In the quiet valley, a soft, whispering sound gradually emerged. A black tide flowed swiftly down the slope, advancing with remarkable speed—within less than a minute, it had reached the vicinity of the massive hall nestled deep within the valley. On some of the stone pillars surrounding the black hall, faint silhouettes of figures seated in meditation could be seen, enveloped in swirling black mist, exuding a dense, eerie atmosphere. The sharp, urgent cry suddenly shattered the stillness of the valley. The十余 black mist figures on the stone pillars quickly rose, their faces filled with astonishment as they watched the swiftly advancing tide of black ants. "Alert!" one of the figures declared, his voice deep and resonant. Immediately, a sharp sonic wave emanated from his mouth and swiftly traveled into the immense hall, resembling a primordial giant. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" As the alert sound was issued, black figures began to emerge from within the hall, moving swiftly toward the surging waves of ants, their expressions growing increasingly concerned. "Everyone, act together—clear these intruders and do not disturb the elders' rest," a black-robed figure of apparent high rank floated above, his brow furrowed as he gazed down at the advancing ant tide, his voice steady and commanding. "Yes, Master Liu!" "Heard this, nearly a hundred black silhouettes below responded in unison, then waves of strange black mist surged forth from their bodies and rapidly spread outward toward the swarm of ants. Ssssh! Upon contact, numerous stone-devouring maggot ants released white vapor, which quickly turned to black mist, yet the sheer volume of the ant tide remained overwhelming. Even with the dense black mist, the ants' advancing momentum proved difficult to halt. A man with a gloomy expression furrowed his brow, his gaze suddenly sweeping across the entire valley. A sudden unease stirred within him, and he spoke in a low, firm tone, "Something's amiss—everyone seems... smaller." "Boom!" Before he had finished speaking, a violent distortion surged through the space around him, then collapsed inward, forming an invisible palm imprint that crushed him into a pulp. "Attack! Attack!" In an instant, one person transformed into a blurred mass of blood and flesh. This abrupt turn of events took several of the Hall's protectors by surprise, their faces instantly pale with shock. Shrieks of terror rang out across the valley. "Shhh!" As the cries reached their peak, sharp sword blades surged from the sky, slicing through the bodies of two Hall protectors with lightning speed, piercing them and sending out piercing cries of pain. The sword strikes also cleaved through several stone pillars outside the grand hall. "Boom!" "A sharp surge of sword energy descended, slightly distorting the space above. Then, several figures slowly materialized before the stunned eyes of the numerous elite soul palace warriors, their vast aura now fully unleashed. 'Boom!' Four cultivators at the peak of the Douzun rank erupted simultaneously. The sheer force sent flying sand and stones throughout the valley, and the overwhelming pressure radiated from the sky, causing several soul palace protectors' faces to pale in alarm. 'Hah! The incompetent souls of the Soul Palace—today, it's your turn to pay!' A booming laugh echoed from the heavens. Then, several powerful gusts of wind surged from the sky, directly hurling over a dozen soul palace warriors into the earth, their bodies obliterated in an instant by the sheer force. 'Hah! Kill!" Above, several figures surged downward, like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep. Even the guardians who had once boasted of their might were left stunned, hastily retreating as they faced a group of fierce, wolf-like attackers—something they had never imagined: someone daring enough to launch a direct assault on their Hall of Souls. "Are you mad? Do you think you're going to disrupt our Hall of Souls and walk away unscathed?" The relentless cries of terror echoing through the valley finally drew the attention of the elders within the Hall. Instantly, a roar of fury erupted. Then, five figures burst forth from the grand hall, radiating fierce combat energy, their gaze sweeping across the scene before finally settling firmly on Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan? You're still alive?" Hearing that familiar voice, Xiao Yan couldn't help but slightly raise his head, gazing at the five figures in the sky. Purple-brown flames surged forth from their hands, engulfing and utterly incinerating a Hún Palace master they had just seized. Then, with a calm smile, he said, "Mù Gǔ, I didn't