The three men in black were startled by the sudden voice from nearby. They had thoroughly scouted the area beforehand and detected no one lurking. Yet, they had missed something entirely—a living person concealed near them, whose presence they wouldn't have realized had he not spoken. Considering they were already at the peak of the Xiantian realm, virtually no one in this world could evade their detection. So, just what level of power did this person possess?

No sooner had the voice from the woods faded than a white vortex materialized out of thin air. The surrounding temperature plummeted immediately, rapidly falling to around minus forty degrees Celsius, as large snowflakes began to drift down, engulfing the three men in black.

The three men in black were caught off guard by this sudden turn of events and were enveloped by the ice and snow domain. The extreme cold instantly hampered their speed, making their movements sluggish.

Suddenly, a snowflake transformed into a white Ice Tiger, which lunged at one of the black-clad men with its cavernous maw agape. Slowed by the intense cold, the man couldn't evade the attack and was instantly pounced upon by the Ice Tiger. In a mere instant, the man turned into an ice sculpture, stripped of all vitality, frozen rigidly in place.

The other two men in black were horrified, bewildered by the sudden appearance of the white Ice Tiger and how it had instantly extinguished their comrade's life. But they quickly recognized the danger and began to retreat rapidly. They watched as two more snowflakes floating in the air morphed into two more Ice Tigers, which roared and charged at them. Pitifully, the two men, still hampered by the bitter cold, failed to dodge the tigers' assault and were soon turned into ice sculptures themselves.

Yan Hongyu was dumbfounded, unable to believe the situation had reversed so drastically, eliminating the three seemingly invincible men in black so easily. Furthermore, the voice from the woods belonged to someone whose voice she knew intimately, having last spoken to him only a month ago. The technique he had just used was the Yan family's Xue Hai Wu Ya (Sea of Snow Without Borders). His ability to manifest Ice Tigers with Xue Hai Wu Ya represented the highest level recorded in the family's secret codex—a level only the Yan family's founding ancestor had ever attained.

After effortlessly dispatching the three powerful men in black, several violent coughing fits echoed from the woods, followed by the appearance of a man rubbing his chest. His face was deathly pale; it was Yan Hongye, Yan Hongyu's elder brother, whom she had last seen a month prior.

"Heh heh, why such a look?" Yan Hongye chuckled.

Yan Hongyu blinked rapidly. "Why is it you? You're just a normal person, your body isn't completely whitened like mine, and you had no qualification to practice Xue Hai Wu Ya. How could you possibly have cultivated to the highest realm now?"

Yan Hongye laughed. "Why shouldn't I? After all, I am a descendant of the Yan family; naturally, I can restore our ancestral glory."

Yan Hongyu shook her head. "That's impossible. Your previous forced attempts to cultivate Xue Hai Wu Ya caused severe damage to your body. Your meridians are long since shattered, making it impossible for you to circulate energy. You shouldn't have been able to practice martial arts ever again. How can you possibly be this strong now?"

Yan Hongye coughed violently a few times before smiling. "Things you thought impossible have now become reality. However, now is not the time to discuss that. Aren't you here to complete your mission? Why are you still standing around?"

Yan Hongyu paused. "My mission? What do you mean?"

Yan Hongye smiled. "I mean, why don't you seize this rare opportunity to complete your task?"

Yan Hongyu had witnessed too many unexpected events that night, causing her cognitive faculties to decline. She responded foolishly, "But this is a scheme set by Starry Sky Group. They prepared for this long ago, ambushing the area with numerous personnel. We can't possibly succeed. Besides, listen to that deep explosion from the woods over there—they seem to have formidable weaponry."

Yan Hongye laughed heartily. "Ha ha ha, my dear sister. With my current strength, do you think there is anywhere in this world I cannot go? No matter how many people they send, they are no match for me. Starry Sky Group's ambush is child's play to me. Very well, I shall let you witness what the Divine Realm recorded in the family codex truly looks like, lest you always praise others while diminishing our own might." With that, a formidable aura suddenly erupted from Yan Hongye’s body, followed by a chilling essence soaring into the sky, sweeping across the surroundings like a mocking signal to everyone present.

Yan Hongyu quickly said, "Big Brother, don't be like this. Hong Kong is Black's territory; if he finds out, it will be troublesome."

Yan Hongye chuckled. "Heh heh, I know precisely that Hong Kong belongs to Black, which is precisely why I came here to taunt him. I heard he once threatened you; remember, the Yan family does not tolerate threats from others. So, I want to see whose sword is mightier—Black's greatsword or my Yan family's Xue Hai Wu Ya. Go on, complete your mission. I will handle everyone else for you."

Yan Hongyu asked, "Big Brother, why are you doing this?"

