Boom! The once quiet and taut hall, as if struck by a heavy bomb, instantly erupted into a frenzy, its atmosphere boiling like a pot of oil. Hiss! The luminous glow vanished, and ten streams of light of varying hues burst forth, their radiance revealing the ancient scrolls within. Through the shimmer, an ancient aura emanated from the scrolls, causing many of the stronger warriors to have their eyes blaze red and their breaths deepen sharply. "A Heavenly-Level Technique has emerged!" The surge of light broke the brief silence that had settled in the hall, and immediately, a piercing scream rang out. Then came a series of booming sounds, as waves of powerful ki surged forth from within the hall. Figures surged like locusts, rushing desperately toward the now-streaming scrolls. Faced with the obstruction of so many powerful opponents, those ten streaks of light seemed to possess their own intelligence, weaving through the air and automatically turning to evade the sweeping hands that came their way. "It's evident that these ten scrolls are no ordinary items—they could even be among the highest-ranked techniques or cultivation methods I've encountered in recent years. Clearly, some special treatments have been applied to them, making it quite difficult to grasp them. Xiao Yan shook his head. In his perception, each of the ten streaks of light radiated a strong, unusual energy—something he had never witnessed before. He therefore deduced that the rank of these techniques and cultivation methods must be exceptionally high. According to his expectations, only the Imperial Seal Technique among the ones he had mastered might match them. Clearly, these techniques are at least on par with, if not superior to, the Imperial Seal Technique. Truly, no wonder this is a site of a Battle Saint—such powerful techniques and cultivation methods, which even the strongest major factions cannot boast, appear here in such abundance." While the chaos unfolded, Xiao Yan's eyes swept across the scene, noticing that true强者 and the Soul Palace, the Heavenly Fiend Phoenix Clan, and other powerful factions had not immediately launched attacks to seize resources—they clearly intended to wait until these contenders fought each other to exhaustion before making their move. "Ah, Xiao Yan, once we each make our move, we'll see if we can secure a scroll or two. Since we've come all this way to this ancient sanctuary, we certainly can't leave empty-handed, can we?" Tang Zhen smiled, gazing at the figures continuously spitting blood and falling to the ground. Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. Indeed, the Heavenly-Level Combat Technique held immense appeal for him. If he had the chance to obtain one, he would surely not hesitate. "Ah!" "As Xuanyin was about to nod, a sudden, piercing cry echoed throughout the hall. Everyone turned to look, their faces instantly pale. To their astonishment, the stone statues and automata surrounding the stone throne had all fully awakened at that very moment, radiating an intense and powerful aura of martial prowess and combat energy. As soon as they awoke, these automata launched a relentless assault on the people nearby. Each of them possessed the strength of a Battle Sovereign, and their coordinated attacks were overwhelming in scale. Within moments, the area within a hundred meters of the throne was drenched in crimson blood, the thick scent of blood filling the air and sending a wave of shock through the onlookers. 'The automata have awakened,' Xuanyin observed, his brows furrowed. These warriors, all at the Battle Sovereign level, now moved with the ferocity of tigers among sheep. Aside from the major powerhouses, few could stand a chance against them. Most were swiftly overwhelmed, often torn apart after just a few exchanges of combat." "These aren't ordinary puppets—their eyes still hold a lingering vitality..." Xiang Yan gazed at the most recently frenzied killing puppet, his eyes suddenly drawing to its gaze. There, instead of the hollow look typical of other puppets, a fierce, vibrant sense of combat intent burned brightly. "These are ancient human puppets. Through special means, the souls of powerful warriors are extracted from their bodies and sealed within the puppet frames. Such puppets not only possess consciousness but can also execute combat techniques—far more troublesome than ordinary puppets." Tian Huo, the Supreme Saint, also spoke with a serious expression. Upon hearing this, Xiang Yan couldn't help but take a quiet breath. This Supreme Saint's methods were truly ruthless—so, to create these puppets, he must have slain at least several dozen Supreme Saint-level warriors? Within the vast hall, which was already chaotic, the situation grew even more disordered as these relentless, headlong attackers joined the fray. At this moment, the stronger individuals and factions who had been hoping to reap the benefits from the sidelines