"Damn it, they managed to escape after all..." Looking where the void had vanished, Lei Ying and the others gritted their teeth in growing frustration. They hadn't expected that even with the combined efforts of the three great clans and the Heavenly Palace Alliance, they still wouldn't succeed in holding the Hún clan. "The strength the Hún clan has displayed this time far exceeds our previous understanding," said Yan Jin, his expression serious. In a sense, the Hún clan now could no longer be contained by any single power—neither the ancient clan nor any other individual force could match them. Precisely for this reason, his sense of urgency grew ever stronger. If the three clans didn't unite soon, they would inevitably be one by one subdued by the Hún clan—much like the three clans of the Medicine and Spirit Stones. "Over the years, the Hu Clan has remained too hidden...” Gu Yuan, with his long hair flowing freely, now looked unusually serious. For so long, they had believed that even if they couldn't defeat the Hu Clan, their strength would at least be on par with it. Yet today's stark reality revealed that, in truth, the ancient clan was no match for the Hu Clan. "Hu Tian Di is right. At the time of the Xiao Clan's downfall, no other power on this continent could have stood against them. Unfortunately, it is only now that we have come to realize this." Gu Yuan sighed, feeling a touch of regret. If the Xiao Clan had still existed, even if the Hu Clan had dared to attempt it, they likely wouldn't have dared to launch such a war. Hearing this, Lei Ying and the others could only shake their heads, finding it rather too late to speak of it now. "What should we do now?" Xiao Yan said after a brief pause. Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned to Gu Yuan. Observing the situation, he paused and said, "Now that the Yuhun Clan of the Dosheda Ancient Emperor has been fully secured, once they have had a chance to rest and recover, they will likely gather to search for the ancient jade and locate the Dosheda Emperor's abode. In the meantime, the only course we can pursue is to closely monitor the Yuhun Clan. Should any of their strong members be dispatched, we will quietly follow them, accompanying them all the way to the Emperor's dwelling. "However, monitoring them may prove difficult—fear they will slip away, evade our grasp, and by the time we notice, they may already have entered the Emperor's abode." Lei Ying frowned, noting that this was precisely the strength of the Yuhun Clan. When they had eliminated the Ling, Shi, and Yao clans, they had done so silently and without any noticeable signs—completely undetected. "This time, I will personally oversee the monitoring." "Gu Yuan spoke solemnly, understanding the significance of this matter. If the Huan Clan truly succeeded in smoothly opening their sanctuary and unraveling the mystery of ascending to the Battle Emperor rank, then they would truly be beyond recovery. In the eyes of true Battle Emperor-level强者, what was once called an alliance would merely be a fleeting, floating presence—like the lamenting tree. Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. On the current Battle Qi Continent, the two strongest figures were undoubtedly Gu Yuan and the Huan Emperor. With Gu Yuan personally overseeing the situation, no matter how capable the Huan Emperor or Xuzhui Tunian might be, they could not vanish without his notice. "When they finally reach the Huan Emperor's sanctuary, there will surely be a final, decisive battle. This time, even if both of us fall, we must absolutely prevent the Huan Clan from achieving their goal!" Gu Yuan said, his expression grave. Everyone nodded in unison, understanding that if their battle at the cave sanctuary were to suffer another defeat, their fate would be no different from that of the Ling Clan and the other three tribes—no matter the cost, they would have to fight to the very last breath in order to preserve their ancestral lineage. Victory meant survival; defeat meant extinction. "Then, let the allied forces remain in the Tianfu Alliance. Located in the Central Plains, it offers a perfect vantage point to monitor the Hu Clan's every move." Gu Yuan didn't object—staying in the Central Plains would indeed make monitoring the Hu Clan much more convenient. Xiao Yan was taken aback, seeing the elder's warm smile, and could only nod in resignation. With the League's growing strength, a powerful and steadfast leader was indeed needed. While the elder had strong prestige, his combat prowess was slightly weaker; thus, replacing him was likely intended to further stabilize the League. After once again exchanging words with the elder and his companions, Xiao Yan suddenly turned to Cai Lin and Xun'er, speaking softly, "You two come with me." As soon as he spoke, Xiao Yan launched himself toward a distant mountain peak. Seeing this, both Cai Lin and Xun'er seemed to grasp the