"Xiao Yan?" Gazing at the two figures stepping forth slowly from the void, the faces of Hun Cliffs and Hun Li grew gradually darker, their voices cold. Xiao Yan gently stretched his body, floating half in the air beside Xun'er, his gaze slightly teasing as he looked down at Huns Cliffs and Huns Li, saying, "It's been two years since we last saw each other. It seems you haven't been doing very well." Huns Cliff's expression remained stern, yet his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings with caution. After a moment, when he failed to spot the mysterious figure from that day, he quietly exhaled a sigh of relief, and coldly replied, "Xiao Yan, don't act so confident. Even if you're defeated here in the Heavenly Tomb, you'll eventually become a pariah once we leave!" "Then, let's simply keep you both here forever. I believe, with your combined strength, if either of you perishes here, you'll both become energy bodies of about eight stars." Xiao Yan smiled slightly, but the words he spoke sent a wave of cold chills through the two soul-cliff warriors. Eight-star energy bodies were essentially at the lower end of the spectrum on the third level of the Heavenly Tomb—should either of them aspire to reach that level, they’d likely be better off simply dying. "You truly overestimate yourself!" said Houn Li, his eyes narrowing, his tone sharp and serious. After their previous encounter, both of them had come to realize that they could not easily defeat Xiao Yan and his companions. Yet, equally, if they wished to escape, Xiao Yan and his allies lacked the strength to hold them back. "Indeed?" Xiao Yan smiled gently, speaking softly. "You, a fallen race's mere waste, what right have you to boast before us? If it weren't for your women's strength, you'd have already died countless times!" Houn Li sneered, his gaze brimming with fierce intent. If not for his concern for Xun'er standing beside him, he would have already launched a full assault, eliminating Xiao Yan right there. "Don't rush. They've come here with some confidence—there must be a reason. We should retreat first..." Houn崖 had to appear much more composed, though only Xiao Yan and himself had appeared so far. He had a subtle sense of unease, and as such, he grasped Houn崖's arm firmly, speaking in a steady tone. Hearing Houn崖's words, Houn厉 hesitated slightly, then nodded reluctantly, his voice cold: "Xiao Yan, remember this—when we meet again, it will be the bloodbath of Xin Yun Pavilion!" As soon as he finished speaking, both Houn厉 and Houn崖 swiftly stepped back, their eyes constantly scanning Xiao Yan and Xun'er, their inner ki flowing rapidly. "Whether you two can escape may not even be up to you yet..." Xiao Yan smiled gently upon seeing their sudden retreat, saying softly, "It's up to me." As the last syllable of his words settled, his figure vanished like a ghost right before their eyes. Gazing at the fading form of Xiao Yan, Xun'er's face also bloomed with a charming smile. Now, Xiao Yan had reached the pinnacle of the Eight-Star Domain Sovereign rank—a level that was no longer merely superior, but on par with Houn Cliffs and Houn Li. Thus, with Xiao Yan at this level, he could easily handle both of them. "Hmph! You're dead!" As Xiao Yan's figure vanished, Houn Cliffs and Houn Li sensed the shift. Houn Li's eyes flashed with fierce intensity, his body suddenly halting. He clenched his fists tightly, and dark, chilly mist surged forth violently, then slammed hard into the space before him. As Houn Li's fist struck the void, a slightly ethereal figure gradually materialized. A long, graceful hand extended and gently grasped Houn Li's fist, which was thick with dark mist. At the moment of contact, a surge of blazing flame erupted from Xiao Yan's palm, hissing continuously as it completely evaporated the cold mist clinging to Houn Li's fist. "After two years, your progress has been so little—it's truly disappointing." Xiao Yan's palm remained as solid as a rock, unyielding despite Hun Li's frantic struggles. Observing the latter's increasingly pale face, Xiao Yan slowly shook his head. Then, with a slight tremor in his arm, his palm unexpectedly deflected Hun Li's fist and struck the opponent's chest with lightning speed. The powerful force erupted at the moment of contact, as if a volcano long contained had finally erupted. "Boom!" The fierce pressure poured directly onto Hun Li's chest. The impact was so severe that Hun Li's face instantly turned pale, and he violently expelled a stream of crimson blood from his mouth. His body then fell like a kite with its string cut, flying backward until it left a nearly hundred-meter-long furrow on the ground before finally coming to a stop. "Eight-star Soul Master?!" "Staring at the spirit named Huan Li, struggling to rise from the ravines, Huan Cliffs' face suddenly flushed with shock. His eyes couldn't believe what he saw—Xiao Yan's burst of energy had reached the eighth-star level, and not only that, but it was significantly stronger than his own! 