As Guo He's furious laughter faded, the atmosphere above instantly grew tense. Seeing Xiao Yan had made such a promise, Ji Xing Tian and the others all exchanged slightly concerned glances. Though Xiao Yan's strength had greatly improved, the risk of defeating Guo He within ten attacks remained substantial. Today, all the factions had gathered at Yunlan Sect with the intention of launching a decisive, all-out assault to eliminate Guo He. Moreover, the royal army of one hundred thousand troops stationed below the mountain likely had already begun surrounding the area. At this critical moment, if Xiao Yan made any misstep and allowed Guo He to withstand ten attacks, would it not mean abandoning all the carefully prepared pressure? Such a scenario would indeed seem rather trivial. Should they now retreat, Yunlan Sect would surely withdraw its entire force the very next day, and then systematically pursue each of them one by one. Seeing the expressions on Jia Xingtan and the others' faces, Xiao Yan waved his hand. The emerald-colored fire wings behind him gently vibrated, emitting a peculiar intensity of heat that made the people nearby feel warmly tinged all over. With that composed, calm young face, Jia Xingtan and the others finally found their hearts slightly calmed. "Rest assured," Xiao Yan smiled gently, "with my deep-seated blood feud with Yunlan Sect, I won't be acting on mere emotion..." Upon hearing this, the gathered group exchanged glances, and once seeing his determination, they said nothing further. No matter what they might have said, they still held a measure of confidence in Xiao Yan's current state, and they were well aware of his nature—knowing he wouldn't make a misstep in such a setting. "Xiao Yan," said Fama in a steady tone, "be cautious. Gu He has already advanced to the Battle Emperor rank, and he commands a particularly powerful flame. Though not an unusual fire, its strength is far from negligible." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze briefly landing on the pair of purple-flame wings behind Guxue. As long as the flames weren't unique ones, they posed no significant threat. After delivering the instructions, the others—Jia Xingtian and the rest—hesitated briefly before gradually retreating, clearing a spacious area in the sky for the two. As the crowd gradually stepped back, the murmurs from the plaza below also softened. While news of Xiao Yan’s triumphant return had spread throughout the entire Kamah Empire over the past few days, many present had never personally witnessed the overwhelming battle that took place in the imperial capital. Upon hearing Xiao Yan boldly claim he could defeat Gohu in just ten moves, several people remained skeptical, observing with a cool, detached demeanor. Among those with close ties to Gohu, some even offered derisive remarks, murmuring that though Gohu was strong, he was still just a young, overconfident newcomer. Beneath the platform, Yun Yun couldn't help but lift her delicate face. Her bright eyes, fixed on the black robe in the sky, felt as though they were rooted there—stunned by the familiar visage. Compared to the boy of three years ago, he now carried a more mature, composed grace, clearly having truly transformed over the years. A transformation of the weak into the strong! "Gǔ Hé spoke slowly, and as his words settled, a powerful, unrivaled purple qi surged forth from within him, clinging to his body and swirling incessantly, like solid, roaring flames of purple essence, radiating intense heat. Glancing at Gǔ Hé's gloomy expression, Xiao Yan's voice remained steady with little variation: "If you insist on being used as a mere spear by Yunshan, then I shall have no mercy..." "Then you shall first prove yourself worthy," Gǔ Hé laughed fiercely, clenching his hands, and the qi rippled momentarily before coalescing into a long, deep-purple sword at his palm, flames blazing steadily upon its surface. Xiao Yan smiled, then extended his hand toward the ground below. With a sudden, firm grasp of his fingers, the black, heavy ruler planted in the ground shot forth violently, and then swiftly returned as a shadow into Xiao Yan's hands. Seeing the effortless display from Xiao Yan, many spectators on the plaza gasped. To control a weapon from such a distance with such precise mastery of qi required an exceptionally high level of refinement—something few expected from someone of Xiao Yan's age. "Ten strikes," Chen Shi raised his hand, pointing at Kuroha, and spoke softly. Kuroha's face trembled slightly. This time, he said nothing more, merely letting his purple flame sword tremble violently. A powerful surge of energy rippled through the air, sending waves of disturbance through the atmosphere. "Enough talk—let's see it in action!" With a sudden stillness in his stance, Kuroha narrowed his eyes and roared. His purple flame wings behind him flared and expanded, propelling him into a swift, silken purple streak that shot toward Xiao Yan like lightning. His figure darted through the sky, the sharp tip of his sword slicing effortlessly through the air with the strength