A cold, lethal aura permeated the heavens, as if even the air had frozen in place. The already still forest now felt as though plunged into a severe winter, its atmosphere chilling and oppressive. Xiao Yan stood upon the massive body of the Nine-Deep Earth-Mortar Serpent, gazing at the four demonic flower lords in the distance, then casting a glance at the watchful Huajin below. Four Six-Star Domain Masters—indeed, the fierce reputation of the Tian-Ming Sect was well earned. "Master Xiao Yan, what should we do?" Qinglin furrowed her brows slightly at this sudden development. "What else could we do?" The Tianming Sect dares to send such a grand force—clearly, they believe they will surely capture me...” Xiao Yan smiled slightly, yet the deep black of his eyes shimmered with an icy, penetrating cold. “Yet, based solely on your four testimonies, you seem to have underestimated me quite a bit.” “Your tone is indeed bold. Your Fire Lotus technique is certainly formidable, but with us four working together, we can withstand it firmly. Without that fiery assault, what would you then be in our eyes?” The Fiery Flower Sovereign scoffed. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan’s expression gradually curved into a smile. He subtly adjusted his hand seals, then suddenly stabilized them, and from within, a vast surge of energy erupted forth like a volcanic eruption, spreading out in all directions. “You mentioned a month ago…” The expansive energy rippled outward, spreading across the sky, and a remarkably intense heat began to rise, swiftly drying out the atmosphere. “Four-Star Battle Sovereign?” "Perceiving the aura of Xiao Yan, the Fiendish Flower Sovereign's expression also subtly shifted. Though he had already received this news from Huajin, the personal sight of it now stirred a significant sense of excitement. In just one month, Xiao Yan had advanced by two stars in strength—a pace of cultivation that truly merits the term 'terrifying.' After all, for a typical Douzun cultivator, it would normally take ten years or even longer to achieve such progress. Yet, under Xiao Yan's hands, this time span has been dramatically compressed—by countless multiples." "This young man's cultivation technique is rather unusual. If I can capture him now and compel him to reveal the method, I shall surely gain a powerful asset. With this technique in my possession, my future accomplishments will surely be substantial, and even within the Tianming Sect, few will be able to match me." The Fiendish Flower Sovereign's gaze flickered, a glint of greed passing through his eyes. "A mere Four-Star Douzun? You still haven't earned the right to dance among us four." The leading gray-robed elder glanced indifferently at Xiao Yan, his expression growing slightly impatient. With a sweep of his robe, he said, "One last time—will you go with us on your own, or shall we carry you off, half-dead?" "I'm rather humble, so I'll go with the latter," Xiao Yan replied with a cheerful smile. "Agreed," the gray-robed elder said, his face darkening as he slowly nodded. Taking a decisive step forward, he declared, "This young man is quite cunning. We'll strike together and capture him first!" "Understood!" The three members of the Spirit Blossom Demon King nodded in agreement. They still remembered vividly Xiao Yan's fire lotus attacks. If it were just him, they would indeed hesitate to engage—given the devastating power of those lotuses, a single misstep could mean instant death. "Xiao Yan, I'll hold one person. As for the other woman, I'll have the strong warrior of the Nine-Deep Earth冥Snake handle her." Upon seeing the other side taking concrete action, Qinglin’s face also grew serious. This time, the other party had come well-prepared—four Six-Star Douzun强者—such a lineup was truly formidable. With their smaller numbers, if they weren’t careful, they might indeed find themselves in trouble even before the day was out. As soon as she finished speaking, flashes of green light danced in her emerald eyes, and suddenly, a group of over a dozen figures materialized mid-air, then surged forward in unison under Qinglin’s command. The sudden appearance and swift advance of these numerous figures startled Hua Jin at first. However, when she realized that even the strongest among them were no more than two Two-Star Douzun, she exhaled in relief and remarked with disdain, “Can these mere foot soldiers and attendants dare to show themselves?” Regarding Fu Jin's words, Qinglin indeed had no intention to pay attention. After summoning all the powerful beings sealed within her eyes, her expression grew serious. With lightning speed, she swiftly formed a series of hand seals, and as these seals shifted, a deep, ancient ferocity gradually surged forth from within her. Feeling the fierce, primal aura emanating from Qinglin, Xiao Yan understood that she was now drawing upon the soul power of the ancient celestial serpent. At that moment, Xiao Yan raised his hand, and eleven puppets materialized, instantly forming an array. As energy flowed between them, the dark golden hue on the body of the heavenly demon puppet deepened rapidly. With Xiao Yan's current strength, having employed the Three Supreme Flames Transformation, he should be able to hold his own against two Six-Star Battle Sovereigns. Yet now, even with Qing Lin tying down one of them, there are still three Six-Star Battle Sovereigns present, so he can