In the courtyard, Xiao Yan watched Xiao Zhan playing with Xiao Xiao, smiling gently at the joyful sounds of the elder and the young one. Perhaps due to their shared bloodline, after these days of getting to know each other, Xiao Xiao had grown quite familiar with this still somewhat unfamiliar grandfather, treating him as a true family member rather than a stranger during their playful interactions. Xiao Yan's brows were also furrowed. According to expectation, the Hún clan should have been much more restless—they had pursued the Jade of the Tuo She Emperor for over a thousand years. Now that they finally obtained it, they should have been eager to open the ancient emperor's sanctuary immediately. "What on earth are these people up to?" Xiao Yan sighed softly. At this moment, even if they were anxious, there seemed to be little they could do but wait for the Hún clan to take action. As for launching an assault into the Hún World, given the strength the Hún clan had demonstrated previously, even a large-scale invasion might yield little results. And if they were ambushed, it would represent a significant loss for the allied forces. Regardless, the Hún World had been cultivated and managed by the Hún clan for countless years. Fighting there would give them home-field advantages—something that Xiao Yan and the others were far from eager to see. "We can only wait now," said Yàolǎ, setting down his teacup and sighing. Xiao Yan nodded with a wry smile, discussed a few more matters, then raised his head and gazed at the two figures entering the courtyard, a smile spreading across his face as he rose to greet them. "Brother, second brother..." The two figures—one with somewhat stiff steps and the other moving with the grace of a dragon and the strength of a tiger—were precisely Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, who had recently arrived from the western region. Xiao Ding's leg injury had been treated by Xiao Yan over the past period. Back then, he was completely unable to walk due to the poison from the Hún clan. With Xiao Yan's current abilities, not only could he effectively expel the poison, but even replacing Xiao Ding's legs would be nothing short of trivial. The stiffness in Xiao Ding's gait merely reflected his ongoing adjustment to walking on two legs. Upon seeing Xiao Yan approaching with a warm smile, both Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged smiles and stepped forward, giving him a solid punch to the chest—deep brotherly affection shimmering in their eyes. "You young lad—when I was still complaining about how you neglected the Yan Alliance, I didn't realize you had established an even more formidable alliance in the Central Plains." Xiao Ding smiled. Xiao Yin sighed, for he never particularly enjoyed managing such affairs. Initially, he had formed the Yan Alliance merely out of necessity, hoping to create a power capable of protecting the Xiao family after he himself departed. As for the Heavenly Realm Alliance in the Central Plains, it was entirely due to the need to counter the Hún Palace and the Hún Clan. Otherwise, he simply hadn't had the motivation to forge such an alliance. "Is everything going well with the Yan Alliance? Are there no unusual developments?" Xiao Yin asked with a smile. "Yes, compared to the Central Plains, the Yan Alliance is indeed a remote and underdeveloped region. Even the Hún Clan hasn't extended its influence significantly. At present, the Yan Alliance stands as the dominant force in the northwest of the continent. Of course, there are still several rivals keeping a close watch." Xiao Li remained as composed and reserved as ever, his eyes half-closed, radiating a subtle gleam—just as he had in the past. At the Yan Alliance, even his subordinates often felt intimidated by his presence, hesitant to show any pretense before him. "But if those people knew that the Grand Master of the Yan Alliance still maintained such a solid foundation in the Central Plains, they’d likely have to kneel and submit by the next day," Xiao Ding shook his head and smiled. Xiao Yan smiled lightly as well, showing little interest in this matter. With his current strength, he simply couldn’t spare attention for the minor uprisings in the northwest region of the continent—nor could he find many powerful factions or individuals in the Central Plains that truly warranted his notice. "Oh, by the way…" As though suddenly remembering something, Xiao Li turned to Xiao Yan and said, "A few days ago, I received a message from the Xiao Sect. It seems that some unidentified strong figures have recently emerged in Black-Angle Domain—those individuals bear a strong resemblance to the soul palace warriors we’ve previously encountered." "Heard this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, thought for a while, then chuckled, recalling with a touch of irony that back then, when he and Xiao Li were still establishing the Xiao Sect in Black Angular Region, they had laid down a solid