"Hmph. I've been tracking this beast for a long time—indeed, it was you who seized it first. Now you expect me to hand it over? That's truly ridiculous!" Hearing this, the figure in the black robe coldly laughed, her voice clear and fresh, clearly that of a young woman, probably not much older than mid- twenties. "Where does this young lady come from? With such extraordinary abilities at her age, I've never heard of anyone like her in the Central Plains. Indeed, there's no record of such a promising young talent among the Central States." Xiang Yan's expression darkened, his thoughts racing swiftly, yet after a moment's reflection, he couldn't arrive at a clear conclusion—eventually, he attributed it solely to the fact that the Central Plains still harbored many hidden, powerful figures. "You young lady, you're quite ungracious! These items were always unclaimed—whichever of you sees them first, claims them. Isn't that the very definition of a joke? Then go ahead—release the Dan Beast and see where it goes!" Zi Yan exclaimed. At the sound of Ziyan's cry, the shadow figure merely hummed, yet her grip on the jade beast remained firm—she knew well that if she released it, the creature would surely flee toward the other side. "I won't give the jade beast up. Go ahead and make your move whenever you're ready..." Beneath the ghost deity's mask, two clear eyes shimmering with a green glow swept over the scene, finally settling on Xiao Yan's stern face. For some reason, this exceptionally strong young man gave her a peculiar sensation—one as though she had seen him before, as though he were familiar. Frowning slightly, she tried to recall, but couldn't quite place it. She thus suppressed the feeling and cast her gaze around, searching for a place where the creature might break through. Seeing the black-robed figure's unwavering determination, a cold glint passed through Xiao Yan's eyes. This Dan Beast was exceptionally rare and vital—should he secure it and nurture it well, he might truly have a chance to reach the legendary Nine-Rank level. At that point, his power would surge dramatically, possibly even surpassing the Heavenly Sovereign of the Soul Palace, which would be nothing short of ordinary. "Then, should you find fault with us for relying on our numbers!" Xiao Yan stepped forward steadily, his purple-brown flames surging like a furious dragon, enveloping his entire body. With a powerful stomp of his foot, he materialized before the black-robed figure like a flash of lightning, his scorching, sharp palm wind crashing directly into the latter's head. "Hmph!" Upon seeing Xiao Yan act, the black-robed figure emitted a cold exhalation, retreating with graceful steps to evade the palm wind. A green glow flashed suddenly beneath his ghostly mask. "It may well be that *we* are the ones who rely on numbers!" The black-robed figure coldly descended, and at that instant, the space before him twisted violently, soon giving rise to nearly a dozen figures who materialized out of thin air, all shouting in unison. A fierce, powerful wave of palm energy surged forth, directly targeting Xiao Yan. As soon as the green glow of the black-robed figure appeared, Xiao Yan had already raised his alert. Though surprised by the sudden emergence of these figures, he remained calm, his movements swift and ghostly, deflecting the overwhelming waves of palm force. This maneuver, however, caused him to step back slightly. "These people are mostly strong members of the Chilly Underworld Serpent Clan..." Zi Yan said solemnly. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze upon the shadow figure now tinged with a touch of apprehension. This person had truly managed to control all these strong warriors completely, and moreover, she could employ such a remarkable spatial technique to carry them along with her—making her essentially a mobile repository of guards. Xiao Yan carefully examined the strong warriors standing not far ahead and noticed that though their eyes still held traces of consciousness, their bodies appeared to be fully under control. "This woman controls their bodies, yet they still retain their own rationality—it's an incredibly strange method..." Upon witnessing this scene, Xiao Yan felt a sudden sense of awe. He had originally assumed that the woman employed some technique for crafting puppets, fully subduing these powerful individuals through alchemical refinement. But now, it appeared she directly controlled their bodies and even sealed their souls within them. This method not only seemed astonishing but also far more straightforward than the elaborate process of crafting puppets. Such developments only deepened Xiao Yan's growing apprehension. Nevertheless, despite his reservations, he knew the Dan Beasts had to be secured—these were exceedingly rare, and even his own resolve could not withstand their allure. With