The spatial fissure gradually expanded, and an icy, suffocating aura poured out, soon followed by a white figure stepping forth slowly from within the space, now appearing before the countless sets of eyes. "Old Ninth, I didn't expect you'd actually activated the Spatial Scroll after all," the white figure said, his voice calm and composed. "Hmph. Stop fussing—just look at your opponent!" Nine Heavens Sovereign frowned, his tone firm. Upon hearing this, the white figure lifted his gaze slowly, still bearing a weathered face, with silver hair and beard, and eyes of a pale, frosty hue—so cold and still that he seemed like a block of ice. "Yao Chen?" His gaze lingered on the elderly figure standing not far ahead, momentarily startled, then as if sensing something, subtle ripples of awareness stirred in his white eyes, "You've regained your strength?" "The Hún Dian has indeed been well-prepared. Even with a Nine-Tian Sovereign dispatched, they still aren't satisfied—now they've sent you as well." The Yàolǎ glanced at the Eight-Tian Sovereign, speaking calmly. "It makes sense... With just you, he truly proves to be a formidable opponent. It seems today's efforts have come at a considerable cost." The Eight-Tian Sovereign's pale brows slightly furrowed, glancing at the Hún Dian's elite warriors who had fled in retreat, then added. "He just acquired a physical form; though his strength has recovered, he still falls short of peak condition. I alone cannot prevail, but together, we may yet see who emerges victorious." The Nine-Tian Sovereign spoke with a slightly somber expression. "Don't underestimate this old man..." the Eight-Tian Sovereign frowned. "Are you afraid? This mission was led by you and me. Should we fail, it will be difficult to explain to the higher authorities." "At this point, the Ninth Heaven Sovereign glanced at the Eighth Heaven Sovereign and said, 'Moreover, you once lost to him—this has always been a lingering concern in your heart. If you don't give it a try now, perhaps you'll never have another chance like this...' Hearing this, the Eighth Heaven Sovereign stroked his snowy white beard, his hands momentarily stilled. A subtle ripple of emotion stirred in his pale eyes. After a pause, he finally slowly nodded and said, 'Then, let's begin. I'd like to find out whether the current Yao Chen still commands the same prestige he once did...' 'Rest assured. Together, we two can challenge even a Nine-Star Battle Sovereign. Yao Chen, having just acquired his body, will certainly still be adjusting—achieving seven or eight out of ten in combat strength would already be excellent...' The Ninth Heaven Sovereign smiled, then his gaze suddenly sharpened. With a firm grasp of his hands, a vast surge of energy radiated outward from his palms. As this energy spread, the heavens around swiftly grew moist—tiny droplets of rain formed in mid-air, gathering in the sky. From afar, they appeared dense and continuous, stretching into the horizon, seemingly without Xiao Yan stood atop a mountain peak, his brows furrowed as he gazed at the raindrops before him. He grasped one with his hand, only to be astonished to find that within it lay an exceptionally rich concentration of water-based energy. Though this energy was slightly cool and balanced, it possessed an extraordinary, intense corrosive quality. According to Xiao Yan's estimation, if such a unique raindrop were propelled at high speed, it could easily penetrate the defensive aura of a Duke-level cultivator. And already, a single drop exhibited such destructive power—what must the force be when countless, endless raindrops converged, pouring down from the heavens? "It's often said that with each star gained in the Douzun rank, one's strength leaps dramatically—this truly holds true..." Xiao Yin murmured softly. Now a Douzun of two stars, he only reached the peak of a Four-Star Douzun after fully unleashing the Tianhuo Sanxuan Bian, and even then, this was only possible because the materials used were three unique fires. Should he have employed other flames, he might not have even gained a single star's worth of strength. Even at the level of a Four-Star Douzun, to defeat a being of the old ghost's caliber, he had only two options: either the Destroying Lotus formed by the fusion of four unique fires, or the newly acquired Heaven-Level Combat Technique, the Da Tian Zao Hua Zhan. Beyond these, he had no other means. This clearly demonstrates how sharply delineated the ranks among Douzuns are—challenging opponents at a higher level without special means is no easy feat. ... Far in the distance, the Elder of Herbs floated steadily, his gaze calm as it swept over the strange raindrops drifting through the surrounding heavens. Whenever a raindrop entered his range of one hundred paces, it instantly shattered upon appearing. As the Nine Heavens Sovereign's fierce