Within the slightly distorted space lay a vast expanse of black land, its surface occasionally revealing pale, bone-white streaks—fragments of broken skeletons, radiating an eerie, coldness. At the heart of this immense domain stood a colossal black hall, silent and still, like an ancient, earth-bound beast. A profound sense of solemnity and dread slowly seeped out from it, spreading throughout the enclosed space. From within the hall, countless thick black chains extended deep into the ground. Upon these chains, swirling black mist gathered, gradually coalescing into human forms. The chains occasionally flashed with a luminous glow, which then vanished into the mist, making the formations denser and more solid. The entire region remained profoundly still, enveloped in an atmosphere of quiet strangeness that sent a shiver down one's spine. "Whoa—!" Such silence lasted for an unknown duration, until suddenly, over a dozen black vapors rose from the chains, contracting into the forms of fifteen figures with cold, composed expressions. These figures exchanged glances, then moved in unison, gathering together. "Let's go," said one of them, resembling a leader, his voice rough. "We should be the ones to carry out the mission. We hope this time we can bring back sufficient souls." "Hah! Just recently, the group led by Master Liu launched a surprise attack on several cities of the 'Heavenly Realm,' not only securing ample souls but also receiving commendations from the Heavenly Sovereign. This time, let's go even further—let's wipe out several more cities of the Heavenly Realm." One of them chuckled darkly. "Right. Make sure to take no survivors," the leader replied, offering a sharp, composed smile, then nodded. With a sweeping gesture of his hand, the dozen figures dissolved into a swirling black mist, flashing outward like lightning toward the space beyond. "Boom!" However, as this cluster of black mist was about to breach the spatial barrier, their surrounding space suddenly froze and then collapsed violently, compressing dozens of figures into nothingness without them even uttering a cry. "Shhh!" As these figures were consumed into oblivion, the spatial barrier slowly split open, allowing several figures to step through and settle their feet upon the dark ground. "Ah!" As Xiao Yan and his companions stepped into the spatial barrier, a piercing wail echoed from within the grand hall, and immediately, dark, eerie gazes burst forth from the mist clinging to the chains, fixed upon Xiao Yan and his party. How dare you invade my Soul Palace and seek your death! A series of piercing, eerie shouts suddenly shattered the stillness of this space. Numerous figures rose from their chains, no longer waiting for orders, instantly transforming into streaks of black light, accompanied by gusts of chilling wind, sweeping across the heavens and charging directly toward Xiao Yan and his companions. "A bunch of expendable troops—quite the lively escape!" Xiao Yan smiled, opening his mouth and spewing forth a blazing sea of hot flame. Any black figures within ten zhang of the flame vanished within less than three breaths; some weaker ones even failed to utter a single cry of pain. As the flames spread, the black figures advancing behind were finally startled into halting their advance. They now realized these individuals were not merely there to die—they had come prepared! "You insolent creatures! Daring to challenge my Soul Palace here? You've certainly grown too complacent! All the Heavenly Sovereigns, seize them!" As the flames engulfed the sky, a sudden, somewhat familiar roar of anger echoed within the colossal hall. Instantly, a dozen figures leapt out of the hall like lightning, hovering in the heavens and glaring with cold, menacing eyes at the group of Xiao Yan and his companions beneath the burning inferno. "Ha! A mere Douzun-level strength? You're going to have to personally step up, Bone-Old Ghost!" Xiao Yan laughed heartily, his laughter thunderous and resonating deep into the hall. As he laughed, he planted a foot, effortlessly crossing hundreds of feet of roaring flames and materializing in the air. With a firm grasp of his hands, he directed them toward the group of Huan Hall's Tianzun-level figures, instantly freezing the space around them. Then, he clenched his hands tightly. "Boom!" With the force of his palm, the dozen Huan Hall Tianzun figures exploded in an instant, their bodies splashing into thick streams of blood. Even their souls were shattered under the overwhelming pressure of the spatial compression. With Xiao Yan's current status as a Two-Star Stellar Saint, mere Stellar Sovereign-level opponents would be utterly incapable of hindering him at all. "Hmm? Hai Xin Yan?" As he grasped the figure, Xiao Yan suddenly exclaimed in surprise, noticing that even within the collapsed space, there was still a figure