As Xiao Yan's glowing crimson gaze swept downward, the entire plaza fell instantly silent. Some Yunlan Sect disciples subtly swallowed their breath, feeling a touch of unease—now that the enigmatic great demon had vanished, it seemed only a matter of time before they were held accountable by the Yunlan Sect. Seeing Xiao Yan's composed demeanor, Hai Bo Dong and the others were momentarily stunned, then swiftly moved to stand beside him, their eyes fixed intently on the ground below. Witnessing the impressive scene in the sky, Yun Yun's face slightly paled. With a gentle press of her hand, she calmed the commotion on the plaza. With Yun Shan's passing, she had now become the de facto leader of the Yunlan Sect, and thus could not allow the Sect to fall into ruin at Xiao Yan's hands. "What exactly do you intend to do?" Holding her silver teeth tightly, Yun Yun's wandering gaze finally settled on Xiao Yan's unusually cold face. Her heart was in a state of profound turmoil. Though her relationship with Yunshan had grown increasingly distant over the years, he had always been her teacher. Now that Yunshan had fallen at Xiao Yan's hands, by right she should have sought vengeance. Yet, considering Yunshan's own actions over the years—actions that had inevitably led to his downfall—she could not possibly dispute that it was his own fault. Indeed, in terms of justice, Yunshan had died far from deserved, but in terms of face and duty, as his disciple, Yun Yun felt bound to avenge him. However, without mentioning that Yunlan Sect was now in a dire situation, and even if Yun Yun possessed the strength to strike Xiao Yan down and avenge him, it would still have been an immense challenge. Thus, amidst this hesitation and indecision, her inner struggle was especially intense. Hearing Yun Yin's voice, Xiao Yan's face twitched, then he burst into loud laughter—his laughter filled with both sorrow and fury. "What do I want? Yunlan Sect first captured my father, then destroyed my Xiao family. Now, they've even taken my master and imprisoned him in the Spirit Palace, his life and fate unknown. What more do you expect from me?" Feeling the depth of sorrow and anger in Xiao Yan's words, Yun Yin clenched her hands tightly, her fingernails digging into her palms until they ached. She understood fully the pain and rage in his heart, and over the years, Yunlan Sect's actions had left her with no grounds for defense or rebuttal. "Your master has indeed suffered greatly over the years—yet you've also brought Yunlan Sect to this state. Shouldn't you now have stopped?" Her ample chest rose and fell gently as she bit her lower lip tightly. After a moment, she finally found her voice, her tone laced with a plea. "Stop?" "Xiao Yan sneered, his crimson eyes blazing with fury, roaring, 'As long as Yunlan Sect still exists within the Jima Empire, I will not cease. The blood debts of my Xiao family can only be settled with blood!' Gazing intently at Xiao Yan's increasingly unruly expression, Yun Yun's lips curled with a touch of sorrow, her voice hoarse as she said, 'Do you truly want it to come to this? The blood debts of Yunlan Sect have already been paid. Can you not show a little leniency?' 'Hah!' Hearing Yun Yun's words, Xiao Yan burst into laughter—though the anger beneath his laughter was unmistakable. 'Leniency? When Yunlan Sect besieged my Xiao family, did they ever show leniency? Had it not been for the Mitel family's assistance, my Xiao family would have been wiped out entirely. Back then, did anyone even offer leniency?" The girl's face turned pale, her delicate frame trembling slightly. Each of Xiao Yan's words was so sharp that she had no grounds to counter—every incident had been initiated by Yunlan Sect, and the Xiao family had been a complete victim from the very beginning. "Regarding the matters concerning the Xiao family, I do acknowledge that Yunlan Sect was at fault. However, no matter what, I am the abbot of Yunlan Sect. If you intend to destroy this sect, I will do everything in my power to oppose you—even at the cost of my life," said Yun Yun, her face bitter as she took a deep breath and spoke slowly. Gazing intently at the young face flushed with anger, Yun Yun offered a bitter smile. Back then, she had let him down; today, she feared she would do so again. "Then, by all means, defeat me first. With your current strength, I believe this should be quite easy." With a gentle grasp of her hand, a slender, jade-green sword materialized. Raising her delicate face, she spoke softly. "Yun Yun! Don't