Hearing the sharp, startled sound from the head of the He family, Xiao Yan slightly raised an eyebrow without speaking. Yet the surge of powerful qi radiating from within him remained undiminished, and a faint glint of menace flickered in his eyes. This silent, unyielding stance of Xiao Yan left the head of the He family even more chilled—now, he truly felt as though he might collapse from sheer shock. Who could he have possibly chosen to provoke? It wasn’t just any contender—he had chosen the most formidable figure in the Jiaema Empire. With the current influence of the Yan Alliance within the empire, it was only a matter of time before they would rise to become the second "Yunlan Sect." In the eyes of such a towering force, a mere finger’s worth of the He family would be enough to crush them dozens of times over. The Her family head's expression shifted constantly. After a while, feeling the increasingly powerful pressure of the aura pressing down upon him, he trembled all over and hastily dispelled all his defenses, bowing deeply and respectfully, saying, "We had no idea that the Master of the Xiao Alliance would be visiting. Should we have offended you earlier, we sincerely beg your indulgence and understanding. This matter shall be entirely at the Master of the Xiao Alliance's discretion—our family will fully comply!" The transformation from his earlier cold demeanor to this present humble, subservient posture had occurred almost instantly. The blood-soaked mercenaries on the training field and the Her family guards, all stared in open wonder at the family head, now bowing with the grace of a servant, finding it difficult to process this sudden shift. Yet the Her family patriarch paid no heed to the gazes around him. He lowered his head, gazing at his feet some distance away, his sweat continuously trickling down his forehead. As someone with established reputation and status within the Empire, he was more aware than most of the astonishing battle unfolding at Yunlan Sect. Thus, he fully understood the formidable strength this young man in black robes possessed. He did not believe, even if he exerted his utmost efforts, that he would have any chance of escape from the Flame Alliance's master—someone who had already defeated a senior Douzong cultivator—let alone that he could protect himself and his family. Though the Her family held a modest reputation in the northeastern region, it was hardly significant in the eyes of such a vast entity as the Flame Alliance. Should Xiao Yan truly decide to eliminate the Her family, it would merely take a single word. Thus, bowing and scraping had become the very best course for him to preserve both himself and the Her family—otherwise, should he, upon recognizing the other's identity, still display stubborn resistance, his fate would likely be dire. He was well aware that Xiao Yan was no ordinary young upstart; his resolve and ferocity in dealing with adversaries were on par with seasoned, cunning elders. The Her family head's actions had even left the surrounding Her family guards motionless—far from mere novices, they had heard of the newly risen, formidable entity known as the "Inferno Alliance." In the past, they had often relied on their status as Her family guards to assert dominance over these mercenary units. Yet, in the eyes of the Inferno Alliance, that very status now seemed as distant and unbridgeable as the gap between the Her family and the mercenary corps. "He... he is truly the Inferno Alliance's leader, Xiao Yan, the one who defeated Yunshan?" "Ling'er, the others stared in stunned silence at the young man in the black robe, his garments fluttering without a breeze. Within their hearts, however, waves of profound astonishment surged—though they had always held the highest expectations for Xiao Yan, they had never imagined that he was precisely the rising powerhouse currently dominating the Kamah Empire, the sovereign of the Yan Alliance! Indeed, strictly speaking, they had not entirely failed to envision this, but rather, they had dared not. For the image of the Yan Alliance's sovereign had left an impression of such profound mystery and strength upon countless Kamah citizens that many regarded him as a near-divine figure. In a world where strength reigned supreme, such reverence was not uncommon. Yet, Xiao Yan was more than just a figure of reverence—he had shattered the unshakable status of Yunlan Sect in the hearts of countless Kamah people, thereby securing an exceptionally lofty position. Even knowing that the sovereign of the Yan Alliance bore the same name as himself, many still could not believe that this moment had finally arrived." The middle-aged man also forced himself to swallow hard, deeply astonished. Who could have imagined that these humble mercenaries would be able to meet someone of such legendary status? Should this news spread, their blood-soaked mercenary company would surely become renowned throughout the empire. The sense of shock lingered for a while before gradually fading. Cagang and Ling'er quietly wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, their expressions now slightly stiff. Since Xiao Yan's appearance, they had been continually stunned—so much so that even now, a certain numbness had settled in their hearts, replacing the initial intensity of awe. Like the others, Xiao Yan had first been momentarily taken aback by the elder of the He family's transformation. Then, with a thoughtful gaze, he studied the old man. Indeed, this elder had proven himself wise—knowing when to adapt, even after recognizing that he could not prevail, and thus securing the most favorable outcome. Xiao Yan was most aware that if, after recognizing his identity, the elder remained as indifferent as he had been at the beginning, he would not hesitate to employ ruthless measures—either eliminating Xiao Yan himself or the He family—thus erasing them from the map of the Jia Ma Empire. However, even during the brief moment of hesitation in Xiao Yan’s mind, the He family head had already swiftly settled upon the mindset he would adopt, and then, with a swift abandonment of his dignity as head of the family, he had bowed and shown humility toward Xiao Yan. While this shift might seem somewhat unbecoming to outsiders, in Xiao Yan’s eyes, the elder was someone who could rise to the occasion and let go when necessary—someone who would not let a moment of pride jeopardize the family’s stability. In strict terms, he was a truly competent family leader. The powerful aura of Qi that surged through his body gradually subsided, and Xiao Yan smiled faintly, saying, "So? Are you now unwilling to have the 'Flame Lotus Vessel'?" "Heard that, the head of the He family immediately broke into a cold sweat, chuckling nervously, 'Xiao Lord is jesting. Just now, I was so overwhelmed by the oil on my mind that I mistakenly turned my attention to you. Now that I know your true identity, even if I had a few more courage, I'd still be too afraid to dare to offend you.' 