"Pfft!" A soft rumble of thunder echoed from afar, and a dark silhouette suddenly emerged. Instantly, the two figures were struck as if by a powerful blow—shaking, their faces turning pale, and a steady stream of crimson blood bursting from their mouths. Like wounded birds with broken wings, they fell helplessly from the sky, descending under the countless astonished gazes of the city below. "Thud!" Their bodies, carrying a sharp gust of wind, plunged directly into the city, then struck the hard streets with the force of cannonballs. The impact sent out a powerful wave of energy, rapidly spreading outward, forming a massive crater with wide cracks that radiated from the point of impact, leaving a striking impression across the cityscape. Dust drifted upward from the crater, eventually dispersing into the breeze. And there, slowly rising into view, were the two figures, now disheveled, under the steady gaze of the surrounding buildings. Deep within the trench, Yun Du and Yun Sha lay motionless, like corpses, their garments torn and their faces pale, their chest stained with spreading crimson blood. The once robust vitality now faded to a mere whisper. The crushing blow delivered by Xiao Yan—like a thunderclap—had left them severely wounded, even on the brink of death. The two figures strained to widen their eyes, fixated on the dark-robed young man bearing a heavy staff, his expression calm and composed. Their lips moved as though trying to speak, yet a sweet taste rising in their throats caused blood to spill from their mouths, drowning out their words. Fresh blood flowed from their lips. Within the wide-eyed gazes of the two, the brilliance and vitality swiftly faded. In moments, their eyes gradually turned gray, and the delicate, threadlike essence was completely extinguished... As their essence vanished, these two powerful Du Phong强者, who held considerable status within Yunlan Sect, fell to their deaths in a most awkward and unexpected manner, under the full gaze of the city. Countless pairs of eyes stared in stunned silence at the immense, deep crater that had nearly spanned an entire street—every thought in the crowd seemed to freeze instantly. Before them, the death was not that of a Duelist Spirit or a Duelist King, but of two genuine Duelist Emperors. For most people, such beings were nearly unattainable—only something to aspire to, countless individuals dedicating their lives to striving and refining their skills to reach this level. Yet, even among those who achieved this rank, only a small number truly stood out. To many, a strong being at this stage is invariably one who can summon winds and command rains. Yet today, the seemingly unparalleled master in their eyes—believed to possess such powers—fell with such humiliating defeat at the hands of a young man who appeared only about twenty. Moreover, starting today, the name that had been dormant in the Gamma Empire for three years will once again shine with a brilliance and radiance surpassing that of its former days—brilliance that no one can match! On the towering spire within the imperial capital, when the breaths of Yun Du and his companion faded, Jia Xingtian, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, exhaled deeply and gazed quietly at the black-robed youth floating in the distant sky. After a long pause, he murmured softly, "This young man truly has grown beyond the simple, youthful boy he once was..." Within less than an hour, at least four Grand King-level warriors and two Grand Emperor-level champions had fallen at Xiao Yan’s hands—his relentless, merciless tactics. Even for the seasoned strategist Jia Xingtian, this level of intensity had prompted a quiet intake of breath, and gradually, he came to realize that Xiao Yan today was far more formidable than he had been three years ago. "The Yunlan Sect has eliminated the Xiao family, and Xiao Yan has further slain so many Yunlan Sect elders and disciples. This animosity has now become utterly irreconcilable—looking ahead, the Jiaema Empire will surely grow even more chaotic... " Jia Xingtian furrowed his brows, then sighed lightly. He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to return with such a large number of powerful warriors. Observing the impressive array of fighters Xiao Yan brought, it seemed clear that he would not fall short of the Yunlan Sect in strength. Previously, the Jiaema Empire's situation had been one of a single powerful tiger facing several wolves—the tiger being the formidable Yunlan Sect, and the wolves representing the three major families and other moderately strong factions. Now, with Xiao Yan's return, another fierce, tiger-like force of vengeance has emerged—one no less formidable than the Yunlan Sect itself. With only one dominant tiger able to coexist on a single mountain, let alone given the deep blood ties of enmity between Xiao Yan and the Yunlan Sect, one of the two must inevitably be completely destroyed before the conflict can end." Regardless of who among the two suffers destruction, the Gamma Empire will inevitably plunge into a turbulent chaos filled with bloodshed and turmoil—no one will escape it! "Ah, it seems we'll have to reach out to the Nalan family and the Mu family, as well as the Alchemy Guild. With Xiao Yan now returned, the final battle against Yunlan Sect is drawing near. And should either of us make the wrong alliance, things will surely become complicated..." With a sigh, Jia Xingtian shook his head with a wry smile, then turned and slowly descended the tower. The disappearance of the two powerful Duophoenix-level cultivators, Yun Du and Yun Sha, naturally stirred significant waves across other regions. Such elite cultivators were among the very top tier even within the three major families. In fact, neither the Nalan nor the Mu families had ever possessed a single Duophoenix-level cultivator. Thus, when they personally witnessed the two Duophoenix-level masters falling at the hands of the cloaked youth high above, their hearts were filled with profound shock and awe. After their initial shock, they too began to feel a subtle concern, much like Jia Xing Tian. Now, the situation clearly indicated that Xiao Yan had allied himself with the Mitel family. Should they ultimately defeat Yunlan Sect, the Mitel family would surely reap far greater benefits, leaving the other two major families far behind. Thus, whether willingly or not, they now had to begin carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages at stake. The current situation was truly one of "a tree wishing to be still, yet the wind keeps blowing"—within the Empire's powerful factions, it seemed impossible to escape the ripple effects of the fierce clash between Xiao Yan and Yunlan Sect. Therefore, what they now urgently needed to decide was which side of the alliance they would stand on. … Above the sky, Xiao Yan naturally had no knowledge of the profound impact his slaughter of the Cloud岚 Sect's senior monks had on the various factions within the Imperial Capital. All he knew was that anyone from the Cloud岚 Sect was now a viable target for elimination. He was no longer the young apprentice who had first stepped out to begin his journey years ago. Over the years, the blood he had spilled had accumulated significantly. To him, killing people no longer stirred any sense of hesitation or unease—indeed, these individuals held no claim to mercy in his eyes. His gaze slowly swept across the vast city below, pausing gently at several spots. When the people at those locations noticed his gaze, their hearts fluttered instinctively, and they shifted their eyes slightly, becoming somewhat awkward. The places that could hold the attention of Xiao Yan's gaze naturally were the Imperial City, the Alchemist's Guild, the Mu Family, and the Na Lan Clan. "The vibrating flame wings halted before Hai Bo's face, and Xiao Yan gazed at the latter's weathered yet smiling countenance, speaking softly. "Heh, you've grown so fussy in the three years since you left," Hai Bo shook his head, chuckling. Seeing Hai Bo's cheerful expression, Xiao Yan smiled lightly, and with a flash of light on his fingers, the Yunhai Naji ring revealed a transparent jade vial. Inside the vial, a deep purple, perfectly round pill glowed gently, radiating an inviting luminescence. Hai Bo stared at the pill, momentarily startled. "Master Hai, this is the compensation I promised you back then. It will restore your peak strength from that time. Heh, though please forgive me—this pill has been on my list for three years now." The figure floating in the sky suddenly stiffened. After a long pause, a surge of emotion spread across Master Hai's face. With trembling hands, he took the jade vial offered and deeply inhaled. Glistening eyes, slightly moist, spoke in a hoarse voice, "I've also waited for this day for three years. I'm truly grateful you remembered."