The figure appearing before Xiao Yan wore a long green robe, with snow-white hair and a youthful appearance, his fair face adorned with a gentle smile, exuding a clear aura of elegance and spiritual grace. "For so long, you've pursued him, and now that you've reached the ancient clan's territory, you should at least begin to temper your intensity," the elderly man in the green robe said, smiling as he gazed upon the storm of spiritual fury emanating from the soul-scar. It seemed he had sensed from the very beginning the pursuit and evasion between Xiao Yan and the soul-scar. "Ancient Dao, the Three Immortals of the Ancient Clan..." The soul-scar, his expression dark and serious, his face growing increasingly grave, was taken aback to find such a formidable opponent so soon. "My objective is solely him—nothing to do with the Ancient Clan!" Upon hearing this, the elder known as Ancient Dao shook his head with a smile. "Ah, that won't do. Xiao Yan, after all, is half of the Ancient Clan lineage. If I entrust him to you, it would be impossible. Soul-Scar, you must retreat now. Fights here may not be to your advantage." "Listening to the ancient lineage, I immediately recognized you," Xiang Yan was also taken aback—how could this half-blood of the ancient clan have known? "You young man, took Xun'er's maidenhood during the Fiery Spirit Realm—do you intend to claim otherwise?" Seeming to sense Xiang Yan's confusion, Guo turned his head slightly and spoke calmly. Xiang Yan opened his mouth, his face unexpectedly flushing with embarrassment, then quickly straightened himself and said solemnly: "Esteemed elder, this visit to the noble houses is to inform you that the Herbal Clan has been utterly destroyed by the Spirit Clan. And the very ones who have slain the Ling and Shi Clans are precisely them!" The smile on the ancient path's face gradually faded, and his gaze shifted to the spectral wraith, as he softly said, "Indeed, it was you—yours truly." This news had stirred him deeply, though he hadn't found it hard to believe, for after the events unfolded, they had already begun to suspect it—only lacking concrete evidence to prove it directly. What truly stirred his anger, however, was that these very people had struck again. "You talk a lot, but rest assured, the ancient clan will eventually meet the same fate as yours," the spectral wraith coldly replied, offering no defense. "Only worry, though, that you may not have such ambitions," the ancient path murmured, his brow furrowed, a growing chill in his tone. "Ambition isn't something you can merely speak about!" the spectral wraith laughed, his bat wings flashing sharply as space rippled, and he materialized directly before the ancient path. With a swift motion, his blood-bladed sword slashed through the air, sharp crimson blades piercing the void and enveloping the ancient path in their radiant glow. "Spirit Woe, after several hundred years of rivalry, you still haven't made much progress. If it weren't for your four Spirit Saint-mages relying on numerical superiority, I, the ancient clan's three immortals, would have no fear at all!" Facing Spirit Woe's exceptionally fierce assault, Gu Dao merely smiled calmly. With a gentle grasp of his palm, a jade staff several zhang long appeared in his hands. As the staff swayed, the energy of the entire realm surged and transformed into an endless stream of powerful, resolute strikes, colliding directly with Spirit Woe's blade aura. "Clang! Clang!" Though the impacts seemed ordinary, the force unleashed was astonishingly sharp and intense. The space within several thousand zhang was violently distorted, and the plain itself became turbulent, with strong winds sweeping across and sand and dust swirling in gusts. Xiao Yan swiftly retreated with Yao Ling, landing atop a mountain peak, then immediately settled into a meditative posture. The energy of the ninth-rank golden pill had already filled his body to capacity. If he didn't begin to refine and integrate it, his body would inevitably explode at any moment. "The Nine-Rank Purple Dan truly cannot be taken at will..." Xiang Yan sighed with a touch of embarrassment. For the first time, he had been so embarrassed by a medicine, and for the first time, he had been suffering headaches due to an excess of inner energy. Sitting in meditation, Xiang Yan manipulated his hand seals, and Xiao Yi instantly emerged from within him, swiftly transforming into a fiery cauldron that perfectly encased his body. Thus, the pure lotus spirit fire finally erupted fully, pouring in from all directions and rapidly refining the solidified, almost crystalline energy within him. Freed from the threat of enemy attacks, Xiang Yan could now fully concentrate his mind, channeling all his strength toward refining the crystalline energy inside. And the evident results of this full commitment were undoubtedly impressive. The terrifying power of Jinglian Yāo Huǒ once again manifested itself, its crystalline essence within Xiao Yan's meridians rapidly transforming—under the continuous process of refinement—into pure, surging streams of energy that roared and surged throughout his body. The meridians, previously choked and rigid, now regained