Gazing at the middle-aged man whose demeanor had suddenly surged with overwhelming fury, the allied forces were now taken aback, while the Hún clan, which had previously been filled with satisfaction, saw their composure swiftly turn to dismay. "Your Majesty, is it truly you?" At last, the Zhúhuǒ Elder—long plagued by mental confusion—had regained his clarity. From the depths of his distant memories, he had finally recalled a face resembling the one before him. His body trembled with excitement, and he even found himself weeping profusely. "Hmph, I thought you'd completely forgotten me by now," the middle-aged man replied with a smile. "How could I ever dare to forget?" The Zhúhuǒ Elder shook his head vigorously. Though he appeared more aged than before, he knew well that when his father, the patriarch of the Zǐyán lineage, had first led the Tai Xu Gǔlóng clan, he had been but a young boy himself. The other elders of the ancient Dragon Clan stared at one another, their eyes filled with excitement—none of them had expected that the legendary previous Dragon Emperor, said to have vanished, was still alive. With this revelation, the strength of the ancient Dragon Clan would undoubtedly surge dramatically. "Heard this, Ancient Yuan's face also broke into a smile, and he bowed, saying that to meet such a strong one is truly beneficial. "Your Majesty, Xiao Yan is a great benefactor to our Ancient Dragon Clan. He has saved us on numerous occasions during critical moments. Moreover, without his help, Zi Yan would never have been able to safely return to our clan." The elder with the candle flame stepped forward and spoke respectfully. "Critical moments? What has become of the Ancient Dragon Clan now?" Upon hearing this, Zhe Kun was momentarily startled, then his expression grew serious. In his time, the Ancient Dragon Clan had been at its peak, rarely being challenged by any other power on the continent. The elder with the candle flame hesitated slightly, then briefly recounted the events that unfolded after the disappearance of the Celestial Dragon. When Zhe Kun heard that the Ancient Dragon Clan had been divided into four parts, anger flashed across his eyes—clearly, he had not expected that these once-strictly respectful members would dare to act so boldly after his own disappearance. "It seems that I have indeed been rather foolish this time, though fortunately, no major missteps have been made," said Cen, as the brief account from Cen Fire concluded. Suddenly, beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and he smiled warmly at Xiao Yan, his expression now as gentle and cordial as could be—utterly contrasting with his earlier stern demeanor. From Cen Fire's concise narration, he could clearly sense the deep bond between Zi Yan and Xiao Yan. Combined with the fact that Zi Yan had just fought so fiercely to protect him, Cen now understood that if Xiao Yan had truly suffered any serious mishap today, the matter would surely become exceedingly difficult. Seeing this, Zhu Kun finally smiled and nodded, glancing with his peripheral vision at Zi Yan, who had remained silent throughout. Upon noticing that her expression had slightly eased, Zhubun felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. "Heh, since I've promised my daughter, I'll have to take this one's life..." Zhu Kun turned his gaze toward the distant Hún Tian Emperor, smiling as he spoke. "It's been many years since I last stepped in—today, to witness such a grand clash, it truly feels refreshing." Cui Kun's body gradually lifted into the air, his fists clenched tightly. A deep purple-gold glow slowly radiated from within him as he stared intently at the Spirit Emperor, smiling. "Hmph!" Seeing the sudden reversal of fortune, the Spirit Emperor, his face displeased, snorted coldly. With a sudden surge, the ancient jade in his hands burst forth with a brilliant column of light that swept across the sky and struck directly upon the ancient stone gate. Having previously concentrated his energy, he now pushed the jade to its absolute limit. "Boom!" As the light column struck, the ancient gate, sealed for ten thousand years, began to slowly shift and tremble, cracks gradually appearing. The cracks widened steadily, and after a moment, the massive stone gate finally eased open with a creaking sound, slowly parting to either side. "Ssshh—" At the very instant the ancient stone gate began to open, a surge of ancient energy, emanating from deep within the gate, suddenly burst forth. Under the force of this wave, both armies were struck hard, their formations instantly disrupted, with many less powerful soldiers being thrown back several thousand paces. "Be careful!" Seeing the armies scattered and disordered, Xiao Yan quickly stabilized himself and issued a steady warning. "The Ancient Emperor's sanctuary is opening..." Gu Yuan roared, his eyes fixed intently on the slowly unfolding ancient