'What's your name?' Xiao Yin smiled calmly. 'He Qian,' the head of the He family replied promptly. Xiao Yin nodded slightly, glanced at the blood-soaked members of the Blood Battle Guild stationed on the training field, and said with a composed tone, 'I have a certain history with the Blood Battle Guild. This matter today, I'll simply overlook it. Should your family take any further covert actions in the future, then I shall not hesitate to be firm and decisive.' 'All as per Xiao Lord's wishes. Heh, if only I had known that the Blood Battle Guild had such a close relationship with Xiao Lord, I would have had the courage to come here even earlier. This matter is entirely my fault, He Qian. In the future, I will surely find an opportunity to personally apologize to the leading He Heda nodded promptly, then turned his gaze to the group gathered in the arena, offering a warm, courteous smile. Upon seeing that smile, the middle-aged man hurriedly bowed. He was well aware that, given Heda's strength, it would have required little effort to wipe out their Blood Battle Guild entirely—today, he had only spared them due to the favor of Xiao Yan. Otherwise, he would have already dealt them a thorough cleansing. Thus, even with the weight of Xiao Yan's presence, he could not afford to be negligent. Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Indeed, Heda was a man of great grace. Though, with his own strength, Xiao Yan could have easily dispatched Heda with a mere thought, Heda still carried the weight of the He family behind him. As Xiao Yan was now preparing to enter seclusion, he naturally didn't wish to go to the trouble of launching a full-scale campaign against the He family. Therefore, Heda's decision to retreat, despite the challenge, was a commendable outcome. "Hehe, Xiao Master, a few days ago, our He family also received an invitation from the 'Yan Alliance.' After careful consideration, I believe we will join the alliance and contribute our share of strength to the Yan Alliance. Then, hehe, we'll become under your direct command—so I hope you'll kindly give me more opportunities for advancement," said He Qian, exhaling a sigh of relief upon seeing Xiao Yan nod. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, then quietly chuckled. This old man certainly had a unique flair—just in a few words, their relationship had already evolved into one of superior-subordinate. Yet from his words, Xiao Yan sensed a clear vision of his elder brother's strategy. He silently praised himself in his heart. It seemed that Brother intended to gradually bring under the alliance a growing number of powerful factions within the Empire. With such a plan, the alliance's strength would undoubtedly experience a remarkable leap." "As long as you remain loyal to the Alliance, I will certainly remember that. Should you achieve great accomplishments later, I may not be able to guarantee a direct promotion to Duke Rank, but reaching the peak of Duke Rank is certainly within reach." Xiao Yan smiled calmly. Hearing Xiao Yan's sincere promise, a spark of surprise flashed in He Gan's eyes. At his age, it was no easy task to advance just one star in strength, and he had never dreamed of reaching Duke Rank—achieving the peak of Duke Rank had already been his greatest aspiration. He promptly responded with a respectful nod. "Let us conclude today's matter here. I have other matters that require me to enter the Beast Mountain. I believe you will handle everything here efficiently." Xiao Yan said gently. "He Gan will surely not fall short of the Alliance's expectations," He Gan replied respectfully. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, turned around, and looked at the pale-faced Kagan with a gentle smile, then gently flicked his finger to send a pill skimming toward him. "Kagan uncle, this pill will temporarily heal your injuries. From now on, the He family will have no further intentions toward your bloodline mercenary corps." "I cannot possibly accept that, I cannot possibly accept that. Well... I never expected that Xiao Yan, the young master, would be the chief of the Inflame Alliance. Kagan, I...," Kagan stammered. For a humble mercenary who had always regarded the He family's head as the strongest person he had ever met, Xiao Yan, the chief of the Inflame Alliance, seemed so distant. He had never imagined that the young man he had met casually in the forest years ago would grow into the most powerful figure in the Jima Empire's political landscape. Xiao Yan smiled, bowed slightly to Kagan, and said, "Today's matter has been settled. I have other affairs to attend to, so I shall be off now." "Having said that, he paused his gaze on Ling'er, who had been steadily staring at him, and smiled gently. With a subtle movement of his body, he transformed into a shadow, rushing straight toward the heavens. Ling'er's eyes remained fixed on the swiftly vanishing silhouette, her beautiful gaze flashing with a gleam of wonder. The commanding presence that had instantly made a Dou Wang-level warrior bow and pay homage with just a simple gesture—something that held immense appeal for many girls—had now firmly established Xiang Yan as a figure of enduring prominence. A true powerhouse, he had finally earned this status!