Gazing at Shen Yun, who was charging swiftly and rapidly expanding in size, Xiao Yan shifted his foot, swiftly leaping into the air. At the same time, he spread his palms, and a silver strand of spatial energy shimmered into being within his palm. "Spatial Sealing!" With a light cry, intense ripples surged across Shen Yun's body, and the intangible space suddenly solidified, transforming into a tangible prison that enveloped him completely! Forming such a solid, tangible spatial prison was no easy feat—even ordinary five-star cultivators found it difficult. Yet, with the aid of Tian Huo Zunshi's power, Xiao Yan was able to manifest it effortlessly. Of course, the most crucial factor was that he naturally possessed a trace of spatial energy within him, which served as the medium through which he could draw upon the freely circulating spatial forces of heaven and earth. As the spatial prison took shape, Shen Yun's body suddenly expanded to an astonishing degree, and then—explosion of unimaginable magnitude—erupted violently! "Boom!" The terrifying wave of energy surged forth like a tidal surge in the ocean, violently sweeping outwards in every direction. After a brief resistance, the spatial prison shattered completely, causing the mountain range to tremble violently as if struck by an earthquake. Massive fissures, stretching hundreds of feet wide, spread out like a web, disrupting the entire landscape. The sheer force of a four-star Battle Sect cultivator's self-explosion was truly awe-inspiring. Faced with this devastating energy storm, Xiao Yan could only temporarily retreat, swiftly gliding to a position high above, his gaze serious as he watched the raging energy waves below. With Shen Yun's assault, nearly the entire mountain range now faced the prospect of being reduced to ruins. Even Hong Tianxiao, fleeing from the mountain range at a distance, sensed the intensity of this powerful energy storm and immediately grew concerned, his expression turning grave. "Old Shen Yun has finally revealed himself... The sheer force it took to push him to this pass—what a formidable opponent that young man truly is." Hong Tianxiao suddenly felt a bitter taste in his mouth. If he had known from the start just how tenacious and difficult this young man would be, he would never have come into conflict with him. Having such an adversary is truly a source of constant anxiety. Yet, there's no going back once the journey has begun—Hong Tianxiao was well aware of this truth. Far from being indecisive, he now flashed a sharp glint in his eyes, murmuring to himself, "This young man is indeed peculiar. But by killing Shen Yun, you won't necessarily gain an advantage—Wind and Thunder Pavilion will never allow a senior elder to fall without a fight. When that happens... heh." With a cold, measured smile, Hong Tianxiao turned decisively and raised his hand, further accelerating the pace of the retreat. … At some point along the mountain range, the white-robed elder was also startled by Shen Yun's frantic actions, immediately grabbing Han Xue and darting through the forest like a flash of lightning. Finally, with a single movement, he landed atop a mountain peak, overlooking the raging energy storm sweeping across the range, and took a deep, refreshing breath. "This old man has truly gone mad..." Han Xue, too, was pale from the sheer destructive force below, having witnessed a Dou-Zong-level warrior's self-sacrificial explosion—something not many could bear to see. "To push a Dou-Zong warrior to the brink of self-explosion—this young man, Xiao Yan, is truly astonishing." The white-robed elder slowly raised his gaze toward the faint figure in the distant sky, murmuring with admiration. "Is he all right?" Han Xue's eyes swept across the horizon, yet her vision paled in comparison to that of the elder, and she could not make out Xiao Yan's form. "What could he possibly have done? With that hand sealing off the space, he effectively crushed the very notion of pulling Shen Yun with him to die." The white-robed elder shook his head with a smile, then added, "However, by killing Shen Yun, he has now truly clashed with Fenglei Pavilion. Once Hong Tianxiao returns, he will surely spread the news far and wide. Given Fenglei's northern pavilion's usual style, they will absolutely dispatch powerful forces to surround and eliminate him." Hearing this, Han Xueyu unconsciously tightened her grip, her eyes reflecting growing concern. "Alright, dear, don't worry too much. This young man isn't an ordinary one—decisive in battle, neither soft-spoken nor weak-willed. With such a character and these capabilities, even in the bustling, talent-rich region of Zhongzhou, he will surely thrive. To bring him down, they'll likely find it quite difficult," the white-robed elder said, clearly holding high praise for Xiao Yan. Han Xue nodded slightly, brushing her silken fingers through the strands of hair at her temple. In her clear gaze toward the sky, there was a subtle sense of melancholy—the sister was right. He was truly outstanding, so outstanding that few women could hold onto him. His gaze swept across the crater, and at that moment, Xiao Yan suddenly turned, stepping closer to the massive depression where a frail, nearly collapsing tree stood. Gently running his hands over the withered trunk, Xiao Yan's lips curled into a cold smile. With a powerful punch, he shattered the tree—splinters flew outward as a faint, ethereal soul frantically escaped, rising toward the sky. As soon as Xiao Yan moved, the surrounding space instantly froze. "I didn't want to get to this point—y'all pushed me into it!..." Xiao Yan sighed softly, extending his hand and then grasping Shen Yun's soul. "Little brat! The Fenglei Pavilion won't let you live—you'll just die waiting!" With the intensity of Xiao Yan's murderous intent, Shen Yun spat out venomous curses. "Plop!" Xiao Yan remained expressionless, clenched his hand, and Shen Yun's soul burst apart with a loud sound, then scattered into shimmering light spots, fading away. Watching the fading light spots, Xiao Yan knew that Shen Yun, the senior elder of the Fenglei North Pavilion, had finally said goodbye to this world. ... "Thoughtful, relentless toward enemies, never leaving any room for retreat—this young man is no ordinary one..." Suddenly, the white-robed elder on the mountain peak murmured softly. Han Xue stood by, blinking in bewilderment. She hadn't witnessed the moment when Xiao Yan destroyed Shen Yun's soul, yet she felt that her usually highly discerning grandfather had praised Xiao Yan with an unusually high regard today. "Your kind words are truly generous," Xiao Yan said, "but I simply don't wish to bring any further complications." Suddenly, a soft laugh echoed across the mountain peak, and then Xiao Yan's figure slowly materialized before the white-robed elder. "Xiao Yan!" Upon seeing him appear, Han Xue immediately exclaimed with delight. The white-robed elder smiled gently and took a subtle step forward, positioning Han Xue slightly behind him. Having personally witnessed Xiao Yan's decisive action in defeating Shen Yun, he knew that such a moment, if made public, would surely bring him considerable trouble. He had never imagined Xiao Yan to be anything but a stern and resolute figure. "Master, there's no need for such caution. Xiao Yan is not a man given to violence, and besides, Miss Xue has shown me kindness. I would never dare repay that kindness with ingratitude." Though the movements of the white-robed elder were subtle, they were clearly perceived by Xiao Yan, who smiled lightly at that. Upon hearing this, the white-robed elder felt a slight embarrassment and bowed respectfully, saying, "My name is Han Fei." "Xiao Yan has the honor to meet Master Han," replied Xiao Yan, bowing in return. "Ah, I can't bear such formalities," Han Fei waved his hands repeatedly, then spoke earnestly, "This matter will remain confidential between us. However, I'm certain that Hong Tianxiao will make it public. Once that happens, you'll need to be especially vigilant toward the Fenglei Pavilion." "Thank you, Master Han, for your kind advice." Xiao Yan nodded. He wasn't unwilling to pursue Hong Tianxiao, but he couldn't maintain this state for long. Moreover, once Tianhuo Master withdrew his spiritual power, Xiao Yan himself would inevitably enter a period of weakness due to excessive energy expenditure—thus, he would never be able to defeat Hong Tianxiao. "Since Xiao Yan has come to understand this, then I shall not dwell further. I shall depart for now. Should the opportunity arise, I shall return to seek your teachings at a later time." Han Fei smiled, glanced around, sensing that this place was not suitable for prolonged stay, and then bowed gracefully. Xiao Yan nodded in return with a warm smile. "You... be careful." Seeing that Han Xue was about to leave, she lightly bit her full lips, speaking softly. Xiao Yan smiled and replied, "Take care yourself." Observing the scene, Han Fei sighed inwardly, then seized Han Xue's hand and moved swiftly, flashing toward the outer edge of the mountain range. "Be cautious of the Fenglei Pavilion—better to leave the northern region of Zhongzhou early..." Xiao Yan watched Han Fei and the other two depart, and faintly, a gentle voice drifted over on the breeze.