The ash, a pale gray, drifted slowly from the horizon, eventually settling in a thin layer of black over the ground. This strange sight sent a chill through every person present—no one knew what had happened. Even with Xia Mang's formidable strength, he could only watch as numerous venomous snakes suddenly turned to ash, completely unaware of the cause of the transformation. The stillness persisted for a while. Only then did Xiamao gradually regain his composure, his gaze hesitatingly sweeping across the scene before settling firmly on Han Xue's captivating beauty, her face glowing with warmth. His eyes flared once more with passion. With a firm jaw, he emitted a sharp, piercing cry. Upon hearing this cry, the countless venomous snakes lining both sides of the valley paused briefly, their eyes reigniting with fierce determination, then twisting their bodies with sudden precision, shooting forth like sharp arrows, hissing sharply toward the caravan. As the venomous serpent launched itself once more, Han Chong and his companions hastily summoned their qi. Yet before they could launch an attack, the strange, resonant thuds echoed again across the sky—countless fire balls materialized, only to vanish as swiftly as a fleeting bloom, ultimately dissolving into ash and drifting down gently. Watching this scene, Han Chong and his companions were filled with growing exhilaration. By now, they could already surmise that someone must have been secretly aiding them. "Miss..." Han Chong's face lit up with excitement as he glanced at Han Xue, speaking softly. Han Xue gently waved her hand, her gaze slowly sweeping across the surroundings, but found no trace of any such presence. Her brows furrowed slightly—could it truly be that fortunate? Had they indeed encountered a powerful ally at such a crucial moment? As her gaze shifted, a moment later, it unexpectedly halted on a pair of horse carts—exactly where Xiao Yan was stationed. His gaze lingered on the carriage. Han Xue's long lashes fluttered gently, yet before she could ponder further, Xia Mang's cold voice came down from the sky. "Whoever you are, kindly step forward. I am Xia Mang. Should I have offended you, I beg your indulgence. However, this matter concerns only me and these people—please do not intervene." With a slight sweep of his eyes, Xia Mang bowed formally in the sky. The suddenly deep, elderly voice resonated like it had come from the heavens, echoing clearly in everyone's ears. At this moment, Han Chong and the others felt their hearts swell with even greater joy—indeed, there was a true powerhouse aiding them. As the voice spoke, Han Xue shifted her gaze from the carriage where Xiao Yan was seated, scanning the surroundings as if searching for the mysterious strength. "Do you really intend to fight these useless ones to the death?" Xiamang's eyes flashed with intensity, yet he hesitated to act immediately, still mindful of the strange events that had unfolded earlier. "If you don't roll out of here within ten breaths, you'll die!" The master of the voice responded with a concise reply. Even Han Chong and his companions could detect a subtle undercurrent of cold contempt and mockery in the tone—clearly, the voice was ridiculing Xiamang's lack of confidence. Having been treated so bluntly twice, Xiameng's eyes grew increasingly gloomy. For years he had ruled this place with an iron hand, and there had indeed been several strong contenders who sought to eliminate him. But this time, the mountain range was vast, and dotted with countless snake dens. As soon as Xiameng transformed and retreated deep into the mountains, it would be extremely difficult to track him down—precisely because of this, his reputation as a formidable adversary had steadily grown. A glint of coldness passed through his eyes, yet his expression remained composed. He bowed slightly to the surrounding figures and said, "Since you insist on protecting them, then Xiameng shall grant you this face today..." As he finished the last word, a sudden surge of icy brilliance erupted in his eyes. With a firm stomp of his foot upon the air, his body flashed forward like a surge of emerald lightning, appearing before Han Xue in a single breath. A powerful surge of martial energy erupted, sending out a massive wave that pushed Han Chong and the others back swiftly. "Miss, the women I, Master Xia, have chosen—well, not many have managed to escape." A surge of combat energy rippled through him as Xia Mang let out a lusty laugh, then launched a palm strike toward Han Xue. The attack was swift and relentless—so fast that even with Han Xue's capabilities, she had no chance to dodge. She could only watch as the palm landed upon her fragrant