Pfft! As fresh blood sprayed out, the Sky Serpent's form slid down from the heavens. After tapping the ground with several dozen firm steps, he gradually stabilized, his dry face now pale. Thud! Thud! When the Sky Serpent was knocked back, the elite disciples of the Ice River Valley also flew backward as though struck by a heavy blow, then collapsed to the ground, unconscious—unaware of whether they would survive. Among them, only the three white-robed elders managed to remain upright, though their faces were now filled with shock. They had never imagined that their combined strength, poured into the grand array, could not even withstand a single round against this single warrior. Indeed, a Duke-Class cultivator could not be defeated merely by sheer numbers. How remarkable his command over spatial energy had become—far beyond what one would expect from a cultivator just beginning to reach Duke-Class rank! "Stabilize your stance. A wave of astonishment also surged in Tian She's eyes as he quickly scanned the ice valley disciples who had been knocked unconscious by the shock, his gaze flickering. "Today's events have indeed revealed a misjudgment on our part. With this person protecting the Ernan Poison Maiden and others, I simply could not have captured them—had it not been for this, I would have been unable to succeed. I must return to the valley master and explain what has transpired!" Tian She, truly seasoned and shrewd, had quickly realized after this encounter that the mission's prospects were now dim. With decisive resolve, he bit his lip and gathered a vast expanse of cold energy in his palm, then delivered a powerful punch into the seemingly empty space behind him. As the dark spatial passage just appeared, Tian She's palm shot out toward the three white-robed elders, generating a sudden surge of suction that instantly pulled them, completely unresisting, to the side, and as they moved, they were about to plunge into the passage. "Don't let him escape!" When the dark spatial passage emerged, Xiao Yan also quickly shouted. Without needing Xiao Yan's reminder, Tian Huo Master reacted swiftly—his palm extended toward the dark passage, and with a firm grasp, an invisible ripple spread out. The passage began to rapidly collapse. As the passage started to crumble, Tian She's face tightened, then his eyes flashed with cold intensity. He slammed his palm firmly against the back of one of the white-robed elders, sending a wave of chilling energy that sent him flying. "Boom!" The White Robed Elder had just been sent flying. The concealed inner power hidden within the celestial serpent suddenly surged, instantly enveloping the elder's body in a swirling mass of ice, which then exploded with a loud 'boom!' Shards of ice scattered in all directions, and a powerful wave of energy surged outward at lightning speed. Under this human-explosion wave, the intangible force emanating from Tianhuo Master was momentarily impeded and momentarily blocked. As the White Robed Elder's body exploded, Tianhuo Master's brow furrowed—this elder was indeed formidable, having acted so decisively and without hesitation against his companion. With a gentle sweep of his sleeve, ripples of spatial disturbance spread out, effectively countering the explosion's wave and swiftly moving toward the celestial serpent. Seeing that the explosion of the Du-Zong-level warrior had not achieved significant results, the celestial serpent's expression darkened, and a flash of fierce determination quickly flashed across its eyes. As the fierce brilliance flashed in the Sky Serpent's eyes, the two other white-robed elders beside him simultaneously felt a wave of cold dread surge through them, instinctively launching themselves into motion, striving to escape. However, barely had their thoughts taken shape when the Sky Serpent coldly smiled, her palm striking their backs with a lightning-fast motion, unleashing a powerful surge of force. Thud! Thud! The elders had no time to defend—this overwhelming cold surged directly into their bodies. The flowing qi within them instantly froze and began to expand rapidly. Boom! Boom! A second wave of even more potent icy force erupted, spreading out swiftly like a surge of waves. Some massive stones on the ground were instantly encased in solid ice, while the ice valley disciples lying unconscious on the ground were rapidly transformed into lifelike ice sculptures. Their vital energies were completely frozen in that very instant. Two fresh surges of icy, colossal waves finally shattered the intangible force of Tian Huo Zunzer, which had been disrupting the flow, and as the spatial passage rotated, the pale-faced Tian She swiftly plunged into it and vanished. "Mountains may not move, but waters do—what has transpired today is far from over. You shall all witness my Ice River Valley pursue you!" As Tian She's form disappeared, a venomous, cold voice, rich with resentment, slowly emerged from where the spatial passage had vanished, lingering at the valley's entrance. Watching Tian She manage to escape successfully, Tian Huo Zunzer furrowed his brows. He hadn't anticipated that someone still below the Dou Zun stage could cleave through space to flee—nor had he fully grasped the resolve of this individual, who, in his desperation to escape, had willingly sacrificed three Dou Zong elders as expendable pawns. "Has he really escaped?" Xiao Yi Xian slightly furrowed her brows, murmuring softly. Xiao Yan nodded gently, a touch of regret in his eyes, looking up at the Tian Huo Master floating in the air. "Master Yao just regained his physical body. Though his spiritual power has surged dramatically, his internal qi hasn't fully recovered within this short time. The battles we've fought so far have been sustained entirely through his spiritual strength. Otherwise, that celestial serpent would have escaped." Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, saying, "As long as we can scare off that old man, we still can't engage Ice River Valley head-on right now. We need to find a more concealed location to help Xiao Yixian overcome her厄难毒体. Once she can fully control it, even if Ice River Valley decides to act, they'll have to seriously consider their options. With two True Battle Sovereigns, even in the Central Plains, they represent a truly formidable force." The Heavenly Fire Sovereign gave a slight nod. Though he now possessed a body, he hadn't yet fully achieved the strength of a true Battle Sovereign—only after he became thoroughly familiar with this body could he be considered one. "Wherever you wish to go, that's where we'll go. You've given me a second chance at resurrection. This debt, I'll repay you," said the Heavenly Fire Sovereign, stroking his beard and smiling warmly at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan smiled slightly, paused thoughtfully, and said, "The snake has already escaped. I believe the Ice River Valley will soon be aware of our presence, so we probably can't stay here much longer. Moreover, if we are to assist Xiao Yixian in overcoming her厄难toxic constitution, the Falling God Gorge isn't exactly the ideal location—here, the toxic atmosphere is too dense. Should the厄难toxic constitution react adversely, unforeseen complications might arise. Therefore, we must seek a place that is both profoundly yang and intensely vibrant, only then can we effectively suppress her toxic constitution and improve our chances of success..." "Profoundly yang and intensely vibrant?" Both Tian Huo and Xiao Yixian nodded in contemplation—such a place was not easy to find within the Dan Domain. "I do know of one such place," said a voice that suddenly broke in as Xiao Yan and the others were deep in thought. Turning to where the voice came from, they found Xin Lan smiling, stepping out from the valley. "Where exactly?" asked Xiao Yan, pleased, and quickly inquired. "Yecheng, our Ye family possesses a unique site known as the Yang-Huo Ancient Altar. During the day, the sunlight from the sky converges there. The altar features a ground eye that extends deep into the earth's core, occasionally sending out sparks of earth-origin fire from this eye. When these earth-origin sparks come into contact with the gathered sunlight, they transform into a specific kind of flame—our family calls this the Yang-Huo. "The Yang-Huo, though not an extraordinary fire in itself, is far more potent than ordinary beast-fire. Our ancestors often utilized this flame when preparing elixirs, significantly improving their success rates. However, it's unfortunate that this flame doesn't last long—it naturally dissipates over time." As she spoke, a subtle sense of regret lingered in her tone. Still, the Yang-Huo was remarkably appealing, drawing the interest of numerous factions who coveted the Ye family's very Yang-Huo Ancient Altar. "Yang-Huo?" "Xiao Yan murmured, 'Indeed, the great world is full of wonders. The formation of this Yang Fire bears a striking resemblance to the Yin Fire—no wonder the Ye family holds it in such high regard.' 'According to your description, this ancient Yang Fire坛 must be a sacred site within your Ye family's stronghold, one they would lend out?' After a brief pause, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, for he had only met the Ye family members once, and his impression of them had not been particularly favorable. Xin Lan, too, was aware of Xiao Yan's strained relationship with the Ye family, and thus offered a wry smile before biting her silver teeth firmly. 'Last time, they offended Xiao Yan's elder brother merely because they didn't know your identity. This time, if they come again, I guarantee they will not dare to slight you in any way!' Today, the Ye family is gradually declining. They now have only one senior herbalist at the seventh rank—indeed, their strength is no longer sufficient to maintain their status as one of the Five Great Families of the Dan Region. Without external support, they will inevitably be absorbed and absorbed by other rising powers." As for this so-called external assistance, in Xinlan's eyes, who could be more suitable than Xiao Yan? At just a young age, he has already reached the seventh rank—such an achievement is no less impressive than that of Cao Family's renowned alchemy prodigy, said to be a once-in-a-century talent. Upon hearing Xinlan's words, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly before gently nodding and saying, "I hope things will unfold as you've described. If we can resolve Xiao Yi Xian's affliction of toxic constitution, then on your behalf, I will do my best to assist your family." Upon hearing this, Xinlan's face brightened with delight—Xiao Yan's words clearly signaled that he would give her family another chance. "Xiao Yan brother, please rest assured!" Xinlan nodded firmly. She had already made up her mind: no matter what, she would ensure that the rigid elders in her family truly regarded Xiao Yan as the savior of their household.