The young man's calm voice flowed through the hall like a stream, leaving everyone stunned—such a tone was truly extraordinary in its boldness. Even Zhao Hei, the black-robed elder of Qin Mo, paused, his expression gradually darkening. His gaze sharpened, fierce as that of a wounded wolf, fixed upon the young man approaching slowly from within the hall. After a moment, he snarled, "A mere two-star cultivator! He dares to act so insolently before us both!" "Forty seconds." Unmoved by their scorn, the young man spoke with a relaxed, almost lazy tone. "Kill him!" Zhao Hei's face grew cold, and he said it steadily. At the command, the numerous black-fire sect members surrounding him instantly hardened their eyes, their inner cultivation energy surging powerfully. Without hesitation, they all simultaneously unleashed their energy attacks, converging upon the young man as he advanced. A jade-green flame surged from Xiao Yan's body, coalescing into a fiery shield. Upon contact, the fierce attacks automatically dissipated, leaving Xiao Yan's steps unimpeded. Witnessing the jade-green flame emanating from Xiao Yan, Zhao He and the other two exchanged a moment of astonishment, then suddenly exclaimed, "A rare flame?" As the words fell, a surge of excitement and eager anticipation lit up their eyes. The Black Fire Sect was renowned for its mastery of flame manipulation, and thus, they were well-acquainted with the legendary "divine flame," a rare and revered form of fire. "Good lad—such a rare treasure! Though you've come so willingly, we'll gladly accept it!" Zhao He smiled faintly, exchanged a glance with Qin Mo, and then swiftly planted his foot. Both of them launched simultaneously, charging toward Xiao Yan. "Ah... the time has come," Xiao Yan sighed softly, shaking his head slightly at that very moment. A slow sigh settled, and the space around Xiao Yan gradually warped. Suddenly, an elderly figure emerged in a most strange manner. With a casual wave of his sleeve at the two charging figures, the void space seemed to be forcefully melded together by an invisible giant hand, revealing numerous creases and folds. As the sleeve swept downward, a vast and terrifying force flowed silently through the space like a tide, making no ripple at all, and gently striking the chests of Zhao He and Qin Mo. "Plush!" The gust of wind hit them, and their bodies instantly froze. The fierce expressions on their faces instantly transformed into shock. Before this shock could fully unfold, two thick streams of crimson blood, mingled with fragments of internal organs, erupted from their mouths! "Boom!" "Blood sprayed forth, and the two figures' bodies flew backward like loose kites, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. They tumbled wildly on the ground for several dozen circles before colliding hard against the wall, emitting a clear, crisp sound of breaking bones. The entire hall fell silent. Every eye was fixed on the elderly figure beside Xiao Yan, as if stunned—how could two six-star peak Dao Sect masters, so strong, have been defeated so utterly and unceremoniously with such ease? Ye Zhong's mind flashed with rapid thoughts. Since the Ye family had gradually declined, it had been rare to find abilities capable of impressing even some Douzun-level masters—otherwise, the Heihuo Sect would never have dared to come knocking. As he pondered this, his gaze suddenly fell upon Xinlan outside the hall, and he was momentarily stunned. Then, as if a thought had struck him, he quickly turned his attention back to Xiao Yan. Though the latter's appearance had changed slightly, Ye Zhong still caught glimpses of familiar contours. "Is he really the same Xiao Yan from last time?" A thought surged through his mind. Even Ye Zhong couldn't help but take a sharp breath. Last time, the man had only been accompanied by a powerful puppet. Now, in just a month's time, how had another mysterious Douzun-level master appeared at his side? "This person must surely possess an immense background—otherwise, how could Douzun-level masters accompany him so closely? Last time, I must have been too blind to see it, nearly offending this great deity." As for the thoughts swirling in Ye Zhong's mind, Xiao Yan naturally had no knowledge of them. He glanced at Zhao He and Qin Mo, both drenched in blood and visibly shaken at the corner of the wall, and couldn't help but chuckle. The strike from Tian Huo Zun had likely inflicted serious injuries upon them—despite their eventual recovery, they would surely bear lasting consequences. "Esteemed elder, we are senior monks from Hei Huo Sect. Today, we have been so clumsy as to offend you both. We sincerely hope you will forgive us." With a mixture of embarrassment and awe, Zhao He and Qin Mo managed to rise from the ground, their hearts filled with shock but lacking any anger. As direct witnesses to the sheer power of that single palm, they were well aware of its devastating impact. Only a cultivator of Dou Zun rank could have delivered such a blow so effortlessly. Such a presence was simply beyond the reach of Hei Huo Sect. "Damn