Gong Yin, without hesitation, slammed hard onto the body of the Wú Cliffs, instantly sending out a thunderous roar that echoed across the heavens. "Pfft!" Despite being a peak-level combatant of the Du Phu rank, the Wú Cliffs' face instantly flushed with an unusual crimson hue. A sudden sweetness in his throat prompted him to spew out a thick stream of blood, his vitality now waning dramatically. His dual wings of aura, previously visible only faintly, began to fade. Eventually, he collapsed unconscious, falling headfirst to the ground as a sharp pain surged through his chest. The surrounding stronger figures stared in astonishment at the Wuyi who had been severely wounded and collapsed directly, their hearts now filled with growing apprehension. When they looked up at the black-robed figure in the sky, a subtle fear had deepened in their gaze. While it was understandable that earlier, when Xiao Yan had slain the elder, others could attribute it to his use of a secret technique, now, Wuyi—truly a peak-level Battle Emperor—had been reduced to such a state of severe injury. Among the two parties, aside from Xiao Yi and a few others, only the Master of Wan Xie Sect, Xie Shan, could have possibly defeated him. Even if Xie Shan had managed to win, achieving such a level of near-crippling damage in a single strike would have been exceptionally difficult. Yet this young black-robed figure before them had accomplished precisely that, stirring profound waves of shock and awe among many. Ignoring the array of astonished and stunned gazes around him, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and quickly retrieved several pills that restored his combat energy from his storage relic, then swallowed them. Although he had now reached the rank of Battle Emperor, the act of unleashing the Mountain Seal still demanded an immense outpouring of energy—though fortunately, he no longer felt as weak and drained as he used to, once the seal was activated. As the pills took effect, the temporary sensation of energy depletion within him gradually faded. Xiao Yan glanced indifferently at the plummeting Wuyan Cliff, knowing that the old man had only sustained serious injuries and was not yet killed. With proper recuperation over a few months, he would likely regain his strength. For Xiao Yan, who always believed in eliminating the root of any problem, this outcome was far from what he had hoped to avoid. A faint streak of murderous intent flashed across Xiao Yan's eyes. At his fingertip, a spiraling flame suddenly coalesced. Yet just as he prepared to launch it toward Wulü Cliff, a roar erupted unexpectedly, followed by a sharp, wind-laden surge of force that burst forth from behind him. At the very instant the silver glow emerged, a sharp gust of wind arrived instantly, striking hard against the vital area of Xiao Yan's back. However, upon impact, no low rumble of sound was heard—instead, a segment of幽blue staff tip pierced straight through his body. "A residual image?" As the blue staff passed through Xiao Yan without spilling a single drop of blood, the Scorpion Mountain's eyes narrowed slightly. The staff trembled, shattering the residual image. Upon scanning the scene, he was suddenly furious to find that Xiao Yan had already appeared atop the descending Wuyan Cliff. Sensing the Scorpion Mountain's intense gaze, Xiao Yan looked up and offered a gentle smile. Then, with his spiraling flame glow acting like a drill, he drove it directly into the top of the Wuyan Cliff's skull. Instantly, a blood hole formed, and the vitality in the Wuyan Cliff's eyes rapidly faded, ultimately solidifying into a state of fear and astonishment. "Damn it! My Wanshe Mountain will never rest until we've settled this!" Seeing Xiao Yan personally eliminate Wuyu Cliff right before his eyes, Xie Shan erupted in fury, his gaze venomous as he fixed it on Xiao Yan, roaring in anger. With Wuyu Cliff fallen, Xiao Yan felt a great relief—having expended so much qi to fully unleash the "Mounting Seal," he wasn't satisfied merely with a serious wound. Moreover, judging by the earlier look in Xie Shan's eyes, he had clearly harbored deep resentment toward him. Leaving an opponent to suffer in such a manner wasn't something that aligned with Xiao Yan's style. While Xie Shan's roar filled the air, Xiao Yan simply treated it as mere background noise. Even if he hadn't killed Wuyu Cliff, if the Toxin Sect failed today, they would surely come after him and his companions. Thus, such threats could be entirely disregarded. With a clap of his hands, Xiao Yan raised his head, gazing steadily at Xie Shan's fierce expression, and smiled. "Sorry, but Xie Shan Master's timing was a bit off." "Young man! Step forward and introduce yourself! Don't act like some nameless mouse The Scorpion Mountain's peak stared solemnly at Xiao Yan, raising his blue staff and pointing directly at him, shouting. When Xiao Yan had previously slain the elder, he had taken notice, but had been momentarily tied down by a strong contender from the Poison Sect, unable to free himself. He hadn't expected that upon defeating the Poison Sect warrior and retreating, Xiao Yan would then severely injure Wuyu Cliff—this immediately sparked his fury. Wuyu Cliff was a rare presence even among the ten thousand Scorpion