Xiao Yan reacted swiftly, and the others did likewise. As he turned to flee, Song Qing and the others instantly broke free from the battle circle and surged forward toward the deep forest with all their might! "Shh!" Gao Ying led the group at the forefront, the first to burst through the shattered soul barrier. However, just a few moments after she issued her cry, a figure flashed past her from behind, overtaking her in a single blink. With a glance, she saw only Xiao Yan—what other could there be? At the black-robed man's command, the十余 black-robed figures hurriedly bowed and then dispersed in a most orderly manner, moving toward the directions where the others were fleeing, to pursue them. "I'm going to see just how long you can hold out!" The black-robed man's cold gaze fixed steadily on the spot where Xiao Yan and Cao Ying had vanished. With a sharp laugh, his figure trembled slightly, and the space around him began to ripple gently, his form then mysteriously dissolving. Song Qing saw the two of them and a smile flickered across his face. With a footstep into the void, he flashed forward, urgently saying, "Hurry—those black-robed figures are blocking the way..." But as soon as he spoke, he realized it was just idle talk, for Xiao Yan and his companion had not slowed at all; in fact, they had surged ahead, their speed now even greater. Seeing this, Song Qing's face tightened slightly, but there was no time to waste—he pushed his speed to its peak and hurried to catch up. Three figures surged through the forest like a rushing wind, sending a flurry of dry leaves dancing in their wake... Xiao Yan's face was serious, brilliant silver glimmers constantly rising from his feet. As he moved swiftly, his form occasionally left behind faint afterimages that slowly faded in the air. Seeing this, cold glimmers flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes—this man truly was tenacious. "Stop wasting my time!" The black-robed man seemed to be gradually losing patience, his gaze suddenly turning cold. With a firm grasp of his hands, a strange, deep-blue crystalline layer surged forth from within him and swiftly formed, in a lightning-fast motion, a massive energy-crystal claw before him. As the claw took shape, the black-robed man swept his sleeve—miraculously, the crystalline claw vanished into thin air! "Watch out!" At the sight of the crystalline claw vanishing, Xiao Yan's heart leapt with alarm and he urgently shouted. He had previously fought this man and knew just how formidable the deep-blue crystalline layer could be. With his shout, the three of them split into three directions and retreated swiftly in a flash. As they retreated, intense ripples surged across the space before Cao Ying. Then, the crystalline claw forcefully pierced through the space and lunged toward her with great force—clearly, the black-robed Duke of Combat intended to strike her first. With a single grasp of her energy hand, Cao Ying was stunned to find that the surrounding space had been instantly frozen solid! Under this frozen space, her own body became immobile, leaving her helpless as the colossal crystal beast lunged forward with a powerful swipe. Cao Ying, suddenly caught in peril, was immediately noticed by Xiao Yan and Song Qing. Both of them exchanged concerned glances. Song Qing's eyes flickered briefly, then, with a firm determination, she planted her foot on the tree trunk and shot into the forest with lightning speed, vanishing from sight in an instant. Seeing Song Qing abandon Cao Ying and flee alone, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed. He gazed at Cao Ying, her teeth clenched tightly, struggling desperately to hold on, and could only silently sigh. Song Qing could indeed act so unprincipled—but he himself? He truly couldn't manage such a thing. With a quiet breath, Xiao Yan curled his fingers and snapped his fingers—immediately, a silver figure burst forth from within his storage relic, swiftly materializing in front of Cao Ying and shielding her with his body. "Crack!" As the Earth Spirit Puppet appeared, Cao Ying's energy-crystal-covered hand and claws clenched fiercely. Instantly, cracks erupted across the otherwise solid body, and beneath the surface, a low rumble of muscle tearing could be heard. "Go!" Having used the Earth Spirit Puppet to block Cao Ying's path, Xiao Yan roared sharply. The sudden arrival of aid startled Cao Ying momentarily. Then, she fixed her gaze deeply upon Xiao Yan, her lips parting slightly, and a soft voice reached his ears: "Thank you." As soon as the words fell, Cao Ying also realized the current situation and dared not linger any longer. With a graceful movement, she swiftly slipped into the forest. While Cao Ying turned and entered the woods, Xiao Yan swiftly summoned the nearly ruined Earth Spirit Automaton into his storage scroll with a hand gesture. His feet shimmered with silver light, then he unleashed the power of "Thousand Thunder Strikes" at its peak, leaving a series of trailing shadows and moving swiftly into a different dense grove. Seeing that his efforts had yielded no results this time, the black-robed Battle Sovereign's expression grew completely gloomy. With a cold gaze, he scanned the areas where the three had dispersed, finally settling on Xiao Yan's direction. "Since you enjoy saving others, then I shall see who will come to save *you* this time," the solemn voice emanated from the black-robed Sovereign. His figure trembled slightly, then vanished once more—clearly, Xiao Yan's repeated efforts had truly roused his ire. … Within the forest, Xiao Yan's figure flashed swiftly past. Yet his face was now clouded with a deep, somber expression. Though the form of the black-robed Dou Zun had not yet materialized behind him, he felt an unmistakable sense that he had been locked in place—clearly, among the three, the Dou Zun had chosen him. "Damn it! If I'm truly pushed to the brink, even if I sustain serious injuries today, you'll pay a price measured in blood!" As he surged