Not far from the Grand Hall of the Ancient Clan, there stands a training ground, where the Black-Yan Army regularly conducts drills. It's also one of the favorite spots for many young members of the Ancient Clan, making it quite popular. Today, with the chieftains of the Lei and Huan clans arriving, several outstanding young talents from both clans have also come along. These young people, not involved in the grand affairs, have naturally gathered here in numbers. Among young people, there's always a certain sense of rivalry—especially when representatives from the ancient clans meet. Now, the training ground is crowded with a dense crowd, most of whom wear black armor. These are precisely the Black-Yan Army, renowned throughout the Ancient Clan for their strength. Their overall combat prowess is truly formidable—aside from the Huan Clan, it's unlikely that either the Lei or Huan clans can field a unit capable of defeating them in a full-scale engagement. To be a member of the Black Annihilation Army is a cherished aspiration for many young members of ancient clans, and to stand out and rise to the rank of commander is even more prestigious—such a position is truly distinguished even within the ancient clans. For this reason, many young people from ancient clans have always aimed to join the Black Annihilation Army from an early age. On the training field, the young warriors of the Black Annihilation Army, clad in black armor, surround the arena like a dense crowd. Yet now, their gaze carries a subtle anger, fixed upon the stage where a group of about a dozen young figures stand with an air of confident pride. Lightning marks, the insignia of the Thunder Clan, are visible on each of their foreheads. "Heh, it seems the Black Annihilation Army isn't as formidable as we were led to believe. In fact, before we came, several people even urged us to engage in more exchanges with you." On the field, a man chewed on a stalk of grass, smiling carelessly and appearing rather aloof. Yet only those who had witnessed his actions truly understood that though he seemed like a second-rate noble, his strength was actually quite formidable. Facing him stood several figures, all of whom appeared to be familiar faces—besides the three Commanders of Gu Qingyang, several Black Annihilation Army Commanders were also present. However, their current expressions were noticeably less than favorable. "Li Yun, stop talking so much nonsense! If you really want to fight, I'll join you—whatever you'd like to do, I'll go along!" In response to this sharp challenge, Commander Gu Xing, one of the Four Commanders, furrowed his brow and spoke firmly. "Hmm, not much of a match for you, given your imposing frame. Our Black Annihilation Army's Commander Gu Qingyang already lost to Brother Lei Dong earlier. It seems that the younger generation of our Lei clan has now surpassed that of the Gu clan." "The man known as Lei Yun smiled warmly. "Lei Yun, stop being so smooth-tongued!" Suddenly, a man dressed in silver pines shook his head slightly, then bowed politely to Gu Qingyang and the others, saying, "I'm truly sorry—this man is always straightforward." Hearing this, even Gu Qingyang's brow furrowed slightly—the way he said it... "Hmph. The strongest among our young generation in the Gu clan is actually Xun'er. If you'd like to challenge someone, go find Miss Xun'er instead," a commander from the He Yan army coldly remarked. "Ah, Xun'er, indeed," the man in silver pines smiled slightly, with a touch of something unspoken in his eyes. "I've long heard of Miss Xun'er's reputation. This visit to the Gu clan has made it necessary to meet her personally. I suspect that when Gu Hua disappeared earlier, he must have gone to find her." Seeing how sharp his gaze was, the commanders from the He Yan army subtly stiffened. "Hehe, Brother Lei Dong, I hear that back then you and Miss Xun were almost destined to be married. Now that the clan elder is here, why don't he remind you of that? With your current accomplishments, who could possibly be a match for you?" Lei Yun chuckled. Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyang and the others grew noticeably serious. Among the younger generation of the ancient clan, many held deep admiration for Miss Xun. Though she had now been claimed by Xiao Yan, she remained a shining gem in the clan—how could they allow such remarks to pass unchallenged? "The guys from the Thunder Clan are still such a headache..." Several figures stood on the stone platform to the east, observing the lively scene below. Flame markings adorned their foreheads, clearly indicating they were all from the Fire Clan. At the forefront stood a familiar face—Huo Xuan, someone with whom Xiao Yan had already shared several encounters. Beside her was a masked woman known for her Red Lotus Flame, Huo Zhi. "Thunder's progress over the past few years has been remarkable. It's clear the Thunder Clan has invested considerable effort. Given his achievements, it's no surprise he's being groomed as their next clan