Amid the vast plaza, a palpable aura of lethal energy surged, descending from the heavens with an immense pressure of combat qi that sent many of the stronger fighters feeling their hearts race and their bodies trembling. Xiang Yan glanced at the elderly ghost charging with fierce intensity, then at Huang Xuan and the others. With a mere thought, the eleven puppets stationed beside them instantly formed an array, their energy flowing swiftly, causing the dark golden hue of the celestial demon puppet to rapidly brighten and shine brilliantly. "Huang Xuan, take charge of the celestial demon puppet. I'll handle the old ghost. The other warriors—keep the enemy at bay!" As the battle was about to erupt, Xiang Yan's expression grew serious, and he spoke with steady resolve. "How about I hold off the Star-Seeking Old Ghost? He's simply too strong..." Xiao Yixian hesitated, though she had a great deal of confidence in Xiao Yan, she was well aware of the Star-Seeking Old Ghost's prowess. Last time, Xiao Yan had barely managed to put up a fight, and even after his final desperate effort—the Devastating Fire Lotus—he had been seriously injured for nearly a year before recovering. "Don't worry. The difference between a Nine-Star Battle Sect Master and a One-Star Battle Sovereign is significant." Facing Xiao Yixian's concerns, Xiao Yan smiled gently. Indeed, he had once been no match for the Star-Seeking Old Ghost, but now, the old man would find it far from easy to defeat him effortlessly. Seeing Xiao Yan remain resolute, Xiao Yixian fell silent, knowing his nature—he wouldn't deliberately show off. If he believed he could handle it, then there would be no room for error. "Then, just be careful." Gazing at the multitude of powerful figures rushing toward him amidst the roaring gusts of wind, Xiao Yi nodded slightly, their eyes briefly meeting those of Tian Huo Zhunzhe and others. With a swift movement, he materialized hundreds of meters above, his vast aura surging forth and effortlessly repelling the strong forces of Tian Yao Huang Clan and Feng Lei Pavilion. As for Zhai Xing, the Old Ghost, and Huang Xuan, he allowed them to pass by unimpeded. "Xiao Yan, if you're unable to hold your ground, just let me know—I'll do my best to come to your aid," Tang Zhen said firmly, then turned his cold, sharp gaze toward the Ice River Zhunzhe advancing steadily through the void. With a single step onto the space, the fabric of reality warped, and he stood directly before the Ice River Zhunzhe. Watching Tang Zhen's back, Xiao Yan also nodded. With a flick of his fingers, the Tian Yao Puppet, which had absorbed the powers of the other ten puppets, surged forth with a sharp, tearing wind sound, blazing through the air like lightning, and intercepted Huang Xuan. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan calmly stared at the old ghost who had materialized before him, stepping through the void and appearing mere flashes later. "The Three Great Transformations of Heavenly Fire—First Transformation! Second Transformation! Third Transformation!" As the three sharp cries escaped his lips, Xiao Yan's robe fluttered without a breeze, and his aura surged upward at a rocket-like pace. After a brief moment, it gradually stabilized, now reaching the level of a Three-Star Battle Sovereign. During his time as a Battle Conclave cultivator, Xiao Yan could enhance his power by nearly five stars using the Three Great Transformations of Heavenly Fire. However, the differences between Battle Sovereign ranks were far greater than those between Battle Conclave levels. Even though Xiao Yan had refined this technique to its peak and combined it with the power of the three unique fires, he only achieved an increase of approximately two stars. "The more powerful one becomes, the less effective the Three Great Transformations of Heavenly Fire become..." With the vast, ocean-like flow of qi pulsing within him, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, slightly dissatisfied. "The three unique fires employed in the Three Great Transformations of Heavenly Fire—this technique was truly tailor-made for him." "At a distance, Tang Zhen felt the changes in Xiao Yan's demeanor, his face involuntarily trembling. With his current strength, even when employing the Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation—augmented by the Nine-Drake Thunder Gale Fire—he could only slightly enhance his power, and achieving even a one-star improvement was quite a struggle. Yet, in Xiao Yan's hands, this secret technique was producing such remarkable results. It was truly beyond comprehension. Such performance had likely been achieved by only a few individuals throughout the generations of Burned Flame Valley." Yet, if Tang Zhen knew of Xiao Yan's still unsatisfied demeanor at this very moment, he would surely have wished to vanish into a crevice of the earth—on this continent, few could achieve a two-star enhancement in power at the Supreme Battle Master level through the Three Divine Flames Technique, and Xiao Yan was likely the only one. These obsidian chains moved with astonishing speed, flashing past and instantly piercing through the void, their sharp chain heads like javelins, slashing fiercely toward the vital points of Xiao Yan's body. "Hồn-chain, binding the soul!" The old ghost with starry eyes grew grim, flexing his fingers—watching as the black chains mysteriously encircled Xiao Yan, forming an eerie array. As the black mist swirled, a strange suction force emerged, and suddenly, Xiao Yan realized his soul at the center of his brow was trembling. Noticing this shift, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, then stomped his feet against the void, unleashing a vast expanse of purple-brown flames that surged from within him and immediately adhered to the black chains. Instantly, the chains emitted a series of piercing, agonized cries. "Such tricks—none of them work on me!" A flash of cold light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. His foot glowed with silver radiance, and in an instant, he appeared directly above the old ghost's head. With a firm grasp of his palm, the heavy measuring ruler materialized and was swiftly and resolutely swung downward. "Flame Division Phasing Ruler!" "Clang!" As the ruler struck, the old ghost remained motionless. Suddenly, over a dozen dark chains surged forth from within his garments, spiraling rapidly around his head before firmly intercepting the ruler. The powerful rebound force sent Xiao Yan staggering back two steps. "Good progress—still not enough," the old ghost slowly raised his gaze, a fierce, grim smile spreading across his dry face. "This time, you won't have a chance to struggle at all!" "Divine Celestial Star Hand!" As the old ghost's grim words echoed, Xiao Yan suddenly noticed the space around him violently distorting. The surroundings rapidly transformed, as if he were now immersed in the cosmos—stars shimmering all around. "Die!" "The Star-Plucking Old Ghost's face was cold and stern. With a firm grip of his palm, he extended it toward Xiao Yan, and instantly, the starry expanse surged and writhed, transforming into a colossal stellar hand dotted with countless luminous points, which then lunged forward with great force, seizing Xiao Yan. As the hand passed, space itself shattered, revealing vast black voids where it had once been..." “Hmph…” The surrounding space had been completely sealed off. Xiao Yan took a deep breath, genuinely surprised—having never anticipated that the warm-up phase would immediately escalate into a true life-or-death confrontation. This old man had clearly learned from his mistakes. Calming his inner agitation, Xiao Yan swiftly formed hand seals, his body casting a series of swift shadows. His internal Qi surged like a flood, rolling through his arms and meridians. A energy glow seal, roughly the size of a palm, once again gently emerged and gradually merged into the three existing seals beneath Xiao Yan’s flushed complexion. As the Yantian Seal integrated, the energy glow seal trembled violently, then burst forth with radiant light. A peculiar crystalline layer slowly spread across its surface, eventually fully encasing the seal. Emperor's Seal Technique—Four Seals Combined! Gazing at the exquisite crystalline hand seal now in his palm, Xiao Yan’s eyes sparkled with intense enthusiasm. The Emperor's Seal Technique, one of the ancient clan’s supreme masterworks, is renowned for its five-seal synergy, said to rival the power of a heavenly-tier combat technique. Now, with only four seals combined—what level of strength would this achieve?