"Who lives and who dies isn't up to you!" Seeing the surging Hu Yuan Tian rush toward him, Xiao Yan couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, gripping the hand of Houn Feng with even greater force, while the latter struggled wildly. "Xiao Yan, our ancestors won't let you off easy!" Houn Feng's face turned purple as he glared venomously at Xiao Yan. Suddenly, his body swelled dramatically, and the qi within him surged violently. "He's going to self-exploit..." Watching this, Xiao Yan's expression remained utterly calm. With a sudden burst of strength, he pressed down hard—cracking the sound echoed as he directly snapped Houn Feng's neck. Yet even though Houn Feng's neck was broken, his body continued to expand rapidly, until finally, a thunderous energy storm burst forth, carrying blood mist, and exploded with tremendous force. The blood mist slowly expanded and finally dissipated, leaving Xiao Yan still suspended in the heavens, his vast soul power forming an intangible barrier around him. The shock waves from the soul wind explosion had done nothing to harm him at all. "Having absorbed the last remnants of Hounfeng's soul, Hounyuan Tian stared at Xiao Yan with an unnerving stillness, his smile completely fading. He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to be so ruthless—offering him no chance to save himself, but instead immediately preparing to strike. Had Hounfeng not decisively activated his self-explosion to escape and preserve a fragment of his soul, he would have been fully assimilated by Xiao Yan long ago. Even so, Hounfeng would undoubtedly suffer severe injuries. 'A man who grows old yet remains alive is a thief,' said Xiao Yan, calmly and with unwavering composure. Though Xiao Yan's aura was only at the mid-level of a Six-Star Battle Saint, merely by channeling the Emperor-level soul power, he was already capable of standing par with an Eight-Star Battle Saint. Hounyuan Tian's presence was indeed formidable, yet still fell short of Lei Ying and Yan Jin. According to Xiao Yan's assessment, Hounyuan Tian was likely no more than an early or mid-level Eight-Star Battle Saint. Should they engage in direct combat, Xiao Yan had no fear at all." "The Xiao clan people have always been sharp-tongued and quick-witted. When you finally come into my hands, you'll truly understand what it means to suffer a life worse than death!" Huo Yuan Tian's expression was particularly cold. With a crack of his lips, he revealed the grayish-yellow teeth within, speaking in a chilling tone. As he spoke, his fingers subtly moved, and gradually, an invisible ripple surged from behind Xiao Yan, weaving together into an intangible net that suddenly enveloped him. At the same time, Huo Yuan Tian himself surged forward, appearing before Xiao Yan in a matter of eye blinks, his palm pressing down with a pungent, sour wind directly onto Xiao Yan's chest. "Crack!" Huo Yuan Tian's palm wind halted abruptly just half an inch from Xiao Yan's chest, solidifying into an invisible defensive barrier. The force of impact was so intense that it caused fissures to crack open in the surrounding space. "To display spiritual power before me? Pure nonsense," Xiao Yan gazed at Hun Yuan Tian, chuckling. With a subtle shift of his mind, a vast surge of spiritual energy erupted forth, instantly shattering the invisible spiritual web behind him into nothingness. Then, a vibrant pink flame seeped out from his body, transforming it into a translucent, crystalline pink glass. As he activated his Devastating Fire Body technique, his aura surged significantly. Soon after, the flames in his palm rapidly coalesced into a lotus of six hues. Now, Xiao Yan could summon the Devastating Fire Lotus with mere thought—his imperial-level spiritual prowess had multiplied the speed of formation by countless measures. "Hum hum!" As soon as the flaming lotus took shape, waves of devastatingly intense heat surged forth rapidly, spreading outward. Then, Xuanyin curled his fingers and flicked his thumb, sending a radiant trail of flame trailing behind the lotus, which shot straight toward the soul essence's temple on the brain. Though Xuanyin's true strength still remained at the level of a Six-Star Soul Saint, the power of this destructive lotus had grown several times stronger than before—thanks entirely to the amplification provided by the Emperor-level soul. The fire lotus blazing across the sky finally exploded with a thunderous roar at the threshold of stillness, instantly unleashing a terrifying storm of destruction. "Hold it!" The storm's shadows flickered in the depths of Hongyuan Tian's eyes as he coldly smiled. Suddenly, an immense, terrifying suction force surged forth from the vast black gate, and by the end, the colossal flame storm—stretching a thousand zhang—was completely drawn into the gate. "Is this the Stillness Gate?" Seeing this, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with astonishment. It wasn't merely because Hongyuan Tian had so easily subdued the Devastating Fire Lotus, but because Hongyuan Tian himself possessed such a