leader. Still, his temperament needs further refinement," Huo Zhi said, her gaze sweeping across the field with a light tone. "Heh, what else can I do? You don't need to be told who Xun is truly devoted to, and that person is precisely in the Ancient Realm..." Fire Xuan smiled, with a touch of gloom and satisfaction. "If he shows up, the members of the Thunder Clan will surely have a problem." "Xiao Yan, you mean?" Upon hearing this, Fire Zhi was slightly taken aback, then softly remarked, "It's said that the Master of the Spirit Palace, Hun Mie Sheng, was defeated by him. I wonder if this is truly the case." "Most likely true. When I arrived, the Clan Elder mentioned to me that I should spend more time getting to know Xiao Yan. Such a young person that the Elder would place so much emphasis on—I've only met him once." Fire Xuan explained. "Hmm?" Fire Zhi arched her elegant brows, a sense of seriousness passing through her eyes. Between the two of them, several of the commanders of the Zhong He Yan army grew incensed at Li Yun's words, their faces growing cold and they were about to intervene. However, just as they were about to step forward, the Grand Commander Gu Zhen suddenly reached out and stopped them, his gaze fixed on Li Yun, speaking with deliberate meaning: "Li Yun, sometimes, being outspoken isn't always a good thing. Be careful—misfortune often comes from words spoken without thought." "Oh? Really?" Li Yun smiled, remaining unconvinced. "I think that's precisely it..." As Li Yun's words fell, a light chuckle suddenly echoed across the training ground, drawing a swift shift of attention from all around. There, on the elevated platform at the northern end of the field, three figures had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, their eyes observing the scene with an air of superiority. "Xun'er, Xiao Yan!" The commanders Gu Qingyang and others were momentarily stunned upon seeing two of the three figures. "Hehe, this must be Xun'er, the young lady from the Gu Clan—indeed, she is breathtakingly beautiful. She matches well with Lei Dong... " The members of the Lei Clan immediately turned their attention to Xun'er upon first sight, their eyes instantly filled with admiration. Lei Yun found himself eager to speak, but before he could finish, he was suddenly interrupted by Lei Dong standing beside him. "Uh, Lei Dong?" Upon being stopped by Lei Dong, Lei Yun blinked in surprise, turning to see that Lei Dong was now intently gazing at a young man in black robes standing beside Xun'er. "If my guess isn't wrong, this young man should be Xiao from the Xiao Clan," Lei Dong said, his gaze fixed steadily on Xiao, his serious eyes subtly glowing with warmth. "Xiao Yan?" Lei Yun's face immediately changed, his voice rising in surprise, "The one rumored to have defeated Houni Sheng?" On the elevated platform, Xiao Yan smiled calmly and nodded in agreement. "Hmph, this boy is even more arrogant than we are. What's there to be proud about defeating Hunshe Mingsheng? Maybe it was all staged on purpose..." Hearing Xiang Yin's remarks, the usually proud members of the Lei Clan grew slightly irritated, murmuring softly—though their murmur, whether intentional or not, quietly spread among them. "Xiao Yan and his brother are the intended husbands of Xun'er—so to speak, they are also members of my ancient clan..." Ancient Qingyang said calmly. The relationship between Xiao Yan and Xun'er was well known throughout the clan, and now Xiao Yan's strength had even earned the approval of the clan chief. This matter was as solid as stone, unshakable. "Oh?" Upon hearing this, Lei's eyebrows furrowed suddenly, and then he licked his lips. Black lightning arcs flickered across his eyes. "Since Xiao Yan has shown such interest, then let it be!" As the final word fell, a surge of black lightning erupted violently from within him, swirling around his body like serpents of electricity, radiating an exceptionally powerful and turbulent aura that left many in awe. "I don't know how Xiao Yan will handle that..." Gu Qingyang and the others kept closely observing the swirling black lightning surrounding Lei Dong. Earlier, they had been defeated precisely by this terrifying black lightning, which possessed immense offensive power—upon contact, their defenses were barely able to hold, and they were swiftly overwhelmed. "Black Demon Lightning, huh..." Seeing the familiar black lightning on Lei Dong's body, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with a moment of surprise. He hadn't expected Lei Dong to be able to control such lightning, and thus, his combat strength must be quite strong—this explained how he had managed to defeat Gu Qingyang and the others. Yet, for Xiao Yan, it seemed to hold little intimidation. Under the collective gaze of the onlookers, Xiao Yan moved swiftly and instantly appeared before Lei Dong. He glanced over the ten members of the Lei Clan, then slightly shifted his stance, and with a warm smile, said, "We don't have much time. Shall we all move in together?"