Seeing the astonished expressions on Xiao Yan and Mu Qingluan's faces, Hu Elder smiled and said, "This matter has been widely discussed here recently, with many people curious about the identity of the murderer—how dare someone challenge such a prominent local power as the Nine-Deep Earth-Mortar Serpent Clan, especially in the heart of the Beast Realm? That truly is like stirring up trouble on the head of a dragon." Xiao Yan nodded slightly. As one of the three major beast clans, the Nine-Deep Earth-Mortar Serpent Clan's strength was well established. And since this was their own territory, the principle of 'a strong dragon not overpowering a local snake' held true—any major power from the Central Plains, even if well-known, would typically show respect to the clan unless they were acting out of sheer enthusiasm. It was precisely this respect that made Xiao Yan so surprised to hear that someone had recently been causing trouble for the Nine-Deep Earth-Mortar Serpent Clan. "Perhaps some old rivals," Mu Qingluan hesitated, adding. "Who knows... If he's an enemy, then surely he would drive the Jiyou Di Minglong clan to extinction. But from the reports circulating over the past period, his targets have consistently been the clan's strongest warriors—those with considerable strength. Even the weaker members, when they encountered this mysterious assailant, have often survived unharmed." Hu elder chuckled, clearly puzzled by the odd tactics of this enigmatic figure. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's brow also furrowed slightly. Indeed, this person was quite unusual—common wisdom says that soft targets are easiest to handle, yet this individual deliberately chose the more difficult ones. Wasn't that self-defeating? "The nine immortal python warriors who encountered this enigmatic killer have all vanished without a trace—no bodies have been found. This is what has caused the Nine Immortal Python Clan to grow concerned. After all, the very essence of a clan lies in its bloodline. No one knows what the mysterious killer intends to achieve by gathering so many of the clan's elite..." Elder Hu said. "Then, let us simply wait for the awakening of this ancient sanctuary..." Xiang Yan's gaze, spanning over the towering peaks, settled on the slightly distorted expanse at the heart of the mountain range, as he murmured softly. Over these three days, the Fenglei Pavilion, which had been hastily dismissed, has not come back to cause any further trouble. Although Xiao Yan and the others knew that the Thunder Sovereign would certainly not easily swallow this humiliation, at least, as long as he believed himself to have not yet defeated the four Sovereigns in combat, he would not be foolish enough to come forward and risk further disgrace. During these three days, everyone had spent their time calmly on the mountain peak, neither disturbing others nor being disturbed themselves—this peaceful, unhurried wait stood in stark contrast to the increasingly turbulent atmosphere throughout the mountain range, where battles erupted constantly. As the days passed, the distorted space at the heart of the mountain gradually faded, clearly indicating that the ancient spatial seal, which had endured for countless ages, was on the verge of dissolving. This fading of the seal had in turn intensified the overall tension throughout the mountain, as the allure of the ancient ruins seemed to have stirred everyone into a state of heightened agitation—any minor friction now swiftly escalated into full-blown, desperate clashes. According to the rate at which the seal is fading, at most within two more days, this seal will vanish entirely, and the ancient ruins that have existed for countless ages will once again emerge into the world... Xiao Yan's fists gradually clenched, a determined gleam passing through his eyes. No matter how mysterious or powerful the ancient clan might be, it could not stand in the way of him and Xun'er being together! Today's Xiao Yan had truly earned his place as one of the elite among the cultivators on the Continent. Among his peers, he found few rivals. With this level of effort and achievement, he was confident—he would certainly hold his own even against the young talents of the ancient clan, who bore the bloodline of a Battle Emperor. Xiao Yan exhaled gently, and suddenly, without any warning, a ripple of energy surged through the image in his mind, followed by the instant emergence of a stunningly beautiful face—both alluring and coolly composed. "Colorful scales…" Flashing through his mind the beautiful, radiant face, Xiao Yan's face bore a complex, wistful smile as he murmured softly, "I wonder... whether the child within her has now been born..." As he thought this, a deep, previously taut string within his heart seemed to be gently touched. He hadn't expected that, now, he too was on the verge of becoming a father. He couldn't help but imagine how his father would react—would he be overjoyed? The tent burst open, revealing Zhu Yan, who was asleep within. Yet Zhu Yan was no stranger to keen perception—right as the tent tore apart, she suddenly snapped her eyes open, gazing in astonishment at the rushing figure. With her bare feet, she swiftly retreated. "Who dares!" Xiao Yan was likewise startled, then his expression turned fierce. With a clap of his palm on the massive stone beneath him, he launched himself forward like a great phoenix, charging toward the figure. As he drew nearer, Xiao Yan noticed that the figure was somewhat petite, her contours visible beneath the slightly flowing garments, hinting at her true nature. A grim, divine mask adorned her cheeks, giving her an especially eerie appearance. Unmoved by Xiao Yan's outburst, the figure remained silent. Suddenly, a strange green glow erupted from beneath the mask. In an instant, this glow illuminated Zhu Yan's retreating face. With that light shining upon her, Zǐ Yán immediately felt her vision blur, her consciousness growing hazy. "Roar!" As her mind grew hazy, a surge of purple energy erupted on her cheeks, and a purple dragon, half a span long, materialized and coiled itself, then roared skyward! The dragon's roar surged forth in mighty waves, instantly shattering the green glow. "Hmm... why isn't it a serpent?" The shadowed figure of the ghostly mask was momentarily stunned, then a subtle expression of surprise broke through. "Boom!" As the shadow figure hesitated, the three tents surrounding them burst open. Xiao Yi, the Young Healer, Tian Huo Master, and Xiong Zhan appeared instantly, and upon seeing the figure advancing against Zǐ Yán, their expressions immediately tightened. "Secure Zǐ Yán!" Xiao Yan commanded firmly, moving swiftly to stand before the shadow figure. He clenched his hands, and a large hand of deep purple-brown flame formed, then struck the figure squarely on the head. Faced with Xiao Yan's fierce assault, the black figure hurried to retreat, her ghostly mask flashing an eerie green glow that easily deflected the fiery palm. Then, with a sudden movement, she swiftly darted toward the peak's outer edge—clearly realizing that staying any longer would offer her no further advantage. "Trying to escape?" Seeing this, Xiao Yan's expression darkened. This person was exceptionally strange, and her clear objective appeared to be Zi Yan. If she wasn't captured and questioned thoroughly, trouble would surely arise in the future. With this thought swiftly passing through his mind, Xiao Yan's feet flashed with a silver luminescence as he swiftly pursued. In an instant, he materialized directly above the figure, his flame-filled fist once again crashing down with force. Feeling the sudden, powerful gust of wind sweeping over her head, the black figure's mask flashed green once more. Then, unexpectedly, a solid, robust silhouette emerged behind her—dark liquid spreading across the figure's fist, which then struck with a powerful punch, colliding directly with Xiao Yan's fiery fist. "Thwip!" The two fists collided, sending out a powerful gust of wind. Xiao Yan's body trembled, and he stepped back several paces, while the sturdy figure also retreated two steps, his form wavering before vanishing once more. When Xiao Yan regained his composure, the black silhouette had already surged into the vast, dense mountains, blending seamlessly into the night, and vanished without a trace within a single blink.