In the quiet, ancient hall, the space gently rippled, and two figures—slowly materializing—finally settled within the grand chamber: Xiao Yan and Xun'er, the very ones who had slain Hún Lì and Hún Yá. This encounter was truly lightning-fast, with Xiao Yan giving his full strength on both occasions, deploying thunderous techniques to first eliminate Hún Lì and then utterly destroy Hún Yá. Both Hún Lì and Hún Yá were at the level of Eight-Star Battle Sovereigns. If they had fought together, even a typical Nine-Star Battle Sovereign would have found it difficult to subdue them. Yet here, they were caught off guard, struck down instantly by Xiao Yan—first Hún Lì, then Hún Yá. If not for this surprise, Xiao Yan would have had to exert much greater effort as the two fought to the very end. After slaying Hún Lì and Hún Yá, Xiao Yan and Xun'er remained outside for several days before returning once more to this ancient hall. "Have you returned?" As Xiao Xin and Xiao Yan stepped into the hall, Xiao Xuan gradually appeared before them, offering a gentle smile without inquiring about the outcome of their journey. With a simple hand gesture, a faint black glow materialized in his palm, and he casually tossed it toward Xiao Yan. "Take this. This is the ancient garment of the Insect Emperor. It can be absorbed into your body and seamlessly transform into ordinary clothing on your skin's surface. Though it requires continuous support from your qi, it offers constant protection against any attack." Xiao Yan reached out curiously, took the black glow, and gently held it. A smooth, silk-like sensation flowed through his palms, exceptionally comfortable. "Simply drop a drop of your refined blood into it, and it will be fully absorbed into your body," Xiao Xuan smiled, offering the reminder. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan also followed the instruction and poured a drop of his refined blood onto the cluster of black luminescence. The black glow immediately began to ripple, eventually flowing like a liquid along the surface of Xiao Yan's palm and gradually merging into the center of his hand. As the black light integrated into his body, he felt an unusual energy spreading rapidly across his skin, like a web of spider silk, eventually reaching every corner of his body. A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and a subtle black glow began to rise from beneath his skin, swiftly coalescing into a plain, unremarkable black robe. "This must be the ancient insect emperor's robe—indeed, remarkable." Gently running his hands over the black garment on his body, though the fabric appeared soft, it conveyed to Xiao Yan an extraordinary sense of solidity. He couldn't help but praise it. "Hehe, back in the ancient times, the Ancient Insect Emperor's Robe was essentially a must-have for many strong contenders. Especially when crafted by an Insect Queen—such robes were valued no less than a Heaven-Level Combat Technique, and were truly rare, hard to come by. After all, an Insect Queen of such strength wasn't something one could simply obtain." Xiao Xuan stroked his beard, smiling. Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. Although the Ancient Insect Emperor's Robe required a continuous outflow of Qi, this consumption was hardly a burden for Xiao Yan, who possessed a nearly Heaven-Level cultivation technique. As a result, the robe could remain on his body consistently, allowing him to subtly deflect unexpected attacks and eliminate countless complications. "Now, counting the time—today, you should be leaving the Heavenly Tomb..." Observing Xiao Yan carefully handling the robe, Xiao Xuan smiled gently, paused briefly, then suddenly said. Hearing this, Xiao Yan's gaze shifted from the robe of the Insect Emperor and he gave a slight nod. Xiao Xuan exhaled softly, yet remained silent, and the atmosphere within the hall grew somewhat heavy. "Well, it's inevitable—we'll have to part ways. You're now the sole hope of the Xiao clan," he said after a while, shaking his head with a smile and patting Xiao Yan's shoulder. "Young one, I'm still looking forward to your return to the Heavenly Tomb. I'd like to see if you'll let me down, or not." "Ancestor, please rest assured! If I don't reach the rank of Battle Saint, I shall have no face to see you!" Xiao Yan declared firmly. Xiao Xuan beamed with satisfaction and slowly nodded. Beside them, Xun'er watched the two conversing, and after a long moment, softly said, "Xiao Yan, brother, the time has come." Upon hearing this, both of them paused. Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment, then bowed deeply, clasping his hands in front of him and bending low. "Ah, young one, the future of the Xiao clan rests entirely upon you..." Xiao Xuan smiled gently and spoke softly. Xiao Yan nodded firmly, just as he opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly he felt the space around him surge violently. A powerful, irresistible pull emanated from the surrounding space, as if it were forcibly drawing him into it. "Ancestor, take care! Xiao Yan will surely find a way to free you!" Feeling this strong pull, Xiao Yan realized that three years had now arrived—the Heavenly Tomb was finally going to carry them all away. As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, a massive rift instantly tore open in the surrounding space, surging with powerful suction and swiftly engulfing both Xiao Yan and his companion. "Hmm..." The Tongxuan elder nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the distorted space, his heart likewise a little tense. He was well aware of the dangers within the Heavenly Tomb—should any of the young members of the Ancient Clan encounter difficulties, the Clan would indeed suffer a significant loss. "I wonder who will make the most progress this time..." one of the Ancient Clan elders smiled, stroking his beard. "It will depend on each of their own destinies, I suppose..." "..." "Crack!" As the figures in the air were conversing, a sudden black rift tore open in the space, and several figures flashed out from within. "It's members of the Lei Clan—seems they've fared well." Upon seeing the two figures who emerged first, the others gradually nodded. The quality of their energy clearly indicated a marked improvement compared to when they had entered the Tomb six months prior, suggesting they had gained substantial benefits within the Tomb. "The people from the Medicine Clan have also emerged...and the Flame Clan as well..." Following the two from the Thunder Clan, more figures gradually rose from the space, most of whom now displayed significantly stronger energies compared to when they first entered the Heavenly Tomb six months ago—particularly one from the Stone Clan, who had advanced from his initial status as a Seven-Star Duelist to a Eight-Star rank, earning admiration and envy from many. "Hisss!" Another spatial rift appeared under the collective gaze of the onlookers, and then, two figures drifted out, stepping directly into the air before suddenly plummeting toward the ground. Seeing this, elders from the ancient clans swiftly extended gentle streams of energy to lift them. At that moment, they realized—these two figures had completely lost their vital life force. "They are from the Spirit Clan—Hun Cliffs and Hun Li. Both of them have perished entirely within the Heavenly Tomb." Upon seeing this scene, many people's faces grew pale, and Tongxuan Senior's brows furrowed as he spoke in a serious tone. Gazing at the two bodies floating in the sky above, all the ancient clan members stared at each other, their hearts subtly filled with a sense of pity and relief—since the ancient and spirit clans had long been at odds, it was now particularly ironic that these two had met such a tragic end within the Heavenly Tomb. The others who had entered the tomb alongside them, including Huo Xuan, were equally stunned by the sight of Hún Cliffs' bodies. After a moment of silence, they began to ponder—though the tomb was indeed perilous, everyone knew the routes and knew where to go and where to avoid. Yet, why had these two specifically perished together? "This mustn't be so simple," Huo Xuan murmured softly. "You mean that?" asked Húo Zhi, her delicate eyebrows slightly lifting. "These two, as soon as they entered the tomb, set their sights on Xiao Yan. In fact, even before we gathered, they had already fought against Xiao Yan and his companions." Huo Xuan said quietly. "You think Xiao Yan killed them both? Yet even together, they couldn't have held on against a Nine-Star Battle Sovereign. With Xiao Yan's strength, perhaps..." Hu Zhi said. "Who knows? These two have never been top-tier anyway—let them die." Hu Xuan shrugged, then suddenly had a thought, his gaze shifting toward the rear space where a slow, widening rift in the fabric of reality was gradually tearing open. Four powerful figures emerged steadily, their presence commanding. As the crowd took in their arrival, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief—those four were none other than Gu Qingyang and the others. "Gu Qingyang's brows slightly furrowed, he spoke softly. "Who's so ruthless? They managed to eliminate both of these tough opponents?" Gu Hua exclaimed in surprise. The four exchanged glances, blinked a few times, and then, almost simultaneously, murmured in unison, "Xiao Yan!" "Back then, Master Xiao Xuan didn't intervene. Given his nature, he would certainly have no desire to engage opponents like the Huncly and Huliyi. These two were also exceptionally cunning—unlikely to provoke those they couldn't handle. Therefore, it must have been a matter of personal enmity. Yet within that tomb, only we four had the capability to defeat them. Clearly, however, we didn't all act together. Thus..." Gu Zhen murmured thoughtfully, "It must have been Xiao Yan and Xun'er alone..." "Together, Huncly and Huliyi could challenge a nine-star strength. Though Xun'er is strong, these two wouldn't find it difficult to escape once they decided to run," Gu Qingyang added, frowning. As the group stared at each other, puzzled, a sudden ripple passed through the space ahead, and then, gradually, two figures stepped forth through the void, appearing directly beneath the focused gaze of everyone in the area... "That's... Xiao Yan? Such a powerful presence! No wonder..." At the moment the two figures materialized, Gu Qingshang and the others' eyes widened instantly, and they murmured in awe.