His gaze lingered for a moment where Medusa had vanished, and Xiao Yan slowly exhaled, then shifted his视线 downward, back to Fan Lao, his eyes now filled with simmering resentment. "Hey, even if that person has gone, you won't get off easy. I don't believe you can hold off all of us four with just your own strength." Medusa's departure had left Fan Lao somewhat disheartened, yet soon a cold, calculating smile spread across his face. Xiao Yan paid no attention to Fan Lao's attempts to persuade him to retreat with words. With a flick of his wrist, he drove the heavy staff firmly into the ground, and on the palm of his right hand, a cluster of emerald flames rose like spectral lights, glowing faintly. Then, slowly, he covered the emerald flames with his left palm, closing his eyes despite the slight frowns of concern from Fan Lao and the others. The unusual nature of Xiao Yan's actions remained unclear to them, and thus, no one dared to move first. As Xiao Yan closed his eyes, the cluster of emerald flame suddenly began to ripple. Then, with a sudden motion, Xiao Yan pulled his palms together, and Fan Lu and the others were stunned to see two flames of distinctly different colors emerge from the emerald flame. Xiao Yan glanced calmly at Fan Lao, whose face had turned pale. With his palms moving swiftly up and down, he generated a fresh emerald flame—formed by the fusion of Qinglian Earth Heart Fire and the Fallen Heart Flame. As long as he mastered the technique, separating these two flames again would not be difficult. Though neither flame individually surpassed the emerald flame in intensity or power, they could be used simultaneously, enabling him to handle opponents in greater numbers—making them exceptionally well-suited for such a scenario. "Attack! Kill him!" Fan Lao's initial shock gradually gave way to a deep, concentrated resolve. He knew well the formidable power wielded by someone who controlled two distinct flames. If Xiao Yan continued to advance, no one could predict how far he might go. By eliminating him now, he would remove a major, persistent threat that had been troubling him. As Van Lu's voice fell, his figure instantly surged into motion, blood-colored combat energy spreading throughout his body, and the pungent, metallic scent of blood enveloping the entire mountain stronghold. Some of the slightly less powerful members were already experiencing dizziness and disorientation merely from the smell. At the very moment Van Lu began to move, three of his companions—each a strong combat veteran at the Battle King level—also sprang into action, forming a semi-encircling formation and launching a coordinated assault toward the center where Xiao Yan stood. One Battle Emperor and three Battle Kings—such a formidable array—launching their attacks simultaneously, the combined force of their fierce momentum would have even caused a typical Battle Emperor to feel a slight breathlessness. Yet for Xiao Yan, who had always defied conventional expectations, this overwhelming pressure made no difference at all. "Third brother, watch out!" Although the powerful pressure was significantly mitigated by Xiao Yan's defense, some residual effects still caused Xiao Li's expression to subtly change, prompting him to step back two paces and roar at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his slightly narrowed eyes fixed on the four figures who arrived almost instantaneously. A subtle movement formed at the corner of his mouth, and the intangible flame on his left palm suddenly surged with waves of energy. As the waves from the fallen heart flame radiated outward, the four figures abruptly halted, their faces turning crimson, their body qi disordered and trembling due to sudden surprise. Their internal qi surged desperately, striving to contain the unexpected surge of heart fire that had appeared within them without warning. The Falling Heart Flame, at its most proficient, summons heart-fire within a human body at a certain distance. The intensity of this flame is entirely under the caster's control—when gentle, it refines the user's qi; when fierce, however, it causes sudden, unprepared qi surges within the body, and the intense heat can scorch the entire being from within outwards, reducing it to ash. Now fully integrated within Xiao Yan, the peculiar effect of summoning heart-fire has become seamless and fully at his command. Facing formidable opponents such as Fan Lu, Xiao Yan's heart-fire is now at its most violent. As a result, the qi within the bodies of Fan Lu and the other two opponents is now violently disrupted and turbulent. While Xiao Yan's flame is not powerful enough to instantly reduce a Duke-level warrior to ashes, it certainly renders them disoriented and scrambling. When the stronger fighters engage in battle, this sudden disarray often proves decisive in determining the outcome. Gazing at Fan Lao and his three companions, whose faces now flushed and whose ki flows disrupted, Xiao Yan slowly arched a coldly composed smile. Silver light emanated from his feet, and as his body trembled, he vanished like a ghost—just as