The palm strike that had seemed certain was once again interrupted by unforeseen circumstances. The Hall Master of the Soul Palace's expression darkened, his gaze fixed steadily on the figure standing behind Xiao Xin. There, a person dressed in ordinary robes stood quietly. Though this individual appeared unremarkable at first glance, their aura was strangely elusive, making it difficult to discern their true nature. "Who are you?" the Hall Master asked, his tone stern. Though he held a high position within the Soul Clan, the era of Xiao Xuan had passed him by, so he could not immediately recognize the person before him—could it be Xiao Chen, the renowned blood-axe of the Xiao Clan from that time? "An ancestor of Xiao Chen," he replied. Xiao Yan also quickly regained his composure. Upon seeing Xiao Chen finally step in, he quietly exhaled a breath of relief. From the moment he had exited the illusion until now, this former elder of the Xiao clan had remained completely inactive—always watching from the sidelines, no matter how intense the battles Xiao Yan faced. Yet, he could only intervene when Xiao Yan truly reached a critical moment. Xiao Chen merely waved a hand; by nature, he was reserved and quiet, and thus preferred to remain silent at such times. He then slowly advanced toward Xiao Yan, his gaze fixed on the Soul Palace's master, his voice hoarse as he said, "He is also from the Soul Clan, isn't he?" Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "Then he shall be slain..." Hearing Xiao Chen's low, resonant voice, Xiao Yin felt a sudden sense of solemnity, and glanced at Xiao Chen's back with a somewhat unusual intensity. Only now did he realize that, throughout the entire experience, he had never truly seen the genuine strength of this ancestor. During the vision, although Xiao Chen had defeated Zǐ Yán and the elder of the ancient Naihai, it had seemed somewhat strained. Based on his own assessment, Xiao Yin had believed Xiao Chen to be at the late stage of a Four-Star Battle Saint—perhaps even reaching the early stage of a Five-Star Battle Saint, which would have been the absolute peak. Yet, as Xiao Chen uttered those words, Xiao Yin suddenly felt that his own estimation had still been somewhat underestimated. "For over a thousand years of imprisonment within the vision, though not able to train normally, the steady accumulation of progress—like a drop of water wearing away stone—would still be astonishing. It is clear that Xiao Chen's ancestor must have achieved something truly remarkable to be so confident in this statement." "Are you from the Xiao clan?" The Master of the Soul Palace narrowed his eyes at Xiao Chen, then suddenly recalled the statement the other had made earlier. His pupils instantly constricted, his voice filled with disbelief: "How is this possible? The Xiao clan has long since declined—how could there still be a Divinity Saint-level cultivator?!" Looking at Xiao Chen's demeanor, it was clearly not someone who had ascended to that level within just a few decades, as Xiao Yin had. If that were the case, then Xiao Chen must have existed for a considerable period. Yet, why had the Soul Clan received no trace of any connection to him at all? Despite the astonishment of the Hall Master of the Soul Palace, Xiao Chen's face remained utterly still. With each step he took, his steps seemed to tread upon the void, and with every step, his aura surged like waves, growing stronger and more potent—first reaching the mid-four-star level, then the late-four-star level, and finally the mid-five-star level. Xiao Yan and the others stared in awe at Xiao Chen's back, amazed that within mere moments, his aura had surged all the way from the four-star level to the mid-five-star realm of a Soul Saint—outstripping even the Hall Master in strength. "Who are you?!" Faced with Xiao Chen's overwhelming aura, the Hall Master's expression finally changed, and he roared in urgency. Behind him, Houn Feng and the Deputy Master of the Soul Palace swiftly moved forward, their eyes filled with disbelief and confusion, clearly unsettled by this sudden development. "It's no wonder that the ancestors of Xiao Chen could endure for so many years within the illusion of Jinglian Demon Fire—his strength must be truly that remarkable..." Xiao Yin's eyes sparkled with delight as he murmured to himself. "Enough already!" Facing the sharp command from the Hall Master of the Soul Palace, Xiao Chen furrowed his brows. With a firm