As the Huadian Master took his first step, countless sets of eyes across the mountain range turned toward him simultaneously. This master, once renowned throughout Zhongzhou, had earned a reputation so formidable that it had long been considered terrifying—though after years of prolonged retreat, his presence had gradually faded from public view, his formidable reputation remained unshaken. If one were to rank the most prominent figures in Zhongzhou, Master Hunmiao Huan would undoubtedly rank among the very top. "Make room for a little grace in your dealings, and leave nine-tenths of your words unfulfilled—sometimes, when you speak too fully, you end up bringing upon your own disgrace. Master Xiao, please remember to treat yourself with dignity." Master Xiao spoke softly. "Ha ha, the Hún Palace has always operated with a rigid, lifeless approach. This very remark, then, is only suitable for ordinary people. To achieve great things, one must not dwell on such details—otherwise, it's merely a sign of petty, narrow-mindedness." The Master of the Hún Palace laughed heartily. Hearing the sharp exchanges between the two, the crowd felt a warm sense of engagement. This clash had just become the most crucial event of the day—one side being the master of the Hún Palace, the other, in a certain sense, the leader of the Tianfu Alliance. The outcome of their confrontation would ultimately determine the victor of this decisive battle. "Because of you, the clan has voiced many criticisms toward me. Back then, I issued orders to send envoys to the Jima Empire to capture Xiao Zhan. My original intention was clear—since I intended to take action, I should eliminate the root cause entirely. However, after the orders were issued, I myself went into seclusion for cultivation, thus allowing my subordinates to slack off. As a result, they only managed to recover Xiao Zhan. The subsequent relentless pursuits against you—each time they underestimated you, allowing you to escape—were all due to their complacency. In just a few decades, you have steadily ascended to this level... Now, you stand at a point where you can challenge the Hall on equal footing!" The Hall's Master gazed at Xiao Yan with a gaze that carried both complexity and admiration. Once a potential casualty to be swiftly eliminated, he had instead grown into a formidable force, rising at an astonishing pace—now capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Hall itself. If one sets aside their adversarial roles, the Master of the Soul Palace also holds considerable admiration for Xiao Yan. He believes that, had it been himself, he would have found it difficult to navigate the rugged path and ultimately stand at the pinnacle of this continent. "I have allowed you to grow as far as you have—this, too, is a responsibility I cannot shift. Therefore, this time, I hope to settle those obligations." The Master smiled, his gaze fixed steadily upon Xiao Yan, whose expression remained unchanged, and spoke slowly. "The blood feud of the Xiao family—I also hope today can finally settle it for them..." Xiao Yan's voice was not loud, yet everyone could clearly sense the cold, resolute intensity within. The tragic events from those days remained etched in his memory. Once a unified and prosperous family, the Xiao clan had been shattered by the Spirit Palace. His father was captured, relatives slaughtered, and the family forced into exile, scattering across the Gamma Empire. At that time, Xiao Yan, lacking the strength to protect his family, had to carry the weight of his accumulated blood vengeance and leave alone. That period forged his resolve, but it also deepened his hatred toward the Spirit Palace even further. Yet, as the Hall Master's words had barely settled, a deep sonic boom erupted suddenly beside his ear, and at the very instant it sounded, the space before him rippled, revealing a figure that materialized like a ghost. With his fingers curled together, vibrant pink flames danced in joyful arcs, instantly raising the temperature of the heavens and earth. The attack came with startling suddenness—despite the Hall Master's unwavering composure, a flicker of astonishment passed through his eyes. But within the next moment, his black aura on the surface surged instinctively, rapidly coalescing into a solid, tangible black shield. "Crack!" The fingertips made no pause, pressing firmly onto the shield, which instantly melted under the dancing pink flames, the attack surging forward like a thunderbolt aimed directly at the Hall Master's eyes. "Hmph!" "Facing Xiao Yan's sharp, relentless assault, the