Yan Hongye smiled. "You are my sister; of course, I will help you. Remember, when you were little, I was always there for you, getting you whatever you wanted. It's the same now. We Yan family members can go wherever we wish and take whatever we want without fearing anyone in the world."

Thus, Yan Hongyu followed Yan Hongye and turned back towards the direction of the Starry Sky Research Institute. The path they walked upon became covered in a thick layer of ice, the surrounding temperature plummeting as if they had entered the Arctic. Yet, this extreme cold had no effect on Yan Hongyu, who also cultivated Xue Hai Wu Ya.

Desheng and A'xia guarded the entrance to the Starry Sky Research Institute, confident in their three comrades who they expected to return soon after completing their task. Suddenly, a sense of danger struck them, followed by a surge of powerful, chilling energy rising into the sky from outside—an energy so potent and filled with a rampant, mocking flavor.

Desheng and A'xia’s faces changed instantly. They had never encountered such formidable energy before. Clearly, the person unleashing this power possessed strength far exceeding their own. Since Desheng and his comrades had reached the peak of the Xiantian realm, the source of this taunting signal must be at least one level higher—likely having reached the legendary Divine Realm.

When Yan Hongyu reappeared before Desheng and A'xia, Desheng felt utterly lost. From the moment he saw Yan Hongyu, he knew the three black-clad men he had sent out were likely doomed. Although the pale-faced man following Yan Hongyu appeared weak, occasionally emitting sharp coughs, he radiated a powerful fluctuation—the very source of the mocking signal.

Yan Hongye stood before Desheng and smiled. "Will you leave on your own, or must I invite you out?"

Desheng smiled back. "You had better invite us out. Remember, Starry Sky Group is our home; without this home, our existence has no value. I believe you understand our feelings."

Yan Hongye smiled. "I understand your feelings. In that case, I will send you on your way together, so your other three comrades won't be lonely."

Desheng and A'xia learned the fate of their comrades from Yan Hongye's mouth, filling them with inexpressible grief and anger. They knew the odds were stacked against them this night, yet they refused to abandon the effort to resist. Just as they adopted defensive stances, an ice and snow vortex suddenly appeared beside Yan Hongye, expanding rapidly to engulf Desheng and A'xia. Then, two Ice Tigers materialized, lunging at them with open mouths. Desheng and A'xia, hampered by the extreme cold, could not evade the tigers' bite.

At this critical juncture, a giant white sword descended from the sky, striking exactly at the two Ice Tigers. The tigers’ bodies instantly dissipated into smoke, reverting to snowflakes that drifted to the ground. Immediately following, Black, clad in black, leaped down from the air, landing precisely in front of Desheng and A'xia.

"You handle your duties; I will take care of this," Black said, his back to Desheng. This was the first time Black had spoken tonight, but his voice was peculiar—indiscernible as male or female, sounding almost mechanically synthesized.

Desheng and A'xia, having narrowly escaped death, breathed a sigh of relief. They bowed to Black and retreated back into the Starry Sky Research Institute.

"Are you Black? Truly deserving of your reputation. To be able to control the frequency of air vibrations with internal energy to simulate human speech," Yan Hongye said, astonished as Black materialized and instantly nullified his Ice Tiger attack. What astonished him even more was that Black's speech was accomplished by vibrating the air, indicating that Black's mastery over power had reached the pinnacle.

Black regarded Yan Hongye coldly. "Whoever comes here to spy on the secrets of Starry Sky Group must die."

Yan Hongyu finally saw Black again. Her heart fluttered wildly, as if a thousand words were pressing to escape, yet she didn't know how or what to say. She had completely forgotten her current antagonistic position.

"I heard Hong Kong is your territory, but I am somewhat unconvinced. I wish to exchange a few moves with you to see if you are qualified to dominate Hong Kong," Yan Hongye smiled.

"Heh heh, your strength has merely reached what you call the Divine Realm. While the Divine Realm is powerful, it is not qualified to be arrogant in front of me. Moreover, your realm is not the true Divine Realm. Anyone who reaches the Divine Realm can control and mobilize the surrounding spiritual energy using something called Divine Sense to enhance their power. You merely achieved this by brutalizing your own body to generate extreme emotional fluctuations, simulating this Divine Sense, and then combining it with a miraculous technique you cultivated to forcibly elevate your strength to the Divine Realm. Yet, you foolishly believe yourself invincible and dare to flaunt your power and provoke others. Today, I shall show you what it means when there is always someone stronger beyond the heavens." Black vibrated the air around him as he spoke.

"Indeed, you have some insight, discerning the origin of my strength. It seems your power is not weak either. In that case, the battle between us promises to be quite interesting," Yan Hongye said, and the ice and snow vortex beside him suddenly expanded outward, attempting to envelop Black.

