A calm voice rose slowly across the sky, then gently spread out... Within the courtyard, the十余 black-yin soldiers who had followed Lingquan were equally stunned. They could never have imagined that Lingquan had been defeated so thoroughly at the hands of Xiao Yan. They had clearly witnessed the lightning-fast exchange of combat moves—the entire time, Xiao Yan had never employed a single technique! That meant Xiao Yan had relied solely on his internal qi, successfully deflecting Lingquan's techniques and even capturing him in just a few rounds with decisive strength. The impact of this performance on them was nothing short of overwhelming. "Wait... Is this really the 'useless member of the Xiao family' that Lingquan commander spoke of? With such prowess—this level of strength is surely among the top ten among the young talents of the ancient clans!" A group of ten or so people exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of astonishment in the others' eyes. Xiao Yan's attack, which had been nearly unstoppable, had left a profound impression on them. "This young man's combat experience surpasses Lin Quan's by a considerable margin. His qi is solid and well-rooted—clearly someone with a strong foundation. Lin Quan, though his strength has been refined through the Imperial Platform's training, hasn't received much further development since then, and thus, when compared to Xiao Yan's qi, does indeed seem somewhat superficial." Upon witnessing the scene in the sky, the two cloaked elders nodded slowly, their voices tinged with admiration. From the steadiness of Xiao Yan's qi, they could clearly see that he had steadily progressed through his own dedicated cultivation—such a resilient character would undoubtedly outpace Lin Quan in the long run. "Lin Quan has truly earned his humiliation this time..." Xun'er, standing by, showed no surprise at all despite the lightning-fast battle. She was well aware of Xiao Yan's strength. Lin Quan had always been exceptionally talented from a young age, and though he had undergone rigorous training akin to that of the ancient clan's elite, he had rarely faced real-life life-or-death combat. Compared to Xiao Yan, his practical experience in actual battles was as distinct as the difference between heaven and earth. While his presence had always seemed balanced in terms of aura, the gap between them now became unmistakably evident. Above, Lin Quan's face grew pale under Xiao Yan's compassionate assessment, his body trembling continuously. After a moment, his face suddenly flushed crimson, and at that very instant, his internal qi surged powerfully! "Roar!" "His face flushed crimson, as if dyed with blood, and Lin Quan's aura surged dramatically at that very moment. A vast surge of silver qi rapidly coalesced within his palm, with countless silver serpents darting around it. Then, his palm trembled, delivering a powerful shock directly toward Xiao Yan's hand." "Boom!" Lin Quan's sudden shift caught Xiao Yan's attention, prompting him to subtly curve his palm, just narrowly avoiding the counterforce. With his right hand clenched into a fist, he launched a swift punch straight at Lin Quan's chest. "Thud!" Lightning glowed rapidly across Lin Quan's body, forming within moments a half-foot-wide shield of radiant light on his chest, successfully deflecting Xiao Yan's strike. "Little waste of the Xiao family! Do you have the audacity to offer me any judgment?" The lightning shield rippled, absorbing all of Xiao Yan's force, while Lin Quan's face grew fiercely stern—blood surged in his eyes, making him appear particularly intimidating. "Secret technique?" Feeling the sudden surge of Qi from Lingquan, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes and swiftly stepped back several paces with agile movement. "The Blood-Transforming Technique? He truly doesn't care about his life—using such a self-sacrificing secret method!" The two black-robed elders in the courtyard frowned at the scene, then turned their gaze to Xun'er, saying, "Miss?" "Don't worry about him," Xun'er shook her head slightly, a faint cold smile playing at her lips. "It's just self-defeating." In the sky, Lingquan's body shimmered with flashes of lightning, with subtle streaks of crimson spreading out. His gaze was fierce and unwavering, fixed on Xiao Yan. With a firm grasp of his hands, he slowly coalesced a long spear of lightning, now pulsing with blood-like veins. Xiao Yan gazed at the impressive Ling Quan, his brows slightly furrowed. Indeed, the ancient clan's secret technique was quite formidable—this individual's strength now appeared to be nearing the level of a seven-star Douzong. "Yet no matter how strong the technique, if the foundation is not solid enough, it remains useless. You have still not reached half of what I initially expected." Xiao Yan slowly shook his head. He had indeed overestimated Ling Quan. Though the man himself possessed the strength of a five-star Douzong, in Xiao Yan's eyes, he was at most comparable to a four-star Douzong. Even without the aid of high-tier Douji techniques, a solid three-star Douzong could hold his own against him