go too far!" Seeing her suddenly raise the sword toward him, Xiao Yan's heart surged with fury, and he bellowed, his face contorted. "I'm sorry..." Watching the fierce anger etched upon Xiao Yan's face, Yun Yun bit her lower lip tightly, shaking her head slowly. She knew this gesture would deeply wound him, yet as the Master of Yunlan Sect, the principles instilled in her since childhood made it impossible for her to abandon him. Staring fiercely at Yun Yun, whose graceful and delicate form trembled gently, Xiao Yan clenched his teeth tightly. After a moment, he suddenly pulled out a large handful of pills from his storage ring and hurled them into his mouth with frantic energy. As the pills entered his body, Xiao Yan's frail condition began to improve slightly. However, this method—nearly forcing himself to the limit—was far from ideal; once the effects of the medicine wore off, his weakness would multiply exponentially. Yet at this very moment, Xiao Yan paid no heed to it at all. Feeling the qi slowly surging out of Xiao Yan's body, Yun Yun sighed bitterly, tightly grasping her sword as she waited for the battle she most desperately wished to avoid. "Master..." Nalan Yanran, observing the qi rising from within Xiao Yan, swiftly moved and appeared before Yun Yun, whispering softly, "Let me handle this. The situation has reached this point largely due to my own nature—my inherent humanity." "You had no fault in not marrying someone you didn't initially care for," Yun Yun murmured. "But at least I am a disciple of Yunlan Sect. If he intends to destroy Yunlan Sect, I will certainly not remain passive. This battle shall be mine." Nalan Yanran offered Yun Yun a gentle smile, then lifted her gaze toward Xiao Yan in the sky, her clear voice resonating, "Xiao Yan, I regret the events of the past three years. Yet as a member of Yunlan Sect, if you wish to destroy it— then first, defeat me!" "Inhaling deeply, a mighty aura surged suddenly from Lan Yanran's body!" "Yanran! This is a matter between Xiao Yan and Yunlan Sect—don't interfere!" As Lan Yanran stepped forward, Lan Jie and Lan Su in the sky instantly frowned, urgently calling out. The Yunlan Sect now clearly stood on the brink of collapse. With Xiao Yan's current power, destroying them would not be difficult. Lan Yanran's resistance was certain to be futile; if she were to provoke them further, the entire Lan family would suffer consequences. "Master Xiao Yan, please don't move yet—let me give this girl a good talk!" As Lan Jie jumped up, he suddenly noticed the steadily darkening expression on Xiao Yan's face and quickly interjected. With a wave of his hand, he cut off Lan Jie's words. Xiao Yan didn't even glance at him, his gaze fixed firmly on the resolute expression of Lan Yanran below. On his feet, silver light shimmered, and instantly, with a powerful flap of his wings, his form became a streak of light, surging downward with astonishing speed. Xiao Yan's sudden burst of speed caused Lan Yanran's face to pale slightly. In response, she raised her hand, and a sharp, piercing sword aura shot forth from her palm, aimed directly at the blurred outline of the figure. "Ssshh!" The figure in the sky moved strangely, deftly sidestepping the sword aura. The deep green hue of his back wings darkened instantly, and a faint thunder crackled across the sky. Then, the black silhouette of Xiao Yan vanished completely. Xiao Yan's suddenly vanished figure caused Lan Yanran to be momentarily stunned, her eyes then widening with shock—such speed? How could a Supreme King-level warrior possibly achieve this? Just as Lan Yanran was momentarily lost in astonishment, an odd ripple surged through the space before her, and a ghostly black silhouette materialized abruptly. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and with a swift motion of her hand, a powerful stream of aura shot forth. Crack! A streak of emerald flame flashed out, colliding with the aura, then exploding in a deep resonant sound. The two attacks were swiftly neutralized. As Lan Yanran prepared to retreat, the black silhouette instantly pierced through the spatial barrier, firmly gripping her slender neck, making her body rigid. "Though we are both at the peak of Supreme King rank, several exchanges should be enough to defeat you!" A cold, measured voice slowly echoed, and then Xiang Yan's figure materialized before Lan Yanran like a ghost. At that moment, his hands were firmly gripping her jade neck; with just a slight surge of qi, he could easily crush her windpipe.