The golden flame flowed like liquid between Xun'er's fingers, and as it moved, intricate, winding streaks of deep black space traces appeared along its path. Xiao Yan's gaze remained fixed on the golden flame, his astonishment hard to conceal. Though he had seen the rare phenomenon of the divine fire before, the golden flame in Xun'er's hands evoked a profound sense of awe—so intense that even at its very first appearance, the delicate Lvylian Heart Flame within him subtly trembled. This was the first time in years that such a reaction had occurred. Xiao Yan understood the significance of the trembling—the Lvylian Heart Flame's tremor conveyed a deep sense of reverence and apprehension. And yet, to command such reverence from the Línglián Línxīn Fire—clearly, the golden flame held by Xún’ér is no ordinary heterofire. For the Línglián Línxīn Fire is the fusion of the Qinglián Earth-core Fire and the Fallen Heart Flame, though it hasn’t made the Heterofire Rank List, it should still rank among the top ten. If even this formidable heterofire shows such deference under Xún’ér’s golden flame, then what must this flame truly be? Xiao Yan murmured in his heart, of course, he couldn't be entirely certain—though the Strange Fire Ranking was indeed quite authoritative, the world was brimming with countless wonders, and many believed there were far more strange fires beyond those recorded on the list. Thus, he couldn't fully confirm that the golden flame used by Xun'er was one of these two. The golden flame danced like spirits at the tips of Xun'er's fingers, and as her gaze gently shifted toward the strong warriors from the Soul Palace and the Ice River Valley, a soft, elegant smile played upon her refined features. "Let's begin!" A massive stream of qi sliced through space, arriving instantly. Xun lightly raised her hand and gently blew at the golden flame held in her palm. "Pop!" With a single breath, the golden flame surged dramatically, expanding into a radiant golden flame shield that enveloped Xiao Yan and herself. "Shhh-shhh-shhh!" Numerous qi streams struck the golden flame shield with great force, causing ripples on its surface, yet they failed to breach or shatter it—demonstrating the shield's formidable defensive strength. Witnessing how the combined attacks of the others were so easily repelled by Xun, Gan and the others slightly stiffened, though before they could launch a renewed assault, Xun slowly lifted her gaze. Golden flames flickered within her luminous, autumnal eyes. "Go!" With a delicate tap of her jade finger upon the void, Xun spoke softly. As her voice gently settled, the golden flame aura surrounding her instantly burst apart, transforming into十几 beams of fiery light that hissed with a sharp sound, piercing through the space directly and appearing in front of Gan Da and the others within a flash. Startled, they quickly and hurriedly gathered their qi to form a defensive shield. Hiss... hiss... hiss! The golden beams of flame silently struck the powerful qi shield already established before Gan Da and his companions. Yet before they could even exhale in relief, a subtle hiss emerged quietly, followed immediately by a sharp, intense burning pain radiating from their chests. They slowly lowered their heads, and there, on their chests, they saw a blood hole—about half a finger wide—that had appeared without any prior notice. Around the hole, there was not a single trace of blood. It seemed as though the flesh and blood had completely vanished in an instant. Gan and the others gasped, their eyes shifting back to the aura defense wall before them, and then froze upon seeing the hole in it. The aura defense they had so painstakingly gathered and maintained had, under the force of that flame beam, been rendered as fragile as thin paper—completely defenseless! "What kind of flame is this?" Several elite warriors from the Soul Palace and Ice River Valley saw their vital energies rapidly fade. As their bodies wavered, they collapsed downward, falling into the stunned gazes of countless onlookers below. The golden flame beams, though seemingly well-targeted, did not pierce every heart—some, like Gan Da and others, narrowly avoided the direct impact. Without waiting for Xun'er to speak, they hurried backward, faces filled with fear. Only now did they realize that this seemingly young, clad-in-cyan girl was, in fact, more terrifying than the man beside her. In just one round, warriors from both the Soul Palace and Ice River Valley were either dead or wounded. The scene left countless spectators chilled to the core—where had this girl come from? How terrifying had she become? With a simple strike, she effortlessly defeated Gan Da and the others. Xin'er slightly opened her mouth, swallowing the terrifying golden flames whole, then turned her gaze to Xiao Yan's stunned face, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Ah... it seems you've always been ahead of me." Seeing Xin'er look at him, Xiao Yan sighed, remarking that he had once thought his achievements quite commendable, but now, witnessing her prowess, he realized that indeed, even among the strong, there are always stronger ones. "Xiao Yan, you shouldn't say that. Xin'er's strength comes from her ancestors and her bloodline, while you have earned your position through your own abilities. If we compare directly, even ten Xin'ers might not match you." Xin'er smiled lightly. Hearing Xun's soothing words, Xiao Yan finally felt a little better. For this matter, he could only sigh helplessly—after all, what could one do when life's good moments were so fleeting? As Xiao Yan's astonishment gradually faded, Xun turned her gaze toward the pervasive cold energy filling the heavens and earth, then gently flicked her finger. A streak of golden light flashed from her fingertip and vanished. Shortly after this golden streak appeared, the energy of the realm surged violently. Moments later, powerful streams of combat aura surged forth from beyond the cold barrier, violently tearing it apart, leaving it riddled with wounds. Countless streams of cold energy spilled out. As these cold energies poured forth, the temperature of the realm began to gradually return to normal, and the lingering mist slowly dispersed. As the cold mist began to dissipate, a series of sharp gusts suddenly echoed through the air, followed by numerous black silhouettes appearing in perfect formation before Xun'er, bowing respectfully. Xun'er nodded slightly, then with a graceful gesture of her jade hands, those black figures swiftly transformed into silhouettes once more, dispersing around the city, vigilant for any sudden developments. Xiao Yan's gaze only returned to his original position after the black figures had vanished, taking a deep breath, filled with awe—this was indeed the power of the ancient clan. Truly formidable. Xiao Yan's sense of wonder lasted for a long time before being interrupted by a sudden burst of energy from the sky in the distance. Turning his gaze toward it, he saw that both Qinghai and Tian Shuangzi were gradually being overwhelmed by the black-robed elder, now finding themselves at a disadvantage despite facing him alone—clearly demonstrating the elder's overwhelming strength. "It seems that Xun'er's advice holds merit. From the way these people treat her, it's clear she holds an exceptionally high status within the Ancient Clan. If I wish to keep her by my side, then unless I possess a strength that the Ancient Clan cannot overlook, it would truly be a dream come true. Indeed, with my current Douzong-level power, such strength is still far from sufficient! At present, even facing a peak Douzong-level warrior, I must exert my utmost efforts. Therefore, I must accelerate my growth—growth that, for me, means securing new, unique flames without delay. The Dan Festival begins in less than a year, and it's said there will be a series of complex selection processes before its start. Thus, I must prepare even earlier. Taking a deep breath, I resolve: the three thousand Yanyan Flames from the Dan Tower are something I absolutely must obtain!" With his heart firmly set, Xiao Yan once again raised his gaze, fixing his eyes on the battlefield between the white-haired elder and Binghe. The two were now fighting with fierce intensity, and with each clash, countless black fissures were spreading across the otherwise empty space. The powerful energy waves sent shockwaves through countless spectators. "Thoughts raced swiftly through his mind. After a moment, his body suddenly stilled, and a look of astonishment flashed across his eyes. His gaze instantly turned toward the distant figure of jade-like grace!" "She... she's from the ancient clan?"