for well over a hundred rounds. Despite this, Ling Quan had employed his secret technique, pushing his strength to the peak of six-star, nearly reaching seven-star levels. Yet, in Xiao Yan's eyes, after witnessing the first transformation of Tian Hu San Xuan Bian, Ling Quan still failed to present a significant threat. "What are you? Once I have captured him, I'll deal with your mouth properly!" The intensity in Ling Quan's eyes deepened even further. After a moment, he gave a cold, sharp smile, and his figure suddenly trembled—vanishing completely from where he stood. "Pop!" With a sudden thrust, the void space rippled, and Lingquan materialized before the spot. A shield of electric light appeared in front of him, yet it failed to fully absorb the force—residual energy still sent him staggering back several steps. As he retreated, his expression darkened. Seizing the momentum, he adjusted his hand seals, and a surge of powerful qi rapidly coalesced in his palm. Observing this, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, moved swiftly, and surged forward as a blurred streak of black. Having learned his previous defeat, Lingquan now dared not let Xiao Yan close in. He released his electric lance and, simultaneously, spun his body halfway, then drove a powerful kick into the lance's handle. Crack! The electric lance, like a silver dragon, surged forward with tremendous force, its body coiled and ready, charging directly at Xiao Yan. Gazing at the silver beam rushing toward him, Xiao Yan's body trembled slightly. A fleeting silhouette remained, yet his form suddenly accelerated. Then, he leapt, precisely placing the tip of his foot upon the shaft of the long spear. With a subtle touch, he materialized before Lin Quan like a ghost! Xiao Yan's attack was fierce and swift, leaving no room for Lin Quan to react. With a powerful elbow strike, he snapped Lin Quan's wrist. A glint of cold determination flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as his fist, wrapped in emerald flame, crashed directly into Lin Quan's face. The intense pain radiating from his wrist had Lin Quan barely able to cry out before the surging, scorching wind rushing toward him sent a cold sweat pouring down his brow. In just ten exchanges with Xiao Yan, Lin Quan had truly grasped what it meant to fight with his life. What chilled him most was that only Xiao Yan had ever fought with such desperation—every time Lin Quan launched an attack, Xiao Yan would evade it at the most perilous moment. "Thud!" As the emerald-flame fist struck Lin Quan's face, the lightning shield reappeared, rising once more to meet the impact with a deep, resonant sound, barely holding firm. Xiao Yan's attack was blocked, and Lin Quan had barely time to exhale when he was suddenly struck by the waves of fist-images that materialized before him. Each fist-image radiated a fierce force that sent shivers through him. Thud! Thud! Thud! The fist-images rained down upon the lightning-shield, causing it to ripple continuously. Eventually, with a crisp crack, the shield burst apart. Thud! As the lightning-shield shattered, Xiao Yan's eyes hardened. He shifted his fist-images and, with a forceful strike, drove them directly into Lin Quan's face. Plush! Xiao Yan's punch was incredibly solid, directly forcing Lin Quan to expel a mouthful of blood mixed with several teeth, his body collapsing like a bird with broken wings, crashing hard against one wall of the courtyard. The force was so powerful that it shook the wall to such an extent that it crumbled, sending shards of stone flying everywhere and transforming the area into a heap of rubble. Xiao Yan remained expressionless. With a swift movement, he stepped into the air, then kicked the scattered stones forcefully into the pile of wreckage, creating a deep, dark crater—accompanied by a sharp, piercing cry. As his foot settled outside the debris, Xiao Yan slightly curved his palm, generating a strong suction that pushed the stones aside, revealing Lin Quan, who lay covered in blood beneath the rubble. He glanced at the latter briefly, then extended his hand, drawing Lin Quan into his palm with a simple gesture. "Commander Lin Quan," Xiao Yan said, "this once-considered waste of the Xiao family—do I now have the right to evaluate you?" Xiao Yan gently held Linqian’s neck with his palm. All he needed to do was exert a slight pressure, and the once-proud Black Yen Army Commander, who had stood tall before him, would now perish right here. Gazing at Xiao Yan’s serene smile, Linqian struggled, and finally, a flicker of fear welled up in his eyes. He recalled that throughout their battle, Xiao Yan had never employed a single combat technique—this was a clear sign of contempt. Yet even thus, Linqian had lost—lost in such a humiliating fashion. Only now did he begin to grasp that the Xiao Yan standing before him was no longer the modest Yuan Ling cultivator he had known back in their days at the Inner Academy. Thirty years of change, thirty years of transformation—never underestimate the young. The debt from the past had finally come due, and now it was his turn to repay it.