Hearing the sudden shriek from the Nine Heavens Sovereign, Xiao Yan was also momentarily startled, and with a glance at the blood-streaked ground below, he realized that the Huan Palace indeed still harbored stronger forces waiting in the shadows. "Regardless of whether they have allies, we must eliminate this one first!" Xiao Yan's eyes flashed rapidly. In an instant, a fierce aura surged forth, and his right palm suddenly thrust forward, causing the black light circle to expand at an astonishing pace. Just as the piercing cry of the Ninth Heaven Sovereign fell, the ground suddenly trembled violently, and soon cracked open with a massive fissure stretching hundreds of zhangs, rapidly spreading out. In mere moments, a deep ravine hundreds of zhangs wide appeared before a wave of stunned gazes. Along with the ravine's emergence, a thick, suffocating scent of blood surged forth from within, mingling with faint, heart-wrenching cries of agony. "Xiao Yan's left arm was pulled into the black light sphere, and instantly, a piercing cry escaped from the Nine Heavens Sovereign's mouth. A terrifying, irresistible force surged forth from within the sphere, tearing at the sovereign's arm with such intensity that it was almost immediately reduced to a mass of bloodied, shredded flesh. Had it not been for his desperate efforts to resist with his qi, the arm would have turned to powder the moment it made contact. Even so, that relentless, all-pervading force continued to seep into the arm at a rapid pace, causing the muscles, blood vessels, and bones to burst and deform swiftly. 'Hmph!' With the sovereign successfully ensnared, Xiao Yan issued a cold command, clenching his hands tightly, which caused the suction force within the sphere to surge dramatically, aiming to pull the sovereign's entire body into the center. 'Crack!' Noticing Xiao Yan's intention, the Nine Heavens Sovereign was struck with even greater astonishment, biting down hard on his teeth and then curving his hand into a blade, cutting off his own arm with a decisive motion. 'Want to escape?" Seeing Tian Nine Sovereign's such ruthless demeanor, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, yet soon a cold laugh echoed in his heart. The black aura surged again, accelerating dramatically—within just a few breaths, it closed the distance once more. The immense suction power severely constrained Tian Nine Sovereign's own speed. It was only then that Tian Nine Sovereign truly grasped the terrifying nature of the Great Heavenly Creation Palm. Back when Xiao Yan was merely a four-star Domain Sovereign, he had indeed been able to withstand this palm thanks to his superior strength. But now, with their ranks nearly equal, he no longer possessed the strength to resist it. Feeling the sudden surge of force emanating from below, Xiao Yan's face slightly changed, yet surprisingly, he did not turn to meet it. Instead, his gaze grew cold, fixed on the Nine Heavens Sovereign, whose face lit up with surprise at this unexpected aid. With a cold smile, he pushed his palm again, and the black aura shot forth like lightning, ultimately engulfing the entire body of the Nine Heavens Sovereign in a single breath. "Ah!" The Nine Heavens Sovereign's startled, terrified cry erupted from within the black aura, as he could not believe that Xiao Yan had completely ignored the powerful Blood Dragon attack! "Boom!" At the very moment the black aura devoured Tian Zun's body, the roaring blood dragon simultaneously crashed into Xiao Yan's form, causing an explosive burst of rich blood light to radiate across the sky... Gazing at the blood glow that blossomed like a blood-red sun across the horizon, the faces of Cai Lin and the others on the fortress walls turned pale as well—just as unexpectedly, they had not anticipated Xiao Yan choosing to absorb the full force of that blow. The immense energy contained within the blood dragon was sufficient to instantly obliterate a six-star Douzun-level powerhouse. On the city walls, an absolute silence had settled in. Some faces still bore traces of the earlier surprise, yet now that surprise was being overwhelmed by a growing sense of awe. "Ever since the Spirit Pavilion's people have favored staying hidden like mice..." This stillness lasted for roughly fifteen seconds. As the crowd's growing sense of tension deepened, a soft voice suddenly rose from the sky, cutting