Wang Chen's fierce laughter immediately caused everyone present to freeze in place. Then, with a sudden ripple, countless sets of eyes, filled with disbelief, settled on Xiao Yan, who had abruptly halted mid-step. "Xiao Yan? The Xiao Yan who has strained relations with Fenglei Pavilion?" "The one who broke through the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison array that had held back Fenglei Pavilion's three senior elders, and who escaped from Fei Tian?" Outside the arena, countless spectators were left utterly stunned. No one had expected that the young man who had just defeated Wang Chen was none other than Xiao Yan, the rising star recently making waves across the North Region. Even more astonishing was the fact that Xiao Yan, despite his known tensions with Fenglei Pavilion, had dared to come here—to the very heart of the Thunder Exhibition. Wasn't this a case of walking straight into the lion's den? "He... he's really Xiao Yan? Has he gone mad?" Tang Ying's mouth hung slightly open as he stared at Xiao Yan, his composed face now etched with astonishment. "This fool... actually came here?" On the delicate, beautiful face of Mu Qinglun, there was also a calm composure—something she never expected, given that this person had truly come to Lei Mountain. "It's him... That explains it... I never thought he'd have such courage. It seems he has never truly considered our Fenglei Pavilion as anything more than a mere name." With her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, a subtle curve formed at the corner of her lips, carrying an undercurrent of coldness and pride. She had always hoped to finally face him in direct competition, to restore the prestige of her pavilion—but each time, the opportunity had slipped away. Amidst the stunned murmurs of the crowd, even the senior figures seated at the head table—the Lei Sovereigns—were momentarily taken aback. After a brief pause, they regained their composure, their gentle smiles fading into a composed stillness. They now stared steadily at Xiao Yan on the plaza, their fingers gently tapping on the armrest of their chair. Though the sound was soft, it carried a deeply oppressive weight. As for Xiao Yan's name, the Thunder Sovereign had also heard of it. To manage to single-handedly leave the Wind-Thunder Pavilion in such a disheveled state—such a feat was no ordinary person's accomplishment. "Fei Tian, is he indeed the one you're referring to?" The Thunder Sovereign slightly turned his head, his gaze—glimmering with subtle lightning—focusing on Fei Tian, speaking in a calm yet measured tone. Hearing Lei Zun's words, Fei Tian, dressed in a silver robe, quickly rose to his feet. His complexion now looked somewhat strained—he had already been reprimanded by Lei Zun on more than one occasion for the matter concerning Xiao Yan, and had also frequently been mocked by these two companions beside him. Now, after the incident had been temporarily set aside, it was suddenly brought up again. With his fist clenched tightly within his sleeve, Fei Tian took two steps forward, his solemn gaze fixed on Xiao Yan, and coldly commanded, "Young man, remove whatever is on your face!" Under the weight of countless gazes, Xiao Yan's expression grew slightly gloomy. He hadn't expected to be identified so clearly by Wang Chen—likely due to the unique flame that had once been a point of distinction. Back then, they had fought each other, and Wang Chen had personally noted that Xiao Yan's strange flame exerted a suppressive effect on his qi flow, making it a memorable detail. With a cold, piercing gaze, Xiao Yan swept over Wang Chen, who was smirking with growing intensity. Then, a figure hurried forward from behind, appearing beside him with Lin Yan holding a long spear, his face serious. "Shall we attempt to break through?" asked Lin Yan firmly. Xiao Yan shook his head slightly. With their combined strength, a direct assault would likely prove too risky and succeed only with low probability. "It's up to me," he said, gesturing with a hand. He then slowly raised his head, a quiet chuckle forming on his lips. With a palm stroke across his face, a leather-like covering peeled away, revealing his true form. Since the disguise could no longer be maintained, there was no point in continuing to conceal himself. "What now?" Master Fei Tian, are you planning to strike me again today?" Seeing the face of Xiao Yan—so vividly etched in his memory—Master Fei's expression turned completely cold. A roar of anger erupted from his throat as he moved, and thunder roared throughout the air, his form vanishing instantly. As Master Fei disappeared, Xiao Yan's face paled. He pushed back the Lin Yan standing beside him with a palm, and the lightning glimmers danced across his feet, causing his body to tremble slightly. Just as his body began to tremble, Master Fei reappeared like a ghost behind him, his clawed hands glowing with lightning that pierced straight through Xiao Yan's chest—yet no blood spilled. "A residual image?" With a sudden shake of his arm, Xiao Yan shattered the image. Master Fei slowly turned around, his gaze icy as he looked at Xiao Yan hovering several feet above the ground. He chuckled coldly, "It's been several months since we last saw each other—your strength has clearly grown. That explains your boldness." "Wind and Thunder Pavilion? Nothing special. Just good at taking advantage of the elderly to dominate the young, and the numerous to overpower the few!" Xiao Yan stared coldly at Fei Tian. Suddenly, a smile broke across his face as he lifted his gaze, directly addressing the impassive Lei Zun, and said, "If Lei Zun truly believes the young man harbors such deep resentment toward Fenglei Pavilion, why not act yourself? With your status as a Du Zun-level master, the young man will surely not be an easy opponent in a single encounter. What's the point of going through all this trouble?" As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, the entire hall erupted