Gazing at the black-robed young man walking steadily forward, his smile growing increasingly cold, Yun Fan took a deep breath, clenching his hands tightly around the deep-blue long sword. Within him, the ki surged like a flood, flowing ceaselessly throughout his body. As the ki surged, his growing sense of fear gradually eased. His eyes remained fixed on Xiao Yan, while thoughts raced through his mind. "This boy must surely seek revenge against Yunlan Sect upon his return to Jima Empire. I should relay this news to the sect immediately; otherwise, we'll be caught off guard later." With bright eyes, Yun Fan turned slightly to the pale, still-standing Meng Li, speaking quickly and softly, "I'll hold him off. You seize the opportunity to leave and inform the Sect Master of Xiao Yan's return!" Without waiting for a reply, he shook his shoulders, and two pairs of pale blue aura wings emerged. With a light tap of his feet, his form blurred into a shadow, cutting through the air with a sharp, piercing sword aura, rushing directly toward Xiao Yan. "Watch out!" At the sudden move of Yun Fan, Mu Tie's heart tightened, and he hurried to remind, calling out immediately. Yet as soon as his words fell, he realized—he had just now come to understand that the young man before him was no longer the boy who had once fled like a hunted creature. Xiao Yan smiled at Mu Tie, and a jade-green flame suddenly appeared on the long, slender palm of his hand. Lifting his eyes slightly, he observed the figure and sword rapidly expanding within his pupils. A subtle shimmer of silver light flashed across his feet. "Shriek!" The deep-blue sword, cutting through the air with sharp force, surged forward with a cold gust of wind, directly striking Xiao Yan's chest. As everyone's gaze converged upon the scene, Yun Fan suddenly roared, "Move!" Hearing the command, Meng Li, who had been prepared all along, firmly stomped his foot, and in an instant, launched himself like a cannonball, swiftly heading toward the outer gates of the city magistrate's residence. "Do you intend to flee?" Hearing the rushing wind as Meng Li fled, Xiao Yan merely sneered. With his left hand extended toward Meng Li's direction, he suddenly clenched it tightly, and an intense suction force surged forth from his palm. Under this powerful pull, fierce gusts of wind roared throughout the courtyard—so strong that even the large stones trembled, some trees snapped in half. Meng Li, fleeing through the air, suddenly halted mid-motion, then swiftly recoiled, unable to regain any momentum despite his struggles. "Hah!" As Xiao Yan pulled Meng Li toward him, the long sword in Yun Fan's hand suddenly flew from his grasp, transforming into a deep blue blade of cold light that plunged directly toward Xiao Yan's chest. As the sword left his hands, Yun Fan's wings behind him flapped rapidly, and within a moment, he soared into the air, turning to flee. "A lure, then?" Cloud Feng's sudden abandonment of all attack and his immediate retreat left Xiao Yan equally astonished. Such a seasoned veteran—indeed, a cunning one! The earlier claim that Meng Li should escape first had clearly been a calculated move to use her as a distraction, allowing Xiao Yan to split his focus. As the others—Lin Yan, Zi Yan, and the rest—readied themselves to act upon seeing Cloud Feng's retreat, Xiao Yan's laughter silenced them all. "Let me handle this." Just as Meng Li landed, the figure who had been standing in the front courtyard vanished in a most eerie manner. As the wood-iron and others stared at this ghostly figure, their eyes nearly bulged out with astonishment—how fast was that? Upon the disappearance of Xiao Yan's form, the faint rumble of thunder echoed through the courtyard. A moment later, as the group exchanged puzzled glances, a sharp, piercing wind sound suddenly erupted from the sky. Then, a figure tumbled down from the heavens in a most disheveled condition, crashing hard onto the floor, sending up a thick cloud of smoke. In the courtyard, the mist gradually dispersed, and Yun Fan's figure emerged. Yet at this moment, the usually dignified senior elder of Yunlan Sect appeared pale, with blood still streaking his lips, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and disbelief as he gazed upward at the young man in the black robe. Though their combat had lasted only three rounds, Yun Fan had already been severely wounded—his opponent's strength was truly astonishing. "Xiao Yan, if you kill me, the Master of Yunshan Sect will have no mercy on you! Last time you managed to escape with your life by luck; this time, I fear you won't be so fortunate!" Yun Fan glanced at Meng Li, still clinging to life in the corner of the wall, his eyes flashing with