"Boom!" A thunderous explosion erupted suddenly across the sky, sending the entire Scorpion Mountain range trembling. Some of the less powerful members from both sides were struck so hard by the sudden roar that blood streamed from their ears. A vast, seven-colored energy surged upward, forming like a cloud in the heavens, then slowly diffused outward. Where it spread, space rippled as if a massive stone had been dropped into a still lake—sending out waves of visible energy ripples. Xiang Yin remained suspended in the sky, supported by Zǐ Yán. Though his earlier use of the Flip-Sea Seal had nearly depleted his internal qi, the Seal of the Imperial Imprint required relatively little soul energy, so he did not fall into the unconscious state he had experienced after using the Buddha's Wrath Lotus. Yet, despite this, Xiao Yan's condition was far from ideal—his face pale, his energy weak. Even with his current strength, he found himself struggling to manifest the Fan Hai Yin. Both Xiao Yan and Zi Yan were intently focused on the spreading seven-colored energy. The Iron Guardian had taken a resounding blow from Medusa's fierce attack and would likely not recover easily. Nevertheless, Xiao Yan was determined—this man had to be secured. Moreover, he now recognized the seal he had just cast. To prevent future complications, he absolutely could not allow the man to leave unharmed. A cold, resolute determination flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes—this person must not be allowed to go. Under the watchful gaze of countless onlookers, the seven-colored energy continued to spread. At one moment, it suddenly rippled like clouds, and then a disheveled black figure darted out. As soon as the shadow appeared, he bolted toward the northern sky with the desperation of someone giving up everything, looking utterly disheveled and losing all traces of his earlier dignity—clearly, after this series of setbacks, the guardian of the Soul Temple had lost his pride and composure. Medusa's gaze remained cold as it swept over the iron protector, a faint scorn flickering in her eyes. She scoffed, "A dog fleeing from its own home..." "Very well! Very well! If you won't let go, then I shall fight you to the very end!" The iron protector, stung by her scorn, roared in fury. Instantly, black mist surged from within him. Yet, when everyone expected him to unleash his final strike, he suddenly spun around, using the mist as cover, and darted toward another part of the sky. With a single palm strike, the iron protector staggered again, and the black mist surrounding him grew even more tenuous. Now, he might easily be defeated by even a single Douhuang-level warrior. Only after thoroughly wounding the iron protector did Medusa chuckle, extending her slender hand to release a surge of rich, seven-colored energy that enveloped him like a protective energy shield. The seven-colored energy acted as a cage, sealing the protector in place. Despite his vigorous struggles, he could not break through the energy membrane, only roaring with the fury of a trapped beast. Holding the energy membrane with her hand, Medusa moved swiftly, gliding a few steps to stand before Xiao Yan. "He's severely injured and has almost no strength left to resist. Compared to the other protector, he's indeed much easier to handle," she said, gazing at the trapped figure within the membrane. Relieved that this person hadn't escaped, Xiao Yan finally exhaled, having exerted so much effort to secure this soul palace figure. "I didn't expect him to still be able to shout and roar so vigorously despite sustaining such severe injuries," Medusa remarked, glancing at the iron protector through the energy membrane. With a furrowed brow, she grasped her slender hands, causing the membrane to rapidly contract and adhere firmly to the protector's body. A series of hissing sounds followed, and the iron protector emitted increasingly desperate cries. As the seven-colored energy gradually eroded his body, the black mist surrounding him thinned out steadily. Soon, it completely dissipated. With the outer black mist gone, the true form of the iron protector finally revealed itself! Within the energy membrane, a slightly ethereal soul drifted slowly, now so translucent and frail as to appear nearly transparent, as though it had suffered severe injury. When Xiao Yan and Medusa observed the physical form of the Hall Guardian of the Soul Palace, both were instantly stunned. "A soul-bodied form?" Xiao Yan stared in disbelief at the frail soul of the Iron Guardian, hardly expecting that a soul palace master of a level comparable to a Battle Sect cultivator would manifest as a mere soul form! "What on earth is going on? Have we made a mistake—have we mistaken him for someone else?" Medusa also expressed profound astonishment. "It shouldn't be...” Xiao Yan shook his head seriously, saying, “The Huan Palace has named itself after the spirit, and the targets it has captured are all powerful spirit-bodied beings. Therefore, this mysterious organization must be deeply connected to the spirit realm—perhaps even the Huan Palace's strongest warriors are themselves spirit-bodied beings...” “For instance, the last time, the Wu Protector—throughout the entire encounter, he never revealed his true form beneath the black mist.” Hearing Xiao Yan’s speculation, Medusa furrowed her brows, asking, “So you're suggesting the Huan Palace uses spirit-bodied beings to fight spirit-bodied beings?” “Indeed, that’s very plausible. Ordinary qi energy doesn’t inflict fatal damage on spirit-bodied beings. To capture or defeat another spirit-bodied being, the most effective hunters would naturally be spirit-bodied beings themselves.” Xiao Yan said, his expression serious. “You’ve killed me. The Huan Palace will not let you off!” The Iron Protector still stared fiercely at Xiao Yan and the other, his tone remaining harsh even though they were now in his hands. "Rest assured, I won't kill you yet. There are still many things I'd like to learn from you..." Xiao Yan extended his hand into the energy membrane, unafraid, gently probing the Protector's soul with a serene smile. The intangible flame, upon touching the iron protector's soul, instantly caused a thick white mist and a hissing sound to rise from his body surface. Suddenly, a piercing, bone-shattering scream erupted from his mouth. "By the gods, what kind of flame is this? It's directly damaging my soul!" Seeing the iron protector writhing under the assault of the fallen heart flame, Xiao Yan nodded in approval. Clearly, the fallen heart flame could indeed inflict direct damage upon the soul—though, as long as sufficient energy or qi was present, soul-based damage was possible. Still, the fallen heart flame truly stood out as something particularly formidable and even feared by the soul itself. Under the relentless burning of the fallen heart flame, the already severely wounded iron protector suffered even greater injuries. His soul now appeared nearly translucent, as if it were about to dissolve into nothingness at any moment. Seeing the Iron Protector about to fade into nothing, Xiao Yan waved his hand, and the cluster of fallen heart flame slowly dispersed. Then, he retrieved a jade vial from his storage ring, summoned it with a gesture, and instantly drew the Protector’s soul into the vial. With a flick of his fingers, an intangible flame rose and circled the vial, finally sealing the mouth with the flame. "Let him stay inside for now. Once we've settled matters here, we'll thoroughly question him about the information concerning the Spirit Palace." After placing the vial back into his storage ring, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief. As long as he had secured this individual, his mission was accomplished. Moreover, since he now knew that certain elite members of the Spirit Palace might exist as purely spiritual beings, his fallen heart flame might soon prove to be a serious threat to them. "Are you all right?" Mu Dusha asked, her dark brows furrowed, observing Xiao Yan’s pale yet smiling face. "Heh, it's merely that my internal qi has been heavily consumed—nothing serious. With a little rest, he'll fully recover," Xiao Yan smiled, shaking his head slightly while gazing steadily at Medusa, speaking softly, "Thank you." "If it weren't for you forcing him to expend so much energy, I wouldn't have been able to subdue him so easily," Medusa replied, slightly tilting her head, speaking casually while under Xiao Yan's gaze.