As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, the intense killing aura in Lei Yingyan's eyes intensified dramatically, and the energy throughout the heavens and earth surged violently. "Form the array!" Several sharp commands echoed simultaneously across the sky. Instantly, the ancient clan, the Yan and Lei clans, as well as the spiritual clan warriors in the sky, swiftly arranged themselves into formations. Powerful aura columns surged upward in a sweeping, overwhelming tide, reaching the clouds. The sheer magnitude of this battle spectacle left the onlookers beyond the mountain range breathless, constantly grateful they had not ventured in, for facing such a fierce clash would have surely been disastrous. "Well, it seems you truly haven't given up after all..." The smile on Tian Tian Di's face slightly softened, then returned to his usual composed, calm demeanor. He looked down at Xiao Yan and the others, as if it were entirely natural that they had suddenly intervened. He understood well that Gu Yuan Xiao Yan and his companions would certainly not allow his Hun Clan to secure the Eight Jade Spheres and successfully open the Ancient Emperor's Pavilion. "Hun Tian Di, hand over the Ancient Spheres or we will unite and completely destroy your Hun Clan!" Lei Ying stared fiercely at him, his voice rising in urgency. Gǔ Yuán’s face was still as calm as still water. His body slowly ascended into the air, and a terrifying ripple gradually spread outward from within him. Instantly, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and thunder rolled incessantly. Following Gǔ Yuán, Xiao Yan, Lei Ying, Yan Jin, and the other five-star Dou Sheng-level warriors from the three clans and the Heavenly Palace Alliance all rose into the air. As their energies surged, the very heavens seemed to change color. In terms of the number of high-level warriors, combined with the three clans and the Heavenly Palace Alliance, it seemed they were no longer inferior to the Hun Clan. With such a confrontation, it was truly uncertain who would emerge victorious. “Gǔ Yuán, I have already said this—once the Xiao Clan is extinguished, there will be no one in this world capable of standing in my way. Even your ancient clan will not be able to resist me,” said the Hun Emperor calmly. Gǔ Yuán’s brows furrowed slightly. As he was about to speak, Lei Ying—known for his fiery temperament—suddenly raised his voice: “Let’s waste any more words. Listen to me, the people of the Lei Clan "Heard Lei Ying's roar, the numerous strong warriors of the Lei Clan also responded with stern expressions. Instantly, brilliant silver light surged from their bodies and swiftly coalesced into a vast, majestic thundercloud in the sky. Within the cloud, the silver light shimmered, eventually forming nine colossal thunder dragons, each stretching thousands of zhang in length. The thunderous roars that echoed from the dragons caused the very earth to tremble. 'Go!' As soon as the dragons appeared, under the precise control of the Lei Clan's elite warriors, they surged forward with overwhelming destructive power, crashing directly into the spiritual clan's army in the sky, tearing through the space along their path with explosive force. 'Fire Clan! The Burning Heaven Technique!' At the same moment, Yan Jin raised his voice coldly, and a surging tide of flames erupted, as if the very heavens and earth were about to be consumed. The flames eventually expanded into a vast ocean of fire, sweeping across the spiritual clan. 'Ancient Emperor's Mirror!' The Ancient Clan also summoned their celestial mirror once more, forming a vast, sky-reaching mirror whose surface shimmered with rippling light. Then, a colossal beam of light erupted upward. 'Whoosh! Whoosh!' All the attacks erupted simultaneously, their energy ripples sweeping through and effortlessly reducing the towering peaks—thousands of feet high—into mere nothingness. When the terrifying storm in the sky gradually subsided, the black net also collapsed, yet before its collapse, it had successfully repelled every attack coming from below, once again revealing the formidable strength of the Spirit Clan. "Spirit Emperor, this time, let us settle our differences!" Gu Yuan stepped firmly onto the void, his body suddenly surging upward toward the heavens, his fierce cry resonating powerfully across a distance of tens of thousands of miles. The Spirit Emperor smiled calmly, moving swiftly to appear directly before Gu Yuan. He understood that both of them were the peak combatants of their respective sides, and that their mutual presence was keeping each other in check—otherwise, the formations of both sides would have collapsed under their combined pressure. "Kill!" Upon