"This aura…" Cloud Shan suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with disbelief, murmuring, "How is this possible? This young man is truly alive?..." As the murmurs faded, Cloud Shan seemed to suddenly recall something, his face instantly changing, and with a swift movement, he vanished like a ghost into the inner chamber of cultivation. When he first sensed the surge of that aura, the direction was clearly within the Imperial Capital. Now, however… within the Imperial Capital, Cloud Lan Sect's forces were already deployed in full strength! The bustling noise within the hall instantly subsided upon seeing the suddenly appearing mountain of clouds, and after a moment, it completely fell silent. With the hall now quiet, the mountain of clouds emitted a cold sigh, settled into his seat at the head of the dais, and asked, "What has happened? Have we any news from Yun Du and the others?" At the sound of the mountain of clouds' inquiry, an elder hurried forward from beneath the dais, his face pale and trembling, and reported, "Report to the Master: the spirit tablets of the four elders—Yun Fu and the others—suddenly burst completely to pieces just now. The spirit tablets of Yun Sha and the others have also grown extremely dim. Clearly, they have sustained serious injuries!" "As the elder spoke, nearly everyone in the hall—including Yunshan—felt a sudden, intense spasm of discomfort. The strength dispatched to the Imperial Capital had already accounted for nearly half of Yunlan Sect's current power. Such a formidable force was something every single person present had confidently expected. Within the Garma Empire, aside from Yunlan Sect itself, no other power could have stood against it. Yet now, the reality before them dealt a resounding slap across their faces, leaving them utterly at a loss. 'Senior Yuncha, did you perhaps misjudge the situation?' After a moment of silence, a dry chuckle finally broke through. 'I truly hope so...' The elder known as Yuncha smiled faintly, flipping his hand and revealing a pile of broken jade tablets on the table. Upon seeing these familiar tablets, those who had still harbored doubts now grew utterly pale. 'How could this possibly be true?' Those were two Dou Huang and seven Dou Wang-level masters—how could any other power within the Imperial Capital possibly absorb them? Could it really be just the Mitel family?" An elder of seemingly high status had his face change constantly, speaking with growing anger. "Could it be that the three great families have allied with the Imperial Court?" The sudden remark from one person prompted several others to quietly nod—now it seemed this was the most credible possibility. "If they dare to jointly challenge our Yunlan Sect, then let the Abbot issue the order to completely eliminate the three great families and the Imperial Court!" "Exactly, Abbot. Such a challenge must not be tolerated by Yunlan Sect—we must make them pay with blood!" Cloud Shan's face remained gloomy as he glanced at the group of elders and officials rising in indignation. Then, after a pause, he suddenly slammed his palm hard onto the table, the sharp sound startling everyone in the hall. All eyes turned to him, bewildered as to why he was so furious. "Not just some trifling alliance of the three noble families!" Cloud Shan stood up from his chair, his voice low and stern. "It's that little upstart from the Xiao family who's finally back!" "The Xiao family?" Hearing this, everyone was momentarily stunned, looking puzzled. A modest family like the Xiao family, now barely surviving, how could it possibly defeat the vast array of forces from Yunlan Sect? Seeing the bewilderment on everyone's faces, Cloud Shan's anger surged even further. Yet, just as he was about to lose his patience and erupt in fury, a sudden exclamation rang out from the hall. "Could it be that Xiao Yan?" "Xiao Yan?" "The name that had remained vivid in memory stirred up the memories of all present, memories that had been buried for three years. Three years prior, a young man barely twenty, had ascended the Cloud Ridge Mountain alone, standing firm against the entire Cloud Ridge Sect. Though ultimately driven out of the Gamma Empire, that fierce, wolf-like youth had left an indelible impression on countless members of the sect. For three years without a trace, the name and the young man had gradually faded from collective memory. Yet today, when the name was suddenly mentioned, the memories of that time began to surface, one by one, in each person's mind. 'Didn't he die?' someone finally whispered, still stunned after a long silence. 'Who told you he died?' Yun Shan gazed coldly at the group, his voice cold. "I sensed his presence earlier. It seems he has returned, and perhaps the Yun Du elders encountered him along the way." "Even if the Yun Du elders did meet him, how could they have suffered such losses? There were two Du Phong and seven Du Wang-level warriors there—how could they have fallen so swiftly? Even if they had faced three or four Du Phong-level warriors, such a rapid defeat would have been impossible! Could it be that Xiao Yan has already advanced to Du Zhong level within these past three years?" One elder couldn't help but express doubt, his tone carrying a subtle scoff at the end. "Although he may not have yet reached Du Phong level, the aura he emitted earlier suggests he is at least of Du Phong caliber." "Yunshan spoke slowly, his eyelids twitching slightly as he reached this point. As a Duke-level cultivator, he naturally knew that although Xiao Yan had been strong in combat back then, his true cultivation level had only reached the level of a Great Battle Master or a Battle Spirit at most. Yet now, just in the span of three years, that young man had already reached the Duke-level rank? Such speed—simply astonishing! As soon as Yunshan finished speaking, a wave of excitement surged throughout the hall. Even the elder who had previously spoken was momentarily stunned—reaching Duke-level in just three years! This cultivation talent could only be described as truly extraordinary. It was indeed a regrettable decision to have released that young man back then. In just three years, he had already reached Duke-level. It was unimaginable—what if he were given another three years? As Yunshan thought about this, even with his seasoned experience, a cold shiver crept through him. Exhaling deeply, Yun Shan lowered his gaze, and a surge of unstoppable murderous intent erupted from within, sweeping outwards like a tidal wave. This young upstart must not be spared—otherwise, it would surely become a major headache. Perhaps, even as those others had predicted, Yunlan Sect would ultimately be destroyed at the hands of this very person. "As soon as he said that, the entire hall was stunned. A sudden dizziness swept over them—the very fact that two Sovereigns and seven Kings had fallen within just a few hours was staggering. Such a loss was indeed difficult for Yunlan Sect to bear. 'That fool! He's absolutely ruthless!' shouts rang continuously throughout the hall. Yet, as they exclaimed this, they forgot that when they had first attacked the Xiao family, how merciless they had been themselves." Amid this severe loss, the gloom that had settled upon Yunshan's face unexpectedly vanished entirely. With a composed gesture, he silenced the commotion within the hall, his gaze flickering briefly before he spoke with a calm, detached tone: "No further messengers need be sent to the Imperial Capital. That young upstart will come to us on his own. Then, simply wait quietly... " Hearing these words, the assembled gathered in surprise, though unwilling, they dared not challenge Yunshan's command. Thus, they responded respectfully. "Issue the orders: from this moment on, Yunlan Mountain shall be placed on highest alert. Any who enter without authorization shall be slain." "Understood!" At the cold, resolute tone in Yunshan's voice, the crowd felt a sudden chill and promptly responded, then swiftly filed out of the hall in orderly succession. As they departed, the hall once again fell into profound silence. "Hah! How does it feel?" I mentioned to you just recently that Xiao Yan has been thriving in the Black Angular Region—now it seems that this visit will bring quite a bit of trouble to Yunlan Sect... Silence stretched on for a long time. Suddenly, an eerie black mist emerged from the shadowy corner of the hall, swirling around the hall, and a strange laughter echoed from within. Yunshan shook his face, a grim expression passing over his eyes, and said coldly, "He's just some commoner—despite his current status as a Battle Emperor, we can still easily eliminate him. Once I have him captured, I'll make him experience what it means to suffer beyond endurance!" "I don't care about your personal grievances with him. With him now back, most of the Xiao family members have gathered. That way, we won't have to go back to the Black Angular Region to search for him again."