Hearing Zi Yan's words, the Wind Sovereign and others instantly grew still. Upon seeing the legendary, fiercely aggressive Stone-Feeding Ant Queen now behaving so gently, they seemed to have suddenly understood something, and fixed an unusual gaze upon Zi Yan, speaking softly, "I must have been blind all along. I never expected this young girl to be such a hidden talent." Xiao Yan smiled slightly. While the astonishment of the Wind Sovereign and others was quite remarkable, he himself felt much more at ease. He had long since realized Zi Yan's true nature—the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon, renowned as the Sovereign of All Beasts, exerted a profound, innate pressure from her bloodline, which indeed carried a certain mysterious aura of authority over the lower-tier beasts. Thanks to Zi Yan, the previously tense atmosphere had gradually relaxed. Xiao Yan moved smoothly, appearing near her, and curiously examined this so-called Stone-Feeding Ant Queen. The queen ant is a deep golden hue, with eight thin, translucent wings like those of a cicada, and at her mouth, sharp, saw-like teeth that send a shiver down one's spine—should one be bitten, the experience would surely be dreadful. As Xiao Yan observed this stone-eating queen ant, the ant too became aware of his presence, her eight wings gently vibrating and her formidable, toothed maw opening toward him. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..." Zi Yan gently stroked the queen ant, and only then did it gradually settle down. Yet in her gaze at Xiao Yan, a fierce light remained—by nature, such a beast is fierce, and had it not been for Zi Yan's dragon-like aura suppressing it, it would have already lunged to attack. "Does this creature know the location of the Soul Temple?" Wind Master drifted in, glanced at the ant, and spoke with a touch of delight. "Yes," Zi Yan nodded, then turned her eyes to Xiao Yan, asking, "Shall we set off now?" Xiao Yan paused slightly, exchanged a glance with Feng Zun, and both nodded. With speed being of the essence, they had already wandered through the forest for some time—staying any longer would inevitably draw the attention of the Hún Palace forces. "Come with me," said Xiao Yan. At once, Zǐ Yán moved forward, darting into the deep, misty mountains ahead, and the others quickly followed. This time, guided by the Ant Queen, Xiao Yan and his companions moved significantly faster, no longer needing to constantly search for their way. Within less than half an hour, they had reached deep into the mountain's core. "Hush," said Zǐ Yán suddenly, stopping mid-step and signaling for Xiao Yan and the others to remain quiet. Though a little puzzled, Xiao Yan and his companions maintained silence as instructed, scanning the surroundings with alert eyes. After everyone had gone silent, a peculiar sonic wave suddenly emanated from the queen ant resting on Zǐ Yán’s shoulder, spreading out like ripples. "Plip… plip… plip…" Just a few seconds after this sound wave was emitted, Xuāo Yīn and the others noticed that black silhouettes were falling from the surrounding cold mist, landing neatly on the withered grass. Each of these silhouettes bore a black ant, roughly the size of a clenched fist, firmly biting at their throats and completely muffled any sound they made. As they looked closer, they were astonished to find that all these black shapes were actually small black birds, only palm-sized. These birds were slender and well-hidden within the mist, so subtle that even Xuān Yīn’s keen perception had failed to detect them. "These are all the eyes and ears of the Soul Palace. As soon as there's any movement, they transmit signals through sound waves. Unless we completely eliminate them, our movements will inevitably come to the attention of the Soul Palace." Zi Yan explained softly to Xiao Yan and the others. Hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others couldn't help but feel a cold sweat break out. Indeed, the Soul Palace was truly mysterious—how could anyone have imagined that it would cultivate such small creatures as spies? Without the guidance of the Queen Ant, they would likely have encountered well-laid traps by the time they reached the Soul Palace. "All the signal birds in the vicinity have already been quietly eliminated by the Stone-Biting Magic Ants. You needn't worry about that. Also, the Soul Palace isn't far away—just be careful." Zi Yan said gently. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others felt their hearts tighten. Their inner qi began to stir subtly, preparing at all times to respond to any sudden developments. After settling the hidden spies of the Huan Pavilion, Zi Yan once again took the lead, continuing to weave through the mountain range for approximately ten minutes before finally stopping. She exhaled softly, her voice calm. "We've arrived." Hearing this, Xiao Yan subtly accelerated his steps, only then realizing that the mist here had thinned considerably. Now, they stood on a towering, steep incline, with a vast valley stretching out at its far end—surrounded by mountains on all sides. Within the valley, a colossal black pavilion, stretching over a hundred zhang in height, lay like a primordial beast coiled and resting, radiating a chilling, oppressive atmosphere. "This... must be the Huan Pavilion," Xiao Yan murmured, taking in the monolithic structure. The sheer scale of the pavilion, built so prominently deep within the mountain wilderness, spoke volumes about the ambition and scope of its construction. Behind Xiao Yan, the other elders also stepped forward. As they glanced at the towering black hall within the valley, a spark of excitement surged in their eyes, yet a sense of seriousness also emerged—this was truly when the real struggle would begin. "Wait a moment—the space here has been fortified with a spatial barrier..." Xiao Yan gradually regained his composure, suddenly noticing that the sky above the valley ahead appeared slightly distorted. He furrowed his brows and spoke softly. "I'll handle the spatial barrier. I can cut through it without disturbing anyone inside," said Zi Yan. "Master Feng, can you sense how many Dou-Zun-level warriors are currently within the hall?" Xiao Yan nodded slightly and turned to Master Feng. Feng, the Esteemed, slightly closed his eyes, then opened them after a moment, speaking softly, "The intelligence is accurate. I sense five subtle presences—clearly five masters of the Battle Sovereign rank. The Battle Conclave also detects no fewer than ten such figures, along with numerous weaker ones..." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan quietly exhaled, easing his breath. Though five Battle Sovereigns were an exceptionally formidable force, at least they were within reach of their current capabilities. "Once we open the spatial barrier, send the Stone-Biting Maggot Ants in first—those creatures will devour and eliminate all of them..." The excitement on Zi Yan's face left Xiao Yan and the others speechless—indeed, she was a true little demon. "With five Battle Sovereigns, we four can manage to hold them off. Xiao Yan will seize the opportunity to enter the Soul Palace and seek out Yao Chen. As soon as he is found, he will be taken immediately. We cannot remain long—no one can guarantee that the Soul Palace will have a swift means of reinforcements." Feng spoke solemnly. "Once it joins us, we won't have to struggle so much." Xiao Yan smiled, bent his finger, and with a light tap, the Tian Yao Puppet appeared beside him. Its dark golden body, partially concealed by the mist, was not easily noticeable. "Is this... a puppet of Dao Sovereign rank?" Upon seeing the Tian Yao Puppet, both Feng Sovereign and Iron Sword Sovereign's faces instantly tightened, their expressions deeply stirred. It was hard to imagine that in just over a year, Xiao Yan's strength had grown so formidable. "Excellent. With this puppet, we'll be able to hold the five Dao Sovereigns of the Soul Palace firmly. The search for Yao Chen will be yours." Xiao Yan nodded seriously, then gestured with his chin toward Zi Yan. She understood immediately, stepped forward two paces, and with a point of purple light swirling around her fingers, gently drew a large gate—spanning several zhang—across the distorted space. With a simple push of her palm, that section of space quietly dissolved, revealing an invisible spatial gate before the eyes of everyone present. "Go..." The peculiar sound waves emanating from the queen ant on Zhu Yan's shoulders intensified, and soon, a series of rustling sounds carried swiftly through the air. Then, the group felt a wave of unease as they witnessed a dense tide of black ants surging forth from the forest, flowing like a tide, passing by their sides, and rushing into the space gateway in a powerful surge. Amidst the faint mist, this black tide swiftly moved down the slope, swiftly heading toward the towering black palace nestled within the valley. ... Deep within the black grand hall, there lay a vast square. Towering black stone pillars, reaching hundreds of feet high, stood upright, their surfaces adorned with countless strange glyphs. Dark chains extended from the pillars, intertwining to form a network across the square's upper expanse. At the ends of these chains, faint luminous orbs floated—within each orb, ethereal, suffering souls of translucent bodies were visible. A stillness and an eerie atmosphere enveloped the square, where every corner exuded a sense of gloom and death. This silence persisted for some time, until the elderly physician on the platform, whose eyes had been closed, suddenly snapped them open. At that very instant, a familiar aura emerged in his senses. The appearance of this aura caused the physician to freeze in place. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and slowly lifted his gaze. To his surprise, the dry eyes that had remained so for a long time began to glisten with a subtle moisture.