he disappeared, the Xu Zhong Chi, previously planted in the ground, also vanished. At the very moment of life and death, this Sovereign Rank warrior displayed remarkable combat experience and sharpness. Despite the intense pain of his inner fire searing his body, he fiercely drove his ghost-headed sword upward, its blade so sharp that it seemed to slice through the very air. "Clang!" The heavy staff crashed down, striking the ghost-headed sword with tremendous force, releasing its full power. Under this fierce assault, the Sovereign Rank warrior's legs gave way, his knees collapsing onto the hard floor, causing cracks to spread across it like a spider's web. "Boom!" Having withstood the near-fatal blow of the heavy staff, the warrior hadn't even time to shift his position—sharp gusts of wind followed closely behind, finally striking his chest with full force. The sudden explosive power launched him several dozen meters into the air, leaving a deep gouge over ten meters long on the ground before he finally came to a gentle halt. A span, a step, two maneuvers—within this brief span, a Supreme Battle Sovereign-level warrior was left wounded and forced to retreat. Observing this one-sided battle, the figures in the shadows within the mountain stronghold could not help but take a quiet breath. "This young man... is truly growing stronger and stronger," murmured Xiao Li, his mouth slightly open as he watched the Supreme Battle Sovereign falter and retreat instantly. After a moment, he shook his head, his expression filled with awe at such formidable strength. "Hao Han, you two go after that man—I'll hold him off! Quick!" Thoughts racing through his mind, Fan Lu suddenly barked out, for the current situation demanded that they capture the man who seemed to have a deep connection with Xiao Yan; otherwise, even together, they wouldn't be able to push him back. Hearing Fan Lu's command, the other two Supreme King-level warriors blinked, then quickly regained their composure, exchanged glances, and swiftly moved off in opposite directions. "Shhh!" As they parted, the wind rushing through the air sounded once again. But just as the wind noise reached its peak, Fan Lu gritted his teeth, flashed forward, and materialized at a new position, his crimson aura blasting outward across the space before him. The crimson aura surged forth, and beneath the enveloping green flame, a broad black silhouette suddenly emerged, then plunged down with force. Under the pressure of the green flame, the crimson aura vanished instantly, leaving nothing behind. "Damn it!" "Stiffened under the relentless assault of Xiao Yan's strange flame, Fan Lao cursed inwardly. As he prepared to launch another attack to intercept him, his inner heart flame suddenly surged violently, sending sharp pain through him, forcing him to divert some of his ki to stabilize it. The dispersion of ki not only distracted Fan Lao's mind but also weakened and slowed his offensive momentum. 'Eight-Point Collapse!' With the defensive gaps now clearly visible under Xiao Yan's sharp gaze, the young man swiftly darted in, slipping into Fan Lao's arms. With a sudden arm motion, he clenched his fingers tightly, forming a heavy hammer-like strike that radiated a powerful, bone-shaking force, and drove it straight into Fan Lao's chest. At the critical moment, Fan Lao managed to form only a thin layer of blood membrane on his body's surface. As Xiao Yan's fist surged forward, a tidal wave of force erupted from the palm, propelling Fan Lao violently backward. Under the fierce impact, Fan Lao's body shot backward, and finally, unable to contain it, a gush of blood erupted from his mouth. As for Xiao Li's disadvantages, Xiao Yan was naturally extremely aware of them. Thus, he didn't hesitate to pursue the wounded Fan Lao, but as soon as he made any movement, a pungent, foul odor surged once again, and Fan Lao—already pale as a ghost—materialized before him, his gaze venomously sharp, laughing loudly, "Hah! Xiao Yan, how strong are you now? As long as he falls into our hands, do you really think you can turn the tide?" With Fan Lao's obstruction, the two Dou Wang-level warriors finally closed in on Xiao Li, their powerful Dou Qi surging forth in waves. The sheer momentum clearly indicated their intent to strike decisively and capture him. Watching the two Dou Wang warriors unleash their resounding, powerful Dou Qi, Xiao Yan's heart suddenly sank. "Whoosh!" Just as the three were about to make contact, a sharp gust of wind suddenly erupted in the sky, and then two figures surged downward, crashing like meteorites with great force between the two Dou Wang强者 and Xiao Li. A hearty laugh rang out suddenly. "Hah! Xiao Li, you take care of that old man—these two I'll handle with Zi Yan." The unexpected turn of events left Xiao Li momentarily stunned, but soon his tightly tensed nerves settled, for reinforcements had finally arrived. He slightly turned his head, his gaze slowly shifting toward Fan Lu, whose icy, murderous tone caused the latter's face to instantly pale. "Old dog, you've been blocking so enthusiastically!"