The crimson magma, as if intent on devouring the heavens and the earth, filled the entire landscape with waves reaching ten thousand feet in height. Its scorching heat transformed the very realm into a furnace. Both armies hastily retreated, their eyes wide with awe, fixed upon the magma below—now even they could sense the presence of an extraordinarily terrifying creature concealed within the vast magma expanse. Ancient Yuan and Hún Tian Emperor paused their actions, their eyes alertly scanning the magma sea, where a fierce aura radiated, making them feel an undeniable sense of peril. "It seems that Xiao Yan was right—the ancient emperor's sanctuary is indeed guarded by a mysterious being," Ancient Yuan said, his expression serious, his gaze shifting thoughtfully. "Boom—boom—" The molten lava waterfall surged skyward, then crashed down with a thunderous roar, plunging into the molten sea below and transforming into massive waves that swiftly spread out, completely submerging the distant mountain peaks. As the waves settled, a colossal form suddenly rose from the molten sea. A vast body covered in shimmering purple and golden scales emerged, only partially visible—yet even this partial exposure conveyed immense scale. The mysterious creature's head, subtly stern and imposing, broke through the surface of the lava, gazing upward at the multitude of figures in the sky. Surprise clearly flickered in its deep, ancient eyes. "I never thought it possible," it mused, its gaze sweeping across the heavens before settling firmly upon Gu Yuan and Hún Tiān Dì—the only two among all the gathered beings who commanded its full attention. Gu Yuan and Hún Tian Emperor both gazed at the mysterious creature with serious and watchful eyes, their seasoned insight unable to identify the colossal being—after all, what they had seen seemed but a fraction of the creature's true form. "I am Gu Yuan, head of the Gu Clan. I wonder if you could tell me—?" Gu Yuan bowed respectfully to the creature, speaking in a steady tone. Hearing this, Gu Yuan and Hún Tian Emperor were both startled. It seemed, from the tone of his words, that the duration of time in question was exceptionally long—indeed, tens of thousands of years ago, the Hún clan and the Gu clan were far from being among the most powerful. The enigmatic creature gazed at Hún Tiān Dì, and suddenly a brilliant light surged forth. Then, its immense form rapidly contracted, shrinking within a brief moment into a middle-aged man with purple-gold hair. He raised his head, his golden eyes filled with profound pressure, fixed steadily on Hún Tiān Dì, and smiled gently. "I've been touched by your kindness, and I originally intended to lend you a hand. However, I now have other matters to attend to. Our account will be settled another time." "Phew." Gǔ Yuán quietly exhaled, relieved. Yet Hún Tiān Dì's face could not help but tremble, with a cold gleam shimmering in his eyes—had it not been for his reverence for the mysterious being's formidable power, he would have already ordered his execution. After speaking these words, the middle-aged man paid no attention to Hún Tiān Dì. His golden eyes swept across the sky, then paused on a figure among the crowd. A cold hue instantly passed through his gaze. In the sky, Xiao Yan, looking wary, felt his face pale instantly upon seeing this mysterious figure fix his gaze on him—had he truly remembered him? "Come here, youngster!" The middle-aged man stared at Xiao Yan, extended his hand, and with a sound like a dragon's roar, a massive golden claw shot forth, seizing him instantly. "Damn it!" Seeing that the man had moved without warning, Xiao Yan's expression grew grim. He swiftly retreated, at the same time summoning his spiritual form and activating Huang Quan Tian Nu. "Moo!" The spiritual sound waves struck the golden claw with force, yet the latter remained unmoved. "Sir," Ancient Yuan, witnessing this, grew alarmed and quickly called out, "Do you know what offense Xiao Yan has committed?" "Hmph. My target is only him. If you interfere, I shall deal with you!" "Heard Gu Yuan's roar, the mysterious figure responded with a cold, sharp command. A few days ago, he had sensed the scent of a child within Xiao Yan's blood—the very essence unique to