The Imperial Seal technique, as Xu'er had mentioned, was one of the clan's most secret arts—only those with exceptional talent within the family were eligible to master it. From her serious expression, Xiao Yan could tell that even within the clan, this technique ranked among the more advanced ones. Therefore, Xu'er had specifically advised him not to use it unless absolutely necessary, for if discovered, it would inevitably bring complications. Should the matter reach the clan, the knowledge that such a secret technique had been mastered by an outsider would prompt immediate action—clan representatives would be dispatched to reclaim it. The only way to reclaim it was to eliminate the individual; once removed, the technique would vanish from their mind as well. Recalling Xu'er's serious demeanor when she first mentioned this, Xiao Yan's resolve intensified upon hearing the iron protector's voice falter—his determination to ensure that this person could not escape was now unwavering. As the surge of killing intent rippled through Xiao Yan's mind, a wave of profound astonishment surged within the Iron Guardian as well. He could never have imagined that a combat technique so carefully emphasized by the Soul Palace for vigilance would manifest in such an obscure young prodigy. This shock lasted only a moment before being forcibly driven away by the overwhelming surge of energy pressing upon him. The Iron Guardian's face grew deeply serious, his hands moving swiftly. As his palms danced, the thick black mist surrounding him trembled and began to contract visibly, gradually shrinking at a pace clearly observable to the eye. Within mere breaths, the entire mist vanished, replaced by a solid, dark energy sphere the size of a human head, now hovering before him. A sphere of concentrated energy floated before him, its surface dark and profound, so deep that upon first glance it seemed as though even his spirit would be drawn inward, leaving him drenched in sweat and filled with a growing sense of apprehension. As the sphere materialized, the iron protector's aura instantly weakened. He gritted his teeth, then snapped his fingers—sending the sphere leaping forth, where it instantly collided with a streak of vibrant emerald crystal light rushing toward it. Two energies each powerful enough to move even the most seasoned Douzong-level cultivators, under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers, crashed together like meteorites, producing a thunderous impact. Yet, the expected roar did not materialize. Instead, the two formidable energies merged in the sky, manifesting as emerald and deep black, continuously eroding one another. At their point of contact, space warped violently, so much so that one feared the very fabric of reality might rupture at any moment. Between the two terrifying energies mutually eroding each other, vast waves of energy—each nearly a hundred zhang in breadth—spread out like tangible forms from the point of intersection. Under the impact of this devastating energy ripple, both parties' powerful figures were startled, swiftly descending to the ground, knowing clearly that if their bodies came into contact with the furious energy, their fates today would be exceptionally grim. A ripple of dark and green energy surged across the sky, its immense pressure so strong that it caused trees throughout the mountain ranges to snap one after another, emitting sharp crackling sounds, startling countless creatures hiding within. Even some towering peaks were directly shattered by the energy wave, collapsing under the force and sending massive boulders crashing down with thunderous roars, plunging the Scorpion Mountain range into the most chaotic state. Above the heavens, as the most terrifying wave of energy rippled outward, the point where the two formidable energies met gradually calmed down, and eventually faded away, each one slowly vanishing on its own. Watching the two powerful energies finally dissipate and neutralize each other, everyone present exhaled in relief. The initial wave of energy had been truly devastating—had there been any more such waves, the entire Scorpion Mountain Range might have been reduced to rubble. As the energies faded, the roaring winds and surging clouds above also settled, the sky darkening briefly. Then, the Iron Monastic, slightly disheveled, stepped into view. As soon as he emerged, a sharp, forceful cough erupted, and the black mist that had previously enveloped him thinned noticeably—clearly, the earlier energy ripple had significantly affected him. "Damn it," he muttered, "how could this person possibly have mastered the Imperial Seal Technique?" Who exactly is this man from? Gazing with lingering apprehension