At the entrance of the hall, a ghostly figure slowly materialized, his gaze impassive as it swept over the gathered guests, pausing finally on the blue-robed woman. His expression softened slightly, yet his voice remained cold and somber: "Xinlan, why has this happened?" The blue-robed woman was none other than Xinlan, who had led Xiao Yin and the others to the Central Region. Upon hearing Xiao Yin's words, she seemed to understand fully, her face dimming slightly as she murmured, "I'm sorry..." Seeing Xinlan's subdued expression, Xiao Yin grew steadily more composed. Her strength was not particularly strong, and it appeared that the Ye family was not in a particularly favorable position either. Even if Xinlan managed to persuade them to assist Xiao Yixian, they likely lacked the capacity to do so. "Who are you? How dare you intrude upon my Ye family like this!" As soon as Xinlan's words had settled, an elder in the hall suddenly grew stern, rising to his feet and shouting angrily at Xiao Yan. Several other elders from the Ye family were likewise glaring at Xiao Yan, while some younger members, though slightly younger, looked with a mixture of envy and satisfaction. Though the Ye family had recently declined in prominence, it was no easy matter for anyone to challenge them—especially not a young upstart barely their own age. Xiao Yan glanced at this elder, who was only a one-star Combat Sect master; judging by his seat, he held a respectable position within the Ye family. Yet Xiao Yan paid him no special attention. The only person in the hall who truly captured his focus was the elderly figure in green robes seated at the head of the hall, whose powerful aura of combat energy radiated around him—clearly a six-star Combat Sect master. "Come with me," Xiao Yan said, his eyes fixed on Xinlan, his voice cold and firm. "Take me to her!" Hearing this, Xinlan clenched her silver teeth and then firmly nodded. She had brought the two young healers to the Central Plains, yet had failed to offer them corresponding protection—indeed, when the young healers found themselves in peril, she offered no assistance at all. "You youngsters are outrageous!" The elder who had been ignored earlier, and whose anger had already been building, now flared even more. With a powerful strike of his palm on the table, a loud "crack" echoed as the sturdy table shattered into a fine powder. Then, with a sweeping motion of his sleeve, the chair behind him surged forward with tremendous force, aimed directly at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan remained expressionless. As the wooden chair approached within a span of one zhang from him, a deep, resonant "pffft" sound was heard, and it suddenly turned to blackened ashes, dispersing without a trace. Witnessing this, several people in the hall were momentarily stunned, clearly unprepared to see that such a young-looking boy possessed such remarkable strength. "Indeed, he has some real talent—no wonder he dares to act so bold at my Ye family. But today, I intend to teach you, young upstart, what it truly means to show respect to the elders!" Gazing at the strangely charred wooden chair, the elder narrowed his eyes, let out a cold laugh, and his anger intensified. With a swift footfall on the ground, he surged forward like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for Xiao Yan, his withered palms now glowing with an eerie green flame. "Fourth Elder, stop!" Xin Lan, seeing the elder act so decisively, grew pale and urgently called out. Yet the fourth elder paid no attention to her. By nature, he was always impatient, and now, with the Ye family facing such a crisis, his frustration had only grown. To see a mere young lad, who had just appeared out of nowhere, daring to challenge him—how could he not be incensed? "Xiao Yan, hurry—get out of here!" "Seeing that the Fourth Elder hadn't paused, Xinlan quickly turned to Xiao Yan, urgently shouting, "Though the Ye family is currently in a difficult situation, they still have two or three Dou-Zong-level强者 available. If they truly intend to capture Xiao Yan today, with their current capabilities, it will indeed be hard for him to escape. Unheeding Xinlan's call, Xiao Yan remained silent, his eyes fixed on the elderly man approaching with a blazing, hot wind. A sense of coldness flickered in his dark gaze. During this time, he had been preoccupied with concerns over Xiao Yixian's condition, and thus had been in a less-than-optimistic mood—this old man had truly stepped right into his line of fire. "Young man," the Elder declared, "I'll capture you first, then deliver you to your elders so they can properly discipline you!" With a swift movement, the Elder