The sudden turn of events had quieted the entire field, with everyone staring at one another, somewhat puzzled as to what had exactly transpired. In their eyes, Hong Chen's severe injury was entirely deserved—after all, the lives of everyone had already been spared, yet he had still chosen to secretly undermine others. Such a fate was truly his own doing. Of course, while they thought this internally, they refrained from speaking out, mindful of Hong Family's considerable influence in Tianbei City. "Stung by Han Chi's sharp rebuke, Hong Li's face trembled, his eyes blazing with fury as he sneered, 'I'll take care of you, but this young man has injured my son. The Hong family won't rest until we settle this. Do you think the Han family will risk war with us just over some outsider?' Han Chi's expression darkened, his gaze fixed steadily on Hong Li, his voice cutting through the square with cold, unwavering clarity: 'Xiao Yan was hired by my family. If, after having done so much good for us, he is now abandoned, who else will dare to support the Han family? Should you wish to come to war and threaten us, I'll make it clear—Xiao Yan is secured by the Han family!' To risk war with the Hong family over a mere outsider, without even considering the advantages or disadvantages, the Han family must step in. If they hesitate now, their reputation will truly suffer, and they'll never be able to stand a chance in Tianbei City. Han Chi knew this very well, and thus spoke with decisive strength, showing no hesitation at all. Han Chi's words were far from ineffective—immediately after he finished speaking,阵阵 applause erupted around the Tian Shi Platform. Seeing Han Chi stand so firmly in opposition, Hong Li's face grew increasingly stern. Though his words were sharp, the matter at hand did not favor their Hong family. If he were to simply accept the indignity of having Hong Chen's status revoked without resistance, that would be utterly impossible. Hong Chen had always been regarded as their family's rising star, and the family had poured immense effort into nurturing him. Now, under Xiao Yan's single palm, all that had been dismantled. How could he possibly remain calm? "Indeed, the Han family has shown remarkable determination," a faint, elderly voice suddenly broke in as Hong Li's expression shifted. Turning toward the sound, the crowd saw the gray-robed elder. His gaze swept over the gray-robed elder, and upon settling on the badge at the elder's chest, Han Chi and the others exchanged a slight expression of surprise. "A member of the Fenglei Pavilion?" Han Chi bowed slightly and smiled, then hesitated to say: "Master Shen, today's incident was indeed a serious misstep by Xiao Yan. However, it's entirely normal for injuries to occur during the match, especially with the sharpness and precision of the weapons and blades." The Wind and Thunder Pavilion's current standing in the Central Continent is largely due to the crucial role of the Three Thousand Lightning Phantoms, though the cultivation difficulty of this technique is exceptionally high. One essential condition is achieving the peak state of the Three Thousand Lightning Movements—a feat that, over the years, has been accomplished by only a few individuals even within the entire Wind and Thunder Pavilion. Indeed, the Three Thousand Lightning Phantoms can be considered an advanced form of the Three Thousand Lightning Movements. As such, the Pavilion has maintained an extremely strict confidentiality around this technique, granting access only to its core disciples. It is therefore no surprise that the elder is so deeply moved to witness this technique being demonstrated by Xiao Yan. Upon hearing Shen Yun's words, Han Chi and the others exchanged surprised glances, their eyes wide with astonishment at Xiao Yan's unexpected mastery of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion's most secret technique. "This thousand-thunder technique I merely happened to acquire by chance. May I ask, Elder Shen, if you suddenly obtained a ground-tier body movement skill—would you discard it, or would you personally cultivate it?" Xiao Yan lifted his eyes to the gray-robed elder, speaking calmly and neutrally. "By chance?" Shen Yun sneered, saying, "Ten years ago, our Fenglei Pavilion's library was breached by outsiders who stole numerous techniques and cultivation methods, including the Thousand-Thunder Technique. I suspect you must