expect you'd be here too..." "You came for Yàochén, didn't you? To be honest, your courage is truly remarkable—coming to my Hún Palace to seize people like this is the first time I've encountered such boldness since I've become a Senior." A black-robed figure lifted his cloak, his voice cold and measured. He was clearly the Elder Mù Gǔ. "Hah! I didn't expect to find any old acquaintances. Feng, you're still determined, aren't you?" A black-robed Senior, standing beside Elder Mù Gǔ, suddenly chuckled with a cold tone. Upon hearing this, Feng Senior offered a quiet smile, glanced at the growing tide of figures entering the grand hall, then turned to Xiao Yan and said, "Go find Yàochén. We'll hold them here." "Understood." Xiao Yan nodded, his body moving instantly as he intended to surge into the vast hall. "How dare you disrupt our Hall of Souls like this! You're asking for death!" The five senior elders of the Hall of Souls in the sky roared in unison. One of them even launched a mighty black mist, which surged like a black serpent, roaring across the sky, directly charging toward Xiao Yan. "Move!" The Wind Elder materialized beside Xiao Yan, grasped his hands, and a fierce gust of wind erupted. With a powerful palm strike, he crushed the immense black mist into fragments, then roared firmly. "Today, we shall see if you truly have what it takes!" The elders laughed fiercely, swiftly descending. One of them, carrying a sharp aura of lethal intent, collided directly with the Wind Elder, and the two instantly engaged in a fierce battle. Seeing this, Xiao Yan moved swiftly, leaping into the air and transforming his figure into a streak of black, rushing toward the vast hall. As he was about to enter the main gate, the space before him subtly rippled, and a elderly man dressed in pale purple robes appeared before him, expression neutral. "You are Xiao Yan, are you? Do you remember me?" the purple-robed elder asked, gazing at Xiao Yan calmly. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, sensing a familiar scent emanating from the man. "You're the old fool who once destroyed my soul energies twice," Xiao Yan smiled, finally recalling—each time he had broken through his soul energy to reach the Huan Pavilion, it was this man who had discovered him and shattered his soul forces. "I underestimated you," the elder admitted. "In just a few years, you've advanced all the way to the Nine-Star Battle Sect. Yet today, coming here to seize people, you will surely meet your end—completely and utterly." The elder in purple robes had a cold, stern expression. As soon as he spoke, his sleeves surged outward, dark mist swirling around his palms, forming a solid palm strike that pierced through the void and aimed directly at Xiao Yan's chest. The sudden attack from the purple-robed elder caused Xiao Yan's expression to darken, prompting him to step back swiftly. At the center of his palm, a deep purple-brown flame surged forth, and his internal qi erupted powerfully and without reservation. "Boom!" This time, Xiao Yan did not retreat. The sharp palm wind, carrying the vibrant purple-brown Flame of Three Thousand Lotus Hearts, collided forcefully with the elder's palm. The impact generated a powerful gust of wind, sweeping nearby guards of the Soul Palace into mere wisps of existence, and even cracking fissures across the massive stone pillar. "Tap, tap." "Though he had fully refined the qi circulation within his body and added the three-thousand-lotus-heart flame, Xiao Yan's steps still retreated by ten or so steps before he finally stabilized, his brows furrowed, clearly demonstrating the strength of a Douzun-level master. In comparison, the purple-robed master's expression was notably displeased, with a subtle shock evident in his eyes." When Xiao Yan's soul power first seeped into the Huan Palace secretly, he merely thought of it and effortlessly destroyed it. On the second occasion, he had to personally appear and intervene to finally eliminate that soul power. Yet on this third attempt, Xiao Yan managed to withstand the elder's palm with his own strength—using the power of a Dou Zong—without sustaining a single wound. This remarkable leap in performance stirred a subtle chill in the elder's heart, one he could not ignore. "Your opponent isn't me—it's it..." Xiao Yin smiled gently at the purple-robed master, his feet glowing with silver light as he surged forward and entered the massive hall. Though he intended to intercept him, the celestial demon automaton before him made it impossible for the master to focus, so he could only roar in frustration. "Hall guardian of the Spirit Palace, stop that young man! No matter what—it's no use!"