The next day, Xiao Yan made a few adjustments in his room before stepping out, but he didn't immediately head off. Instead, he ascended to the second floor of the inn and settled into a window seat at random. The second floor was bustling with activity, a lively mix of guests and travelers, where information flowed swiftly. While ordering a pot of clear wine and sipping it himself, Xiao Yan listened intently to the conversations around him. As he had anticipated, the entire focus of the city of Huaguo had centered on the Tian Shan Xue Tan in the Tian Mu Mountain Range. Many people spoke of it with flushed faces, clearly expressing strong enthusiasm and greed—testifying to the immense allure of the Tian Shan Xue Tan. "It's said that the Fenglei Pavilion, the Wan Jian Pavilion, and several other powerful factions have all dispatched their core elite forces to the Tian Mu Mountain Range, clearly aiming specifically at the Tian Shan Xue Tan." "Man, with all these players involved, those ten spots are getting tighter and tighter... Absolutely no way we're going to let everyone wade through the Tianshan Blood Pool." "Hey, what can you do? They've got the clout. Anyone without the means better stay out of this mess—otherwise, they'll end up with no lamb stolen and just a whole body of hassle. Hearing this, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the Tianshan Blood Pool to be so attractive even to a powerhouse like Fenglei Pavilion. If they encountered it on this journey, wouldn't that bring yet another wave of complications? "The four great halls of Zhongzhou hold a competition known as the 'Heaven of the Four Halls' every few years. The participants are the most outstanding young talents from each hall. I'm certain both Fenglei Hall and Wanjian Hall are making the journey for this event. It's just unclear whether Huangquan Hall and Xingyin Hall will also join in. While the Tianshan Blood Pond may not have much impact on the older members, it's a treasure for the younger generation—immersing oneself there not only purifies the marrow and strengthens the bones, but might even help break through a developmental bottleneck. With only a few months until the next 'Heaven of the Four Halls' competition, if we can achieve a breakthrough at this very moment, our chances of success will surely improve significantly." A lean man chuckled coldly. "It's said that Feng, a young lady from Fenglei Pavilion, possesses an astonishing talent for cultivation, and even rumors suggest she may become the next pavilion master of Dong Pavilion. As for Wanjian Pavilion, they are no less formidable—Tang Ying, renowned for his mastery of the Tianquan Sword Style, has a sword technique so refined that he can hold his own against some of the elder generation's masters, making him one of the outstanding talents among the young in the North Region. Should these two meet, it's hard to say who would emerge victorious..." "Hmph. Though strong, these two fall short when compared to the one named Xiao Yan recently—what could the Central Plains boast that would claim supremacy?" A man with a scar across his face scoffed. "Xiao Yan? The one who defeated Shen Yun, the northern master of Fenglei Pavilion, and forcibly broke through the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison array laid out by the other three senior elders?" "Hehe, that's right—你们没亲眼见过那天北城大战的场面，真是精彩绝伦。那年轻人看上去不过二十出头，实力却出奇地强大，单枪匹马就力压风雷北阁的三位斗宗。而洪家老祖洪天啸的结局更是惨烈，相比之下，凤小姐和唐鹰又算得了什么？" "But that can't be entirely true. Sure, Xiao Yan is strong, but Feng Xiao'er and Tang Ying aren't weak either. As far as I know, it was Xiao Yan who employed a rare, little-known secret technique to dramatically boost his strength—otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible for him to hold his own against the three senior cultivators." "...Hmm." At the sudden shift of focus onto himself, Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled softly. He reached into his storage scroll and pulled out a cloak, carefully covering his head with it—something he didn't want to do, as he didn't wish to reveal his identity and draw unnecessary attention or complications. After listening for a while longer, as Xuanyin was about to leave, a silvery figure gradually appeared at the staircase entrance and then stepped up the stairs to the second floor. With the emergence of this silvery figure, the second floor instantly grew quiet, and a subtle, slightly oppressive aura seeped out from within him—clearly not ordinary. The figure's exact age was hard to determine; his face appeared youthful, yet his hair carried a pale hue, hinting at a certain sense of age. Most striking was his pair of silvery eyes—an uncommon feature. Once on the second floor, the figure slowly surveyed the surroundings before moving toward the window area. After a moment, amid the many gazes, he stopped at the table and chair where Xuanyin sat. "May I sit here for a while?" A silvery figure smiled at Xiao Yan. Though speaking as he did, he had already settled himself directly across from him. As the figure sat down, everyone's gaze turned toward Xiao Yan. When Xiao Yan showed no reaction, they gradually shifted their attention elsewhere, and the bustling chatter resumed. Xiao Yan raised his head, glanced at the figure with a slight expression of curiosity. He was certain he had never seen him before. As he prepared to speak, a