In the living room, a graceful figure sat somewhat uneasy on the chair. The woman wore a light cyan robe, her curvaceous form beautifully accentuated by the fabric, yet her delicate face appeared slightly more worn than before—more tired than in past years. As she held the teacup, her beautiful eyes continuously scanned beyond the room. Though there was a subtle bitterness in her heart, Lan Yanran quickly suppressed it. She was no longer the timid girl she once was. She clearly understood the vast gap between herself and Xiao Yan now, and her past pride held little weight before this man. "Are you well? After you emerged from the Blood Pool at Tianshan, you had already left..." Xiao Yan entered the living room, gazing at the fresh lines of fatigue on her face, and felt a quiet sense of admiration, speaking softly. "Yes, I had matters to attend to at the time, so I didn't stay on." Nalan Yanran nodded, though for some inexplicable reason, speaking with Xiao Yan now made her feel a certain sense of nervousness. This tension stemmed from their current positions and strengths—news of a half-Saint-level master from the Xingyun Pavilion had been spreading rapidly throughout the Zhongzhou region. Though this level of power seemed distant and beyond her grasp, she still understood its profound significance. Even without mentioning that the half-Saint was her teacher, merely the strength Xiao Yan now displayed was enough to make her, who had relied on the power of the Tian Shan Blood Pond to finally achieve the Douzong level over the years, feel truly awed. Hearing this, Nalan Yan also tightened her grip on her jade hands, hesitating for a moment before saying, "I... I would like to ask you to help my teacher." "Indeed..." Upon hearing these words, Xiao Yan's heart gave a slight leap, his gaze growing more focused. He spoke softly, "Please clarify." For that woman—once the most noble in the Jima Empire, and the first to have shared such intimate feelings with him—she had always carried significant weight in Xiao Yan's heart. When he and Yunlan Sect had been at odds, she, as the Sect's master, had been caught between the two, enduring the pain of her choice—pain only she herself truly understood. Later, when Xiao Yan returned and ultimately destroyed the sect that had nurtured her, one might have expected her to harbor resentment toward him. Yet, in the end, she chose to distance herself from the empire, stepping away from the memories of pain. With his growing maturity, Xiao Yan, once sharp and full of vigor, gradually began to understand the pains she had endured, and in his heart, a quiet sense of regret stirred. Yet over the years, she had never appeared—though Xiao Yan knew that she must have heard about him in the Central Plains, she had never come to find him. This woman, seemingly strong yet deeply tender, seemed to only escape her inner suffering through this quiet absence. "I came without your permission," Lan Yan smiled faintly. "My teacher never allowed me to visit you." Xiao Yan nodded slightly—nothing surprising. By nature, Yun Yun would likely never seek him out, even if she faced insurmountable difficulties. Such tenacity, so deeply touching, made him feel truly moved. "I should have mentioned this before—soon after our arrival in Zhongzhou, my teacher and I joined the Huazong." Lan Yanran spoke slowly. "This sect is quite unique; it only admits women and lacks the aggressive expansionist tendencies of other sects. In fact, it's rather like a hermitly, secluded order." Xiao Yan agreed wholeheartedly. Compared to the Tianming Sect, another of the two major sects, the Huazong truly stands out as much more understated. "Joining the Huazong was merely because my teacher favored its atmosphere, so she took on the title of Guest Senior Elder. My teacher and I have since resided there long-term. Had there been no unforeseen events, we would have made only a modest impact—after all, with our current strength, we would still only be considered mid-tier within the Huazong." "At this point, Lan Yanran's cheeks also bore a touch of wry humor as she said, 'The situation we're in now likely began during our second year at the Flower Sect—when my teacher and I settled alone on a mountain peak within the sect's grounds. We had no visitors coming to see us, and originally we thought the mountain would be just us and our teacher. But one day, during a casual stroll, my teacher discovered a cave, inside which lived an elderly woman who was completely paralyzed from the waist down.' Hearing this, a subtle stir of emotion passed through Xiao Yan's eyes. 