In the council hall, after a brief introduction, everyone took their seats. "Within Blackhorn Domain, there have already been numerous factions wiped out by the Spirit Palace. Though the earlier ones have already been eliminated," Xiao Yan glanced at the gathered guests before speaking slowly. Upon hearing this, Su Qian and the others could not help but feel a tremor of surprise—given the sheer strength of these individuals, it truly was not impossible for the Spirit Palace to wipe out the entire Blackhorn Domain. "Do you think Blackhorn Domain and them have any significant grievances?" Su Qian chuckled faintly. As the Spirit Palace was a force from the Central Plains, and Blackhorn Domain had rarely maintained contact with the Central Plains, Su Qian had never imagined that the Spirit Palace would take such drastic action. Xiao Yan and Meng Tianchi exchanged glances, and then Xiao Yan gave a slight nod before Meng Tianchi began to speak, carefully recounting the events that had unfolded across the Central Province—among them, the current alliance's struggle against the Spirit Clan. "Your determination is truly remarkable," Su Qian remarked, his gaze fixed on Xiao Yan with a sense of wonder. Though Meng Tianchi had only briefly mentioned certain key moments, Su Qian could still sense the profound intensity beneath the surface. The other elders, including Wu Hao, could not help but nod in agreement. When they had departed years ago, Xiao Yan had still only reached the level of Battle Emperor. Now, however—perhaps in all the realms, one could find only a few individuals who could truly match him. Such accomplishments were truly astonishing. "Then, according to the headmaster's account, it is precisely because of our academy's magma world beneath the territory that our Black Angle Domain has suffered such a devastating calamity?" "A thousand and two elders exchanged glances, their faces filled with astonishment, and spoke. "The depths of the magma might hold what the Spirit Clan needs." Meng Tianchi nodded. "The Spirit Clan is always ruthless. To eliminate all life in Black Angle Domain in order to secure what they require—this is not an impossible task for them." "This contingent that has arrived is merely a vanguard force. Soon, the full Spirit Clan army may arrive, and then, here, a grand battle will surely unfold. Therefore, these students cannot remain here indefinitely." Xiao Yan said. Su Qian and the others exchanged weary smiles—this was indeed a sudden disaster. They had been calmly teaching their students, only to be drawn into such turmoil, and the source of the trouble was the most powerful force on the Continent. "Had you not arrived in time today, Black Angle Domain would have seen rivers of blood." "Su Qian sighed softly. He had witnessed the tactics of the Spirit Clan members earlier. If Xiao Yan hadn't appeared, the scene here would likely have turned into a sea of blood and mountains of corpses. "Senior Elder, please rest assured. Though the Spirit Clan is strong, our allied forces are not afraid of them. This Cana College will certainly not fall easily into their hands," Xiao Yan smiled gently, offering reassurance. "The college itself is merely a minor matter—what truly matters is that everyone is safe." Su Qian shook his head slightly, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, his eyes soft and full of warmth. "After all these years of training, that once-impetuous young man has finally become a true powerhouse." "I have always cherished the teachings and guidance of Senior Elder," Xiao Yan said softly, his tone sincere. In a way, Su Qian could indeed be considered his half-teacher. Back then, when the young man first joined the academy, Su Qian had given him considerable support. At that time, Xiao Yan was merely a young man who had fled the Gamma Empire, carrying only resentment and embarrassment. "Ah, you coming to our academy—well, that's quite within our duties," Su Qian waved his hand and smiled. "Heh, now this young man can stand on equal footing with the clan chief. In that case, here, I still have to be one step below him." "Beside him, Meng Tianchi chuckled, remarking that he had long regarded Xiao Yan as a monster. Their first meeting had taken place in the Void Thunder Pool, when Xiao Yan had only just reached the Duke of Battle rank. Who could have imagined, just a few years later, upon their next encounter, Xiao Yan had already surpassed him? That pace—Meng Tianchi could only shake his head and marvel in silent admiration. Indeed, the reputation of being the leading young talent on the continent was no mere title. Yet, whenever he thought of the fact that this very first among the young talents had emerged from his own academy, Meng Tianchi felt a surge of pride. Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, and he spoke in a steady tone. He needed to ascertain what strange mysteries lay beneath the molten world. Hearing that Xiao Yan intended to delve deep into the molten realm, Su Qian and the others were momentarily startled. Yet recalling Xiao Yan's formidable strength, they soon grew reassured. Though the molten realm was enigmatic, with such power, it was surely not difficult for him to emerge unscathed. "Brother Xiao Yan, shall I go with you?" Xun'er furrowed her brows, expressing a slight concern. If there indeed existed an ancient emperor's sanctuary below, the danger could hardly be underestimated—after all, it was a legacy left by a Divine Emperor, and such a feat would surely not be simple. "This journey has brought only a limited number of people," Xiao Yan shook his head, then smiled. "Rest assured..." With his current strength, even if there were a being of level comparable to the Soul Heavenly Emperor dwelling at the very depths of the molten world, he might not be able to defeat them outright. Yet, should he need to make his way out, he would certainly be able to. Seeing Xiao Yan's determination, Xun'er couldn't say much more than that, and merely gave a gentle nod, adding a brief instruction. "The sooner we start, the better—let's set off now," Xiao Yan was equally decisive. Once the plan was settled, he didn't hesitate any longer and rose to speak. At this, Su Qian and the others exchanged glances and slowly nodded in agreement. "Su Qian also smiled and said that over the years, they had put in countless efforts to nurture this fallen heart flame. Fortunately, all their efforts had paid off. Today's Tian Fen Qi Tower was far more effective than it had been back then. After all, the mature form of the fallen heart flame used to never heed their commands. But now, thanks to years of careful cultivation, this fallen heart flame no longer hesitated at all when they issued their instructions. Xiao Yan floated above the molten lava, gazing upward at a hollowed-out cave not far below the passage. A wistful smile played at the corner of his lips, as if recalling the days he had once spent diligently refining his skills here. "At last, I'm back. This time, however, I'd like to find out—what exactly lies down below!" Now, Xiao Yan's speed is不知how many times faster than it was back then. In less than ten minutes, he had gradually delved deeper into the molten rock. Yet, his own form had slowed considerably, his expression calm as he gazed steadily at the surrounding lava. He could sense numerous subtle presences swiftly converging upon him. "These lava creatures..." Xiao Yan smiled faintly. Suddenly, he lightly stamped his foot, and a vast surge of spiritual energy erupted from his brow. Instantly, the surrounding lava exploded, revealing countless figures hidden within, who shrieked in terror. "Shhh!" As the cries rang out, the lava surged with intense ripples, and soon Xiao Yan saw dense ranks of crimson figures pouring in from all directions, ultimately encircling him completely. Xiao Yan's gaze swept over these lizard-like molten beings, finally settling on two figures farther off—lizard-like beings with bodies of milky white, appearing notably older than the others. What struck Xiao Yan most was that these two had already reached the rank of half-Saint! "Indeed, it makes sense that Tianhuo Master perished here. There must be such beings among these lizard people after all." With a flicker of understanding in his eyes, Xiao Yan felt a sense of relief—thankfully, he hadn't encountered these two back then, otherwise he would have been crushed under their palms at that time. "Human, this is the Sacred Grove of the Gods—your place is not here. Retreat at once! Otherwise, should the guardian awaken, you shall be eternally buried here." As Xiao Yan was silently pondering, one of the two white lizard figures spoke in human language, though somewhat stilted, the intermittent words still reached his ears. "The Sacred Grove? The Guardian?" Hearing these two terms, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed.