On the steep cliff face, two figures emerged faintly under the soft glow of the moonlight. "Shall we begin?" Stepping forward, Xiao Yan gazed at the dark mountain below, then turned to the young female healer dressed in a tight-fitting black robe, smiling and asking. Nodding slightly, the healer knelt down, gathered some dry twigs, tied them neatly into two torches, sprinkled a light yellow powder on them, and then drew out a flame from her sleeve to ignite it. "Hold these," she said, handing the torches to Xiao Yan. Then, pulling out a long rope from her robe, she waved it gently, smiling, "You're a man, aren't you? Surely you won't let a weak woman take the lead, will you?" Holding the torches tightly, Xiao Yan pulled at the rope to test its strength, satisfied that it was secure, before glancing at the gentle smile on the healer's face and shaking his head slightly, saying with a calm tone, "Let's go together. I'm not comfortable leaving my back to someone I've only just met." "You... you're really not showing much manly courage," said Xiao Yan with such skepticism that Xiao Yixian felt deeply put out. She had always seen mercenaries as bold and generous, and it was rare for someone to treat a mere ordinary combatant like her with such caution. "I only have one life to play with. To prove themselves heroic before a beautiful woman, they'd willingly risk it all—well, I'm just going to let it go." Unmoved by Xiao Yixian's indignation, Xiao Yan's tone remained as calm and unbothered as ever. "Are you going to make it? If we delay any longer, dawn will break." Turning slightly, he smiled gently. "Go!" Faced with his irritating smile, Xiao Yixian gritted her teeth and angrily stomped her foot. With a quiet smile, Xiao Yan tied the rope to a sturdy, thick tree trunk, pulled it firmly, then opened his arms toward her. "Come here." "I've got the ropes myself—I don't need your help!" Seeing Xiao Yan's actions, Xiao Yishen stepped back several paces, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment and anger. "Alright, go on then. But just a heads-up—no one can be certain whether there won't be venomous snakes, scorpions, or even mice lurking beneath the cliff at night." Shrugging off her words, Xiao Yan smiled calmly. "You stubborn fool—you're going to die!" A dark figure swooped in and slammed into Xiao Yan, who swiftly reached out and caught it in his hand. Upon looking, it was revealed to be the bundle of ropes from Xiao Yishen. "As long as you mess up even one thing, I'll make sure to poison you to death!" With her threats falling into place, a fragrant breeze rushed toward Xiao Yan, and then a soft, fresh-bodied figure collided into his arms. The gentle, fragrant form that landed in his arms seemed to strike right at the very core of his heart, causing his chest to tremble. Inhaling deeply to suppress the growing surge of restless inner flames, Xiao Yan extended his arms and embraced the slender waist he had once praised as exquisite. With both arms tightly cradling the soft, delicate waist, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. "You still haven't left?" A blush-filled voice from the side reminded him, as the small healer's embarrassment echoed in his ears. "I'm sorry," Xiao Yan smiled, yet his words carried no trace of apology. He tightened his embrace once more, then lightly pointed his foot against the cliff's edge, and the two of them fell straight downward toward the dark abyss below. The roaring wind rushing past carried his clothes tightly against his skin. With his left arm securely holding the healer, Xiao Yan swiftly pulled the rope in his right hand, and as they plunged rapidly, their bodies gradually stabilized, suspended in mid-air halfway down the cliff's face. Exhaling a long, steady breath, Xiao Yan lowered his head and gazed at the young physician who had tightly wrapped her arms around him, a playful smile forming on his lips. His eyes swept the dark surroundings, and he murmured softly, "Can you tell where that cave is?" Upon hearing Xiao Yan's serious question, the young physician gradually eased the tension from her high-altitude bungee jump, scanning the surroundings. After a moment's thoughtful pause, she gently pointed toward a spot in the darkness and said, "It should be there..." As he looked at the place she indicated, Xiao Yan nodded slightly and added softly, "Hold on tighter." At first, the young physician hesitated slightly at his words, but when Xiao Yan pushed off the rock wall with his foot and launched himself into a sudden, vigorous swing, she instinctively clutched his waist tightly, burying her face in his chest, motionless and breathless. Xiao Yan continuously tapped the rock wall with his feet, using the pulling force of the rope, gradually closing the distance between them and the cave. "Pass the torch over there." Moving a little farther, Xiao Yan nodded solemnly toward the dark area ahead. "Oh." The young physician, her face slightly pale, firmly tossed the torch toward the darkness. The torch struck the mountain wall, splashing sparks in all directions. With the faint glow, Xiao Yan could now make out the hidden cave some distance away. "Ah..." Just as he was about to exhale in relief, Xiao Yan suddenly felt his pores tighten sharply, a sense of alertness flashing through him. With a firm press of his foot against the wall, he launched himself into the air. "Shhh..." A soft rushing sound echoed through the night air. With the still-waning light of the torch, Xiao Yan finally made out the intruder. "Rock snake," he murmured, his expression growing serious, his face now showing clear concern. The Rock Serpent, as its name suggests, is a serpent-like beast dwelling within rocky cliffs, ranking around the first tier. Thanks to its flattened, wing-like body, it glides through the air with the agility of a hawk. Moreover, this creature possesses a mutated stone-based nature, making its body as hard as stone—ordinary blades and swords struggle to inflict significant damage. On ordinary occasions, even if Xiao Yan encounters this Rock Serpent alone, he would have to engage it for a considerable time before securing victory. However, now, due to the elevated terrain and the fact that he is carrying Little Doctor, he simply cannot compete with it under these conditions, which is why his expression is so strained. "Rock Serpent? What shall we do now?" Hearing Xiao Yan's alarm, Little Doctor trembled slightly and quickly asked, having heard of this creature before. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, gazing at the yellow rock snake spiraling in the air, its triangular eyes radiating a bloody cold light. After a moment of silent contemplation, a subtle stir stirred within his heart, and he murmured, "Do you still have that powder which causes people to lose consciousness?" Upon hearing this, the young physician's dark eyes flickered, then nodded, pulling out a small packet of powder from her sleeve and handing it to Xiao Yan. "This is the last of it—use it sparingly," she said. Receiving the powder, Xiao Yan poured all of it into his palm and tightly clenched it, his gaze fixed on the rock snake poised to launch an attack. "Shhh—crack!" The rock snake let out another sharp cry, its narrow wings flapping once, then diving downward with fierce intent, its massive jaws gleaming with sharp, cold teeth. Staring steadily at the rapidly approaching serpent, Xiao Yan's grip on the powder grew progressively tighter. "Attack it! Attack it, you fool!" the young physician urged, growing increasingly impatient as she watched Xiao Yan remain motionless in his arms. Ignoring her urgent appeals, Xiao Yan remained silent, his internal qi gradually beginning to flow smoothly through his meridians. Watching the rocky serpent that had already nearly reached a ten-meter range, Xiao Yixian grew furious and grabbed at Xiao Yan's back: "You fool! This time you've killed me!" When the serpent was only a few dozen meters away from them, Xiao Yan finally took action. With a sudden motion, he opened his tightly clenched hands, and a powerful surge of qi, carrying white powder, struck the serpent like a white arrow, crashing into it with force. The white powder exploded upon impact, showering the serpent in a fine mist and enveloping it completely. "Splashing!" The yellow shadow struggled briefly within the powder before going rigid and plummeting from the sky, landing heavily into the deep, unfathomable valley below. Staring at the rock serpent vanishing into the darkness, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief. At that height, even if its body were as hard as stone, it should have turned into a pulp, right? He lifted his gaze to the floating white powder suspended in the air, then once again swept it away with a powerful surge of force. "I didn't expect you to have any real skills beyond bothering women," Xiao Yan admitted. Though he had gained the upper hand through clever tactics, the calm composure of this opponent during such a perilous moment had truly impressed Xiao Yixian. With a gentle smile, after emerging from the crisis, Xiao Yan slowly carried Xiao Yixian down toward the entrance of the cave. Observing the scattered stones and twisted trees at the cave mouth, he furrowed his brows before shaking his head in resignation—seemed like another round of hard work was in store. He slowly extended his hands, took a deep breath, and murmured to himself, "Blow Fire Palm!" As the sound of the drink settled, a tremendous force surged forth from his palms, sweeping through the scattered stones and twisted trees like a gale blowing leaves, and sending them all into the dark mountain ravine. After completing this, Xiao Yan's forehead was damp with sweat, and his breathing was slightly labored. Under the pressing weight of the black giant sword on his back, he could only mobilize about six-sevenths of the qi he normally possessed. After taking a few deep breaths, he turned his gaze toward the cave now freed from obstructions. Without the trees and debris blocking the view, and with the gentle moonlight filtering through, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi finally got a close-up view of the ancient cave left behind by the ancestors. The entrance was narrow, accommodating only two or three people at a time, and though the interior was dark, a faint glow shimmered subtly throughout, giving it a sense of deep, mysterious tranquility. Around the entrance, there were numerous incised marks resembling knife cuts, though perhaps due to the passage of time, they had become remarkably blurred. Without the sharp vision of Xiao Yan, one might have truly failed to notice them. "Finally here..." Xiao Yan smiled with genuine excitement, holding Xiao Yisheng close. With a final push from his toes against the rock wall, the two of them glided through the air and settled steadily at the entrance of the cave. Upon landing, Xiao Yisheng quickly stepped free from Xiao Yan's arms and gazed at the entrance with a bright, joyful expression. "Let's go and see what we can find. I hope it won't fall short of my expectations." With a gentle smile, Xiao Yan produced a torch from his clothes and stepped carefully into the dark interior of the cave. Glancing at the deep darkness within, Xiao Yisheng hesitated slightly. After a moment, she tapped her feet, clenched her teeth, and followed.