The sky was silent, save for Xiang Yan's cold voice echoing slowly. At that moment, countless Yunlan Sect disciples exhaled in relief, only to feel a deep sense of sorrow. How glorious Yunlan Sect had once been! Now, they found themselves reduced to being treated as mere pawns, easily manipulated. The sheer contrast was hard to bear. Of course, no matter how difficult it was to accept, the Yunlan disciples had no choice but to bear it. Seeing Xiang Yan's fierce demeanor, they knew he had already resolved to wipe out the entire sect. Had it not been for the personal ties and connections between Xiang Yan and Yunyun Sect Master, the plaza would have been drenched in blood by now. To survive at all was, for them, truly a matter of great fortune. Hearing Xiao Yan's cold words, which sounded like a final judgment, Yun Yun's delicate body trembled slightly. She bit her lower lip tightly, her cheeks now pale with an unusual hue—was it truly the case that the Yunlan Sect would be destroyed at her hands? Gently clutching her jade hands, Yun Yun slowly scanned the faces of the countless Yunlan Sect disciples below, a sense of melancholy spreading across her features. She murmured softly, "Is this your retribution against the Yunlan Sect?" Seeing Yun Yun's poignant expression, Nalan Yanran felt a deep pang of sorrow. She clutched Yun Yun's hands tightly and suddenly looked up at Xiao Yan, saying, "Xiao Yan, the Yunlan Sect no longer poses any threat to you now. Can't you show some mercy? I and my teacher can publicly swear that from this day forward, no one from the Yunlan Sect will ever mention this matter again!" Xiao Yan glanced at her, his expression impassive. "Given our past relationship, this is my final concession," he said. "Either evacuate completely—leaving not even a single bird or dog behind—or dissolve the Sect entirely. Choose one. It's up to you." Hearing Xiang Yin say this, Na Lan Yan Ran's eyes also grew dim. She knew that Xiang Yin would absolutely never allow Yun Lan Sect to remain within the Jia Ma Empire, and securing the sparing of these ordinary disciples was already his greatest concession. As Xiang Yin finished speaking, countless sets of eyes immediately turned toward Yun Yun, with the final decision resting entirely in her hands. Under the weight of all those gazes, Yun Yun tightly clutched her jade hands, her bright eyes flickering with struggle. After a long while, she finally sighed wearily, her voice slightly strained and filled with exhaustion and helplessness: "Well, matters have come to this point—no further words will do any good. If you insist on this course, then I shall follow you. As long as the ordinary disciples of Yun Lan Sect are not harmed, I will dissolve Yun Lan Sect within one month!" The few words, though, seemed to have drawn upon every ounce of strength within her. As the final sentence settled, her bright eyes dimmed, her expression of resignation so profound that it moved the hearts of all present. Persisting in not looking at Yunyun's expression, Xiao Yan spoke in a low, steady tone: "I hope you can manage it. Should anyone within the sect firmly resist, I will step in." As he finished, his gaze shifted to Tianye, the commander of the countless troops stationed below, and he said gently, "Princess Tianye, please withdraw your forces. For precaution's sake, they may remain temporarily at the foot of the mountain." Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Tianye promptly nodded with a warm smile, then turned to issue a series of well-ordered commands. Under her direction, the dense ranks of soldiers swiftly flowed like a tide, retreating in unison until they vanished from the mountain's summit. "Thank you all for your assistance today," Xiao Yan said, as he sent the troops away, his gaze once again turning to Jia Xingtian and the others. A faint, somewhat strained smile appeared on his otherwise composed face. Upon hearing this, Jia Xingtian, Fama, and the others quickly waved them off with a polite smile. While the greatest credit for the fall of Yunlan Sect undoubtedly belonged to Xiao Yan and his enigmatic master, they themselves had merely managed to hold off the senior monks of Yunlan Sect. Now that Yunlan Sect had been completely extinguished, the political landscape of the Jima Empire might undergo significant changes. With Xiao Yan's growing influence, there was no doubt he would emerge as a dominant force in the empire—future developments might well see them having to follow his lead. "We will gladly accept your partial compensation," Xiao Yan said calmly, his gaze shifting to the three elders of Yin Gu. "We will present it all once Xiao Yan has fully recovered." "No need to rush," the elders chuckled. "Right now, what matters most is that Master Xiao recovers his health first." The three elder figures of Yin Gu quickly offered polite smiles, displaying an unusually courteous demeanor. Having endured