Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Yan Cheng was also taken aback. The Empire had gone through such significant events, yet this very ruler of the Empire seemed completely unaware. "I've been in seclusion for some time," Xiao Yan said, as if sensing Yan Cheng's thoughts. Hearing this, Yan Cheng finally understood, and chuckled, "I never expected Master Xiao to remain in seclusion for a full year. That year has been anything but peaceful—indeed, it could be said to be the most turbulent period in the history of the Gamma Empire." "A year in seclusion, then?" Xiao Yan sighed softly, then shifted back to the topic at hand. "What major events have occurred within the Empire? Those individuals just now—were they poison specialists? Such a profession should be extremely rare in the Gamma Empire. How come so many of them appeared all at once?" "Because they aren't natives of the Gamma Empire." "By the side, Ling quietly interjected. As soon as Xiao Yan appeared, her gaze had settled on his face, her eyes sparkling with admiration—clearly embodying the shy, tender grace of a young girl in springtime affection." As soon as the name that sent a shiver down his spine was mentioned, Yan Cheng’s face immediately registered a flicker of fear, and his voice dropped noticeably. "The Poison Sect?" murmuring the unfamiliar name, Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed in concentration. "The Poison Sect has only recently risen to prominence within Chuyun Empire, yet its strength is truly formidable—within less than five years, it has utterly destroyed all the monastic factions across the empire. Now, it stands as the sole dominant force, and it's said that even the imperial family has been quietly absorbed and controlled by them. In Chuyun Empire, the words of the Sect’s Master carry more weight than those of the Emperor himself." Seeing Xiao Yan’s expression of bewilderment, Yan Cheng elaborated further. "How powerful is the Master of the Poison Sect?" Xiao Yan asked slowly. "It's said that at the very least, the Poison Sect's involvement has pushed the battle to the level of a Du-Zong. As the strongest force of the Yan Alliance, naturally, they couldn't remain passive. Thus, a confrontation almost entirely between the two major powers unfolded. Just half a year ago, during a major battle, that enigmatic master of the Poison Sect made an appearance. In that engagement, Ice Emperor Hai Bodo, the royal elder named Jia La, and a colossal beast of absolute Du-Pharaoh strength—all three of them—were all defeated by the master of the Poison Sect." Yan Cheng chuckled, his eyes flashing with deep fear as he spoke of a rank that felt distant and unattainable to him. His gaze flickered, and his heart sank slightly—he hadn't expected that even the combined efforts of Hai La and the other two would fall short against that master. "Then, just let me know," he said, "continue." "Just as the three members of the Ice Sovereign were in peril, the Queen Medusa of the Serpent People suddenly appeared, engaging in a fierce battle with the Master of the Toxic Sect. The two fought to a standstill, and only after the Master of the Toxic Sect withdrew did the Flame Alliance escape a near-catastrophic crisis." Yan Cheng stirred his lips, eyes filled with yearning for that dramatic battle. After a moment of silence, he sighed and offered a weary smile to Xiao Yan, saying, "Thanks to the Queen Medusa's assistance, the Flame Alliance has finally stabilized. Now, with the alliance forged with the Serpent People, they are launching a counteroffensive against the Toxic Sect." "The Serpent People have also gotten involved?" Xiao Yan was instantly taken aback, surprised to hear this. Though Medusa was the queen of the Serpent People, the Serpent People seemed to hold little goodwill toward the Gamma Empire. It seemed unlikely that they would step in to help Gamma. "Um, since the Yun Empire first targeted them, that great battle dealt a devastating blow to the Serpent Clan. Had it not been for Queen Medusa's timely return, the entire Serpent Clan might have been wiped out entirely." Yan Cheng nodded. "So originally, when Cai Lin suddenly left, it was because of this matter..." His eyes flickered slightly, and now he understood why Queen Medusa had had to leave so abruptly. "Since both our enemies are the Yun Empire and the 'Toxic Sect,' we naturally can unite. Though there have been some friction along the way, if the great battle under the royal elder's leadership is won, the Serpent Clan will be granted a territory within the Gamma Empire to thrive and survive—otherwise, they'll be completely erased." "With Medusa and the Serpent Clan's support, I'm sure the Yun Empire won't be spared either." Xiao Yan smiled, saying, "He still has some confidence in the strength of the Yan Alliance. Moreover, the Serpent People race boasts many outstanding warriors. With such a strong alliance, even if the 'Toxic Sect' is formidable, they will have to temporarily retreat. "Under normal circumstances, that would indeed be the case," Yan Cheng sighed with a wry smile. "However, shortly after the Serpent People announced their alliance with the Gamla Empire, the Shūun Empire directly pulled in the two neighboring empires near Gamla, forming a tripartite alliance. This significantly boosted their combined strength, placing increased pressure on both the Yan Alliance and the Serpent People." "The other two empires?" Xiao Yan slightly furrowed his brows, then two names flashed into his mind: "The Luoyan Empire and the Mulan Empire?" "Yes... These two empires are no weaker than the Gamla Empire—indeed, they may even be stronger. Each of them also hosts two colossal powers that are only slightly less powerful than the Toxic Sect." "At this point, Yan Cheng's expression slightly darkened, and after a moment, he finally managed to utter the names of two sects: 'Jin Yan Sect, Mu Lan Valley!' He softly repeated these two somewhat unfamiliar names: 'Jin Yan Sect... Mu Lan Valley...' As he did, Xiao Yan's eyes slowly narrowed slightly. 