their lineage. Xiao Yan, at first glance, appeared to be a genuine human. Thus, only one conclusion remained: the mysterious figure had once swallowed and absorbed the bloodline of Xiao Yan's child! Perhaps, even worse, the child had fallen victim to this very person! With this thought, the intensity of the mysterious figure's hostility reached its peak. "Hearing Gu Yuan's shout, the allied forces—Lei Ying and the others—bit their teeth and had no choice but to step forward resolutely. Xiao Yan was no ordinary figure; he couldn't simply be abandoned, so they couldn't remain completely passive either!" The mysterious figure intercepting Xiao Yan heard the rushing wind around him and issued a cold snort, lifting his gaze sharply. A voice so powerful it made heaven and earth tremble instantly solidified into tangible waves of sound, surging outward in a furious tide. "Thud! Thud!" Lei Ying, who had just surged forward, was still unable to launch an attack when he was struck by the overwhelming sound waves. He was instantly hurled backward, his internal energy and blood circulation violently agitated, his face pale with shock. "Boy, take your life!" The mysterious figure moved swiftly, appearing before retreating Xiao Yan, and reached out a palm, seizing Xiao Yan's head with a firm grip. "Boom!" "At the very moment the mysterious figure intervened, a massive streak of nine-colored luminescence suddenly swept across the sky, ensnaring Xiao Yan's body and retreating swiftly." "Nine-Colored Celestial Python? Truly unexpected—there seems to be a Celestial Python in this world after all!" The mysterious figure was momentarily stunned, gazing at the nine-colored giant serpent coiled high in the heavens, and exclaimed in astonishment. "Golden Emperor's Flame Slash!" A surge of golden flame erupted in a vibrant cry, expanding into a colossal beam stretching thousands of feet, and striking the mysterious figure with tremendous force. "Boom!" Faced with this powerful assault, the mysterious figure responded with a simple punch. The calm force of the blow instantly shattered the golden beam. "A mere trifling feat..." With a gentle smile, the mysterious figure then glanced steadily at Xiao Yan in the distance, took a single step, and materialized before him like a ghost. "You won't escape!" "Staring at Xiao Yan, now so close, the mysterious figure's fierce hostility surged instantly. A brilliant golden glow erupted, and a purple-gold seal materialized, rushing directly toward Xiao Yan and his companion, Xun'er. 'Go!' The seal surged forward, sealing off the surrounding space. Xiao Yan's face paled dramatically, then flames of desperation flared in his eyes. With a powerful palm strike, he pushed against Xun'er, sending her violently out of the seal's reach. Her body, however, began to rapidly expand—she was preparing to explode her physical form! Though at Xiao Yan's level, a self-explosion of the body wouldn't result in death, it would still be a severe blow—potentially even affecting his very foundation. Yet, at this moment, there was no other choice for him. 'No!' Xun'er's face turned pale, her previously calm voice now sharp and desperate. 'Good boy—brave!' The mysterious figure was momentarily stunned by Xiao Yan's ruthlessness, yet when he acted, he showed no softness whatsoever. Xiao Yan's body rapidly expanded, and as it neared collapse, a radiant imprint suddenly burst forth from his palm—this was the dragon seal left by Zǐ Yán upon him. At critical moments, both of them could sense it. "Xiao Yan, don't self-explode!" A worried female voice emerged from the shimmering seal, and then, brilliant golden light surged forth from the dragon seal, swiftly enveloping Xiao Yan and momentarily suppressing his self-explosion tendency. "Shriek!" As the self-explosion was being contained, a massive crack swiftly tore through the space in front of him, spilling forth cascading golden light, which eventually coalesced into a towering golden dragon. The dragon's body writhed and swiftly encased Xiao Yan within. "Zǐ Yán, step aside!" "Seeing this colossal dragon burst forth suddenly, Xiao Yan's face also grew pale. With Ziyan's strength, even the most resilient body would shatter into blood plasma the moment it was struck. 'Hum!'"