the fierce battle earlier, they now had a clearer understanding of Xiao Yan's capabilities. While previously they had been cautious of Xiao Yan merely due to Medusa's presence, now they genuinely held deep respect for him—since Xiao Yan now possessed the strength to defeat even high-level Douzong cultivators. This alone warranted their careful and cautious approach, for strength always remained supreme, no matter where they were. Shaking his head, Xiao Yan's forehead was covered in fine beads of cold sweat. As the ki faded, his internal injuries began to flare up again, the intense pain causing him to tremble throughout his body. "Your condition isn't light, and you've pushed yourself beyond your limits—go back and rest immediately. Otherwise, you might suffer lasting complications that could seriously hinder your future growth," Sea Po Dong said, frowning at Xiao Yan's pale complexion. "Slightly taken aback, Yun Yin gazed at Xiao Yan, whose eyes seemed to be subtly scanning the disciples of Yunlan Sect below. Understanding his intent, she clenched her silver teeth and said, 'As long as you spare the Yunlan Sect disciples, everything will be at your discretion!' 'That's settled. Though Yunlan Sect will no longer exist after its dissolution, finding them won't be difficult...' Xiao Yan smiled calmly, then his gaze suddenly shifted to the cold body of Yun Shan lying on the ground. A flash of cold determination passed through his eyes as he grasped his hand, drawing the body into his palm and then sealing it inside his storage scroll. Even though Master Yao had now been captured by the Soul Palace, Xiao Yan firmly decided to gather all the materials his teacher had mentioned for crafting a body and successfully create one. He believed that someday, he would rescue his teacher and bestow upon him a perfect, fully formed body!" Watching Xuanyin's actions, Yun Yun's face slightly changed, and she intended to speak something, but under the slightly cold gaze from him, she merely swallowed her words. With so many lives of the Yunlan Sect now in Xuanyin's hands, she dared not truly anger him. Only after impressing Yun Yun with his demeanor did Xuanyin lightly exhaled, then turned to Hai Boheng and said softly, "Let's go..." "Understood." Hai Boheng nodded, glanced at Yun Yun, lifted Xuanyin with one hand, and with a flick of his icy wings, took off toward the Imperial Capital. Following closely behind were Jia Xingtian, Fama, Medusa, and the others. As the vast procession swiftly departed into the sky, the heavy sense of pressure that had been weighing down the hearts of the Yunlan Sect members gradually began to ease. They exchanged glances, each silently sighing with a mixture of sorrow and resignation, their expressions filled with deep melancholy. "Yanran, once we've settled everything here, you should return home. You and your mother haven't seen each other for three years—she's been longing for you." Nalan Jie and Nalan Su turned to watch the departing group, then turned to Nalan Yanran. Upon hearing this, Nalan Yanran furrowed her brows, glanced at Yun Yun, who seemed somewhat distracted, and hesitated before nodding. When Nalan Yanran finally nodded, Nalan Jie and Nalan Su exhaled in relief, glanced at Yun Yun, and sighed. They couldn't stay any longer—Cloud Lake Sect was no longer as lofty as before. The saying "when the wall falls, everyone pushes" held true. Though Yun Yun was a Battle Emperor-level powerhouse, they were careful not to show too much warmth, for fear of displeasing Xiao Yan. Should they provoke his displeasure, the Nalan family might vanish from the Jia Ma Empire by the next morning. Bowing slightly to Yun Yun, Nalan Jie and Nalan Su quickly activated their movements and sped toward the Imperial Capital, unwilling to linger any longer in the scene of chaos at Cloud Lake Mountain. Above, the autumn wind swept through, leaving two slender figures—two women—gazing at each other, each with a hint of bitterness on their lips. "Master, what are your plans?" Lan Yanran glanced down at the cloud-weary disciples of Yunlan Sect, sighed, and asked. "What else can we do? Haven't you heard of Xiao Yan? This time, he's spared Yunlan Sect from bloodshed—thanks to our personal relationship—but dissolving the sect is his absolute limit. Should any further incidents arise, things might... well, get worse." Yun Yun shook her head with a wry smile. She didn't harbor deep resentment toward Xiao Yan. The actions Yunlan Sect had taken against the Xiao family were entirely predictable, and even as a member of Yunlan Sect, she fully understood this. With a long, weary sigh, Yun Yun waved her hand with fading enthusiasm. "Inform the Yunlan Sect disciples. They must leave within one month. Each should receive a sum of money upon departure—given their capabilities, they should be able to survive." Nalan Yanran nodded silently, a sense of quiet loneliness settling within her.