To Chen Tianan, when Xiao Yan first brought his forces in full force to seize him from the Dan Tower, a killing intent had already been planted in his heart. However, at that time, Chen was only a Nine-Star Battle Sect Master, and to defeat him would have been no easy task—thus, he had not yet taken action. Now, upon their renewed meeting, Chen had not yet moved first, yet he had already launched a decisive attack, clearly determined to end Xiao Yan's life. Facing an opponent who harbored such a strong intent to kill, Xiao Yan naturally would not hesitate. Though the Xuanming Sect was not particularly strong, the Tianming Sect that followed it was certainly something to be wary of. One could never be certain whether, driven by resentment, Chen might later create significant trouble for him—something that would be a true case of nurturing a potential threat. Such a strategy was never in line with Xiao Yan's nature. Moreover, given the current state of chaos here, if he were to eliminate Chen now, it would likely go unnoticed by others. As these thoughts passed through his mind, Xiao Yan watched Chen Tian南, appearing rather clumsy under the assault of the Heavenly Demon Puppet, and his expression grew increasingly cold. Chen Tian南's strength was roughly at the level of a two-star Domain Sovereign, while the Heavenly Demon Puppet's combat prowess was such that even against a Domain Sovereign at the peak of a three-star rank, it could hold its own. Thus, during the encounter, it naturally maintained a steady advantage over Chen Tian南. Despite the prolonged struggle, Chentianan now found himself hesitating to press on. He had dared to step forward and challenge Xiao Yan because, at present, Xiao Yan was besieged on all sides—not only did the elite warriors of the Soul Palace harbor enmity toward him, but even the gaze of the Celestial Phoenix Clan and others toward him was distinctly unfriendly. Given his own nature, it was only natural that he would wish to add to Xiao Yan's difficulties at this moment. Yet he had not anticipated that Xiao Yan, now, had undergone such a transformation since their first encounter outside the Dan Tower—his ever-evolving strategies had left Chentianan so unsettled that his very skin felt prickled. However, as Chen Tian Nan's feet had just begun to retreat, a sudden, cold voice echoed behind him, and at the same instant, a fiercely scorching, terrifying gust of wind surged forth. The unexpected assault caused Chen Tian Nan's face to pale, and he instinctively spun around, raising his palms filled with aura to meet the attack. "Boom!" The powerful wind surged forth abruptly, pressing against Chen Tian Nan's chest and causing him to be knocked back several meters. He quickly lifted his head to see a slender figure standing where he had previously retreated. "Xiao Yan!" Chen Tian Nan gritted his teeth upon seeing that figure. Xiao Yan remained expressionless, his body enveloped in swirling purple-brown flames, giving him the appearance of a god of fire. His feet lightly touched the void as he stepped steadily toward Chen Tian Nan. "Do you intend to kill me?" Chen Tian Nan's eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing Xiao Yan's composed demeanor, and he spoke coldly. Xiao Yan's lips curled into a cold arc as the vast aura rapidly coalesced in his palm. "Can you really expect me to hold off with just a single Star Sovereign's strength?" Chen Tiannan roared, about to launch an early attack—only for a sudden, exceptionally sharp gust of wind to blast out from behind him, causing his expression to shift and prompting him to swiftly turn around, his palms dancing as he forged a dense, impenetrable web of powerful aura before him. "Thud! Thud!" The Tian Yao Puppet swung its fists with relentless force, each motion sending a piercing, sharp wind that cracked the space, revealing jagged black fissures. "Boom!" Faced with the puppet's relentless assault, Chen Tiannan found himself growing increasingly frustrated, retreating step by step, his strength being nearly entirely contained by the puppet's overwhelming pressure. "This way, he'll eventually wound me badly. I can't keep holding back any longer. Young fool—this debt I'll carry to the end. I'll make good on it someday!" "Chen Tiannan mentally growled fiercely, intensifying his palm wind to forcibly push back the assault of Tian Yao Kui. With a point of his foot into the void, his body shot backward. As his form hung suspended in the air, Chen Tiannan had just exhaled a sigh of relief when a sudden sense of danger surged from deep within his heart, making all the hairs on his body stand on end. "Amplified Heaven Seal!" Just as the sense of peril spread through his mind, a subtle, cold voice broke the stillness, carrying a gentle breeze, like a ghost whispering softly at his ear. "Not good!" Noticing the movement