Seeing the pale, stunned faces of Xiao Yan and the others, the Houn Cliff's cold gaze grew even sharper, and he chuckled dryly, "Isn't it becoming increasingly clear that life itself is unpredictable? It seems the relationship between hunter and hunted is about to reverse once again." Undeterred by his mocking tone, Xiao Yan and the others paid no heed—instead, their eyes were fixed intently on the two gray-robed elders standing before Houn Cliff. Though these two appeared no different from ordinary people in physique, and even their eyes bore an expression of cold, detached indifference, the group still sensed that they too were energy beings. "Where on earth did these two pests find斗圣-level energy beings? How could such powerful figures possibly assist him?" Gu Hu frowned, murmuring his frustration. Gu Zhen stared at the two elders, then shook his head after a moment. "These two are also from the Spirit Clan. Though they have passed away, their spiritual intelligence has been preserved thanks to the Heavenly Tomb. It seems they've come prepared..." Gu Qingyang nodded slowly, musing, "We should now scatter and make our way separately. Even though these two are merely energy forms, we won't stand a chance against them in a direct confrontation. We have no hope of victory if we fight them head-on." "Master Houniao, now the Xiao clan no longer exists, yet this individual has risen to his current status entirely on his own. Therefore, we must eliminate him this time—otherwise, who knows, the Xiao clan might truly revive once more." Master Houniao said respectfully. "Without relying on bloodline power?" The elder named Houniao's eyes flickered with surprise, then nodded. "Then indeed, he should be removed." "Enough—don't linger any longer. Strike and depart swiftly. This location is too close to the other area; any delay might prove disastrous." The other elder in gray robes furrowed his brow and spoke firmly. Hearing this, Master Houniao's eyes stirred with emotion, and he nodded. With a slow, deliberate step, he began to move forward. As each footfall resonated, the space around him surged violently, rippling outward in concentric waves of spatial disturbance. "Escape!" "Observing the movements of the souls, Gu Qingyang also gave a soft cry, then immediately surged forward as a streak of light, darting toward the left. At the same time, Xiao Yan and the others each launched out, heading in different directions." "Seal!" Watching Xiao Yan and the others scatter in retreat, the gray-robed elder who had not yet moved only sneered, then tightly clenched his palm. Instantly, every sound within a hundred paces froze—alongside it, as if time itself had also come to a halt. Within this frozen realm, the figures of Xiao Yan and the others, who had just surged forward, now stood like statues. Their eyes, still turning, reflected a sense of awe. This was indeed the true might of a Supreme Saint—capable of effortlessly commanding a realm, where space and time alike could be manipulated at will with a mere gesture. Seeing the group of Xiang Yan frozen so easily, Hunc崖 couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. If he could keep all of them here, the young generation of the Ancient Clan would suffer a significant shortfall—losing such vital fresh blood would be a serious blow to an ancient and established force. "Boom!" As Hunc崖 felt a surge of pride, an intensely hot golden flame erupted suddenly within the solidified space. The flame, resembling a phoenix reborn from ashes, released such powerful energy that it caused the entire solidified area to ripple and tremble violently. "Crack!" Amid the spatial disturbances caused by the golden flame's eruption, a deep purple-brown flame burst forth suddenly, radiating an intense heat. The resulting shockwave further destabilized the space, making it seem as though it might collapse at any moment. And as the space began to falter, the inner qi of Gu Qingyang's group surged suddenly, collectively breaking free from their constraints—yet this time, instead of dispersing to escape once more, they gathered again, their faces serious. Having fought through their earlier encounters, they now understood that dispersing only weakened their resistance, offering no real hindrance to these two Supreme Saint-level warriors. "Hmm?" Seeing that Xiao Yan and his companions had managed to break free from the solidified space through sheer strength, the two gray-robed elders also displayed a moment of surprise. "Indeed, they possess notable abilities—but still, not enough!" "That spirit, sneering coldly, opened his mouth, and vast black clouds surged forth, soon coalescing into a colossal black serpent stretching hundreds of miles in length. With a single flick of its tail, a series of sharp crackling sounds echoed through the space, as the entire