solemn voice from Tianhuo Master suddenly echoed softly within his mind. "Xiao Yan, be cautious—this person is exceptionally powerful!" The hand gripping his wine cup tightened subtly, sending ripples across the surface. The fact that Tianhuo Master could utter such words at all indicated just how formidable the figure truly was. Xiao Yan remained composed, offering a gentle smile. "The seat here isn't mine, so please, go ahead and sit. However, I still have matters to attend to, and thus won't linger any longer. I shall be off now." "You're not even afraid of the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison阵 laid down by the three senior elders of Fenglei Pavilion—so why should you fear me?" The silver figure smiled, but his voice suddenly grew deep and resonant, completely silencing the sounds from the second floor of the inn. A wave of astonished glances immediately turned toward Xiao Yan. "He... he's the one they've been talking about?" The man beneath the cloak's expression had grown increasingly somber. Xiao Yan stared steadily at the silver figure across from him, and slowly said, "So, who exactly are you? Please reveal your name—hiding in the shadows isn't the mark of a true master." "Heh, I may not quite be a master, but I came here specifically to ask you for something." The man in the silver robe lifted his wine cup and smiled. "What is it?" Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, his inner qi beginning to circulate steadily. Clearly, this person wasn't just here for courtesy—he was clearly coming straight at him, and from the way he carried himself, it seemed he wasn't interested in friendship. "The Three Thousand Thunder Phantoms Body." The man in the silver robe smiled warmly at Xiao Yan, and though his voice was soft, it caused the latter to suddenly spring to his feet. In a low, steady tone, he said, "Are you from the Fenglei Pavilion?" "Others call me Tian Lei Zi..." The man gently tapped his wine cup with a finger, and a streak of lightning surged forth, weaving like a small serpent, darting back and forth within the cup. "Tian Lei Zi? Fei Tian? The Master of the Northern Pavilion of Fenglei?" As soon as the man finished speaking, a sharp series of wine glasses clinking and falling echoed through the room, followed immediately by a wave of gasps and exclamations of astonishment. Upon hearing the final title—Master of the Northern Pavilion of Fenglei—Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed sharply, and almost instinctively, his Xuan Zhong Chi flashed into the air, sweeping down with a forceful, angry strike aimed directly at the man's head. The deep, resonant sound of the impact formed a visible wave on the blade, and at a distance, it shattered the table into fragments. Such treatment of an elder—so uncivilized. The man in silver robes smiled faintly, lightly tapping the air with a single finger. Instantly, a brilliant flash of lightning erupted and struck the heavy staff with force, the light surging like a venomous serpent, swiftly seeping toward Xiao Yan's outstretched hand. "Hmph!" Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan emitted a cold exhalation. A vibrant green flame surged from his arm, colliding with the lightning. A thunderous crack echoed as both elements were utterly consumed. "Indeed, this is an unusual flame... yet, with my keen eye, I still cannot determine which specific flame from the Unusual Flame Rankings it is," the man in silver robes murmured, his eyes briefly widening in astonishment. The attack falling short, Xiao Yan swiftly retracted his staff. His body trembled, resonating with the thunderous sound, and then surged forward, bursting through the window. As his back trembled, his bone wings unfurled, expanding into a streak of light, shooting out beyond the city walls with such astonishing speed that onlookers were left breathless. "Indeed, a thunderous three thousand strikes..." Upon seeing Xiao Yan fleeing, the man in silver robes did not immediately pursue, instead drinking the clear wine in one go from his cup. He then rose slowly, gazing in the direction of Xiao Yan's retreat, a faint, quiet smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Young lad, you won't make it. As the Thunder Elder and the others predicted, you possess several rare flames. If my assessment is correct, that previously unseen emerald flame you displayed—was likely a fusion of the various flames. Hm, a cultivation technique capable of fusing such flames? I've never heard of one in my lifetime. This truly broadens my horizons." Fei Tian smiled gently, his silver eyes gleaming with genuine interest. Then, with a slow step forward, his form dissolved like a ghost, silent and seamless. Only as Fei Tian's figure faded did the previously silent second floor of the inn gradually regain its life. Everyone stared at one another, stunned, never having imagined that today they would witness such a legendary elder master. Even more astonishing was that this elder master had personally come to pursue Xiao Yan—directly to hunt him down. "That boy... this time, he's truly going to have it tough. Fei Tian, reportedly an eight-star Battle Sect master many years ago, has only now been compelled to personally intervene. Such an honor—such a personal appearance—is no ordinary achievement. It's something very few could claim." A soft sigh drifted through the crowd.