meaning, their cheeks flushing slightly. Though they had always remained calm and composed even amidst thousands of troops, a sense of nervousness now stirred within them. But then, exchanging glances with one another as if encouraging each other, they steadied themselves, bit their silver teeth gently, and followed him. Xiao Yan's figure landed upon a distant mountain peak, where several elite members of the Alliance rose to greet him, bowing with deep respect, their faces filled with awe. "Chief!" "Thank you," Xiao Yan waved, then quickly approached the group protecting Xiao Zhan, bowing respectfully and speaking softly, "Father, are you all right?" Xiao Zhan gazed upon the young man before him—slightly slender in build, yet with shoulders strong enough to withstand the heavens and earth—his eyes once again glistening with emotion. Overflowing with pride and satisfaction, he had clearly seen the astonishing battle from afar, and the sheer power Xiao Yan displayed during it had deeply moved him. Over the years with the Huan Clan, he had always known just how formidable they truly were. Yet even against such a formidable foe, Xiao Zhan's younger son had seemed to leave a mark, visibly affecting the enemy. "Yan... has grown up so much." Xiao Zhan's rough hands gently rested on Xiao Yan's shoulders. He had always believed, even when others thought the once-talented Xiao family prodigy would fade away, that the young man would one day soar to the heavens. Decades later, that very boy from Wutan—a once-ordinary youth—had now stood at the pinnacle of the continent, gazing down upon all others. Gazing at Xiao Zhan's weathered face, Xiao Yan felt a pang of tenderness in his heart, then forced a smile, slightly stepping back so that two figures—so radiant that even the heavens and nature themselves seemed to pause in admiration—came into view behind him. "Uncle Xiao, do you still remember Xun, don't you?" Xun's cheeks flushed slightly as she bowed gracefully to Xiao Zhan, her voice soft. "Xun?" Xiao Zhan was taken aback, gazing at the woman before him—now radiant and graceful, like a fairy—finally recalling the most brilliant and enigmatic young lady from the Xiao family. A look of delight spread across his face. This had indeed been his ideal choice for a daughter-in-law, though he had long known that her noble status made such a match merely a dream. For this, he had often scolded Xiao Yan, urging him not to become too deeply attached to Xun'er. "Hey, Father, Xun'er is now truly part of our Xiao family," Xiao Yan said, approaching Xiao Zhan with a cheerful smile. "What a fine son! Truly, you haven't let me down," Xiao Zhan replied, his weathered face lighting up with joy as he gave Xiao Yan a hearty pat on the back. Hearing their exchange, Xun'er's cheeks flushed with modest embarrassment, her beauty shining brightly. "And this one?" Xiao Zhan stared for a while, then suddenly turned his gaze toward Cai Lin standing by the side. The latter stood gracefully, exquisitely beautiful, yet her originally cool and elegant expression had softened into a quiet composure, leaving Xiao Zhan momentarily stunned. "Uh... this is also your daughter-in-law, Cai Lin," Xiao Yan said, slightly embarrassed, clearing his throat and speaking softly. "Hmm..." Xiao Zhan's face flushed slightly, then secretly raised a big thumbs-up toward Xiao Yan. Facing two women of such breathtaking beauty—so captivating they could be said to be capable of overthrowing kingdoms—being able to win over both of them was truly no ordinary feat. "Father, I'm sure you've heard of Cai Lin before. She goes by another name—Queen Medusa," Xiao Yan smiled. "Queen Medusa?" "Heavily heard the name that once reverberated like thunder, Xiao Zhan involuntarily trembled. Though he had encountered many strong figures over the years, the memory of the once-fear-inspiring and celebrated Queen Medusa—whose name was scarcely spoken in the Gamma Empire back then—still carried a deep sense of awe from his youth. Indeed, at the time, the name Medusa was so formidable that it was simply not mentioned in the Empire. What he hadn't expected, however, was that this very Queen Medusa, who had once commanded the entire Gamma Empire and several neighboring realms, had now become his daughter-in-law." "Father, those were matters of the past. Call me Cai Lin," Cai Lin smiled gracefully, then coldly glanced at Xiao Zhan, silently reminding him not to bring up old incidents. At Caishen's steady gaze, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile, then turned to Xiao Zhan and said with a smile, "Father, let's go back to the Heavenly Alliance first. Hmm, your granddaughter is waiting for you there. Once we get there, we'll call in Brother and Brother Two. That way, our family can finally be reunited again..." "Granddaughter..." Xiao Zhan opened his mouth, his heart filled with deep emotion. This young man—how quickly he had handled everything?