void shattered beneath the impact of the immense creature. The sheer force of this assault left Xiao Yan and his companions visibly stunned—how could a Cultivator of the Saint's rank be so formidable? And this was merely an energy form! What would a true Saint-level cultivator be like? "All together!" Gazing at the colossal black serpent crashing through the space, roaring toward them, Gu Qingyang felt an intense sense of danger surge within him. A Dousheng-level warrior’s attack was simply beyond their reach—how difficult it was to withstand, given the vast gap between the Sacred and the Respected ranks, a disparity that was truly astonishing. Hearing Gu Qingyang’s low command, everyone nodded in agreement. This near-deadly sense of peril had never been experienced even by the Blood-Clay Saint before. Unless they united and fought together, they might indeed fall here today. "Ah…" Xiao Yan exhaled deeply, instantly activating the Tianhuo Sanxuan Transformation. Energy surged and coalesced into a lightning-like form on his right palm. Facing off against such formidable strength, they had no time to warm up—only by giving their absolute best could they hope to secure even a chance of survival. As Xiao Yan fully unleashed his power, the bodies of Gu Qingyang, Xun'er, and the others also experienced violent surges of qi. The powerful qi pressure enveloped them like a whirlwind, shattering the surrounding massive stones. "Great Heaven-Forming Palm!" A dark glow instantly appeared in Xiao Yan's palm, then, with a serious expression, he suddenly slammed his palm into the void before him. "Shhh!" The palm struck the empty space, and a dark circular glow rapidly formed, then swiftly expanded outward. "Silent Annihilation Finger!" As Xiao Yan performed his heavenly-tier technique, Xun'er, Gu Qingyang, and the others simultaneously activated the same technique—precisely the heavenly-tier technique once used by the ancient beast. The massive dark fingers burst forth from the space behind the group, colliding powerfully with the colossal black serpent that had torn through the space. "Boom!" A terrifying impact suddenly erupted, sending a thunderous roar that shook the very heavens. A powerful energy storm surged forth from the point of contact! The storm swept across the sky, and abruptly, a massive black silhouette burst forth from within, then slammed directly toward Xiao Yan and his companions. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be the giant black serpent's tail—though heavily wounded, it clearly had not been destroyed by Xiao Yan or his allies. The tail, bearing immense wind pressure, swung with devastating force toward them, its sonic boom instantly carving countless massive craters into the ground. "Guhua clenched his teeth, the earth trembling violently under the sonic boom—by now, even if he tried to flee, it would be too late... Xiao Yan's face was grim, his inner flame spinning rapidly in his palms. He knew clearly that, at this point, there was no choice but to fight to the last. 'Crack!' Just as Xiao Yan and his companions were preparing to give their all, a ripple passed through the distant space, and suddenly a figure materialized. With a sweeping motion of his sleeves, a gentle force lifted them all, and then he surged forward like a flash of lightning, heading straight toward the heart of the Heavenly Tomb. 'Xiao Yan, the Blood-Blade Saint?' The sudden arrival of this savior left Xiao Yan and his companions momentarily stunned. Upon seeing the figure who had stepped forward, their faces grew filled with astonishment—no one had expected the Blood-Blade Saint to come to their rescue. 'For heaven's sake, where did these bastards come from? If they're killed here, and that guy discovers it, he'll surely wipe them out once again!" The Blood-Scythe Saint paid no attention to Xiao Yan and the others. As he surged forward, his face remained gloomy, and he broke into a fierce tirade. "Hmph! A mere half-Saint, daring to challenge us two? Does he think he's going to die?" The sudden turn of events had left Houniao and the other slightly startled, but soon they regained their composure, laughing fiercely. Turning sharply, both of them roared in unison, "Seal!" Yet, as that spirit-spear's fist hovered only half a span away from the Blood-Scythe Saint, it suddenly froze! "Who is this?" The fist remained still, and both Spirit-Spear figures exchanged a startled glance, then roared in anger. "It seems there are still members of the Spirit Clan lingering within this Heavenly Tomb..." As their voices fell, a soft, ancient tone suddenly rose gently throughout the space. At that very moment, the very space they had frozen instantly collapsed into fragments. "Xiao Xuan?" Hearing this voice, both Spirit-Spear figures were instantly filled with awe, their faces pale with shock.