The blazing qi radiated like flames, enveloping Hong Tianxiao with intense heat. His long, ten-foot greatsword swung with vigorous momentum, sending out roaring gusts of hot wind that sliced through the ground yao gui's body upon impact. "Clang! Clang!" The sword struck hard against the ground yao gui's form. Under Hong Tianxiao's full force, several marks appeared on the silver surface of the yao gui's body, though no blood flowed. Yet the yao gui seemed entirely unaware of these wounds, his powerful fists generating deep sonic booms as he pounded them relentlessly against Hong Tianxiao, forcing the latter to weave and dodge with some difficulty—after all, unlike the yao gui, who could withstand all pain, Hong Tianxiao was not immune. Glancing at the figure approaching slowly through the void, Hong Tianxiao's already displeased expression darkened further. With a roar, he spun his great blade in a furious whirlwind, the sharp edge of the blade slashing through the fists of the Earth Spirit Puppet with a crisp sound. "Fire-Shattering Blade!" Fiery qi surged and coalesced fiercely upon the blade. Hong Tianxiao's eyes hardened, and with a fierce downward strike, the blade's light sliced through space, then struck hard against the Earth Spirit Puppet's shoulder. The blade plunged in half an inch, sending a series of hissing white plumes rising from the shoulder. "Boom!" Despite this powerful assault, the Earth Spirit Puppet's gaze remained vacant, paying no attention to the blade embedded in his shoulder. With a sudden burst of silver-fisted power, he drove a powerful blow straight into Hong Tianxiao's chest. "Hmph!" The force of the punch surged violently, causing Hong Tianxiao to emit a deep grunt. His body trembled, and he stepped back swiftly, forcing down the faint sweetness that rose in his throat. "Wound my puppet, and you die!" As洪天啸's feet had just stabilized and he had barely begun to react, a voice—cool, faintly distant—suddenly echoed behind him. The sound reached his ears, and his eyes narrowed instantly. He swiftly turned his gaze toward where萧炎 was, only to see a fading silhouette slowly dissolving. Watching that fading form, a wave of cold dread surged through him. Just as that chill took hold, a sudden, powerful gust of wind erupted violently from behind. Startled,洪天啸 spun around immediately, raising his fiery great sword with no hesitation, channeling his full aura into a fierce, angry slash. "Ssshh!" The sharp blade struck squarely against the massive soul-energy cyclone cannon, and though both momentarily held their ground,洪天啸's arm suddenly trembled, causing the cannon to explode in a thunderous burst. "Boom!" An intangible wave of energy surged outward, striking Hong Tianxiao first. His throat once again tightened, and a thin thread of blood finally dripped from the corner of his mouth. He didn't bother to wipe it away, hastily speaking, "Xiao Xin, this matter is between you and Fenglei North Pavilion. It has nothing to do with me. I was only compelled to intervene." "Would you believe me?" Xiao Xin looked at Hong Tianxiao, a faint shade of contempt lingering on his face—this old man was truly pushing all the blame his way. "Xiao Xin, indeed, it is our Hong family that has been at fault from the outset. As long as you speak, we will be more than willing to compensate you for your losses!" Seeing Xiao Xin's expression shift, Hong Tianxiao paused, then quickly added. "Compensate?" Xiao Xin stepped slightly, as though genuinely intrigued. At last seeing Xiao Xin show genuine interest, Hong Tianxiao felt a surge of relief and nodded eagerly. Yet though his face conveyed sincere enthusiasm, a deep resentment lingered within him. "He mentioned earlier that this young man's strength comes from a spiritual entity within him—meaning he can't maintain this state indefinitely. Once that time passes, he will inevitably grow weaker and eventually fall into a state of decline, at which point we'll have the perfect opportunity to strike him down in one decisive blow. This stubborn young fool has already dealt heavy losses to our Hong family. Moreover, he clearly isn't someone who shows mercy. The actions our Hong family has taken against him—how could we possibly reconcile with such a person? Therefore, this young man must die!" Xiao Yan seemed to be deep in thought. After a moment, he gently nodded, saying, "It's truly surprising that Master Hong has this intention—then naturally, it must be the very best..." As the words were still half-finished, Xiao Yan's eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp. Seeing this, Hong Tianxiao silently murmured, "This is not good," and before he could even react, a terrifying punch surged suddenly behind him. "Xiao Yan! You rogue! How dare you deceive me!" Feeling the immense strength of the wind pressing against him, Hong Tianxiao roared, then fiercely swung his great sword, slashing hard at the rear. The blade struck crisply against the arm of the earth spirit puppet, yet the latter not only did not retreat but stepped forward, opening his arms to tightly embrace and hold Hong Tianxiao fast. With his limbs locked, Hong Tianxiao was startled and began to struggle wildly. Fiery combat energy surged forth from within him like a volcanic eruption, but under Xiao Yan's command, the earth spirit puppet remained firmly