"Boom!" The obsidian palm imprint burst open under everyone's gaze, ultimately dissolving into nothingness. "How is this possible?" The soul crystal, staring at the very hand that had effortlessly dispersed the "Soul-Annihilating Palm," felt a wave of astonishment, unable to believe what he was seeing. He knew all too well the power of the Soul-Annihilating Palm—the kind of force that even ordinary Nine-Transformed Sovereigns at the peak of their strength could not withstand directly, due to its soul-eroding cold essence. Yet he had never expected such a formidable palm to appear so easily shattered in the hands of Xiao Yan. "Are the soul clan's abilities really that limited?" Xiao Yan stood above, gazing down with an air of superiority at the soul crystal, whose face was pale with dismay, and smiled. "Xiao Yan, don't be so arrogant!" Hun Yu stared at Xiao Yan with a cold, menacing gaze, his heart filled with resentment. He knew clearly that if Xiao Yan hadn't spent a full month meditating within the Bodhi ancient tree, the latter would have been no match for him. Yet no matter how things might have been, that had never been the reality. Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled faintly. With a sweep of his sleeve, the flaming great hand flashed suddenly and reappeared at the top of Hounyu's head, then delivered a solid blow. "Boom!" The flaming great hand struck Hounyu's body, which had failed to dodge in time. The black qi radiating from Hounyu's body was instantly dispersed by the impact. The intense, powerful gust of wind poured in relentlessly, seeping through every part of Hounyu's body. "Pfft!" "Facing such an intensely powerful gale, the qi within the spirit jade had not yet formed a defensive barrier and was instead torn apart by that peculiar, scorching force. The final waves of wind, like venomous serpents, pierced deep into the spirit jade's body, causing it to pale instantly and spew out a gush of crimson blood. Its body then recoiled and fell heavily onto the void space... 'Phew...' The group of neutral强者 stationed at a distance, witnessing Xiao Yan's single palm strike severely injuring the spirit jade, exchanged a breath of relief. They were grateful they had not intervened earlier—otherwise, their fate might have been even more dire than that of the spirit jade." With one palm strike sending the Hún Yuè flying, Xiao Yan turned his head and glanced toward the chaotic battle circles nearby. A cold laugh escaped him as he aimed his palm at the battlefield, then unleashed several powerful punches through the air. A terrifying gust of wind surged through the void, crashing directly into the bodies of several Hún Clan and Tian Yao Huáng Clan warriors. The sheer force sent them reeling, spewing blood and flying backward. Xiao Yan's gaze turned toward the Jiufeng. His calm voice caused the latter's hands to tremble slightly, his expression shifting between stormy and composed, yet he ultimately remained silent. After all, with the Houny Crystal defeated so decisively, there was no doubt in his mind. "The tide has turned today. This young man has truly matured. Only the Supreme Elders of our clan can now manage him..." Jiufeng's eyes flickered, and finally, he swallowed his growing anger and murderous intent. To express any further hostility now would only bring him a fate similar to that of the Houny Crystal. "While Xiang Yan had firmly decided in his heart to keep the group of Hun Yu forever in this place, the ancient Bodhi tree, which had stood steadily within the space, suddenly emitted a resonant hum. Immediately thereafter, ripples of disturbance spread throughout the very space itself... 'Is the space collapsing?' Xiang Yan was momentarily stunned, his brow furrowing slightly. The Bodhi tree does not remain eternally in existence—it emerges from the earth only after releasing its Bodhi seeds, then sinks back into the ground to rest and regenerate its energy. Once the energy is renewed, it reemerges again, but that would likely be at some distant time. This sudden change in the space, however, had caused a sense of unease among the gathered crowd. The battle formation quickly began to disperse. The Hun Clan members swiftly lifted the pale-faced Hun Yu and gathered around the Tian Yao Huang Clan members, their eyes watchful and alert, fixed on Xiang Yan and the surrounding space. 'Brother Hun Yu, are you all right?' Nine Phoenix glanced at Hun Yu's pale complexion and spoke softly." The soul jade wiped the blood from the corner of its mouth, slightly shook its head, and fixed a cold, fierce gaze upon Xiao Yan. After a moment, its lips subtly trembled, causing the Nine Phoenix beside it to stiffen momentarily before gritting its teeth and gently nodding. Beyond the ancient bodhi tree, several figures sat in stillness—exactly those who had been left behind that day, along with a few other strong ones who had also entered the surge of beasts. Though their injuries had now fully healed, they were unwilling to leave easily and thus remained steadfast here. "Finally out!" The group of Gu Qingyang and others deeply inhaled the fresh air of the grasslands, feeling a profound sense of relief akin to emerging from a crisis. No one could have imagined, in just this one month, the sheer dangers they had faced—the terrifying visions that had unfolded. Even years later, those memories would likely remain vivid. Xiao Yan also exhaled gently. Over this one month, while others saw only a single month, Xiao Yan had undergone a transformation so profound that it felt like a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation and cultivation. Though his strength had not yet surged to an absolutely remarkable level, subtle changes had quietly accumulated—elements that would inevitably shape the course of Xiao Yan's future. "Buzzing!" When the last person was thrown out, the ancient bodhi tree shook violently. Then a vibrant emerald glow radiated outward from its base. Under this glow, the ground seemed to transform into a liquid, and the bodhi tree itself slowly seeped into the earth along with that liquid. As the bodhi tree began to sink into the ground, many people's faces grew slightly pale, filled with growing reluctance. Once the tree had fully entered the earth, even the strongest battle saints would be unable to locate it—meaning that the next time one could see it would be when the bodhi tree reemerged, possibly centuries or even millennia later. "Ah, too bad—we never got to see the bodhi heart," Ancient Qingyang murmured, sighing gently, with a touch of regret. At the same time, hearing these words, Xiao Yan smiled slightly, gently brushing his palm against the area of his chest where his heart resided. There, suspended within that space, floated a heart of jade-green hue, crystal-clear and luminous—this was the legendary Bodhi Heart. Yet, at present, Xiao Yan had not yet fully refined it. Only upon achieving true refinement would he be able to truly step into the Saint Realm.