through the air. Instantly, every gaze turned upward—there, amid a shimmering crimson glow, a slender figure stepped forth through the void. As that slender figure came into view, a thunderous wave of cheers erupted across the fortress. "Ah...," breathed the others, including Cailein, quietly exhaling in relief—clearly shaken by the sudden developments. "Hmm?" "Upon seeing Xiao Yan endure the assault unharmed, a faint sound of surprise echoed from the deep ravine. Suddenly, a gurgling sound emerged—like blood flowing—resonating throughout the ravine. Under the collective gaze of countless onlookers, the sound grew louder and louder. Eventually, a deep crimson hue surged forth from the otherwise black ravine, forming a vast, viscous sea of blood!" A viscous sea of blood rose continuously from the depths, pausing only when it reached the level of the abyss, then flowing gently. As the blood surged, a figure clad entirely in crimson emerged slowly, lifting his blood-red eyes with a calm gaze toward Xiao Yan in the sky. His voice, hoarse yet resonant, echoed beneath the heavens: "You truly deserve the Hall Master's attention. You do have some pride to boast about." "This person has an absolutely terrifying strength..." Some of the stronger members of the Yan Alliance, gazing at the crimson figure, felt a subtle weight settle upon their hearts. Though they couldn't precisely gauge the latter's power, it was clearly the strongest among the Li Min Sect's ranks. "The Lord of Blood River?" The three elder Hu family members, who had been engaged in combat with three elite figures from the Hún Palace, paused their actions, their eyes fixed intently on the crimson figure, speaking with solemnity. "The Lord of Blood River?" Xiang Yin slightly raised an eyebrow. "Young Master, be cautious. This individual is one of the most renowned powerhouses in the Central Region. His technique, the Art of Blood Transformation, is exceptionally strange—countless first-tier masters have perished from it over the years. Yet, he suddenly vanished from the scene, only to later join the Hún Palace..." The eldest of the Hu family spoke with serious demeanor. "Heh, that's an old title—dating back quite some time ago... Now, you may call me Tianzun of the Soul Palace, or simply, Tianzun of the Blood River..." Hearing the elder Hu's words, the figure standing upon the sea of blood lifted his head and chuckled, his voice hoarse. "The Four Heavenly Sovereigns...?" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. Indeed, the Huan Pavilion was full of hidden talents. This man before him appeared to be at the peak of the Nine-Star Douzun rank, merely a single step away from the Half-Saint level. He hadn't expected the Huan Pavilion's delegation to be so strong—had he not returned in time, the fate of the Yan Alliance would have been dire. "You've been leisurely, yet you've failed even to save your companions." Xiao Yan smiled faintly, then gestured with his hand. A corpse, its body torn and deformed, soared through the air and landed squarely before the Four Heavenly Sovereigns. It was clearly the Nine Heavens Sovereign who had been struck by the Great Heavenly Transformation Palm earlier—now, however, he had completely lost all vitality. "This consistently failing relic—saving him would do little good," the Four Heavenly Sovereigns remarked indifferently, lifting their lips and shooting a jet of blood that instantly shattered the body into splattering blood and vapor, speaking without a single emotion. "The emotion of the Huan Dian people—indeed, it seems utterly redundant to you," said Xiao Yan with a mocking smile. "After all, emotion has always been something cast aside." In response to Xiao Yan's words, the Four Heavenly Sovereigns merely chuckled, then shook their heads, sighing softly. "I originally intended not to intervene. But this one is simply too inept—first, he has weakened your forces. Given that, then, it is only fitting that I take the lead. I shall personally carry back every drop of blood from the Xiao clan." As the Four Heavenly Sovereigns spoke, the vast sea of blood swirling in the abyss suddenly surged upward in towering columns of crimson. A thick mist of blood spread out, and from within the Sovereigns' body, a profound, chilling aura gradually poured forth, enveloping the entire scene like a wave of cold wind that seeped into one's very bones.