"You... you should have switched to the Azure Flame?" Han Feng's eyes were fixed intently on the emerald flames swirling around Xiao Yan's body. Though the flames didn't display an overwhelming power, Han Feng, with his keen spiritual perception, could sense an immense, hidden strength beneath their calm surface. Seeing Han Feng's stunned expression, Xiao Yan smiled gently. A strand of emerald flame danced like a sprite between his fingers, occasionally causing subtle distortions in the space as its tail swept past. "Then, let me settle the injuries my teacher endured all those years ago," said Xiao Yan, gently grasping his right hand. The massive Xuanzhong Scale materialized, and as he swung it forward, a steady, pressuring wind surged out, pointing steadily toward Han Feng. His face darkened. Han Feng clenched his hands, and the deep blue flame surged rapidly, eventually coalescing into a long, slender flame sword, its tip pointing steadily at Xiao Yan. He spoke coldly, "Don't speak to me in that lecturing tone. Regarding the events of those days, I have no regrets at all. The only thing that truly grieves me is that I never managed to obtain the 'Burned Decree.' But now, it's all settled—since you've delivered it to me right here." "Indeed, you're still just a beast..." Xiao Yan sighed, shaking his head. Finally, he decided to cut through the nonsense, the 'Burned Decree' having clouded this creature's mind. A brilliant silver glow emerged from his feet, and a soft thunder rolled across the sky. As the thunder cracked, Xiao Yan's body suddenly trembled. "Residual shadows, I didn't expect you to have grown so strong in just two years. Now, without relying on that old man's power, you've achieved this. But do you think this will do me any good?" Staring at the motionless figure of "Xiao Yan" suspended in midair, Han Feng let out a cold laugh. The deeply blue flame wings behind him subtly vibrated, and as his body moved, he glided backward several meters. Just as his form shifted, the black silhouette before him suddenly emerged, the broad heavy staff slashing with a powerful gust of wind and sharp sounds of air being torn apart, crashing down fiercely. Twisting his body into an odd yet stable posture, the staff pressed against Han Feng's face, and the force of the wind, protected by "Haixin Flame," did not harm him at all. "Younger brother, though you've grown significantly in strength, the battles I've fought far outnumber the meals I've eaten!" Dodging Xiao Yan's attack, Han Feng gave a quiet chuckle, then sharply shook his arm, causing his flame sword to arc with a precise, fierce motion, weaving past the staff and directly targeting Xiao Yan's chest. "Clang!" Faced with Han Feng's sharp and relentless assault, Xiao Yan remained calm, slightly curving his wrist and swiftly rotating the heavy staff, which then reversed and formed a solid shield in front of him, successfully deflecting Han Feng's flaming long sword. "Shhh! Shhh!" Xiao Yan's quick and precise response surprised Han Feng slightly, who raised an eyebrow. Immediately, Han Feng's arm began to vibrate rapidly, and his flaming long sword seemed to split into countless blades—numerous shimmering, semi-real, semi-phantom images, each carrying a surge of hot wind, sweeping across the battlefield in a relentless and powerful wave, completely enveloping Xiao Yan's entire body. The attack was both fierce and seasoned. Despite Han Feng's intense assault, Xiao Yan showed no signs of panic. Though he no longer had the support of Yao Lao's power, his own strength had not diminished much from when he first drew upon Yao Lao's power. In fact, since this strength now belonged entirely to him, he controlled it with greater ease and confidence. The soles of his feet shimmered with silver light. Xiao Yan stepped forward with an unusual gait, his body swaying left and right in a most peculiar manner, yet he effortlessly deflected the sweeping array of sword blades. Occasionally, he swung his heavy staff, warding off bursts of swordlight, and the sparks that erupted from the staff illuminated his youthful face, casting a calm and composed demeanor. As his form flickered, Xiao Yan suddenly halted, his eyes blazing with intense brilliance. A low cry escaped his throat, and with his heavy staff blazing with emerald flame, he drove it straight forward, striking a seemingly real yet ethereal fragment of a sword blade within the midst of the swirling sword formations. Feeling the powerful surge of energy emanating from the tip of the sword, Xiao Yan suddenly roared, and a mighty aura surged forth from various parts of his body, rapidly flowing through his meridians and filling his arms. As this powerful aura flowed in, his arms grew slightly thicker than before. Suddenly, his arm trembled violently, and an explosive force surged out from Xuanzhong Chi, forcefully driving into the flame-long sword. "Boom!" With the force pouring in, the flame-long sword, formed by the concentrated "Haixin Flame," began to develop fine cracks. Seeing this change, Han Feng's expression slightly darkened, and he quickly released the hilt. As the hilt slipped from his grasp, the sword, deprived of supporting power, shattered with a crisp