The rushing waterfall thundered against the rocks, its mist enveloping the small valley. On the open ground beneath the waterfall, a young man stood bare-chested, bearing an odd, massive black sword on his back. His face serious, he deftly dodged the continuous barrage of flying wooden stakes that whistled past. With agile leaps and swift movements, like a graceful monkey, his long, strong frame shone with a serene elegance under the sunlight. It had been nearly a month since Xiao Yan first arrived in this small valley. During that time, he had spent most of his days on the wooden stakes, accumulating numerous bruises from impacts. Of course, with effort comes reward—now, Xiao Yan could successfully evade attacks from twelve stakes simultaneously, a significant improvement from the month ago when he had been overwhelmed by just five. On a massive stone outside the wooden posts, the elder of the medicine arts sat with his eyes slightly closed, observing the young man skillfully weaving between the gaps of the twelve posts. He nodded gently, then waved his sleeve once more, causing the last three suspended posts to split off one each, and then strike fiercely at Xiao Yan. The sudden assault immediately disrupted the balance between Xiao Yan and the twelve posts. The previously narrow gaps, which had only offered slight support, were now completely sealed by the newly added post. Xiao Yan's face grew serious as he fixed his gaze on the thirteen posts converging from all directions. Moments later, the posts surged toward him, their strong wind pressure momentarily halting his breathing. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan's internal qi surged powerfully, and his body tilted slightly to the side, deflecting the two posts rushing toward him. The arc of his evasive movement had not yet fully settled, and as his foot suddenly pressed against the wooden stake, his body swiftly shifted to another stake. Tilting his head slightly, he narrowly dodged a massive stake that brushed past his ear. After a month of adaptation, Xiao Yan's evasive speed had vastly improved compared to a month ago. Though each of the twelve consecutive attacks had managed only a close call, they had never succeeded in striking him directly. The pressing qi generated by the stakes that passed through him caused his skin to ache, yet he dared not activate his defensive qi. At such moments, every strand of qi had to be reserved for the most critical purposes—otherwise, should his qi deplete, he would face a humiliating defeat from the very start. His Huang-level, basic qi technique proved insufficient to meet his demands, so he had to be extremely sparing in the precise allocation and consumption of each thread of qi within his body. "If only the technique could evolve once—then I wouldn't have to endure such constant frugality...” As he deftly avoided the attack of the eleventh wooden stake, Xiao Yan found himself thinking. The twelfth stake, coming from a sharp angle, passed close to his body, but Xiao Yan, already prepared, subtly rotated the tip of his foot standing on the stake. His entire sole rested only on the toes, creating a strange, leaning arc in his posture. "Whoosh..." The stake whistled past at just half an inch from his body, its sharp force making Xiao Yan grit his teeth and draw in a sharp breath. As the tail of the twelfth stake cleared his form, Xiao Yan's face suddenly tightened—another surge of faster, more intense pressure shot forth from behind him. Adapting to the attacks of the twelve wooden stakes, Xiao Yan spent over twenty days before finally mastering their attack patterns. Now, with the thirteenth stake suddenly added by Yao Lou, he found himself at a loss. As the pressure of the qi grew stronger and closer, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled, his eyes closing at that very moment. Listening to the pressing wind behind him, the fine hairs on his bare back trembled gently, like delicate fingers. Under the pressure of the qi, the images of the wooden stakes' attack patterns began to emerge subtly in Xiao Yan's mind—though his thoughts were otherwise unstructured and timeless. He now clearly perceived both the trajectories and the forces behind each attack, and the most effective evasive positions naturally formed in his mind. Outside, observing the suddenly closed-eyed Xiao Yan, Yao Lao's eyes gleamed slightly, and he murmured in mild astonishment, "This young lad has actually mastered the power of soul perception?" When the image of the wooden post appeared in Xiao Yan's mind, his body likewise underwent a sudden, strange distortion—he clutched his head with both palms and collapsed straight down. As he fell, the massive wooden post shot past his face, pressing against his forehead with a rushing wind that caused a subtle pressure in his ears. Dodging the attack of the thirteenth wooden post with remarkable skill, Xiao Yan lightly tapped the post with his foot, launched himself forward, and landed steadily on the ground, then casually pulled on his robe and draped it over himself. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan didn't have time to speak with Yao Lao, simply sinking into a seated position. He quickly retrieved a small bottle from his storage pouch, tilted it slightly, and two pills rolled out. "Ah," he said, "the Qi-Regulating Pills are nearly gone. I suppose I'll have to go foraging for herbs from now on." Staring at the two pills remaining, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation, took one into his mouth, and quickly formed the hand seals for cultivation. Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Yan swiftly entered his cultivation state. After a month of training, he knew that each time his qi ran out, it was the optimal moment for cultivation—during which his cells and muscles became especially eager. As he settled into cultivation and his breathing stabilized, a subtle flow of energy spiraled around him. Any energy that touched his skin pores was absorbed with the eagerness of liquid soaking into a sponge. As cultivation continued, the energy surrounding him grew denser and thicker, showing no sign of diminishing. With his fingers tapping against the stone wall, the Ye-Lao timed Xiao Yan’s cultivation session, his brow lifting slightly—he noticed today’s session seemed to last longer than usual. According to Master Yao's estimation, Xiao Yan's body should now be nearly full of stored qi—right? Yet, looking at Xiao Yan's determination to keep going without stopping... "Perhaps... he's about to break through to the six-star warrior rank?" Master Yao's fingers, gently tapping, paused momentarily. A soft smile formed on his face as he said, "Indeed. My original expectation was for him to reach the six-star level within about fifteen days. Yet this young lad has saved another fifteen days. Clearly, the forest battles earlier have been quite beneficial to him." With his sharp gaze fixed on the closed-eyed Xiao Yan, Master Yao immediately sensed something was off. His brows furrowed slightly. "The breakthrough seems a bit strained—clearly, he'll need some external support." After a brief pause, Master Yao curved his finger and lightly snapped it, sending a stream of qi directly toward Xiao Yan's head. The impact instantly broke him out of his meditative state. With his cultivation disrupted, Xiao Yan immediately stared at Yao Lao with furious eyes, for such a breakthrough opportunity wasn't something that came around by chance. "Idiot! With your forced breakthrough approach, even if you succeed in reaching the six-star cultivator rank, you'll still need a full month of recovery. Do you really have that much time to waste?" Yao Lao scolded, giving Xiao Yan a withering look. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan instantly slumped, realizing that spending a month to break through now was indeed a waste of time. He sighed deeply, lamenting with a sense of regret, "What a wonderful opportunity!" Yao Lao rolled his eyes, then muttered under his breath, "I didn't say there was no chance at all. Get on the wooden posts right now—I'm going to activate fifteen of them!" "Fifteen?" Xiao Yan pulled a face, wishing he could raise his middle finger right in front of Yao Lao. His personal limit was only thirteen; fifteen would surely send him flying! "Idiot! Didn't you even take out the Xuan Zhong Chi?" "Staring at Xiao Yan who refused to move up, the Ye-Lao sighed and scolded, 'Right now you just need a single opportunity to smoothly break through—don't delay!' Hearing that he could remove the Xuan Zhong Chi, Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. He slightly bent his knees, issued a low command, grasped the handle of the scale with his palm, and with strong force, pulled it out from his arm, then firmly planted it into the ground before him. As soon as the Xuan Zhong Chi detached from his body, Xiao Yan felt as though he were suddenly floating upward, his inner qi surging like a mountain flood, rushing and swirling vigorously through his meridians. A powerful sense of fullness spread throughout his entire body, accompanied by a continuous series of crisp bone sounds. Once again experiencing this sensation of a complete transformation, Xiao Yan felt as if he had drunk a bowl of chilled lychee soup under the scorching sun—his pores radiated a refreshing, deep-seated ease throughout his entire being." The tip of his foot lightly touched the ground, and suddenly, Xiao Yan felt as if he had grown light as a feather. He looked up at the fifteen wooden stakes floating in midair, smiled, and then pushed off with a footstomp—his body shot upward like a projectile, landing firmly and steadily on the stakes. "Come on!" With both palms slowly spread, Xiao Yan raised his hands toward Yao Lao, confidently signaling that despite the unbroken barrage from the stakes beneath him, he would hold strong. "He's got spirit," Yao Lao murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips. With a wave of his sleeve, a strong wind swept through, causing the floating stakes to sway violently. Moments