"Ancestors..." Xiang Yan gazed at Xiao Xuan, whose face bore a gentle, warm smile, and found his nose growing slightly tender. "Let it be refined and absorbed..." Xiao Xuan smiled softly, lightly flicked his finger, and the translucent luminous circle before him drifted slowly downward, radiating a brilliant glow that shimmered like a warm, sunlit sphere. Xiang Yan watched the glowing circle hovering before him, its vast soul energy flowing like an endless ocean—so profound and deep that even his soul at the peak of the Heavenly Realm appeared remarkably modest. The soul essence of the Tianmu Spirit had been forged from the accumulated remnants of countless great warriors, and its soul power could only be described as awe-inspiring. "Ancestors," Xiang Yan declared with determination, "I shall restore the glory of the Xiao clan!" Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan, standing in the sky, bowed respectfully once more to Xiao Xuan, then, without further words, took a step and stepped directly into the brilliant luminous circle. Instantly, the light flashed, fully engulfing Xiao Yan's body. In the sky, Xiao Xuan’s form was slightly ethereal. Gazing at the luminous halo that shimmered like the sun, he smiled with quiet satisfaction. He was truly pleased with this young disciple—perhaps, indeed, he could accomplish something that even he himself had never managed back in his own days. “There’s still some time left. I hope to witness your breakthrough.” Xiao Xuan murmured these words and then settled into a meditative posture outside the halo, his calm gaze occasionally sweeping across the ground. Under the weight of his presence, every energy entity hurried to withdraw its gaze and retreat far away. Though the soul essence of the Heavenly Tomb’s spirit was profoundly alluring to them, no one dared allow it to take root under the sheer authority of Xiao Xuan’s presence. Xiao Yan's figure floated in the midst of the ocean, his gaze fixed downward upon the waters. In his eyes, there was deep astonishment—though the luminous circle appeared modest, within it lay far more than expected. Through his detailed examination, Xiao Yan had uncovered a revelation so profound that even he was left stunned: this entire ocean was entirely composed of condensed spiritual energy! "The soul of the Heavens' Tomb has already faded—now the spiritual energy here is unclaimed, drifting without a master..." Xiao Yan's throat involuntarily rolled as he spoke. If word of this spread, the entire continent's elite would surely go into a frenzy. With these spiritual essences fully refined, their own souls would surely reach an astonishing level—perhaps even achieving the legendary Imperial Soul Realm! The boon bestowed upon him by Xiao Xuan was truly unparalleled. With his fists clenched and his gaze growing steadily resolute, Xiao Yan knew now was not the time for hesitation. Xiao Xuan had sacrificed so greatly to grant him this very advantage—only to strengthen his ability to counter the Soul Clan. Time was running short, and he could not afford to squander it any longer! "The passage of time here differs from that within the Heavenly Tomb..." Xiao Yan exhaled deeply, gradually stabilizing his mind. Here, time moves more slowly than in the Heavenly Tomb—a clear advantage. Otherwise, facing such an immense ocean of souls, he would have found it exceedingly difficult to fully refine them within just two months. Sitting in the air, Xiao Yan then descended slowly, landing upon the surface of the sea. A surge of spiritual energy erupted from the center of his brow, and upon a low cry, it expanded into a vast, hundreds-of-zhang-tall ethereal form, which enveloped him and settled into a meditative posture with his legs crossed. Fiery, pure lotus flames began to radiate from within the immense ethereal form, eventually transforming the entire form into a blazing figure of flame. The intense heat spread throughout the surrounding space. Thunder rolled. As the pure lotus demonic fire began to envelop Xiao Yan's soul silhouette, the soul ocean beneath it instantly roared to life. A colossal vortex, stretching a thousand zhang in diameter, formed directly below, and the soul forces surged forth, as though violently pulled, transforming into towering columns of soul energy, each measuring a hundred zhang in height, continuously impacting the vast soul silhouette. "Shhhhh!" These tangible columns of soul energy struck the soul silhouette with tremendous force. Yet as soon as they came into contact with the pure lotus demonic fire, they immediately emitted a series of hissing sounds, dense white mist rising and eventually coalescing into a thick cloud that completely veiled Xiao Yan's expansive soul silhouette. The spiritual essence here, though vast and powerful, is slightly fragmented—having been condensed from the souls of countless fallen champions absorbed by the Heavenly Tomb's spirit. Yet for Xiao Yan, who possesses the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, this presents no significant challenge. The Pure Lotus Demon Flame excels at purification, particularly in such spiritual integration processes. Moreover, within Xiao Yan's body, a small entity named Yi resides, constantly refining the absorbed spiritual essences. With merely a thought, Yi ensures that the essence within Xiao Yan's body is purified and refined to its most refined state. This level of refinement efficiency was sufficient to leave many in awe, and upon the Sea of Souls, waves of tumult surged over time, roaring continuously across this realm. With Xiang Yan's near-gorging assimilation and absorption, the pressure radiating from his soul grew increasingly terrifying. His vibrant soul energy, flowing steadily and unhurried, was gradually drawing closer to that legendary realm... On the ground, many energy beings gazing at Xiao Xuan's body gradually becoming more ethereal were filled with a sense of melancholy. No sentiment is more poignant than the twilight of a hero—Xiao Xuan, whether alive or deceased, had always been a figure of extraordinary stature. Yet now, he exuded the quiet weariness of an ordinary old man. The eyes beneath his white brows trembled slightly, then slowly opened. Fixing his gaze on the luminous circle before him, the lines of his weathered face softened into a gentle smile, and his form grew even more ethereal at that moment. "Little one," he murmured softly, his voice echoing through the sky. For Xiao Xuan, one month in the Heavenly Tomb felt like a full year—spanning the depth of the Ocean of Souls. A vast soul silhouette sat upon the ocean, dense clouds veiling the entire realm. The soul image grew increasingly solid, eventually transforming into a colossal, tangible giant hundreds of zhang in height—indeed, a magnified version of Xiao Yan himself. Its breath roared like thunder, thick clouds surging in and out with each exhalation, as if dragons were rising and falling within its nostrils. Long, cascading hair flowed like a thousand-foot waterfall, and the movement of its garments stirred tremendous waves across the sea surface. A regal aura, reminiscent of a sovereign ruling the heavens, slowly radiated from the immense form of the soul. An aura of sovereign soul power. "It seems... we've been waiting too long." In the stillness of the heavens, the figure, now nearly transparent, gently trembled. Xiao Xuan smiled softly, yet a touch of regret shimmered in his eyes. "Little one, with you among the Xiao clan, I am at ease. Goodbye..." His eyes slowly closed, and his form grew ever more translucent. "Boom!" Yet, as Xiao Xuan's body was about to fade into nothing, the space of the Heavenly Tomb suddenly shook violently. A wave of power, radiating like that of a sovereign of heaven and earth, surged forth swiftly. Wherever it reached, energy forms bowed in awe—unyielding under its overwhelming pressure. Feeling this wave, Xiao Xuan's eyes finally softened with a sense of peace. "Descendant Xiao Yan, honoring our ancestor!" Amidst countless stunned gazes, a towering figure, stretching a thousand zhang in height and so majestic it seemed to suffocate the sky, swiftly emerged and then slowly knelt before Xiao Xuan on one knee.