behind him, Chen Tiannan's face instantly paled—Xiao Yan's speed far exceeded his expectations. "Boom!" Reacting swiftly, Chen Tiannan hurriedly summoned his qi within his body, but before a solid defensive barrier fully formed behind him, a palm-sized purple-brown hand seal gently settled upon his back. Then, a terrifying surge of force erupted like a tidal wave. "Pfft!" Receiving such a powerful blow, the pale face of Chen Tianan immediately flushed, and a gush of blood spilled from his mouth as he involuntarily spat it out. His body then retreated with force, knocking several strong opponents aside—so powerful was the impact that these unfortunate ones were also shaken, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood in turn. Mid-retreat, his form arced through the air, and Chen Tianan, now covered in blood, managed to turn around with great difficulty, his gaze full of venom fixed upon the increasingly distant Xiao Yan. The intensity of his resentment was chilling. "Little brat! If I don't avenge this today, then I Chen Tianan am nothing but a mere head of the sect. From now on, I'll make you regret every move you've made!" In his heart, Chen Tianan roared with bitter fury. He was always one to hold grudges, and with Xiao Yan having narrowly escaped death at his hands, this injury would surely remain etched in his memory for life. "Boom!" A cascade of venomous thoughts flashed through his mind, and Chen Tiannan's body crashed heavily to the ground, gouging a deep furrow in the surface before he slammed hard against the solid hall pillar. A fresh gush of blood erupted from his mouth. Wobbling and struggling to rise, Chen Tiannan glanced through the chaotic crowd, his eyes full of resentment, fixed on the distant figure of Xiao Yan, who stood with an expression of cold indifference. Then he turned and walked away. "Pfft!" As soon as Chen Tiannan turned, his body stiffened abruptly—dark golden fist, driven straight through his chest, dripping blood steadily from the arm as it emerged. Chen Tiannan stared fixedly at the hollow face before him, realizing then that Xiao Yan had truly resolved to kill him, offering him not even a chance to avenge himself. "Such a ruthless move..." Blood gushed from Chen Tiannan's mouth as life rapidly drained from his body. His rigid form gradually softened, then collapsed to the ground. The Master of Xuanming Sect, Chen Tiannan, who had achieved the rank of Two-Star Battle Sovereign, fell victim to the combined assault of Xiao Yan and the Heavenly Spirit Puppet. "All of this was entirely your own doing," Xiao Yan said, his previously cold expression gradually warming as he watched Chen Tiannan slowly slump. Though they had no personal grudge, Chen Tiannan had insisted that Xiao Xian had died at Xiao Yan's hands, and had tirelessly sought to eliminate him. Now, with such a fate, it truly was his own fault. With a thunderous display of strength, Xiao Yan dispatched Chen Tiannan and then summoned the Heavenly Spirit Puppet into his storage scroll. The Tian Fire Sovereign and Xiao Yixian arrived promptly, and the group gathered once more, maintaining vigilance over the chaos within the hall. "How is the puppet? Are you all right?" Xiao Yan asked, glancing at Xiao Yixian. "There's no problem. I've guided that puppet to a different location. These items may carry the intent of destruction, but they lack intelligence." The young physician smiled brightly. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the scene. "The Celestial Phoenix Clan and the Wind-Thunder Pavilion each obtained a scroll. The Ice River Valley and the Burned Flame Valley also made gains. Additionally, two scrolls ended up in the hands of two particularly strong warriors." The Heavenly Fire Patriarch spoke softly from beside him. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan paused, then nodded again. These factions had clearly come prepared, and among the lone travelers, there were indeed true powerhouses—so it was no surprise that they had secured the scrolls. "Now what? Among the scrolls still being contested, only three remain. Already, countless lives have been lost in pursuit of these three. Should we attempt to seize more?" asked the young physician. "If we keep pressing, the people who didn't get the treasures will surely lose their minds..." Xiang Yan shook his head, his brows slightly furrowed. "Moreover, these ten scrolls don't feel like Transcendent-stage techniques to me." "Shall we intervene to stop them?" Zǐ Yán asked with eager anticipation. Xiao Yan stared intently at the skeletal figure seated meditatively on the stone throne. After a moment, his eyes suddenly narrowed—during that very instant, he had noticed the figure's fingers subtly trembling. "Wait... this Dao Saint-level skeleton is alive?" At that moment, a wave of astonishment surged through Xiao Yan's heart!