The emerald energy seal in Xiao Yan's hands grew increasingly intense, eventually appearing almost like a solid, tangible palm imprint—remarkably unusual. Feeling the vast energy taking shape in Xiao Yan's hands, even the Earth Demon elder, who had long been a formidable presence, couldn't help but be momentarily astonished. With only a four-star Sovereign's strength, Xiao Yan managed to unleash an attack that even the peak Sovereign-level warriors found difficult to achieve. Indeed, as Han Feng had predicted, this young man possessed a notably powerful and potent technique. However, if the elder believed that this single display would be enough to defeat him, then perhaps his dream was a bit too naive. While silently chuckling to himself, Xiao Yan finally stabilized the seal in his hands. He fixed the elder with a cold gaze, his back bone wings subtly vibrating, ready to deflect at a moment's notice. Yet his palm remained motionless, and with a sharp command, he launched a powerful strike directly toward the Earth Demon elder. "Boom!" A jade-green energy seal gently detached itself from Xiao Yan's palm. At the very moment of its release, the space around Xiao Yan surged violently under the force of that powerful energy, rippling outward like concentric waves. As the energy seal detached, it shivered suddenly, and its form strangely vanished—only someone with exceptional perception could notice a slender beam of emerald light silently piercing through the space and shooting straight toward the Earth Demon Elder. While this subtle movement might surprise ordinary强者, it was difficult to achieve such an effect against the Earth Demon Elder, whose every action remained clearly visible to him. "Hmph!" The Earth Demon elder stared coldly at the energy seal that had transformed into a beam and surged forward, making no attempt to dodge. His pride would not allow him to retreat before a mere Du Phong-level warrior. The energy seal moved with incredible speed—when the onlookers below had barely recovered, it had already appeared several feet above the Earth Demon elder’s head. The unusual green crystal formation of the seal suddenly unleashed the concealed power within it. A blinding surge of intense, vivid green light erupted at that moment, forcing many to quickly close their eyes in discomfort. At the same time, the immense pressure of the energy radiated downward from the sky, sending everyone feeling a deep sense of alarm—could such a powerful energy truly be wielded by a Du Phong-level master? The sudden eruption of the crystalline handprint caused the Earth Demon elder's face to subtly tremble—seemingly realizing that he had still underestimated the attack Xiao Yan had just unleashed. Though the outcome differed slightly from his expectations, it did not leave him at all discomposed. With a subtle mental effort, a vast surge of black, piercing cold energy erupted from within him. A sudden thunderclap erupted, instantly causing everyone's ears to buzz. Some weaker individuals even felt dizzy and disoriented, only to find themselves looking up upon regaining their composure and witnessing the towering, mushroom-like surge of vivid green flame. The earth-mage elder had vanished entirely, clearly enveloped within the intense, roaring wave of scorching green energy. The entire inner courtyard grew remarkably quiet, all eyes fixed upon the magnificent green energy bloom in the sky. In every heart, a deep sense of reverence for the young black-robed figure stirred—such formidable power truly warranted his status as a legendary figure within the inner courtyard. In the heavens, Xiao Yan gently covered his mouth and cleared his throat twice, his cheeks slightly pale. Though now a four-star Duke of the Realm, the execution of the "Sea-Flipping Seal" still demanded considerable energy. Fortunately, unlike before, when he had once used it, he would have depleted all his internal energy. The young physician moved swiftly, appearing beside Xiao Yan, her gaze fixed intently on the massive energy mushroom cloud, speaking in a steady tone: "Be careful. Though your strike is powerful, it will not be enough to defeat him—definitely not." Xiao Yan nodded slightly. He naturally understood this—Fanhai Yin could allow him to dominate among the Battle Monarchs, even giving him a chance against some slightly weaker Battle Conquerors. But this Earth Demon Elder was no ordinary Battle Conqueror; he was a Battle Conqueror of seven-star rank! Beneath this quiet yet heavy atmosphere, the vast black energy vortex gradually faded, and then, the Earth Demon elder once