Gazing at the young figure slowly emerging before the hills, Yi Chen's handsome face showed no surprise. With a gentle smile, he said, "Are you the one named Xiao Yan?" Xiao Yan remained silent, his eyes calmly fixed upon the handsome man before him. The strong scent of blood emanating from the latter's body caused a slight furrow in Xiao Yan's brow—clearly, this man was both resolute and ruthless, having undoubtedly spilled countless streams of blood to cultivate such a profound aura of blood. "Xiao Yan, don't be influenced by him. Yi Chen isn't someone who excels at diplomacy!" Qu Ling quickly interjected from behind Xiao Yan. "Everyone has already set up their battle platforms here—how can they possibly refuse to fight?" Xiao Yan smiled. Hearing this, Qiu Ling felt a sudden pause. By now, he realized that reconciliation was no longer possible. Although Xiao Yan appeared calm on the surface, his inner pride remained strong—being polite and friendly with him was fine, but once he showed coldness or contempt, the response he received would likely be far from favorable. "Xiao Yan, keep going!" Suddenly, a voice that sent shivers through the bones of the listeners rang out behind Qiu Ling. Turning to look, they saw Cao Ying, long absent, standing gracefully behind Qiu Ling. Her full, beautifully proportioned figure exuded a captivating charm that stirred a warm glow in many men's eyes—her alluring grace was truly remarkable. "Hehe, today's going to be quite exciting—the championship match between Dan's Champion and Tianming Sect's Warlord. This truly is a rare top-tier clash among the younger generation. I wonder who will come out on top..." "I think Xiao Yan might be in for a tough fight. Though Yi Chen is only at the peak of the Douzong stage, I've heard he's managed to escape several times from powerful Douzun-level fighters. It's hard to believe he hasn't got something truly special." "Indeed, Xiao Yan's strength lies in alchemy, not in this kind of combat." "Hmph. I don't think that's necessarily true. Xiao Yan has been able to stay in the Star Region for nearly half a year—how can anyone say he doesn't have some hidden reserves?" Upon seeing these outstanding young talents on the plaza, the crowd immediately burst into murmurs, clearly eager for the upcoming battle. Regarding these sounds around, a faint, somewhat eerie smile played upon the elegant face of Yi Chen. His unusually vibrant tongue gently brushed his lips, giving the impression of a wild beast about to feed—startlingly intimidating. "Master Chen, shall I take your place and handle this? Should that be possible?" Yi Chen turned slightly, glanced at Chen Tianan by the side, and smiled. "As long as you manage to defeat this young man, during the next abbot election, the Xuanming Sect will support you." A cold gleam passed through Chen Tianan's eyes as he spoke, his voice low and solemn. Hearing this, Yi Chen's smile grew even warmer. He lightly remarked, "As you wished, and moreover, I've always been quite interested in the flesh of this Dan Conference champion..." As he spoke, he stepped forward under the watchful eyes of all present, making his way to the center of the plaza, his eyes glowing with blood, fixed upon Xiao Yan. "During the match, there will be no mercy in the punches and kicks. If you're ready, step forward now. Of course, you may also find an excuse to seek shelter beneath the protection of the Dan Tower—though in that case, perhaps we won't be able to overcome you today." Upon hearing Yi Chen's words, Xiao Yan merely smiled and said, "No need for such stirring rhetoric. Since I've come out, I won't retreat." "Excellent! Truly, no one can match your bearing—such grace is rare indeed." Yi Chen laughed heartily, though within that laughter lay a clear undercurrent of hunger. For Xue Yan's gaze, fierce and wild as that of a beast, Xiao Yan seemed entirely unaware, merely shifting his steps and then stepping into the center of the plaza. Since returning from the Stellar Domain, Xiao Yan had never actually engaged in combat—now that someone had willingly stepped forward to serve as a trial, he naturally could not refuse. He had heard of Yi Xiu Luo's reputation, and from the fact that this man had already reached the pinnacle of the Dou Zong rank at his age, he understood that the formidable name was no mere exaggeration. Yet, while others might consider this achievement sufficient to establish dominance among the younger generation, in Xiao Yan's eyes, it still fell short of truly sweeping the younger ranks. True prodigies—there had been so many of them in recent years. And as the crowd stepped back, a stone platform roughly twenty zhang in size suddenly rose from the ground, pausing gracefully at half a zhang above it. "With this platform as the boundary, anyone who steps out shall be the loser," Yi Chen smiled. "Hmm." Xiao Yan nodded lightly. Watching this, a flush of crimson swept across Yi Chen's eyes. What he truly needed was not merely to knock Xiao Yan out of the platform, but to completely eliminate him. These gestures—though seemingly gentle—were merely intended to ease the concerns of Xiao Yan and Qilin and the others. He would not stop fighting, even without bloodshed, for otherwise, the name Yi Xiu Luo would indeed seem too trivial. "Rest assured, I'll soon have you forget your pain—you'll thank me for