grasp of the void, a massive blood shadow coalesced at his palm, swiftly forming into a colossal blood ax. A simple twist of his hand sent the ax slicing through space with a series of sonic booms, moving with the speed of lightning and charging straight toward the three Soul Palace masters. "Retreat!" Seeing Xiao Chen launch his attack, the Hall Master's expression tightened. He swept his sleeve, sending the two soul-wind disciples behind him staggering back. Then, with a sudden burst of his mouth, a black orb roughly half a zhang in diameter shot forth, its interior echoing with piercing cries—like countless souls devouring one another. "Shhh—" Above the sky, a shadow of blood flashed, and instantly, the crowd saw a massive blood-red axe silhouette emerge upon the black orb just expelled from the Hall of Souls' master's mouth. Then, a subtle voice resonated, as a streak of blood spread across the dark orb, and with a soft "pop," it slowly split into two halves. "Plsht!" The black orb exploded without even releasing its full power, being cleanly severed by the immense blood axe. The master of the Hall of Souls gasped, spitting out a stream of blood, his expression drooping and his face pale. He hurriedly retreated, stunned by the sheer force and precision of Xiao Chen's attack. The blood axe seemed capable of cleaving through heaven and earth itself, its overwhelming presence sending waves of tremors through the crowd. "Break the Heavens with Three Axes!" With one axe effortlessly cutting through the master's defenses, Xiao Chen didn't hesitate. In two swift steps, he launched his massive blood axe, delivering three powerful strikes in succession. Three strikes, nearly seamless, flowed as one. Ordinary observers could only see a crimson streak sweeping across the sky with the naked eye; only the Master of the Soul Palace—such a powerful being—could clearly perceive three vivid red lines bursting forth from the space itself, racing toward him at an astonishing speed. Though these three lines appeared slender and delicate, the Master of the Soul Palace felt an overwhelming sense of imminent peril radiating from them. "Thump! Thump! Thump!" Three streaks of blood tore through the dense black clouds. As they swiftly darted back and forth, rippling waves of explosion surged along the blood streaks. In less than a few breaths, the first streak was violently dispersed, and even the second one began to fade into the background. "Crack!" The mist swirled and thickened, then suddenly a low, raspy voice echoed softly. Instantly, the heavy black clouds burst open, and a streak of blood shot out like lightning, racing with astonishing speed into a specific part of the cloud. "Pfft!" As the blood streak entered the region, a gush of blood erupted. Immediately, the sky of black clouds stiffened, retreating rapidly—visible to the naked eye. As the black clouds dispersed, everyone's vision cleared, and upon a quick glance, they saw that at some distance away, the Master of the Soul Palace stood trembling, covered in blood. A terrifying wound glistened from his shoulder, extending down to his abdomen, with visible organs pulsing and moving within—clear evidence that the previous blow had severely wounded him. "Master Magus, after watching this performance for so long, shouldn't you finally intervene now?" The Hall Master of the Spirit Palace formed a black-lit prison with his hands, yet suddenly bellowed angrily toward the outside. This elder, whom Xiao Yan had only briefly glanced at during the earlier chaotic battle, had at the time been fleeing desperately from Fire Niu, so he hadn't paid much attention. Yet he never imagined that this seemingly ordinary old man would be so deeply concealed. "Old Master of the Spirit Demon Clan—it's really you?! Does your Spirit Clan truly intend to break the agreement?" Upon seeing this elder with black eyebrows, the elders of Guo Naihai and other distant clans' representatives grew visibly displeased, their eyes even displaying a subtle sense of apprehension. "The agreement—under the condition of the Fiery Spirit Origin, it's not really that significant." The black-mustached elder, known as the Old Master of the Spirit Demon Clan, smiled gently. He glanced at Xiao Yan and the others, but did not immediately move to act. Instead, he sighed lightly and turned his gaze toward the distant void, saying, "Since I have already appeared, why should the old spirit of Xiao Dan Tower still hide in the shadows?"