The world was silent, a stream of gazes filled with various emotions, fixed in wonder upon the black figure standing atop the statue. With the gentle breeze rustling the black robe, the long black hair flowed freely. At first glance, the figure appeared ordinary—yet within the eyes of those watching, it seemed as vast and unshakable as a mountain. "Xiao Yan..." The gaze of Su Qian and the others was equally stunned, lingering on the black-robed figure. After a moment of stillness, the profound sense of despair within them surged into excitement—was it truly possible? Had hope returned today? "Really him?" Xiao Yu covered her red lips, though it had been over a decade since they last saw each other. The familiar silhouette remained unmistakable, though now it carried a more composed and steady presence than in the past. "Sister... is that the legendary Xiao Yan, the senior we've always heard of?" He was truly formidable! That man, who couldn't even hold his own against the hundreds of elder disciples, had been slain right there by him with a single hand... As the crowd surged with murmurs, after a brief silence, a wave of whispers erupted throughout the throng. Everyone's gaze was fixed on that figure in black robes, glowing with intensity. Among the many students of Cana, the most curious thing about this senior student was the growing body of legends surrounding him—indeed, since the founding of Cana Academy, no one had ever been honored with a statue erected in their name. Watching that scene in the sky, many people once again found themselves momentarily still. Then, numerous trainees grew filled with fervor, their eyes blazing with intense admiration, fixed upon that figure clad in black robes—this, truly, was a true master! No need for any action—merely appearing—was enough to command the awe of all present. Such presence and grace stirred the young and eager students so deeply that they could hardly contain their excitement, trembling all over. As萧炎's footsteps settled, a terrifying, intangible ripple surged forth instantly, sweeping like lightning and catching the fleeing figures mid-flight. Suddenly, in the sky, one after another, those dark silhouettes burst into swirling clots of blood mist—whether they were Dou-Zong or Dou-Zun cultivators, they all exploded without warning, their very souls shattered and violently dispersed in that instant. A series of stunned gazes were fixed upon the spreading blood mist in the heavens—an eerie, magnificent sight. To many students, these elite members of the Hún Palace seemed to explode as if they had suddenly been struck by a sudden, unforeseen force, while the figure on the statue remained motionless. "This power..." Su Qian exchanged a glance with the hundreds of elders nearby, their eyes filled with profound astonishment. "To defeat a Dou-Zun cultivator as easily as killing a chicken—how formidable is this strength indeed?" "Xiao Yan, you cannot save them! Once our Hún Clan army arrives, there is no doubt you will all perish without a trace!" "The only one who managed to escape was the Hounyuo, though even he had to expel a lungful of blood before he finally retreated, watching as his subordinates fell dead in a clean, decisive manner. His eyes filled with rage, and he spat out venomously, 'Tian Zhao!' Feeling that chilling, bone-rattling aura, Su Qian and the old man with the thousand-second skin both gasped in astonishment—were all these people truly the legendary Du Saint-level warriors? "Boom!" As they were still in awe, a dark figure was hurled from the sky and landed heavily on a platform below. Upon seeing him, everyone realized it was Houniu—yet now, he appeared lifeless. Staring in stunned silence at the lifeless Houniu, many people quietly swallowed hard. From the fact that he had been summoned by the earlier Du Saint warrior, it was clear that his strength surpassed that of the latter. Yet still… even so, his death had been remarkably decisive. "Ha ha, Su Qian, it seems you're quite suited to managing the academy," a sudden laugh rang out from the heavens, and then a dignified, elderly figure descended slowly, stepping into view before all of them. "Headmaster?" "Staring at the elderly man who floated gracefully toward them with a warm smile, Su Qian and the others were instantly taken aback, then gasped in surprise. "Hehe," the visitor was none other than Master Bang Tian Shi, the dean of Gan Nan Academy. With a warm smile, he gazed at Su Qian and the others, then swept his eyes over the academy, nodding with satisfaction—its scale had improved immeasurably since he had last left. "Let's go inside and talk," Master Bang said, not treating himself as an outsider who had been missing for several decades. He raised his head toward the sky and smiled, "Xiao Xian, here, everyone's familiar faces—do you really intend to hide yourself?