Beneath the vast, cloudless sky, a streak of light suddenly flashed past, chasing the stars and the moon with swift grace. It scanned the distance, then glanced back at the rear, slightly slowing its pace, murmuring, "With my full power drawn from my bone wings, even Hong Tian Xiao should fall short. And Shen Yun, having been struck by both my combined force and the earth-bound spirit puppet, will at least not be able to reach me in the near term. Thus, I needn't be overly anxious. As long as that old man dares to come alone, let him test the strength of the earth-bound spirit puppet!" With this thought, Xiao Yan's form once again eased, turning his gaze toward the distant Tianbei City. Yet, after a while, no figure appeared. Indeed, the old man was cautious—under such fury, he had managed to remain composed. "Since they haven't come now, they're probably waiting for Shen Yun's reply. That old man is from Fenglei Pavilion—he should have plenty of healing pills. Given his condition, he'll likely recover soon. The only course of action now is to resolve the Blood Thunder Imprint he's embedded within me. Otherwise, once strong members of Fenglei Pavilion arrive, my situation could become quite dire..." Thoughts swiftly forming, Xiao Yan quickly made up his mind. He scanned the surroundings, then raised his bone wings, transforming into a streak of light and rushing toward a distant mountain range. "Missed the mark. I never expected the Fenglei Pavilion to place such importance on the Three-Thousand-Thunder Stance. After all, though the Three-Thousand-Thunder Stance is indeed elegant and refined, it's only a lower-tier Earth-stage technique—there's no logical reason why the Fenglei Pavilion should regard it as an irreplaceable treasure beyond the reach of others." Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead, sighed with a wry smile. "Today, I've certainly alienated the Fenglei Pavilion. Yet I'm not at all afraid. This Central Plains is so vast—I doubt there's any place I can't go to. I simply don't believe you can spread your influence throughout the entire Central Plains." Feeling the resistance of the Naji, Xiao Yan merely sneered. Soul power was his strength—though his actual rank differed greatly from Shen Yun's, his soul power was no weaker. To overcome the soul imprints he had left behind was by no means impossible. Taking a deep breath, he guided the silvery Naji to float gently before him. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and a vast surge of soul energy erupted from his brow like a tidal wave, forming an intangible spear that struck the Naji with force. "Clang!" At the moment of impact, an invisible ripple surged forth from the Naji and slammed against the mountain wall, causing the cave to tremble and crack open numerous fissures the size of fists. Xiao Yan paid no attention to the cave's shifting state, his gaze fixed firmly on the trembling Naji, continuously pouring out waves of soul energy, one after another, relentlessly pressing against the soul imprint within it. The soul imprints left by the Dou Zong-level cultivators were indeed exceptionally powerful, yet no matter how strong, they still amounted to only a single imprint. As long as the master remained nearby, remote control was still possible. However, at the moment, Shen Yun was actively recovering from his injuries and simply did not have the time to attend to the imprint's changes. A continuous stream of soul impacts lasted nearly a few minutes before, finally, a subtle crackling sound quietly echoed within the cave. Upon hearing this sound, Xiao Yan's eyes instantly brightened with surprise—finally, the old man's soul imprint had been completely erased. ... At the very instant the soul imprint shattered, Shen Yun, who had been seated cross-legged on the celestial stone platform of Tianbei City, eyes closed and breathing steadily, suddenly snapped his eyes open, his gaze fierce and blazing with rage. He roared, "Xiao Yan! If I do not kill you, I shall never be satisfied!" The attendees on the Tian Shi platform had already mostly withdrawn, as everyone could clearly see the fury of Hong Tianxiao and Shen Yun at this moment—no one could predict what might happen if these two seasoned elders erupted in rage and whether they might end up caught in the crossfire. "Didn't you hurry to heal yourself? What's the point of shouting like that?" Hong Tianxiao, who had been guarding Shen Yun, furrowed his brow and spoke firmly. "My spiritual seal within my meditation sutra was shattered by that young upstart!" Shen Yun gritted his teeth. On hearing this, Hong Tianxiao was momentarily stunned, then