"Heh, finally deciding to give it your all, are you? I truly hope to see whether the Xiao family still possesses someone who can match the aura of Xiao Xuan when he was alive." Upon seeing Xiao Yan place the Elder of Medicine into his ring, the old ghost of Star-Seeking couldn't help but smile and said so. Xiao Yan's expression remained cold, his powerful qi surging through his meridians like roaring dragons. At this moment, he had fully unleashed his strength—after consuming the Three Thousand Yan Fire—reaching the absolute peak of his capabilities. Of course, he also understood that, facing a Five-Star Peak Domain Sovereign like the old ghost of Star-Seeking, if he didn't give his full effort, he might not even have the chance to make a move. "Hand over the 'key' from the Xiao family to me, and I'll ensure you don't suffer any harm," the old ghost of Star-Seeking calmly replied, smiling gently. With his own Five-Star Peak Domain Sovereign strength, he felt no fear at all toward Xiao Yan. The sheer gap in rank was sufficient to make him regard Xiao Yan as nothing more than a mere insect. Yet, in Xiang Yan's heart, there was only a cold laugh—no heed at all—his gaze shifting subtly, searching for the path of breakthrough. "Ah well," sighed the Old Star Ghost, spreading his hands with fingers pointed toward Xiang Yan. Then, his fingers trembled, and five thick streams of black mist surged forth from his fingertips. With a rustling sound, they coalesced into an eerie black chain, which, once looped in midair, snapped through the void with a sharp hiss, appearing instantly above Xiang Yan's head. The sudden lightning assault caused Xiang Yan's face to pale. His feet shimmered with silver light, and he retreated several steps with the speed of a storm. "Crack!" The chain plunged sharply from above, skimmed past Xiang Yan's face, and drove deep into the solid black rock, shaking it slightly—cracks immediately spread across the surrounding stone. A good reaction. "Master Zhaixing smiled faintly, bent his finger, and the chain shot upward like a venomous serpent, sweeping with a sharp gust of wind toward every vital point on Xiao Yan's body. The chain attacks were astonishingly swift, leaving a series of lingering silhouettes in the sky, making it nearly impossible to defend against. 'Ding-ding-ding!' Facing such relentless pressure, Xiao Yan clenched his hands, and the Xuanzhong Scale instantly materialized, forming a dense network of scale shadows around him that absorbed all the chain strikes. 'Clang!' The chain struck heavily against the scale, the immense force pressing deep into the ground, leaving a clear furrow beneath his feet, and only gradually stabilizing. His arms even began to tingle slightly. 'A Five-Star Peak Domain Master—indeed formidable...' After a brief exchange, Xiao Yan clearly grasped the strength of Master Zhaixing. His heart now felt heavy; today, he would surely find it far more difficult than he had anticipated to escape unscathed." "Being able to withstand my attacks with the strength of a Nine-Star Sovereign cultivator—well, that does make you quite an anomaly," the old ghost with the starry aura said, smiling as he gazed at the serious expression on Xiao Yan's face. Suddenly, however, his body slowly leaned forward, like a wild beast about to feed. "But I don't have the time to waste with you, Xiao Yan. After I finish you off, I still need to deal with all those bothersome people outside..." With a light step, the old ghost's form dissolved into the space as it rippled and shifted. A roar burst from his heart, and a massive beam of light—stretching over a dozen zhang—burst forth from the top of his staff, crashing down upon the withered palm. Yet despite the fierce force of the wind, the palm only paused momentarily before accelerating again, darting swiftly to appear before Xiao Yan, then lightly striking his chest. Xiao Yan's feet were deeply embedded into the rock, which, under that terrifying force, now felt as fragile as tofu. Having endured a solid palm strike from the Old Ghost of Star-Seeking, the surge of energy and blood within Xiao Yan intensified. In a swift motion, Chun Zhongshe flipped over, planted her foot, and propelled Xiao Yan backward along the ground. Then, with a firm stomp, she straightened her body and glanced at the heavy staff. To her astonishment, a faint palm impression had been left upon it. Though shallow, this mark was profoundly impressive to Xiao Yan. The staff had always been his primary weapon, and he was well acquainted with its strength. Yet, no one had ever left such