Upon seeing the Wu Protector shift his focus to himself and the Ye Elder, Xiao Yan and the Ye Elder both exchanged a slight frown. Previously, the Wu Protector had been able to hold his own against the Ye Elder; now, having absorbed not only the souls of Yunshan but also several senior elders from Yunlan Sect, his strength had surged significantly. With this growing disparity, the Ye Elder would surely find it difficult to keep up, and given Xiao Yan's current severely wounded condition, he would hardly be able to withstand even a single encounter with the Wu Protector. In fact, not only would he be unable to offer any assistance to the Ye Elder, but if he attempted to engage directly, he would likely force the Ye Elder to divert his attention for protection. "I'll take him on!" Xiao Yan clenched his left hand tightly, gritting his teeth with determination. He had made up his mind—should this man truly intend to harm the Ye Elder, even at the cost of his own life, he would not let him go unscathed. As Xiao Yan was formulating his thoughts, the Ye Elder gently grasped his arm and smiled calmly. "Let me handle him," he said, "you go to the eastern sea shore Xiao Yan was taken aback, turning to gaze at the elderly doctor's smiling face. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and spoke softly, "Master, you..." "Rest assured," the elder doctor chuckled, shaking his head. Without waiting for Xiao Yan to respond, he suddenly pressed a powerful palm against Xiao Yan's shoulder, sending a surge of gentle force that propelled him toward the position where Hai Bo Dong and the others were gathered. "This protector has already stated that today, neither of you will be able to escape." As Xiao Yan was now surrounded and protected by Hai Bo Dong and the others, the Wu Protector sneered, his dark cloak revealing two sharp, crimson eyes fixed on the composed face of the elderly doctor. With a cold tone, he said, "Yao Chen, do you truly believe, with my current strength, that you still stand a chance against me?" "Should I wish to have your soul, I'd have to give something in return—otherwise, it's truly impossible," the herbal elder said, flicking his finger. A dense, silvery-white flame erupted from his palm, rising gracefully, its intense heat slightly warping the very space around it. "The cost has already been paid," the black-cloaked attendant said, his crimson eyes dimming slightly beneath the cloak, his voice cold and steady. "Now, it's your turn to offer your soul!" Seeing the Master of Herbs act thus, the Wu Protector could only chuckle in surprise. With a sweeping motion of his sleeve, strange, eerie black mist surged forth from within him, swiftly coalescing into dense, dark clouds in the sky—so thick that even the sunlight above struggled to penetrate. In an instant, the sky over Yunlan Mountain grew profoundly gloomy. The Wu Protector’s move was nothing short of sky-enclosing and sun-obscuring—such a display left many powerful beings stunned. This power… was truly terrifying. Enveloped in the black clouds, the Wu Protector seemed to have vanished entirely, his presence now elusive. The entire sky grew unnervingly still. Even among the strongest, such as the Duohuang-level warriors, a palpable sense of unease and trepidation settled in. A subtle, eerie wind drifted gently past. The Master of Herbs, his entire body wrapped in a dense, misty white flame, suddenly narrowed his eyes, then turned sharply and delivered a powerful blow into the empty space behind him. As the fist moved, the surging spiritual energy surrounding it also surged in response. The dry fist, as though stirring the very space around it, generated a powerful gust of wind and struck with resolute force. "Boom!" At the point of impact, a shadow unexpectedly materialized. The two fists collided, sending out ripples of tangible power that radiated outward in all directions, eventually culminating in deep, thunderous roars echoing across the sky. Ssshh! Ssshh! As the fists interlaced, the two figures once again vanished—unexpectedly—before the countless eyes watching them. Moments later, they reappeared, now hundreds of meters away. For a brief while, thunder rolled across the heavens, figures darting and flashing past one another. Each time a figure appeared, a powerful collision of forces erupted in a thunderclap-like explosion, sending shockwaves through the crowd below, leaving them breathless and awestruck. Above the horizon, dark clouds rolled relentlessly, and only when sharp surges of energy rippled through them would the thick layers part slightly, allowing a beam of sunlight to filter through—yet even now, that sunlight felt cold and lifeless. Since the exact combat strength of the Douzong cultivator was not clearly known, Xiao Yan couldn't determine whether the Wu Protector had reached the strength of a six-star or higher Douzong after employing his secret technique. However, based on the assessment, he likely at least matched a six-star level—after all, the current Yunshan already boasts a cultivator of at least two or three stars, and Yao Lao's strength is clearly superior to that. Now, seeing that Wu Protector could pressure Yao Lao into such a state, it was no surprise at all. "Xiao