Deep in the mountains, not far from the inner courtyard—a place once remote and nearly uninhabited—is now bustling with people gathering, their eyes fixed on the black-robed young man at the forefront, smiling warmly. A slightly somber atmosphere lingers, woven with the quiet anticipation of departure. "Have you decided to leave today?" Su Qian looked at Xiao Yan before him, sighed softly, and spoke. "Ah, yes. Brother Xiao's affairs are now all settled, so it's time we went." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar faces in the secluded valley. After a moment, he smiled gently and said, "I've invited everyone here simply so that the news of my departure doesn't spread throughout the inner courtyard and cause the members of the Pan Gate to feel disheartened." Wu Hao and Huo Jia, among others, nodded in quiet agreement—Xiao Yan's departure had naturally stirred a sense of melancholy within them. "Master Elder, thank you so much for your care over the years. This kindness will remain etched in my memory forever." His gaze turned once more to Su Qian. Xiao Yan bowed deeply and spoke sincerely. Su Qian smiled, waved his hand, then placed his palm on Xiao Yan's shoulder, saying, "Young fellow, be careful on your journey. I'll make sure your 'Xiao Clan' is well taken care of. When you return, you'll find the Xiao Clan still intact." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, stepped back two paces, and bowed formally to the group, stating, "Ladies and gentlemen, over the past three years, the bonds we've shared will never be forgotten. Should you ever need any assistance in the future, as long as I am still alive, please come to the Imperium of Jia Ma to find me!" Xiao Yan's slightly rugged, black-angled realm-style words brought a smile to the group, gently easing the somewhat somber atmosphere of parting. "Xiao Yan, once I graduate and reach the level of Battle King, I'll journey to the Imperium of Jia Ma to find you, and I'll certainly lend my support to you then!" Wu Hao smiled gently, saying this. "Then, when the time comes, Xiao Yan will surely stay with you all until he's completely drunk, making up for today's hasty parting!" Xiao Yan laughed heartily. "Shall we go?" Suddenly, a clear and composed voice came from above the tree canopy. As everyone looked up and caught sight of Medusa's elegant and refined features, they all silently admired her, then quickly shifted their gaze. This woman—even strong warriors like Su Qian held her in high regard. How much more so for them! Hearing Medusa's prompt, Xiao Yan smiled and promptly moved forward, bowing to the group and declaring with a warm voice, "Take care, everyone. Today, we part ways. Should we meet again by fate, we shall surely see each other again!" With those words, he turned to the four—Lin Yan, Lin Xiu, Liu Qing, and Zi Yan—and waved them gently. "Let's go!" Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, the four nodded slightly and then bowed to the group. Gradually, their aura wings began to emerge from their backs. As the wings vibrated, their forms slowly ascended into the air. "Xiao Yan... be careful. Don't rush into things when things Staring at Xiao Yan, who was now lifting his splendid emerald fire wings and ascending into the sky, Xiao Yu finally took a step forward, her eyes glistening with emotion. "Don't worry," she smiled. "Once I've settled matters in the Galma Empire, I'll send word to you all." Xiao Yan nodded with a warm smile, then turned gracefully, his fire wings flaring with effortless elegance, leaving no trace of hesitation. He became a streak of emerald flame, swiftly racing through the vast, misty mountains. Behind him, Meidusa, Lin Yan, and Zi Yan followed closely. "Senior Elder, will Xiao Yan succeed this time?" After withdrawing her gaze, Huojia suddenly asked softly. Upon hearing her question, everyone present turned their attention toward Su Qian, who stood with his hands behind his back. "It's hard to say..." Su Qian sighed. "The Garma Empire is quite insular, which is why there's only one major power within it—the Yunlan Sect. Given its long-standing tradition, even when compared to other sects across the southwest continent, it's considered a strong one. Xiao Yan may possess exceptional talent in cultivation, yet his foundational strength is relatively weak. Although he has gathered a number of allies this time, it remains uncertain whether he will ultimately prevail." Hearing Su Qian's assessment, Wu Hao and the others' faces grew slightly gloomed. Still, they knew that no matter how much they worried about Xiao Yan, their efforts would be of little help. With their current capabilities, even if they followed Xiao Yan back to the Garma Empire, they would likely only become a burden. "Hehe, that's enough. Don't worry—success or failure will become clear in time. If Xiao Yan actually wipes out Yunlan Sect, his reputation will surely spread across the entire southwest continent." Su Qian gave a calm smile, then turned and slowly walked toward the inner courtyard. After a glance exchanged among each other, Wu Hao and the others could only follow