sound. "This guy's unique flame is rather unusual!" The flame sword shattered, and Han Feng's eyes flashed rapidly. When the opponent's power surged into the flame sword, Han Feng clearly sensed that the opponent's unique fire was... breaking down the "Sea-Heart Flame." Securing the initial advantage, Xiao Yan showed no hesitation. He firmly struck the handle of his staff with his palm, and instantly, the heavy, green-flame-wrapped Xu Zhong Staff surged forward like a bolt of green lightning, aimed directly at Han Feng. At such close range, even with Han Feng's speed, evasion proved difficult. Thus, he activated the "Sea-Heart Flame" around his palms and delivered a solid blow onto the heavy staff. "Clang!" As韩枫's palm struck the heavy staff, a sharp, metallic crack resonated, and with the surge of force, the staff was launched into the air. However, at the very instant of contact, the emerald flame behaved like a viscous liquid, swiftly adhering to his palm. Under the intense heat of the flame, the "Sea Heart Flame" began to thin visibly, growing increasingly translucent. Observing the flame's gradual thinning,韩枫's heart grew a touch uneasy. He now knew with certainty that the unique flame萧炎 had employed this time was no longer the original Qinglian Earth Heart Flame. A surge of powerful qi erupted suddenly from within his palm, and after a tense standoff, the emerald flame was finally extinguished.韓枫 stepped back swiftly, his expression serious, gazing at the calm, smiling young man in the black robe. Two years had passed, and this man had grown even more tenacious and enigmatic than he had in the past. Seeing that Han Feng had effortlessly escaped the emerald flames without much effort, Xiao Yan was also struck with astonishment. Indeed, as the medicine elder had said, Han Feng possessed exceptional talent both in alchemy and cultivation. While Xiao Yan himself had grown stronger over the past two years, Han Feng's prowess had clearly advanced as well. Perhaps, just as he had predicted, Han Feng had now reached the threshold of the Douzong cultivator's realm—perhaps one day, he would truly step into the ranks of a supreme powerhouse. "To be recognized and accepted as a student by that elder—indeed, no easy feat. I must admit, I underestimated you earlier." Peering down at his palm, slightly blackened, Han Feng sighed and shook his head, then gently inhaled before lifting his gaze to fix a cold, fierce stare on Xiao Yan, chuckling, "In the past two years, you've made significant progress in strength—yet I haven't wasted a single day." As he spoke, the hand seal in his grasp suddenly transformed, and a mighty surge of combat energy erupted from within him—so powerful it surpassed even the peak of ordinary Supreme Emperor-level warriors, perhaps even reaching the threshold of a Supreme Sovereign! The sudden emergence of such overwhelming power instantly silenced the chaotic battlefield nearby, drawing a wave of astonished glances. When these eyes settled upon Han Feng, they immediately grew sharp and intense. "This guy... has already nearly reached the level of a Battle Sovereign, hasn't he?" Gazing at Han Feng, his hair slightly disheveled as it fluttered in the surge of powerful battle energy, every strong contender from the Inner Academy to the Black Angle Domain was left utterly stunned. Over the years, few had ever seen Han Feng give his full strength—so few had even realized that he had quietly ascended to this remarkable level without anyone noticing. The sudden eruption of astonishing battle energy caused even the battle circles of Su Qian and the two elder masters, Jin and Yin, to momentarily halt. Three sets of eyes followed the outburst, each now filled with a distinct expression of awe and amazement. "This guy really has a deep mind—he's been steadily approaching that level, yet we've never even realized it." The two elders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with admiration and envy. Having remained at the peak of the Battle Emperor rank for nearly a decade, they had made little to no progress until now. Yet in just under five years, Han Feng had already begun showing clear signs of advancing into a higher tier. Such speed was simply hard to ignore, and it stirred genuine envy within them. When Su Qian first discovered that the source of the burst of battle energy was Han Feng, his heart gradually sank. If Han Feng had indeed begun to fully enter the Battle Sovereign rank, his combat power would surge exponentially—perhaps even beyond what Su Qian could handle. And if Han Feng activated his unique fire, Su Qian himself would find it difficult to defeat him, let alone Xiao Yan? Su Qian had originally hoped that Xiao Yan would be able to hold back Han Feng, but now, looking at the current situation, that hope seemed likely to fade as well. Once Han Feng was free to act and joined forces with the two elders, Jin and Yin, even Su Qian himself would surely be defeated—meaning the Inner Courtyard would suffer heavy casualties. With a sense of weariness, Su Qian sighed softly, then rallied his spirit. For now, he could only place his hopes on that young prodigy who had so often defied the odds—his other concerns would merely be minor additions.