Hearing the nine phoenixes' furious, resolute roar filled with wrath, Xiao Yan slowly turned his head, his gaze cold and sharp—like that of a fierce beast—fixing upon the former. Under the weight of this gaze, the nine phoenixes suddenly felt a chill run through their skin, regaining a measure of composure. Yet their expression remained notably cold. They stared unyieldingly at Xiao Yan, their tone stern: "We've journeyed together into the Bodhi Ancient Tree, overcoming so many trials. Now you wish to seize the Bodhi Seed single-handedly—this seems rather unreasonable." The ninth phoenix's eyes twitched fiercely, his murderous intent surging uncontrollably within him. Fortunately, he still retained a measure of composure and did not immediately strike, but instead turned to gaze at the spirit jade, his voice low and grim: "Spirit Jade, surely you don't intend to watch him take all the bodhi seeds from us, rendering all our efforts in this period meaningless, do you?" Spirit Jade's face remained calm and silent, yet the cold glint in his eyes clearly revealed his unyielding resentment. No matter how deep his strategies, at this moment, he could not suppress the rage and fury burning within him. "Xiao Yan, divide eight bodhi seeds between my spirit clan and the celestial phoenix clan. With that, this matter may be set aside." After a brief pause, the cold voice finally flowed gently from Spirit Jade's lips. Xiao Yan smiled slightly, spreading his hands open. There were still eleven Bodhi seeds in his palm. If he gave away eight to them, he'd be left with only three—something entirely out of character for Xiao Yan. These Bodhi seeds not only significantly increased the chances of reaching the Battle Saint rank, but could also be used to concoct Bodhi Pills. As an eighth-rank pill capable of summoning the nine-colored Dan Lightning, this was a treasure that could make countless top-tier Nine-Turn Battle Sovereigns go wild. Should he hand these seeds over to them, it was possible that one or two of the two factions might actually break through to the Battle Saint rank in the future—turning Xiao Yan’s own allies into potential rivals. Such a foolish move, given Xiao Yan’s strategic acumen, was simply unthinkable. Thus, he gently shook his head and said, "I decline." The characters "Xiao Yan" settled down slowly, instantly tightening the atmosphere in this space. A sense of pressure settled over everyone's minds—no one could help but feel that today's matter would likely not end well... At the moment Xiao Yan uttered those three words, Houn Yu's expression had also turned completely cold. He stared at him intently, then slowly nodded after a pause, saying, "Then, it seems we'll have to settle you first..." "Boom!" As Houn Yu finished speaking, the powerful warriors from the Houn Clan and the Tian Yao Huang Clan erupted simultaneously, releasing their qi in full force. In a flash, they encircled Xiao Yan and his companions. Witnessing both the Houn and Tian Yao Huang Clans taking action, Xun'er and the others' faces gradually grew cold. They stepped forward, activating their internal qi. "Houn Yu, aren't you determined to spark a war between the ancient and Houn Clans?" asked Gu Qingyang coldly. "Hmm, a war?" Our Huo clan has never before feared your Gu clan. The peace you've enjoyed for so long is merely a temporary grace—we've only given you more time. Do you truly think our Huo clan is unwilling to act upon you? Upon hearing this, the Huo jade's face flickered with a shade of gloomy amusement, and then his piercing gaze turned directly to Xiao Yan, stating, "Your reputation within our Huo clan has grown significantly lately. Even the Four Sovereigns have returned from their attempts with defeat. I myself once declared that if action was to be taken, it should have been taken sooner. Yet those elders have remained indifferent, allowing you to survive thus far. However, I believe this patience has now reached its end!" As he spoke, a thick surge of dark qi erupted from within the Huo jade, spreading out in all directions, carrying with it a continuous wave of cold, oppressive vibrations. Feeling the vast, surging waves emanating from within the spirit jade, the faces of Xun'er and the others grew serious. This spirit jade ranked absolutely among the top three among the younger generation of the Spirit Clan—such a figure was truly formidable. "Facing the onslaught from the powerful warriors of the Hún clan and the Tian Yāo Huáng clan, Xun'er and her companions merely sneered, their sleeves sweeping out, causing the streams of qi to dissipate into nothingness even before reaching a distance of a zhang from their bodies. Though