could no longer remain passive—these formidable, battle-obsessed puppets had now drawn their attention, bringing even them into the direct line of attack. "I'll go first and see if I can secure one or two scrolls. You all hold back—don't overextend yourselves. Otherwise, we'll only draw upon ourselves." Xiang Yin glanced at the tumultuous hall, where everyone had lost their composure amid the swirling ten scrolls. With their eyes blazing, they rushed after them, constantly chasing. Anyone who approached a scroll was instantly surrounded by the crowd behind, and as their aura surged, the recipients were often struck down without even a cry, reduced to splashes of blood and mist. "Hm." "Heard Xiao Yan's low exclamation, the crowd nodded in unison. With so many scrolls secured, countless pairs of eyes would be watching, eager to claim their share. At this moment, differences in strength no longer mattered—driven by the irresistible allure of the celestial-tier techniques, they were all now utterly consumed. 'Boom!' As the crowd settled, a group of over a dozen figures nearby suddenly exploded into a cloud of blood mist. From within the mist, a gray figure surged forth like a flash of lightning, wielding a long spear stained with blood, its sharp, powerful gust of wind slashing directly toward Xiao Yan and his companions. 'Watch out—it's a human puppet!' Observing the swift figure, Xiao Yixian's expression tightened slightly. She flashed into action, appearing instantly before Xiao Yan and then swiftly moving to intercept the puppet. A vast surge of martial energy erupted instantly from her graceful form." When Xiao Yi Xian intercepted this human puppet, Xiao Yan also took the opportunity to quickly observe the latter. Now that they were close enough, he could clearly see that layers of strange, silvery-white cloth strips were wrapped around the surface of the puppet's body. These strips shimmered with an unusual luster, being both soft and possessing remarkable defensive strength—such that even a full-force attack from a Douzong-level cultivator could not shatter them. "Try to control these puppets," the Tianhuo Sovereign said firmly. Hearing this, Xiao Yan also quickly nodded. Taking advantage of the fact that the human puppet was being held back by Xiao Yixian, the spiritual energy from his brow surged forth and swiftly pierced into the puppet's body like a lightning bolt. However, this time, he was not as fortunate as before. At the site where the puppet's seed imprint was located, he sensed an exceptionally powerful seal—an imprint undoubtedly placed personally by that Supreme Battle Saint. This seal had enabled the puppets to faithfully execute the commands set forth by the Saint, even after countless years. "I cannot control it. The seal is too strong. Right now, I am unable to erase it." "Reclaiming the soul energy, Xiao Yan shook his head slightly, a bit regretful. If he could also subdue these personified constructs, then no one within the hall would be capable of challenging him. Unfortunately... Tian Huo's disciples and others were also somewhat disheartened, yet they found it understandable—these constructs were already the final line of defense of that Du Saint. If they were so easily controlled, that would indeed be remarkable. "Let's go then. I'll take the scroll; you'll help me fend off the other strong contenders." Looking at Xiao Yixian's condition, Xiao Yan noted that the construct was quite troublesome and would likely take some time to deal with. Fortunately, Xiao Yixian herself wasn't in immediate danger, so his focus shifted back to the sky. At this moment, Feng Qing'er and others, along with the Binghe Valley and other factions, could no longer contain themselves and had all joined the race to seize the scroll. Upon hearing this, the Tian Huo Master and others nodded in agreement, their internal qi swiftly circulating. They knew that successfully securing the scroll amidst the current chaos would not be an easy task. Xiao Yan's gaze swept the sky briefly, then settled on a streak of red light—now streaked with blood. Based on his estimation, the number of powerful beings who had fallen due to this light likely exceeded thirty. "Our target shall be this one," Xiao Yan murmured to himself. The scroll was entirely red, radiating a sense of restless energy—clearly linked to fiery energy, making it ideally suited for him. Moreover, compared to the other scrolls, there were fewer powerful opponents present here, suggesting that the challenge of securing it would be relatively more manageable. Xiao Yan's gaze followed the streak of crimson light closely, moving with it as it surged through the air. After a moment, the light finally reached the area where Xiao Yan and the others stood, despite the resistance from numerous powerful opponents. "Now!" A sharp cry suddenly burst forth from Xiao Yan's lips as the light entered their shared space.