Upon the boundless, verdant expanse of the forest sea, a figure stands firm, gazing toward the northern sky with a furrowed brow. The Han family had been quietly detained by the elite of the Fenglei Northern Pavilion—a development entirely unforeseen by Xiao Yan. After all, the Han family held considerable standing in Tianbei City, and had remained hands-off throughout the matter. Yet, the so-called "doughy" members of the Fenglei Northern Pavilion had resorted to such underhanded tactics. They had aggressively disseminated news of the Han family's detention, clearly aiming to compel Xiao Yan to personally intervene and rescue them. Xiao Yan was certain that, by now, the elite of the Fenglei Northern Pavilion had already secured key positions throughout Tianbei City, and as soon as he made his appearance, he would face a fierce and devastating confrontation. Today, Tianbei City had become a well-laid trap—waiting patiently for Xiao Yan to step into it. Regarding this trap, the Fenglei North Pavilion had not attempted to conceal it at all—nor could they have concealed it effectively. Even ordinary people would be able to perceive this, and Xiao Yan could hardly fail to realize it. Indeed, if the recipient were someone cold and detached, such a move would likely go unnoticed entirely, and the trap itself would thus prove entirely ineffective. Yet, it must be acknowledged that Xiao Yan was not someone inherently cold or unfeeling. While he might be merciless toward enemies, he was exceptionally gentle and composed toward common people or those he knew well. It was precisely this temperament that enabled him to gather a number of companions and powerful allies—Hai Bo Dong, Xiao Yi Xian, Meidu Sha, and even the Heavenly Fire Sovereign all shared this sense. A person who treated friends with coldness and detachment would naturally struggle to earn genuine loyalty and heartfelt regard from others. This, in fact, was the essence of Xiao Yan's personal charm. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan sighed, "This Fenglei North Pavilion truly is unbearable. If you insist on making me come out, then let it be as you wish..." "Are you planning to head to that northern city? I'm certain it's now packed with powerful individuals," a deep, resonant voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind. "A true man knows what to do and what to leave undone. This matter began with me, and by my nature, I cannot simply remain passive." Xiao Yan spoke softly. "Hm, that's quite well said. Throughout my life, I've always disliked those who burden their friends and hesitate at every step. Though you're still young, you've certainly proven to be a great fit for me. Had you not mentioned that you already have a master, I might have considered you a promising disciple." Tianhuo Master chuckled warmly. "Master, your praise is most generous." "Heard this, Xiao Yan smiled and shook his shoulders, his pair of translucent bone wings slowly unfolding. "Then let's set out," he said. "Rest assured, with me here, as long as you don't encounter a peak-level Douzong cultivator, you'll be safe," the Heavenly Fire Master chuckled. "Then thank you, Master Yao," Xiao Yan replied with a hearty laugh, lifting his gaze toward the endless, lush forest sea stretching out before him. A surge of boldness filled his heart. He raised his voice in a clear, resonant cry—like a crane's call—that echoed steadily across the forest sea. "Even if the Wind and Thunder Pavilion turns the northern city into a fortress of dragons and tigers, I, Xiao Yan, shall still stand unshaken!" The roar gradually subsided, and as Xiao Yan's back bones flared, his figure instantly transformed into a streak of light, darting swiftly toward the northern sky... Although the Han family holds considerable influence in Tianbei City, they pose little real threat to Fenglei North Pavilion. Though Han Fei, the senior elder of Han family, fought fiercely against Fenglei Pavilion's elite when he was enraged, he could only retreat when the three senior elders of Fenglei North Pavilion joined the battle—his strength could only match one elder, and he would surely have been defeated by three. Nevertheless, Han Fei's resistance did yield some results: the Fenglei Pavilion's warriors sealed off their entry and exit routes, without breaching the estate itself. This allowed the Han family to feel somewhat more at ease. They were well aware of the Pavilion's intent—namely, to pressure them into revealing the whereabouts of Xiao Yan, who had gone missing somewhere within the estate. However, aside from a few individuals, most of the Han family members did not believe that Xiao Yan would truly appear. At present, Tianbei City was not only hosting numerous elite disciples from Fenglei Beiguo, but more importantly, it had the three senior elders—Fenglei, Lei, and Dian—each of whom possessed strength surpassing Shen Yun. Together, these three were formidable; unless one was an elderly, high-level Douzong-level immortal, few could stand against them. Even though Xiao Yan had the terrifying power to defeat Shen Yun, he would likely struggle to match the combined might of these three renowned elders of Fenglei Beiguo. Of course, not only the Han family, but also the entire city of Tianbei and even other cities that had heard the news, were speculating whether Xiao Yan would actually come. Yet, the prevailing sentiment among them was that he would not. After all, unless someone were utterly foolish, most people would hesitate to venture into such a perilous situation—especially considering the profound impression Xiao Yan had made on them during his performance on the Tianshi Platform. Yet among all these speculations, seven days passed swiftly. Throughout these seven days, Tianbei City remained as quiet as ever—no grand battle materialized. Now, many people felt deeply disappointed. It seemed that Xiao Yan truly had no intention of coming at all. Sometimes, humans are quite strange creatures. When uncertain, they once thought Xiao Yan’s determined yet unassuming arrival rather foolish. But now, once it was confirmed that he would not come, they found themselves disappointed—sometimes even secretly disdainful, quietly assigning to him the offense of abandoning a friend. "Xue'er, you're running here every day..." A soft, weary voice echoed behind her as Han Xue sighed. She turned to see Han Yue standing there. Her cheeks flushed slightly. Gazing at Han Yue's sympathetic expression, Han Xue clasped her hands tightly and suddenly asked, "Sister, do you think... he'll come?" "Do you think I've made a mistake in choosing my partner?" Han Yue lifted her gaze, smiling. Han Xue furrowed her brows slightly—this question had been troubling her, but after a while, she nodded seriously, saying, "There will be some disappointment... but I still don't want him to come." "Stupid girl," Han Yue shook her head, gently brushing Han Xue's hair, and smiled reassuringly, "Just relax. The prince you've been dreaming of will arrive in the city of Tianbei, with his beautiful bones and wings, and he'll knock the wind out of those scoundrels from Fenglei North Pavilion." Hearing this, Han Xue couldn't help but chuckle softly, extended her delicate arm to wrap around Han Xue's slender waist, her head resting against her fragrant shoulder. A soft mist hovered in her eyes as she whispered, in a voice only she could hear, "Please, don't come at all..." "Boom!" As Han Xue's soft murmurs faded, a thunderclap roared suddenly across the sky above Tianbei City, and immediately, the entire city felt an undeniably powerful aura surging forth from beyond the city limits, sweeping in with the momentum of a star-chasing comet. The moment this aura emerged, Tianbei City erupted into commotion, countless pairs of eyes wide with astonishment fixed on the direction from which the aura was coming—there, a streak of light blazed across the heavens like a lightning bolt. "Xiao Yan? He actually arrived!" "This kid truly has guts! Hah! Looks like I've finally come out on top this time..." For several days quiet, Tianbei City suddenly came to life as if reborn. A stream of intense, glowing gazes turned toward the horizon beyond the city—today, Tianbei City would never be silent again. At the tops of three ancient trees surrounding the Han family manor, three elders opened their eyes simultaneously, lifting their heads slowly and gazing toward the distance. A faint, cold smile played upon their weathered faces.