At the heart of the ancient city, the lake's water shimmered with exceptional clarity, sunlight pouring down from the sky and casting brilliant, dazzling beams of light. Clearing the ancient city without a single obstruction, Xiao Yan finally hovered in the air, gazing at the expanse of green grass stretching to the horizon. A deep breath of relief escaped him—though the ancient realm was vast and its energy denser than that of the outside world, something about the Zhongzhou always felt freer to him. After entering the territory of Xingyin Pavilion, Xiao Yan clearly noticed that the presence of powerful cultivators around him had increased significantly. In several key cities along the way, there were even two or three Douzun cultivators stationed on duty—such an arrangement was truly substantial, even when viewed across the entire Zhongzhou region. However, Xiao Yan was well aware that, with the esteemed reputation of Yao Lao as a golden asset, summoning these strong allies would not be particularly difficult. What gave him a sense of reassurance throughout this journey, though, was the absence of any disorder or chaos. Although defenses had been greatly strengthened, there was no sense of pressing urgency or tension typically associated with large-scale battles. The cities belonging to the Xingyun Pavilion, Xiao Yan had also not lingered in, instead making direct progress toward the Xingyun Pavilion. Thus, within just half a day, he arrived at the mountain range where the Xingyun Pavilion was located, and then his figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing into the spatial domain of the Xingyun Pavilion... Now, within the Stellar Realm, there is a sense of fresh renewal compared to the past. Once imposing mountain ranges have been transformed into clusters of buildings, and streams of people move about like ants, bustling and lively. Moreover, among the towering peaks at the heart of the Realm, powerful energies subtly radiate, permeating every corner. The Stellar Realm now truly feels like an unshakable fortress—stronger than ever. At the moment this beam of light appeared, sudden cries of anger rang out across the heavens of the stellar realm, followed immediately by a series of sharp, rushing sounds. One after another, elderly figures floated into the sky, then all shouted in unison, "Stabilize!" With the combined force of nearly ten elders' commands, the space above swiftly solidified. Yet, as everyone expected the figure to halt, they were astonished to see the beam not only continuing but actually accelerating rapidly. Under the stunned gazes of all present, it effortlessly pierced through the solidified space, materializing like a ghost right behind the elders. The elder figures who had previously intervened exchanged a serious glance at Xiao Yan. Having witnessed that earlier scene, they no longer harbored the slightest regard for the seemingly young young man in black robes. Indeed, they sensed a subtle yet palpable pressure emanating from him—a pressure that, even within the Starfall Pavilion, was only possessed by a handful of individuals. The commotion in the sky also drew the attention of the Starfall Pavilion disciples engaged in training below. A wave of astonishment swept across their faces as they stared upward at Xiao Yan, marveling at the sight. This was the first time they had seen a group of guest senior elders jointly intervene and yet fail to achieve any tangible results. Seeing the elders' expressions of doubt, Xiao Yan sighed with a touch of helplessness—having only returned just six months prior, he was already nearly unrecognizable. "Young Master!" As Xuanyin sighed in resignation, several elderly figures finally emerged from the main peak. Upon seeing Xuanyin, they were first taken aback, then exclaimed with delight. Hearing this exclamation, the十余 star-ruin hall's guest senior elders and countless star-ruin hall disciples all paused, their eyes filled with disbelief, fixed upon Xuanyin. While Xuanyin's reputation within the Star-Ruin Hall was not low, their visit to the hall had been relatively recent, making this their first encounter with him. "Actually, he's the young master of our Xingyin Pavilion..." "Hehe, the young master is quite handsome..." "Stop being so star-struck! How could someone of the young master's stature even take an interest in us?" "It's said that the young master won the Dan Championship and is himself a powerful Dou Zun-level warrior. I joined Xingyin Pavilion specifically to meet him—now, after all these years, I finally get to see someone who's truly legendary. Hehe..." "...” Xiao Yan smiled slightly, then scanned the space around him with his eyes, a look of admiration flickering across his gaze. In just half a year, the Xingyun Pavilion had undergone a complete transformation—so many powerful cultivators stationed there that even the Hún Palace would find it difficult to launch an easy assault. From the aura he sensed, the current strength of the Xingyun Pavilion seemed to be at least equal to, if not surpassing, that of the Tianming Sect, and perhaps even exceeding the Huazong Sect. "Ah, finally back then..." As Xiao Yan's gaze swept across the Star Realm, a ripple passed through the space behind him, and gradually, a weathered figure emerged—none other than Yao Lao. "Master," Xiao Yan bowed respectfully and spoke formally. "May I have the honor of addressing the Pavilion's Master?" "When the Medicinal Elder finally appeared, the visiting senior elders hurried to bow respectfully. Usually, the Medicinal Elder didn't show himself very often, so in the eyes of these visiting elders, he remained a rather enigmatic figure. Yet today, upon the Young Senior's arrival, he personally came out to greet him—quite an unexpected gesture. 'After visiting the Ancient Clan, he seems to have become much more refined,' the Elder chuckled, waving a hand to the visiting elders before glancing over at Xiao Yan. A pleased expression appeared in his eyes as he said, 'Excellent! In just half a year, he's progressed from a Five-Star Battle Sovereign to an Eight-Star Battle Sovereign. Clearly, this journey has been highly rewarding.' Hearing this, the visiting elders were instantly struck with astonishment—no wonder he's the Young Senior; such a rapid progression is truly remarkable. Xiao Yan smiled, knowing well that the Elder's discernment could instantly gauge his true standing, and thus nodded in agreement." "Come on, let's go down first—I've been waiting for you to return for a while now..." the Elder smiled. "Uh-huh." Xiao Yan nodded, scanning the surroundings with his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed as he murmured, "Master, haven't Little Healer and the others come back yet?" "They've come back, but then left again..." the Elder replied. "Left? Where to?" Xiao Yan was taken aback. "That's precisely why I've been waiting for you. Shortly after you entered that so-called Heavenly Tomb, we received some news and dispatched Little Healer and the others to hurry back. They proceeded to the Jamu Empire..." "The Jamu Empire?" The familiar name made Xiao Yan pause, and within a moment, his expression suddenly turned sharply serious. "Has something happened to the Yan Alliance?"