Vast and dense, the mountain range shimmered with a lush green hue, stretching out like an endless sea of green, its horizon indistinct. At the summit of a peak deep within the mountains, a young man clad in black robes stood upon a towering stone, his expression serious. With swift movements, he rapidly formed a peculiar hand seal. Then, he roared, "Seal of Mountain Opening!" As the cry echoed, intense radiance surged from his palm. Immediately, he thrust his hand forward with powerful force. Yet, just as his hand moved, the brilliant light faded as swiftly as a fleeting blossom, vanishing in an instant. The hand seal merely stirred a gentle gust of wind, which then burst softly upon the ground, creating a small crater. Standing before the crater, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation, sat heavily upon the stone, and breathed heavily. The energy required to activate the "Seal of Mountain Opening" was simply too immense, making it impossible for him to sustain continuous use. "This damn 'Mountain-Opening Seal' is surprisingly difficult to master—especially considering it's just the first one. I have no idea how terrifying the next four seals will be." Xiao Yan leaned heavily against the cold, massive stone, sighing wearily. It had been nearly five days since he had successfully unblocked three meridians, yet during this entire period, his progress with the "Mountain-Opening Seal" had remained minimal. The difficulty of this seal far exceeded his expectations. To fully unleash its normal power, he needed the flow of his battle energy to synchronize perfectly with the formation of the hand seal at the exact same instant. Otherwise, as had happened before, the energy would immediately dissipate due to poor coordination, resulting in a power output so weak it was almost unbearable. This synergy generally requires time to settle in; achieving it quickly within a short period seems somewhat unlikely. Of course, the pace of progress might also be influenced by the fact that this is the first time Xiao Yan has been practicing this hand seal technique. Xiao Yan himself is well aware of this. After five days of dedicated training, he has already made significant improvements over his initial attempts—though he is accustomed to rapid progress, this slower pace is indeed proving difficult to adapt to. "Ah... No wonder it's a mid-tier earth-ranked technique. It seems we'll have to proceed gradually," he sighed, setting aside his impatience, settled himself into a meditative posture, focused his mind, and entered his training state to restore the consumed ki. Now that Xiao Yan's strength has reached the peak of the Battle King rank, his ability to absorb and harness celestial and terrestrial energies has vastly improved compared to before. Moreover, thanks to the consumption and refinement of the Fallen Heart Flame, the "Burned Technique" seems to have evolved into a lower-tier Earth Rank technique. Of course, this is merely Xiao Yan's current assessment based on the speed at which his "Burned Technique" now refines celestial and terrestrial energies—whether it has truly advanced to Earth Rank level, he cannot be absolutely certain. Nevertheless, one thing he is certain of is that the current "Burned Technique" is significantly stronger than it once was. For no matter how immense the influx of celestial and terrestrial energies into his body, the "Burned Technique" consistently and smoothly refines them all, ultimately transforming them into pure battle energy and integrating them seamlessly into his very being. Currently, the sheer strength and richness of the qi flowing within Xiao Yan's body are so profound that it's difficult to find any other cultivator at the Duke level who can match him. Aside from the "Burned Decree," which continuously draws and absorbs celestial and terrestrial energies, his ever-burning heart flame—permanently residing within him—constantly refines and strengthens his qi, endowing it with greater vitality and explosive power. In fact, to a certain extent, Xiao Yan alone, relying solely on the Burned Decree and his heart flame, can hold his own against ordinary Duke-level cultivators. Of course, when facing stronger Duke-level opponents, he must deploy specific combat techniques to counter them. Against Duke-level masters at the peak of their abilities, he needs to give his full effort, and when confronting even more formidable figures—such as Han Feng, who has already begun to tread the path toward the Master rank—he must pour every ounce of strength into the fight to stand any chance of victory. Yet, despite these achievements, Xiao Yan remains unsatisfied. He knows that this time, upon returning to the Jima Empire, he must defeat the true