"Ha ha, youngster, you're quite resilient! I thought you'd need at least a month of recuperation to even have the strength to speak. Now, after just half a month, you've already regained some vitality—truly surprising!" A warm, resonant laugh echoed through the spacious hall, followed by the gradual appearance of Hai Bo Dong into the group's view. Upon seeing Hai Bo Dong, Xiao Yan smiled slightly and rose to welcome him in, then returned to his seat. Seated, Hai Bo Dong carefully scanned Xiao Yan's form. After a moment, a look of astonishment flashed across his eyes, and he exclaimed, "Your energy... It's rather fluctuating now. It seems almost as if you're on the verge of a breakthrough." In Hai Bo Dong's assessment, Xiao Yan's energy flow appeared slightly uneven, resembling the state one would expect just before a significant advancement. Seeing the astonishment on Hai Bo Dong's face, Xiao Yan smiled and nodded lightly, speaking softly, "Though I've been severely injured this time, it seems I've already begun to feel the barrier of the Duke of the Realm tier. If luck holds, I might soon attempt to make a push toward that level." Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong was also delighted, then marvelled, pressing his lips together in amazement, and sighed, "You've always been a strong contender, especially after your battles against figures like Yun Shan. Yet even then, you never imagined you'd reach the threshold of the Duke of the Realm's barrier. As a Duke of the Realm myself, I know well how vast and difficult the gap between Duke of the Realm and Duke of the Realm is—back then, I spent nearly a decade at the peak of Duke of the Realm before finally, through sheer fortune, managed to break through. Now, looking at your pace of cultivation, I find myself genuinely speechless." Regarding Hai Bodong's expression of admiration, Xiao Yan smiled slightly but said nothing. According to the original situation, due to his remarkable growth in strength beneath the earth, the difficulty of advancing beyond the peak of Duke Rank had significantly increased. After emerging from the underground realm, no matter how diligently he trained, his internal strength remained stagnant—beyond merely becoming more proficient in controlling his battle energy, there was no further progress. As he had anticipated, it would take at least two years before he could truly enter the Duke Rank. However, the near-life-or-death battle at Yunlan Sect, though placing him several times on the brink of death, also brought him countless benefits—most notably, the subtle advancement toward the Duke Rank. Without this life-or-death confrontation, it would have been impossible for Xiao Yan to now even begin touching the Duke Rank. This, indeed, was a matter of fortune and opportunity. The battles between life and death most effectively unleash the hidden potential within a human body. Therefore, combat is always the fastest path to enhancing one's strength—provided, of course, that one doesn't end up as a cold, lifeless corpse during such a battle. In that case, no matter how much one advances, it would be futile. "Once your injuries have healed, take some time to meditate and see if you can successfully break through to the Battle Emperor rank," Hai Bo Dong smiled and added, then shifting tone, asked with a smile, "By the way, you sent someone to notify me—was there something specific?" As he turned to the matter at hand, the smile on Xiao Yan's face slightly softened. With a gentle touch of his finger on the table, he said slowly, "Have you heard of the Huo Palace faction?" "Huo Palace?" Hai Bo Dong paused, his eyes reflecting thoughtful concentration. After a moment, he replied, "Ah, yes—wasn't that mysterious master who appeared within Yunlan Sect one of their top talents?" "Indeed." "This faction, I hadn't heard much about before—though thanks to that enigmatic master, during your recovery period, I've gathered some information on them. Though limited, it's clear that this faction is exceptionally powerful and mysterious, specializing in capturing powerful soul entities that have lost their physical forms across the continent." Hai Bo Dong said, frowning. "My father and my teacher have both fallen into their hands, and from what I understand, they seem particularly interested in our Xiao family. Perhaps they'll send more powerful figures in the future." Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with cold intensity as he spoke softly. Hai Bo Dong nodded slightly. Although they had recently eliminated strong factions like Yunlan Sect, the even more formidable Huan Palace now pressed heavily upon them, making it difficult to breathe. From the strength of the master who had introduced himself as Wu, it was evident that this mysterious faction far surpassed Yunlan Sect in both power and stature. "The Huan Temple remains enigmatic, with few knowing their exact location. Even with the strength of our Jiaema Empire, we still fall far short of being able to engage with them. Based on my assessment, the Huan Temple likely stands as one of the most powerful forces across the entire Qi Continent. As for our Jiaema Empire, even the once-dominant Yunlan Sect can only exert influence within the empire itself—let alone be recognized on the boundless Qi Continent. Even within the northwest region of this continent, we would merely be considered a second-tier force." Hai Bodo chuckled, shaking his head. "Though Yunlan Sect holds such prominence within the empire, at the regional sect gatherings held every five years in the northwest, they often receive little more than blank stares and mocking treatment." "Regional Sect Gatherings?