The figure that burst forth from the spatial rift was notably robust, broad-shouldered and powerful, exuding a strong aura of ferocity. Indeed, he was none other than Black Qing, the powerful elder from the Primordial Void Dragon Clan whom Xiao Yan had previously met. "Brother Black Qing... how did you end up here?" Staring at this sudden appearance, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, his tone filled with surprise. "Ah, I came to find you with something important. The elders in my clan sent me to locate you—well, thank goodness for the Dragon Seal that Ziyan left on you. Otherwise, I'd have been dead before I even reached you!" Black Qing, upon seeing Xiao Yan, rushed over as if he had found a savior, and sighed with relief. "Find me? Really?" Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. What could the Primordial Void Dragon Clan elders possibly have to say? Could it be... "Is there something concerning Ziyan?" Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened on Black Qing, his voice steady and serious. "It's not exactly an emergency, just something that needs your help. If you have time, let's go together." Black Qing gently tilted his head. Seeing Black Qing's slightly serious expression, Xiao Yan hesitated briefly before nodding. It seemed the matter wasn't trivial—otherwise, Black Qing, such a strong contender, wouldn't be so urgently eager. "Once I've settled the issues here, I'll join you." "Are there any issues?" Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Black Qing finally regained his composure and turned to look at him, eyes widening in surprise. "Ah, it's you—the old, rather clumsy soul palace elder! Do you remember Black Qing, the one who's always been so serious?" "Black Qing?" Nine Heavens Sovereign was momentarily taken aback. His previously gloomy expression suddenly brightened as if a memory had surfaced, his face shifting slightly, and he exclaimed, "Are you indeed from the ancient Void Dragon lineage—Black Qing?" "Is that how you can call me Black Qing? With your position as the ninth elder, you hardly have the right to do so." Hei Qing crossed his arms in front of his chest, gave a dismissive sigh, and offered the Nine Heavens Sovereign not a single word of courtesy. Though Hei Qing's blunt remarks deeply unsettled the Nine Heavens Sovereign, who remained unusually composed—knowing well that the man before him was a particularly formidable opponent, one even he could not easily match. "As for this black cultivator who speaks so bluntly, both Senlo Ghost Sovereign and Yehua Demon King were taken aback, shouting angrily, 'Dare to show disrespect to our Tianming Sect? Then you're finished!' With their voices falling, the two stepped forward, their feet pressing against the void, and surged forth like lightning, unleashing their cold-dynamic aura with full force directly at the black cultivator. 'Two six-star Combat Sovereigns, daring to act so bold before me?' Seeing the two charging forward, Black Cultivator laughed in rage, neither retreating nor hesitating. He clenched his fists tightly, and a peculiar ripple surged through his entire body, then charged straight ahead with a simple, unadorned strike. 'Boom!' The two iron fists struck out, creating two distinct black spatial trails. As these trails swiftly spread, they collided powerfully with the combined blows of Senlo Ghost Sovereign and Yehua Demon King. 'What in the world is this man's background?' "As they collided, the bodies of Senlo and Gui Zun shuddered violently, their faces instantly turning pale. The overwhelming force, nearly capable of destroying everything, stirred a deep sense of fear within them. 'Pfft!' As the fear surfaced, a sweet taste filled their throats, and a gush of crimson blood erupted from their mouths. Their bodies then fell like wind-blown kites, hurling backward and crashing into the forest below, leaving a crater nearly a hundred meters wide. The lingering force of the impact uprooted and shattered all the towering trees within a hundred meters. 'Clap, clap...' With a single punch, Black Qing wiped his hands, his expression filled with scorn, then cast a calculating gaze toward the somber-faced Ji Tian Zun, asking, 'Magical Rain, shall I have to intervene, or will you manage to make it yourself?' 'Black Qing, don't be so arrogant. Xiao Yan was specifically designated by the Hall Master to be captured. Are you really going to protect him?' Ji Tian Zun replied coldly. Black Qing narrowed his eyes, rubbed his hands gently, and said in a calm tone, "I don't care about all this. The old fellows in the clan asked me to bring Xiao Yan in. Since I've come, no one's going to take him away." "Crack." Nine Heavens Sovereign's eyes flared with rage, his palms slowly tightening, emitting a series of cracking sounds as powerful ki gradually surged outward from within him. "Want to fight? Fine. I'd like to see just how much you've improved these years since we last saw each other." At this, Black Qing sneered, his body suddenly twisting in an odd, unnatural way, and a series of thunderous bone-cracking sounds