have some connection to that thief." "When the accusers have a crime to charge, they can always find grounds—this grand accusation you've laid upon me, I shall never be able to bear. Do all the members of Fenglei Pavilion treat matters this way?" Xiao Yan chuckled at the elder's sharp criticism. "Young man, shut up! Fenglei Pavilion is no place for you, a mere junior, to speak disrespectfully of. And to behave so openly before Elder Shen—clearly, you don't hold him in much regard!" Hong Li stepped forward, his voice rising with anger. Hearing this, Han Chi furrowed his brow, silently cursing the man's lack of dignity—clearly, he intended to position Xiao Yan directly across from Shen Yun, so that he himself could take the initiative. That way, the Hong family would not only settle their score but also avoid any criticism. As he silently scolded himself, his sleeve was suddenly tugged. Turning his head, he saw Han Xue's delicate face filled with pleading, her soft voice reaching him: "Dad, please help him..." With a faint smile of resignation, Han Chi sighed. What a persistent girl. "Shen Elder, I believe there may be some misunderstanding. If we can just have a calm conversation, I'm certain we can resolve this matter. There's no need for such tense confrontation," Han Chi said, bowing politely to Shen Yun. "This matter has nothing to do with your family. The 'Three Thousand Thunder Strikes' is one of Fenglei Pavilion's most closely guarded secrets, and thus, it cannot be shared. Therefore, this issue cannot be settled lightly." Shen Yun coldly glanced at Han Chi, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, speaking with cold detachment, "You have two choices. First, follow me back to Fenglei North Pavilion, where Pavilion Master will decide your fate. Second, I shall kill you right here and now—no matter what, the Three Thousand Thunder Waves must remain in my hands and never fall into the hands of outsiders." Hearing Shen Yun's firm, unyielding words, the members of Hong family exchanged quiet chuckles, while Han Chi and his companions grew increasingly uneasy, Han Xue's face suddenly turning pale. "Shen Elder..." Han Chi opened his mouth, intending to speak further. "Han Chi," Shen Yun suddenly snapped, "I've been lenient with you, merely out of respect for the senior elder of Han family. Don't be ungrateful. This matter is beyond your jurisdiction. If you insist on interfering, you'll inevitably provoke the wrath of Fenglei Pavilion. And then, Han family—well, I doubt you'll be able to bear the consequences." Hearing Shen Yun's sharp rebuke, Han Chi's face also subtly shifted. The gap between the Han family and the Fenglei Pavilion was truly vast—should the Fenglei Pavilion decide to extinguish them, it would merely take a single thought. "Uncle Han, this matter has nothing to do with you. Please step aside and refrain from getting involved…" As Han Chi struggled internally, a laugh suddenly reached him, startling him. He looked up and found Xiao Yan's smiling face. "Xiao Yan... I'm truly sorry..." Han Chi clenched his fists slightly, then sighed. As the head of the Han family, every word and action had to represent the interests of the entire family. Xiao Yan's words clearly indicated that he did not wish to draw the Han family into this. Xiao Yan smiled, not at all surprised. The Fenglei Pavilion was indeed powerful; while he, a single individual, could easily retreat if necessary, he could hardly expect the Central Plains to remain under the full control of the Fenglei Pavilion. By involving the Han family, he would only create an added burden for himself. "Hey, I didn't expect you to have any sense of honor at all," Shen Yun sneered, his dry hands slowly extending from his sleeve. "Since you've shown some spirit, then—do you wish to accompany me to the Fenglei Northern Pavilion, or shall I personally dismantle you?" Gazing at Shen Yun's composed expression, Xiao Yan suddenly broke into a smile, shaking his head. "I have no interest in the Fenglei Pavilion, so I'll pass." Shen Yun nodded slightly, his gaze sharpening with growing determination. "Then it's the second path we must take," Xiao Yan said, lifting his head slowly, a touch of boldness flashing across his refined features. He grinned. "As for dismantling me—let's be honest, with your current status, still short of even a five-star Conclave Master, you simply don't have the credentials to do so!"