their suppleness. As Xiao Yan hurried to absorb the astonishing medicinal energy within his body, the sky above grew increasingly intense. Ancient Dao and Soul Demon were both peak warriors of their respective races, each hovering around the rank of Seven-Star Battle Saint, and their clash produced forces that were nothing short of awe-inspiring. Yet, determining a clear winner proved exceptionally difficult. "Damn it! How could I have encountered this old fool? This is ancient territory—such a grand confrontation will surely draw their attention. If the other two of the ancient clan's Three Immortals arrive as well, I'll hardly be able to escape unscathed!" A vast surge of blood light surged from the ghost-headed great sword, only to shatter under the gentle tap of Ancient Dao's jade staff. Soul Demon's brow furrowed in concern. "We must resolve this swiftly! The spirit demon's eyes flashed with ominous brilliance. Suddenly, his hand seals transformed, and the blood sword in his hands launched itself free. As blood light surged forth, it instantly expanded to a thousand zhang in width, hovering in the heavens. The demonic aura coalesced into tangible substance, gathering thickly upon the blade, where waves of blood light surged and trembled—so intense that even the very souls seemed to shiver beneath its force. "Blood God, Split the Heavens!" The demonic energy on the sword grew denser and more concentrated. The spirit demon's gaze grew icy, and the sword plunged swiftly downward, emitting a sharp sonic boom that thundered across the sky. Where the blade passed, space within a hundred zhang collapsed entirely. On the plain below, stretching for tens of thousands of li, a deep gash of a hundred zhang in width appeared—narrow, yet profoundly deep, so that one could not even reach its bottom. As the sword descended, the ancient path's master grew increasingly serious, his jade staff rapidly expanding and then forcefully colliding with the blood sword. "Boom!" An indescribable, terrifying wave surged from the sky, causing the vast plain stretching for tens of thousands of miles to crumble and sink several feet at once. Most mountains were completely shattered, reduced to fine dust. The destructive power of a clash between seven Star-Emperor-level warriors was astonishingly immense. The spirit demon materialized before Xiao Yan like a ghost, reaching out his hand and causing the fire cauldron to shatter. Yet, as his palm neared Xiao Yan's forehead, Xiao Yan's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, releasing a surge of power several times stronger than before. Instantly, dark clouds roiled above, and the sound of distant thunder echoed faintly. "Six-star Stellar Saint? You've actually refined a Nine-Rank Xuandan?" Feeling the sudden surge of strength emanating from Xiao Yan, even the spirit demon's expression changed, his gaze sharpening with murderous intent, accelerating his pace rather than slowing down. "Try this!" Faced with such a deadly assault, Xiao Yan remained calm, a cold laugh escaping him. Suddenly, golden dragon patterns emerged on his arm. As these patterns appeared, the lightning flickering within the dark clouds above dimmed, as though encountering something terrifying. Something's wrong! Gazing at the golden dragon pattern on Xiao Yan's arm, an unexpected sense of unease stirred within Hun Sha's heart. Yet by now, it was too late to retreat—his palm wind grew even more fierce, crashing down with force upon Xiao Yan's forehead. "Go!" The hand, as if that of a death deity, swiftly and decisively moved within his gaze. In the next instant, Xiao Yan's arm trembled suddenly, and the golden dragon pattern surged forth, ultimately transforming into a beam of golden lightning that shot out from his fingertips at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. "Ssshh!" The golden lightning, touching Hun Sha's palm within less than a breath, instantly shattered the intensity of his palm wind, easily piercing through his hand. "Boom!" As the lightning struck, a powerful force surged against Hun Sha, propelling him backward—his body flew off, splashing blood in all directions. "This...?" The ancient pathfinder, who had rushed over swiftly, was startled, his gaze filled with disbelief as he watched the golden lightning beam that flashed briefly at Xiao Yan's fingertip. From its intensity, he sensed an energy so powerful that even he felt his breath catch. "By the gods, what in the world is that?!?" Huashai's form, though slightly unsteady in the sky, managed to steady himself, gazing at the nearly blackened wound on his palm—his defenses had failed completely. If that strike had hit him directly on the head, even he would have sustained serious injuries. "Whoosh!" As Huashai's expression turned grave, a sharp gust of wind suddenly erupted from the distance, signaling a large group of people arriving swiftly. "Xiao Yan," Huashai declared, "you'll remember this debt—tenfold, I'll repay it!" With a reluctant grit of teeth, the soul-killer also realized that he had lost his final chance. At that moment, he roared bitterly at Xiao Yan and surged forward, transforming into a streak of black light, shooting off toward the distance.