'The Jin Yan Sect is a powerful force within the Falling Geese Empire. Its sect master, Yan Luo Tian, is a genuine Dou-Zong-level cultivator, though only at the initial stage of Dou-Zong. As for Mu Lan Valley, belonging to the Mu Lan Empire, while it doesn't have a Dou-Zong cultivator stationed there, it possesses a unique combat technique known as the Three-Beast Wildness Technique, which the Mu Lan people call the 'Three-Beast Wildness Technique.' Three senior monks in Mu Lan Valley practice this method. Though each individually holds only the peak strength of a Dou-Phoe, when all three activate the Three-Beast Wildness Technique simultaneously, they are capable of standing a strong challenge even against a Dou-Zong cultivator. In terms of combat prowess, they are no weaker than the sect master Yan Luo Tian of the Jin Yan Sect." Yan Cheng's face turned crimson, his words spilling out in a rush due to overwhelming excitement. As he spoke, Xiao Yan's expression grew steadily more somber. If this were true, then both the Jima Empire and the Flame Alliance were indeed in serious peril—three Dao Cong-level masters in such a lineup... even Medusa would struggle to stop them. It was unexpected, however, that within the brief year since Xiao Yan had been in seclusion, the Jima Empire had undergone such profound transformation. "Originally, under these circumstances, even with the support of the Flame Alliance, the Gamma Empire would surely have been unable to hold on. Fortunately, the three imperial alliances themselves were deeply divided. Although each of the three great sects boasted masters capable of matching a Douzong-level warrior, none of them were willing to take the lead and face off against Queen Medusa. Indeed, when it came to one-on-one combat, aside from the Toxic Sect's abbot, Jin Yan, and the senior monks of Jin Luo Sect and Muran Valley—namely, Yan Luotian and the three elders—none of them could truly hold their own against the Queen. All of them were concerned that should they suffer serious injuries, their allies might secretly turn against them. Thus, they had consistently delayed, sending waves of their own elite warriors to harass and disrupt, hoping to gradually exhaust the Flame Alliance and the Serpent People through persistent pressure." Yan Cheng sighed with a touch of relief. "The poison masters I just witnessed were likely those who had slipped in secretly. Yet it's strange that so many arrived all at once—after all, the perimeter should be constantly patrolled by strong forces from the Flame Alliance." As he spoke, Yan Cheng felt a touch of puzzlement. By normal standards, even occasional intruders would arrive singly. But this time... After thinking thoroughly and still finding no satisfactory explanation, Yan Cheng shook his head and said, "Given the current situation, we can only hope that the Flame Alliance and the Serpent Clan can hold firm. Otherwise, we shall indeed face the collapse of our nation—our homeland, our very roots. We've grown up in Gama, lived in Gama. We don't want to become wanderers, uprooted and homeless." "Gazing at the weary mercenaries around him, Xiao Yan exhaled softly, patting Yan Cheng's shoulder with a bright, warm smile and saying, 'Don't worry, the Yan Alliance won't fall. Anyone who wants to see it fall will have to step over my body first. Hehe—well, I must admit, as Alliance leader, I'm rather unaccountable. For such a significant matter, I've actually never personally been involved.' The dark-robed young man beamed with radiant joy, and under the warmth of this smile, Yan Cheng and the others' somber moods gradually lifted. To countless people from Gamma, this young man—only in his twenties yet already steering the mighty Yan Alliance—was a source of hope. After all, they all knew he had the ability to create miracles. 'Hehe, the people of the Yan Alliance and our Gamma Empire have always been waiting for your return. Now, you are truly our savior!' Yan Cheng wiped the slightly flushed corners of his eyes, smiling. "By the way, if the alliance wishes to head to the frontlines, they can directly proceed to Black Mountain Fort in the east—the most intense battlefield. Most of the elite warriors from the Flame Alliance and the Serpent Clan are stationed there." "Then, Xiao Yan won't stay any longer!" Xiao Yan smiled, his gaze sweeping toward the distant eastern horizon, slowly nodding. With no further words, he bowed to Yan Cheng. Behind him, his emerald-green fire wings gradually extended, and soon his figure hung gracefully in the sky, suspended above the city walls, drawing awe from the onlookers. "Hear this—hold on, Xiao Yan is back!" With his eyes fixed on the eastern horizon, Xiao Yan murmured softly to himself. He then lifted his fire wings, transforming into a streak of light and swiftly vanished into the distance!