a mark on it—this Old Ghost of Star-Seeking was the first. "A solid one," said Xiao Yan, as a subtle distortion rippled through the space several zhang ahead of him. The Old Ghost of Star-Seeking gradually emerged, glanced at the staff in Xiao Yan's hands, and offered a calm smile. Xiao Yan stared at the old man with cautious vigilance. Right now, the only course of action was to leave this Locked-Soul Hall. Once outside, with Xiao Yi Xian and her companions assisting him, things would be much easier. If he continued to be worn down here, he would inevitably be drained by the old man—those attacks, even when Xiao Yan employed his Heaven-Fire Triple Transformations, could only be parried so many times. Xiao Yan also noticed the changes in the Old Ghost of Star-Plucking. The silver glow flashed beneath his feet as he suddenly retreated, and as he stepped back, purple-brown flames rapidly coalesced in his palm, swiftly forming a particularly elegant fire lotus. A surge of intense energy then radiated outward from the lotus. Since his soul power had surpassed the spiritual realm, Xiao Yan's ability to form the Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus had grown smoother and more effortless—now, with just a thought, the lotus would take shape. As soon as the purple-brown fire lotus appeared, Xiao Yan hurled it forcefully toward the Old Ghost of Star-Plucking, simultaneously accelerating his retreat. The fire lotus exploded, yet Xiao Yan showed no sign of relaxation. He knew that a mere Fire Lotus of Buddha's Wrath could not truly defeat the Elder Ghost of Star-Seeking. His expectations had not been misplaced either. Not long after the fire lotus burst, a weathered figure emerged slowly from the surging waves of flame. Xiao Yan recognized him instantly—none other than the Elder Ghost of Star-Seeking. However, the latter's robes were now torn in several places, revealing a certain sense of disarray, clearly indicating that the power of the fire lotus had exceeded his expectations. The flame surged forth, fiercely cleaving through the dense network of chains suspended in the half-sky of the Soul-Sealing Hall. These chains, though numerous, were far less troublesome than the ones that bound the old Dr. Yao—upon impact, they snapped apart with a resounding crack. Instantly, the countless luminous orbs within the hall began to dissolve, and one by one, souls—faces etched with pain and bewilderment—slowly opened their eyes. Xiao Yan swept his arm, and the three Fire Thunder Orbs formed a character-like pattern, rushing toward the Old Ghost of Star-Plucking. At a distance of about ten paces, they suddenly exploded. "Boom!" The powerful shockwave erupted in the air, shaking numerous black chains and snapping them. Immediately, the entire hall became filled with swirling souls, all rushing toward the exits. Amidst the fierce gust, the Old Ghost of Star-Plucking broke through, his face now glowing with a growing intensity of anger—Xiao Yan's unusual techniques had even managed to outmatch him. "You rogue! Those souls have fled—compensate me with yours!" "Star-Plucking Hand!" The black mist swirled around the old ghost of Star-Catching. Suddenly, his right hand grew remarkably larger—like a spectral phantom, he materialized before Xiao Yan with a mere movement. With a powerful grasp, the space around Xiao Yan instantly solidified, and he could only watch in awe as the hand rapidly expanded within his field of vision. "Xiao Yan of the Xiao family—your journey ends!" The old ghost's face broke into a grim smile. Then, with a firm clench of his palm, the space around Xiao Yan collapsed instantly... Yet, as expected, the hazy flesh and blood that should have emerged from the collapse did not appear. Instead, in the ghost's stunned gaze, Xiao Yan's body suddenly burst into nothingness with a loud *crash*. "Wha—?" This unexpected sight left the old ghost momentarily speechless. When had the Star-Catching hand grown so powerful? "No—it's not real!" "Yet this old star-gatherer was a seasoned veteran. After a brief moment of astonishment, he suddenly snapped back to awareness, his gaze immediately turning toward the exit of the Soul-Chain Hall. There, a figure had already leaped out like a nimble monkey—no one else could possibly be that figure but Xiao Yan. As Xiao Yan's silhouette faded into the distance, the old star-gatherer's face darkened with growing fury. He hadn't expected, today, to be so thoroughly outwitted by a young upstart! "Xiao Yan! Today, I'll see how far you can go!" His deep, thunderous roar echoed throughout the hall.