it—how is it possible that the Ye family could even have encountered a Dou Zun-level cultivator?" This time, we've underestimated them. We'll definitely inform the Master upon our return—let alone pursue the Ye family any further. Indeed, even a lean camel is greater than a horse. Both of them were full of bitterness, bracing against the waves of intense pain radiating from within, wiping the blood from their faces. Yet they no longer carried the slightest dignity they had earlier. Before this one, a Dao Resonance cultivator, their lives were nothing more than insignificant insects. This truth was most clear to them. "Get out! Come back later. Next time, I'll go to your Black Fire Sect and chat with you at length." Xiao Yan glanced calmly at the two, who had nearly been shaken to their very cores, and spoke coldly. Upon hearing this, Zhao He and Qin Mo both shivered, unable to utter a word, and instead supported each other, turning to flee toward the door. "Take your things!" As these two were about to step out, Xiao Yan's cold voice followed closely behind, prompting them to hastily turn around and carefully place the coffins in their storage talismans, only then to flee in a hasty, embarrassed manner, unable to utter a single word, while the Leaf Clan members stared in stunned silence. Gazing at the black-flame sect delegation fleeing in such disarray, the Leaf Clan members gradually regained their composure and, upon looking at Xiao Yan and the Heavenly Fire Patriarch beside him, were filled with growing reverence. "Grandfather, are you both all right?" Xinlan rushed into the hall, asking anxiously to Leaf Zhong. Leaf Zhong shook his head and then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, sighed gently, and bowed formally with a respectful gesture. "Mr. Xiao Yan, thank you so much for your timely assistance. Though the Leaf Clan was unkind to us on that day, I hope you won't hold it against us." "Xiao Yan?" Hearing Ye Zong's words, several members of the Ye family were taken aback, especially the elder family members who had previously fought against Xiao Yan, whose eyes widened in astonishment before they grew with a touch of embarrassment. Xiao Yan casually waved his hand, showing no formality, and simply said, "This visit to the Ye family is merely to borrow the Yang Fire Ancient Altar for a short time. I wonder if Elder Ye Zong could make it available?" Upon hearing this, Ye Zong glanced at Xin Lan beside him, who promptly nodded in agreement. With that, Ye Zong could only offer a wry smile, "Xiao Yan, today you have saved our family. Though, according to family regulations, the Yang Fire Ancient Altar cannot be loaned out, the circumstances we now face are such that if we cling to tradition any longer, we may only be setting ourselves on a path to certain doom..." Seeing that Ye Zong offered no further excuses, Xiao Yan gently nodded in response. After instructing his clan members to clear the hall, Ye Zong personally led Xiao Yan and the others deeper into the Ye family estate. After about ten minutes, they arrived at a secluded stone plaza. At the center of the plaza stood an ancient altar, constructed from massive stones bearing clear signs of age—evidently, the altar had stood for a long time. As Xiao Yan approached the altar, he noticed the light here was unusually bright. The closer they got to the altar, the more intense and pure the energy in the surrounding space became. Radiant beams of light, appearing tangible, poured down from the sky, reflecting off the smooth stone walls and converging entirely upon a dark stone stele at the center of the altar. "Beneath the stone stele lies a deep earth fissure leading into the heart of the earth. When the stele is moved, earth-origin flames surge forth, igniting the gathered sunlight to form yang fire—though this was only the situation of old..." Looking at the ancient altar, Ye Zhong sighed lightly and chuckled, a touch of weariness in his voice. "What's happened now?" asked Xiao Yan, his brow furrowed. "As far back as several years ago, earth-origin flames were rarely seen emerging through the fissure. Even with other flames, they could not ignite the sunlight to create yang fire..." Ye Zhong spoke softly. Xiao Yan nodded slightly. His journey here wasn't specifically to harness yang fire, but rather to utilize the pure celestial and terrestrial energies of this place to stabilize Xiao Yixian's affliction of the厄难 toxin. "Xiao Yixian, step into the altar," Xiao Yan said, turning to face her. Hearing this, the young physician nodded, and with a light tap of her foot, her body floated gently onto the altar. The dense, yang energy surrounding her caused her dark brows to slightly furrow, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. Seeing the young physician enter the altar, Xiao Yan hesitated, then summoned the Earth Spirit Puppet as well, only after which he felt somewhat reassured and stepped into the altar. Shifting his gaze, Xiao Yan looked at the slightly nervous young physician before him, smiled gently, and said, "Then, let's begin."