The figure suddenly ripped out of the forest was a surprise to Cao Ying and the others, though upon seeing the visitor's face, they gradually relaxed—there was even a barely perceptible sense of gloating in Song Qing's eyes. "Heh, Xiao Yan... Hmm, I hadn't gone looking for you yet, and here you've come all on your own!" Upon recognizing the hidden figure as Xiao Yan, the black-robed man was momentarily stunned, then broke into an odd smile and chuckled. Xiao Yan fixed his gaze steadily on the stranger, sensing from the tone that the man knew him—yet in his memory, he couldn't recall this individual. Though he had encountered many powerful beings at the Du Zun level, each one had left a deep impression on him, but this one stood out as particularly unfamiliar. "Could you tell me your name, sir? It seems Xiao Yan has never met you before," Xiao Yan said, bowing slightly. "Let them be unlike if they've never met..." the black-robed man smiled, then casually added, "After all, nobody here is going to make it—not even you." Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. He could feel the black-robed man's intent to kill him; clearly, if he hoped to escape unscathed today, it would not be easy. Stepping through the void, Xiao Yan slowly retreated, then in a single motion, slipped into the vicinity of Cao Ying and the others. Now was not the time to show off. The dozen or so black-robed figures surrounding him were all exceptionally strong. By Xiao Yan's estimation, at least six or seven of them were at the Dao Sect level—such a lineup was quite formidable, even in the Central Plains. He hadn't expected to see such a gathering here. Regarding Xiao Yan's approach, aside from the two senior monks from Xuanming Sect who displayed fierce expressions, everyone else was relatively calm. At this moment, having one more person meant an additional chance of survival, and they had clearly witnessed Xiao Yan's strength on the hilltop today. "What should we do?" Cao Ying glanced at Xiao Yan and suddenly asked softly. "What else can we do? He's a Du Zun-level powerhouse—each of us should find our own way to escape." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. "How can we escape? Even if we use spatial stones, they'll be intercepted by him." Song Qing frowned. Xiao Yan spread his hands, unwilling to argue further. After all, if things truly went wrong, he would simply unleash the Destroying Lotus Fire to make his escape—there simply wasn't the energy to assist Cao Ying and the others. "I can break through this spiritual barrier, but if I engage it, Xiao Yan will certainly respond. Therefore, I need some time." Cao Ying lightly bit her lower lip, yet her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Xiao Yan without blinking. She knew that, when it came to combat, among all present, Xiao Yan was likely the one with the strongest fighting prowess. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, surprised to glance at Cao Ying. Indeed, as the famed feline maiden, she had managed to penetrate the soul barrier established by a Douzun-level warrior—no small feat. "We can hold off these black-robed figures, but that one..." A middle-aged man, his face streaked with blood, hesitated before offering a wry smile. Xiao Yan studied him, recognizing that his endurance to this point indicated he was no ordinary person. Of course, anyone who had entered the Dan Realm possessed certain abilities, but whether one was stronger ultimately depended on who had more of them. "How long will you need?" asked Xiao Yan, without further deliberation—his thoughts having already turned swiftly. "Three minutes!" Cao Ying replied promptly. Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded under the intense gaze of everyone present. Though the opponent was a Supreme Battle Sovereign, Xiao Yan was confident he could hold him for three minutes. Upon seeing Xiao Yan's nod, the crowd exhaled in relief. Several of them cast grateful glances toward him—they knew that facing off against the enigmatic black-robed man was the most dangerous task. Among them, only Xiao Yan had the necessary capability. Even the two senior monks from Xuanming Sect, though themselves Nine-Star Battle Sect Masters, remained silent, for they clearly felt the vast gap between themselves and the Supreme Battle Sovereign—when it came to actual combat, their chances of success were slim. "Thank you..." Cao Ying softly said to Xiao Yan, then lightly tapped the ground with her foot, drifting backward with a graceful posture. As she retreated, her three-thousand strands of dark hair, previously bound by a silk ribbon, suddenly flowed freely. At that instant, an exceptionally vast and powerful spiritual pressure gradually radiated out from her