Hall Master merely emitted a cold snort, remaining motionless. Instead of defending against Xiao Yan's finger strike, he launched a solid palm directly at Xiao Yan's heart—clearly intent on sacrificing his own life to secure victory!" "Ah, the Hall Master is indeed quite strategic," Xiao Yan chuckled, pausing his attack and then pressing downward with precise accuracy, striking exactly upon the Master's palm. The rosy flame danced across, swiftly dissolving the thick, dark aura that had gathered on the Master's palm. The purity of the Jinglian Demon's flame proved remarkably formidable, causing the Hall Master of the Spirit Palace's brow to furrow slightly. His form trembled slightly, and a series of faint afterimages materialized before him. In an instant, he materialized in the air above, his expression somewhat gloomy as he gazed at his palm. On the back of his hand, a scorched mark about half an inch long had formed—no blood seeped out, for at the very moment of contact, the surrounding blood vessels had been completely incinerated by the residual warmth of the flame. Their combat consisted largely of close-range, hand-to-hand exchanges, with both parties moving as swiftly as ghosts. In an instant, they would touch and then separate—so rapid was the pace that even the most keen-eyed observers found themselves dazzled, marveling and yearning to witness such brilliance. Xiao Yan raised his head, gazing at the Hall Master of the Soul Palace, said nothing further, and began swiftly shifting his hand seals. As each seal changed, a colossal soul phantom—stretching a full thousand zhang in height—immediately enveloped his body. "Yellow Springs' Fury!" Facing such a formidable opponent, Xiao Yan showed no hesitation. From the outset, he unleashed the powerful soul-wave technique, Yellow Springs' Fury. "Moo!" At the same moment, the massive phantom opened its mouth, and a terrifying soul-wave surged forth, traveling faster than light, directly toward the Hall Master. "Xiao Yan," the Hall Master declared, "while others fear your Yellow Springs' Fury, I feel no such dread at all!" The Hall Master reeled back, his dark qi exploding forth from within him in an instant, transforming into countless spectral shadows that formed an eerie array, encircling and bowing before him with profound reverence. At the same time, he emitted a series of piercing soul-wave sounds. "A Hundred Souls Paying Homage!" These soul-wave sounds coalesced into a single, sharp sonic arrow before launching forth, colliding powerfully with the soul-driven surge of Huangquan's wrath. Whee-whew-wheee! Two soul sound waves slammed into each other, instantly generating a roaring tide of soul murmurs that filled the heavens. Under the force of these soul waves, many strong cultivators turned pale, spewing out streams of blood, then recoiled in shock, barely able to withstand the sheer residual pressure. Across the sky, where the sound waves collided and spread, the countless ethereal soul threads surrounding the Hall Master one after another exploded, ultimately dissolving into nothing. Yet the Hall Master himself, protected by this defense, appeared remarkably unharmed. Seeing this, Xiao Yan's brow also furrowed slightly. This was the first time he had encountered a soul-wave impact comparable to Huang Quan Tian Nu. Indeed, the Hall Master's knowledge was truly extensive. Moreover, his own soul was at the peak of the Tianjing stage, on par with his own. Through their combat, Xiao Yan also realized that the Hall Master's strength had already reached the mid-phase of Five-Star Battle Saint—indicating that, over the past two years, his capabilities had steadily improved. "You may have a strong soul power, but to defeat our Hall here on this front, I believe you're dreaming of something far beyond reality," said the Hall Master, effortlessly dispelling the final wave of sound waves. Xiao Yan glanced at him but remained silent. With a simple opening of his mouth, a rosy flame erupted, and as it appeared, the trees atop the fallen mountain suddenly caught fire without any apparent flame source, blazing fiercely and turning to ash under the astonished gazes of all present. The Hall Master's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the delicate pink flame floating above Xiao Yan's head. A profound sense of seriousness finally settled upon his face. The Pure Lotus Spirit Flame—such a formidable spirit fire—was capable of inflicting severe damage even upon him if it penetrated his body. Ranked third on the Spirit Fire List, this wasn't merely a title for mere commentary.