present—someone whose body was enveloped in a vibrant blue flame. Upon a quick glance, Xiao Yan immediately recognized the type of flame. "Are you Master Mu Gu?" Xiao Yan's face lit up with a touch of amusement. With a wave of his hand, he exerted an invisible force that seized the figure, then delivered a palm strike that shattered the blue flame encircling him—revealing a familiar figure, none other than Master Mu Gu, the elder who had repeatedly caused him trouble in the past and even sought to claim the championship of the Dan Festival! "Xiao Yan?" Xiao Yan was surprised, while the Mu Gu elder was so stunned that he felt as though he were about to lose control—since the initial failure in seizing the three thousand Yanyan Flames, he had been assigned to the Human Palace, gathering souls outside the Central Plains region. Though he had occasionally heard news of Xiao Yan's remarkable growth, he had not pursued it deeply. But now, upon seeing him again, he realized that the growth had reached an astonishing level. Xiao Yan smiled, showing no formality, and directly pressed his palm against the elder Mu Guo's head. A strange suction force surged forth from his hands, as if he were forcibly drawing the Sea Heart Flame out of the elder's body. "Xiao Yan! You dare challenge my Soul Palace? You've truly entered the Underworld, seeking your death!" As Xiao Yan prepared to forcibly extract the Sea Heart Flame, a roar echoed from within the grand hall, and then a dark figure burst forth. A massive black chain, stretching over a hundred zhang in length, surged through the void like a black venomous dragon, charging straight toward Xiao Yan. "A mere half-Saint level? You're far too proud of yourself, Bone-Yu Elder." Xiao Yan slightly shook his head at the chain, then flicked his finger—creating a deep, resonant sonic burst—and the enormous chain recoiled as if struck, crashing heavily against the walls of the grand hall. "Come out!" "With a single finger, he deflected the attack of the Bone Ghost Sage. At the same time, Xiao Yan suddenly grasped his palm tightly, drawing a vibrant blue flame right out of Mu Gu's body. In that instant, the latter's aura weakened dramatically, clearly suffering a life-threatening blow. 'Xiao Yan! I'm going to give it my all!' Mu Gu, having forcibly drained the Sea Heart Flame, his eyes turned blood red, and his body began to swell dramatically—clearly preparing to self-explosion. 'Right now, you don't even have the qualification to self-explode before me.'" Xiao Yan coldly glanced at him, then casually waved his sleeve, sending a wind so terrifying it struck the Mu Gu elder with such force that, in an instant, it shattered his body into a mist of blood. The spiritual realm master who had once pursued Xiao Yan with great difficulty, now found himself stripped of even the privilege to self-explode in Xiao Yan's hands. Shattering both the body and soul of Mu Gu elder, Xiao Yan glanced at the Haixin Flame in his hand, opened his mouth, and swallowed it whole. With his current strength, absorbing the Haixin Flame no longer enhanced his power significantly, though to fully manifest the Buddha's Wrath Lotus, he still needed the "Hua Sheng Fire"—though not weak, it remained only a simulated hetero-flame. Only now, with the Haixin Flame at his command, could Xiao Yan truly unleash the Five-Color Devastating Lotus. "Xiao Yan, here, today, you shall meet your end!" As Xiao Yan swallowed the Haixin Flame, a figure of Bone You, the celestial master, materialized in the sky, his voice echoing with solemnity. "Sorry, here today, I'm going to wipe out every last one of you..." Xiao Yan lifted his head, offered a gentle smile to the Bone-Deep Saint, and spoke softly. Zi Yan had already disrupted the spatial fluctuations in this area—no matter how many space scrolls they held to summon powerful soul clan elders, they would be ineffective. "You, a mere junior?!" The Bone-Deep Saint burst into furious laughter. For all these years, Xiao Yan was the first person to dare claim he could wipe out his entire Soul Palace. "Of course, I know you can't make a decision here on your own," Xiao Yan said, ignoring him entirely and turning his gaze toward the towering black hall. "That so-called Supreme Sovereign—don't hide any longer. Today, I, Xiao Yan, will definitely wipe out every last one of you!" "Hmph. Such bold words. Don't think that simply reaching the level of Battle Saint will grant you absolute power. For the Soul Clan, to eliminate you? It'll be nothing more than a matter of a few gestures." As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, a cold, sharp exhalation echoed from deep within the grand hall, followed by a surge of dense black mist. From within the mist emerged an elderly figure with a thin, bone-like frame, resembling a skeleton, radiating a solemn and eerie atmosphere, stepping forth slowly.