seeing Gu Yuan intervene and hold off the Spirit Emperor, Lei Ying and Yan Jin also roared, and at once, warriors from the three clans and the Heavenly Palace Alliance surged forth. Simultaneously, numerous Spirit Clan warriors burst forth from the swirling black clouds. The sky now brimmed with imminent battle! Lei Ying and Yan Jin had a clear objective—directly targeting Xu Wu Tan Yan, the strongest among the Spirit Clan after the Spirit Emperor himself. In contrast, the Alliance could only hold him back with the combined strength of these two. "Last time, I thought I'd secured a favorable position—did you really believe, with just you two, that I'd be your match?" With Lei Ying and Yan Jin charging straight at him, Xu Wu Tan Yan sneered, sweeping his great sleeve and sending a surge of black flame skyward, charging directly toward them. Instantly, the overwhelming force of consumption spread throughout the battlefield. As more and more powerful combatants from both sides clashed, the entire mountain range trembled violently, the battles raging with unprecedented chaos and intensity—so intense that even observers from afar grew pale with shock. And with his efficiency, within just a few minutes, dozens of elite soul-tribe warriors had already fallen to the blade of Xiao Yan, their advantages as Imperial Soul Beings fully manifesting themselves in the battle—dense waves of lethal energy enveloping Xiao Yan's body. "Boom!" Once again, Xiao Yan reduced a soul-tribe warrior who had reached the Three-Star Battle Saint level into a swirling mass of blood mist. Reaching into the mist, he grasped it firmly, evaporating the residual souls within into nothingness. "Shh!" However, just as Xiao Yan had finished dispatching this soul-tribe Battle Saint, a sudden ripple surged through the space behind him, and a thick surge of black flame erupted, coalescing into a black spear that drove straight toward the back of his skull. Yet, when the spear was mere centimeters from striking his head, it was suddenly deflected with a sharp *thud*, as though an invisible shield were encircling him. "Your soul has perished—yet you're still alive, aren't you?" Xiao Yan turned his head, his gaze fixed upon the figure completely enveloped in black flame. Though he could not see the figure's form, the sensation of an Imperial-level soul instantly allowed him to recognize him: none other than the Master of the Soul Palace, Houni Sheng, whose soul had barely escaped when Xiao Yan had slain him that day. "Xiao Yan," Houni Sheng declared, "I shall not die so easily. The Lord of Void has forged my body from my primordial fire. The man I am now is no mere shadow of the one I once was!" The black flame surged, two blazing crimson eyes fixed upon Xiao Yan with fierce resentment, and a cold, venomous voice echoed through the air. "Crack!" As the last syllable of Xiao Yan's voice settled, an indescribable surge of spiritual energy erupted, instantly shattering the black flame chains. Even the black flames upon them dimmed and faded. The sheer power of an Imperial-level soul was something even an eight-star Battle Saint would hesitate to match. Though Hún Miè Shēng had been painstakingly rebuilt by Xu ní Tūn Yīn, his strength only reached the level of a seven-star Battle Saint—far behind Xiao Yan's current prowess. Facing him just once, Hún Miè Shēng had already collapsed so swiftly. His expression shifted, reflecting disbelief. Though he had known Xiao Yan had ascended to Imperial soul rank, he could not believe he was thus so easily overwhelmed. "Retreat!" Despite his mounting resentment, Hún Miè Shēng finally realized that he could no longer stand against Xiao Yan. With a determined breath, he retreated. "This time, you won't escape again..." Xiao Yan stared coldly at Hun Mie Sheng, who was retreating. With a single step, the space rippled, and when he reappeared, he had materialized like a ghost right before Hun Mie Sheng's face. A single finger stroke pierced straight through the swirling black flames encircling him, and the formidable power of the Imperial-level soul surged forth without reservation. "Boom!" A deep, resonant sound echoed as Hun Mie Sheng's body suddenly stiffened. The black flames instantly dissipated, revealing the dry, withered form beneath. Though his head bore no wounds, his eyes had grown hollow—his soul had been completely erased in the very first touch from Xiao Yan. "This is the true power of an Imperial-level soul," Xiao Yan murmured, gazing at his finger. Having slain Hun Mie Sheng without deploying any qi or the Pure Lotus妖fire, he had relied solely on the strength of his soul to deliver a lightning-fast victory. Indeed, such power was worthy of the title "Imperial."