it," Yi Chen said, a grim smile spreading across his face as he gazed at Xiao Yan several zhang away. Then, with a sudden stamp of his foot upon the ground, a sharp *shriek* echoed, and his form vanished entirely from sight. "Such swift movement!" As Yi Chen vanished, a wave of gasps erupted outside the stone platform. On the platform, Xiao Yan remained motionless. In an instant, his eyes grew cold, and with a powerful, forceful kick, he launched a leg that tore through the air, striking hard at a specific point behind him. "Thud!" The leg's motion left a series of trailing shadows. When it reached the space, a figure suddenly materialized, raising his arm to block Xiao Yan's kick. With a sharp cry, he shifted from palm to claw, and a surge of vibrant crimson battle energy erupted from within him, flooding out in overwhelming force. It was clear that this man had immediately summoned his full strength upon first contact—evidently determined to eliminate Xiao Yan right there and then. Holding onto Xiao Yan's foot, Yi Chen's face broke into a grim smile. "Let me see just how your flesh differs from that of an ordinary person!" "Blood-Consuming, Bone-Transforming Palm!" "A cold command, and suddenly an astonishing suction surged from Yi Chen's palm. Under this intense pull, the blood within Xiao Yan's body began to become disordered, as though it were about to burst through his flesh. Noticing this, Xiao Yan's eyes grew cold, and he himself issued a sharp cry. The Three Thousand Lotus Heart Fire surged through his body, flowing along the suction and erupting powerfully. 'Sssshh!' At that moment, the palm gripping Xiao Yan's foot suddenly erupted in a series of white mist, and Yi Chen's face grew pale. He quickly withdrew his hand, lowering it to examine his palm—there, it was blackened to the core. Had it not been for the powerful aura of his combat energy shielding it, his hand would have been rendered useless. "This is indeed the strange fire," murmured Yi Chen, his tongue brushing his lips with a cold sigh. He raised his palm, empty and facing Xiao Yan, and clenched it firmly. "Blood Surge!" As the command rang out, a dense glow of blood surged forth from Yi Chen's palm, spreading rapidly in an unusual wave. That strange ripple spread with extraordinary speed, enveloping Xiao Yan in an instant. At that very moment, he suddenly sensed his blood boiling and surging, as though bursting through his blood vessels. "This man possesses a rather unusual set of skills despite his tainted cultivation techniques," Xiao Yan thought, as his shoulders jolted. Purple-brown flames surged rapidly from within him, filling and wrapping him completely. Upon contact with these three-thousand-lotus-heart flames, the strange ripple instantly dissipated. Seeing Xiao Yan remain completely still, even without a single movement, Yi Chen's eyes finally conveyed a touch of seriousness. For a master of five-star Battle Sect strength, such a ripple—when not carefully controlled—would typically forcibly extract his blood, pulling it from his body. Yet here, on Xiao Yan, not even a single shift in posture had occurred. "It's no wonder he's become the champion of Dan Hall—he truly has some talent after all... Anyway, let's not waste too much time on him. Just settle the matter now, before things get complicated." This thought passed through Yi Chen's mind, and a strange, blood-red glow of hunger flickered in his eyes. He took a deep breath and suddenly transformed his hand seals. As Yi Chen rapidly changed his hand seals, his body began to shrink under the astonished gazes of the onlookers. Blood surged from his pores, making him appear like a man covered in blood—frightening in appearance. "Xiao Yan, take care! This is the Blood-Condensation Technique from that day of Ming Sect—by evaporating his internal blood, he may experience a temporary surge in strength!" Gao Ying, standing outside the platform, saw Yi Chen's condition and her face slightly paled as she cried out. "Xiao Yan, this concludes your journey!" "With the Qi within him surging rapidly, Yi Chen's lips curled into a fierce smile. Having mastered the Blood-Consolidating Technique, he now stood nearly unbeatable beneath the rank of Duke of Battle—securing Xiao Yan would be a mere matter of hands-on capture!" "Boom!" With a single foot press against the ground, a series of cracks, thick as arms, swiftly spread outward, fully engulfing the stone platform within mere eye blinks. The space before him warped and then vanished mysteriously. As Yi Chen disappeared, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, stepping back two paces. A flash of red then swept across his eyes—Yi Chen appeared like a blood-red phantom, darting swiftly before him, his fingers curling into claws. The sharp tips of his nails, gleaming with a cold, sharp intensity, sliced through the air. "Hand over your flesh to me!" With a look of bloodthirsty cruelty directed at Xiao Yan, Yi Chen drove his claws straight toward the latter's vital chest. "Get out of the way!" Xiao Yan stared at Yi Chen, who reeked of blood, his eyes blazing with cold intensity. A thunderous roar erupted from his lips as he shouted, and instantly, with the amplified power of the Burned Decree and the Strange Fire, the aura of a Nine-Star Conclave cultivator surged forth, fully and unreservedly bursting into the open!