materialized before Xiao Yan, gripping his hands tightly. A vibrant green flame surged and burned fiercely, then he launched a powerful punch forward! This punch was nothing fancy, yet the immense force carried with it a deep sonic boom! The flame-tinged fist rapidly expanded within the dark pupils, and then Xiao Yan gently lifted his hand before slowly spreading it open... "Boom!" Under the collective gaze of the hall, the fourth elder of the Ye family, whose fist glowed with green flame, struck with precise force upon Xiao Yan's palm. Yet before anyone could cheer, the elder's face went stiff, realizing that the slender young man had not even flinched. Moreover, the green flame on the elder's fist seemed to encounter something terrifying—automatically extinguishing as it made contact with Xiao Yan's palm, all while the onlookers stared in stunned silence. The entire hall fell utterly still. Those who had previously been gloating now exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with disbelief. Though the fourth elder wasn't the strongest in the Ye family, he was still a Douzong-level master. Facing such a powerful blow, it was rare indeed—within the family—to easily withstand it. "You're not even qualified to be disciplined," the elder remarked. Xiao Yan slightly lifted his eyes, his gaze calm and detached as he surveyed the elder before him, whose face had turned pale with shock. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. With a half-rotation of his palm, he then suddenly shook it powerfully! Boom! The powerful, violent force surged from Xiao Yan's arm like a tidal wave, flooding into the body of the fourth elder of the Ye family instantly. With a sharp *plush*, the dark energy infused with the strange fire effortlessly shattered the elder's defensive barriers. The elder's face instantly turned ashen, and his body recoiled as if struck by a heavy blow, flying backward and crashing into a massive pillar in the hall. A thick stream of crimson blood erupted from his mouth, splashing out under the stunned gazes of all present. Staring at the fourth elder who was now gasping and collapsing, the once-quiet hall had fallen utterly silent. Even Xin Lan, with her jade hands, couldn't help but cover her mouth, her face filled with astonishment. She had always known Xiao Yan's prowess in combat against Daoist cultivators, but back then, he could never have stunned a Daoist cultivator merely with a single palm strike, sending them gasping and flying. "Not even a year has passed... yet he's already reached such a level?" Xin Lan's gaze remained fixed on Xiao Yan's composed face, a spark of fervor glowing in her eyes. "The decline of the Ye family is no mere coincidence." Gently lowering her hands, Xiao Yan glanced at the fallen fourth elder, then surveyed the hall before shaking his head, his gaze shifting to Xin Lan. "Come with me." "Wait!" As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, two more sharp cries rang out, and the two warriors rose again. These two were also among the Dou-Zong-level强者 in the hall, slightly stronger than the previous one—likely around Three-Star Dou-Zong rank. Unlike the Fourth Elder who had acted so boldly, these two now fixed their gaze firmly on Xiao Yan, moving swiftly to block off his escape routes. "The one who went first wasn't me, and I have urgent matters to attend to. Xinlan is here now, and she must come with me. If you wish to press any charges, I regret I won't be able to stay and listen!" Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward the first elder in robes. "You're overconfident, youngster!" The two elder leaf-family members blocking his retreat frowned and spoke with growing anger. The elder in robes also looked slightly displeased, saying, "Xinlan is a member of my family—she can't simply be taken away by your word alone." "Grand Elder, the person I referred to is indeed Xiao Yan. With his help, I believe our family can regain its place among the Dan Tower elders!" Xinlan, seemingly not wanting to make the relationship between her family and Xiao Yan appear too strained, quickly added. Upon hearing this, the elder in robes was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brows as he glanced at Xiao Yan, his eyes expressing a touch of disappointment. Such a young man—how could he truly be the savior of the Leaf family as Xinlan claimed? "You needn't say much—this matter is entirely under my own judgment," the elder in green said calmly, then turning to Xiao Yan, added, "Young friend, if you truly are one of Xinlan's assistants, then I kindly request that you stay with the Ye family for a while, so that we may show our hospitality. Would that be agreeable?"