shoulders. "Die!" As Xia Mang's palm touched her, a sharp, deadly cry erupted suddenly. Instantly, an invisible wave of energy surged through the space like a flash of lightning, then detonated mysteriously right at Xia Mang's chest. "Boom!" The deep explosion produced little visible impact or collision, yet the aura of combat energy radiating from Xia Mang instantly dispersed by half. A powerful force erupted within his chest, violently blasting the scales on his skin, causing them to bleed profusely. His body then staggered backward, retreating in quick succession. "Protect the lady!" The intangible assault directly sent Xia Mang retreating. Seeing this, Han Chong and the others rushed forward immediately, surrounding Han Xue tightly and fixing intense glances upon her. Han Xue stared straight at Xia Mang, who had been defeated with just a single strike—his fall having been quite devastating. In her heart, a tremendous wave of emotion surged. Though Xia Mang was often unpleasant, she knew he possessed solid strength, and due to his魔兽 nature, his defensive capabilities were particularly strong. She hadn't expected him to fall so badly even before facing his opponent. How formidable was the attacker? It was likely that even among the Han family, few could match such a strength. Xia Mang retreated nearly a hundred paces before finally halting, his face pale with shock. He wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes wide with astonishment, and exclaimed, "Spirit power? Are you a pharmacist?" That intangible force, after making contact, finally allowed Xia Mang to recognize it—clearly the very essence of a pharmacist’s specialty, and this kind of soul-based attack was precisely the hallmark of midland continent pharmacists. "Hmph!" The owner of the voice paid no heed to Xia Mang’s gasp, merely emitting a cold exhalation. The intangible soul force surged once more through the space, then surged with the power of thunder, bearing down fiercely upon Xia Mang. Feeling the attack strike once again, Xia Mang’s scales rose slightly, his fear deepening with each passing moment. Eventually, he let out a piercing scream, turning into a streak of deep green as he stumbled backward, appearing disheveled and hurried. With a series of quick flashes, he vanished into the forest, leaving only the echo of his hurried retreat. Within that soul-attacking surge, Xiamao truly felt a piercing, bone-deep killing intent. He knew that if he stayed any longer, the master of that soul power would surely slice him into pieces, like snake meat. Having survived this long, Xiamao was well aware of who to provoke and who to avoid. To offend such a formidable being for the sake of a single beauty simply wasn't worth it. As Xiamao fled, the countless venomous snakes lining the valley walls instantly turned and scattered. Even the dozen giant snakes blocking his path desperately darted into the undergrowth. Within just a few minutes, the valley, once tightly packed, became once again empty and open. The sight left Han Chong and the others utterly stunned. "Good heavens... this guy escapes so smoothly—it seems he's been chased around a lot." In the quiet atmosphere, someone suddenly broke the silence, and the laughter that followed was so hearty it seemed to expel all the earlier shock. Han Chong smiled and patted his chest. Today had truly been a close call, but thankfully, nothing serious had happened. Han Xue's usually cold, composed expression began to thaw, and she raised her head, bowing respectfully to the sky and saying, "My name is Han Yue of the Han family. I am deeply grateful for the elder's timely intervention. Would it be possible for the elder to appear so that I may remember your name?" "I was merely passing by," came the gentle, slightly weathered voice from the heavens, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the speaker. As soon as these words were spoken, the mysterious figure vanished completely, leaving no trace of sound behind. The surroundings, now silent, prompted Han Xue to sigh in disappointment. With a graceful gesture of her jade hands, her clear and charming voice emerged from her lips: "Let's continue on our way." Hearing this, Han Chong and the others quickly nodded and dispersed, taking turns to protect the caravan. With a series of creaking sounds, the caravan resumed its journey. As the caravan moved forward, Han Xue returned to her own carriage. Upon boarding, an inexplicable sensation suddenly caused her to turn her gaze toward the carriage where Xiao Yan was located. After a brief moment of furrowed brows, she chuckled to herself with a touch of self-mockery, then lightly tapped her foot and gracefully leapt back into the carriage.