A dark arm emerged from the rift in space. It was exceedingly dry, as if wrapped in a thin layer of black skin over bone, with faint, eerie patterns of black energy seeping through the parched surface. As soon as this arm appeared, the light in the area seemed to dim significantly, radiating a strange, magnetic pull that drew the very essence of one's soul toward it. When this black arm appeared, Xiao Yan's expression grew utterly serious. With a mere shift of thought, the flaming black disc hovering in the sky nearby suddenly shot forward, then settled into a palm-sized form, pressing against the tip of his fist before he delivered a powerful punch. "Thud!" The flaming disc collided forcefully with the dark palm, and dense beams of black light burst forth, enveloping the arm. "Ssshh—" "Regarding these black beams, the owner of the arm clearly demonstrated great caution. The black patterns on his skin rapidly pulsed, eventually unfolding like a awakened venomous snake, surging forth and colliding with the beams. In their fierce encounter, the two elements silently vanished without a sound... 'Clang!' As they vanished, the black arm suddenly thrust forward with sudden force, shaking the flaming black disc back. Then, it seized the Bone-Shadow firmly. At the same time, the spatial rift rapidly expanded, its suction force surging, swiftly drawing the Bone-Shadow into it. 'Want to escape?" Seeing this, Xiao Yan's eyes grew cold. Though he didn't understand why this Huan Palace's Dou Sheng wouldn't appear, he certainly didn't want to let the young man succeed so smoothly in rescuing Guo You. At that moment, he stepped forward swiftly, his fingers darting like lightning upon Guo You's body. With each point, the skin of Guo You exploded, and the robust Dou Qi swirling over his surface offered no resistance whatsoever to the fierce, scorching gusts. "Ah!" Guo You cried out in a piercing, agonized voice, his face pale as he was pierced by several blood-soaked wounds. "Stay here!" Xiao Yan merely sneered at Guo You's cries, sharply turning his finger and striking it like a thunderclap toward the young man's forehead. Should that point land true, the overwhelming force would instantly reduce Guo You to the state of a watermelon dropped to the ground. "Hmph! You, a mere youth, dare to push further!" Faced with Xiao Yan's relentless attacking maneuvers, a deep, resonant voice of ancient and cold tone finally echoed from within the black space rift. The black arm gripping Guo You's shoulder tightened, swiftly pulling him into the rift. At the same time, the mysterious Dou Sheng swiftly extended a black finger, which then met precisely with Xiao Yan's finger. "Thud! Thud! Thud!" The two fingers collided, unleashing a terrifying surge of energy that immediately swept outward, collapsing the previously empty space within a hundred paces around them. "Tink! Tink!" As the fingers pressed together, Xiao Yan took several hurried steps backward before steadying himself, his gaze cold and fixed upon the black arm. By now, the black fingers had turned a deep purple-red—clearly affected by the strange fire. "Younger brother, don't be overconfident. It is true that our Hún clan made a misstep in strengthening you to such a level. But do not think that once you reach the realm of Battle Saint, we shall be cowed before you. Should you wish to save your father, Xiao Zhàn, come to my Hún Realm. I shall be waiting for you!" From the dark arm, black energy swirled and swiftly retreated into the spatial rift. At the same time, a cold, ancient voice resonated from within. "Rest assured—that place, I will surely visit one day!" Xiao Yan gazed at the dark spatial rift, chuckling coldly. He did not rush headlong into the rift. Though he had now reached the rank of Battle Saint, he held no doubt about the Hún clan's strength. Indeed, even now, he could not afford to be unbridled. When his ancestor, Xiao Xuan, reached the peak of Battle Saint, he had been defeated and crushed by the combined forces of the Hún clan. How much more so now, with only a single star-level Battle Saint power? Of course, he harbored deep apprehension—but as the saying goes, "one may lose "Arrogant and overconfident! If it weren't for certain constraints, I would have personally appeared today and put you to death right here, to avoid any future complications..." Upon hearing this cold remark, even the spatial rift itself grew visibly irritated, shouting in disapproval before finally deciding to let go. A surge of black energy emerged from the rift, and under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers, the rift rapidly shrank, eventually vanishing entirely. "Xiao Yan, no matter how fiercely you struggle, you will ultimately become a captive of my Spirit Clan. Your