later, they surged forward with powerful force, crashing down in a sweeping, overwhelming assault upon Xiao Yan below. Watching the descending stakes, Xiao Yan pressed his lips together, then lightly tapped the tips of his feet against the wooden posts—actively stepping forward to meet the onslaught. On the wooden stakes, fifteen massive logs, under the control of the herbal elder, wove together into a seamless, unbroken offensive formation. As they struck simultaneously, a powerful surge of qi sent the grass and leaves on the ground scattering in all directions. Freed from the constraints of the Xuan Zhong Chi, Xiao Yan's speed nearly doubled. With each fluid movement, his form flowed naturally, and the adhesive force of the black resin no longer caused any hesitation or pause in his stride. Amidst the relentless attacks from the stakes, Xiao Yan's figure emerged and vanished subtly, completely evading the successive assaults of the fifteen wooden pillars. Observing Xiao Yan's agile, darting movements, the herbal elder nodded slightly, a touch of admiration flickering in his eyes—Xiao Yan's liberation from his bonds had also surpassed his expectations. When the final stake was narrowly dodged by Xiao Yan, the several wooden pillars still swaying in midair suddenly came to a complete halt. Exhaling slowly, Xiao Yan stood straight on the wooden post, swallowing the final pill of Qi-restoration. After a moment of stillness, a strange, gentle flow of energy suddenly surged from around his body and rushed violently into his frame. As more and more energy poured in, a faint yellow glow began to emanate from his skin. His delicate face, like warm jade, remained serene. Eventually, his eyes snapped open, radiating a tangible, sharp light from his dark irises. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan turned his head to gaze at the elderly physician on the great stone, a bright, warm smile spreading across his face. "I've broken through!" Hearing this, the physician nodded with a smile, his eyes reflecting genuine satisfaction. … After breaking through to the rank of Six-Star Combatant, Xiao Yan's strength saw another significant enhancement. Following three days of continuous training against wooden posts, he now managed to withstand the consecutive attacks of fifteen posts while carrying the Xuanzhong Chi, a clear and noticeable improvement that made him smile with satisfaction. Having adapted to the attacks of fifteen posts, Xiao Yan no longer suffered the bruising and constant strain he used to endure, and now enjoyed the calm, relaxed days with ease. Although now, with his growing strength, Xiao Yan has become a true first-rank alchemist, the Huagui Pill remains a second-rank medicine. With his current first-rank alchemical capabilities, he still cannot produce it himself, so the preparation of the Huagui Pill continues to rely on the Elder Pharmacist. Moreover, the herbs required for the Huagui Pill are also relatively rare. When Xiao Yan was in Wutan City, he had only managed to gather enough herbs to produce a few dozen pills. Under normal circumstances, merely searching for these herbs would take up considerable time for him. However, Xiao Yan is relieved to find that the herb resources in this魔兽 mountain are particularly abundant. Out of the five herbs needed for the Huagui Pill, four have already been secured by Xiao Yan, in substantial quantities. If he can now locate the final and most crucial herb—the Hualing Chi Fruit—then he will be able to produce a sufficient supply of pills for his own use. "The Hui Ling Chi Fruit" typically grows in locations where the ambient celestial and terrestrial energies are particularly rich, though this is not an absolute rule. Nevertheless, following this clue is far more effective than Xiao Yan randomly searching, like a blind man feeling an elephant. Thanks to his exceptional spiritual perception, Xiao Yan can vaguely sense the general direction of areas where the surrounding celestial and terrestrial energies are most abundant. His current route is precisely heading toward such a location. During the midday hours, when day-time wild beasts are less active, Xiao Yan deliberately chose this time to search for medicinal herbs. Throughout his journey, he has encountered only a few wild beasts venturing out to forage, and even when he did, he had usually been able to anticipate and avoid them. Swiftly moving past the foliage, a small pile of stones comes into view. Behind the stone pile, a mountain wall stands, covered with green ivy spreading across its surface. Staring at the pile of rocks, Xiao Yan rubbed his hands. The concentration of energy here was precisely the most intense he had sensed within a few miles around. With sharp eyes, he slowly scanned the rocks, and after a moment, his gaze settled on a small purple sapling extending from the mountain wall behind the pile. The sapling's leaves alternated between green and red, and several deep crimson fruits, hidden among the foliage, gently released a faint aroma. "Return-Soul Crimson Fruits," Xiao Yan murmured, smiling and exhaling in relief. After searching for two days, he had finally found it. The materials he needed were right before him—but he didn't rush to leave. He knew that in places where energy was especially concentrated, rare medicinal herbs were usually guarded by wild beasts. His gaze carefully swept the surroundings, yet he found no trace of a single beast. Frowning slightly, Xiao Yan waited a moment longer. When still no beasts appeared, he began to feel puzzled and slowly emerged from his concealed position, then cautiously made his way toward the small purple tree. As his steps drew nearer, an unexpected chill crept over him. His feet halted abruptly, his brows furrowed, and he swiftly turned and ran. "Thud!" At the very moment Xiao Yan turned, a massive white silhouette on the mountain's upper surface crashed down like a small mountain, completely sealing off his retreat. Gazing at the suddenly appearing giant beast, a sudden coolness surged through Xiao Yan's back, and he remained frozen in place, unable to move. Before Xiao Yan stood a massive white magical ape—this creature was likely two or three meters tall, covered in long, snowy fur, with its massive jaws revealing sharp fangs. Its blood-red, enormous eyes radiated a fierce, deadly aura. A cry rose in his heart, yet there was no response. Xiao Yan's face grew grim: "Don't play me tricks! This is a second-tier beast!" After calling for help in vain, Xiao Yan turned his gaze once more to the great monkey. As he carefully scanned its form, he suddenly noticed a terrifying wound on the creature's abdomen—so severe that it had nearly completely torn open the monkey's belly. With each movement, fresh streams of blood gushed out, staining the nearby white fur a deep crimson. The nature of the wound suggested it had been inflicted by a fierce, clawed beast. Typically, such injured beasts became wildly agitated. Unluckily, Xiao Yan had just stumbled into this very wounded monkey's territory. Staring intently at the horrifying wound gushing with blood, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, yet a spark of realization stirred within him. Though under normal circumstances he couldn't possibly defeat a second-stage magical ape, the current situation seemed to be favoring him. "Damn it! You must have come looking for me!" he muttered angrily, swiftly removing the Xuan Zhong Chi from his back and driving it firmly into the ground—now wasn't the time for any further hesitation. Xiao Yan's actions served as a clear provocation to the already furious ape, who responded by slamming his massive claws repeatedly against the hard plating on his chest, producing a steady ringing sound. With a powerful stride, the ape charged directly at Xiao Yan, his eyes blazing red, white energy rapidly coalescing on the tips of his massive claws, instantly cooling the surrounding air. With a gentle tap of his foot on the ground, Xiao Yan shouted, "Purple Cloud Wings: Activated!" As the sound faded, a pair of black eagle wings, about two or three feet in length, suddenly shot forth from Xiao Yan's back. With a slight lift, Xiao Yan swiftly slid his foot along the ground, covering over ten meters in a short span. "Roar!" The magical monkey let out a sharp cry, gathering white cold air into a spherical shape before hurling it toward Xiao Yan. Thanks to his month-long training in agility, Xiao Yan moved with the nimbleness of a monkey, his body shifting unexpectedly and effortlessly evading the monkey's attack. After deflecting the assault, Xiao Yan suddenly curled his hands into a fist, aiming precisely at the fierce wound on the monkey's abdomen, and quietly commanded, "Absorb palm!" As the command fell, a powerful suction surged forth from the center of his palms, drawing even the scattered stones on the ground and launching them toward Xiao Yan. "Roar!" A powerful suction pulled the magyar's body slightly off balance, yet when it steadied itself, sharp pain surged in its abdomen. Looking down, it saw blood gushing from the still-healing wound like a steady stream. The intense pain drove the agitated magyar nearly mad, forcing it to advance upon Xiao Yan with steps that shook the very ground. Leveraging its agility, Xiao Yan never directly met the magyar's attacks, constantly channeling a fierce suction from his palms, drawing blood from the creature's body with each breath. On the pile of scattered stones, an eerie scene unfolded: the furious magyar, nearly losing its senses, repeatedly slammed its massive form against the small figure beside it. Now, in its wild state, the magyar was no different from a common beast. Yet the small figure, moving like a fly, each time it raised its hand, drew large pools of blood from the magyar's abdomen. On the pile of stones, the crimson blood had nearly soaked every single stone, appearing quite terrifying. After circling the magical ape once more, as Xiao Yan was about to give up, a sudden, powerful suction force pulled not only the ape but also its internal intestines completely