Yan, what should we do?" Hai Boheng frowned intently at the sky. He could sense that Yao Lao's condition was becoming increasingly serious, yet he felt powerless. Though his current strength approached the peak of Douhuang, he still had limited influence in a Douzong-level battle. Xiao Yan's face was gloomy, yet he could think of no solution. If he weren't currently in such a severely injured condition, he could at least summon the Buddha's Fury Lotus—fusing three different flames—enough to deal some damage to Wu's protector, even if it didn't kill him outright. That would at least provide some advantage to Yao Lao. But now, with this weakened state, he simply couldn't muster the strength to even sustain himself, let alone perform the demanding Buddha's Fury Lotus. Above the horizon, thunder roared and flashed. The black clouds, trembling under the force of the intense qi waves, were once again torn open, allowing a beam of sunlight to pour through. Under the glow of this beam, two figures suddenly collided with tremendous force, emitting a deep, resonant cry. Like cannonballs launched from a cannon, they surged forward and slammed into each other with tremendous impact, crashing together at the very heart of the sunlight. After this fierce clash, the thick black clouds above gradually lightened, their density thinning as sunlight filtered through, casting a gentle glow and dispelling some of the darkness across the plaza. "Hahahaha! Truly no surprise—famed throughout the continent as the Master of Herbs, you've proven even now to be a tough nut to crack. Still, how long can you endure this battle?" The black figure hovered above, the Wù Protector gazing at the increasingly ethereal form of the herbal elder far off, his voice low and eerie. "I'm not faring well either. Your current state may last only so long," replied the elder, his expression impassive. Though his internal condition had grown increasingly precarious, he refused to let any sign of weakness show. Beneath his dark cloak, a steady glow of red pulsed. Then, suddenly, the Wù Protector broke into a deep, unnerving smile. "I must admit—I was rather foolish. Instead of seizing that easy, ripe target right before me, I came all this way to fight you, this stubborn one. If you've been so kind to that young man, then what will you do when I take him? Will you not be at my mercy?" As the laughter of the Wù Protector faded, he had already darted forward without waiting for the old medic to react, slicing through the heavens and heading straight toward Xiao Yan's location. "Baseless!" Upon seeing the Wù Protector's sudden move, the old medic's face instantly turned stern. He roared, disregarding the intense surges of spiritual energy within his body, and transformed his form into a blurred shadow, swiftly pursuing. The Wù Protector's speed was astonishing—by the time his voice had finished, his figure had already appeared near Xiao Yan, and within just two breaths, he was mere steps away. Witnessing the sudden assault from the Wù Protector, the others—including Hai Bo Dong and Lan Jie—were startled, their expressions pale with awe. Even the powerful Battle Kings, Na Lan Jie and Mu Chen, had to step back in alarm, while only Hai Bo Dong and Jia Xing Tian remained relatively composed. The Wu Fuzheng, who suddenly shifted his attack target, also caused a moment of surprise to Hai Bo Dong and the others. However, within the next instant, Hai Bo Dong quickly recovered, gritted his teeth, and moved swiftly to appear before Xiao Yan. Subsequently, after a brief hesitation, the other strong contenders—excluding Yin Gu Old and the other two black-angled domain masters—also pressed forward, braving their own struggles. Beneath the black cloak, a face as dry and skeletal as a skull emerged, strikingly terrifying. As he spoke, a pair of hands—resembling ghostly claws—suddenly extended and swiftly grasped Xiang Yan, who offered no resistance. In his eyes, the ghostly claws rapidly expanded, and Xiang Yan clenched his teeth, his dwindling internal qi surging to ignite the Lvylian Lotus Fire in a desperate counterattack. Given Xiang Yan's current strength against Wu's protector, everyone present knew the outcome would be dire. Thus, all eyes remained fixed on the moment when Xiang Yan would inevitably fall into Wu's protector's hands. The ghostly claw swept through the void, arriving at Xiao Yan's throat in an instant. Yet, as it suddenly clenched, the space trembled violently, and then a long, jade-like hand, graceful as white jade, flashed forth. The jade fingers curved slightly, forming an unusual arc, and with a gentle flick of the fingers, a powerful gust of wind surged forth, striking hard against Wu's protective hand. The force unleashed was so immense that it caused Wu to tremble slightly. Seizing the moment when Wu's body slightly wavered, the jade hand immediately grasped Xiao Yan's robe and swiftly retreated. "Who dares intervene in my Hún Palace's affairs!" Wu's face darkened instantly upon seeing the attack blocked. He raised his head, gazing at the beautiful, alluring woman. The alluring woman glanced at Wu with a calm expression, and then, a voice identical to the one from before, slowly echoed once more.