The sudden, piercing roar of thunder naturally caught the elder, but at the same time, several powerful lords within the empire were gazing in astonishment toward the direction from which the roar was coming. While only Lawm, the head of the Council of Alchemists, possessed such acute perception, the others could not discern the identity of the source. Nevertheless, the immense aura of martial energy embedded within the roar caused them all to pale—such power even surpassed that of Jia Xingtian, the venerable elder of the Imperial Capital. How had such a formidable figure emerged within the Jia Ma Empire? This question was not limited to these few lords; even the entire capital populace was visibly stunned, as no one seemed to know when or how a figure of such caliber had appeared in the empire. A clear, thunderous roar rolled in, stirring astonishment among all present. Just as everyone was taken aback, a silver lightning bolt surged forth suddenly beyond the capital, racing with terrifying speed—so swift that even several Dou Wang-level warriors could only catch a fleeting glimpse of a shimmering silver flash in the sky, their minds instantly surging with waves of shock. As the silver light sliced through space, it covered the distance from the distant city outskirts to the heart of the city in mere moments. Then, with a final flash, a figure enveloped in vibrant emerald flames materialized like a ghost within the sky's battlefield circle—precisely where Hai Bo Dong had been standing. Only now, as the striking emerald flame figure appeared, did the city's gaze finally fix upon him. A wave of murmurs of wonder and astonishment rose up. It seemed that the initial clear roar had been emitted by this enigmatic figure. And judging by his position, he had come specifically to assist Hai Bo Dong. Though it may sound lengthy, in reality, from the moment the clear, resonant cry rang out and the green-flame figure mysteriously appeared before Hai Bo Dong, it had only been a matter of a few seconds. Moreover, due to the latter's astonishing speed, when he materialized before Hai Bo Dong, the combined, powerful punch from Yun Du's four companions had already struck with fierce force, shaking the very space around them. The appearance of the green-flame figure left Hai Bo Dong utterly astonished—he moved his body slightly, only to realize that Yun Du's four had somehow released their lock on him at an unknown moment. At that instant, he understood it was the mysterious figure's doing. However, at this critical juncture, he naturally had no time to inquire about the stranger's identity, and thus roared, "Friend, watch out for their attacks!" While Hai Bo Dong was shouting, the green-flame figure did not turn around, merely waving his hand casually. "You dare to intervene in Yun Lan Sect's affairs? You're asking for death!" The suddenly appearing green-flame figure also startled Yun Du and the others. However, upon realizing the figure's intent, their expressions immediately darkened. As soon as a cold roar erupted, the combined punch from the four of them surged in power, emitting a sharp, piercing wind sound that resonated throughout the entire city, causing some people's eardrums to ache. With the full force of two Dou Huang and two Dou Wang-level warriors combined, the sheer might of that single strike would likely have even Divinity Tian himself forced to retreat momentarily. Yet the green-flame figure remained suspended in the sky, motionless—seeming determined to absorb the full impact of the four attacks. Seeing this, gasps of astonishment rose from the city below. How bold was this unexpected newcomer! After all, his opponents were no ordinary warriors—two genuine Dou Huang and Dou Wang-level champions, warriors so strong that even the Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong had to retreat in their presence. Not only the ordinary people below, even the strong ones in Haibo Dong and certain areas of the Imperial Capital who have been closely observing this scene, were visibly taken aback. Given the astonishing speed this mysterious figure had previously displayed, it seemed entirely feasible for him to evade the combined attack of the four. Yet he chose to absorb it head-on—an action that could only be justified by absolute confidence. Could someone of such formidable strength be considered foolish? Clearly not. Under the countless eyes of the Imperial Capital, the concentrated, powerful punch forged by the four cloud supervisors shattered the air within a ten-meter radius, creating a vacuum zone in the sky. The punch itself surged forward at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, rushing directly toward the emerald flame figure. As it passed, the air around it violently escaped, causing the space itself to appear profoundly distorted. As the terrifying punch beam was about to reach him, the jade-green flame figure finally reacted, slowly extending his palm, and then, at the last moment, his arm bones trembled violently, rapidly gathering an immense force before bursting forth with a deep, resonant roar! "Ba Ji Bang!" Though the flame-encased fist did not appear particularly