The next morning, at dawn. Xiao Yan stood by the deep ravine, hands behind his back, eyes fixed upon the deep nine-abyss yellow spring. Today, they would set out to journey into the void realm to intercept the reinforcements sent by the Heavenly Phoenix Clan. "Xiao Yan, the time has come—we should be moving," said Xiao Yixian, who had flown in from afar and landed a short distance beside him. "Hm," Xiao Yan nodded slightly. With a sweep of his sleeve, a powerful spatial force spread out, forming a vast spatial mirror that enveloped the nine-abyss yellow spring—his carefully established sensing barrier. Not only did it protect the spring, but should any disturbance occur within it, he would be able to detect it instantly. "Color-scale, you need only focus on your cultivation. This is the great stronghold of the Nine-Deep Earth-Midnight Serpent Clan. Emperor Yamin has already instructed that this area be designated as a sacred zone, with powerful defenders stationed here to secure it. I'm certain you won't face any disturbances. Once you successfully emerge from your cultivation period, you'll return to the Star-Perishing Pavilion..." With a slight movement of his lips, the voice carried through the aura of his cultivation and reached the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs. Without further hesitation, Xiao Yan turned and swiftly moved toward the distant horizon. "Plashing...plashing..." Not long after Xiao Yin and Xiao Yi had departed, the sound of water rippling echoed through the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs. Deep within, the massive form stirred subtly. Its vast, seven-colored eyes slowly opened. First, it gazed upward toward the direction where Xiao Yin and the others had gone. After a while, it lowered its head, its gaze fixed on the deepest part of the springs. Within its serpent eyes, a special glow flickered. Since entering the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs, it had sensed a faint, elusive call—now, after more than a month of sensing, it had finally confirmed that the call emanated from the very end of the springs. That end was not where the seal of Yao Ming lay, but even deeper still. There, even Xiao Yin, protected by his unique fire, dared not venture. "Although being protected is quite pleasant, I still prefer to be stronger than you. Though the journey is currently challenging, I will do my best." The seven-colored serpent eyes blinked slowly. Then, with a graceful flick of its tail, the massive body surged forward, sending ripples of water in its wake, swiftly racing toward the far end of the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs. "...Xiao Yan, the Tian Yao Huang clan members will definitely tear open spatial rifts directly from within their clan, entering the void realm. We can enter first and sense the spatial fluctuations—this way, we'll be able to detect their movements well in advance." At the entrance of a grand hall, Yao Ming smiled warmly at Xiao Yan. "Hm." Xiao Yan nodded. "I'll personally accompany you. Along with me are six senior elders. Though our numbers certainly can't match that of the Tian Yao Huang clan, as long as we defeat the Three Huang Immortals, we'll be able to thwart their objectives." Yao Ming gestured toward the six elders behind him. Xiao Yan glanced at them. Among the six, only one elderly elder with white hair caught his attention—yet even he was no more than a mid-level half-saint. The other five elders were at most at the level of Nine-Star Battle Sovereigns. The lineup, at first glance, clearly fell short of the Tian Yao Huang clan's strength. "Xiao Yan and his brother need not be offended. Without the support of Yao Tianxiao and the Senior Elder, the Nine-Yuan Earth-Meditating Python Clan wouldn't have been so modest." Yao Ming sighed, his voice low and reflective. If Yao Tianxiao and the Senior Elder were fully committed to his service, the Nine-Yuan Earth-Meditating Python Clan would surely have reached an extraordinary level of strength—by now, they would no longer be so far behind the Celestial Phoenix Clan. "Ah, what a kind thing to say, Yao Ming Clan Head," Xiao Yan smiled, shaking his head slightly. He glanced at the young physician beside him and Qinglin. Though both women had been diligently training for years and still fell short of the Half-Emperor level, when they worked together, they could stand strong against even the strongest of the Emperor-tier cultivators. Facing a Half-Emperor, they could even hold their own—indeed, a significant asset. "It's about time—we should be moving then..." Yāo Míng smiled, then suddenly swung her palm hard toward the empty space before her, causing a dark rift in space to instantly appear. With a second motion, she pulled her hands together, and a dark crack materialized right in front of the group. "Let's go." Seeing the space torn open, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate—he stepped forward immediately and was the first to enter the rift, followed closely by Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin. "For the time I'm away, the Nine-Deep Earth-Mortar Serpent Clan will be under your care," Yāo Míng said solemnly to the several elders beside her. "Understood!" The elders promptly bowed and replied. "Then let's go as well," Yāo Míng nodded, then waved her sleeve and stepped decisively into the rift, the six elders following close behind. As the last person stepped into the spatial rift, the rift gradually faded, finally vanishing into the expanse of the realm. ... The void space remained as silent as ever, the black space occasionally erupting with intense spatial tremors, fissures resembling gaping, monstrous mouths appearing one after another. "Crack!" Within the stillness of the void, a fissure emerged, through which figures emerged, eventually materializing within this dark, profound space. "How far is this from the point of entry of the Sky-Fire Phoenix Clan?" Xiang Yan turned his head to gaze at the Yin-Ming who had stepped out of the spatial fissure. "Relax," Yin-Ming chuckled. "I have established spatial imprints on my spies stationed within the Sky-Fire Phoenix Clan, allowing me to sense their spatial position. If they depart directly from their own clan, they will inevitably appear in that designated region." "Hm," Yao Ming smiled, then closed his eyes and tuned in for a moment before opening them again, his gaze fixed toward the north. "Let's go." As soon as he spoke, his form moved first, stepping through the ethereal space and swiftly gliding forward. The turbulent space flows automatically dissipated the moment they touched his ten-zhang radius, no longer posing a threat to one at the level of a Battle Saint. "Keep up," Xiao Yan waved his hand, and the group quickly followed Yao Ming. Xiao Yan glanced around and nodded slightly, saying, "The spatial currents here are quite dense, which will perfectly conceal our forms..." "Ah, then let's just sit and wait for the big fish to come," laughed Yao Ming. Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, settling into a meditative posture. Beside him, Qing Lin and Xiao Yi also gracefully seated themselves. What remained now was simply to wait—wait for the great celestial phoenix clan's prized catch to wander into the net they had prepared... As the last person stepped out from the spatial rift, the rift itself gradually faded away. At the forefront of the group, consisting of roughly twenty members, three figures stood tall, and every other member's gaze fixed upon their backs filled with deep reverence. "This mission is of utmost importance—it directly concerns whether our Tian Yao Huang clan can finally triumph over the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon clan. Therefore, I expect no mistakes. Should anyone falter, the clan's regulations will be enforced!" The woman in the center, dressed in a crimson robe, spoke with a cool, authoritative tone. In appearance, she seemed around thirty, yet her presence radiated an astonishing strength. With her slightly delicate brows slightly raised, a palpable aura of authority radiated, causing the two elder figures beside her to subtly step back without conscious effort. "We shall abide by the orders of the Senior Elder." "As for this sharp reprimand, none of the figures behind—those who usually wield considerable influence within the Tian Yao Huang clan—dared to speak up, quickly bowing and responding respectfully. Among them, two faces were particularly familiar: one was Feng Qing'er, whose numerous disputes with Xiao Yan were well known; the other was Jiu Feng, whom they had previously faced off against in the Menghuang Ancient Domain and who was also a leading contender for the next clan leader of the Tian Yao Huang clan. Though both held high status within the clan, under the commanding presence of this robed woman, they now bowed with utmost deference, showing no room for deviation. 'Hmph. Too long we've waited, Tian Xiu Ancient Dragon. I never thought you'd reach this point. Once your internal strife is settled, it will be the rise of our Tian Yao Huang clan. Then, I shall ensure your entire lineage vanishes completely from this realm!" The robed woman smiled with a slightly sharp, cold tone, then swept her sleeve outward, sending a surge of wind. Her figure instantly transformed into a streak of light, racing off toward the distant horizon like a meteor. Behind her, numerous strong members of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan hurried to follow. As the robed woman surged forward, Xiao Yan, who had been seated within the turbulent space flow at the far end, suddenly opened his eyes. At the same time, the beast named Yao Ming also lifted his gaze. The two locked eyes, and a gentle smile spread across both of their faces.