'This elderly woman was quite difficult and eccentric—once she noticed my teacher, she immediately attacked and pushed him out. My teacher sustained some injuries as a result, yet instead of being annoyed, she began delivering meals to the woman. And so, she continued doing this for two years. After two years, the woman finally agreed to leave her cave and join us to live together for a full year.' "Heard this, Xiao Yan could only shake his head with a苦笑, thinking how remarkable it was that Yun Yun could think of such a thing—how much more boring and kind of a person would have to be to manage it..." "And after living with us for a year, the old lady's temper has improved considerably. It wasn't until now that we realized she called herself Flower Grandmother, yet we still didn't know what she did, nor had we noticed her to be any particularly strong." Lan Yan sighed, "However, it seems that Flower Grandmother's time is running out. After living with us for a year, she passed away. In her final days, she unexpectedly used a strange method to seal all her life-long qi within her teacher's body, and also left her a jade plaque, instructing her to become the head of the Flower Sect." Pausing here, Lan Yan glanced at Xiao Yan, who was now slightly open-mouthed, and with a wry smile added, "Doesn't this sound rather strange?" At that time, we were also utterly astonished. The master personally examined the elderly flower woman and found not a single trace of combat energy within her. Yet, from her performance on the final day, it was clear she was a supreme powerhouse, having reached the pinnacle of the Battle Sovereign rank. Xiang Yan moved his lips, thinking—how could one encounter such a situation simply by choosing a quiet place to retire? What is true fortune? This, indeed, is fortune. Compared to this, the one who had labored so diligently through years of cultivation might as well find a stone to strike himself to death. "Regarding this sudden development, the teacher was quite helpless. Yet she had no interest in becoming the head of the Flower Sect. So after burying the old lady, she continued to live in seclusion here. Unexpectedly, just six months ago, the current head of the Flower Sect unexpectedly appeared, asking the teacher to hand over the head of the sect's jade plaque. The teacher, unwilling to get involved, simply thought it over and handed it over. But soon after, the woman came back again, this time demanding the lifelong combat energy sealed within the teacher's body—energy that had been sealed by the old lady herself." As she spoke, Lan Yanran's cheeks flushed with anger, clearly furious at the woman's persistent demands. "What is the current head of the Flower Sect's strength?" Xiang Yan asked. "She is merely the acting head, yet possesses the strength of a four-star Combat Sovereign. However, the real challenge isn't her—it's her male companion, the Fiery Flower Demon King. He holds the rank of a six-star Combat Sovereign." Lan Yanran said, with a sigh. "A Six-Star Battle Sovereign...?" Xiao Yan lightly tapped his finger on the table. No wonder the Huazong, one of the two great clans, boasted a Six-Star Battle Sovereign—such a rank was truly impressive throughout the Zhongzhou region. "Yun Yun has inherited the teachings of that old Huazong elder, yet still can't match either of them?" Xiao Yan remarked, slightly puzzled. "How could the teacher possibly absorb such vast amounts of battle energy within a short time?" Nalan Yanran chuckled, saying, "Now that the seal has fully integrated into the teacher's body, extracting it would inevitably endanger the teacher's life. That cruel woman clearly intends to take the teacher's life." "Fortunately, it seems that the Flower Elder had made some arrangements during her lifetime, resulting in several senior monks supporting the master. That is why the woman dared not forcefully seize the opportunity, but instead established a wager—she agreed to compete against the master in a trial." "The trial itself is fair, yet the Flower Sect has a peculiar rule: two individuals of opposite genders can face off simultaneously. That means the woman could fight alongside the Demon Flower Sovereign." Nalan Yanran sighed. "Simultaneous combat?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. A four-star Domain Sovereign teaming up with a six-star Domain Sovereign—this did seem rather unfair. "The master has accepted the challenge, clearly growing weary of being pressed upon." "Does she lack sense?" Xiao Yan growled, clearly furious. Was this not a death sentence? Nalan Yan inhaled softly, her beautiful eyes gazing at the young man whose face bore a subtle hint of anger. "So I've had to come find you secretly," she said. "If you don't step in, then perhaps my teacher will indeed be in serious trouble. So, would you please help my teacher? I'd be truly grateful." Hearing Nalan Yan's gentle, slightly pleading voice, Xiao Yan slowly took a deep breath and replied in a steady tone, "How much longer until the match begins?"