ancestors were no exception—your fate will be no different!" As the rift disappeared, a faint, cold voice, barely perceptible yet steady, drifted through the space and reached Xiao Yan's ears. Xiao Yan maintained a composed expression, gazing steadily at the spot where the rift had once been. His eyes flickered with subtle interest—this Spirit Clan master indeed proved to be enigmatic. Though the Star Realm's space had been sealed off by him earlier, he had managed to penetrate it, successfully rescuing Bone You. "The previous one must have been at the peak of the first-star Stellar Saint realm, though it remains uncertain whether he was indeed the so-called Great Celestial Sovereign..." Xiang Yan pondered. Now, he himself stood only at the initial stage of the first-star Stellar Saint realm, significantly weaker than the earlier figure. Yet, with the power of the Strange Fire, he felt no fear in a direct confrontation. "Having now reached the rank of Stellar Saint, the Huan Clan will no longer treat me as they did before. If they have any plans to execute, they will surely send their true elite." Xiang Yan's gaze flickered, and his mind grew more cautious—he anticipated that should he meet the Huan Clan again, it would undoubtedly be a fierce battle. "Hmm..." He exhaled softly, then turned to gaze upon the countless Starfall Pavilion disciples and elders within the Star Realm, all of whom were now silent, shaken by the previous display of overwhelming power. "Ladies and gentlemen, take your respective duties, stabilize the situation, attend to the injured promptly, and as for the disciples, continue with your usual drills and exercises..." Xiang Yan surveyed the entire Star Realm from above, his calm voice resonating clearly in every ear. "Yes!" At once, everyone responded with respectful nods. In this battle, Xiang Yan's reputation within the Star Pavilion had reached its true zenith—he now possessed genuine Divinity Saint-level prowess, commanding genuine admiration and respect from all. Observing the streams of people dispersing to their respective posts, Xiang Yan moved swiftly and reappeared on the plaza. Now, the faces of Yao Lao and Cai Lin, among others, had noticeably improved—likely due to the effects of the elixirs. "Teacher, Cai Lin, are you both all right?" Xiang Yan hurried forward, asking. "Never mind, I'm fine," Yao Lao smiled, waving a hand. His eyes expressed deep satisfaction as they swept over Xiang Yan, a warm smile lingering on his face. "Now you have truly surpassed your teacher," the herbal elder murmured with a touch of admiration. When he first saw Xiao Yan, the young man was merely a family heir considered a failure, burdened by disgrace. Over the years, however, this once-ordinary youth had steadily risen, driven by a resilience that moved even the most observant. The pressures and hardships he had endured were only truly known to him. Time passed, and the fledgling eagle finally soared to the heavens—now he had reached the very pinnacle of the Qi Continent! A towering figure, a master of alchemy. The honors achieved by this once-derided youth now surpassed even the most perfect of prodigies. "Earlier, the person who intervened—was he likely a Soul Palace Saint?" the herbal elder asked. "Yes," Xiao Yan nodded, hesitating. "He was certainly strong, yet he seemed to have some reservations and didn't dare to appear in person." Regarding this, the old pharmacist also felt somewhat puzzled. Previously, if the Soul Clan's Supreme Saint had stepped in, Xiao Yan would certainly have been engaged in a fierce struggle. Yet what surprised him was that the man had merely insisted on rescuing Guo You, refusing to appear despite Xiao Yan's repeated appeals and provocations. "I suppose he must have been under some restriction," the old pharmacist finally concluded. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, choosing not to dwell on the matter further, and said softly, "Let's return to the hall first, then I'll hear about what's happened over the past two years." "Agreed." The old pharmacist nodded, stood up with Xiao Yan's assistance, and the group swiftly moved toward the main hall within the Star Realm. ... Inside a grand hall of the Starfall Pavilion, the old doctor, Xiao Yan, and others sat at separate tables, quietly listening as Xiao Yixian and the others recounted the events that had unfolded over the past two years. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, lightly tapping the table with his fingers. After a moment, he spoke slowly: "The Minghe Alliance is now a minor concern. Yet with our current strength at the Xingyin Pavilion, we still cannot match the Houn Clan. It seems... we may need to learn from Tianming Sect and establish a true, large-scale alliance!"