Inside Yecheng, countless people stared in wide-eyed astonishment at the countless white figures stretching across the hills and valleys outside. A powerful, overwhelming cold aura continuously surged from within these bodies, eventually directly affecting the very environment of the realm. The sudden drop in temperature and the falling snow within the city—clearly caused by that immense cold energy! The cold air outside the city, like a celestial veil, gradually slowed and then spread outward as it reached a radius of one hundred meters around Yexing, fully enveloping the city. With these layers of cold air barriers now in place, Yexing was completely encircled—no longer able to enter or exit. "Yehouse! Hand over the female afflicted by the calamitous poison and the others, or Yehouse shall be utterly destroyed today!" While the people within the city were startled by the sudden formation of the cold air barrier, a faint, elderly voice—amplified by powerful aura—slowly carried through the city, finally resonating clearly in the ears of every individual. "The female afflicted by the calamitous poison? So they've come for her. That explains everything..." "Never expected the female afflicted by the calamitous poison to be within Yehouse?" These people truly are bold, aren't they? Hearing that deep, resonant voice, the commotion within the city gradually settled, with many people even exhaling in relief. It seemed clear now that the Ice River Valley was targeting the Ye family. Though the city was now surrounded, as long as no one acted rashly, the innocent would remain unharmed. Several figures in white slowly materialized, drifting into the air and hovering motionless. With a calm gaze sweeping across the city, their attention lingered on the central district where the Ye family resided. Leading these figures was none other than the Sky Serpent—once the one who had managed to escape in a state of disarray from the hands of the Heavenly Fire Master. Alongside him stood several powerful elders of the Ice River Valley, and also an elderly man dressed in a white woolen robe. The man had silver hair and beard, always radiating a warm, pleasant smile; yet even the Sky Serpent, when gazing upon him, could not help but feel a subtle sense of apprehension. As the Sky Serpent and his companions arrived, another wave of commotion swept through the city, with waves of astonishment echoing throughout. "That's the Heavensnake of Binghe Valley? I didn't expect even he to be here!" "You're rather blind—focused only on the Heavensnake, yet you failed to recognize the distinguished figure beside him." "Ah... That's Tian Shuangzi, the Grand Elder of Binghe Valley? Really... Binghe Valley has sent him out as well? I heard that Tian Shuangzi reached the Dou Zun level ten years ago!" "Binghe Valley has truly invested heavily in capturing the Calamity Poisoness." "One elder opened his mouth, startled and said. Upon hearing this, the others also fell into thoughtful silence. After a moment, as though suddenly remembering something, they exclaimed, "Xiao Yan and his group? Among them, is there the one afflicted with the calamity poison?" Leaf Zhong and several elders suddenly grasped the meaning, their bodies trembling—finally beginning to clearly identify the root cause. "What's there to be worried about? You haven't been ordered to fight them to the death or even to the last man," came a calm voice, rising as the others were still in a state of alarm. Their eyes turned to see an elderly voice slowly emerging from the courtyard ahead—naturally, that of the Heavenly Fire Sovereign. As for the Heavenly Fire Sovereign, Leaf Zhong and the others could not afford any negligence. They could not afford to offend the Ice River Valley, nor could they afford to offend this very figure before them. Thus, they had to endure with a bitter expression, feeling most painfully caught between these two towering powers. Master Tian Fire stood with both hands resting behind his back, his gaze slightly furrowed as he looked toward the distant sky. His line of sight seemed to pierce through the spatial distance, directly settling on an elderly figure dressed in white fur robes standing beside the celestial serpent. "A Battle Sovereign, then?" "Well, he's finally come." As Master Tian Fire murmured softly, a gentle voice suddenly rose from beside him. He slightly turned his head to see a young figure standing on the eaves of the nearby building, upright and straight as a spear, exuding a sharp, commanding presence. From his appearance, it was clear—could it be anyone else but Xiao Yan? "Indeed, he seems quite capable. He's managed to make it all the way here. How about Little Healer Xiao Yan?" Master Tian Fire moved slightly and appeared beside Xiao Yan. "Almost ready, but not quite ready to step in yet," Xiao Yan nodded. "The Ice River Valley has sent a truly troublesome figure—my guess is I'll be tied down by that old man..." The Tian Huo Sovereign's eyes also darkened with seriousness. The current situation wasn't exactly promising. Should he be held in check by the other's Du Zun, the Tian She would surely strike before Xiao Yan