When he saw the pale, pleading face of that woman, the killing intent in Xiao Yan's heart subtly trembled. Her words and actions had not been entirely without influence upon him. Time itself seemed to have frozen across the entire sky. Countless pairs of eyes fixed intently upon the young figure in the heavens—his next move would determine the fate of Yunlan Sect. Hai Bo Dong and the others clenched their fists tightly. As they watched Xiao Yan's attack momentarily stall due to Yun Yun's sharp cry, they nearly wanted to leap to their feet. At this very moment, only by delivering that decisive blow could their high-stakes gamble truly succeed. "Strike! Strike!" The sky was utterly silent. Jia Xingtian, Hai Bo Dong, and the others had their eyes wide open, breathing heavily, their faces flushed with excitement, their arms pulsing with visible veins, striking a truly impressive sight. Yet despite their overwhelming excitement, none dared utter a single sound—instead, they roared with all their might deep within their hearts. In the distant sky, the Elder of the Medicine Sect kept his gaze firmly locked on Xiao Yan, whose eyes sparkled with intensity, yet remained silent. He knew that this young man, whom he had watched grow from the very beginning, would not let him down. The sky was filled with an endless stillness, countless eyes brimming with diverse emotions interwoven together, all waiting for the final outcome of today's great battle! His downward gaze settled upon Yun Yun's pale, touching face, and for that instant, Xiao Yan's eyes softened. Cloud Yun clearly observed the shift in Xiao Yan's gaze. At that moment, the paleness on her cheeks slightly softened—she knew that interrupting Xiao Yan at such a time, especially with her voice, had been rather blunt and insensitive to his feelings. Yet no matter how much she tried to justify it, she remained a member of the Yunlan Sect, and her mentor, Master Yunshan, had personally nurtured her from the beginning. Though their relationship had grown distant over the years due to Master Yunshan's demeanor, that still wasn't enough to justify Cloud Yun watching as Yunshan fell at Xiao Yan's hands. A calm voice softly emerged from Xiao Yan's lips, then gently drifted across the plaza. Yun Yun, whose pale complexion had just begun to fade, instantly turned ashen, her body trembling uncontrollably, mist forming in her eyes. As Xiao Yan's voice settled, his gaze sharpened sharply. The fist that had previously paused due to Yun Yun's shriek suddenly trembled, then, drawing upon the last of his inner strength, forcefully struck the center of Yun Shan's chest with a resounding impact. Boom! At the moment of contact, a deep, resonant thud echoed across the sky, causing countless spectators' hearts to leap. The fist remained pressed against Yun Shan's chest, now filled with a powerful surge that surged forth like a tidal wave. Crack! A low sound resonated, followed by the crack of breaking bones. This time, however, the sound did not emanate from Yun Shan’s body, but from the furious, wild-eyed Xiao Yan’s fist—due to the immense force of the blow, the recoil had even caused some fractures in the bones at the point of impact on his fist. Under the relentless barrage of attacks from Xiao Yan, Yun Shan's chest visibly indented, his face flushed with a surge of crimson as he violently expelled a large mouthful of blood intermingled with fragments of internal organs, drenching Xiao Yan completely. Yet he paid no heed, moving with mechanical precision, his fists crashing down in furious succession—his demeanor so frenzied that it sent a shiver of cold through the very air. Amidst the clouds that were continuously descending and rapidly losing their vitality, and under the frenzied, mad attacks of Xiao Yan, the entire arena fell into silence, save for Yun Yun's soft, choked whispers echoing across the plaza. Another powerful blow landed squarely upon Yunshan's already deeply indented chest. Xiao Yan's body trembled, his emerald fire wings growing increasingly faint. His right fist hung low, bent into an odd arc. The frantic series of strikes he had delivered earlier had been so forceful that the shockwaves reverberated back, causing multiple fractures in the bones of his wrist. Yunshan's face was streaked with blood; his eyes, filled with fear and defiance, slowly closed. Though a Douzong-level cultivator, he was now inevitably doomed by the sheer intensity of Xiao Yan's assault at his most vulnerable moment. Gazing steadily at Yunshan, whose vital energy gradually waned and finally vanished, Xiao Yan's tightly tensed heart finally relaxed. A wave of profound exhaustion surged through him, blurring his vision. In moments, his eyelids drooped, and his body, like Yunshan's, lost all strength, falling straight downward. "Whoosh!" As Xiao Yan was about to fall to the ground, a shadow flashed across the sky and instantly pulled him upright. With his vision blurred, he glanced at the familiar, weathered face beside him, and with a weak, barely audible smile, said, "Master... I've done it..." Seeing Xiao Yan's frail smile on a face streaked with blood, Yao Lao gently sighed, lifted the wrist that had nearly become deformed, and remarked, "You've been absolutely frantic—this injury will take a long time to heal." Drowsy and half-listening to Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan suddenly remembered something, struggled to open his eyes, and looked at the cloud mountain's body about to fall, urgently saying, "Quick—grab that body! It's the remains of a Dou Zong-level cultivator!" Upon hearing this, Yao Lao was momentarily stunned, then felt a warm sense of comfort, nodded with a smile, and with a swift movement, darted like lightning toward the cloud mountain's body. "Hahahaha, Yao Chen, you were a bit slow in your movements, weren't you..." As the old doctor's body began to move, a black silhouette surged across the sky like a lightning bolt, instantly appearing beside Yun Shan and seizing him firmly—none other than the Wu Protector. "You're going to die!" The old doctor's face darkened instantly, and he roared in sharp command. "Hahahaha! Who's going to die? That's still up in the air!" The Wu Protector chuckled darkly, his black mist swirling in his palms before he powerfully struck Yun Shan's forehead. With a final, strong tug, he forcibly pulled out a faint, ethereal soul-body from within Yun Shan's lifeless form. "I have clearly stated that, Yun Shan—no matter what the cost, I will bring you back to the Hall of Souls today!" Amidst the stunned silence of the crowd, the Wu Protector emitted a cold, bitter laugh, then swiftly formed a series of strange and intricate hand seals with both hands. Suddenly, a piercing cry rang out across the heavens! "Nine Forests, Hundred Soul-Devouring!" As the cry and shout fell, a strange black mist suddenly surged forth from within Wu's protector, completely enveloping the cloud mountain's spiritual form. Gradually, a series of muffled, bone-chilling chewing sounds emanated from within the mist. At that moment, everyone's faces turned unusually grim.