of his qi. In mere moments, the tip of the sword reached Xiao Yan's chest. "Clang!" A dark figure darted forward, and a massive, heavy staff materialized before him, appearing as a solid, thick shield that effortlessly deflected the sharp purple-hued long sword. At the point of contact, a fierce gust of wind surged outward from the intersection, rippling the space around them. "Shhh!" The first attack fell short. With a swift wrist flick, the long sword, like an eerie, venomous serpent, spun rapidly and slashed across the staff before plunging in with sudden force. "Clang!" As the sword just cleared the staff, a long, slender finger shot out and, with a quick flex of the fingers, sent a precise gust of wind striking the blade—knocking it aside. At the same time, the staff was raised and swung directly toward Ancient He's face. Stepping aside to evade the attack, Ancient He's gaze sharpened instantly. His internal qi surged violently, causing the sword to tremble strangely. As the sword continued to vibrate, a series of shimmering afterimages appeared instantly before him. "Thousand-Flame Sword Aura!" A deluge of sword shadows filled the space before Guo He within mere breaths. With a simple flick of his arm, the purple-flame long sword was powerfully thrust forward, and instantly, those countless after-images surged forth like a flood, bearing down on Xiao Yan in a relentless barrage. The scorching sword shadows poured into Xiao Yan's eyes, though the after-images appeared ethereal and fleeting, the force they carried was far from negligible. Should one attempt to intercept them casually, the genuine sword brilliance concealed within would suddenly emerge, striking with unexpected force and leaving the defender helpless. Simply observing this sword technique revealed Guo He's true prowess—far beyond that of an ordinary strong contender. Enhanced further by the blazing purple flame, the technique's power was truly formidable. As a result, the cheers from the crowd below erupted, while Jia Xingtian and others couldn't help but tighten their expressions slightly. Compared to the cheers and concerns of the crowd, Xiao Yan's inner composure remained utterly still. His gaze remained calm, fixed upon the vast, surging waves of blazing sword shadows. He raised his heavy measuring ruler steadily and then slowly drew an arc—slightly enigmatic in its form. As his arm moved, the ruler swept through the air, leaving a faint blur of darkness, and with a delicate, unforceful thrust, he launched the attack. Though it appeared effortless, an undercurrent of sharp, relentless pressure—like the successive waves of a vast ocean, each one surpassing the last—emanated from the technique. Feeling the unusual force transmitted through the heavy staff, ancient River's face slightly changed. He sensed that the blade, concealed within his residual shadows, was gradually being drawn closer to the staff. "This boy truly has some hidden skill!" thought River. With a quick flick of his arm, one sword shadow instantly broke free from the multitude of residual forms and surged directly toward Xiao Yan's chest. However, as the sword shadow materialized, the staff, dancing in an odd rhythm, suddenly accelerated, then a powerful suction surged forth, pulling the long sword off its intended path. As the sword's attack shifted, River was startled. Just as he prepared to react, the black silhouette before him suddenly darted past, and a palm imprint charged with terrifying pressure slammed down. Observing Xiao Yan's assault, River made no retreat, his expression growing cold. He swiftly gathered his qi in his palm and met Xiao Yan's palm imprint with equal determination. "Crash!" The two palms met, sending a thunderous explosion erupting from the heavens. Immediately, both figures were sent reeling backward. With a slight adjustment of their stance, the retreating forms stabilized. Xiao Yan shook his wrist and looked up at the ancient river, now flying backward several meters. A faint smile played on his lips. Having witnessed their earlier clash, he now knew that the ancient river's strength was around three-star Duke of the Realm—perhaps due to the purple flame, his combat prowess rivaled that of four- or five-star Dukes. "Xiao Yan," Ancient River said, his purple flame wings vibrating steadily as he steadied himself, feeling the now somewhat numb palms. "We've already exchanged eight attacks." He lifted his gaze with a sharp, scornful laugh. In mere eyeblinks, they'd fought eight rounds—clearly, the battle was evenly matched. And thus, Xiao Yan's earlier boast of a ten-attack agreement seemed nothing more than a jest. Ancient He's voice didn't conceal his sentiment at all, so for a moment, the entire arena saw everyone's expressions grow lively—some even chuckled, for this guy truly was just a young upstart, proud and arrogant merely due to a bit of strength. Hearing the murmurs that arose, Xiao Yan glanced at Ancient He's cold expression and, with a simple gesture, folded his Xuanzhong Chi. He smiled gently. "I still have two more moves. Why are you so excited already?"