As they approached, the vast city situated at the end of the main road gradually came into view within Xiao Yan's field of sight. Standing on a slight incline, Xiao Yan gazed afar at the towering city walls, his eyes flashing with admiration. Indeed, the Black Imperial City lives up to its name. Its grand scale does not dim the prestige of the word "Imperial." The stretch of dark black city walls extends to the horizon, exuding a cool, crisp atmosphere. Sunlight cascades down, causing the black walls to shimmer like mirrors, reflecting a soft glow. Those with discerning eyes can notice that the walls are entirely covered in a rare black mirror stone. This material, capable of deflecting certain attacks, is an exceptional choice for constructing city walls—both effective and durable. Yet, such stone is scarce. The Black Imperial Sect's ability to lay an entire wall with this material speaks volumes of its strength. Even Xiao Yan, and certainly the young physician by his side, were left somewhat astonished. "Indeed, a grand investment..." With a soft sigh, Xiao Yan's gaze shifted to the crowd constantly passing by him—vivid with fierce energy and temperament—his curiosity piqued. Along his journey, he had encountered many capable individuals, all heading toward the Black Emperor City. The sheer number of such strong, passionate, and temperamental figures gathered in one city suggested that the city's days ahead would far from be tranquil. Chaos was the most distinctive atmosphere of the Black Angular Region. No matter how powerful the factions, they could never fully reconcile with or suppress this inherent chaos. In the Black Angular Region, people simply disregarded all systems and regulations—strength in the form of fists was the ultimate truth! As these thoughts passed through his mind, Xiao Yan chuckled warmly. He didn't mind chaos at all, knowing that within the Black Angular Region, as long as one possessed sufficient strength, one would naturally rise above all others. With a soft call, Xiao Yan gently pulled Zhi Yan, who had been looking here and there, to his side and said in a quiet tone, "Once we're inside the city, stay composed. There are plenty of treasures here, but if you keep acting as you have in the past—rushing around and making a fuss—there'll surely be endless trouble. Understand?" Seeing Xiao Yan's serious expression, Zhi Yan only nodded quietly. "Let's go." With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yan took Zhi Yan's hand and smiled warmly at the young physician beside him before stepping forward toward the city gate. Upon hearing this, the young physician nodded slightly. Her gray-purple eyes briefly swept over the passersby, many of whom had been casting curious glances at them. A sudden cold glint flashed in her gaze, instantly making the crowd feel a sense of unease and quickly turning away their attention. Feeling the swift glances drawn back, the young physician finally emitted a cold sigh, gradually withdrawing her delicate hands from her sleeves. Previously, as long as she moved her fingers, except for a few slightly stronger opponents, the path would have instantly lost all vitality. Reclaiming her jade hands, Xiao Yixian then lightly stepped forward to follow Xiao Yan. Though she had been accompanying him for some time, she no longer remained as cold and detached as before—this warmth and empathy were reserved solely for Xiao Yan and his friends. For ordinary passersby, however, life in her eyes was no more than a mere blade of grass; once taken, it was simply gone. With countless lives lost over the years, she had grown increasingly numb to the weight of human mortality. The fact that she could still maintain composure and restraint before Xiao Yan was no small feat. As Xiao Yixian turned and departed, the chill that had lingered along the path began to ease. A series of eyes, once filled with wonder and astonishment, now fixed on the graceful figure ahead, each one wiping a bead of sweat. They had never imagined this woman to be anything but ordinary—thankfully, they had not dared to approach her earlier, or else... The memory of being locked in that piercing, emotionless gaze still sent a shiver down their spines, as though they had been caught in the gaze of a venomous serpent. This woman is simply irksome. ... As they descended the slope and walked a fair distance, the massive city gate came into view in Xiao Yan's line of sight. Outside the gate, a long line of people stretched out, their bustling, clamorous voices spreading throughout the area, making it hard to hear anything. Observing the long line of broad-shouldered men, bare-chested and bearing numerous scars, packed tightly together, Xiao Yixian's delicate nature—someone with a slight fastidiousness—found the scene rather unappealing. Apparently sensing her concerns, Xiao Yan glanced steadily at the gate entrance. "Hey, this woman is truly radiant—rare to see someone so exquisite these days." "Hah, that little girl is quite nice too—the way her face looks, it's absolutely