Fearing that the Xuanshui Tiger-Jelly might continue to pursue him, Xiao Yan concealed his aura and swiftly swept through the terrain for a while before gradually easing his pace. Now standing halfway up the mountain, he looked out around him. Beyond this point, the mountain was veiled in dense energy mist, and within that mist, he could sense powerful presences—should he become entangled, the situation would surely prove troublesome. "At this point, my only option is to quietly climb to the summit and see if I can sneak away the necessary items without being detected. With just my own strength, a direct seizure will likely prove difficult," Xiao Yan said to himself, standing on a towering tree and gazing at the distant, partially visible peak. With a clear plan in mind, Xiao Yan no longer hesitated, just about to set off, when suddenly his attention shifted—his gaze sharpens toward a spot below the mountain, where a remarkably intense surge of energy had erupted. This surge was no ordinary one; it bore the unmistakable characteristics of energy waves generated during a clash of combat aura. Feeling this disturbance, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. He could sense it, and so must the beast surely be able to. It would certainly draw its attention. He leaned in to listen closely and surprisingly, faint sounds of murmured human voices still drifted through. He was momentarily taken aback. "Could it be Cao Ying and the others?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment before suddenly turning and swiftly moving toward the source of the energy fluctuations. He wasn't intending to rescue Cao Ying and her companions—given the commotion they had caused, high-tier beasts would surely take notice. He might be able to remain hidden on the periphery, but if the fierce beast began to show signs of appearing, he would immediately depart, making a dash for the mountain-top pavilion to steal medicinal herbs. As these thoughts formed, Xiao Yan's figure flowed through the forest like a breeze. After a few minutes, he leapt suddenly and landed atop the canopy of a lush, leafy tree, his gaze passing through the gaps in the foliage toward the horizon. "The space here..." Xiao Yan's gaze swept across, then suddenly fixed on the surrounding space, where he noticed a noticeable distortion in the void. "A soul barrier!" At this sight, his heart instantly tightened. He had seen this before—during that night, the so-called Mu Gu elder had used precisely this technique, allowing Xiao Yi and the others to remain unaware of his infiltration. "Something seems off..." As he observed the soul barrier, a sense of unease settled in him. The appearance suggested that someone intended to act against Cao Ying and the others, and that person's strength appeared exceptionally formidable—soul barriers were no ordinary feat for mere strong warriors. "Is it the man in black?" As he pondered, his mind suddenly snapped into focus, and his gaze flashed toward the sunken basin, where indeed he spotted a figure in black, positioned right among the group. "This guy... he's really ruthless. He wants to eliminate everyone here. Song Qing and Cao Ying are both strong contenders for the championship of this grand assembly. If he kills both of them..." Xiao Yan's thoughts raced through his mind, his eyes reflecting a growing sense of astonishment at this black-robed man's determination. By Gao Ying, whose figure was graceful, stood beside Song Qing. Yet at this moment, her eyes, though still beautiful, carried a serious weight as she gazed at the black-robed man. Thanks to her exceptionally strong spiritual perception—far surpassing that of others—she sensed that the man before her possessed an extremely formidable strength. Hearing this, the numerous alchemists surrounding them instantly erupted into fury, each drawing their weapons and glaring at the cloaked man with fierce determination. "You're simply too confident! With so many of us here, do you really think we'd be afraid of you?" Song Qing roared. In less than a minute, the fresh blood spilled directly turned the lush landscape a deep crimson. The numerous alchemists who had previously been lively and vigorous now lay lifeless at the blade's edge, their eyes wide open with shock and disbelief—having never seen who had struck them. "Who exactly are these people—how dare they actually launch an attack against the Dantai forces?" In the basin, amid the relentless onslaught from those dozen figures who moved like wolves and tigers, someone finally faltered, hastily pulling out a spatial stone from their naga ring and quickly shattering it. As space warped, they rushed to escape. "I've said this before—no one can falter here." Upon seeing this, the black-robed man who had remained untouched until now offered a calm, gentle smile. With a slight flick of his sleeve, an invisible ripple of spatial energy spread out, instantly freezing those attempting to flee. Then, with a simple grasp of his palm, the surrounding space compressed powerfully, crushing the alchemists into blurred masses of blood and flesh. "Indeed, this man possesses the ability to warp space—clearly a Supreme Battle Rank master!" Watching this display, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. On the field, the last surviving alchemists, having lost their final means of defense, grew desperate and launched fierce counterattacks. Yet the group of fifteen black-clad figures far surpassed them in strength—only a few managed to hold their ground for a while, while the rest met grim ends. The slaughter lasted nearly ten minutes. Out of the nearly hundred alchemists, only ten remained, including Song Qing, Cao Ying, and two senior masters of Xinyin Sect carrying Chen Xian. "Useless resistance," murmured the remaining few, all at the Dao Master level. They had banded together, making the black figures struggle to break through. Yet their encirclement was complete, and it was only a matter of time before Gao Ying and the others' defenses were breached. Song Qing gazed gloomly at the intensely charged black-robed figures surrounding him, his expression shifting between worry and uncertainty. He sensed a palpable aura of death emanating from each of them. "Are you truly determined to eliminate us all?" Cao Ying, who had always carried a graceful smile on her face, now appeared pale and serious. Though she had always been exceptional from a young age, with numerous attendants surrounding her, she had rarely witnessed such a bloody scene. "I'm particularly interested in your soul," the black-robed man said, gazing at Cao Ying with a smile. He gently licked his lips, his expression resembling that of a hunter observing his prey. Cao Ying's cheeks felt cold. She knew that this man had made up his mind to eliminate them. Yet—even if he were exceptionally strong—she doubted he could claim victory over her here without making some sacrifice. After all, as someone so highly valued by Dan Ta, she certainly had her own reserves. The black-robed man paid no attention to Cao Ying's expression, merely glanced at the several figures still resisting, and then stepped forward steadily. As he took his third step, however, his body suddenly halted, and he sharply turned his gaze, his cold eyes fixed directly upon the towering tree where Xiao Yan had concealed himself. At the very moment the black-robed man paused, Xiao Yan felt a surge of unease—this man's spiritual perception was simply too sharp! "Come out!" Even before Xiao Yan had time to retreat, a powerful suction force erupted, instantly shattering the massive tree surrounding him into dust. Xiao Yan himself was thrown forward by several meters before he managed to steady himself, now firmly within the man's spiritual barrier.