with a subdued demeanor. "Young one, this time it's either success or nothing. Everything now depends entirely on you. I hope good news reaches us soon..." As they were about to enter the forest, Su Qian paused, turned once more to gaze in the direction where Xiao Yan had disappeared, and quietly sighed. ... On a mountain not far from Feng City in the Black Corner Region, figures moved briskly, with occasional low roars of beasts echoing through the air. "Second leader, the troops and cavalry of Xiao's faction have gathered, plus the elite warriors we've recruited over the past period, and with our three brothers, we now have eight Grand King-level warriors. The rest are mostly carefully selected Grand Ling-level warriors, not only brave and fearless, but most of them are at the peak of Grand Ling strength." At the summit of the mountain, a sturdy man spoke solemnly to the man standing at the edge of the peak. Upon hearing this, the man slowly turned his head. His composed and serious demeanor revealed that he was Xiao Li, who had been recruiting warriors in Feng City. He glanced at the sturdy man and then gave a slight nod, saying, "Well done." As he spoke, Xiao Li's gaze shifted toward the slope of the mountain, where nearly a hundred dark silhouettes stood quietly. In front of these figures, seven figures—some tall, some slender—stood straight, radiating a strong, palpable aura emanating from within their bodies. These seven were all Grand King-level warriors. So many figures gathered on the slope, yet remained utterly silent, a quiet yet palpable sense of pressure enveloping the surroundings, even the wild roars coming from the forest now sounded subdued. "Any news from Tian Yin Sect, Luo Sha Gate, and Kuang Li Clan? Why haven't they arrived yet?" After drawing his gaze from those dark figures, Xiao Li suddenly furrowed his brow and spoke in a serious tone. At this, Yao Dajiang was about to reply when a woman's laughter rang out from the sky: "Hehe, Xiao Ge is indeed quite anxious. This trip away from Black Angle Domain will take several months at the very least. If they don't prepare well, won't they return to find their home already raided?" As the laughter faded, a wave of rushing winds followed swiftly, and within a few moments, a dozen massive flying beasts surged from the distant sky, landing on the mountain peak in mere eye blinks. Then, figures swiftly descended, spreading out across the tree canopies around, forming a scattered yet impressive group—clearly numbering well over a hundred, each one commanding a strong presence, evidently no ordinary contenders. After the wave of black silhouettes had settled, three figures of particularly powerful aura descended, their qi-wings flapping as they floated gently above the mountain's halfway point. They surveyed the array of figures behind Xiao Li, their eyes flashing with surprise. "Xiao Xiao truly has some talent," one remarked with a smile, "I never expected that in just over a month, he'd gathered so many strong individuals—what a remarkable achievement!" Xiao Li smiled, seemingly unconcerned, and replied, "Given my third brother's status as a sixth-rank alchemical master, this level of influence isn't surprising at all." "Heard this, the three of them—Iron Wu, Yin Gu Old Man, and Su Mei—also exchanged glances before smiling and agreeing, 'Xiao Brother is right. If Master Xiao makes his rank of Sixth-Rank Alchemist public, not only will several Battle Kings come, but even Battle Sovereigns might flock to join.' Xiao Li smiled gently and said, 'I wonder how strong the people you've brought are this time.' Upon hearing this, Iron Wu, Yin Gu Old Man, and Su Mei exchanged glances and then all smiled, 'From each of our sides, we've sent two Battle Kings. Along with ourselves, we also have three Battle Sovereigns. The rest are our top-tier reinforcements—certainly no weaker than the core disciples of Yunlan Sect.' 'Six Battle Kings? Given your standing in Black Angle Domain, this seems a bit modest.' Xiao Li said casually. The Tian Yin Sect, Luo Sha Sect, and Kuang Li Clan are all among the top-tier powers in Black Angle Domain. To bring only two Battle Kings now seems a bit underwhelming." "Xiao must also think about us. Black Angle Domain isn't like other places—should we take away too many elite members from our ranks, we might find our home base cleared out when we return." Su Mei and the others sighed, expressing their frustration. Frowning slightly, Xiao Li nodded in agreement—the remark was indeed valid. He didn't have much else to say, though fortunately, these three were all strong fighters at the Battle Emperor level, forming a significant strength. "Haha, Xiao, our people have all arrived. I wonder why Master Xiao hasn't yet appeared?" The elderly man with the gnarled frame glanced around, then suddenly asked with a chuckle. Hearing what Yin Gu Old Man had said, Su Mei and Tie Wu also turned their gaze toward Xiao Yan. After traveling all the way to confront powerful factions like the Jima Empire and Yunlan Sect, they simply wouldn't have the courage to come if Xiao Yan—the one in charge—were not present.