"The Hall itself?" Hearing the detached voice emanating from the distorted space, Xiao Yan's eyes widened suddenly. Clearly, this visitor had been sent by the Hall of Souls, and since he referred to himself as "The Hall," he must be the enigmatic Master of the Hall of Souls. Black mist continuously seeped out of the distorted space, gradually coalescing under all observers' watch into a figure completely enveloped in darkness. "Master of the Hall of Souls?" The senior elder of Xiao Dan Tower fixed his gaze on the figure veiled in mist, his hunched posture slightly leaning forward, causing the space around him to ripple subtly. "Perhaps it would be better to call me Vice Master." The mist gently swayed, and a soft, composed laugh resonated from within. "I suppose your Vice Master lacks the courage. Since you've dared to intrude upon my Star-Plunging Pavilion, why not summon your true form? A mere silhouette—does that not suggest hesitation?" Xiao Yan arched a cold smile, stating that with his keen eyesight, he could clearly see that the black mist figure before him was merely a projection—not the true, physical entity. "Those who claim my courage falls short—over the years, Xiao Yan, you are the very first." Upon hearing this, the figure within the mist emitted a strange, amused chuckle. "Yet your current accomplishments have truly surprised me. If I had known this would be the outcome, I would have completely wiped out the Xiao family back then." "This very point has been repeated by the members of the Soul Palace several times," Xiao Yan said, his gaze cold and steady. "But given your status as Deputy Grand Master of the Soul Palace, coming here merely to utter this empty remark—then this very image has no further purpose." As he spoke, Xiao Yan slowly raised his palm toward the spectral figure, and the space around it immediately began to ripple violently. "This time, my purpose in coming here naturally lies in the Tu She Ancient Emperor's jade held in your hands..." The black figure smiled faintly, and the black mist before him rippled, forming a black mirror. Ripples danced across the surface, revealing a scene—a vast, cold prison. Within one of the cells, black chains spread out like a spider's web, tightly encircling a figure who sat in a weary posture. The chains curled around his limbs like venomous serpents. Even after many years apart, Xiao Yan still felt, at first glance, a deep sense of kinship and familiarity emanating from that figure. "Hand over the Tu She Ancient Emperor's Jade to this Hall. Otherwise, as soon as I send a single thought back, on this very day next year, it will be your father's memorial day!" The black mist figure paid no heed to Xiao Yan's overwhelming rage, coldly commanding. "Crack! Crack!" Xiao Yan's face was as grim and terrifying as ever, his fists making audible cracking sounds. At this moment, he resembled a wild beast on the verge of losing its senses—his eyes blazing red, his fury surging and roaring within his mind, demanding that he instantly crush the person before him into a thousand fragments. "Xiao Yan, calm down!" As Xiao Yan's fury surged in his mind, a slightly cool, smooth jade hand gently grasped his palm, and a voice laced with mild anxiety softly urged him, reaching into his ears. Hearing this low command, Xiao Yan’s heart also stirred slightly, regaining a measure of composure. He took several deep breaths, suppressing the rage within him, and his fierce facial expression gradually softened and returned to normal. "Hand over the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor’s Jade!" As Xiao Yan began to calm down, the mist surrounding the black figure rippled slightly, and the figure issued a cold command. "The Jade I’ve given you—my father will likely die even faster!" Xiao Yan stared at the black mist figure with a grim, intimidating gaze. "This tactic means nothing to me. If you want the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor’s Jade, then bring my father before me. Otherwise, I’ll pay no attention to any threats you make. My Jade can sense my father’s life and death. Should it ever lose that connection, I will return it to the Ancient Clan. Then, you’ll never succeed in obtaining it." "You’ve gone so far as to disregard your father’s life just for the Jade?" The black mist figure chuckled coldly upon hearing Xiao Yan’s words. Xiao Yan smiled faintly, his face once again regaining the calm composure it had before. He didn't know why Hun Palace had suddenly become so urgent in securing the ancient jade of Dosheda Emperor, but no matter what, the jade was his father's lifeline—so long as the jade remained, Hun Palace would never dare to truly take his father's life. Therefore, unless he was absolutely certain that Xiao