forward again, that sensation didn't wane—it grew stronger. Fierce glimmers of determination flashed across Xiao Yan's eyes. Though his opponent was a Dou Zun, he doubted that the man could possibly chew through Xiao Yan's resilient defenses without a strong set of teeth. A cascade of worst-case scenarios passed through his mind, and as a result, Xiao Yan's pace grew ever faster—until eventually, he could only be seen as a blurred streak of black cutting through the forest canopy, leaving only the rush of wind in his wake, yet his path remained utterly invisible. With a foot planted in the air, Xiao Yan looked through the forest gaps toward the mountain peak, which was now nearly within reach. "Crack!" Just as his breath had finally settled, Xiao Yan's eyes snapped wide open. He stomped his foot into the air, and his body froze mid-motion. His gaze darkened, fixed on a figure seated cross-legged on a nearby tree trunk—cloaked in black. "Even the most clever prey cannot escape the hunter's grasp," said the black-robed master, lifting his eyes calmly and speaking with a grim smile. "Xiao Yan, I'd like to see just how many times someone will step in to save you this time. Your unique flame—I've taken it." "Heard this, Xiao Yan's heart suddenly stirred. He scanned the Black Robe Patriarch with a gaze, his face slightly pale, exclaiming, 'You... are Master Mu Gu?' Upon hearing this, the Black Robe Patriarch was momentarily taken aback, his fierce smile growing even broader, saying, 'Can't you recognize me?' Hearing the Black Robe Patriarch's words—neither confirming nor denying—Xiao Yan felt a weight settle in his chest. Indeed, this man was Master Mu Gu. He had managed to outwit the three leading figures of Dan Tower and even entered the Dan Realm. 'Well, if you can recognize me, that's good. It will give you a clearer sense of what's coming. After all, we do have some connection. If you must call me by title, perhaps you'll have to address me as your senior uncle.' Master Mu Gu said with a cold smile. 'I'm not so fortunate,' Xiao Yan replied, with a cold chuckle. Master Mu smiled, not at all concerned, his gaze slightly fervent as he fixed upon Xiao Yan: "This time, I won't spare a single move. I'll first strike you down, claim your soul. Then, I shall have my own means to compel you to reveal the Burned Scripture!" As the cold chuckle faded, Master Mu clenched his palm, and the massive claw composed of deep-blue energy crystal layers reappeared before him. With a sweep of his sleeve, the claw vanished in an eerie manner. Watching the claw vanish, Xiao Yan's expression slightly tightened. Having fought through their earlier encounter, he now understood that this entity could directly pierce through space, appearing and disappearing at will, always difficult to anticipate. Xiao Yan's intuition proved correct—just as he focused, the space before him began to warp, and the colossal crystal-clad claw surged forth, seizing him with a firm grasp. The colossal claw commanded a truly terrifying presence, and Xiao Yan fully understood its might—even the Earth Spirit Puppet had been seized and nearly destroyed by its single grasp, barely surviving. With his own physical resilience, a mere pinch might have shattered him into a pulp of blood and flesh. Fortunately, he had been well-prepared. As the giant claw emerged, Xiao Yan didn't wait for it to lock onto him; instead, a flash of silver light erupted beneath his feet, and he materialized instantly on an open stretch of ground some fifty meters away. "Hmph!" Upon witnessing Xiao Yan's swift response, Master Mu Bone chuckled. As soon as his laughter settled, Xiao Yan felt a sudden shimmer before him—the crystalline, soul-pressuring giant hand reappeared with eerie strangeness, then descended with the speed of lightning, once again freezing the surrounding space. The surrounding space froze, and Xiao Yan's expression changed instantly. This colossal hand was exceptionally difficult to evade—avoiding it proved remarkably challenging. Indeed, a Battle Sovereign's prowess was no mere exaggeration. As thoughts raced through his mind, Xiao Yan clenched his teeth fiercely, fixing his gaze on the massive claw rushing toward him with sharp, cutting wind. At that very moment, his internal Qi surged fully into motion. Now, he was ready to make his final stand! "The Third Heavenly Fire Transformation—Third…." Xiang Yin stared fiercely at the elderly Mu Gu, whose face was twisted with a sneer. Taking a deep breath, he changed his hand seal once more, preparing to give it his all! Yet, just as he was about to complete the seal, the space before him suddenly warped strangely, and then a robust figure stepped forth from the distorted space, standing before him like a towering iron tower. As this figure appeared, a vast, steady, and weighty aura surged forth from within him, sweeping out like a storm. It felt as though what stood before him wasn't merely a person, but an entire mountain range rising up to the heavens. "Heh—he's making such a grand show of killing people right here on my territory? That's quite rude!" As soon as the newcomer appeared, he burst out with a hearty, robust laugh, catching Xiao Yan off guard. Then, with a simple, unadorned fist, he suddenly drove it forward, meeting it head-on against the massive claw. "Crack!" The impact was so powerful in Xiao Yan's eyes that the colossal claw—normally expected to be unstoppable—was actually knocked back several meters, spinning through the air with visible cracks beginning to form. "Who is this person?!" The sudden development startled Master Mu, who immediately roared in surprise. Even before the elder had finished speaking, the sturdy man remained silent. Yet, a clear, pleasant, and delicate laugh suddenly rang out throughout the forest. "Old man, I don't care about chasing anyone else—Xiao Yan, however, is beyond your reach." "Zi Yan?" Hearing this familiar voice, Xiao Yan, who had been stunned, froze, his eyes instantly brightening with delight.