Amid the silence that filled the arena, the emerald flames on Xiao Yan's palm swiftly faded. He offered Nín Xiūyá a faint, stiff smile, saying, "Nín Xiuya, thank you." With careful delicacy, he gently shifted his head aside. Nín Xiuya chuckled, though the emerald flames had not touched his skin—he could clearly feel that if Xiao Yan's palm had advanced just a little further, he would have been instantly incinerated into ash. "You're quite extraordinary, aren't you? Just two years have passed, and you've already grown so strong." Nín Xiuya released the qi circulating through his body, sighing. He had always believed his own progress to be quite solid, yet he had only managed to withstand Xiao Yan's power for a single exchange—this indeed left him somewhat disheartened. "I've merely taken advantage of the unique flames, Nín Xiuya. You have no need to feel so inferior." Xiao Yan smiled, patting Lin Xiu'ya's shoulder, then turned to gaze at the dense crowd surrounding them, smiling warmly. "Have all of you had enough?" Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, the crowd exchanged a little awkward smile, no longer doubting the great battle of old. With Lin Xiu'ya's formidable strength, he had barely put up a fight against him—thus, it was indeed plausible that he could defeat a Duke-level warrior. Xiao Yan and Lin Xiu'ya ascended the platform once more. As Xiao Yan looked at Su Qian, who was now visibly astonished, he smiled and asked, "How do you think? Can you judge the current level?" Su Qian stroked his beard, deeply contemplative, before finally said after a while, "When you first demonstrated your footwork, the aura you emitted suggested you were at the peak of Duke-level strength. Normally, such a level would find it nearly impossible to defeat Lin Xiu'ya in a single move. However... that particular emerald flame you wielded is quite unusual." "Ultimately, Su Qian's expression grew slightly serious, as during the initial phase of that emerald flame, he had subtly sensed a faint yet distinct sense of danger—though delicate, it was remarkably clear. This had left him puzzled. Though he had seen his share of rare flames, even Han Feng, with his formidable mastery over such flames, had only ever made him slightly cautious. Such a sensation had never before occurred. Xiao Yan nodded slightly. This emerald flame, a fusion of Qinglian Earth-Core Fire and Fallen Heart Flame, was itself an exceptionally powerful anomaly. When two such flames combined, the result was even more formidable. Indeed, even during their prolonged battle beneath the earth against the Queen of Medusa, she had been notably wary—clearly indicating that this flame's strength was truly formidable. "Shh!" As Xiao Yan was just thinking about Queen Medusa, a brilliant seven-colored energy ribbon suddenly shot down from the sky, then slithered like a serpent past him, hissing as it passed—each passing wave sending sharp, piercing sounds through the air. The moment the seven-colored energy appeared, Xiao Yan had sensed it immediately, his brow furrowing slightly. This woman… wasn’t she still determined to press on? Just as Xiao Yan prepared to move in defense, Su Qian, standing beside him, also noticed the sudden assault and his face tightened. With a sweeping motion of his sleeve, he unleashed a surge of powerful qi, which collided forcefully with the seven-colored energy. Instantly, a thunderous roar erupted in the sky, like a bolt of lightning. "If you’ve come, then why hide in the shadows, lingering so hesitantly?" Su Qian looked up at the clear sky, coldly commanding, "When Xiao Yan first appeared, I had already sensed a second, exceptionally powerful presence—yet despite my strength, I couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from. It wasn't until the burst of seven-colored energy earlier that I was able to lock onto it. The sudden clash had left countless students on the plaza in astonishment, lifting their heads in surprise. Yet the sky remained utterly empty, with no figures visible. Shortly after Su Qian's command, the space above began to subtly ripple, and then a graceful, elegant figure materialized out of nowhere. Her alluring, slender eyes gently swept over the crowd below. Anyone whose gaze caught the endless allure of those eyes felt their hearts leap, their cheeks flushing slightly. His indistinct gaze slowly swept across, finally settling on the young man in black robes standing beside Su Qian. A cold, lethal intent swept over him, and with a graceful twist of his slender, serpentine waist, he launched himself downward—within the blink of an eye, he had materialized just a few meters from Xiao Yan. With a swift rotation of his delicate hands, a vast surge of vibrant, multicolored energy erupted, amplified by a surging wind that crashed powerfully against Xiao Yan. The gale blew the crowd around wildly, staggering them here and there. Among them, only Xiao Yan's figure remained steady; everyone else had to retreat a few steps backward, to some extent. Above the sky, the woman stood suspended, her crimson dress billowing, accentuating an irresistibly alluring, sculpted silhouette. Her refined features and cool, elegant presence were captivating—yet precisely this coolness stirred warmth deep within the hearts of many on the plaza. Such a woman held a powerful allure for nearly every man present. Even Su Qian, the queen of Medusa, was momentarily stunned by her flawless beauty, let alone the young, inexperienced trainees. Some of them, lacking in composure, found themselves swallowing their breath repeatedly. "Do you know her?" Su Qian furrowed his brows, speaking softly to Xiao Yan. "We have a bit of a history," Xiao Yan replied with a dry smile, somewhat vague—after all, he certainly couldn't tell Su Qian that he had accidentally lost her, hadn't he? "Ah, you're always getting into trouble with these people. This woman is also a Cultivator at the Du-Zong level. If we actually fight, I'm not sure I could even hold her off." Su Qian sighed, deeply surprised that this very person had brought such complications upon them. A Du-Zong cultivator was, after all, an exceptionally powerful presence across the entire continent. Xiao Yan shook his head with a weary smile, looking up at Queen Medusa with a sense of helplessness. "What do you want from me? You're free now—go back to where you belong." Upon hearing this, Queen Medusa felt instantly irritated. After all, the man had done all those things, yet he now seemed impatient and unyielding? "Once I've killed you, I'll return." "Hehe, friend, Xiao Yan is one of my inner court disciples. If there's any issue between us, we can certainly sit down and have a talk—there's no need to resort to physical confrontation," Su Qian said with a warm smile, knowing that facing a Douzong-level master, he couldn't possibly display any firmness. Why does this woman only know how to kill him? Can killing him really change the fact that he has already possessed her? "You young man, now you're in trouble—being watched over by a Cultivator of the Peak Rank. You'll surely face hardships in the future. Truly a nuisance." Su Qian sighed. Being watched by a Peak Rank cultivator wasn't something to be taken lightly. Xiao Yan spread his hands, then seemed to recall something, and with a touch of embarrassment, said, "There's one more matter I forgot to tell you..." Su Qian was momentarily startled, then furrowed his brows, asking, "What now? You can't have offended more than one Peak Rank cultivator, can you?" "Not exactly," Xiao Yan smiled slightly, blushing, "Actually, I accidentally absorbed that fallen Heart Flame. That means, from now on, your Day-Burning Qi Tower probably won't offer much improvement in your cultivation speed anymore..." Su Qian blinked, and then suddenly felt a wave of dizziness rush through his mind. "Ah! This calamity!"