again appeared into the gaze of Xiao Yin and the others. Now, the Earth Demon elder wore his garments neat and tidy, his hair showing little disorder; his pair of eyes, glowing like ghost flames, stared coldly at Xiao Yin, his calm words carrying an unmistakable sense of mockery: "This, then, is your reliance?" "If this is indeed your final move, then today, I shall take your life—on behalf of Fangyan and the three others." As he spoke, his withered hands, though seemingly unremarkable, subtly slipped into the sleeves of his robe—no one noticed. At the very moment they disappeared into the sleeves, a deep crimson stain had already spread across the back of his hands, clearly indicating that he had absorbed the full force of Xiao Yan's Fanhai Yin. Far from appearing unscathed as he seemed, the ancient Earth Demon had, in fact, sustained significant injury. As soon as he finished speaking, an overwhelming surge of murderous intent erupted from his eyes, fixed firmly upon Xiao Yan. His body trembled violently, then suddenly vanished. At the instant the Earth Demon disappeared, both Xiao Yin and Xiao Yan's faces paled. Xiao Yan moved first, extending and then vigorously flapping his bone wings, vanishing from the scene. Just as his form disappeared, a dark, cold ghostly claw emerged directly from the space itself—only to find nothing there. "Such a slippery youngster!" "His attack missed, and the Earth Demon elder's gaze grew even more fierce with murderous intent. Yet before he could launch a second assault upon Xiao Yan, a sharp, faintly blood-tinged gust of energy surged suddenly from behind. "Hmph!" Feeling the pressure from behind, the Earth Demon elder coldly exhaled, spun around, and swiftly extended his palms, which met the long, snowy-white jade hands of the young healer. "Boom!" A tremendous surge of energy erupted like a tidal wave at the point of contact between the four palms, causing both figures to stagger slightly before separating. While the Earth Demon elder merely trembled slightly at his shoulders, the young healer's cheeks turned pale—clearly, in a direct clash, she was no match for him. After pushing the young healer back, the Earth Demon elder staggered, then turned sharply, charging straight toward Xiao Yan with a face blazing with rage. It was evident that he harbored deep resentment toward Xiao Yan, who had managed to land a blow that had even caused him minor injury earlier. Seeing the Earth Demon Elder charging directly at him, Xiao Yan's face pale slightly. His back wings trembled urgently, and a brilliant silver glow shimmered beneath his feet. Each time a low thunderclap rang out, a faint afterimage flashed into the sky—yet these afterimages typically vanished within a second, only to be torn apart by the Earth Demon Elder who swiftly followed close behind. In the sky, Xiao Yan appeared as if teleporting, pausing only briefly before swiftly darting away again. With this continuous flurry of evasions, sweat beaded on his forehead. The back-and-forth pursuit demanded intense concentration, placing a heavy toll on his spirit—any lapse of even a second or two might mean the fatal attack would strike instantly. Once more, his form shifted, finally breaking free from the relentless pursuit of the earth-bound elder ghost. As Xiao Yan prepared to continue fleeing, a white figure materialized suddenly behind him, its powerful aura causing the earth-bound elder ghost to halt in surprise, his gaze now serious as he stared at the young healer whose snow-white hair now stood straight and vertical against her youthful hips. Though he didn't know what had transpired, he was certain that the healer had grown significantly stronger compared to when he first encountered her—though still considerably behind him. Watching the suddenly empowered healer, Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly. He understood that she had likely just unlocked the seal on her affliction-based body, which, while greatly enhancing her strength, had also shortened the time until the toxic body's full eruption. "Let me handle this," the young healer softly said, her snow-white hair gently sw Gazing at the graceful figure before him, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead, speaking softly, "Hold him off for a moment—everything else, I'll take care of." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yisheng was momentarily startled, turning her gaze to the young man. In his dark eyes, something named frenzy now pulsed—so intense that even she felt a subtle tremor of apprehension. What on earth was this man up to now?