As萧Ina's light laugh settled, a brilliant golden light suddenly erupted across the plaza, blazing like a golden sun. Under this blinding radiance, most people quickly half-closed their eyes—where the light poured most fiercely, human figures were barely visible, the golden glow completely filling their fields of vision. Yet though they could not see, the audience, no ordinary crowd, clearly sensed the immense power of the celestial Phoenix silhouette in the sky, crashing with tremendous force directly onto the spot where Xiao Yan stood. "Boom!" At the moment of impact, the entire plaza trembled violently, a powerful wave of energy rippling outwards in a circular pattern along the ground, pushing several nearby warriors back several steps. The turbulent energy surged forth, forcing everyone to strain their eyes open, dust swirling in the air, obscuring the exact condition of the area. "Such an arrogant youngster..." Some of the stronger ones observed the scene, slightly shaking their heads. Facing a full-force strike from a Peak of Battle Sovereign, he still dared to overestimate himself—truly, he was courting death. "Hmph!" Wind Qing'er looked at the dust-filled area, her tense body gradually relaxing. A low hum escaped her nostrils. Since meeting Xiao Yan, this was the first time she had managed to make him feel this way. "Boom!" However, as soon as her hum faded, the dust-filled ground suddenly trembled, and then a golden light burst forth with an astonishing speed. Initially vast, the light swiftly condensed into a slender figure, appearing before Wind Qing'er like a ghost, amidst a wave of astonishment. "You... how is this possible?" "Staring at Xiao Yan standing before her, his clothes untouched and undamaged, Feng Qing'er's face instantly flushed with shock. Before she could launch another attack, a hand swiftly enlarged within her field of vision. 'Clap!' A crisp sound echoed across the stone platform. Instantly, everyone saw Feng Qing'er's body recoil, flying backward and crashing into the ground, before gradually coming to a stop after shooting out over a hundred meters. The once delicate, skin-sensitive face, now covered completely by a vivid red palm print, bore streaks of blood along her lips and cheeks, her expression one of utter disbelief. She had been knocked senseless simply by Xiao Yan's single palm strike." "Regardless of how your strength is derived, it's always merely borrowed—some kind of odd or unconventional method..." With a cold gaze fixed upon the figure in the distance, Xiao Yan's voice remained utterly calm and steady. Only strength cultivated through his own relentless practice was truly reliable. Even when Xiao Yan initially received the inheritance from Xiao Xuan, he had not rushed to dramatically enhance his power, but instead had tirelessly worked to suppress it. Yet Feng Qing'er, on the other hand, had been relentlessly striving to grow stronger. Such efforts, in the end, were nothing but a side path—forever falling short of true mastery. "Phew..." Seeing Xiao Yan suddenly palm-throw Feng Qing'er into the air, the surrounding elite warriors all drew in sharp breaths. Truly, this man had no sense of tenderness or grace toward beautiful women. "Quite bold—such a stunning woman. If it were me, I'd struggle to keep going..." "Hah! I particularly enjoy quietly pitting two people against each other when I'm fond of both of them." Hearing some odd laughter, Xiao Yan casually waved his hand, maintaining a composed expression on his face. The earlier attack from Feng Qing'er had clearly been aimed at ending his life—now, to Xiao Yan, she was no longer a woman, but an adversary. Facing enemies, he had never been soft-hearted, no matter how beautiful she might be. "You're a fool!" The group from the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, including the man with colorful eyes, were all momentarily stunned by this scene. When they regained their composure, they immediately grew furious and rose to prepare to act. "Hold on," said the man with the colorful eyes, his gaze steady and calm as he looked at Xiao Yan. "Qing'er is outmatched. Carry her back." "If you wish to test your strength, next time, do it yourself—don't rely on a woman. That's rather lacking in grace," Xiao Yan remarked, glancing at the man. "Hehe, thank you... I'll personally handle it next time." The man with vibrant eyes smiled as though unconcerned, yet there flashed a few glints of danger within his eyes. "Count on it." Xiao Yan's face again broke into a smile, and then he turned, no longer paying attention to the man, and proceeded with Cai Lin and the others toward the direction of the ancient clan. As Xiao Yan turned, the smile on the man's face gradually faded, and the jade pendant he held slowly turned to powder, sliding down his palm. "Hehe, quite bold—this is the first time I've seen you take on a woman like this," Ancient Hua, dressed in silver robes, raised a big thumbs-up to Xiao Yan and chuckled. Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh at Hua's words, bowed slightly to Ancient Qingyang and the others, then turned his gaze toward Xun'er, who stood at the center. "Xiao Yan brother, I'm rather sorry to have arrived so late this time..." As Xiao Yan's gaze settled on her, Xun'er smiled lightly. While speaking, her beautiful eyes suddenly shifted toward behind Xiao Yan, saying, "This must be Cai Lin sister, someone I've often heard Xiao Yan brother speak highly of." Upon hearing Xun'er's words, Cai Lin was momentarily taken aback. She had, in fact, heard about Xun'er from Xiao Ding during her time in the Jia Ma Empire—Xiao Yan's childhood friend. If it weren't for that particular incident, Xun'er would almost certainly have become Xiao Yan's wife. Moreover, she well understood that Xun'er held a significant place in Xiao Yan's heart. In a sense, she felt like a third party. This somewhat awkward position made Cai Lin feel a little uneasy, though she managed to nod politely. As for the conversation between the two women, Xiao Yan himself felt a touch of embarrassment, yet found it difficult to say anything in response. He simply cleared his throat and then led them to sit down. The group of people following Xiao Yan were mostly women, except for a few senior monks from the Huazong sect, all of whom possessed striking beauty. It wasn't until now that Gu Qingyang and the others realized the atmosphere here was slightly unusual. Upon hearing Xun'er's earlier remarks, their eyes immediately turned toward Cai Lin. They were already familiar with the information regarding Xiao Yan, so after a brief moment of reflection, they instantly recognized who Cai Lin was. Their expressions now grew somewhat puzzled. Xiao Yan truly seemed determined to enjoy the blessings of all the women here. Thinking further, even though they had some personal connections with Xiao Yan, they couldn't help but feel a certain reservation. What was Xun'er's status within the Gu clan? She was considered a goddess by countless outstanding clan members. Now, not only had Xiao Yan successfully won her heart, but he also wished to enjoy the affections of all the women—wasn't that a bit too much to ask? Though they thought this in their hearts, they certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to mention it. Since Xun'er hadn't raised any objections, though they felt a little uneasy, they didn't dare to say anything. When everyone else was feeling awkward, Xun'er remained calm and composed, politely greeting each of the people behind Xiao Yan. However, when her eyes met Na Lan Yanran's, she paused slightly. The two had last met when Na Lan Yanran had come to the Xiao family to withdraw her engagement—then, Na Lan Yanran had been proud and haughty. But now, after years of refinement, she no longer carried that same air of superiority. As Xun'er looked at her, Na Lan Yanran's face remained composed, yet her heart was filled with complex emotions, recalling the single sentence Xun'er had once spoken to her when she had finally settled the engagement matter and was about to leave, sitting by the window at that time. "Miss Nalan, I hope you will never regret today's behavior of the eldest daughter..." This lightly spoken, somewhat cold voice remained vivid in her memory even after more than a decade—indeed, the moment that most deeply saddened her was when, over a decade later, this very statement was fully proven true. She had, in fact, regretted it—but that regret had already lost all its power. "Master Xiao came to the Primordial Ancient Domain this time also for the Bodhi Ancient Tree, didn't he?" After completing the introductions, Xun'er turned her bright eyes toward Xiao Yan and asked. "Indeed." Seeing that Xun'er remained motionless, Xiao Yan promptly nodded. He felt a sense of regret toward her, and the more she appeared indifferent, the deeper that regret grew within him. He understood that she simply did not wish for such an incident to become a source of disturbance or cause him unnecessary stress. "From here, if we go deeper into the ancient domain, we can reach the heart of the primordial wilderness, where the Bodhi ancient tree stands..." Xun'er gently pointed with her slender, jade-like fingers toward the northern part of the ancient domain, her voice soft. "However, reaching the Bodhi tree is quite difficult, because beyond a hundred li from here, there lies a vast army of fierce beasts stationed firmly, encircling the deeper reaches. To enter, we must navigate through this sea of wild beasts. Over the past few days, our people have made several attempts, but all were intercepted midway. Not only are the beasts in overwhelming numbers, but many of them are exceptionally powerful—difficult to overcome." Xun'er slightly lifted her face, sunlight pouring down from the horizon. Her high, delicate nose gave her cheeks a graceful curve, and a soft, luminous glow emanated from her skin, gentle and pure—like a lotus, unadorned and serene. This kind of beauty stood in stark contrast to Cailei's more flamboyant and majestic grace. "It's no wonder everyone here carries such a strong scent of blood—turns out, they've encountered a horde of fierce beasts," Xiao Yan finally realized, murmuring. "Yes, so now we'll all have to work together; otherwise, no one will make it through," Xun'er gently brushed aside her hair strands that had drifted across her forehead, her face slightly turned toward the distance, her eyes now expressing a sense of seriousness. "The alliance proposal was made by this person, and you should be especially cautious of him, Xiao Yan. He's from the Spirit Palace, and among the young members of the Spirit Clan, he's one of only two individuals widely regarded as the most likely to succeed as the next Clan Leader." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart stirred, and he followed Xun'er's gaze, turning to look in that direction.