into murmurs. Many people thought he had gone mad—how could he dare to challenge Lei Zun at such a moment? However, those with sharper minds paused, then silently praised in their hearts. What was Lei Zun's standing? A Du Zun-level powerhouse, a towering figure in the Zhongzhou continent. His reputation and strength were simply beyond Xiao Yan's reach. And precisely because of this, as soon as Xiao Yan made his statement, if Lei Zun wished to avoid the appearance of treating a younger opponent with undue deference, he would surely hesitate to engage Xiao Yan directly today. In other words, Xiao Yan was deliberately cutting off some truly dangerous paths for himself. With his current strength, as long as it wasn't a Supreme Battle Sovereign making the move, even facing off against Fei Tian, he would still have a chance to escape. "This youngster is quite clever..." The Sword Sovereign chuckled, glancing at the Lightning Sovereign beside him, whose expression remained utterly still. "You don't need to perform all these little acts before me. I don't even need to step in to capture you." His gaze remained calm and steady as he watched Xiao Yan, with no significant change in tone. "With the Northern Master's senior presence involved, there's no need for the Lightning Sovereign to intervene. After all, this is something the Wind and Lightning Pavilion often handles. And if the Northern Master were to falter, there's still the Western Master and the Southern Master here." Xiao Yan smiled. "Hah! Young man, don't go all stiff and formal—this is purely a matter of the Northern Pavilion. The Western and Southern Pavilions won't get involved." On the seat, a broad-shouldered, bare-chested man roared with a voice like thunder—none other than the master of Fenglei Pavilion. Hearing this laughter, Fei Tian's brows furrowed slightly. His own status, like that of Xiao Yan, was also vastly different; he had had to act out of necessity when he first intervened, only to find that the latter had managed to escape once again. This was a serious blow to his dignity, and thus, upon their first meeting, he had been compelled to step in. Yet, once he regained his composure, he found himself at a loss—should he now intervene, he would inevitably be seen as overpowering and dominating, which would tarnish his reputation. Fenglei Pavilion was no mere Huangquan Pavilion; such prestige was deeply valued. Yet, at the moment, if he did not step forward, the other strong contenders of his generation from Fenglei Pavilion—unless specifically ordered by the Lord of Thunder—would not volunteer to act. Thus, whether or not to intervene now, he found himself equally troubled. After a moment of inner struggle, a cold determination flashed in Fei Tian's eyes. This Xiao Yan had seriously damaged the reputation of the Fenglei Northern Pavilion, and today, no matter what, Fei Tian would not let him go. As Fei Tian solidified his resolve, an exceptionally powerful and terrifying aura gradually awakened within him. Under the influence of this aura, the layers of dark clouds in the distant sky roared violently, shimmering with silver light and resonating with thunderclaps. Witnessing this scene, Xiao Yan's expression grew slightly serious. He hadn't expected that this old man would willingly sacrifice his reputation to confront him firmly. "Xiao Yan, run!" Nian Yan urgently shouted. Fei Tian's strength was truly formidable—despite Xiao Yan having reached the Douzong level, the gap between them remained hard to measure. In their clash, Xiao Yan stood little chance of survival. Xiao Yan slowly shook his head. Now he was on Leis Mountain, the headquarters of Fenglei Pavilion—escaping would be no easy task. It would only be a fighting chance if he made a bold effort. Moreover... Xiao Yan's gaze drifted slightly outward, finally settling on Feng Zun, the one in the indigo robe seated at the podium, exuding an especially composed and relaxed demeanor. Could this man truly be the trustworthy individual his teacher had described? In the presence of so many, Xiao Yan naturally did not mention the name of Yao Lao. Taking a deep breath, he bowed formally and said, "Feng Zun, I would like to present you with something." Upon hearing Xiao Yan suddenly turn to him, Feng Zun was momentarily taken aback, then smiled gently. "Young man, this seems to be your matter concerning Fenglei Pavilion—does it not appear unrelated to me?" Though they had never met before, he certainly wouldn't want to create any immediate friction with Fenglei Pavilion. Indeed, he had no fear in that regard. Xiao Yan smiled, removed the black, ancient ring left by Yao Lao from his finger, and tossed it toward Feng, the Esteemed. If Feng truly deserved complete trust—as Yao Lao had claimed—then the next move Xiao Yan made would serve to confirm certain things. Of course, if the outcome differed from his expectations, then the path ahead would still have to be walked solely by Xiao Yan. With a slightly furrowed brow, Feng watched the dark object streaking toward him, caught it in one hand under the weight of countless eyes, and then gently spread his palm. Instantly, an unusually familiar dark ring lay quietly within. At the very instant the gaze fell upon the dark ring, the faint smile upon Wind Master's face slowly froze—seeming to freeze not only his expression, but the very realm around him as well. In that moment, Wind Master's body transformed into a statue, his gaze nearly still, fixed upon the ring deeply embedded with the soul's imprint. A terrifying storm roared into shape above his head. Though he spoke not a word, everyone could feel the overwhelming surge of emotion pulsing within him. Amidst countless astonished gazes, it was only after a long while that Wind Master's body gradually softened. He clutched the ring tightly in his hands, leaned gently against the back of the chair, and closed his eyes. A quiet, resolute voice then emerged, steady and unyielding. "No one shall move him!"