ensnared, completely ignoring the intense heat of the energy. "If you wish to kill me, then I shall not let you have an easy time!" Encased by the Earth Spirit Puppet, sensing clearly that Xiao Yan harbored a determined intent to slay him, Hong Tianxiao's eyes ignited with madness. His inner qi surged and crashed violently, generating a powerful, surging force. It seemed that this old man himself intended to self-explode. Yet, as if anticipating precisely this very move, as Hong Tianxiao's qi flowed and surged, Xiao Yan materialized like a ghost, his gaze icy, green flames blossoming in his palms. He then launched forth like a sharp flame cone, piercing with force. "Ssshh!" A delicate sound. Amid his struggles, Hong Tianxiao suddenly stiffened, slowly lowering his head, gazing at the flaming palm that had pierced through his chest. Even before the venom in his eyes reached its peak, they froze in place. With a single strike, he extinguished Hong Tianxiao's vitality. Xiao Yan remained expressionless, pressing his palm firmly against the top of Hong Tianxiao's skull and then pulling with great force, forcibly drawing out a translucent soul body. "Little scamp Xiao Yan! Today, we shall both meet our end in the Golden Realm!" Even as the ethereal soul of Hong Tianxiao was being pulled out, it roared with venomous fury. Yet before its soul could explode, a mighty surge of soul energy erupted from within Xiao Yan and crashed into it. Instantly, Hong Tianxiao's soul began to fade, and his consciousness rapidly dissipated. Soul-to-soul collision is the most perilous encounter—any misstep could injure either party's consciousness. Fortunately, bolstered by the soul power of Tianhuo Master, Xiao Yan's soul energy far surpassed that of Hong Tianxiao. Thus, under this intense impact, Hong Tianxiao's inner consciousness was shattered and dispersed. Seeing the paralysis in Hong Tianxiao's soul eyes, Xiao Yan directly grasped his hand, and with a mighty surge of soul energy, poured it into his body in the most crude, wild manner—like a bandit storming a fortress—completely erasing his consciousness. Once the consciousness was wiped out, Xiao Yan swiftly produced a jade vial, sealed Hong Tianxiao's soul within it, and with a simple hand gesture, an intangible flame emerged, forming a fire membrane that sealed the vial's mouth and body. "A five-star soul cultivator's soul and body—this harvest is quite substantial. If I can secure another seventh-stage magic core as well, I could forge another puppet. Of course, that depends on luck and successful fusion..." With a sweeping motion of his hand, he also placed Hong Tianxiao's gradually cooling corpse into his storage relic. Xiao Yan then gave a satisfied nod, silently thinking to himself. The clash above the sky naturally drew the attention of countless people in Tianbei City, especially after witnessing the final fate of Hong Tianxiao. Many quietly swallowed their breath—this young man truly was quite ruthless. With him, the Hong family was effectively ruined. Without the protection of the elder Hong Tianxiao, their strength would plummet dramatically. Once a prominent family in Tianbei City, now it was completely crumbling under the hands of the young Xiao Yan. The Hong family had truly run into solid resistance this time. "I'm certain that the Fenglei Pavilion will no longer hold the Han family to ransom. As long as the Han family doesn't speak of my existence outside, everything should remain peaceful." Hearing the tone, Han Xue and Han Yue suddenly turned around, looking at the young man who had just appeared in the courtyard. Han Xue was moved, stepping forward two paces, then, as if sensing something, her face turned pale and asked, "Once you've gone this time, will you never return?" Xiao Yan smiled gently and said, "I've already offended the Fenglei Pavilion and have a connection with your family. If I stay, it will only cause the current situation to repeat itself. Heh, once I've gained the strength to stand unafraid against the Fenglei Pavilion, I'll come back to the Han family to settle matters. I hope, then, that they won't drive me away again." Han Xue bit her lower lip tightly, her body feeling as though it might collapse. She sensed, deep down, that this parting might mark the beginning of a long separation—perhaps they would never meet again. "Xiao Yan, thank you so much. Your kindness will never be forgotten by the Han family!" Han Yue sighed softly, stepped forward to gently pull Han Xue, and spoke gently to Xiao Yan. "Han Yue, you're being too polite. I merely resolved my own troubles." Xiao Yan smiled, then looked at Han Xue, whose face was pale, and inwardly breathed a quiet sigh. He bowed slightly and said, "On behalf of me, please say goodbye to Han Chong and the others. You're the first friends I've made since arriving in Zhongzhou... I'll see you again!" As the words settled, Xiao Yan's figure trembled slightly and then slowly faded away. Watching the fading form of Xiao Yan, Han Xue finally couldn't hold back and collapsed into Han Yue's arms, weeping softly. At the gate, Han Fei appeared hurriedly, only to exhale in quiet relief upon seeing Han Xue weeping. He gazed toward the distant sky and murmured, "Xiao Yan, this kindness is deeply appreciated by the Han family. Should the opportunity arise, I will surely repay you."