determination despite his strained tone. With a slight smirk, Xiao Yan shook his head, choosing to spare further words. With a simple flick of his fingers, a cluster of emerald flames bloomed from his palm, instantly raising the temperature of the entire realm. "The Cloud Ridge Sect has destroyed my Xiao family. These grudges—I will repay them, one by one, doubling each time. From now on, whenever I see someone from Cloud Ridge Sect, I'll kill them. That old dog from the Cloud Mountains will surely come to his end someday." Xiao Yan smiled faintly, his gaze fixed on the cluster of emerald flames in his hands. Then he shook his head, and with a flick of his finger, the flame launched itself and landed precisely upon Yun Fan, who stood stunned. The emerald flame, upon touching Yunfan's body, instantly transformed him into a being of fire. Even under this scorching heat, Yunfan—already severely wounded—had no time to summon his qi for resistance. His body burst with a deep, resonant sound, reducing to blackened ash. As the soles of his feet touched the ground, the cold composure on Xiao Yan's face instantly melted, and a warm, sunlit smile once again radiated through him, transforming him into a young man brimming with warmth. However, thanks to the previous scene, no one would now consider him a gentle or compassionate person. Hearing Xiao Yan's voice, Mu Tie's face broke into a stiff, somewhat unappealing smile, as though he himself found it awkward. Realizing this, he vigorously rubbed his face before finally offering a wry smile, "You... you really are Xiao Yan, aren't you?" Xiao Yan blinked, then smiled, "In the Jima Empire, are there anyone else who dares to call me Xiao Yan?" Mu Tie nodded awkwardly—indeed, over the years, the name "Xiao Yan" had nearly become a taboo in the Jima Empire, due to the immense sect's deep-seated hatred for it. "Brother Mu Tie, I truly appreciate your help back then." Xiao Yan walked steadily toward Mu Tie, smiling. At once, the guards standing beside him tensed, their hands gripping their weapons trembling slightly—eyewitnesses to how a seasoned Dou Wang had been reduced to nothing by this young man. With a wave of his hand, Mu Tie dismissed the guards, only then fully realizing that what was unfolding before him was real, not merely a dream. Yet, the reality seemed astonishingly hard to believe. "Ah, Xiao Yan, good sir," Mu Tie said, shaking his head slightly. "Back then, I did receive a family message urging me to quietly lend you some assistance. But honestly, even with your strength at the time, leaving the Zhun Gui Pass wouldn't have been difficult. My little help, I'm sure, wasn't much." His broad, tower-like frame gave his smile a straightforward, sincere quality. "Ah, the Mu family—thank you, Xiao Yan, I'll remember that." Xiao Yan smiled and pointed outward toward the city hall, saying, "I'm sorry, I was a bit too forceful. Perhaps you'll need to step in and clean up the mess outside." Mu Tie inhaled the lingering scent of blood drifting through the air and immediately chuckled. This man truly wasn't the young, inexperienced boy he used to be. This time, Yunlan Sect would undoubtedly plunge the entire nation into even more profound upheaval due to this young man. "Brother Xiao Yan, no matter what, thank you for your decisive action today. Otherwise, I truly believe we would have fallen for Meng Li's clever schemes." With a serious expression, Mu Tie bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan waved his hand in reply, crossed his fingers lightly, and said, "It's been three years since I last returned to the Jima Empire. I'd like to know, Brother Mu Tie, how the domestic situation has changed these past years." "Ah, the empire has been going through turbulent times these past few years—every single issue has been instigated by Yunlan Sect." Mu Tie sighed, his brows furrowed, and then turned to Xiao Yan, saying, "This story is quite lengthy. If Xiao Yan doesn't mind, we can go inside and have a detailed conversation." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan paused slightly but did not hesitate to agree. Having just returned to the empire for the first time, his foremost priority was to gain a clear understanding of the current political situation; otherwise, rushing ahead without a clear plan would only result in a rather foolish course of action. "Then, I'd be most grateful if Mu Tie brother would take the time to explain everything in detail." Seeing that Xiao Yan had no objections, Mu Tie was overjoyed and promptly invited him into the hall. He knew well that the news of Xiao Yan's return to the Gamma Empire would undoubtedly become one of the most significant events in the empire's recent history.