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Xian, floating in the sky, shook his head with a sigh, gracefully descending with Xun'er and several of the allied forces' Dou Sheng masters under the watchful eyes of all present. He bowed to Su Qian and smiled, "Senior Elder, it's been years since we last met—how have you been?" "You've been silent for so many years," he added, "I thought something had happened to you." "Gazing at that more mature face compared to a decade ago, Su Qian couldn't help but smile, saying, 'Senior Elder.'" Behind Xiao Yan, Xun'er also gently smiled, her refined and composed grace leaving the surrounding students momentarily stunned—such a girl of this caliber, the entire academy might not have another like her. "Xun'er..." Upon seeing Xun'er, Su Qian nodded with a warm smile, yet before he could speak, a graceful figure leapt out from behind him, colliding with Xun'er just as she did. With her delicate hands encircling her, she effortlessly lifted Xun'er's slender waist. "You're still just as stubborn as ever," Xun'er exclaimed, first startled, then smiled faintly upon recognizing the visitor. "Heh, Xun'er, you're becoming more and more enchanting—though it seems you haven't escaped that person's grasp yet," Hu Jia chuckled, then glanced over at Xiao Yan beside her. By the side, Wu Hao also stored his heavy sword, smiling at the scene, then locked eyes with Xiao Yan. Both of them exchanged a warm smile—friendship from their youth remained vivid even now. "You really enjoy being a mentor, don't you?" Seeing these familiar faces, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel stirred in his heart. He smiled, then turned his gaze toward the tall, graceful figure standing behind Su Qian, where he involuntarily blew a whistle—something quite rare for the usually composed man. "You really came back for this." Upon hearing Xiao Yan's whistle, Su Yu's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced at him gently. Now, his demeanor was almost exactly as it had been when he was a child in Wutan City—back then, he had deliberately adopted this manner, often making himself furious with outbursts. Yet… back then, she would have been annoyed by Xiao Yan’s light-hearted gestures. Now, however, she didn’t resist at all—on the contrary, she even somewhat looked forward to it. Still, she knew deep down that Xiao Yan was no longer the impetuous child who used to sneak a peek at her while she was bathing. "Subordinate, bowing to the Master!" Suddenly, the middle-aged man from the Xiao Clan, his face animated, bowed respectfully. "Are you one of the Xiao Clan’s people?" Xiao Yan smiled, then added lightly, "Well done." "It is my fault, Master. I failed to adequately protect the Gan Nan Academy." The man seemed a bit at a loss. In the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan was a legendary figure—never had he imagined he would actually get the chance to see him in person. "It’s not your fault at all. These enemies are beyond what the Xiao Clan can currently handle." Xiao Yan waved his hand. As he spoke, several figures swiftly descended from the distant sky, gliding into view beside them—exactly the same as Cailei and the others. "The remnants of the Huan clan from other places have all been eliminated," Liang Lin said, a smile appearing on her cold, elegant face. Su Qian and the others stared at the group of about ten people from Xiao Yan, their hearts pounding. They were amazed to find that every single one of them had reached the level of Dou Sheng—such a strong lineup truly left them stunned. It wasn't until after a while that they could manage a weary chuckle, asking, "What on earth is going on?" "During this period, we need to quickly evacuate the students from the academy—something major is about to happen in the Black Angular Domain..." Meng Tianchi said solemnly. To be honest, even he found it hard to accept the speculation that the ancient emperor's sanctuary might be located deep within the magma world. Back when he sealed the Falling Heart Flame, he had ventured into that magma realm himself, though not too deeply. Who could have imagined that the legendary sanctuary would pass him by? Seeing Meng Tianchi and Xiao Yan's serious expressions, Su Qian's demeanor also shifted. He hesitated, then said, "With so many students, where will we send them in the short term? We simply don't have enough personnel to ensure their safe evacuation." Upon hearing this, Meng Tianchi furrowed his brows. "The students' evacuation isn't a major issue," Xiao Yan waved a hand, smiling. "We can simply bring them all into the Heavenly Tomb and shelter them there for now. As for what exactly is happening, we'll discuss the details among ourselves." "Agreed." Hearing Xiao Yan say this, Su Qian could only nod and, after assigning some elders to calm the students, turned and led the way swiftly toward the academy's council hall. Xiao Yan and the others quickly followed, leaving behind a large crowd of enthusiastic glances.