Xiao Yan's words immediately stunned the crowd. Though he had already shown remarkable performance earlier, it still seemed far from sufficient for him to speak to a four-star peak Dao Sect master with such directness. The Hong family members exchanged cold glances—indeed, in their eyes, Xiao Yan's bold challenge to Shen Yun was nothing short of self-destructive. Han Chi sighed quietly, feeling a sense of frustration. He couldn't quite understand how the seemingly composed Xiao Yan had suddenly delivered these remarks. Shen Yun's strength was comparable to that of their own Han family's reclusive senior elder—his combat prowess was truly outstanding among peers. Yet, the one standing before him wasn't merely a Dao King, but a renowned Dao Sect master. Han Xue's face was pale, her jade hands tightly clenched, her pearly teeth gently biting her red lips. The way things had unfolded was far from what she had hoped for. In her view, if it weren't for her own insistence in inviting Xiao Yan, he would never have come to get involved in the matter between the Han and Hong families—thus, he would never have revealed his secret of possessing the Three-Thousand-Thunder Power, bringing trouble upon himself. As she felt self-blame, a pair of slightly cool jade hands gently encircled her delicate fingers. Han Xue turned her head to see it was Han Yue. "Sister..." Han Xue gazed at Han Yue, a hint of mist gathering in her clear eyes. "Ah, don't worry, Xiao Yan isn't a hasty man. He dares to say this—perhaps he has some confidence in what he's saying..." Han Yue gently stroked Han Xue's smooth, dark hair, softly reassuring her. Though this reassurance sounded somewhat absurd even to herself, for the elder Shen Yun's strength was indeed superior to that of Su Qian, the Grand Elder of the Inner Court. After all, Xiao Yan, no matter how talented, was still only a Battle Emperor. The gap between a Battle Emperor and a Battle Sovereign was something Han Yue, as one who had been a Battle Emperor herself, understood all too well. Shen Yun laughed loudly, but anyone could hear the simmering anger beneath that laughter—clearly, the senior monk of Fenglei Pavilion had truly been riled by Xiao Yan's words. As they sensed the growing tension in Shen Yun's laughter, Han Chi and the others grew increasingly uneasy. Yet Xiao Yan, as the one directly involved, merely stared intently at Shen Yun, his dark, ink-black eyes fixed upon him, with a subtle coldness flickering within. While it wasn't something Xiao Yan had relished to draw the ire of Fenglei Pavilion, that didn't mean he would allow them to treat him however they pleased. Going to Fenglei North Pavilion—definitely something Xiao Yan would not accept. Once there, with their full force mobilized, even with his Earth Spirit Automaton, he would likely face serious peril. To risk his life in such a manner was precisely the kind of foolish move he would never make. Though Shen Yun was a peak-tier Douzong powerhouse rated four stars, Xiao Yan did not feel intimidated. With his array of reserves, not only was it possible for him to free himself from Shen Yun's grasp, but even if he had to defeat the elder, that too was far from impossible—though such a victory would certainly leave him in a weakened state once again. Under the steady, cold gaze of Xiao Yan, Shen Yun's smile gradually darkened, his dry hands curling slightly, and streaks of electrifying, unsettling lightning flickering forth, finally forming brilliant electric sparks that danced at his fingertips. "I truly didn't think you could escape my hands today," Shen Yun said, his eyes now filled with intent. With a slow step forward, he planted his foot, and then his form vanished in an eerie manner. Upon witnessing Shen Yun's disappearance, Han Chi and the others exchanged slight expressions of surprise—this old man had indeed stepped in! Han Xue's face grew paler still, her jade hands clenching and then suddenly shaking off Han Yue's grasp, her body swiftly darting forward. As she just appeared before Xiao Yan, Shen Yun slowly stepped into view. "Xue'er!" Han Chi's face grew pale at the sudden rush of Han Xue, who had charged in, and he urgently called out. "Die!" Upon seeing Han Xue blocking his path, Shen Yun issued a sharp command. With a sweeping motion of his sleeve, a powerful surge of force erupted, reaching Han Xue in an instant. Under this overwhelming strength, even Han Xue felt a wave of unyielding chill spreading through her. Just as Han Xue prepared to meet her fate, a sudden suction surged from behind, propelling her body backward. She was then swiftly caught by Xiao Yan, who held her slender waist and pulled her back. "Hmph!" Upon witnessing Xiao Yan's action, Shen Yun emitted a cold exhalation. Silver light shimmered beneath his feet, and his form trembled as thunderous sounds resonated. Xiao Yan, who had just been urgently withdrawn, suddenly shifted his body, disregarding the delicate warmth in his arms, and struck a palm against her chest. A surge of soft force erupted, gently tossing her toward Han Chi and the others. As soon as he had pushed Han Xue away, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. A spectral figure materialized directly above him, its claw shimmering with electric light, radiating a terrifying force that sliced through space and precisely targeted his temple. A shimmer of silver emerged, and suddenly, a completely silver arm pierced through the shimmer, crashing hard against Shen Yun's lightning-gold ghost claw. At the point of impact, a deep, unsettling roar erupted, sending out a powerful wave of air that spread outward like a tide, causing fissures to burst forth across the ground, spreading like a web. "Crack!" The silver arm and the lightning-gold claw momentarily halted, then Shen Yun's body shuddered violently under the force of the surging gust, retreating several steps on the air with firm, steady footfalls before finally steadying himself. This sudden development froze the attention of every person in the arena—especially when it became clear that even Shen Yun himself could not withstand the impact. A wave of profound astonishment surged through him. Upon regaining his balance, Shen quickly lifted his head. On his face, now etched with fierce determination, a look of shock emerged as he fixed his gaze on the silver shimmer, speaking steadily, "Who are you?" "This is entirely my Fenglei Pavilion's matter—please don't interfere!" Under the steady gaze of Shen Yun, the silver glow gradually faded, and finally, a figure resembling a solid silver statue emerged into the sight of everyone present. The figure was not particularly tall but rather slender, with skin like silver, hollow eyes that occasionally shimmered with a faint gleam. Most astonishing of all, no one could sense any presence or vitality emanating from him. "A puppet?! How could this puppet be so formidable?" As the silver glow vanished, Shen Yun was momentarily stunned. With his keen eyesight, he immediately recognized this as a lifeless, unconscious puppet—yet what truly astonished him was that the puppet's strength surpassed his own. "I've already said, if you wish to defeat me, you're still not qualified yet." A voice tinged with coldness slowly emerged from behind the silver figure, and then Xiao Yan stepped forward, his gaze sharp and unwavering, fixed firmly on Shen Yun. Shen Yun's face slightly trembled, speaking in a cold, measured tone, "I didn't expect you to have a puppet at the Douzong level. I truly underestimated you..." The moment he spoke, everyone from the Han family and the Hong family froze in astonishment—how could a puppet at the Douzong level exist? "Kill him!" Xiao Yan remained expressionless, his finger sharply pointing at Shen Yun, and spoke slowly. As soon as he finished speaking, the earth spirit puppet beneath him stomped the ground with a powerful force, shooting forward in a streak of light and sound, rushing directly toward Shen Yun. The sheer physical speed, unaided by any magical enhancement, created sonic booms along its path, leaving everyone stunned. As the earth spirit puppet closed in, Shen Yun felt a subtle weight settle upon his heart. From their brief encounter earlier, he knew this puppet surpassed him in strength, with an exceptionally resilient body—indeed, it felt completely pain-free. Should the battle truly begin, he was certain he would be no match for it. "Hong Li, I'll hold this puppet here while you strike the young man. As soon as he dies, the puppet will automatically cease to function. Once he's eliminated, this Dou-Zong-level puppet shall be yours, belonging to the Hong family!" The silver light flashed, and Shen Yun swiftly dodged, shouting at the same time. Upon hearing this, Hong Li was first taken aback, then his eyes instantly ignited with unmistakable greed—such a Dou-Zong-level puppet was worth the Hong family's utmost efforts to secure! "Shen Elder, please rest assured. I will personally dispatch this young man and avenge the injury he inflicted upon my son!" Hong Li licked his lips and sneered with a fierce smile. "Rest assured, should anyone dare to obstruct you, I hereby declare, in the name of Fenglei Pavilion's senior elder, that they shall be considered our enemies—fierce and unyielding!" The next words from Shen Yun instantly darkened the expression on Han Chi, who had just begun to move. "Ahahaha, thank you so much, Shen Elder!" Hong laughed heartily, glanced proudly at Han Chi, then turned to the impassive Xiao Yan with a cold, cruel smile, his voice dripping with unmatched murderous intent. "Young man, don't worry. I'll first break your limbs, and then show you what true suffering feels like!"