'How is this possible?' Huan Cliffs' mouth twitched, his mind nearly roaring in disbelief. In just two years, neither of them had advanced even a single star, yet Xiao Yan had surged from a sixth-star Spirit Sovereign all the way to the eighth-star level. The stark contrast was simply too overwhelming to accept. 'Your turn,' said Xiao Yan, his gaze shifting to Huan Cliffs, who stood stunned. With a calm, composed smile, he spoke. Upon seeing Xiao Yan's gaze, Houni's hands tightened, his eyes dark and piercing. Suddenly, he swiftly formed a series of hand seals. As these seals shifted, a peculiar clan emblem emerged rapidly at the center of his forehead. "Though I don't know why your power has surged so dramatically, you still fall short of being worthy to keep me!" With the emblem appearing, Houni's aura surged powerfully; his robes fluttered even without a breeze. Harsh, soul-shattering cries poured forth from within him. While Xiao Yan's current strength had indeed grown immensely, it was still insufficient to cause Houni any alarm. Previously, Houni had been caught off guard, failing to activate his clan emblem and thus suffering a devastating blow. Otherwise, Xiao Yan would not have been able to defeat Houni so swiftly. Therefore, Houni believed that, as long as he remained cautious, it would not be an easy task for Xiao Yan to secure his survival. Summoned the clan emblem, yet Houni had no intention of staying to fight fiercely. There stood a stronger Xu'er watching him closely, and once she moved, Houni knew he would surely be dead. Seizing the moment when his internal qi surged, he spun around and transformed into a streak of light, rushing swiftly toward the distance. "Houni, don't worry," he gritted out, teeth clenched, as he surged forward. "I'll repay you a hundredfold for this grudge!" Seeing Xiao Yan move with such sudden, unanticipated speed, Hun Cliffs' heart slightly sank, yet he didn't hesitate for long. With a single step into the void, the energy within him surged forth with almost complete force, generating a powerful pressure that surged directly toward Xiao Yan. Observing Hun Cliffs' determined, all-out effort, Xiao Yan's face remained calm, neither retreating nor wavering. In fact, he advanced one step forward, his gaze steady and unflinching as the energy light expanded rapidly within his pupils. "Xiao Yan, it's time to meet your end!" Hun Cliffs felt a surge of satisfaction upon seeing Xiao Yan not only hesitate but actively avoid the attack. As a master of his clan's ancestral seal, even an elite Eight-Star Soul Sovereign couldn't dare to meet him head-on. Xiao Yan's actions now clearly signaled a path straight to his demise. "Shhh—" Hun崖’s speed was astonishingly swift, appearing before Xiao Yan almost in a flash. The powerful wind pressure pressed against Xiao Yan’s robes, making them flutter violently, while his right palm clenched into a fist, drawing his vast internal Qi to converge upon it. Then, he launched a powerful punch! “Boom!” With the punch striking, the space before him shattered instantly, a massive crack of black space, half a zhang in width, rapidly spreading toward Xiao Yan. “Xiao Yan, this is what happens to those who boast and act arrogantly—make sure you remember it for your next life!” The punch, laden with fierce wind force, surged toward Xiao Yan. At this distance, even if Xiao Yan moved at his fastest, he could not evade it. A cold, sharp smile now formed on Hun崖’s face. Gazing at the stern visage of the soul cliff, the ancient, still pool of blackness in Xiao Yan's eyes finally rippled subtly. A faint arc of scorn curled on his face, and at his brow, a shimmer of purplish-red light flickered into view, culminating in the gradual emergence of an unusual clan emblem. "Xiao Clan emblem?" At the very moment the emblem surfaced, a sharp jolt surged through the soul cliff's heart, and a quiet unease began to spread from deep within. "It's over," Xiao Yan murmured, smiling gently as he gazed at the close, imposing face. Then, he clenched his right fist tightly and, without any flourish, unleashed a surging tide of martial energy that surged forth from within him in a powerful, direct blow. "Boom!" The collision of the two fists sent a thunderous roar echoing across the heavens, like a bolt of lightning. Across the ground, vast cracks—each stretching several feet—rapidly spread out, forming a network resembling a spiderweb. "Shhh—" Amid the raging energy storm sweeping the heavens, a silhouette suddenly rocketed backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Along its path, massive stones shattered into powdery fragments with a series of booming sounds. "Pffft!" Thick stone dust erupted as Huncai violently expelled a surge of blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs. As his vital energy rapidly fled his body, fear and regret gradually welled up in his eyes.