roar fell, the strange raindrops drifting throughout the heavens instantly trembled, then surged forward in a series of piercing, earth-shattering whistles, converging rapidly toward the Sovereign. Within mere eyeblinks, a vast,蔚blue rain sphere—approximately a hundred zhang in diameter—gently emerged before the Nine Heavens Sovereign. The sphere was immense, uniformly blue, and as it slowly rotated, the immense energy radiating outward caused many onlookers to pale visibly. Should this energy erupt, the entire mountain range would likely be reduced to a flat plain in an instant. At the same moment, the Eighth Heavens Sovereign took a deep breath, raised his hand, and directed it toward the rain sphere. A sharp, icy, white aura surged forth from his palm, fully adhering to the surface of the rain sphere. Crack. Crack. The pure white ice, once touched by the rain orbs, spread out rapidly—within a brief moment, the deep blue rain orbs had transformed into a massive ice sphere, and the energy contained within grew increasingly terrifying. This was a technique jointly wielded by two of the Hall of Souls' foremost masters—the power unleashed was sufficient to send even the most resilient souls into disarray. "This is beyond extraordinary," the distant warriors murmured, gazing upward at the colossal ice sphere. The overwhelming energy radiating from within the sphere pressed heavily upon their very souls, causing them to pale and begin retreating. Should the energy erupt, the entire mountain range would be reduced to rubble, and they would likely become mere casualties of the event. "Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..." Watching the powerful figures retreating swiftly, the Wind Sovereign and others within the Xingyin Pavilion also grew serious. The immense energy contained within the ice sphere seemed to suggest that even if they rushed now, they might still be too late. "Yao Chen, back then, I was defeated by you. Now, I wonder—do you have the strength to withstand the combined assault of these two of us?" Having transformed the rain sphere into an ice sphere, the Eight Heavenly Sovereigns' complexion grew slightly paler, clearly indicating that the attack had drained considerable energy from him. Yet, in response to the Eight Sovereigns' vigorous call, the elderly Yao merely twitched his eyebrows, his expression remaining calm and composed—unmoved as if the colossal ice sphere capable of destroying entire mountain ranges were nothing at all. "Hmph. I'll see just how long you can hold out!" "Yet faced with the elder's calm composure, the Nine Heavens Sovereign could no longer contain his scorn, his hands flashing out to form a series of intricate seals. After a brief moment, his face suddenly flushed crimson, and a gush of blood erupted, splashing onto the massive ice sphere. With a thunderous roar, he cried out, "Rain Eroding the Heavens!" The resounding, powerful cry echoed across the heavens. As the two sovereigns simultaneously thrust their hands forward, the colossal ice sphere trembled and suddenly began to spin at high speed, eventually darting swiftly toward the elder with a deafening rush of wind. As the ice sphere surged forward, an intense surge of energy radiated outward, causing the surrounding space to crack and shatter. A vast, black fissure—stretching over a hundred zhang—emerged like a ribbon from the void. Witnessing the ice sphere's devastating power, the fleeing warriors were left breathless, their hearts pounding, and they hurried even faster toward the mountain's outer reaches. On the mountain peak, Xiao Yan also gazed intently at the massive ice sphere, his expression grave. His eyes then settled on the elderly physician, who had remained motionless despite his body shifting slightly—his composed demeanor brought a subtle sense of relief to Xiao Yan's heart. "Such a formidable attack... Master, can you withstand it?" "Stop!" Yet, as their smiles were just beginning to form, they suddenly froze—mid-air—under the gentle murmur of a voice from the elderly physician. Instantly, the crowd watched in stunned silence as the swiftly rotating ice sphere halted abruptly at just a short distance from the physician's reach. Across the mountain range, stillness reigned. Even the two celestial sovereigns, who had combined their full strength in a joint assault, stood motionless, utterly amazed—such a feat, even for a true peak-tier combat sovereign, seemed impossible. The elderly physician gently touched the massive ice sphere with his palm, and his calm, composed voice echoed steadily across the heavens. "Though I cannot currently unleash my full power, I am more than sufficient to handle you both. Indeed—" His expression suddenly brightened with a playful, cat-playing-with-mice demeanor. "Right now, I am not merely at the peak of the Combat Sovereign rank—I am… half a Saint!"