"Whoosh!" Under the countless astonished gazes, Xiao Yan's figure transformed into a streak of blood-red starlight, rushing straight toward the pale ancient beast. On his palm, the four-colored lotus flame shimmered with brilliant radiance, radiating a force of destruction that caused the very energies of the realm to surge and tremble. Xiao Yan moved with the speed of lightning—within a single flash, he had reached just ten zhang away from the ancient beast. The violent energy unleashed by the lotus truly conveyed a sense of impending death to the latter. However, at this moment, the ancient beast had only just activated his Stillness and Extinction Finger technique, and his internal qi was still depleted. Furthermore, under the overwhelming pressure of Xiao Yan's presence, he could not find the strength to evade. He could only watch, helpless, as the magnificent flame streaked across his vision, rapidly expanding in size. "Ah, Xiao Yan, show some mercy..." Yet, as Xiao Yan's fire lotus was about to make contact with the ancient beast's body, a sigh of resignation suddenly echoed across the heavens. With that sigh, Xiao Yan and his fire lotus instantly froze, unable to shift an inch. The once fiercely turbulent energy of the fire lotus now flowed gently and calmly. This sudden transformation caused Xiao Yan's eyes to narrow slightly. He strained desperately, only to find himself completely immobile. His heart stirred with a quiet sense of awe—indeed, the ancient clan was filled with truly formidable warriors. As the space solidified, a slightly hunched, elderly figure slowly emerged before Xiao Yan. The visitor wore a white robe, his hair, beard, and even his eyebrows all snow-white. Though his eyes, slightly sunken, were free of any cloudiness, they radiated an infinite suction force—like that of a black hole—such that whenever someone looked into them, they felt as though they couldn't help but be drawn in, creating an atmosphere of profound mystery. "Senior Tongxuan..." As soon as the elder appeared, the ancient clan elders in the air—Gu Qian and several others—immediately bowed respectfully and spoke in a courteous tone. The elder known as Senior Tongxuan nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, exhaled softly, and extended his somewhat dry hands to take the frozen lotus flower from Xiao Yan's grasp. With a gentle press, the lotus, which carried the force of destruction, quietly shattered without causing a single ripple. After resolving the great bomb known as the Flame Lotus, the Senior Master Tang gently waved his sleeve, releasing the seal that had bound Xiao Yan. With a flick of his fingers, a soft energy surged forth from within his sleeve, fully enveloping Xiao Yan's body. Under the gentle flow of this energy, the bloodstains on Xiao Yan's skin rapidly faded, and within a blink of an eye, all his external injuries vanished entirely. "Thank you, Senior Master." Witnessing this display, Xiao Yan felt a sense of profound respect. He was no one who lacked awareness of the moment—within this ancient clan, it was impossible for him to eliminate the ancient beast. Therefore, he gracefully offered his bow, acknowledging the opportunity. The Senior Master nodded warmly, his gaze slowly sweeping over Xiao Yan. After a moment, his voice, slightly hoarse, said, "I never expected the Xiao clan to produce someone of such caliber. If Xiao Xuan were to hear of this, he would surely be deeply pleased." "Old demon, in this match, you have already lost," the elder said, and as the words settled, his gaze turned to the ancient demon standing behind, still pale, fists clenched. His calm voice echoed through the silent hall. The ancient beast clenched his teeth, and after a moment, finally took a deep breath, turning his gaze toward Xiao Yan, speaking with profound reluctance, "I lose!" "Gu Zhen raised his head, gazing at the silhouette of the figure in the sky—though slender, it carried the firm, mountain-like resilience. He spoke slowly. Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu and the others opened their mouths, yet ultimately said nothing. Even the ancient spirit beast had been defeated by Xiao Yan. With their own strength, if they ventured forth now, they would surely have to face the blows with their faces pressed close. Seeing their demeanor, Gu Zhen smiled slightly, and his gaze suddenly shifted, turning toward the vast grove far in the distance, where a subtle glow shimmered in his eyes. "...Hmph. Even the Extinction Finger was deployed, yet still defeated. This must be a significant blow to the ancient spirit beast. Clearly, we have underestimated Xiao Yan." In the direction of Gu Zhen's gaze, a towering ancient tree stood upright, with three figures standing atop its crown. A man dressed in silver robes looked toward the sky, smiling as he spoke. "Indeed strong. If he were on par with the ancient beasts, those ancient beasts would likely have fallen even faster." A man of broad, sturdy build, his voice resonant and deep, like a rumbling thunder, was remarkably loud. Though he appeared simple and somewhat rustic, the aura radiating from within him was profoundly powerful and earthy, steady and solid. "Even if he reached the rank of Eight-Star Battle Sovereign, I daresay neither of you would stand a chance against him..." A softer voice came from the figure standing at the forefront. Dressed in a slender green robe, with a refined, elegant face, he exuded a sense of grace. While his aura seemed less potent than the other two, his position clearly indicated he was the leader among the three. "What about the elder brother?" the man in silver robes turned his eyes, smiling. "Perhaps, both of you would be defeated in the process..." The man in the green robe offered a subtle smile, delivering a surprisingly daring response, one that caused both the sturdy man and the silver-robed figure to pause and lean in. "This person appears calm on the surface, yet deep down, he possesses a ferocity surpassing anyone else—this intensity must have been forged through countless life-and-death battles..." The man in the green robe smiled and said, "As for Xun'er's matter, just let it go. This Xiao Yan has met our minimum requirements, and moreover—if he truly becomes angry with her, no one will escape unscathed. Even if the ancient beast's campaign fails this time, there will surely be complications in the future." "Hmm... Good thing I didn't step forward as the first one to take the hit," the man in the silver robe and the sturdy man both chuckled lightly. "By the way, Brother, don't you need to go through the assessment?" The man in the green robe shook his head gently, "I've already done it." "Oh? Then what were the results?" The two men in the silver robe exchanged glances, showing interest, and asked. "He's barely reached the ninth-rank bloodline." The young man in blue robes smiled slightly, turning his head, and a magnificent clan emblem gradually emerged on his forehead—so brilliant it seemed to shimmer with a subtle, seven-colored hue. "Whoa... Nine-rank!" Both the silver-robed men couldn't help but take a deep breath, their faces filled with admiration and awe. "It seems Brother's bloodline rank is finally approaching Xun'er's..." Hearing this, the young man shook his head, his gaze drifting toward the distant, captivating figure in the distance, murmuring softly, "It's not that easy at all. Xun'er's bloodline is the most perfect ever recorded in the ancient clan's history..." Upon hearing this, both men were momentarily stunned, then a look of disbelief surfaced on their faces. "Could it really be so?" ... "Alright, since the competition has concluded, Xiao Yan, Gu Yao, you may now go down," the Tongxuan Elder waved to the two of them as he spoke from the sky. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan slightly nodded, bowed to the Tongxuan elder, and then, without looking back at the ancient beast, turned around and returned to his seat under the attentive gaze of countless onlookers. As both figures reached their seats, the Tongxuan elder extended his hand toward the ground, and the plaza, once shattered beyond recognition, began to tremble. Massive stones rapidly rose upward, and with a sweeping motion of his sleeve, the broken stones vanished into thin air, revealing once again a clean, smooth stone plaza under everyone's eyes. "Then, let me take charge of the proceedings from here," the elder suddenly declared. Upon hearing this, the elder Gu Qin and others were momentarily stunned, then seemed to grasp the meaning, their eyes filled with astonishment. They bowed respectfully and stepped back.