elegant, the moment it moved, ripples spread across the space as if a stone had been thrown into still water. "Boom!" In the next instant, the two fists collided sharply, caught in countless narrowed eyes, followed by a thunderous explosion that rang out across the sky. Then, a gust of wind ripple surged outward, spreading like waves in all directions. With countless eyes watching, the two fists met and instantly separated. The Flame Figure staggered, then retreated several steps to release the force, while the four Cloud Commanders, under the stunned gaze of the entire city, were thrown like sandbags—flying backward for over a dozen paces before finally steadying themselves with some awkwardness! As they stood upright, the sleeves on their arms burst open, revealing bare arms—clearly, in this clash, not only had the Cloud Commanders failed to gain any advantage, but they had even been decisively defeated by the mysterious figure’s single punch! At that moment, the city fell utterly silent. Whether in the fire-lit estate of the Mitel family or elsewhere, everyone stared upward, stunned by what had just unfolded—so vivid, so dreamlike. With just his own strength, overcoming the combined attacks of two Dueling Emperors and two Dueling Kings—such power! In all of the vast Gamma Empire, perhaps only Yun Shan possessed it. Yet this enigmatic figure clearly wasn't Yunshan. Then who was this mysterious figure, completely enveloped in flames? At this moment, countless people were furiously brainstorming, trying to deduce his identity—but still, no clear answer emerged! Hai Bo Dong stared in astonishment at the flame figure far off. Though he suspected the man must be of strong prowess, he hadn't expected him to not only withstand the combined assault of Yun Du's four companions, but also have enough power to ripple and tear their sleeves—such strength was truly astonishing! Silence persisted throughout the city for a moment before it was finally broken by Yun Du's somewhat sharp and hesitant voice. "Who exactly are you? Kindly state your name!" The four Yun Du members exchanged glances, each filled with a sense of awe. Having experienced the brief, intense encounter earlier, they now had a clear sense that the flame figure's power surpassed even that of the old monster from the Imperial City, combined with Xing Tian. As for when the Gamma Empire had last seen such a formidable strength emerge, did they not even know? "Ha ha, it's been three years. I never thought that Yunlan Sect's greatest strength still lies in outnumbering and outmaneuvering their opponents..." Finally, the flame figure in the sky emitted a clear, graceful laugh. The laughter radiated from the flame figure, causing countless listeners to pause in astonishment. From the tone, they were certain that this enigmatic figure must be relatively young. To most people, this might only seem remarkable in terms of youth. Yet when the laughter reached the ears of Ya Fei and Xiao Ding, who had raised their heads in the estate below, it caused them both to suddenly stiffen—mouths slightly open, heads slowly turning to meet each other's gaze. After a moment, they each saw in the other's eyes a deep, unshakeable disbelief welling up from within. As an elder, Hai Bo Dong naturally didn't feel anything particularly special about the voice—only a faint sense of familiarity. Yet upon frowning and细细 savoring it, he couldn't quite pin down any clear answer. "Friend, don't think because we four can't handle you that you may act however you please. In the Jia Ma Empire, no one dares challenge our Yun Lan Sect!" Hearing the condescending tone in the flame-being's voice, Yun Du's expression darkened considerably, and he spoke sharply. "If you have the strength, then reveal your true form! Hiding behind your mask, acting secretive and evasive—this is not the behavior of a true master!" Upon hearing Yun Du's sharp command, the flame-being emitted another light laugh, and soon everyone noticed that the emerald flames swirling around his body were gradually fading away. As the scene unfolded, the city, which had just begun to murmur softly, suddenly grew eerily quiet once more. A steady stream of eyes fixed upon the sky, filled with profound curiosity about this mysterious figure. Of course, this wasn't just true among the common folk—within the battlefield of the Mitel family's manor, in the royal capital, at the Alchemy Guild, in the Nalan household, and in the Wood family's estate, everyone was equally captivated, their eyes wide and locked firmly on the sky. Under the intense gaze of so many, the flames swirling around the flame figure gradually began to fade, and the slender figure within slowly emerged into view. With a subtle sound, the flames finally vanished. Above the sky, the young man in black robes, bearing a heavy measuring rod, vibrated his jade-green fire wings and floated into the heavens. "Hah, three years already..." "The Yunlan Sect, the Xiao family—Xiao Yan has returned to collect his dues!" The young man in black robes floated serenely, his light laughter echoing gently across the sky, freezing the expressions of every person in the city.