When Xiao Yan stepped out of the chamber, the vast hall was empty—no trace of anyone. He found this somewhat surprising, and with a sigh of resignation, he shook his head and settled into a soft, cushioned chair, breathing deeply to ease his weariness from the recent journey. "Creak…" Just as Xiao Yan closed his eyes to rest, the hall's door was gently pushed open, and a tall, graceful figure stepped into the sunlight, casting a long, slender shadow. Upon entering, the woman first spotted Xiao Yan lying in his chair, eyes closed and resting. A moment of delight flashed in her beautiful gaze, but then, fearing she might disturb his peace, she hesitated before deciding to step back out. "Heh, you've already come in—what's the point of going out now?" A gentle voice suddenly broke through, startling the woman and causing her to halt her retreat. She glanced over and found Xiao Yan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, now opening them and smiling at her. "Are your injuries healed now?" Xiao Yu stood at the doorway, her gaze drifting around the room, speaking softly. "When did you become so tender?" Xiao Yan stared at Xiao Yu in surprise. This woman had always been harsh and direct toward him since childhood—when had she ever spoken so gently? Hearing Xiao Yan's astonished tone, Xiao Yu felt a little irritated—this young man hadn't changed much in two years, still as smooth-tongued as ever. Yet it was precisely his familiar tone that gradually eased her sense of unfamiliarity, bringing back the warmth of their long-standing familiarity. Setting aside her hesitation, Xiao Yu no longer felt reserved, and with the long, graceful legs that had once made Xiao Yan's heart flutter, she stepped directly into the hall and sat down beside Xiao Yan. Only then did she turn her head to gaze at the familiar face, smiling gently. After two years apart, the person who had once been such a headache for her had matured considerably—her refined features, and the calm, serene expression when she smiled, brought a quiet sense of peace. "Have you all been well these past two years?" Xiao Yan broke the silence first, smiling as he asked. Since emerging from the underground, this was the first time he had spent time alone with Xiao Yu. Though he had visited the "Pan Gate" once before, it had been due to time constraints, and he hadn't had much opportunity to chat with Xiao Yu and the others. "Yes, Xiao Ning and Xiao Mei have both entered the inner courtyard, and with the protection of the 'Pan Gate,' they've all been doing well." Xiao Yu nodded, exhaled, and then glanced sharply at Xiao Yan, slightly scolding, "Be more careful in the future. Do you know how desperate we felt when we learned that you were consumed by the异fire last time? Right now, only you have the ability to revitalize the Xiao family. If anything happens to you, the grievances of the clan members will likely go unavenged!" Seeing Xiao Yan's slightly raised brows, he smiled sadly. Only after she finished speaking did he sigh, "To avenge someone, one must first have strength. And to gain strength, there's always risk involved." Xiao Yan felt a deep sense of regret toward the younger members of the Xiao family. The great misfortune befalling the family was closely tied to him, and many of his fellow clan members had perished, some even losing their parents in the disaster. Though he couldn't blame himself entirely, the sense of regret remained. Xiao Yu remained silent, gazing at the slightly lean face. Though this person never showed any signs of worry on his face, he must be under considerable pressure—she knew well how vital she was to the Xiao family, not to mention her uncle’s recent disappearance. "Slightly taken aback, Xiao Yan didn't reach for the items, instead shaking his head with a smile and speaking softly, 'The achievements of the Pan Sect are no single achievement of mine. Perhaps I won't stay at the Gan Nan Academy for long, so these things are better kept by you.' 'Are you leaving? Where to?' Xiao Yu's face slightly changed, speaking urgently. 'Of course, back to the Jima Empire.' Xiao Yan smiled, yet a faint cold gleam shimmered in his dark eyes, 'The old grudges from back then—should finally be settled, shouldn't they?' 'You're going to find the Yunlan Sect? I'll go too. I'd like to visit the surviving members of my clan.' 'Hah, don't rush. I'll be returning after a while. This time back, it will be a fierce battle. I must prepare everything thoroughly. I was already driven out of the Empire once before—I don't want to go through it a second time.' Xiao Yan waved his hand and said, "As for you, stay at the Gan Nan Academy. It's the safest place here. Don't interrupt me. This time, I'm not visiting family—I'm going into a full-scale battle. You should know well enough how strong Yun Lan Sect's influence is within the Jia Ma Empire. I can't afford any risks." Seeing Xiao Yan's serious expression with his lips tightly pressed, Xiao Yu could only sigh and nod reluctantly. With the Xiao family's strength greatly diminished, as younger members, they had to follow Xiao Yan's every arrangement. Over the years, Xiao Yan has grown far beyond his once-impetuous youth—he now carries the weight of responsibility with steady resolve, and that very determination makes them unable to resist. "Don't worry. Once I've settled all matters, you'll all be able to return to the Jia Ma Empire." He gently patted her shoulder and smiled. Xiao Yu nodded with a sense of resignation, then suddenly remembered something and added, "By the way, Xiao Li, my cousin, has something he'd like to speak with you about. You should go see him." "Oh?" Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Yan nodded slightly and chatted with Xiao Yu for a while before rising to leave the hall and heading to find Xiao Li. "...Brother, what's on your mind?" He just happened to find Xiao Li in his room, and smiled as he asked. "Your injury has improved?" Seeing Xiao Yan, Xiao Li was also pleased, pulling him inside and expressing his concern. Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, his gaze fixed on Xiao Li, waiting for him to speak. Under Xiao Yan's steady gaze, Xiao Li paused thoughtfully before slowly saying, "Currently, the Black Angle Region is quite disorganized due to the dissolution of the Black Alliance. This is a promising opportunity. Though the region is chaotic, it still boasts many strong individuals. If we can consolidate these forces, it could become a significant asset for our future retaliation against Yunlan Sect." "But what about expanding our presence in the Black Angle Region?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brow, speaking softly, "Those people there are all tough fighters—true 'stiff as a blade'—and uniting them won't be easy." "Hey, they're indeed quite tenacious. If we're to win them over, we'll have to be even tougher. My current subordinates used to be proud and ambitious, but they're not yet fully loyal to me." Xiao Li smiled, "This time, if you're willing to assist me, it shouldn't be too difficult. Your 'Panci Academy' may have strong potential, but they're mostly students. And due to environmental factors, you can't demand too much strict obedience—your expectations will have to be somewhat flexible. Black Angle Domain, on the other hand, is different. There, anyone who refuses to comply is simply eliminated—control is much easier there. Of course, that all depends on your strength—how strong must you be?" Xiao Yan nodded slightly, murmuring, "The people from Black-Angle Domain indeed possess strong combat prowess. If we can win them over, it will be of great benefit to us. After all, Yunlan Sect is also home to many powerful individuals, and relying on one person at a time often proves insufficient." "Then you're in agreement?" Xiao Li was delighted, clapping his hands. "If Brother Xiao has the ability, go ahead and act—when you encounter difficulties that cannot be resolved, come to me. Any objections, and then it's battle!" Xiao Yan clenched his teeth, then waved his hand with a commanding, fierce demeanor. "Excellent! That's true leadership," Xiao Li laughed heartily, then patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder, adding, "Though there's still one major issue." "What is that?" Xiao Yan was momentarily startled. "The Inner Courtyard," Xiao Li said firmly. "The Inner Courtyard?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. The Inner Court has always harbored caution toward the exceptionally powerful forces within Black Corner Domain, taking the Black Alliance as a prime example. Should we truly succeed in expanding our presence there, the Inner Court would inevitably take notice—then, perhaps...” Xiao Li bit his lip, turning to Xiao Yan and saying, “Therefore, until I personally secure your agreement, you must first convince Su Qian. Otherwise, difficulties are certain to arise in the future—indeed, a direct confrontation might not be out of the question.” Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled lightly, saying, “You needn’t worry about that. The Inner Court keeps a close watch on the powerful forces in Black Corner Domain precisely because it fears they might take action against the Academy. Our intentions, however, are not aligned with theirs—there’s no point of conflict between us. In fact, we could even assist them in monitoring other factions, which would benefit the Inner Court without any harm.” “That’s true, but I still think it would be wise to communicate with them directly, just to avoid any unforeseen complications down the line.” Xiao Li said thoughtfully. He was naturally stern and cautious, and trusted few people outside of a few close relatives. Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, then stood up, saying, "Very well. I'll go speak with the Senior Monastic right away. If he agrees, then you may set off for Black Angle Domain." "Once this is settled, even if Yunlan Sect deploys all its resources in the future, we won't have to fear them at all!"