Inside the cave, a somewhat hurried breath grew heavy and resonated steadily, gradually fading after a while. Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and sat down heavily on the stone behind him, lost in thought. The vast hall he had just entered must have been the enigmatic Huan Pavilion. As for how he had managed to gain access to it, Xiao Yan attributed it solely to the effect of the soul flame seal left behind by Yao Lao. The terrifying soul beings that had emerged during the spatial collapse were likely the guardians of the Huan Pavilion; whether they were indeed the pavilion's master, Xiao Yan remained uncertain. What he did know for certain was that, even though his strength had greatly increased at this moment, he still could not possibly match the mysterious powerhouse. "The Spirit Temple truly boasts many outstanding cultivators. From the sheer power displayed earlier, it seems even the Master Wu's prowess falls short... "Xiao Yan murmured softly. After a moment, he rubbed his forehead, exhaling a deep breath of relief. No matter how dire the situation appeared, he now knew for certain that Master Yao was still alive! As long as he was alive, there was always hope. "Master, wait for me..." Gently tightening his fists, Xiao Yan's eyes shimmered with determination. Standing up, he took a deep breath, and the powerful, surging qi within him gradually pushed away the lingering coldness throughout his body. Now, he had truly become a full-fledged Emperor of Combat. And he was still young. With sufficient time, Xiao Yan was confident that the next time he faced such a formidable spirit from the Spirit Temple, he would no longer be defeated so completely, with no chance to defend himself. Gradually pushing away the distractions in his mind, Xiao Yan moved his body slowly, advancing toward the mountain cave entrance blocked tightly by a massive stone. After a moment, he gently spread his palms and lightly pressed them against the stone. With a sudden exclamation, he uttered, "Break!" "Boom!" As his voice resonated, a thunderous roar erupted, and a deluge of shattered stones surged forth from the cave entrance. Amidst the swirling dust, the cave entrance was once again revealed. Stepping forward steadily, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, ignoring the intense sunlight. Standing at the cave mouth, he held his hands open, allowing the warm rays of sunlight to fall upon his body. A warm, soothing sensation filled every part of his being, gradually easing the tension on his face. After lingering in the sunlight for a while, Xiao Yan finally stepped out, scanning the deep valley with his eyes, and then paused at the massive purple light cocoon. Though he had already sensed that the girl’s evolution was still incomplete during the expansion of his soul energy earlier, seeing her now in person still made him shake his head in admiration—her advancement truly wasn’t easy. "Where is Cailei? Has she gone out?" As his gaze shifted from the cocoon, Xiao Yan frowned, scanning the surroundings, but failed to spot Medusa’s figure. Just as he was murmuring these thoughts, his eyes landed upon a scroll rolled up on a large stone nearby the cocoon. He extended his hand and smoothly drew the scroll into his palm, then slowly unfolded it with a slight expression of curiosity. As he read through it carefully, his brows furrowed after a moment, and he murmured, "It seems the Serpent Clan has encountered an issue. According to her, once the matter is resolved, she would return. Yet, she hasn’t returned by now, has she?" At this thought, Xiao Yan's expression slightly changed. Even with Medusa's strength, she couldn't swiftly resolve the matter—clearly, the Serpent People were facing a significant challenge. After gathering all the details, Xiao Yan stored the scroll within his storage relic and glanced at the luminous cocoon beside him, shaking his head with a sigh. "Well, then, I'll take on the responsibility of protecting you for a while. Otherwise, leaving now would truly feel uneasy. Moreover, I've just reached the peak of the Battle Emperor rank and still need time to refine my internal qi flow." With that, Xiao Yan moved swiftly and materialized on the nearby large stone, closing his eyes slowly. … Xiao Yan smoothly emerged from the cultivation state and successfully advanced to the Battle Emperor stage. However, considering the well-being of Xiao Ziyan, he did not choose to leave alone, but instead decided to remain in the valley, tending to Ziyan and simultaneously refining the rapidly surging qi within his body. Time in the valley continued to pass quietly, yet the valley now felt noticeably more vibrant than it had earlier—this vitality stemmed naturally from the constant, resonant disturbances Xiao Yan created each time he skillfully manipulated his qi around the valley. Through this continuous refinement of his strength and alignment, time swiftly slipped