"Boom!" At the base of the Tian Fen Qi Tower, within the passage leading to the world of molten lava, a sudden surge of lava erupted, and then a figure emerged, slightly disheveled, rushing out amidst the astonishment of Xun'er and the others. "Xiao Yan, brother!" Seeing the figure, Xun'er's face instantly changed, and she hurried forward. "I'm fine," Xiao Yan said, stepping down, wiping a trace of blood from his lips. His gaze was serious as he stared at the molten lava passage, his fists clenched tightly. He hadn't expected such a terrifying presence to exist even at the very depths of the lava. "What happened?" Su Qian, Meng Tian Shi, and the others were equally startled by Xiao Yan's appearance. They were well aware of his current strength, yet seeing him in such a disheveled state, they couldn't help but wonder what monstrous entity lay at the heart of the molten lava depths. "Meng elder, inform the elders of the Gu Yuan clan—confirmation has been received," Xiao Yan said, his expression serious, then spoke firmly. Hearing this, Meng Tianchi and the others' faces instantly tightened, their hearts pounding with urgency. Recognizing the significance of the matter, he didn't hesitate—immediately turned and hurried off to relay the news to Gu Yuan and the others. "Indeed, the Ancient Emperor's abode is located at the very bottom of the magma chamber?" Color Ling stared at the magma passage, equally astonished. Though she had spent some time within it back then, she hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. "Indeed," Xiao Yan nodded, then briefly recounted what had transpired at the bottom of the magma chamber. When Xun'er and the others heard that a mysterious being of such strength—comparable to Gu Yuan or Hún Tiān Emperor—existed within that space, their expressions could not help but shift noticeably. Good thing the mysterious being seems unable to leave that space; otherwise, today might have turned into a serious matter. Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, somewhat relieved to say, given the strength displayed by that massive being, if it had broken through on its own, there would likely be no one here capable of subduing it. "Now, we shall simply have to wait for the allied forces to arrive. Should the Huan Clan succeed once again, then indeed, there may be no hope left..." Xiao Yan sighed softly. If Huan Tian Di were to obtain that nascent Emperor's Dan, it might just enable him to transcend into the Emperor rank. Then, in the heavens and earth, no one would be able to stand against him—not even the allied forces. The others, including Xun'er, nodded in agreement. At this point, they could only proceed as such. "Indeed... I don't know why, but our movements have been detected by Xiao Yan and the others. Just after Houniu and the others arrived in Blackhorn Domain, they were immediately pursued by Xiao Yan and his companions, and all of them ultimately fell into the hands of Xiao Yan and his group." The figure below, though drenched in cold sweat, spoke clearly and steadily. "How could Xiao Yan have known of their whereabouts?" Houniu the Emperor said, his expression serious. "Lord, Xiao Yan was once a student at the Gan Nan Academy in Blackhorn Domain. This time, it seems only that the academy sensed danger and thus requested his assistance. In my opinion, he certainly wouldn't have known our true intentions!" The man hurried to explain. "Hmph. That young man is as cunning as a fox—how could anyone possibly know what's going on in his mind? Moreover, if he hadn't been on high alert from the start, even if the academy sent out an emergency message at short notice, could he have arrived in time?" The silent, ever-present Xuzhui coldly remarked. Upon hearing this, the person kneeling below opened his mouth, but only managed a hesitant response. "Your meaning... could it be that Xiao Yan has also learned of the news regarding the Ancient Emperor's sanctuary in Black Angular Domain?" The Soul Emperor furrowed his brow, for this was information painstakingly gathered through their efforts to collect ancient jade fragments—how could Xiao Yan have known it so directly? "It's certainly possible. After all, hasn't that young man been residing in the Black Angular Domain for some time? Who knows if he hasn't sensed something unusual." The Void-Eating Flame in the eyes of the Void-Eating Flame stirred steadily, and he spoke gravely, "Moreover, regardless of whether he has sensed it or not, we must begin our actions now. Otherwise, should any unforeseen incident arise, it would be a severe blow to us." "Agreed. Delay may bring about change." The Soul Emperor paused thoughtfully and nodded, clearly unsettled by the news of Xiao Yan's presence in the Black Angular Domain. "What about Gu Yuan?" asked the Void-Eating Flame. Recently, Gu Yuan had been continuously monitoring the Soul Clan's domain. Should a large number of powerful figures depart here, he would surely detect their movements. "I've already arranged for a spatial passage connecting the Spirit Realm in the northwest region. When you act, send your forces to the Black Corner Domain. As for the ancient emperor, I'll hold him