Zhan could safely appear before him, the jade would absolutely not be handed over. For once it was given up, Hun Palace, with its means and capabilities, would almost certainly end his father's life. "Xiao Yan has always been arrogant toward this Hall. Truly, does he think that merely by forming their so-called 'Heavenly Realm Alliance,' they can truly challenge our Huan Hall? Hah! Wait and see—when you finally grasp the true strength of our Huan Clan, you'll realize all your hopes are gone," the shadowy figure chuckled. "As for the Dan Tower—our Huan Hall has always maintained a certain face toward you. But now, you've yourselves discarded that dignity. Then, don't be surprised when our Huan Hall proves merciless. Indeed, we've long coveted your Dan Tower's alchemists." "As for the Huazong and Burned Flame Valley—this mess, I advise you to stay out of it. Otherwise, when the temples are destroyed and your people perish, it will be too late!" "If you wish to absorb our Dan Tower, then you must first see whether our Huan Hall's teeth are strong enough!" the Senior Elder coldly remarked. The Qing Xian and Fire Yun Elder narrowed their eyes slightly, yet remained silent, merely observing without uttering a word. Xiao Yan stared coldly at the silhouette of black mist, unwilling to engage in any further polite exchanges, and slowly tightened his grip on his palm. "Go back and tell the others—those dog-creatures of the Spirit Palace and the Spirit Clan. One by one, I will eliminate them!" At the very moment his hand clenched, the space surrounding the black mist figure collapsed with a thunderous boom, its powerful force shattering the very fabric of reality. In an instant, the black mist figure dissolved into nothingness. "Hah! What a boastful youngster! What are you, really? Even the great Xiao Xuan fell at the hands of my Spirit Clan back then. You, a mere one-star Spirit Saint, are simply overreaching! Hah! I've been waiting for this very day—when you dare to come to me. Then, personally, I shall dispatch you!" As the black mist figure vanished, the cold, mocking laughter echoed throughout the hall, lingering on and on. "It seems our current alliance has already been thoroughly observed by the Hún Palace, otherwise they wouldn't have made their appearance now, aiming to intimidate other factions and disrupt our efforts." Seeing the growing quiet in the hall, Yàolǎ spoke slowly. "This alliance must surely be a source of concern for the Hún Palace, otherwise, given the nature of their people, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths." Xiao Yan said calmly. "As for that so-called Deputy Palace Master we just saw earlier—have any of you heard of him before?" "No, we haven't heard of him. The Hún clan boasts many powerful figures; I'm certain this Deputy Palace Master is one of them..." Fire Cloud Elder furrowed his brow, then coldly added, "Yet his strength is probably no more than a Three-Star Battle Saint. Otherwise, today's delegation would have been his actual body, not just a projection. It's precisely because he lacks confidence in defeating all of us that he has remained cautious and hidden." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, noting that the deputy hall master earlier had clearly been wary of their current lineup. "Ladies and gentlemen, the affairs of the alliance have now been largely settled. Does anyone have any further questions?" Xiao Yan glanced around the room. "This time, the Huan Pavilion is our primary adversary. Once the alliance is officially announced, the Huan Pavilion will certainly not remain passive. At that point, we may very well find ourselves united to face them together." The senior abbot of Dan Tower, the old master Fire Cloud, the young goddess Qing, and others exchanged glances, then slowly shook their heads—none of them were ordinary figures, and could not be easily intimidated by the deputy hall master's few remarks. "Then, once the matter is confirmed after tomorrow, we will officially announce it. In the meantime, I kindly request that each of you personally establish spatial wormholes between your respective domains. Should any attacks arise, you will be able to provide swift support." Xiao Yan spoke with steady resolve. "Understood." "Heard this, everyone nodded in agreement. The alliance has been formed, but it's certain that the Spirit Pavilion will also respond—life from now on will likely be far from tranquil." Watching the elder Fire Cloud and others rise promptly and depart with decisive strides, Xiao Yan smiled and nodded in return. Together with the Elder Yao, he rose to see the group out of the hall. As they watched the figures vanish swiftly, they exchanged glances, both sensing the unmistakable atmosphere of impending storm.