The hall, with a somewhat heavy atmosphere, housed several figures, one of whom, Mu Li, had a significant connection with Xiao Yan and was present. Seated at the head of the hall was a middle-aged man with a slightly gloomy expression, whose fingers gently tapped on the table, breaking the silence. "We just received word that one of the search teams dispatched today—specifically, a small two-person unit—has gone missing in the central region of the Beast Mountains," his voice, slightly hoarse, echoed softly throughout the room. "Father, they might have encountered an attack by beasts," Mu Li interjected, offering a casual smile. Such incidents of encountering and succumbing to beasts were quite common in the Beast Mountains. From Mu Li's address, it became clear that this middle-aged man was none other than Mu She, the团长 of the Wolf-Head Guild. "If there had been a wyvern attack, there should have been some traces left behind. Yet... the mercenaries who went to reinforce them, after thoroughly searching the areas those two were responsible for, found not a single sign of battle. Unless they simply stumbled and fell off the cliff—an error one would expect from a rookie—then I believe they must have been attacked by someone else. The missing battle traces, I suspect, were deliberately created by that person." Shaking her head slightly, Mu She said softly. "You don't think it was Xiao Yan who did it, do you?" Upon hearing this, Mu Li was momentarily surprised, then shook her head. "I've fought against that man before. With his strength, it would have been quite difficult for him to eliminate two five-star combatants before they could send out their signal flares." "Regardless of whether it was him or not, we should send more people tomorrow to carefully search that area again." Mu She said firmly. By nature, she was as cautious as a venomous snake, never missing a small flaw. "Agreed." Stretched out his hands, Mu Li merely nodded indifferently. "Have you opened the stone chest you brought back from the cave?" His gaze swept around the hall, and then, suddenly, he asked. "The key to the chest is in Xiao Yan's hands. Although I've already summoned the finest locksmith from Qingshan Town, it seems our chances aren't very promising," Mu Li frowned. "If all else fails, let's try forcing it open. After all, we were able to arrange over seven hundred thousand coins and some rare herbs freely within the cave. The previous occupant's strength must have been considerable—what he left behind should certainly not be ordinary." Mu Li tightened his fists, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes. "Hmm," he nodded, licked his lips, and softly asked, "Father, what do you plan to do about Xiao Yixian?" "Can you tell me what she discovered inside the cave?" Seeing Mu Li helplessly shake his head, Mu She narrowed his eyes, waved a hand, and said in contemplation, "For now, let's just leave her alone. That woman has an excellent reputation in Qingshan Town. If we act too suddenly, we might well provoke the independent mercenaries." "Then shall we simply let her remain peacefully at Wan Yao Zhai?" "Ha! To live a peaceful life? That's impossible. Tomorrow, let's spread rumors—claim that the young healer has obtained a relic from a powerful warrior, and that the relic is most likely a stage-four Qi technique." With a low, steady laugh, Mu She coldly added, "Though the young healer possesses excellent medical skills, her own combat strength is quite weak. And the world isn't full of kind-hearted people—there will always be greedy ones who seek to seize that very relic from her. As for how to handle those people, let her deal with it herself." "That's a solid move. If, in the end, even Wan Yao Zhai is moved to tears by this 'legacy item,' then the little Healer's protective shield will be completely gone—ha! At that point, capturing her will be a breeze." Mu Li smiled with pride and laughed heartily. As Mu Snake's voice slowly unfolded, a cold, deadly intensity surged across his face. "Such a potential threat must be eliminated before he matures—otherwise, the vengeance he will exact in the future will be beyond our capacity to bear!" His fingers tightened firmly on the scar beneath his ear. Mu Snake spoke with frosty resolve. Recalling how Xiao Yan, despite being in a life-or-death situation deep within the cave, had remained calm and chosen the most perfect escape strategy, Mu Li's fingers subtly trembled. To have such a foe was truly a source of constant anxiety. "Tomorrow, I will double our search forces, and the reward for the hunt will be doubled as well. We must locate that man as swiftly as possible!" Mu Li clenched his fists, his tone firm and unwavering. Observing the father and son, who had shown such vigilant caution even against a mere teenage boy, the senior executives of the Wolf-Head Mercenary Corps could not help but feel a quiet sense of disbelief. Yet, on their faces, they maintained a respectful and courteous acceptance of the orders. … The rushing waterfall struck the rocks with tremendous force, producing a thunderous roar that resonated throughout the small valley. The heavy measuring rod that had weighed down on Xiao Yan's back like a thousand pounds now only caused a slight downward pressure on the elder's arm. With a graceful lift of his massive black rod, the elder smiled warmly and asked, "Have you ever seen a true Earth-Rank combat technique? Would you like to see one?