brow. "Now, attack!" While Cao Ying was retreating, Song Qing roared, and then a surge of vibrant ki erupted from within him, swiftly rushing outward to engage the black-robed figures, tightly ensnaring them. Feeling the vast spiritual power spreading from Cao Ying's brow, Xiao Yan was also secretly impressed. This woman truly was no ordinary one. If measured by the strength of her spiritual prowess, Cao Ying was undoubtedly the most powerful among her peers that Xiao Yan had encountered in recent years. Her reputation as a "spiritual fairy" wasn't merely due to her graceful appearance; with sufficient time for growth, her future prospects would surely be boundless. At that point, even this mysterious black-robed Battle Sovereign before her might not stand a chance... The cloaked man stared coldly at Xiao Yan, then quickly glanced at Cao Ying, who had already appeared beside the spiritual barrier and was beginning to employ techniques to breach it. His brow furrowed slightly, and with a cold exhalation, he casually waved his sleeve. Instantly, the space around Xiao Yan solidified like lightning, forming an unbreakable prison that sealed him in. Feeling the immense weight of the solidified space around him, Xiao Yan's expression grew slightly concerned. Indeed, a Douzun-level powerhouse was no ordinary being—just with a simple gesture, he could transform the void into an impregnable prison. "Third Heaven Fire, First Transformation!" "Third Heaven Fire, Second Transformation!" "Fortunately, Xiao Yan was no ordinary person. He was well aware of the tenacity of a Battle Sovereign, and thus dared not hold back. He immediately activated the second phase of the Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation, allowing his internal battle energy to surge dramatically. This surge forced him to shatter the solidified space around him, and with a swift movement, he once again blocked the black-robed man's path. "The Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation of Burned Fire Valley?" Seeing Xiao Yan's sudden surge in strength, the black-robed man's eyes flickered with surprise. Then, with a single stomp of his foot upon the void, he materialized instantly before Xiao Yan, delivering a calm, unassuming palm that drifted gracefully toward Xiao Yan's chest. It turned out that he could not dodge—then he would have to absorb the blow. At that moment, Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, his arm suddenly trembling with an unusual lightness, and a powerful inner force surged forth. "Eight-Extremity Collapse!" The inner force traveled through Xiao Yan's bones, then burst out, fully pouring onto the black-robed man's palm—yet it only caused a slight hesitation in the latter's hand. "Mountain-Opening Seal!" "Sea-Inverting Seal!" The hand seals changed swiftly, and two brilliant energy seals shot out from Xiao Yan's hands, striking the black-robed man's palm with tremendous force, gradually weakening his palm wind. "Hmph!" Clearly dissatisfied with Xiao Yan's stubborn resistance, the black-robed man's eyes flickered with impatience. Under Cao Ying's counterattacks, his surrounding spiritual barrier was gradually fading. Cold exhalation settled, and suddenly a strange, intense surge of energy erupted from within the black-robed man, coalescing into an unusual deep-blue crystalline layer at his arms—appearing as if his arms were made of blue crystal. As these crystalline layers formed, a sharp sense of danger surged in Xiao Yan's mind, prompting an almost reflexive motion: with a flick of his fingers, a shimmer of silver appeared, and the Earth Spirit Puppet materialized before him. The powerful force, when it shattered the earth spirit puppet's chest, also directly sent it flying backward. Even Xiao Yan was affected, receiving a portion of the residual force that transmitted through his body, causing his face to pale instantly and his feet to kick against the void as he hurriedly retreated. "This guy has an absolutely terrifying strength..." As he stumbled backward, Xiao Yan felt a deep sense of awe. If the earth spirit puppet hadn't been completely devoid of sensation, this single punch would have likely ended its life right then. It was hard to imagine what injuries he would have sustained if the earlier punch that had pierced through space had landed on him instead. "This is what a Battle Sovereign's power truly is..." Gazing at the earth spirit puppet's chest, which had nearly completely collapsed, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Boom!" As Xiao Yan stabilized himself, a subtle sound of cracking suddenly echoed through the half-space. "Hurry! Our soul barrier has broken!" At the very instant the sound spread, Cao Ying's hurried, delicate voice reached everyone's ears.