his expression shifted, saying, "That boy only possesses the level of a Dueling Sovereign—how could he possibly have broken my spiritual seal? Though the puppet is strong, it clearly lacks spiritual energy." "I don't know," Shen Yun shook his head, his face darkening, his voice cold. "Once I've healed, we'll set off together. There's a blood thunder seal I've embedded within him—there's no way he'll escape." "Rest assured," Hong Tianxiao growled, "after what he's done to my family—slaughtering so "At the Northern Pavilion, I've already sent word—stronger forces are sure to arrive soon. Then, that young man will be helpless, no matter how hard he tries!" Shen Yun glanced at his hand, where a finger had been severed, the bitterness on his face so intense it chilled the heart. Staring at the scroll, Xiao Yan felt his heart beating faster without even realizing it—this was the only somewhat unusual item he had discovered within Shen Yun's storage chamber. "What is this?" he murmured, slightly puzzled. Since the object seemed odd, he did not immediately open it, but instead summoned the Earth Spirit Puppet and tossed the scroll toward it, saying, "Unfold it." The Earth Spirit Puppet caught the scroll and, without hesitation, slowly spread it out with its hands. "Boom!" As soon as the scroll was opened, a surge of silver light erupted violently, followed by a thunderous crack. A lightning bolt, thick as a man's thigh, shot forth and struck the puppet squarely in the chest. The force was so powerful that it launched the puppet like a projectile, sending it crashing into the mountain cave wall behind. The massive stone behind it cracked rapidly, spreading fissures that eventually exploded in a loud "boom." "Indeed, there's something supernatural going on..." Upon witnessing this scene, Xiao Yan sneered. If that attack had struck him directly, with no defense at all, he would have sustained serious injuries. Fortunately, the Earth Spirit Puppet possessed a remarkably resilient body capable of easily absorbing it. After releasing a bolt of lightning, the silver scroll spread out and floated gently in midair, with faint flashes of electric light shimmering across its surface. Xiao Yan glanced at it, then extended his hand, drawing the scroll down toward him. As it descended, the flow of qi within his body surged, and the Luminous Lotus Heart Flame instantly formed a protective layer of fire, enveloping his entire form. Facing Xiao Yan's full preparedness, the scroll remained calm and undisturbed, resting quietly in his hands, its electric light flowing like silver serpents, appearing quite impressive. Seeing no anomalies in the scroll, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief and focused his gaze upon the scroll itself, where several bold characters, formed by the convergence of electric light, stood out sharply and clearly in his vision. The Three-Thousand-Thunder Phantom Form, the treasured artifact of Fenglei Pavilion, is said to be an ancient combat technique passed down through generations, classified as a high-level Earth-tier skill. Upon mastery, it enables the formation of a thunder phantom body whose strength matches that of the original body. While the original body remains immortal, the phantom body never perishes—this divine effect is described by outsiders in just four words: as powerful as a Heaven-tier technique! After this vibrant lightning script, there are some slightly faded characters, clearly annotations from others. "The Three Thousand Lightning Phantoms is indeed formidable, yet its cultivation proves exceptionally difficult. One essential condition is to first cultivate the Three Thousand Lightning Motions to its highest level. Over these many years, throughout the Fenglei Pavilion, only a few have successfully achieved this. After decades of dedicated study, I have gathered only modest results—thus, I now believe my lifelong aspirations have faded..." "Three Thousand Lightning Motions?" Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan took a sharp breath, finally understanding why Shen Yun had been so moved when he first witnessed his own possession of the Three Thousand Lightning Motions. It now became clear that this power was intimately linked to the Pavilion's most treasured treasure. "Heh—he must indeed owe much to this old man. Otherwise, I would never have known of such a secret. Now that the Three Thousand Lightning Phantoms has come into my hands, I shall see just how arduous its cultivation truly proves!" Xiao Yan chuckled softly, then closed his eyes, and his soul energy immediately flowed into the silver scroll shimmering with lightning.