out of its body. With the final, fatal blow, the ape's desperate cries gradually faded, its blood-red eyes wide open, as if a mountain had collapsed, and it重重 fell to the ground. At the very moment the ape collapsed, Xiao Yan too slumped down, his entire body aching and numb, ignoring the blood spreading all around him, and simply lay there, breathing heavily and gasping for air. Lying on the stone pile for a long time, Xiao Yan finally regained some strength and lifted his head, gazing at the massive corpse of the magical ape not far away. A surge of lingering fear welled up in his heart. If it weren't for the fact that the ape was already severely wounded, if it weren't for the excruciating pain that had driven it to lose its senses, and if it weren't for his recent promotion to a six-star Battle User just a few days ago, he would have truly fallen here today. Half an hour later, Xiao Yan finally slowly opened his eyes. Although his hands still felt slightly stiff and numb, the qi within him was gradually replenishing once more. "The energy here is quite good," he mumbled, standing up, grasping his hands, and frowning, "But this current 'Burn Technique' is absolutely terrible. It only lasted me for about ten minutes of combat just now. If that magical ape holds out a bit longer, it'll be me who falls down." "Indeed, it's quite lacking," the medicine elder agreed. Even if the 'Burn Technique' had great potential, its starting point was too low, and its endurance in battle was simply too weak. "Ah, when will I finally find a suitable hetero-fire?" Xiao Yan sighed deeply, lamenting that the unevolved 'Burn Technique' remained his persistent weakness. Sighing and shaking his head, Xiao Yan walked to the small sapling, picked up the over thirty Ling-Return Red Fruits from it, and carefully placed them into a small jade vial, which he then stored in his storage ring. … After leaving the pile of rocks, Xiao Yan waded through the dense forest, heading back toward the small valley. Due to the blood he had spilled in the earlier battle, he now carried a layer of plant sap on his body—a crucial element in the jungle that masks the metallic tang of blood. After moving quietly for some distance, Xiao Yan suddenly halted. He sensed, faintly, the murmur of voices coming from a spot not far to his left. "I think... we should stop here for now. Beyond this point, we'd be entering the deeper parts of the Dragonmountain Range, where the beasts are so powerful they could easily smite us with a single paw." A soldier approached slowly, his face showing concern. Listening to his companion, the other soldier nodded with a look of resignation, muttering, "For heaven's sake, where in the world has that kid gone? The commander has issued a strict order—find him, no matter what, even if it means bringing him back from the dead." "Maybe he's already been swallowed whole by some beast and is now just passing through as waste, huh?" "Well, that's possible. Considering his age, he doesn't seem to be a seasoned jungle veteran. Anyway, let's settle for today's search. We'll report back and continue tomorrow." One of the soldiers paused, glanced at the increasingly dark forest, and furrowed his brow. "Well, regrettable—that young man is worth eight thousand gold coins. If we're lucky enough to meet him, with our two five-star combatants' strength, securing him shouldn't be difficult." The other mercenary nodded, then expressed a touch of惋惜. "Hah, let's go—let's hope he's lucky." The mercenary smiled and nodded, only to suddenly turn around as he did so, his face instantly changing. A fierce surge of power shot forth like lightning, aimed straight at his head. The sudden attack prompted the mercenary to instinctively extend his fist, meeting it with a solid punch. Yet the strength of the blow far exceeded his expectations. As soon as contact was made, the mercenary went pale, his chest constricting, spewing out a gush of blood, and his body arced through the air in a parabolic motion. "Kill him!" he shouted urgently as he rose, addressing his companion, who had been stunned by the sudden turn of events. Yet, as his cry was still hanging in the air, he was startled to find that his body, which had been recoiling, was suddenly powerfully drawn backward. In the midst of the sky, a figure darted forth, intersecting with the mercenary, and with a sharp elbow, struck hard against the mercenary’s throat. Instantly, a crisp cracking sound echoed through the quiet forest. "Boom…" The mercenary collapsed completely, landing heavily on the ground and sending a flurry of dust spiraling up. The sudden attack that resulted in the mercenary’s death had taken place in mere seconds—only a few to seven or eight seconds—when the second mercenary regained his composure, he found his companion already lifeless. Startled, he looked up, his eyes wide with fear, at the figure nearby, covered in blood. He stammered, "Who are you? Why did you attack us?" "Ah, haven't you been looking for me?" the figure lifted his head, revealing a calm, elegant young