Amid the dense forest, a figure was concealed beneath the thick canopy, his dual eyes fixed intently upon the sky. His aura, completely absorbed by a powerful soul force radiating outward, had vanished entirely. Though he had escaped Fei Tian's sensory range, Xiao Yan was well aware of the old man's astonishing speed. Immediately upon stepping beyond Fei Tian's detection, he turned and swiftly plunged into the forest, utilizing the power of Tianhuo Master to perfectly conceal his presence. It was nearly fifteen minutes before Xiao Yan settled into this hidden position, during which he remained motionless—like a statue—fully absorbed by the lush foliage. Combined with the seamless concealment of his aura, even if Fei Tian's abilities were supreme, it would likely prove difficult to locate him. This quiet waiting continued for another few minutes. Suddenly, the space far in the sky rippled, and Fei Tian emerged, his face contorted with fury. His piercing gaze slowly swept across the forest below. Then, with a roar, he swept his sleeve outward, unleashing a mighty surge of combat energy that surged like a ribbon, instantly leveling over a hundred meters of forest. Only after venting his rage did he turn his cold, resolute gaze toward another direction, and with a subtle movement, faded away. When Fei Tian appeared and then vanished, Xiao Yan remained utterly still—without so much as a flicker of movement. He knew how formidable the Eight-Star Conclave cultivator was, how sharp his senses were; even the slightest breeze or tremor would trigger their alertness. With Fei Tian’s swift pace, once spotted, escape would have been truly difficult. After Fei Tian’s disappearance, Xiao Yan stayed motionless, maintaining that stillness for nearly two hours before finally making a subtle shift—light as a breeze, he slipped gracefully from the branch, landing silently on the ground. Upon touching the earth, he scanned the surroundings with a vigilant gaze, then dissolved into a blurred silhouette, racing swiftly toward the deeper parts of the forest. After wandering through the forest for a while, Xiao Yan made every effort to avoid the wild beasts he encountered along the way. Those he could not bypass, he swiftly eliminated before they had a chance to roar. After a brief journey, a mountain peak finally came into view. Leaping gracefully onto the mountain, Xiao Yan settled at a safe spot halfway up the slope, then exhaled in relief, sinking into a chair-like slump as if drained. The relentless pursuit today had truly left him utterly tense. Today might also be considered one of the most perilous moments for Xiao Yan since entering the Central Plains. Had he not decisively discarded the scroll at the right moment, he likely would have remained under Fei Tian's relentless pursuit. Even an Eight-Star Battle Sect master would have proven difficult to defeat without Xiao Yan's devastating Flame Lotus technique—though that technique, while powerful, comes at an immense cost, leaving Xiao Yan in his most vulnerable state. Therefore, unless faced with an absolutely pressing emergency, Xiao Yan would rarely summon it. Moreover, the Huo Lian required to destroy the Flame of Transformation now only has a single-use limitation. As for the "Nong Yan Ju," Xiao Yan has consistently lacked the time to practice it, and the new "Flame of Transformation" has yet to be fully refined. Thus, in the near future, this life-saving move can only be executed once. "Ah, I must find a suitable opportunity to practice the 'Nong Yan Ju' soon. The current reserves of Flame of Transformation are rapidly running out." With a light sigh, Xiao Yan settled into a meditative posture, exhaled deeply, extended his hand, and summoned the Earth Spirit Puppet to guard around him. Gradually closing his eyes, he began carefully examining the now entirely transformed "Three-Thousand-Thunder-Phantom Body" cultivation technique within his mind. Due to the loss of Tian's soul information, the intricate and difficult-to-understand thunder characters that once resided in his mind have completely vanished, replaced instead by a well-structured and fully usable cultivation technique that Xiao Yan can now employ. Xiao Yan's mind gradually immersed itself into the cultivation technique of the Three-Thousand-Thunder-Phantom Body. Time flew by swiftly, as though only a brief instant had passed, yet by the time he looked out, the night sky had already turned completely dark. Xiao Yan had always been somewhat surprised as to how the Three Thousand Thunder Waves was connected to him. Now, it finally made sense—only when the Three Thousand Thunder Waves reached its peak state could there be a chance for the duplicate body to coalesce. Even if it did successfully form, the duplicate body existed in three distinct levels: initial, established, and fully matured. Each level reflected the strength of the duplicate: an initial-level duplicate possessed only about one-third of the original's power, an established-level duplicate about two-thirds, while a fully matured one matched the original's strength entirely. "Likely, Fei Tian's