Above, the space warped, and then a weathered figure emerged, appearing under the collective gaze of many. As soon as the figure materialized, he raised his arm, and two vast streams of powerful lightning-infused qi shot directly toward the ancient figures below—Gu Qin and Gu Xu. "You...” Seeing the figure act without hesitation, Gu Qin and Gu Xu were slightly incensed, yet neither spoke sharply, merely retreating with a visibly displeased expression. "Shhh...” The two immense streams of lightning, like meteors, streaked across the sky. Yet, as they approached Gu Qin and Gu Xu’s bodies, an invisible force suddenly spread out from the space itself, perfectly intercepting both streams. "How is it you?" Xiao Yan gazed at the elderly figure descending from the sky, recognizing the familiar face, yet was instantly stunned to find that this elder who had come to assist him was none other than the enigmatic old man he had encountered in the Void Thunder Pool the very day before. A gasp escaped him involuntarily. "You—you're tall, aren't you? And do you even have manners? Call me the Dean!" The older man named Meng heard Xiao Yan's exclamation and merely blew out a breath, scolding him. "Dean?" Xiao Yan looked somewhat puzzled, and only after a moment did he regain his composure, staring in wide-eyed astonishment at the man named Meng. "You—you're the Dean of the Inner Courtyard at the Gan Nan Academy?" "Of course," the elder replied. "Besides me, who else would dare to call me Meng Tianchi?" "The elder翘ed up his beard, then smiled warmly at Xiao Yan, extending his hand to gently press on the latter's shoulders before chuckling, 'Well done, well done. Su Qian hasn't let me down this time—finally, he's produced a student worthy of the name...' Xiao Yan's嘴角 twitched as he gazed at the cheerful elder before him, finding it hard to reconcile him with the most enigmatic head of the internal administration at Gan Nan Academy. 'Last time we met, I didn't recognize you at all. I spent quite a while pondering afterward before finally remembering—you're the very student Su Qian has been sending me messages about ever since...' Meng Tianchi patted Xiao Yan's shoulder with a gesture full of camaraderie, saying, 'Rest assured. Since you're a student of Gan Nan Academy and one who has caught my eye, I'll be looking out for you from now on.' Xiao Yan sighed with a smile—such a man, truly unlike the mysterious headmaster, more like an old, rugged outlander who'd come straight from a bandit's stronghold." "Thank you, Master Meng," said Xun'er, who had also recovered from her surprise, with a smile. "It's nothing..." Meng Tianchi casually waved his hand, then glanced around at Xun'er and Xiao Yan, chuckling, "I always wondered how they could treat you, a young upstart, so harshly. It seems you've pushed the most remarkable bloom of the ancient clan out of the way." "Gu Qin, Gu Xu, step back..." In the void space, ripples gently spread as a white-haired elder in a black robe suddenly materialized, then descended from the sky. He first bowed slightly to Xun, whose face was cold, and then turned to Mang Tian Chi, sighing with a touch of resignation. "Since you insist on stepping forward, I'll grant you this occasion." With that, the elder raised his sleeve and strode toward the seat nearby, never once glancing at Xiao Yan. "Hmph, still trying to act all cool with me..." Glancing at the back of the elder's figure, Meng Tianchi gave a slight撇 of his mouth, then turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan, intending to say something. In the end, he only patted the latter's shoulder and said, "You've got guts, kid. Knowing that the Ancient Clan will have people targeting you, you still came here. But don't worry—Su Qian has written to me several times, each time urging me to look after you well. Here, the old fellows of the Ancient Clan will have to give me a bit of face. Still, you should understand that to truly earn the respect of these lofty-spirited elders, you'll have to rely on yourself." "Thank you, Director," Xiao Yan said sincerely, bowing. He could sense a touch of concern in Meng Tianchi's words. "Let's go..." Meng Tianchi smiled, then turned and walked toward a table. Xiao Yan hesitated slightly before finally leading the small medical healers, whose faces were equally displeased, and quickly following behind. They settled at a table beside Meng Tianchi. "The old man we met earlier was Gu Shan. He's a senior elder from the Gu Clan, with considerable experience and strength—definitely a formidable presence. He holds influence within the clan and is one of our firm opponents." After seating themselves, Xun whispered this. Xiao Yan nodded silently. He could sense the power of Gu Shan—likely at the peak of the Du Zun stage. Indeed, the number of strong warriors within the Gu Clan had reached an impressive level. As Xiao Yan and Xun'er spoke softly, his gaze swept across this special area. Most of the people present were well-known figures within the ancient clans. However, Xiao Yan also spotted several familiar faces—those who had previously exchanged words with him aboard the warship. When Xiao Yan looked at them, Huo Xuan returned his gaze with a warm, polite nod. With a smile at the blazing flame, Xiao Yan turned his gaze to the left side of the platform, where a group of young members from the ancient clans were gathered. Among them, he spotted Gu Zhen, Lin Xiu, and Ying Quan—several commanders of the He Yan Army. At the moment, these latter figures were fixing him with a somewhat resentful, almost pitying gaze. Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, tightening the fist in his sleeve. The intensity of this killing intent was exactly the same as the one he had sensed yesterday—clearly, he must be the very commander of the War-Beasts that Xu'er had mentioned as the most threatening to him. From the way this intent was focused, it was evident that from the moment he had entered this region, every move he made had been perceived by the ancient beast. Even now, as he was gazing steadily at him, the man likely already sensed it. "This man is indeed a formidable opponent!" Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with seriousness. Among the younger generation, this might well be the most challenging adversary he had encountered so far—the so-called Commander of the War-Beasts. "Xiao Yan, be careful of him..." As Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on the cold back figure, Xu'er also noticed it, gently clenching her jade hands and a cold glint passing through her eyes before softly speaking. Xiao Yan nodded slowly. "Moreover, shortly after the coming-of-age ceremony concludes, the Heavenly Tomb will open. Originally, under your circumstances, you should be able to enter it—but I'm certain there will be resistance from the elders..." Xun'er furrowed her brows, saying. "Rest assured, I'll advocate for this young one at the time. On my behalf, I'm sure the elders in your clan won't be overly difficult to him." Meng Tianchi yawned, then added. "Then that will be most grateful, Meng Elder." Xun'er smiled lightly at this. "You're just saying that to me, aren't you, little one? Trying to play your cards right before my very eyes..." Meng Tianchi rolled his eyes. Xun'er smiled gently and said nothing, for it would indeed be a waste not to make use of such a strong advantage. "However, for Xiao Yan to enter the Heavenly Tomb, he must successfully pass this stage—something you should understand...," Meng Tianchi glanced at Xiao Yan, then raised his chin toward the cold figure ahead, speaking softly, "As long as you can hold your own for a hundred rounds without losing, you'll be able to silence some of the older ones, and entering the Heavenly Tomb will become much easier." "A hundred rounds?" Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, remained silent, yet the fist clenched gently within his sleeve—this was no result he desired! "Boom!" As Xiao Yan's fist tightened, an ancient bell's resonant chime suddenly echoed across the heavens, spreading out in a sweeping wave, eventually resonating throughout the vast mountain range. "The time has come. The ceremony begins..." After the resonant chime of the bell, a majestic yet calm voice suddenly emerged from the void, carrying an immense pressure that caused many on the plaza to take a deep, refreshing breath. "A true Supreme Battle Saint!" Feeling this pressure resonating deep within his soul, Xiang Yan's eyes gleamed with awe—this was the first time he had truly sensed the presence of a genuine Supreme Battle Saint.