face. "You... Xiao Yan?" His eyes narrowed slightly. As he uttered the name, he suddenly turned and bolted. While fleeing, he rapidly pulled out a signal flare from his coat, preparing to launch it—only for the suction force behind him to surge suddenly, causing the flare to fly out of his hands. Xiao Yan caught the flare with his outstretched hand, casually twirled it a moment, then tucked it into his storage amulet. With a powerful kick of his foot, he surged forward, charging toward the mercenary. Watching Xiao Yan's swift pace, the mercenary's face flickered with alarm. He gasped, drawing his long sword and then slashed furiously at Xiao Yan. Slighting his body to the side, Xiao Yan effortlessly evaded the attack. With a lightning-fast kick from his left foot, he struck squarely against the mercenary's abdomen. The mercenary was struck hard in the abdomen, gasping in a low moan as a trickle of blood spread from his mouth. His feet wobbled, and he staggered back several steps. In a flash, the figure before him moved, snatching away his long sword. Then, something cold pressed against his neck. "Move again… and I'll slice your neck open." The voice, like that of a demon, whispered softly into his ears, making him freeze in place. "You… you've killed me! The Wolf-Head Mercenary Corps won't forgive you!" The mercenary's brow beaded with sweat, his voice strained. "Hmm. Forgiving me? Haven't you been ignoring me all along?" With a mocking smile, Xiao Yan said calmly, "Answer me a few questions." "Answered, and then you'll let me go?" "You have no choice," Xiao Yan smiled, pressing the sword a little deeper into his body. "Do you believe I'll carve over a dozen wounds across your body and then abandon you in the nest of the flesh-eating ants?" "Heatedly, the mercenary's face paled, his knees trembling constantly. He hadn't expected such cruelty from a boy who looked no older than sixteen." "What would you like to know?" "What did Mu Li obtain from the stone chest inside the cave? Didn't he have the key?" asked Xiao Yan with a gentle smile. "Mu Li transferred the stone chest along with the stone platform back to the headquarters. As for what's inside, however, I'm not qualified to know." Observing the mercenary who seemed sincere, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows slightly. "Is the Wolf-Head Mercenary Corps now actively seeking me out?" "Gurgle," the mercenary swallowed hard, then nodded with difficulty. "Since the young deputy commander returned, the commander has issued a clear directive: anyone who knows your whereabouts and informs the Wolf-Head Mercenary Corps will receive a substantial reward." "Hmm," Xiao Yan chuckled softly. "I didn't expect them to go so far as to pursue me until I'm completely eliminated." His eyes now gleamed with cold determination. "Last question—has the young physician been injured?" "Unharmed. Since returning to Qingshan Town, the young physician has been staying at Wan Yao Zhai. The team leaders dared not move her." The mercenary's eyes flickered, and with a hand now gently lowering, a dagger slipped silently from his sleeve. "Oh…" Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan lifted his gaze, then smiled with a calm, detached tone. "So, you're aware that I didn't intend to let you live back to the camp, are you?" "Then—die!" A sudden surge of fierce intensity flashed in his eyes. The mercenary drove the dagger straight into Xiao Yan's chest. A quiet smile formed on Xiao Yan's lips. He stepped back gracefully, and with a casual pull of his long sword, a streak of blood appeared along the blade. Watching the mercenary, now trembling and collapsing softly, Xiao Yan chuckled. He hadn't really intended for this man to return and deliver a message, only to draw a large contingent of pursuers. "Hm, it seems the commander of the Wolf-Head Guild is no ordinary person—no wonder he's able to raise a son as talented as Mu Li." With a slightly cold smile, Xiao Yan carefully cleared away the battle marks around him, then lifted the bodies of the two combatants and tossed them into the distant chasm. "Master, it looks like our training schedule will need to be more intensive from now on. It's only been a month since they've reached this far—perhaps in a few more days, they'll come right over here..." He glanced at the deep, unfathomable chasm, then gave a satisfied nod, shaking his head slightly. "Indeed, we should make it more demanding." A soft chuckle echoed from within his ring. Xiao Yan blinked, then smiled gently and tapped his fingertip. "Master, when exactly will you finally deliver on that Terran Technique you've been promising?" "Heh, young one, don't think that Terran Techniques are any easier than the Xuan-level ones. Get ready to put in your fair share of effort!" "The old doctor smiled with a hint of malice. 'Have I not endured enough hardships?' Touching his face, Xiao Yan smiled gently and turned toward the small valley. 'I'm truly looking forward to seeing just how powerful that supposed Earth-stage combat technique will be.'"