master of Yunlan Sect: Yun Shan! Two years ago, Yunshan was already a super-strong cultivator who had stepped into the Douzong realm. Now, after two years of absence, his strength had naturally grown even stronger. Facing a competitor of this caliber, Xiao Yan knew clearly that even if he unleashed his large-scale Buddha's Fury Lotus, his chances of victory would still not be particularly high. Therefore, he still needed a powerful combat capability that could truly match that of a true Douzong cultivator—his only hope being the "Opening Mountain Seal." Thus, no matter what, Xiao Yan would firmly master the "Imperial Seal Technique's" Opening Mountain Seal before returning to the Jima Empire. Otherwise, the risk would be too great—back then, he had been chased out of the empire like a fugitive. This had been a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, and he absolutely could not allow it to happen again! Thoughts swirling in his mind, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, a cold gaze sweeping across his dark pupils. Yunshan, wait—when I said I would return, I would surely return to avenge this bloodshed! Hatred surged within him, and Xiao Yan suddenly stood up, swiftly forming hand seals while his internal qi surged and flowed at an accelerated pace. "The Mountain-Opening Seal—I won't learn it from you!" At the peak of the mountain, the young man maintained a tense expression, gazing steadily at the blazing sun, tirelessly waving his hands. His unusual hand seals danced in the sunlight, leaving continuous afterimages. With each repeated formation, the robust qi gradually harmonized with the seals, growing more seamless and refined... Over the past fifteen days, Xiao Li's establishment of the "Xiao Sect" in Feng City has gradually gained recognition within the Black Corner Domain. However, despite the growing boldness of this previously unknown force, most other powers in the domain have maintained a reserved, observational stance, awaiting the response from the Canaan Academy. Originally, they believed that the current Canaan Academy could no longer allow any single power within the domain to control Feng City—the city closest to the inner academy. Yet, to their surprise, after nearly half a month had passed, there had been no significant developments from the inner academy. This lack of progress has stirred considerable activity among several powers within the Black Corner Domain that had long coveted Feng City. Fengcheng, having grown steadily through the joint development of Chinese and Korean Feng over the past two years, has now become one of the top-tier cities in the Hei Jiao region. Several grand auctions have been held here in recent times. Although the city's popularity has slightly dipped since the passing of Han Feng and the subsequent dissolution of the Hei Alliance, its scale and population remain substantial—making it a highly attractive asset for the various powers in the Hei Jiao region. Previously, concerns about the Inner Court's interference had prevented any significant investment in the city. However, given the current apparent stability of the "Xiao Clan," it seems the Inner Court has relaxed its vigilance and is no longer closely monitoring the Hei Jiao region. This development has now sparked considerable enthusiasm among the regional powers—after all, how could a relatively obscure local force possibly claim such a profitable city? Thus, approximately twenty days after the "Xiao School" had secured Feng City, a moderately sized force—comprising around a hundred people, led by a four-star Battle King—finally grew impatient and took action. This force entered Feng City with full confidence. However, by the very next day, not a single word from them emerged. Only after scouts inquired further did they learn that nearly half of the force had been slaughtered by the "Xiao School," and the remainder had all surrendered. Being able to easily decimate half of a mid-tier force and bring the other half to its knees, the "Pan Gate's" strength likely merits a place among the near-top-tier powers. Such strength is sufficient to prompt some ambitious rivals to temper their ambitions. Of course, under the allure of the "Feng City" prize, lasting peace is unlikely. Just fifteen days after the tranquility began, Xiao Li received word that three top-tier powers from the Black Angle Region had united to launch a coordinated advance on Feng City, aiming to displace the "Xiao Gate's" current influence. Though their combined force may not match the original "Black Alliance," it is certainly formidable. Facing this powerful assault—backed by at least three Battle Sovereigns—Xiao Li's strength alone would be insufficient to withstand the pressure.