foundation. Now that he thought about it, it seemed that in many places, there were still traces of his influence—establishing so many institutions, despite being someone who never particularly excelled at management. It did indeed seem rather amusing." "The Canaan Academy..." Xiao Yan smiled, about to nod, when a sudden flash of inspiration struck him, causing his body to stiffen momentarily. In the next instant, he suddenly lifted his gaze, his dark eyes blazing with intense light. "The underground magma world!" Xiao Yan's sudden exclamation startled everyone in the courtyard, who immediately gathered around him. "What's wrong?" Cailein furrowed her brows, asking. Xiao Yan's face was filled with excitement. He grasped Cailein's pale wrist tightly and beamed, "Do you remember the underground magma world beneath the burning spiritual tower at Canaan Academy?" Upon hearing this, Cailein's cold, elegant complexion instantly flushed with embarrassment, glaring at Xiao Yan with irritation. She didn't hesitate to firmly twist his arm with her delicate hand—how could she forget? It was there, in fact, that Xiao Yan, in his wild, passionate state, had forcefully taken her by surprise. "Eh?" "Hmm..." Being firmly tugged by Cailei, Xiao Yan finally regained his composure. Gazing at Cailei, who was now flushed with embarrassment, her cheeks reddening as if she wanted to bite him right off, he was momentarily stunned. Then, it struck him—remembering something—so he offered a slightly awkward smile, clearing his throat and chuckling to the sky. After a few more dry chuckles, he composed himself, his eyes gleaming with focus. The location of the Tosheda Emperor's ancestral hall had always remained a mystery. When Xiao Yan first held the Tosheda Emperor's jade, it had been remarkably ordinary throughout—almost unremarkable—until one specific instance. That was in the subterranean magma world beneath the Gan Nan Academy. There, the jade had first and only ever exhibited any unusual behavior. However, at that moment, Xiao Yan was being relentlessly pursued by those strange creatures, scrambling desperately and unable to pause for exploration—so he simply slipped away. Now, reflecting on it, the molten world seemed to hold some unusual qualities. Perhaps there, he could gather information related to the Tu She Ancient Emperor's abode. "Master, I need ten Supreme Saint-level warriors from the allied forces to accompany me. Xun'er and Cai Lin as well—join me." With these words, Xiao Yan made no further hesitation, decisively stating his plan. "Wait—where to?" The others were taken aback by his sudden command. "To the Gan Nan Academy. If my guess is correct, there should be clues about the Tu She Ancient Emperor's abode there," Xiao Yan said firmly. The elders, including Yao Lao, looked slightly surprised. "Perfect—we established a spatial wormhole connecting to the northwest region. I'll go there first. Master, please also inform the ancient uncle, Lei Ying, and the chief of the Yan Jin clan about this matter." "Hmm." The Elder of the Medicine nodded. If indeed what Xiao Yan had said was true, then this truly was a momentous matter. "However, I'm not entirely certain myself, so I'd like to ask Elder Gu to keep the surveillance in place. As soon as you notice a large number of strong members of the Huan Clan arriving, you should quickly head toward Black Horn Domain!" Xiao Yan said swiftly. "Rest assured," said the Elder, after giving the instructions. After a brief greeting with Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan then quickly led Cai Lin and Xun'er away. Watching the three figures depart, the Elder also turned seriously and hurried toward the council hall. "The elder in black bowed respectfully and said, 'Oh?' At this, the calm gaze of the Spirit Emperor flickered with light. He smiled gently at the figure below and said, 'Go on.' 'The region is known as the Black Horn Domain. Though now it is home to numerous powerful factions, its overall terrain remains almost identical to that depicted in the records,' the elder said solemnly. 'The Black Horn Domain...' The Spirit Emperor rose slowly, his eyes sweeping across the hall, and asked, 'Which group is closest to it?' 'Chieftain Huoyou and Elder Houn, both of whom are stationed in that region. Elder Houn serves as the overall representative of the Spirit Palace beyond the Central Plains,' a figure spoke up. 'Issue orders for him to lead all the Spirit Palace's personnel stationed outside, and dispatch them to the Black Horn Domain to clear the area. He should know exactly what needs to be done.' The Spirit Emperor said calmly. 'Yes!' The elder in black immediately responded with respectful deference and then withdrew slowly. Gazing at the fading figure of the elder, the Spirit Emperor slowly lifted his head, his smile broadening steadily until it turned into a hearty laugh that resonated throughout the hall. "At last, I've found you! The Ancient Emperor's sanctuary!"