at the figure of Xiao Yan in the distance, the Iron Guardian's face grew increasingly pale. It was well known within the Huan Palace that whenever one encountered someone who had mastered the Imperial Seal Technique, extreme caution was required—typically, such practitioners were deeply connected to that enigmatic ancient clan. Indeed, even the Palace's master, with his incomparable depth of power, held the clan in high regard. "Could this man be from that very ancient clan?" A thought that sent a shiver through him flashed through his mind. The Guardian's expression shifted, visibly unsettled. On the entire continent of Qi, few forces commanded the Huan Palace's respect—besides the "Dan Tower," this ancient clan stood as one of them! "It's no wonder he's achieved this at his age... Damn, what a stroke of bad luck—how could he have ended up here... Well, for now, let's just retreat. We'll discuss this once he's gone." As he mentally went over a series of thoughts, the Iron Monastic glanced once more at the gray-purple prison floating steadily in the distant sky, still showing no signs of movement. With a firm breath, he decisively stepped back. "You want to leave?!" As the Iron Monastic retreated, a sharp laugh burst forth instantly, followed by a graceful figure darting into view. With a swift motion of her long sword, a powerful sword aura, stretching ten zhang in width, surged directly toward him. Feeling the fierce wind pressing against his back, the Iron Monastic raised his arm and launched a chain in response, which collided forcefully with the sword aura. However, upon impact, the chain was knocked backward by the sword's force and sent flying, while the sword aura, though somewhat weakened, continued straight on, pressing relentlessly toward him. "Damn it!" Feeling a few sensations of weakness spreading through his body, Iron Monastic was also struck with a touch of alarm. The strange black orb he had previously cast had drained an immense amount of his energy, and now, when compared to Medusa, he found himself clearly at a disadvantage. Retreating swiftly, he shook his arm, sending out several massive chains in succession, which finally converged into a black serpent-like form, crashing directly into the sword's energy stream to absorb and dissipate it. Suspended in the sky, Medusa observed the Iron Monastic—astonished that it took him two consecutive attacks to counter her sword's energy flow—then suddenly understood what was unfolding. Her eyes grew icy with intensity. Without further words, a vast surge of seven-colored energy erupted from within her, spreading out in all directions, rapidly coalescing at the peak of her head. Instantly, a colossal seven-colored serpent, stretching several dozen zhangs in length, materialized. This colossal serpent, in appearance, clearly bears no distinction from the Tian-Shun Serpent—save for its significantly greater size compared to previous incarnations of the Tian-Shun Serpent, and the intensity of its fierce, ominous aura, which is now several times more concentrated. The seven-colored giant serpent formed from Medusa's energy appears almost exactly like a living Tian-Shun Serpent—the sharp, penetrating gaze in its massive eyes vividly animated, as though imbued with intelligence. "Go!" With a graceful gesture of her slender hand, Medusa issued a sharp command. As her voice fell, the seven-colored Tian-Shun Serpent coiled high in the heavens swung its immense tail, and its massive body surged forward like a flash of lightning, launching itself with explosive speed directly toward the Iron Protector. Watching the seven-colored Tian-Shun Serpent streak across the sky, nearly transforming into a radiant streak of light, the Iron Protector's face grew increasingly grim. In his current state, how could he possibly withstand Medusa's full-force attack, delivered with barely any damage to herself? Yet at this point, no matter how much they thought, it was all in vain—since they could not bear it, they had only one choice: to flee. As this thought passed through his mind, the Iron Protector showed no hesitation at all. He turned around instantly, and a surge of black mist erupted from his body, swiftly transforming into a streak of black light that shot straight toward the horizon. "Hmph!" Upon seeing the Iron Protector retreat, Medusa coldly exhaled. With a sudden grasp of her slender hand, the space nearby the Protector twisted violently, causing his retreating form to slow down considerably. Leveraging the resistance created by the spatial distortion, the colossal seven-colored Sky-Eating Python surged forward and, in a thunderous roar accompanied by immense energy, crashed directly into the Iron Protector!