The calm voice echoed steadily across the training ground, causing all the outcries to freeze in place. Everyone turned to look around, their expressions filled with a range of emotions. At the very moment the voice was heard, the head of the He family's face slightly tightened. Though the tone of the speaker was unyielding, he only emitted a short, sharp breath and did not step forward again—instead, he slowly withdrew his foot, speaking firmly, "I wonder who this is—this matter concerns our He family. I kindly ask that you refrain from interfering." As he spoke, his gaze swept the area, yet what weighed on his heart was the fact that he could not locate the person who had spoken. "Are you looking for me?" Just as his gaze settled on the surroundings, a faint rumble of thunder broke from the sky, and then a shadow materialized like a ghost upon the training ground, approaching and offering a gentle smile to the one before him. The mysterious black-robed figure who suddenly appeared was enough to cause the He family's eyes to narrow slightly. Such speed... His gaze slowly rose, finally settling on the young man's face, and he was momentarily stunned—his expectations regarding the latter's age were clearly exceeded. "Ling'er nodded firmly, her gaze fixed steadily on the figure's back. With the arrival of this silhouette, a renewed sense of hope stirred within her once-despairing heart. For this young man, whom she didn't particularly know well, she felt an inexplicable confidence. 'Though he seems rather young, doesn't he?' The middle-aged man, positioned just right to see Xiao Yan's profile, murmured softly. 'He is indeed young, but his strength is quite impressive!' Ling'er gave a dismissive shrug, clearly disagreeing with the elder's assessment based solely on age. Seeing this, the middle-aged man also offered a wry smile. Of course, he hoped the young black-robed figure was as strong as possible—yet everything had to be practical. The Her family's patriarch had achieved his current level after years and years of cultivation, while this young black-robed figure, at most, was only in his twenties. That kind of cultivation period—ah, well… Without mentioning the murmurs among the bloodline mercenaries and others, the Her family patriarch had been casting a steadily gloomy gaze upon Xiao Yan since his arrival. While his own strength allowed him to assess Xiao Yan's current level, the latter's demonstrated speed earlier had stirred a subtle sense of caution in him. Otherwise, he would have moved to strike him down immediately. As the thoughts of He family's head master flickered, Xiao Yan's expression remained calm and composed. He bowed slightly, lifting Cagang from the ground, observing the paleness of his face and furrowing his brows slightly before pressing a pill into his mouth. In his heart, he silently chuckled—this man truly wasn't light-handed in his actions. With the pill down, the paleness of Cagang's face began to blush slightly from excitement; his hands, trembling, clutched tightly at Xiao Yan's sleeve, so overwhelmed that he could hardly utter a single complete sentence. Xiao Yan waved his hand, offered Cagang a gentle smile, and spoke softly, "Cagang uncle, don't worry. Today's battle of the mercenary corps—no one will be injured or killed." "Hmph! Such bold words!" the He family head master scoffed immediately. As his laughter fell, the surrounding He family guards swiftly raised their sharp weapons, their eyes blazing with intent and hostility. Feeling the suddenly tense atmosphere around them, the survivors of the fierce battle from the mercenary company felt a sharp tightening in their chests. The pressure exerted by the Her family's head was simply too overwhelming—so much so that even a slight outburst from him could send them trembling with fear. Yet, by now, they could only pray that this enigmatic young man truly possessed the strength to match that of the Her family's head, or else not only would their entire mercenary company be wiped out, but even he might end up caught in the crossfire. At sight of this, the head of the He family's face immediately broke into a gleaming smile, and with a pointed gaze toward the numerous blood-soaked members of the Battle Corps stationed on the training field, he chuckled darkly, "You wish to save them?" Xiao Yan smiled, then nodded again under the earnest gazes of the Battle Corps members. "Agreed. Trade the so-called 'Fire Lotus Bottles'—one bottle for one life." The head of the He family arched a sly, gloomy smile and spoke slowly. Xiao Yan scanned the training field. The members of the Battle Corps, together with their families, numbered at least four or five hundred. Thus, one-for-one meant he would need to offer four or five hundred "Fire Lotus Bottles." Indeed, the old man's