did. As a peak Du Zong, Xiao Yan would find it difficult to handle such a situation, let alone the fact that several other Ice River Valley elders were equally formidable. Xiao Yan nodded gently, knowing they too were caught in a precarious position. He exhaled slowly, and a sharp intensity flashed into his eyes. The Ice River Valley's assembled strength had indeed surprised him. Yet, if they hoped to break through and overcome him, they would likely have to pay a real price in blood. "Master Ye, please don't worry—this matter has arisen due to me and my companions, and will not involve your Ye family at all..." Xiao Yan turned his head, offering a gentle smile to the pale-faced Ye Zong and others in the courtyard, then directed his gaze toward the Heavenly Fire Patriarch,笑着说, "Master Yao, would you dare face me in the Ice River Valley?" "Ha ha! I've personally faced Saint-level warriors in my time, let alone such a gathering!" the Heavenly Fire Patriarch laughed heartily. Xiao Yan smiled lightly, lifting his eyes to the numerous white silhouettes in the distance. A surge of boldness rose within him—since arriving in the Central Plains, he had never fought so freely and unreservedly before. Today, he would show the Ice River Valley that if they wished to challenge him, they would first need to prepare a strong set of teeth. With his spirit soaring, Xiao Yan stepped into the void, swiftly moving toward the sky, and halted just a short distance away from the Tian She and others, under the watchful eyes of all present. Soon after, the Heavenly Fire Patriarch joined him. "The Sky-Serpent Elder, last time he escaped in time, yet I never expected he'd gathered so many allies now..." Xiao Yan lightly stepped his foot into the sky, gazing at the Sky-Serpent who held a serpent staff in one hand, and couldn't help but chuckle. Hearing Xiao Yan's laughter, the Sky-Serpent's expression darkened considerably, his voice cold and stern: "Young man, you may speak well now, but when you fall into my hands, you'll truly understand what it means to suffer beyond death!" "A mere first-rank warrior, daring to speak so boldly?" Tianhuo Elder smiled. Upon hearing Tianhuo Elder speak, a flicker of fear passed through the Sky-Serpent's eyes—clearly, the memory of their previous perilous battle remained vivid. "Heh, this friend must be the one who defeated the Sky-Serpent, correct? May I know his name?" The elderly man in a white wool robe fixed his gaze on Tianhuo Elder and smiled. "Tianhuo." "Ah, so you are the Tianhuo Elder. I am Tianxia, the Senior Elder of Binghe Valley." The elder smiled kindly, then glanced at the speaker and said, "Friend, this matter today is a long-standing grudge between my Ice River Valley and the Lady of Perilous Poison. If I ask you not to intervene, would you agree?" The Heavenly Fire Patriarch smiled quietly, said nothing, and merely shook his head slowly. Seeing this, the Tian Xuezi's smile remained unchanged, and he said with a warm, composed tone, "Then I shall have to step in and block your way." "Without mercy," replied the Heavenly Fire Patriarch, though a faint coldness began to gather in his eyes. "Where is the Lady of Perilous Poison? Has she once again vanished?" Seeing the two of them standing in direct opposition, Tian She felt reassured, yet upon scanning the scene, he failed to spot Xiao Yixian. He then coldly remarked, "Outside the city of Ye, my Ice River Valley has already erected the Seal City Array—none of you will be able to escape!" Xiao Yan glanced at Tian She with a brief, steady gaze, and a subtle chill passed through his dark eyes. "Heh, we don't need to delay any further—delay brings change. This one, I'm entrusting to you. I hope you won't make another mistake, or the Valley Master won't spare you... " Tian Shuangzi's sharp gaze swept across the city, then his brows furrowed slightly. His keen intuition told him it was time to cut through the chatter with these people. As soon as he finished speaking, he lightly stepped through the void, appearing ten meters away from Tian Huo Zun, his eyes fixed on the latter. As for Xiao Yan beside him, he barely glanced at him. Just as the Heavensnake was about to strike, a thick, dense black mist suddenly surged from afar, materializing in the sky above, its eerie, creaking laughter echoing throughout. As the black mist appeared, Xiao Yan's previously calm expression instantly turned cold, his gaze sharp and fierce, fixed upon the black mist before him, murmuring solemnly, "The Spirit Palace?" "Hahahaha! Truly unforeseen—only a few years have passed, and you've already ascended to the Douzong level! Master Yaochen's eye for selecting disciples truly isn't bad. Yet, no matter how sharp his gaze, he still ends up falling into my hands! Hahahaha!" The black mist swirled and coalesced into a distinct figure, and a strange, startling laugh that caused Xiao Yan's eyes to blaze crimson once more rang out. A thunderous surge of murderous intent erupted from within Xiao Yan, his eyes blazing with infinite ferocity, his voice—each word pronounced with deliberate intensity—pouring forth from between clenched teeth. "Wu! Fu! Fa!"