charming..." "Haizi, you're so tall and sturdy, yet you're always drawn to little girls. Honestly, last time, you even killed that young girl—what a bummer." As Xiao Yan's eyes swept over the scene at the city gate, a suddenly sharp, vulgar laugh burst forth from beside him. Gently shifting his gaze away from the gate, Xiao Yan calmly followed the sound. There, a group of ten or so sturdy men were gathered around, their lewd glances constantly flicking between Xiao Yixian and Zi Yan. Hearing their laughter, the crowd waiting in line also erupted into a deep, appreciative chuckle—having the chance to witness such a pleasing beauty being teased during the otherwise monotonous wait was indeed a pleasant diversion. Xiao Yixian's face remained composed, her delicate hand firmly gripping Zi Yan's face as she turned her gaze toward Xiao Yan. "Let's go..." Xiao Yan's lips curled into a strange smile, yet instead of charging forward to battle the towering men as everyone had expected, he turned slightly, offered a gentle smile to Xiao Yishen, and took Zǐ Yán by the arm, heading toward the city gate. "Hmph..." The sudden move immediately drew a series of disapproving murmurs from the surrounding onlookers. In the Black Horn Domain, strength was highly revered—such a display of a woman being humiliated yet acting as if nothing had happened was deeply considered unbecoming. "Haha..." The group of ten or so men stared at Xiao Yan's actions, first taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter. But just as their laughter reached its peak, their bodies suddenly froze in a most peculiar manner—then... "Boom! Boom!" A sudden, deep rumble erupted, abruptly silencing the bustling noise throughout the area. Everyone stared in stunned silence at the massive man who had seemingly burst into black ash and fragments mid-air. Moments later, the circle surrounding him suddenly recoiled as if possessed, rushing backward in a flurry. As people regained their composure, their eyes filled with fear, fixed on the steady, slow procession of Xiao Yan and his two companions heading toward the city gate. Recalling this utterly strange scene, a cold shiver ran through each of them, and no one dared to laugh anymore, fearing that the very same phenomenon might unfold upon themselves. This eerie spectacle quickly spread throughout the long line of people. One after another, their eyes turned toward Xiao Yan, who walked steadily toward the city gate, and wherever his steps passed, the crowd promptly stepped back. Ignoring the rows of astonished glances around them, Xiao Yan and his two companions walked straight toward the city gate. Upon reaching the spot, they directly approached a purple gate standing there, where several dozen men dressed in light yellow martial robes stood upright, radiating a powerful aura that kept the people waiting in line from approaching closely, forcing them to patiently wait as the crowd moved slowly. It was clear that Xiao Yan's group was heading straight for this purple gate. As they did so, the surrounding spectators grew increasingly surprised—this grand gate had been specially established by Heiqing Sect for its renowned, high-level cultivators from the Black Angular Region, and only cultivators at the Douhuang level or above could enter. Yet here stood a young man seemingly no more than twenty-five—could he indeed be one of these elite figures? Under the watchful eyes of the onlookers, Xiao Yan and his companions halted before the purple gate, and the sharp gaze of the martial-robed men instantly intensified. At that moment, a deep, resonant laugh echoed from behind. "Hehe, gentlemen, this area is designated exclusively for Grand Sovereign-level强者. If you don't meet the standard, perhaps you'd care to take another route." A yellow-robed elder, holding a pipe, stepped forward slowly, his keen gaze scanning Xiao Yan and his two companions, and smiled warmly. "With your strength only at the level of a five-star Sovereign, how can you possibly distinguish whether the visitors are indeed Grand Sovereign-level强者?" Xiao Yan glanced at the elder and replied with a smile. "Hmm." Xiao Yan nodded casually, then furrowed his brows slightly. "Could we enter?" "As the three of them were about to step out of the purple gate, the elderly man in yellow robes suddenly spoke. "Thank you for the reminder..." came a soft voice from afar, and then the three of them were completely swallowed by the shadow of the city arch. Gazing at the fading silhouettes of Xiao Yan and his companions, the elderly man in yellow robes narrowed his eyes slightly, then waved a hand to summon a attendant, and whispered, "Go to the temple and inform the elders about this matter. With such strength, he cannot be an ordinary person. Given the current complex situation in Black Emperor City, we must not make any mistakes..." "Yes!" The attendant bowed respectfully and quickly turned to depart. With his aged eyes still slightly narrowed, the man in yellow robes gently tapped his pipe against his palm, murmuring to himself. "Rock Hawk?"