Above the sky, the roar grew like thunder, eventually spreading out as waves, reaching far and wide... As the roar faded, the golden figure in the sky swiftly shrank, then resumed its original form. With a swift movement, it laughed joyfully, transforming into a streak of light and darting down toward the gathered crowd. "Young Master, congratulations!" said the Qingcheng elder, smiling at the approaching Xiao Yan. "Just barely managed to break through." Xiao Yan smiled, twisting slightly as a sense of fullness within him grew stronger than it had three days prior. Though only a single step separated the eight-star peak from the nine-star rank, the difference remained vast. In Xiao Yan's estimation, with his current strength, if he simultaneously activated the power of the Jade and Glass Body and the clan's seal, he could match the prowess of a four-tier or even five-tier Supreme Sovereign at the peak. Should he further combine this with other powerful combat techniques such as the Great Heavenly Transformation Palm, he would be capable of standing against a Supreme Sovereign at the peak of the sixth tier. "Has there been any incident lately?" Xiao Yan casually asked. Upon seeing everyone shake their heads, he smiled and turned his gaze toward the deeper reaches of the Wild Ancient Domain, his eyes narrowing slightly. "We've already delayed several days. We need to speed up our journey to the Ancient Domain Platform—otherwise, if we arrive too late, things might not be so favorable." "Agreed." Cai Lin and the others nodded slightly. Over the past three days, nearly a dozen groups have passed through here, all heading directly toward the Ancient Domain Platform. It's likely already bustling with powerful beings. "Let's go—better not delay. We should set off now." Xiao Yan understood the urgency and waved his hand. "Take this large creature as our mount. The ancient Heavenly Demon Python's strength ranks among the top in the Wild Ancient Domain. Should we encounter other fierce beasts along the way, we can leverage its formidable presence to swiftly pass through, avoiding any complications." Qing Lin pointed to the massive Heavenly Demon Python coiled in the sky, smiling. "Heh, of course that's excellent..." Xuanyin was momentarily surprised, then smiled and nodded. He moved first, leaping onto the massive body of the Tianmo Python. Behind him, the sound of rushing wind followed, as Cai Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, Yun Yun, and others swiftly joined him. Under Qinglin's control, the once fiercely aggressive Tianmo Python now moved with remarkable gentleness, showing no resistance at all to Xuanyin and his companions stepping upon its back. As Qinglin blew a single whistle, thick black mist surged forth from within the Python's body, quickly coalescing into a dense black cloud. The Python then steered this cloud, vibrating its body and darting forward with lightning speed toward the deep heart of the Manghu Ancient Domain. This creature's formidable presence has earned it a certain reputation even in the Primordial Ancient Domain. Ordinary beasts, upon sensing it, typically hesitate to make an appearance and intervene. As for beasts whose strength rivals that of the Heavenly Demon Snake, the Xiao Yan group naturally takes preemptive routes to avoid them. Even if these beasts detect the presence of the Heavenly Demon Snake, they refrain from actively pursuing, out of deference. As a result, the Xiao Yan group's journey progresses significantly more swiftly. Along the way, Xiao Yan and his companions encountered several other factions, though most of them Xiao Yan had never seen before—likely quiet, understated powers that didn't draw much attention. Yet their foundations were far from weak, much like Yunyu Sect. Xiao Yan hadn't even heard of them, yet they boasted three cultivators at the peak of the Douzun rank, one of whom was nearing the pinnacle of the half-Emperor tier. Such strength would place them on par with the most senior elders, even the Grand Elders, within renowned factions like Tianming Sect. Nevertheless, although these powers were strong, Xiao Yan had no intention of deliberately pausing to cultivate relationships. After all, everyone here shared the same goal. Unless the connections were particularly special, mutual support would inevitably emerge in the end—those fragile ties would easily dissolve under the allure of the Bodhi Ancient Tree. Thus, although numerous factions had come to inquire and express goodwill, eager to secure the exceptionally impressive mounts of Xiao Yan and his companions, Xiao Yan himself had offered them no opportunity—instead, he urged Qinglin to accelerate, leaving those parties disappointed and unimpressed. Under this unimpeded progress, Xiao Yan and his party had gradually approached the region where the Ancient Domain Platform lay, merely consuming nearly two days. Moreover, this Ancient Domain Platform lies at the junction between the central and deeper regions of the Primordial Ancient Domain, enabling direct access to its core. Hence, it has naturally become the preferred, safest settlement point for numerous factions, chosen without any prior coordination. When Xiao Yin and his companions approached the area within ten li of the platform, they retrieved the Tianmo Python—its large size and inherent visibility made it prone to drawing attention, and thus, to avoid unnecessary disturbances, it had to be secured. After further flying for about ten minutes near the platform, a vast square suddenly appeared before them. Upon seeing this expansive plaza emerge so unexpectedly in the wilderness, Xiao Yin and his companions were momentarily stunned. Only when they spotted the dense crowds gathered on the plaza did they realize it must be the very Ancient Domain Platform they had been seeking. "Everyone, stay alert." With so many people gathering together, Xiao Yan felt a subtle sense of relief. The Wild Ancient Domain was filled with fierce beasts, and after having journeyed through it for this long, it was the first time he had seen such a large number of people—this indeed brought a certain comfort. Yet, Xiao Yan knew this feeling wasn’t entirely reliable, so he spoke softly. "Hm." The group nodded in response to his remark. Covering a distance of over a thousand meters, they reached the vast plaza almost in the blink of an eye. As they gradually settled into place, their arrival drew a few glances, but those soon shifted away. Over the course of this time, various groups and powerful individuals had been arriving periodically—nothing particularly unusual at all. "The bloodiness on their bodies is quite strong..." Xiang Yan's gaze swept over the scattered groups of people, each forming small clusters. What stood out was a common trait—each of them carried a distinct bloodiness, not human blood, but that of wild beasts. "Have these people actually formed teams to besiege wild beasts?" Xiang Yan found himself somewhat puzzled, yet he didn't ask any questions. Instead, he simply led Cai Lin and the others slowly into the square, heading steadily toward its center. … As they walked deeper into the plaza, their group—thanks to the graceful appearances of Cai Lin, Yun Yun, Xiao Yi Xian, and the others—had drawn a number of curious glances. Most of the travelers arriving here possessed solid strength, and came from diverse backgrounds. If they hadn’t maintained a certain level of composure, several would have already stepped forward to strike up conversations. Nevertheless, even so, some overly bold glances still made Cai Lin and the others feel a bit chilled. Xiao Yan slightly furrowed his brow, yet his steps did not slow, steadily moving through the numerous gazes until he reached the central position of the plaza. At this point, Xiao Yan finally realized that in the central area, there stood a stone platform measuring several hundred paces in width and about two meters high. On this platform, there were also some people, though in smaller numbers compared to those below the platform. Yet these people shared one common trait—their aura was exceptionally strong. "Let's go, meet some people..." Xiao Yan turned to the group and said, then immediately stepped onto the stone platform, heading toward the circle where the ancient clan members were gathered. However, as soon as Xiao Yan stepped onto the platform, he suddenly felt a cold gaze directed at him, and at the same time, a cool, faint voice began to rise softly on the platform. "This isn't your place. Get out!" Hearing this cold voice, Xiao Yan paused slightly, turned his head, and followed the gaze of the voice. A subtle smile then formed on his lips. "Feng Qing'er?"