only summon the Heavenly Demon Puppet to temporarily withstand the pressure. Though the Heavenly Demon Puppet's strength is slightly challenged when facing a single Six-Star Battle Sovereign, it should still be sufficient to buy him enough time. As Xiao Yan summons the Heavenly Demon Puppet, Qing Lin's aura of ferocity grows increasingly intense. Fortunately, her eyes remain clear and focused, indicating that she has now gained sufficient control over the ancient Heavenly Snake's soul. "Master Xiao Yan, I'll take the lead!" With her voice, Qing Lin bursts forth like a lightning flash, her overwhelming ferocity causing subtle shifts in the expressions of the four demonic flower sovereigns. "I didn't expect this young girl to be such a formidable opponent... Fourth Sovereign, you've got this." The leading gray-robed elder also glanced at the surge of Qinglin with some surprise, then furrowed his brow. "All right," said an older, slightly slender man with a gloomy expression, nodding briefly. With a sudden movement, he appeared directly in front of Qinglin, saying nothing, and then unleashed a cold, surging aura from his palms, striking Qinglin forcefully. "Hmph!" As the slender elder advanced, Qinglin responded with a cold exhalation, neither retreating nor yielding, his emerald eyes glowing with green light, and met the attack head-on. "Xiao Yan," the gray-robed elder said, his gaze sharp and cold, "I intend to see if you can escape my Tianming Sect today! Remember my name—Tianming Sect, Shen Luo Gui Zun!" He led the Yuxia King of the Spirit Flowers and another strong member of the Tianming Sect, forming a ring around Xiao Yan. "Let's begin!" Once the encircling formation was established, a fierce expression of menace appeared in the Color-Encompassing Ghost Sovereign's eyes. With a cold command, three vast streams of combat energy surged forth simultaneously. Three figures darted like lightning toward Xiao Yan, their fierce assault causing the very space to freeze in place. "Go!" Xiao Yan's back trembled slightly, his jade-and-crimson bone wings expanding. As he swiftly retreated, he flicked his fingers, and the Tian Yao Puppet transformed into a golden beam, intercepting one of the Tian Ming Sect's elite. "Tian Huo San Xuan Transformation—First Transformation! Second Transformation! Third Transformation!" As he retreated, Xiao Yan adjusted his hand seals, his overall aura rapidly intensifying. Within moments, he surpassed the four-star level. After a while, his aura became as robust and commanding as that of the Yan Hua Xie Jun. "The Sky-Fire Triple Transformation of Burned Flame Valley..." Seeing Xiao Yan's surging aura, even the Senlo Ghost Sovereign's brow furrowed, and then coldly remarked, "Don't hold back—Sky-Fire Triple Transformation has a time limit. Once that time passes, today, no matter how hard he tries, he'll be unable to fly!" "Understood." The Yāhuā Xījiū Sovereign also nodded with a cold expression, her fan emitting a subtle, unusual glow. With a swift motion, the fan sliced through space like the most sharp blade, cutting directly toward Xiao Yan's throat. Faced with the swift and fierce assault from the Yāhuā Xījiū Sovereign, Xiao Yan slightly tilted his head, narrowly evading the sharp fan blade. With his right fist clenched tightly, he then charged fiercely, delivering a powerful blow straight toward the Yāhuā Xījiū Sovereign's head. "Hmph!" "With Xiao Yan's current strength, the Fiery Blossom Sovereign naturally could no longer afford the slightest underestimation. After unleashing the Third Divine Fire Transformation, Xiao Yan's prowess had become no less than his own, and with the power of the Strange Fires, his direct combat strength even showed signs of surpassing him. 'Crack!' With a cautious thought, the Fiery Blossom Sovereign flipped his wrist, fully unfolding his fan with a crisp sound, and held it in front of him to block Xiao Yan's punch. The punch struck the fan, and instantly, a surge of purple-brown flames, tinged with a hint of pale white, erupted from Xiao Yan's palm. The flames surged upward in a roaring blaze, swirling around the fan and swiftly spreading toward the Fiery Blossom Sovereign's body. As the flames spread, the Sovereign's sleeves were reduced to ashes within moments. Yet his response was swift—when the flames began to envelop him, a vast surge of combat energy erupted from within him, rushing out to extinguish the flames entirely. Yet, when the Qi met the flame, an extraordinary sight unfolded—any Qi that came into contact with the flame instantly transformed into tangible ice crystals. In the span of a moment, the妖花邪君's arm was swiftly enveloped in a thick layer of ice crystals, all under his stunned gaze. "Such an unusual flame!" This sudden development caused the妖花邪君's face to pale, his posture to falter as he hurriedly retreated. Compared to a month ago, the异火 now displayed by Xiao Yan seemed not only more potent but also increasingly strange and unpredictable. Having successfully repelled the妖花邪君, Xiao Yan prepared to launch a follow-up attack when a frail, elderly figure suddenly materialized before him. The elder's face, shadowed and composed, radiated a subtle coldness. A massive, jet-black hand, resembling a ghostly claw, pierced through the space with a sense of imminent danger, and swiftly descended in a lightning-fast motion toward Xiao Yan's head. "Receive my nine realms of the underworld, then!"