away like fingers brushing past. Unnoticed, another half-month had passed. During this period, the previously motionless light cocoon finally began to exhibit changes that brought Xiao Yan genuine delight—the symbols on its surface grew increasingly luminous, and subtly, fine cracks began to spread across it. From these cracks, delicate streaks of purple light radiated outward. It seems as though it won't be long before Ziyan emerges from her cocoon. ... In the midsection of the valley, a figure in black robes hovers in place, rapidly forming intricate hand seals. As the speed of his hand movements increases, faint afterimages begin to appear by the final moments. Xiao Yan watches the swirling hand seals with a serious expression, his face flushed and beads of sweat forming on his forehead—clearly, the hand seals demand a tremendous expenditure of qi. At one moment, the flying seals suddenly freeze. Xiao Yan roars, "Fanhai Seal!" As the roar echoes, his hand seal stabilizes into an unusual arc. With a powerful thrust, his palm launches toward the sky. Immediately, a surge of potent qi erupts, swiftly enveloping his palm. Amidst the gathering of this powerful energy, a delicate layer of emerald-green chitin begins to form! The strange, emerald-tinged chitinous layer swiftly enveloped Xiao Yan's handprint, and instantly, a luminous, emerald-gleaming imprint of the same size as the handprint surged forth! This radiant imprint resembled a crystal forged from emerald, stunning in its beauty. Yet the immense energy it contained was profoundly impressive—wherever it passed, the space itself seemed to warp, and the air compressed into a distinct concave arc. The emerald crystal imprint soared upward and directly struck the spatial barrier. A thunderous roar erupted instantly, followed by a sudden gust of wind. Waves of rippling qi surged outward from the point of impact, spreading rapidly. Within moments, the spatial barrier, painstakingly constructed by Medusa, was shattered, yielding a wide opening several zhang in diameter! Looking up at the hollow where the space had warped, Xiao Yan finally exhaled a long, steady breath. As the second seal of the Imperial Seal Technique, the Flip-Sea Seal truly proved far more powerful than the Mountain-Breaking Seal—no wonder it required a Duke-Pharaoh-level warrior to master. Over the past month, Xiao Yan had spent most of his time refining this seal, but successfully launching it had been a first achievement, even if it wasn't yet complete. Yet even in its initial form, it already demonstrated such strength that one could only imagine the magnitude of power it would reach when fully perfected. When he first practiced the Mountain-Breaking Seal, Xiao Yan had already experienced the difficulty of the Imperial Seal Technique, so he had anticipated these challenges. Now, while the Mountain-Breaking Seal had reached a level of comfortable mastery, the Flip-Sea Seal still fell far short of even basic proficiency. In future battles, it might not prove to be particularly effective. "Ah, I think it's time to really hone my skills. If I encounter a Douzong-level master, this Flip-Sea Seal could certainly be a surprise move..." Gripping his palms, Xiao Yan murmured softly. "The sky isn't getting any later. I'll just finish my practice here today..." He glanced up at the sky, smiled lightly, and was about to sit down when the entire valley suddenly jolted violently! As the intense light on the luminous cocoon grew stronger, eventually a subtle crackling sound emerged, followed by the gradual spreading of fine fissures across the cocoon's surface. From these cracks, countless brilliant streaks of purple light surged upward into the sky—thankfully, the spatial seal held firm, otherwise such disturbances would have drawn considerable attention. The cracks multiplied rapidly, until a large section of the cocoon suddenly detached. With the first detachment, a chain reaction unfolded: the cocoon rapidly shattered, and a towering column of purple light surged violently skyward, colliding with the spatial seal and generating ripples of resonance. Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on the massive purple column, and with his keen eyesight, he could faintly discern a blurred human silhouette within it. The column persisted for a while before gradually fading, and after a brief moment, it completely dissipated, leaving the human figure clearly visible in Xiao Yan's sight. The figure that appeared was bare-bodied, with a soft purple glow gently circling her form, giving her an ethereal, enchanting appearance. Her long, flowing purple hair cascaded down to her full, rounded hips, and her mature, curvaceous figure—no longer that of the little girl she once was—was truly captivating. Yet, upon closer inspection of her face, which bore a touch of familiar, endearing charm, it became clear: this was none other than the grown-up version of Xiao Ziyan!