two Douzun and over a dozen Douzong-tier masters, he was far from intimidated. "Shall we intervene?" Seeing the black-robed figure summoning so many powerful figures, Xiao Bi slightly furrowed her brows, asking. "No. You hold the perimeter—don't let anyone enter or give her a chance to escape." Xiao Yan shook his head, raised his hand, and the Tian Yao Puppet and ten Di Yao Puppets materialized instantly. With a single command in his mind, the eleven puppets glowed intensely, surged forth with fierce determination, and collided head-on with the group of powerful opponents. "I'm eager to see what else you have in store!" His thoughts raced, and so too did the figure's steps, retreating urgently. After a moment, he found himself with no further retreat, clasping his hands together and swiftly forming an eerie seal. "Seize the soul!" A cold command issued from the figure's lips, and a steady glow of pale green surged forth, illuminating Xiao Yan's body. As the green light approached, Xiao Yan felt a sudden jolt in his heart. His deep purple-brown flames immediately enveloped his form, yet even so, upon contact with the light, he noticed his soul at the center of his forehead suddenly pulsing violently—almost as if it were about to detach. This unexpected development sent Xiao Yan into a state of alarm. He quickly stabilized his soul, suppressing the strange agitation and holding it firmly in place. "Such an unusual magic!" Though he had managed to steady his soul, the woman's techniques left him somewhat chilled. Over the years, he had faced many opponents, but none had ever displayed such strangeness. "Boom!" "Suppressing the soul, Xiao Yan's fist struck with sudden, powerful force into the void before him. A terrifying gust of wind surged through the space, heavily impacting the figure's body. Yet, at the very moment of impact, a clear green glow flashed distinctly across the figure's form, absorbing and deflecting half of the force. "Hmph!" Xiao Yan's punch had been heavy; even after the partial defense, the remaining power still sent the figure staggering back, crashing several beams along the way as they shattered under the impact. "Hand over the Dan Beast!" After driving the figure back with a single punch, Xiao Yan's expression remained cold, pressing forward with a storm of scorching wind that enveloped the figure's vital points. "You're dreaming!" "Though shaken and retreating step by step, the black figure remained resolute. A flash of green light caused the Dan Beast in his hands to vanish mysteriously, and then his hand seals rapidly shifted, cascading waves of brilliant green light surging forth from beneath the ethereal mask. 'Spirit-Eye Control of the Body!' The surge of green light caused the mask to warp, and within an instant, a green, eye-sized pupil coalesced upon it. This pupil was remarkably otherworldly—three slender green serpents spiraled within it, their heads and tails interlocked, encircling the pupil's circumference. As they spun swiftly, a surge of peculiar energy radiated outward. At the very moment the green spirit-eye appeared, Xiao Yan suddenly felt his body grow rigid, as though, in that instant, his command over his own body had mysteriously vanished. This sudden turn of events left Xiao Yan deeply startled, yet he remained calm. His abilities did not necessarily rely on his physical body—they could be activated merely by a shift in his mind. With a mere thought, the vast soul force residing in the center of his brow surged forth, coalescing into a slightly ethereal humanoid silhouette hovering before him. The figure raised its fist, shifting the palm imprint, then delivered a powerful strike. Xiao Yan's expression was gloomy. With a movement of his body, he appeared before the figure in shadow. He clenched his palm, and the heavy ruler materialized, hovering just above the latter's throat. His voice was cold as he asked, "Now, can you hand over the medicinal beast?" "No!" The figure in shadow wiped the blood from his mouth, lifted his head with determination, and stared fiercely at Xiao Yan, gritting his teeth in anger. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's own anger flared up. As he turned to raise his voice, he suddenly paused. Beneath the divine and ethereal mask was a refined, oval face. Though the face now bore a strong sense of determination, what caught Xiao Yan's attention wasn't merely that. It was the girl's eyes. They were beautiful, with a green hue. Yet within those eyes, three small green spots rotated slowly around the pupil, creating an otherworldly aura. "The Jade Serpent's Three-Flower Pupil?" Gazing into those eyes, Xiao Yan instantly inhaled a cool breath, his gaze sharply shifting to the refined face. A sense of familiarity surged within him, natural and overwhelming, prompting an almost uncontrollable exclamation. "You... Qinglin?!