appetite was quite substantial. "Then, how do you find it?" asked the He family head, his smile forced and strained. "Nothing special," Xiao Yan replied with a gentle smile, yet the words sent an instant chill over the He family head's face, while the members of the Battle Corps grew pale, their hopes gradually fading. "Then, please, leave. Though I know you are no ordinary person, my He family is far from obscure. If you truly intend to oppose us, I suspect you won't come out of this with much to show for it." The head of the He family coldly remarked. Had he not also harbored some regard for the other's strength, he would have already seized Xiao Yan and detained him, forcing him daily to produce these potent "Fire Lotus Bottles" of considerable power. "Within ten minutes, depart from Qingshan Town—then I shall treat this matter as if it had never happened." Undeterred by the He family head's scorn, Xiao Yan calmly continued. Upon hearing this, not only did the He family head let out a string of cold laughs, but even the guards standing beside him began to chuckle—was this boy truly mad? How dare he speak such bold words before a fully-qualified Grand Master? "For many years, you are the first to dare speak to me and my He family with such confidence. Truly, a promising young talent!" The He family head gradually smoothed out his laughter, his eyes flashing with fierce determination. Seeing this, Xiao Yan sighed softly and slowly shook his head. There are always so many people who feel they're the best in the world... He gradually raised his hand, then directly aimed at the He family patriarch, whose lips curled with a cold smile. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his robe swayed gently without any wind, as a surge of potent qi erupted from within him, pouring forth without restraint. At that moment, the training ground seemed to be swept by a tornado, with countless cracks spreading out like a spiderweb, radiating from Xiao Yan's center. Currently, Xiao Yan was at the peak of his breakthrough from Grand Master to Grand Champion level, and his aura was most volatile at this stage. Thus, when his emotions surged, the profound qi within him—already comparable to that of a Grand Master—burst through his body. As this powerful surge of qi spilled out, everyone in the training ground, including the He family patriarch, was struck with astonishment. This aura... had now far surpassed the Grand Master level! The head of the He family had to retreat several steps, his body shaken by the overwhelming aura of qi before he could steady himself. Now his face was slightly pale, and the cold contempt in his eyes had completely vanished. He had never imagined that the young man before him—no more than twenty years old—was actually a powerful cultivator at the Sovereign of Battle level! Gulping down a thick stream of saliva, the head of the He family sighed inwardly, feeling deeply frustrated. He had only come to settle a minor dispute with a small mercenary company, yet he had now encountered such a formidable figure. Kagang, Ling'er, and the others were equally stunned, gazing in awe at Xiao Yan, whose robes fluttered even without a breeze. Though they were some distance away, the immense pressure exerted by him caused their internal qi to grow sluggish and obstructed. Compared to the astonishment of the Her family's head, the impact they experienced was truly countless times greater, for they knew well that just a few years ago, this young man in black robes had barely reached the level of a Battle Specialist—now, he had soared to a level where he could compete directly with the very top-tier warriors of the Empire. Such a pace of cultivation—truly beyond human capability! The middle-aged man from the Blood Battle Corps stood speechless, gazing at the black-robed figure whose robes fluttered without a breeze. After a moment, a surge of exhilaration filled his heart: the Blood Battle Corps had a real chance today! Within the Her family's head, the flow of battle energy surged wildly as he struggled to resist the pressure emanating from Xiao Yan, his eyes constantly scanning the calm, composed face of the young man. Yet within his heart, waves of profound astonishment rose—when had the Empire seen a warrior of such youthful vigor attain the rank of Battle Emperor? As thoughts surged and turned within his mind, at a sudden instant, the head of the He family felt his body tremble sharply—remembering the fierce, transformative war that had recently unfolded within the Empire. The central figure of that war was a young man dressed in black robes. At this moment, the head of the He family's eyes narrowed slightly, his hands and feet grew cold, and his voice became unusually sharp with shock. "Are you the head of the Flame Alliance, Xiao Yan?"