his face suddenly flushed, only to give way moments later to a gush of blood that he could no longer contain. His body then plummeted through the air like a cannonball, crashing squarely into a ruin amidst countless stunned gazes, scattering fragments of stone everywhere. This point was not only clear to the many strong fighters in the battle, but also evident to the countless inner academy students below. Thus, at the very moment Fan Lao coughed up blood and landed, the waves of joyful shouts and cheers surged together, rising straight into the heavens and lingering for a long time. Above, the twin streaks of emerald flame gently vibrated. Xiao Yan kept his gaze fixed on where Fan Lao had landed, only relaxing slightly once he clearly sensed the frail strength lingering there. With the aid of the Elder of Medicine, he could now temporarily hold his own against the Duke-level warriors. Though, if he had fully expended the Elder's power to defeat Fan Lao without restraint, he would have done so much faster—still, Xiao Yan understood that the Elder also had certain concerns about revealing his identity. With so many powerful figures present, any misstep exposing him would be a serious matter, especially since Xiao Yan himself, at this stage, still lacked the strength to adequately protect the Elder. Nevertheless, even if Xiao Yan couldn't fully harness the power of Yao Lou, the formidable strength of Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire and its particular effectiveness against Fan Lu made it far from difficult to defeat the latter. "I can't let this old dog live—otherwise, we'll face endless troubles down the line," Xiao Yan thought, his gaze flashing with cold determination. He was well aware of how troublesome it would be to become a lifelong adversary to a Dou Huang-level warrior, and thus, he wouldn't miss this opportunity to deliver a crushing blow to a fallen foe. As soon as the thought formed, Xiao Yan swiftly moved into action. With a single flap of his wings, his form transformed into a swirling mass of emerald flame, then descended like a meteor striking the ground, directly heading toward where Fan Lu had landed, amidst a wave of astonished gazes. "Old dog, it's time for you to meet your end!" A resounding voice of deadly intent echoed across the heavens, the azure flame surging like lightning, finally crashing down like a meteor into the ruins. Instantly, ripples of powerful pressure spread out, shattering nearby stones and radiating vast, web-like cracks as thick as human arms. "Ah!" A piercing cry followed the impact, and then a streak of blood surged forth from where the azure flame had landed—the blood streak pale and dim, starkly contrasting with the earlier vibrant and majestic force. The blood-spark speed was astonishing—only a flash, and he had already appeared hundreds of meters above the ground. Only then did his form fully emerge, revealing Fan Lao, his body stained with blood. Yet now, Fan Lao appeared remarkably disheveled: not only was he covered in blood, but he had suddenly grown significantly thinner, as if drained of all his vitality, like a dried-out corpse. Xiao Yan coldly scoffed, his gaze firmly locked on Fan Lao, his inner ki surging and pulsing, ready to unleash a final, decisive strike at any moment. Fan Lao's face turned from pale to ashen, then suddenly broke into a smile. "Actually, this has been a misunderstanding..." "Hm," Xiao Yan said, tilting his chin thoughtfully as he listened, and after a brief pause, nodded in agreement. Yet, just as Fan Lao was momentarily stunned by Xiao Yan's reaction, a sharp crack of thunder suddenly erupted, and Xiao Yan vanished mid-motion. "Whoa!" As the thunder roared, Fan Lao's eyes widened in shock, gritted his teeth, and punched hard against his chest—spewing a burst of blood. Amid the geyser of blood, his form transformed into streaks of crimson and dissolved into the air. At the very instant Fan Lao disappeared, Xiao Yan's figure appeared strangely, delivering a powerful punch that struck the lingering afterimage, shattering it into nothingness. Frowning slightly, Xiao Yan lifted his head and scanned the horizon, his gaze finally settling on a spot several hundred meters away—there, Fan Lao, whose face had grown nearly translucent, once again flickered into view. "Another self-sacrifice... I'll see just how much blood you're willing to spill." With a cold, sharp arc forming at the corner of his mouth, Xiao Yan was about to completely drive Fan Lao to extinction when suddenly, a clear, crisp sound of an energy shield shattering resonated throughout the heavens. Though not particularly loud, this sound carried an undeniable magic, causing every battlefield in the sky to come to a sudden halt. All eyes snapped downward, landing on the now-broken Tian Fen Li Qi Tower at its peak. Instantly, everyone's expressions turned pale. "Oh no... this beast has broken through the seal once again!" As the sound echoed, Su Qian's face changed instantly, his gaze sharply turning toward the Tian Fen Li Qi Tower, his voice filled with unmistakable astonishment. "This must be the unique flame of the Heavens-Burned Qi Tower! I didn't expect it to have already developed sentience..." Han Feng's gaze followed the sound to the tower's apex, his eyes blazing with enthusiasm, his body trembling with excitement. At the tower's tip, the black energy membrane had somehow burst open. In the darkness, two immense serpent-like eyes, glowing with flame, slowly emerged and swept across each person in the sky, sending a deep chill through every one of them.