resonated. As these sounds echoed, his form subtly grew taller, and a powerful, overwhelming pressure began to radiate from his broad, sturdy frame. Feeling that pressure, the Ninth Heaven Sovereign’s corner of the eye couldn’t help but twitch. He took a deep breath, suppressing his rising fury. He knew that, with his own strength, he simply wasn’t up to Black Qingsheng’s level—no matter how he fought, he wouldn’t gain much, and even if he managed to defeat him, it would be difficult to secure a lasting victory. Moreover, the ancient void dragon’s mastery over and command of spatial power was unmatched; even stronger opponents often struggled to defeat them and then successfully hold them captive. "Black Qingsheng," the Ninth Heaven Sovereign said, his tone stern, "I simply don’t believe you can protect this young man for the rest of his life!" "This isn’t something that concerns you yet," Black Qingsheng replied, glancing at him. "Hmph." The Ninth Heaven Sovereign snorted, his heart filled with resentment. He hadn’t expected to have successfully avoided Yao Chen this time, but instead, he had drawn the attention of the ancient void dragon’s faction. He hadn’t anticipated at all that Xiao Yan would have any connection to this very lineage. Since Black Qing has stepped forward, he must also understand that today's capture of Xiao Yan is likely now impossible. With that thought in mind, Nine Heavens Sovereign could only grit his teeth and firmly stare at Xiao Yan, saying, "Xiao Yan, you may hide from me forever. I simply won't believe that someone will come to save you every time!" As he finished speaking, he turned to leave. At that moment, Black Qing suddenly spoke softly, "Magical Rain, when you return, convey to your superiors that they should stop targeting Xiao Yan and his family. The grievances between the Spirit Clan and Xiao's family from old days have long since faded—going on like this, they will eventually regret it. This isn't something I've said—it's what the elders in the clan have decided." "Heard the last words from Heiqing, the Nine Heavens Sovereign narrowed his eyes and coldly remarked, 'This won't do me any good, but as for what my Soul Palace intends to do, no one has been able to stop us—neither the Ancient Clan nor your ancient Void Dragon lineage!' Upon saying this, the Sovereign's figure trembled and swiftly transformed into a streak of light, vanishing within moments at the edge of the heavens. "Seeing how even someone as rugged as Black Qing is so cautious, Xiao Yan felt a certain sense of awe. What on earth has happened to make the ancient void dragon clan so tense? "By the way," Xiao Yan pointed to Qing Lin standing not far behind him, "could we also bring my friend along?" As soon as Black Qing appeared, the Tian Ming Sect elder who had been holding Qing Lin had swiftly retreated. Especially after seeing Black Qing single-handedly knock out Shen Luo and Gui Zun, that elder had been so startled that he dared not approach close at all. "No worries," Black Qing nodded after glancing at Qing Lin. Seeing this, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief. Since the Nine Heavens Sovereign had departed, he hadn't felt comfortable leaving Qing Lin alone. With Black Qing's agreement, it was certainly the best arrangement. As he relaxed, Xiao Yan waved his hand and summoned back the Tian Yao Puppet, which had been battered beyond recognition by the assault. In his heart, he sighed—this Tian Yao Puppet, who had accompanied him for so long, was now nearing the brink of failure once again. Secured the puppets, Qinglin also drew her gaze to the strong ones, leaving Huajin standing suspended in midair, her face pale with fear, gazing up at Black Qing, whose presence left her breathless. "Master Xiao Yan, shall we spare this woman? Without her, we wouldn't have been blocked this time," Qinglin said softly. "We don't have the time anymore..." Xiao Yan glanced at the woman, shook his head. Time was pressing, and he simply didn't feel like taking the time to deal with her. "Brother Black Qing, let's go," Xiao Yan turned to look at Black Qing. "Agreed," Black Qing nodded, then swept his hand through the space before him, tearing open a rift. In an instant, Xiao Yan and Qinglin flashed through it. Seeing Xiao Yan and the others leave like this, Hua Jin finally exhaled a sigh of relief, mentally launching a string of venomous curses. Yet just as those curses formed in his mind, Black Qing's steps, which had been about to step through the spatial rift in the sky, suddenly halted. He didn't turn around, merely swept his great hand forward, and a terrifying gust of wind burst through the space, instantly striking Hua Jin's body. "Pfft!" The powerful force sent Hua Jin spitting blood, his body crashing hard into a mountain peak. As massive stones tumbled down, they buried him deep within the mountain's body. "Don't think because I'm a woman that I won't fight!" With a solid palm that sent Hua Jin flying, Black Qing then waved his hand once more, stepped through the spatial rift, and with a soft hiss, vanished alongside the rift itself.