Staring at Xiao Ning, who had been thrown into the crowd and was now completely lost, the entire arena fell silent once again. After a moment, a wave of eyes—like those of people gazing at a mythical creature—turned toward the black-robed youth on the dais. Though many didn't know exactly what had transpired earlier, everyone had personally witnessed Xiao Ning's sudden surge in power. Yet, to everyone's astonishment, after this dramatic rise, Xiao Ning's defeat was even more severe and decisive—his single punch landed with devastating force, leaving him severely wounded. After a moment of stunned silence, Yao Fei's mind gradually regained clarity. Recalling once again the powerful technique used by Xiao Yan earlier, her brows slightly furrowed as her thoughts raced: "If I remember correctly, the highest-level technique of the Xiao family should be a mid-tier, pyro-level technique that complements the pyro-level cultivation method 'Nüshi Kanggang'—'Shi Shan Lie,' right?" "Yet the technique Xiao Yan used earlier was clearly not 'Shi Shan Lie'..." Gently blinking her long lashes, Yao Fei suddenly tightened her jade-hand holding the teacup, whispering softly to herself, "Could it be... this technique wasn't taught to him by Xiao Zhan?" A subtle gleam of insight passed through her lazy, half-lidded gaze. Without making a conscious effort, she slightly turned her head, just in time to catch the subtle astonishment on Xiao Zhan's face. "Indeed, it's not Xiao Zhan's technique at all..." With her full chest gently lowering, Ya Fei's slender fingers, like jade stalks, intertwined behind her teacup, recalled Xiao Yan's flawless command of the techniques, her heart suddenly stirred: "There must be a mysterious mentor behind this young lad. Otherwise, mastering techniques of the Xuanyuan stage wouldn't be something a mere youth could achieve through mere trial and error." "To teach techniques of the Xuanyuan stage, that mysterious figure must possess at least the strength of a Douling. Perhaps even more!" A serious expression passed over her beautiful face as she gracefully set down her teacup, her elegant gaze carrying an air of subtle significance, slowly observing the refined young man on the stage: "This youngster seems to be growing ever more enigmatic—quite intriguing indeed." "...Ah... Xiao Yan, this little one, is becoming increasingly hard to read." As Li Ya was pondering in her mind, Xiao Zhan couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. The combat techniques Xiao Yan had previously employed had even impressed him deeply—so decisive and efficient in their attack that, in terms of offensive power alone, they were truly on par with the family's senior-tier techniques, such as "Lion Mountain Shattering." Shaking his head slowly, Xiao Zhan exhaled gently, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "There must be someone guiding Yan behind the scenes." "Who could it be?" Touching his face, Xiao Zhan involuntarily turned his gaze toward Xun'er, seated in the audience. At that moment, the young woman's delicate features bore a gentle smile, watching the rising star on the stage. "Could it be her?" With a moment of doubt, recalling Xun'er's close relationship with Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan found himself somewhat reassured. … On the dais, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled a thick breath, the rock-solid arms gradually returning to their normal state, and the slightly swollen sleeves softening as well. He turned his head slightly, gazing at Xiao Yu, who had hurriedly carried the unconscious Xiao Ning down from the stage. His face remained calm and expressionless, showing no compassion—had it not been for the two Xuanyuan-level combat techniques he possessed, the punch Xiao Ning had delivered moments ago would have shattered his right arm. If others weren’t showing mercy, then there was no point in him acting like a foolish, overly kind person. He slowly uncurled his fists and turned his gaze to the second elder, who had been staring in wide-eyed astonishment, speaking calmly, “Has the match concluded?” Swallowing a lump in his throat, the now-alert second elder nodded eagerly, only to have his words cut short by a sharp, angry cry. “Wait! Xiao Yu at the back of the stage stared at Xiao Ning, who lay covered in blood, still uncertain whether he was alive or dead, her teeth clenched tightly against her red lips, her voice filled with rage. The second elder furrowed his brow and spoke firmly, "Xiao Yu, what do you intend to do?" With care, Xiao Yu handed the unconscious Xiao Ning to a clan member behind her and then leapt gracefully onto the stage, her eyes full of resentment fixed on Xiao Yan, shouting angrily, "Xiao Ning is your cousin by marriage—how could you treat him so cruelly?" Watching Xiao Yu now clearly adopting the demeanor of one demanding justice, Xiao Yan let out a light chuckle, then turned and said coldly, "It was merely an aimless challenge. Yet he violated the rules by taking medicinal pills. Earlier, he displayed such aggressive posture—do you think he showed any mercy toward me? If I don’t respond, it will be me who lies down now, and then, will you again be so furious with him because of me? Is Xiao Ning a human being, while I, Xiao Yan, not one? What else can you do besides being stubborn and favoring others?" "Stung by this series of sharp rebukes, like fireworks, Xiao Yu's heart stalled. Her rosy, graceful cheeks turned pale, then flushed again. With her proud nature, how had she ever been publicly scolded by someone younger than herself? Taking a deep breath to suppress the rising anger, she coldly stated, 'No matter how you justify it, I know you injured my younger brother. Now I challenge you. If you have the strength, step up and accept!' Gazing at Xiao Yan's somewhat cold expression, Xiao Yu felt a great sense of relief and chuckled coldly. Running a hand over her nose, Xiao Yan's lips slightly twitched, and suddenly fierce glares flashed in his dark eyes. Just as Xiao Yan was preparing to fight this tall woman to the utmost of his strength, the delicate, bell-like laughter of the young girl quietly drifted up to the platform. "Xiao Yu, uncles, Xiao Yan has already grown weary. Challenging him now seems rather opportunistic. If you truly wish to challenge him, why not let Xun accompany me? That would be feasible, wouldn't it?"