Three Thousand Thunder Wave duplicate has reached the established level," Xiao Yan murmured softly. "Otherwise, even with the aid of my Fallen Heart Flame, I wouldn't have been able to defeat it so easily." "Yet the Three Thousand Thunder Wave duplicate truly possesses exceptional qualities. Such an intricate technique—how remarkable it must be to have been conceived by someone of such extraordinary talent." Xiao Yan stood up, a brilliant silver glow emerging on his soles. His eyes suddenly narrowed, and his body shot forward. As he moved, several faint silhouettes appeared behind him. Xiao Yan paused, quickly turning his head, only to see the silhouettes gradually fading—no such phenomenon as described in the cultivation technique occurred. "Forming duplicates is indeed difficult..." With a slight frown, he murmured the technique's prescribed method to himself: "Govern form with the mind, spirit lingering in the shadow..." Reciting it several times over, he began to grasp the essence. Closing his eyes slowly, he stepped gently forward. With that single step, his figure surged forward like lightning, appearing dozens of meters away, leaving behind four faint silhouettes along the way. Among the four fading traces, three swiftly dissipated, while the last one slowed considerably—yet after nearly twenty seconds of gradual fading, it finally dissolved into nothingness. Subtly, Xiao Yan sensed a faint ripple of spiritual resonance within that final trace. "One must leave a strand of soul within the trace at the very moment it appears in order to form a duplicate body. But with such swift speed, how could one possibly manage to embed a soul within it?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, murmuring in contemplation. After prolonged thought, still without resolution, he only sighed. The cultivation of the Three-Thousand-Thunder-Phantom Body truly proved difficult, yet he would not give up. Xiao Yan had full confidence in himself. No matter how challenging the path, he was determined to master it. When he finally faced Fei Tian, he would surely demonstrate his duplicate body—curious to see whether the old man would be so stunned he'd gasp or even choke from shock. With a cold, mocking laugh, Xiao Yan was also stirred into a determined resolve. He gritted his teeth, focused once more, and resumed the technique of Three Thousand Thunderbolts. If it didn't work on the first try, he'd attempt it a hundred times; if not even a hundred times succeeded, he'd try a thousand. Though the Three Thousand Thunderbolts demanded considerable Qi, as long as he could master it, he didn't care about the cost. With his mind made up, Xiao Yan completely abandoned any rest. In the dark forest, streaks of silver light burst forth, shimmering faintly like ghostly flames. Fortunately, in this sparsely inhabited area, no one was around to witness it—otherwise, anyone seeing this scene at night would surely be startled. Xiao Yan's wildly intense cultivation lasted the entire night. When a streak of morning light broke through the darkness and poured over the land, he finally slowed down, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and chuckling softly. Though he still hadn't managed to successfully form a duplicate body, his mastery of the Three Thousand Thunder Waves had grown increasingly refined. The only drawback remained the excessive consumption of qi—despite the support of pills, he had to pause and rest several times during the night. "There are still about a month until the energy tides of the Tianmu Mountain Range. During this time, I'll walk through this range on foot. I should be able to reach there before then." After a brief rest, Xiao Yan regained his composure and gazed toward the far end of the mountains, murmuring to himself. Within these mountains, numerous mythical beasts dwell, many of whom are exceptionally powerful—outshining even the Myths of the Gamma Empire. Xiao Yan intends to focus on cultivation here over the coming period, refining the Three-Thousand-Thunder-Phantom Body technique, aiming to early establish a separate persona. Moreover, the life-and-death battles against these beasts will significantly enhance his strength. With his mind firmly resolved, Xiao Yan smiled, recalling the scene from his very first journey away from Wutan City to the Monster Mountains for training. Back then, he had seemed no more than a young warrior just beginning his journey in cultivation. Yet now, that same warrior who had first stepped into the cultivation world had already reached the rank of Nine-Star Emperor. Looking back, it truly felt like a dream come true. Leaping gracefully to the peak of the mountain, Xiao Yan gazed down at the endless range of mountains, listening to the continuous roars of beasts echoing through the valleys. He then raised his voice in a clear, resonant cry, leaping into the air like a great phoenix, swiftly descending and plunging straight into the dense heart of the monster-filled mountains. "Hah! Hah!" The bright, clear laughter lingering in the sky marked the beginning of Xiao Yan's forest cultivation journey once again!