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback. He had never heard of such an event before. "Our empire, Ga-ma, is precisely located in the northwest region of this continent. Within this vast expanse, there are at least a hundred nations, large and small, and Ga-ma is merely one among them. Each empire hosts several powerful sects and influential factions, adding up to countless such entities." Seeing Xiao Yan's puzzled expression, Hai Bo Dong smiled and explained, "The Sect Conclave is organized by some of the strongest factions in the northwest region. Their primary motivation isn't particularly noble—it's simply that ambitious leaders aim to unify all the regional powers under their umbrella, eventually rising to compete with the top-tier forces across the continent." "However, no one has yet achieved such ambition. This western-northern region is vast, with numerous powers and intricate relationships. To fully integrate all of them under the sect's umbrella is no easy task. Thus, no true dominant force has emerged in this southwestern region—only several strong contenders have stood side by side. Of course, this doesn't include Yunlan Sect. Given its current standing, Yunlan Sect can only be considered a second-tier power in this region." Hai Bopo Dong smiled. "But this was Yunlan Sect's status when Cloud Mountain was still absent. In recent years, thanks to that elder's development, Yunlan Sect has seen remarkable growth in strength. I believe it now has a solid chance to enter the first tier. At the next Sect Assembly, I'm certain it will silence many of the forces that once mocked Yunlan Sect. Heh, unfortunately, your young talent has dashed that hope." Hearing the news from the Eastern Sea Route that he had never known before, Xiao Yan was equally astonished, never imagining that the Yunlan Sect, which had been so dominant in the Gamma Empire, could hold such a modest status in this western-north region. "By the way," said Haibo Dong, as though suddenly remembering something, "the two Supreme Sovereign-level warriors we met at the Mo Family back then were from the Tian She Prefecture. The Tian She Prefecture is indeed one of the top powers in this western-north region—far stronger than the Yunlan Sect. In fact, back then, they even nearly defeated all the sect masters at the Sect Assembly and became the dominant force in the region." "The Tian She Prefecture?" Xiao Yan was momentarily surprised, then recalled the two enigmatic warriors he had last encountered when he had gone to the Mo Family to rescue Qinglin. It was no wonder this power was stronger than the Yunlan Sect—after all, it was certainly capable of reaching even the Black Angle Domain, where the Yunlan Sect had never managed to survive amidst such chaos. The Tian-She Palace is situated at the heart of the Tian-She Kingdom in the western region of the empire, holding an unparalleled status—its influence surpasses even that of Yun-Lan Sect in the Gamma Empire. In fact, the very royal succession in the Tian-She Kingdom has often been subtly orchestrated by the Tian-She Palace. While there are other influential powers within the kingdom, they all operate under the leadership of the Tian-She Palace, each required to pay substantial tribute annually. Hai Bo Dong smiled gently. "The Gamma Empire, having been established relatively recently and located in a more western region, has historically seen few foreign masters enter. Aside from its major powers and the royal family, most people remain largely unaware of such high-level affairs. It was only thanks to the young girl named Qinglin that the Tian-She Palace delegation came to visit this time." Seeing the astonishment on several faces, Hai Bo Dong smiled and then glanced at Xiao Yan, slowly saying, "With Yunlan Sect now dissolved, the Kamah Empire may well have no other major sect to draw upon." Observing Hai Bo Dong's expression, Xiao Yan slightly raised an eyebrow, murmuring, "What do you mean, Hai Elder?" "Haha, young fellow, since the Huan Pavilion has been keeping a close eye on your family, can you really expect them all to vanish into the mountains, living quietly as ordinary villagers?" Hai Elder chuckled. Xiao Yan remained silent. Having promised his father to revitalize the Xiao family, he certainly couldn't expect all his relatives to become forest dwellers. "If they can't all vanish into obscurity, then relying solely on your personal strength to protect your family will naturally be rather insufficient. Therefore, a powerful external force will be necessary." "Hai Bo Dong's eyes sparkled as he smiled, saying, "With Yunlan Sect now dissolving, this is precisely the optimal moment. As it gradually grows, if it can rise among the leading powers of the northwest region, even the Huan Palace will no longer be able to act arbitrarily against the Xiao family—let alone slaughter them at will. Should you one day become the dominant force in the northwest, even the Huan Palace will have to tread carefully. Moreover, how much time would you have to spend, personally searching across the continent, just to rescue your teacher and father?" Xiao Yan's face showed thoughtful contemplation. After a long pause, he gently nodded, saying, "Hai Elder's words are indeed sound. Yet, establishing a powerful force capable of competing among the top powers of the northwest region—how difficult that would be. By nature, I am not suited to founding and leading a sect. In matters of such scale, I may well find myself distracted from my cultivation." "Heh, some things don't require you to personally handle them—there are always more suitable people to manage them for you. Then you simply need to relax, step back, and focus on your cultivation." Hai Bodo smiled, glancing at Xiao Ding and Xiao Li standing beside Xiao Yan, and added, "As for starting from scratch, that's not really necessary. With your current standing in the Jima Empire, all you need to do is raise your voice, and countless strong figures will follow. Moreover, right now, the major families in the empire are all watching your every move—by aligning themselves with you, they'll gain even greater benefits." Seeing Hai's warm expression, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered momentarily, then softened slightly as he nodded thoughtfully, saying in a steady tone, "Then, once my injuries heal, I'd be grateful if Elder Hai could reach out to Fang Ma's president and the heads of the major families. The sky of the Jima Empire is certainly due for a change!" "Heard this, Haibo Dong nodded with a smile. He always believed that Xiao Yan's journey should not stop at the Jamara Empire; only the vast continent of Qi would be the true stage for his growth and potential."