Three figures gradually emerged from the black mist. Among them, one wore a complete black robe, his face unremarkable, ordinary enough to appear like any common man. The hands that slipped out of his sleeves were also slightly rough. Yet, at this very moment, even this seemingly ordinary figure caused the vast majority of those present to hold their breath, their eyes growing serious and full of apprehension. Hall Master of the Soul Palace! These four simple words carried an unmatched reputation across the Central Region. Though this reputation had been built upon countless bloodbaths, no other power—save the newly rising "Heavenly Treasury Alliance"—dared to openly express hostility toward them. While the reasons lay partly in the strength of the Soul Clan, the Hall Master himself also commanded an undeniable aura of authority. In that distant era, this Master of the Soul Temple once bloodied dozens of sects in a single night—the river of blood flowed like a torrent, the battlefield littered with corpses. Five masters, each at the peak of the two-star Soul Saint rank, fell helplessly to his hands. That night, he earned the reputation of a fearsome warlord, and the Soul Temple rose as the undisputed dominant force in the Central Region—so much so that even the Dan Tower dared not confront it openly. Now, this once-terrifying figure, who had once commanded awe and dread across the entire Central Region, hovers quietly in the sky, his gaze steady and composed, like that of an ancient monk seated in meditation. Whether the surrounding eyes were filled with reverence or hatred, he remains unmoved, his gaze fixed without wavering. As Xiao Yan stared at the Hall Master of the Soul Palace, the latter seemed to have also sensed it, slowly turning his head. With his calm, still eyes, he gazed at Xiao Yan and carefully examined him from head to toe, then said in a composed tone, "The fallen Xiao clan has produced a descendant with such talent—this is indeed a failure on our part." "Master, this young man is exceptionally clever. Though we have not given him much attention in the past, every strong envoy we have sent has been able to defeat him. Yet each time, he manages to turn adversity into opportunity and further strengthens his prowess." A figure behind the Hall Master spoke respectfully, lifting his head slightly to reveal half his face—clearly the Deputy Hall Master. "With time, he may well become another Xiao Xuan." As for the Deputy Hall Master's words, the Hall Master paid no heed, continuing with a voice that remained consistently calm—so flat it sounded odd, even eerie. Hearing the Hall Master praise Xiao Yan so highly, the Deputy Hall Master opened his mouth, then turned to the figure by his side who had remained silent throughout, offering a dry smile. "No matter how strong that young man is, he can't surpass the Young Clan Chief. Even if Xiao Yan becomes the next Xiao Xuan, Xiao Xuan's fate wasn't exactly bright." Under the gaze of the Hall Master, the figure slowly lifted his head. The light fell upon his face, revealing one of about thirty, youthful yet expressionless—neither joyful nor sorrowful—giving the impression that his facial features had long since stiffened. Most striking of all, however, were his eyes. Deep black, of an exceptionally pure hue, they contained not a single trace of sclera, only a solid, ink-like blackness, as though two black pearls had been forcibly set into the orbits. Gazing into such eyes stirred an immediate chill that rose from the heart. He slightly tilted his head, gazing distantly at Xiao Yan, his voice calm and cold. "As far as I know, Ye Chen once obtained a rare technique in the ancient ruins that enabled the fusion of hetero-flames. If my memory serves me well, the one he's practicing is precisely that technique. His rapid advancement to this level is largely due to the power of the technique—though I must not underestimate his own abilities either. Had a common practitioner been fortunate enough to master that same technique, they might not have surpassed him." Simply by observing from a distance, he not only directly identified the hetero-flames within Xiao Yan's body but also deduced both the technique and its origin—an accomplishment that left the audience breathless. "He is a formidable opponent... yet, I believe I can defeat him." The man in black said, speaking slowly. "Hehe, of course. Though the young deputy is only at the late stage of a two-star Soul Saint, even I would find it difficult to defeat him. To kill a mere two-star Soul Saint beginner, however, would be a breeze. It seems the position of Clan Elder will undoubtedly belong to the young deputy in the future." The Deputy of the Huan Palace smiled warmly. "Wait... wait until the Qinglian Demon Fire breaks the seal—this will consume a significant amount of its energy. Once it's about to burst through the air, we'll strike." The Hall Master, with his rough, calloused hands crossed together, spoke. The black-robed man nodded slightly, his pure black eyes once again scanning the distant Xiao Yan before he slowly closed his eyes. "...So this is the Hall Master? Indeed formidable..." The older masters, including the Fire Cloud Elder, also turned their gaze away, their faces now filled with serious determination. Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Only now, having personally witnessed the Hall Master, did he truly grasp the vast and overwhelming power of the latter. Facing such a strength, even he felt his chances of victory were slim. "This person is a formidable opponent—be cautious..." At the side, Zi Yan's smile faded completely, her body gently shifting half a step to block half of Xiao Yan's frame. Among the gathered, only she could obstruct the Master of the Soul Palace, and even she knew that should she face him directly, she would surely fall short—her best outcome would be to retreat alone. "Rest assured; they won't intervene until they obtain the Pure Lotus Demon Fire." Xiao Yan shook his head and smiled. "Heh, Xiao Yan, you've truly come here just to join the festivities..." As Xiao Yan calmed the others, a clear, resonant laugh suddenly echoed from a distance, followed by a gust of wind. Moments later, several figures materialized beside him, moving with the swift grace of lightning. Xiao Yan's gaze followed the gust of wind, his eyes briefly flickering with astonishment before quickly masking it, and he warmly bowed, smiling, "It's really Huo Xuan, brother! Long time no see—how have you been?" Xiao Yan smiled slightly, yet his heart was deeply stirred—Fire Xuan's growth in strength was indeed remarkable. Had it not been for the Bodhi Heart he had taken, Xiao Yan truly feared he might have fallen behind. "Hm... within you?" As he carefully studied Fire Xuan's face, his gaze sharpened, and he exclaimed in surprise, turning to the smiling Fire Xuan, "You... have refined the divine flames?" "With the help of the elders, I managed to subdue the Eight-Extensive Extinction Flame of our clan—otherwise, such a dramatic rise in strength would have been impossible," Fire Xuan replied, not concealing anything. "The Eight-Extensive Extinction Flame, ranked sixth on the Divine Flame List?" Xiao Yan's hand trembled slightly. He knew his clan possessed four divine flames, two of which ranked among the top ten—but he hadn't realized that one of them, besides the Red Lotus Flame, was precisely the Eight-Extensive Extinction Flame! "Indeed, the ancient race has such remarkable collections..." Xiang Yan was filled with admiration. Having traveled across the continent to secure the highest-ranked hetero-fire, he had only managed to obtain the ninth-ranked Three Thousand Yan-Yan Fire. Yet, upon returning this time, he had directly secured a hetero-fire ranked so highly. "Xiang Yan, this is my family's Fire-Yao Elder. He too possesses a hetero-fire, though his is the sixteenth-ranked Fire Cloud Water-Yan." Fire-Xuan pointed to the elder in purple robes beside him, smiling. "Another hetero-fire..." Xiang Yan sighed again. Thus, the three individuals present had already brought forth three distinct hetero-fires of the Yan clan. With his own five, that made a total of eight hetero-fires right here. "Haha, Xiang Yan, it's not just eight!" A clear, bell-like voice, as if carrying on the breeze, suddenly drifted into Xiang Yan's ears—seemingly knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Xun'er?" Hearing that voice familiar in every fiber of his being, a look of surprise instantly bloomed on Xiao Yan's face.