their numbers paled in comparison to those of the Hún and Tian Yāo Huáng clans, their quality was undoubtedly superior." "Xiao Yan, I'll take on the Hún Jade," Xun'er said, her gaze shifting to Xiao Yan as she shattered the surging streams of qi. "No need," Xiao Yan smiled. If, before entering the Bodhi Ancient Tree, he had been faced alone against a Hún Jade—already a peak Qi Master at the sixth rank—he would have had to rely solely on his Fire Lotus technique to stand a chance. But now—whether in rank or combat prowess—Xiao Yan consistently outmatched the Hún Jade. How, then, could the latter possibly challenge him? "Concern yourselves with the Nine Fengs and the others. As for the neutral strong contenders, once you secure the Bodhi seeds, they should no longer be involved. Though numerous, they will still be manageable." Xiang Yan glanced at the neutral strong contenders who had retreated far away. These individuals were not to be underestimated—should they also join the efforts of the Spirit Jade and others, their pressure would grow significantly. Were it not for this very concern, he would have gladly retained more Bodhi seeds. "Then, be especially cautious..." Hearing this, Xun'er no longer insisted, merely nodded gently. Xiang Yan smiled, then stepped steadily out of the encirclement formed by the celestial phoenix clan and the Spirit Clan's elite. As he passed, the others automatically cleared a path, then resumed their encirclement of Xun'er and the others. "Should the Tu She Ancient Emperor's jade be in your possession?" With Xiang Yan slowly advancing and now standing a short distance before him, the eyes of Jun Yu shimmered with black light. "If you wish, then take it." Xiao Yan smiled. The Hún Yù's eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold, shadowy aura surged over his pale, jade-like face. Seeing Xiao Yan's composed, cheerful demeanor, the Hún Yù felt a surge of murderous intent. "A mere talkative youngster!" he sneered. Gazing at the Hún Yù before him, Xiao Yan smiled gently and said, "Stop playing games—before me, you're of no use." As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan slammed a fist into the void on his left, sending a surge of hot wind rippling across his palm. The space immediately trembled violently, and then, a figure tumbled out of it, landing unsteadily—none other than the Hún Yù himself. Defeated by a single punch, the Hún Yù's face darkened. He glanced at the fading, increasingly ethereal outline of the earlier shadow and was surprised to find that Xiao Yan's perception was far more acute than he had anticipated. Xiao Yan glanced at the pale, gloomy Hounyu, then at the chaotic battlefield not far away, shook his head, and without further delay, took a step forward. From within his body, an immensely vast and powerful aura surged forth, pouring out in an unrelenting, all-encompassing wave. "Inhaling deeply, the Houn玉 suppressed his astonishment, then changed his hand seal. Gradually, a clan emblem emerged at the center of his forehead. As this emblem appeared, the Houn玉's aura surged dramatically, swiftly approaching Xiang Yan's. 'Eight transformations? Still not quite enough,' Xiang Yan smiled, shaking his head. 'Whether it's enough only becomes clear when you face off against someone!' The Houn玉 sneered, continuously shifting his hand seals. From within him, a cold, dark qi surged forth, rapidly coalescing into a deep, imposing black palm seal—so dark it evoked a sense of dread. Shrieks of agony poured from the palm seal, and faintly, the contorted, ghastly faces of souls began to emerge. 'Mortal-Annihilating Palm!' As the cries grew more intense, the Houn玉 roared, launching the black palm seal with the force of a thunderbolt, straight toward Xiang Yan." That dark palm seal, though not large in volume, radiated an exceptionally cold and immense aura of qi—clearly, the spirit jade understood that against the now greatly enhanced Xiao Yan, if it did not give its full strength, there would be only one outcome: defeat. "I've already said—still not enough." Yet, facing this powerful palm seal unleashed with the spirit jade's full might, Xiao Yan slowly shook his head and then took a few light steps, appearing before the seal just as the spirit jade was stunned. With his right hand, a surge of blazing heat erupted, gently pressing against the dark palm seal. "Crack!" The two forces collided, holding firm for only a brief moment—then, to everyone's astonishment, the dark palm seal, which had concentrated the spirit jade's vast majority of qi, shattered like dry reeds under Xiao Yan's simple touch. This was an absolute dominance—power that transcended a single level!