Mountain disciples. If such a capable warrior were to fall here, the old Scorpion Mountain master would surely be incensed. Thus, he abandoned his pursuit of the wounded Poison Sect warrior and hurried to assist Wuyu Cliff. Yet, to his surprise, Xiao Yan proved so agile, and right before his eyes, he delivered the final blow, killing the severely wounded Wuyu Cliff. "Rock Hawk," he said, "since the Scorpion Mountain's master holds such high regard for you, remember this well." Xiao Yan smiled, glancing around the chaotic battle zones as he spoke, then breathed a slight sigh of relief—his toxin sect's elite forces were not as weak as he had anticipated. Though after the five senior monks defected, the number of Dou Huang-level warriors was slightly fewer than that of the Wan Xie Sect, the Dou Wang-level warriors were actually more numerous. Thus, despite the fierce fighting and frequent injuries leading to retreats, the battlefield remained balanced, with no clear trend of one side being overwhelmed. "A sharp-tongued youngster!" A shadow of displeasure passed over the Scorpion Mountain's eyes. He looked up at the sky, where the Dou Cong battlefield shimmered with intense energy surges, then surveyed the surroundings, and said with a grim tone, "You will stubbornly resist, but today, your toxin sect will surely face annihilation!" As he finished speaking, Scorpion Mountain suddenly withdrew a blue whistle from his storage seal, and a low, mournful sound echoed through the air. Seeing Xue Shan's actions, Xiao Yan was slightly startled. He scanned the surroundings, yet found nothing out of place—though it seemed clear that the other party was deliberately putting on a show for him. As Xiao Yan pondered this, the entire mountain suddenly trembled. Then, from the distant ravine shrouded in toxic mist, a sharp, piercing hiss erupted, followed instantly by a massive creature bursting forth and appearing before the gathered crowd. Xiao Yan looked up at the colossal creature soaring through the sky, his expression subtly shifting. At first glance, it appeared to be a giant scorpion, measuring several dozen zhang in length. This giant scorpion bore four massive wings on its back, its thick, dark, furry legs standing tall into the sky, each leg adorned with sharp, serrated teeth stretching as long as a human's thigh, glowing with a deep purple luminescence. Behind it, a tail as long as its body swayed steadily, its sharp tip radiating a subtle chill. The suddenly appearing giant scorpion immediately captured everyone's attention. When several elite cultivators from the poison sect saw it, their faces instantly turned pale, and they gasped in astonishment, "A Four-Winged Heavenly Demon Scorpion? How could it have appeared here?" Xiao Yan gazed at the fierce giant scorpion with a serious expression. He could sense that this creature was a genuine six-stage beast. "Hah! This is a true treasure of our mountain—Scorpion Elder spent countless efforts to tame it. It's only making its first appearance today, and now it's going to give you a real test," the scorpion elder chuckled, then blew out another unusual sonic wave from his mouth. As the wave spread, the Four-Winged Heavenly Demon Scorpion roared loudly, then vibrated its massive wings, charging straight toward Xiao Yan like a meteor. The powerful gust of wind rushing down from the sky caused Xiao Yan's brows to furrow. With a flash of silver light beneath his feet, he swiftly retreated. "Hmph! Want to escape now? Didn't you seem so confident just a moment ago?" As Xiao Yan retreated, Xie Shan sneered, moved swiftly, and materialized beside him, his blue staff emitting a distinct odor, then forcefully swung it toward Xiao Yan's head. Lowering his head slightly, Xiao Yan deflected the staff's wind, only to feel a sharp gust suddenly breach the air above him. Instantly, a massive shadow descended—none other than the four-winged celestial scorpion's enormous tail spines. Noticing the piercing intensity of that gust, Xiao Yan clenched his palm, launching his Xuanzhong Chi-Staff with a swift motion, then he swung it powerfully into the sky, where it met the colossal tail spine. Though the force drove the four-winged celestial scorpion back, Xiao Yan himself staggered and retreated several steps, rarely seeing anyone gain the upper hand in such a physical contest. "Damn it," he muttered, "this human and beast are working in such seamless harmony—every attack flows naturally, as if they were one. It must be that blasted whistle the creature keeps blowing. I'll have to knock that whistle off." Holding his slightly numb hands, Xiao Yan murmured darkly in his mind. As his thoughts were just beginning to form, the Four-Winged Heavenly Scorpion offered him no respite, its two massive, black-iron claws sweeping with vigorous force and closing in on Xiao Yan. Feeling the relentless assault from the scorpion, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, just about to retreat again—when suddenly, a piercing cry erupted from the heavens, and at the same moment, the two great black-iron claws retracted abruptly. This unexpected turn left both Xiao Yan and the Scorpion Mountain momentarily stunned. Just as they were taken aback, a clear, youthful voice laughed cheerfully and drifted down from the sky.