Amid the vibrant energy of the space, everyone's gaze was fixed upon Xiao Yan, seated beneath the ancient tree, his eyes blazing with intense enthusiasm. Those who had come here naturally knew of the Bodhi Three Treasures—though the concept of meditation beneath the Bodhi tree seemed intangible and unverified, the immense potential it offered was enough to drive anyone to frenzy. "How could this young man have secured the advantage!" Nine Phoenix's expression darkened; even for someone of his composed nature, a surge of envy now surged within him. Such an extraordinary opportunity simply couldn't be accepted by anyone he found less than satisfactory. As Nine Phoenix's demeanor grew somber, the gentle smile on the Hún Yù's face began to fade, his fingers continuously rubbing together, revealing that his inner composure was far from serene—under the prospect of such vast potential, no one could remain calm. "If only I had summoned the stronger members of my clan using the spatial scroll back then..." Now, with the jade soul, he felt a growing regret. Had he not been concerned about the ancient clan's strong members potentially intervening, he would have shattered the spatial scrolls during the breakthrough from the beast surge and summoned his clan's strongest to eliminate Xiao Yan. However, since Xiao Yan had blended in with the ancient clan, he had been hesitant to act forcefully, knowing that the ancient clan members themselves likely possessed spatial scrolls capable of summoning their own strong allies. Should the situation become prolonged there, it would only have benefited others. Yet now, though he felt regret, it was too late—the space here clearly formed its own world, with spatial fluctuations unable to spread outward, making it impossible to summon his clan's strong members again. The jade soul's gaze flickered, then suddenly turned to the Nine Phoenix. The two exchanged a glance, each reading a certain coldness in the other's eyes. Then, subtly, he nodded with his chin. "Thwack!" As the two of them lightly touched their chins, the Spirit Jade and the Nine Phoenixes suddenly surged into motion, transforming instantly into two streaks of black energy that materialized with lightning speed beneath the Bodhi ancient tree. They immediately activated their full body qi, each delivering a powerful palm strike directly at the seated Xiao Yan, who was meditating within the tree's trunk. Their determined actions clearly indicated their intent to forcibly awaken Xiao Yan from his meditative state. The powerful palm strike landed upon the ancient Bodhi tree, producing a subtle, dull resonance. Before the delighted expressions on Hounyu's and Jiu Feng's faces could fully form, they suddenly sensed an overwhelmingly terrifying force surging forth from the points where they had planted their palms, sweeping over them like a tidal wave. "Pfft!" Under the forceful rebound, both Hounyu and Jiu Feng instantly displayed shock, unable to retreat. The intense pressure surged unimpeded into their bodies, completely shattering their defensive qi barriers. As a result, they were sent flying backward like loose kites, spitting out blood that traced a vivid crimson arc through the air. Upon seeing the nearly instantaneous collapse of the spirit crystal and the Nine Phoenixes, everyone present froze, then turned in astonishment toward the bodhi ancient tree—indeed, it wasn't a simple or easy player after all. "Ah…," Xun'er closely watched Xiao Yan, who remained within the bodhi tree. Only when she saw that he hadn't been awakened did she exhale in relief. Then, her gaze turned cold and piercing toward the spirit crystal and the Nine Phoenixes, golden flames surging within her eyes. Witnessing Xun'er's demeanor, the stronger members of the Hún clan and the Tian Yao Phoenix clan were also startled, quickly gathering around the spirit crystal and the Nine Phoenixes, as if any misstep would immediately lead to a clash. "Xun'er, don't be hasty." "Gu Qingyang stepped in front of Xun'er, his gaze also sharp and unkind toward the Hún Clan and Tian Yao Huang Clan members. Now, it's clear that the Hún Clan and the Tian Yao Huang Clan have clearly aligned. Should a full-scale battle erupt, the outcome would be far from certain. Most importantly, if the clash triggers a significant disturbance and awakens Xiao Yan from his current state, it would truly be a great loss. Xun'er fully understood Gu Qingyang's concerns, so she gently nodded, slowly softening her cold gaze and turning it toward Xiao Yan, who was seated meditatively within the tree, eyes closed. The Soul Jade and the Nine Phoenixes were certain that the initial counterattack had indeed come from the Bodhi Ancient Tree, otherwise, with just Xiao Yan's strength, he could never have matched the combined power of the two allies. Though they knew this, they were powerless. After their earlier clash, they had come to realize that not only could they themselves not shake a single branch of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, but even if they added all the other people here together, they still couldn't make an impact. Faced with the Bodhi Ancient Tree's unwavering protection, despite their simmering resentment, they could only watch helplessly. As the Soul Jade and the Nine Phoenixes settled down, the atmosphere around them grew increasingly heavy. Both sides held deep grievances against each other, while the other powerful figures not aligned with either faction dared not intervene in this ongoing conflict, standing at a distance and seeking ways to find an exit. "This Bodhi ancient tree seems to have a certain fondness for Xiao Yan. I wonder what happened before—by normal circumstances, Xiao Yan should have also fallen into a trance." Gu Qingyang glanced at the spirit jade and others, then turned to Xun'er. "Hmm..." Xun'er nodded slightly, saying, "It seems we can't get out of here. I tried earlier, but couldn't even create a single spatial rift. Now, we'll probably have to wait for Xiao Yan to awaken." Gu Qingyang nodded as well—he had tried himself, and found the space here unusually solid. Even with his full effort, he couldn't generate any spatial ripples, let alone tear through it. "We can only wait now. The life energy here is exceptionally rich, so waiting for a while won't be a problem." Cai Lin spoke up at this moment. She simply wouldn't consider leaving without Xiao Yan. "Just lately, we need to stay particularly vigilant about those people..." "Understood." Upon hearing this, everyone slowly nodded. It was clear that the soul-crystal faction remained determined. Even though the claim that meditating beneath the Bodhi tree would grant potential to reach the peak of the Battle Emperor—a story only found in legend—had not yet been proven, these individuals clearly harbored deep resentment toward Xiao Yan's actual progress. After all, they well understood that if Xiao Yan truly achieved that level, it would spell disaster for them, given their current positions. ... Within this strange space, the concept of time becomes profoundly blurred, as no one can penetrate the very fabric of it. Moreover, everyone harbors psychological unease from the genuine illusion of the Bodhi ancient tree, making few truly lose themselves in ecstatic frenzy. Though the atmosphere is somewhat stagnant, it remains grounded in reality—unlike within the illusion, where one can no longer distinguish between real and false. That sense of disorientation is truly terrifying. As time passes within this space, the participants gradually settle into a state of cultivation. The energy here is vibrant and life-giving, serving as an excellent tonic for anyone. In fact, it not only heals injuries but also clears up deep-seated internal bruises and stagnations. Over the course of this seemingly monotonous waiting period, one by one, the group enters cultivation mode, each achieving tangible progress. Of course, during their cultivation, Xun and the others naturally assigned personnel to monitor the Hounyus and the others, always on guard against any further erratic actions. Fortunately, after their previous intervention, they had come to realize that no matter how frantic their efforts, they would ultimately prove futile—thus, during this period, no one had quietly stepped in again. Yet they managed to remain composed throughout, while others gradually grew uneasy and restless over time—after all, who wouldn't wish to be confined in such a space for life, ending up no different from a prisoner?