remarkable artifact. "Such a mere trick, dare to display it before me? My Stillness Gate was created by a primordial Dueling Emperor—capable of absorbing all things from heaven and earth!" "It seems to have sensed Xiao Yan's astonishment. The Soul-Source Heavenly Gate is rather peculiar—indeed, it differs entirely from ordinary combat techniques, and perhaps it cannot even be called a combat technique at all. It would be more accurate to describe it as a space uniquely cultivated and established through solitary practice. To master this Soul-Source Heavenly Gate, Houn Yuan Tian devoted several centuries of refinement, only to achieve its current potency. Within the gate's space, an atmosphere of death permeates—so potent that even a Seven-Star Combat Saint, if unable to break through, will be gradually eroded and perish by this deathly aura. Moreover, after such a being's death, his very essence and blood will nourish the gate, strengthening it further. In ancient times, this gate had indeed drawn the interest and competition of many powerful figures. It was unexpected that Houn Yuan Tian had managed to cultivate it successfully." "Indeed, a remarkable achievement..." Xiao Yan licked his lips. Even he, with all his experience, found himself quite eager for this Soul-Source Heavenly Gate. "Your essence and soul should be able to significantly enhance the power of my Gate of Stillness..." Huo Yuan Tian flashed into position atop the massive gate, settling into a meditative posture and fixing Xiao Yan with a grim, penetrating gaze. Then, altering his hand seals, black luminescence surged within the gate, coalescing into a beam several zhang in width that suddenly erupted outward. The beam moved with incredible speed, already fully enveloping Xiao Yan the moment it emerged. "Young man," Huo Yuan Tian smiled coldly, "go down to meet your ancestor, Xiao Xuan!" Suddenly, an immense suction force burst forth from within the Gate of Stillness, drawing the beam inward. It contracted and vanished in a flash, and with it, Xiao Yan—completely encased within the beam—disappeared as well. With Xiao Yan now sealed within the Gate of Stillness, Huo Yuan Tian's expression grew even more stern. Those who entered the gate had yet to emerge alive. Once the deathly atmosphere within the gate fully eroded Xiao Yan's aura and vitality, his life or death would be entirely at his discretion. "Hmph. A bunch of scattered, uncoordinated fools, thinking they can wipe out our Hun Clan? When we're fully prepared, not one of them will make it out of here!" With Xiao Yan secured, Hun Yuan Tian raised his head, glanced at the chaotic battlefield, and then his eyes settled on the thick clouds gathering in the sky, where he immediately let out a cold, low chuckle. Xiao Yan's figure appeared amidst an atmosphere of death. Gazing at this eerie, dark space, a strange smile played upon his face as he murmured softly, "Hun Yuan Tian, I shall take this treasure for you first..." As soon as he finished speaking, the pure lotus divine flame surged forth from within him, instantly sweeping across the space. Under the intense heat, even the death-like aura could not approach. Then, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, and an immense, boundless surge of spiritual power erupted, swiftly enveloping the entire dark space within mere breaths. Suddenly, his form vanished, reappearing in a dark region where, at the very center, a black stone lay concealed beneath layers of deathly aura. This stone radiated a subtle spiritual resonance—the soul imprint of Hun Yuan Tian preserved within the silent gate. It was precisely this imprint that enabled him to wield the gate. Should it be erased, however, he would lose his control over the silent gate entirely. Staring at the black stone, the cold smile on Xiao Yan's face grew ever more pronounced. By sealing a soul of imperial rank into this place, Hun Yuan Tian had made the most critical mistake. …… "Thwack!" Houn Yuan's palm struck a senior Dou-Sheng elder of the ancient clan, blasting him into nothingness. Black energy surged from his palm, subtly forming a miniature black portal, while streams of blood rapidly flowed into it. "Such a captivating power..." As the stillness of the portal grew richer with an ever-deepening sense of death, Houn Yuan's face broke into a smile. Yet, just as he prepared to seek another target, his expression suddenly tightened—he noticed the connection between himself and the portal had suddenly weakened. "Oh no..." This unexpected development sent a weight to his heart. He swiftly moved to enter the portal, only to find that the connection had been completely severed. "Whoosh!" As that connection severed, the soul-metaphysical palm trembled, and the black gate soared directly forth, then surged forward like a storm, a flash of light illuminating it as it settled upon the great gate, gazing warmly at the soul-metaphysical sky and smiling, "Thank you for your generous gift!" Upon witnessing this, the soul-metaphysical sky stood motionless for a moment, his eyes instantly blazing crimson.