Upon seeing the numerous Black Annihilation Army soldiers raise their long spears toward Xiao Yan, the nearby small healers also stiffened, swiftly moving to appear beside him, their vast aura of combat energy gently pulsing. With this tense standoff between the two parties, the atmosphere at the city gate immediately became charged and taut. Several onlookers watched Xiao Yan and his companions with keen interest, clearly astonished that they had dared to confront the ancient clan representatives within the ancient sage city. "Lingquan, what are you doing?" Seeing the figure gliding down from the city wall, Lingquan's expression also tightened slightly. Wiping the blood from his lips, he said, "I'm fine..." "I'm fine?" The figure frowned slightly, glancing toward Xiao Yan and the others. At that moment, Xiao Yan clearly made out the man's features—he was dressed in a set of gleaming, translucent armor, similar to Lingquan's, though his aura clearly surpassed Lingquan's. Based on Xiao Yan's perception, he must be a strong warrior at the level of Three-Star Battle Sovereign. "Reporting to the Fifth Commander!" The black-yin army soldiers quickly bowed and greeted the man upon seeing him, one of them briefly summarizing what had happened earlier. "Are you the one named Xiao Yan?" "Upon hearing the name Xiao Yan, this man clad in jade-green armor paused, then furrowed his brows at the former, his gaze carrying a subtle, almost faint sense of hostility. 'Xiao Yan of the Starfall Pavilion,' Xiao Yan responded calmly, bowing slightly to the man known as the Fifth Commander. 'Indeed, he is the very Xiao Yan the lady mentioned!' Li Quan sneered, his eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, brimming with envy and resentment, asking, 'Now, do you still intend for him to enter?' As he listened to their conversation, Xiao Yan's brows gradually furrowed. It seemed his name had already become well-known among many in this ancient clan—likely due to Xun'er's influence." The Fifth Commander paused, glanced at Xiao Yan with a complex expression, then turned to Lin Quan and shouted, "Do you still have any sense? He holds the jade invitation—that makes him a guest of our ancient clan. Do you expect others to mock us ancient clan for lacking etiquette?" "Could it still be because of Xun'er?" Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. It's true that beauty often brings misfortune—especially when the beauty is of the caliber that can ruin a nation. He had a strong sense that this journey to the Ancient Realm would not be smooth sailing. Xiao Yan nodded slowly, without seeking an excuse. He was well aware of Xun'er's standing within the ancient clan. With her refined demeanor and extraordinary talents, coupled with her breathtaking beauty that could captivate an entire nation, it was certain that most of the young and promising men in the clan would harbor admiration for her. And naturally, they would view Xiao Yan as their most formidable rival. Xiao Yan understood that such exchanges and challenges would only grow more frequent—and even more intense in the future. With a sigh of anticipation for the busy days ahead, he raised his hand and, together with Xiao Yixian and the others, stepped steadily into the ancient city, under the watchful eyes of all present. As the figure of Xiao Yan faded into the distance, Yin Quan's eyes flickered with a cold demeanor, and he murmured softly, "Xiao Yan, you've managed to stay out of the way so far—well and good. But since you've come here to court your own humiliation, it's only fair to say you've failed to see the value of what you're doing. With your current strength, you have no standing among the young talents of our ancient clan!" After gathering a few pieces of information from others, Xiao Yixian smiled warmly at Xiao Xin and the others. Xiao Xin nodded slightly, glanced around, and said softly, "This ancient sage city is full of diverse figures, all of whom are strong-willed and not easily swayed. Over the coming days, we'll need to remain especially cautious." As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Xin began walking steadily toward the city center, with Xiao Yixian and the others quickly following. After about ten minutes of traversing the city, they reached the heart of the city. There, a vast manor with a grand tower stood prominently. A steady stream of people came and went at the manor's entrance, their powerful presences drawing the attention of Xiao Xin and his companions. With the jade card from the ancient clan, they were smoothly granted entry and then guided by a graceful maid to a quiet side chamber. Entering the tranquil inner chamber, weary from the continuous journey, the group exchanged a few words before settling into quiet rooms to rest. "The girl's gentle voice seemed to carry a special magic, causing even the mist in this space to ripple and stir. "The young Lord Xiao Yan now is no longer something I, an old man, can fully comprehend," the elder remarked, his tone filled with quiet wonder. "According to the latest reports, even Linquan—a star-ranked Duelist—has failed to land a single move against him. I'd say Lord Xiao Yan's strength must now be at least four-star Duelist level." The elder sighed, his voice brimming with admiration. When he had first been assigned to protect Xiao Yan, the young man had merely been a humble Duelist. Yet in just a decade or so, that once timid youth had grown so powerful that even he, the elder, could no longer fully grasp his essence." "Miss Xun's eye for judgment truly is exceptional..." Hearing Ling Ying's admiration, Xun smiled slightly. Over the years, she has been deeply secluded, rarely receiving updates from the outside world. Yet even so, she knows without doubt that Xiao Yan now commands a renowned reputation throughout the Zhongzhou region—because, from the very beginning, she has always believed in his capabilities, even when he was at his lowest point. Xun smiled gently, offering no elaborate explanation. Indeed, emotions are quite mysterious—time has not caused them to fade, but rather deepened and enriched them. Though their positions and strengths have evolved dramatically, the memories of their daily life in the small city of Wutan remain vivid in both of their hearts. What once was fresh and tender has now matured into something truly refined. Upon hearing this, Ling Ying could only shake her head with a wry smile. A few weeks prior, this noble prodigy of the ancient clan, after breaking through her threshold, had calmly delivered a statement during the council meeting on her future marriage—so composed and so unexpected that it left all the elders visibly stunned. That very statement became the root cause of the initial hostility that Xiao Yan encountered among the young talents of the ancient clan as soon as he arrived in the ancient city.