gate, his hands slick with sweat. "Finally... it's opening," Cuo Kun murmured, gazing in awe at the scene. Though he had been trapped within that space, having tried countless methods to unlock the sanctuary, none had succeeded—until today, when he finally witnessed it unfold. Boom. Boom. Boom. "The ancient tremors grew more intense as the stone gate opened, and eventually, the number of people who could still hover in the sky became increasingly scarce. "Ancient Yuan, do you know what lies within the ancient emperor's sanctuary?" Cukun, gazing at the gradually unfolding stone gate in the sky, suddenly asked. "Not entirely certain, only that the items inside can enable someone to ascend to the Battle Emperor rank," Ancient Yuan hesitated. "Indeed, they can enable someone to reach the Battle Emperor rank—within that sanctuary lies a nascent emperor-grade pill. If my judgment is correct, the soul emperor's true objective is this pill. Should he succeed in obtaining it, he will very likely ascend to the Battle Emperor level," Cukun explained. "Ah?" Ancient Yuan was slightly moved. An emperor-grade nascent pill—should that truly be the case, it indeed possessed such transcendent power. "Absolutely no way can the Huo Tian Di obtain the Imperial-grade Ju Dan. Otherwise, once he ascends to the Battle Emperor rank, the Huo Clan's nature will surely make them forget us." Gu Yuan spoke firmly. Zhu Kun nodded, understanding the formidable strength of a Battle Emperor. He had seen firsthand how even a single spatial technique used by the Tuo She Ancient Emperor could imprison someone for thousands of years—indeed, in the eyes of true Battle Emperor-level beings, a Battle Saint might as well be a mere insect. "Once the Ancient Emperor's abode is fully unveiled, we will rush in first, securing the Imperial-grade Ju Dan before the Huo Tian Di does. With our combined strength, defeating him won't be particularly difficult." Zhu Kun said. "Then let's follow Zhu Kun's plan." The two agreed instantly. With Zhu Kun's support, Gu Yuan no longer needed to worry about being unable to handle the Huo Tian Di. Watching the resolute postures of Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun, Xiao Yan smiled, knowing that with such powerful reinforcements, the situation had transformed dramatically. Exhaling gently, Xiao Yan turned his head to look at Zi Yan, who was gazing steadily at Zhu Kun's back, as if still struggling to come back to reality. At this, Xiao Yan could only sigh softly. "Xiao Yan," Zi Yan turned to him, suddenly whispering lightly, "Should I recognize him? If it hadn't been for good fortune, I might have been devoured by other beasts long ago..." "What you feel in your heart—just do that. Every parent in the world loves their children. I've visited the space where he was trapped. It was dark and lonely. I'm sure he's endured a difficult life these years." After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Yan carefully said this, knowing that for this suddenly appearing father, Zi Yan was both hesitant and uncertain, unsure of how to handle the situation. Zi Yan nodded silently, without speaking. Xiao Yan spread his hands, feeling he had little more to add—this matter would have to be settled by her own resolve. "Boom—boom—" As Xiang Yan and Zi Yan spoke, the fluctuations emanating from the immense ancient stone gate grew increasingly fierce. Yet, with each surge, the crevices in the gate widened, until finally, after a tremendous roar, the gate stabilized completely! "Boom!" As the ancient gate fully opened, a wave of power reminiscent of primordial times surged forth suddenly, triggering a violent upheaval across the entire lava sea—waves surged, the earth trembled, and countless chasms, stretching thousands of feet deep, split open. The Pure Lotus妖fire enveloped Xiang Yan, who struggled fiercely against the overwhelming primordial pressure. Within a radius of a hundred li around the ancient gate, only the two parties' top-tier warriors remained suspended in the air; everyone else was violently displaced. "Buzz!" Suddenly, unusual ripples appeared on the ancient gate, followed by a distortion of space, forming a transparent passage within the gate itself. "Move!" As soon as the transparent passage took shape, Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun burst forth simultaneously. At the very moment they took action, Hong Tian Di and Xu Wu Tan also transformed into streaks of rainbow light, rushing into the passage with the speed of lightning! "Let's go too!" Seeing this, Xiao Yan roared, and with the swift motion of a meteor racing across the sky, he surged forward, bearing the intense pressure, directly entering the passage. Behind him, the stronger members from both sides followed one after another. As everyone entered the passage, the sky gradually emptied out, leaving only the ancient great gate standing quietly upon the volcanic sea.