"Foolish man, you are courting death," Black sneered. Accompanying his voice, the giant white sword in his hand flew up and slashed toward the expanding ice and snow vortex.

The rapidly expanding vortex was cut open by the white greatsword, causing the contained frigid air to vent instantly, and the vortex then dissipated into the air.

Yan Hongye's expression immediately turned solemn. Another ice and snow vortex reappeared around him, spinning slowly to protect him and Yan Hongyu inside.

Black cleaved through Yan Hongye's ice and snow vortex with a single strike, and the greatsword continued its trajectory, piercing directly into the newly formed, rotating vortex surrounding Yan Hongye. The tip of the greatsword penetrated the ice and snow, but the vortex's rotation quickly nullified the sword's force. Black gestured, and the greatsword returned to his hand.

Yan Hongye reached out and touched the ice and snow vortex, which immediately transformed into a white shield rotating around his body. Black pointed again, and the white greatsword struck the white shield once more. Although the sword failed to pierce the shield, it caused the defense to dent inwards. Yan Hongye’s expression shifted; he hadn't expected Black’s greatsword to possess such devastating destructive power. He manipulated the surrounding frost to thicken the shield’s defense.

Black sneered and pointed his finger, causing the white greatsword to spin violently. The tip of the sword acted like a drill, rapidly boring into the shield. Soon, Yan Hongye's white shield was pierced. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yan Hongye roared and flung Yan Hongyu toward a distant rooftop, while he himself was struck in the shoulder by the greatsword. However, his reaction was swift; immediately upon being struck, he retreated rapidly, narrowly avoiding being run through completely by the sword.

"This is impossible! I am at the Divine Realm cultivation level, and you are too. Even though my Divine Realm is incomplete, it is still the Divine Realm! Why am I so weak before you, unable even to fight back? I am utterly brittle!" Yan Hongye clutched his shoulder and roared, unable to accept what he had encountered. His years of arduous effort had finally granted him great power, and he had expected to roam unchecked, invincible. Instead, his very first battle resulted in crushing defeat, his very life now beyond his control.

"Do you want to know why?" Black asked coldly.

"Yes, even though I lost, I still wish to know the precise reason," Yan Hongye replied, his eyes red.

"But I simply won't tell you. You might as well remain a confused ghost," Black commanded, and the white greatsword suspended in the air flew up again, plunging toward the fallen Yan Hongye. Although Yan Hongye dodged quickly, the tip of his foot was grazed by a burst of sword energy, causing him to lose balance and fall heavily to the ground, followed by a fit of violent coughing.

Black beckoned, retrieving the sword from the air. He then walked slowly toward Yan Hongye, holding the greatsword, and thrust it toward Yan Hongye's chest.

"Don't!" Yan Hongyu suddenly threw herself in front of Yan Hongye’s chest, blocking the greatsword aimed at her brother. Black's sword halted right at Yan Hongyu's neck, not piercing through.

"Kill me first, then. Dying by your hand, I will have no regrets, and it will save me from endless lovesickness," Yan Hongyu spoke the intense love in her heart to Black at this critical moment. Although this was only her second encounter with him, and her first time speaking to him, despite standing on opposite sides, she refused to carry this secret to the grave. To love someone is to let them know—that was Yan Hongyu's true feeling now.

Black paused, taken aback that this entirely white-clad woman would declare her love at such a moment. However, before he could decide how to handle the situation, a powerful aura erupted from a mountain peak beside the Starry Sky Group—an aura far stronger than even Yan Hongye’s.

Black's mind sharpened. He hadn't expected a succession of Divine Realm experts to appear tonight. He needed to be cautious lest he fall into someone else's trap. As he contemplated this, he overlooked the immobile Yan Hongye on the ground.

Seeing the extremely perilous situation, Yan Hongye instantly activated the family's final life-saving skill, burning his own lifespan. Under the activation of the secret art, his injuries instantly healed, and his movements returned to normal. He then grabbed Yan Hongyu and leaped into a small nearby pool. The pool immediately began to freeze over, the process rapidly encompassing the subterranean water veins beneath it. Yan Hongye used the frozen underground water veins to escape via Ice Evasion.

Black let Yan Hongye escape due to his inattention. However, Yan Hongye's escape was ultimately meaningless, as he was now a cripple. Naturally, Black did not dedicate further attention to him. Black's focus was now on the other supreme adversary who had suddenly appeared on the distant mountain peak.

Black searched the vicinity of the Starry Sky Group one more time. Finding no other hidden enemies, he tossed the white greatsword back into the air. The sword suddenly decomposed into countless strands of sword energy, which then encircled Black, enveloping him as he rose into the sky, flying toward the distant mountain peak.