there." The Spirit Emperor spoke calmly. "Hmm." Upon hearing this, Xuwu Tunyan hesitated slightly before nodding. "As long as I secure the nascent Imperial Dan from the ancient emperor's abode, the so-called allied forces will amount to nothing but insects..." The Spirit Emperor lifted his gaze toward the vaulted ceiling of the hall, a cold smile playing on his face, and murmured softly. ... In the Star Realm, atop a stone tower, Gu Yuan sat in meditation, his vast soul energy radiating outward, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure throughout the entire tower. Under this weight of pressure, all but a few individuals dared not approach within a hundred paces of the tower. At the summit of the stone tower, Gu Yuan's ancient face was still as calm as still water. His eyes slightly closed, the boundless soul power flowed into the void, detecting the direction of the Soul Realm through a mysterious method, then transforming into delicate threads of soul energy that wound around it completely. Thus, any subtle fluctuations within that space would inevitably be sensed by him. The Soul Heavenly Emperor gazed at Gu Yuan, offering a faint smile. "The fall of the other two is not unrelated to you." Gu Yuan scoffed. The Soul Heavenly Emperor remained silent, then, watching Gu Yuan closely, said, "If you can cooperate with me, when I eventually ascend to the Battle Emperor rank, I will certainly support you." Gu Yuan was taken aback—never expected the Soul Heavenly Emperor to make such a gesture of alliance—yet soon smiled and asked, "Do you truly believe that's possible?" "It's truly a pity. You're one of the few who have earned my genuine regard." Knowing the answer, the Soul Heavenly Emperor shook his head with a touch of regret, lifting his gaze toward the empty space. Suddenly, he murmured, "They always say Battle Emperor-level warriors possess boundless reach and power. Yet, how do you explain it—why have those very Battle Emperor-level warriors vanished completely?" Gu Yuan's brows furrowed slightly, but he said nothing. "These answers may be revealed to me when I myself ascend to the rank of Battle Emperor." The Spirit Emperor stared at the distant void, a peculiar luster passing through his eyes. Then he turned to Gǔ Yuán, smiled proudly, and said, "This realm cannot bind me!" His words were bold and lofty, yet carried an overwhelming momentum—so much so that even Gǔ Yuán did not find them amusing, for he knew well that this opponent, who had contested with him for nearly a millennium, truly possessed such resolve and potential. "You wish to hold me in place?" Gǔ Yuán stared at the Spirit Emperor, suddenly remarking. With his sharp insight, he had clearly observed that the latter had not yet moved, and thus, it was evident that the opponent's sole intention was to keep him occupied. Hearing this, the Spirit Emperor smiled, calculated the time, and said, "It should be about right now." "Is the Ancient Emperor's abode located in the Black Corner Domain?" Gǔ Yuán narrowed his eyes and added. As soon as he spoke these words, the smile on the Spirit Heavenly Emperor's face slightly faded and then dissolved, as he softly said, "You've indeed figured it out..." He hadn't deliberately concealed the information, for he knew that since Gu Yuan had stated this, there must already be considerable knowledge behind it—denying it would have been pointless. "It seems the heavens are not aiding you," Gu Yuan chuckled. "Whose turn it will be in the end—soon enough we shall see..." The Spirit Heavenly Emperor spread his hands. Then, pausing momentarily, he asked, "Is it due to Xiao Yan's reason?" By this, he meant the very reason why Gu Yuan had come to know the final location of the Ancient Emperor's abode. Gu Yuan smiled, neither confirming nor denying. "Such a nuisance..." Huatian Di came to a stop, shaking his head slightly. There was an inexplicable feeling in his heart. Who could have imagined that within this once-fallen Xiao family, someone so formidable would emerge—someone even the Huafu clan had repeatedly fallen to, and now, even the ancient emperor's sanctuary had been the first to be detected by him? "All those dullards, always hiding key information..." Huatian sighed. Had it not been for Xiao Yan's steady rise in the Zhongzhou region, he might never have known that the young man had escaped the Huafu clan's relentless pursuit. By the time he learned of these developments, Xiao Yan had already grown into a capable and confident figure. Bound by numerous strategic plans, he had simply been unable to pay close attention. Who could have predicted that this small oversight would now become such a significant source of trouble? "If you underestimate him, you'll soon taste the consequences," Ancient Yuan smiled, pausing briefly. "In fact, he may even surpass Xiao Xuan in excellence." "Oh?" The Hu Tian Di raised an eyebrow, smiled gently, "That's quite a high evaluation. Yet, if our Hu clan can cause the first Xiao Xuan to fall, we can certainly ensure the second one does too..." "Gu Yuan, then let's meet in Black Horn Domain!" The space around Hu Tian Di slowly warped, and soon, his figure began to fade away.