The vast black veil stretching across the sky suddenly trembled subtly, and in a moment, several cracks began to spread across it, allowing the brilliant sunlight to pour in and completely banish the darkness from the heavens. The veil swiftly dispersed, and the crowd on the plaza, their hands still shielding the suddenly streaming sunlight, lifted their eyes only after a while, gazing upward at the distant sky. There, Master Wu stood suspended in the air, his hands now cradling a cluster of black mist, from which faint, familiar vibrations emanated. With a firm grip, he shifted his hand seal, swiftly drawing the mist into a ring on his finger. Then, exhaling deeply, he sighed with relief—after all this effort, he had finally caught this old fellow who had eluded him for so many years. This time, Master of the Hall would surely be delighted. After imprisoning the old pharmacist's soul within the Naji, the Wu Fuzheng glanced at the glaring Medusa and coldly smiled, his form trembling as he dissolved into a streak of black mist, swiftly darting toward Xiao Yan, who stood motionless at the tree's canopy. "Hah! Young one, your master has already been captured—now you may join him!" In an instant, he broke free from Medusa's pursuit and charged straight at Xiao Yan, his voice cold and sharp. Xiao Yan stood motionless at the tree's edge, his head slightly bowed, as if completely unaware of Wu Fuzheng's assault—his body still and unmoving. The others, including Hai Bo Dong, saw Wu Fuzheng surge forth once more and their faces grew pale. They quickly pulled at Xiao Yan to help him evade the attack, yet at that moment, Xiao Yan's body remained firmly rooted to the tree's branch, as if fixed in place, making it difficult to budge him. And just as several figures were still lagging behind, the Wu Protector suddenly surged forward—clearly, the Queen of Medusa who had been rushing to assist was only just arriving. "Take him!" As Hai Bo Dong and the others were once again preparing to engage the Wu Protector head-on, a small, agile figure suddenly appeared before them, her long purple hair flowing gently in the wind—none other than Xiao Ziyan, the one who had rarely stepped forward until now. Yet now, her small face was serious and resolute. Seeing Xiao Ziyan's bold move, Hai Bo Dong was momentarily stunned, then nodded firmly, pressing his palm hard and forcibly pulling Xiang Yan out of his dazed state, retreating swiftly. "Little girl, you're going to die!" The Wu Protector roared, furious that she dared to intervene. With a sweeping motion of his hand, a surge of powerful black mist erupted forth. The gem-like eyes fixed intently on the surging black mist, a peculiar purple glow gradually filling Zǐ Yán's vision. She clenched her hands tightly, the purple glow wrapping around her arms, solidifying into an unusual purple crystalline layer on the palm of her fist. With a force capable of shattering mountains and splitting stone, she drove the punch forward. As her fist struck, the air in front of her was instantly compressed into an invisible concave arc, and a sharp rushing wind sounded—under the pressure of that force, the invisible air cannon struck the black mist like a cannonball! "Boom!" The black mist, which had accumulated several layers of energy from Wù Hùfǎ, rippled and then gradually dispersed. Unexpectedly, even with her strength, Zǐ Yán had managed to withstand Wù Hùfǎ's attack—a Daozhong-level warrior! Of course, the immense power displayed seemed to take a considerable toll on Zi Yan, and as the punch was delivered, the vibrant purple glow in her eyes dimmed, her breath growing noticeably weaker. "Hmm?" Seeing Zi Yan successfully deflect her attack, the Wutu protector was taken aback, yet before he could launch a follow-up strike, a streak of colorful light suddenly shot down from the heavens, revealing Medusa with a frosty expression in front of Zi Yan. With a delicate grasp of her hand, a seven-colored serpent-sword was swiftly thrust forward, aimed directly at Wutu's throat. Undeterred by Medusa's assault, Wutu didn't hesitate to respond. With hands like ghostly claws extending, he began a series of odd, rhythmic strikes, each one clashing sharply against the vibrant serpent-sword, producing a series of sharp metallic impacts. Clang! Clang! "Medusa, are you truly determined to bring enmity between us and the Hu Dun Sect?" "Having been repeatedly blocked by Medusa, the Wu Huafu roared in anger. Now with time stretching on, the effort to capture the Ye Elder has already consumed immense energy—energy that had surged through secret techniques—and is beginning to wane. If this pace continues, he will surely fall to Medusa's hands eventually. With a single sword thrust aimed at the Wu Huafu's vital point, Medusa maintained a cold expression, her gaze subtly glancing toward Xiao Yan, who stood nearby, motionless and as if his spirit had been drained. A quiet flame of anger stirred deep within her eyes, and her attacks grew increasingly fierce and ruthless. "Hand over your soul!" "Hah! Deluded," chuckled the Wu Huafu, his form shifting as he deftly sidestepped the serpent sword. He cast a somewhat regretful glance toward Xiao Yan before speaking in a low, dark tone, "Young man, today is your lucky day. But as for your Xiao family, my Huan Pavilion is deeply interested. Next time, I'll have you accompany your teacher. For now, this will suffice." The cold laughter faded, and the Wu protector flickered into motion, intent on fleeing. "Scum! Hand over your teacher's soul!" As the words fell, the stunned Xiao Yan instantly snapped to awareness, his eyes blazing crimson. With a roar, a pair of emerald flame wings materialized behind him. Raising his wings, he launched himself forward in a furious assault. As he surged, emerald flames erupted from his hands and swiftly merged into his form. Though currently severely wounded, the blow of his teacher's capture had left Xiao Yan utterly unable to maintain composure. Seeing Xiao Yan charge in so boldly, the Wu protector, instead of being annoyed, felt a surge of delight—this was precisely what he had been waiting for! The very act of charging in was a self-imposed trap. While he waited for Xiao Yan to come to him, Medusa moved swiftly and appeared before the now-eyes-blazing Xiao Yan, seizing him firmly. "Stay calm," she said firmly. "If you wish to honor your teacher's expectations, remain composed. Should you be captured, there will be no one left to save him." Hearing Medusa's cry, Xiao Yan finally regained a measure of composure, brushing his forehead where the slightly warm flame mark still lingered, clenching his teeth tightly as the vibrant green flames in his hands gradually faded. Upon seeing Medusa take action, the Wu Protector shook his head in disappointment, then sneered, "Indeed, young man, your master is no ordinary soul-bodied being. The Hall Master holds him in high regard and will not treat him harshly in the near term. So come, come to our Hall of Souls to rescue him. I'll be waiting for you." With those words, the Protector made no further hesitation, his figure flashing into a streak of black mist, swiftly surging like lightning toward the horizon and vanishing before Medusa could even react—his speed was simply beyond her reach. Fixing his gaze on the spot where the Protector had disappeared, Xiao Yan remained motionless for a moment before suddenly gripping his head, emitting a low, thunderous roar filled with both pain and sorrow. Gazing at Xiao Yan, whose eyes were blazing with red and brimming with tears, Medusa sighed softly. The usually cold elegance of her features softened considerably. With a gentle touch, she lightly tapped Xiao Yan's head and said, "To save your teacher, strive hard. He has placed all his hopes in you—do not let him down. Moreover, you're no longer alone. The Xiao family aims to revitalize the Gamma Empire, and they will still rely on you!" Staring at Xiao Yan, who now roared like a wounded beast, Hai Bo Dong, Jia Xingtian, and the others fell silent as well. The Wu Protector's strength had surpassed everyone's expectations—no one had anticipated that even the renowned Yao Lao would suffer such a defeat. In the air above the plaza, Yun Yun and Na Lan Yan also stood motionless, gazing at the young man whose face bore evident pain. Over the years, they had only witnessed this emotionally vulnerable side of the usually composed youth twice: once when his father disappeared, and now, again today. "Master, what should we do now? He... he killed the Cloud Mountain Master. We...," Na Lan Yan said, her eyes glistening with sorrow as she scanned the chaos on the plaza, especially the bodies of the elders. The Cloud岚 Sect had truly been destroyed. Previously, Yun Yun had detailed to Na Lan Yan Ran all that had transpired at Yun Lan Sect, of course including the death of Yun Shan, thus making Na Lan Yan Ran fully aware of the true culprit behind Yun Lan Sect's current state—Xiao Yan himself. Holding her jade hands tightly and her face showing evident struggle, Yun Yun clearly understood that Xiao Yan had come to seek vengeance; there was absolutely no possibility of reconciliation between Yun Lan Sect and the Xiao family. She had not merely informed Na Lan Yan Ran of today's events—she believed the matter was far from over. With the elderly master, who appeared to have a close relationship with Xiao Yan, now arrested, Xiao Yan's fury would undoubtedly be fully redirected toward Yun Lan Sect. After all, this enigmatic Wu Protector had been a helper Yun Shan had personally recruited from an unknown source. Thus, among Xiao Yan's two closest relatives, both had been either directly or indirectly destroyed by Yun Lan Sect. The animosity between them, even Yun Yun herself recognized, was utterly irreconcilable.