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes lit up brightly, nodding rapidly as if a chicken were pecking at grain. With a gentle smile, the elder held his dark measuring rod and slowly ascended into the air, coming to a gentle halt once his body reached the center of the lake. Looking down at the distance of several meters between himself and the lake surface, he then raised his gaze to the magnificent waterfall cascading before him, resembling a silver dragon. After taking a slow, deep breath, the elder's eyes slightly narrowed. After a moment, they suddenly widened, and instantly, a terrifying aura—unfamiliar to Xiao Yan—erupted forth from within the elder, surging out like a great dragon finally awakened. Before this overwhelming presence, the tranquil lake beneath the Elder Yao suddenly surged, as if boiling—white bubbles continuously rose and rolled. These bubbles began at Yao's feet and spread outward, eventually completely covering the entire lake before the expansion ceased. Staring in wide-eyed astonishment at the lake's remarkable transformation, Xiao Yan was utterly stunned. The Elder Yao now bore a striking contrast to his former composed, leisurely demeanor—he radiated a sharp, penetrating aura, like a cold, sharp blade emerging subtly from its sheath. That intensity was so powerful it made one nearly unable to meet his gaze. "Perhaps this is what true strength truly looks like..." Xiao Yan murmured softly. After a moment, his eyes blazed with intense warmth. He believed, deep within, that one day he too would reach this level. Above the lake, the Elder of the Medicine Sect calmly raised his black measuring rod. On the rod's surface, the unique patterns that had once seemed strange to Xiao Yan now glowed with a vibrant red light. As the rod swept through the void, the surrounding space grew somewhat ethereal and hazy. Grasping the black rod, now glowing as vividly as the setting sun, the Elder emitted a deep, resonant breath, and his form surged into motion. With a steady step upon the void, a resplendent afterimage emerged under the golden rays of the setting sun. Staring in awe at the afterimage hovering in the space, Xiao Yan remained speechless. He had never imagined the Elder's speed to be so astonishing. The residual shadow gradually faded, and the old medic materialized before the vast waterfall, stretching over more than ten zhang in width—his slender figure, now seemingly transported, stood in stark contrast to the immense cascade. Compared to the towering waterfall, the old man’s small frame appeared no more than a grain of sand on a scroll, barely noticeable. Yet precisely this diminutive form radiated a power far more terrifying than the waterfall itself. Despite the immense wind pressure generated by the cascading water, the seemingly frail, elderly body remained utterly still. Above the broad lake surface, a tremendous surge of water columns erupted skyward, creating a magnificent spectacle. Amidst the swirling columns, a massive crimson glow suddenly flashed forth—wherever it passed, the water columns instantly vanished, replaced by a dense mist. "Boom!" The glow surged like a fleeting lightning bolt, sweeping across the lake surface, lifting water waves ten meters high, and then crashing forcefully onto the rushing waterfall below. "Boom, boom, boom!" The thunderous echoes reverberated throughout the valley, sending countless stones tumbling down from the cliff walls. With both hands pressed to his ears and his mouth open in awe at the sheer force of the attack, Xiao Yan stared at the scene for a long while, finally managing to swallow hard. His gaze then snapped toward the waterfall, only to find his view completely obscured by the thick mist. A sudden gust of wind surged from the lake, swiftly dispersing the valley's mist, and gradually revealing the true form of the magnificent waterfall beneath. Staring in wide-eyed astonishment at the waterfall materializing before him, Xiao Yan remained motionless for a moment before slowly closing his eyes and inhaling a deep breath of cool air, feeling a dizziness surge through his mind. At this moment, the massive flow of water had been severed mid-stream, and on the massive rock behind the waterfall, a deep gash stretching over ten zhang in length and three to four zhang in width now gleamed vividly. Along the edges of the gash, countless fine cracks spread across the entire rock face, resembling the vines of a climbing plant. The waterfall flowing from the cliff's summit halted for nearly twenty seconds before resuming its slow descent, and gradually, the massive wound on the rock began to fade into the background. "This is the power of a Terran-level combat technique?" Xiao Yan's hands gently rubbed his chest, feeling somewhat flustered. Above, Yao Lao descended slowly, observing Xiao Yan's wide-eyed astonishment, and smiled gently. With his elderly fingers lightly touching Xiao Yan's forehead, a vast amount of information flowed into his mind instantly. "The Flame-Splitting, Wave-Devouring Staff is a foundational technique. When refined to its peak, it can cleave mountains and sever waves with mere gestures and movements." A simple description, yet brimming with immense power and intensity—this left Xiao Yan so exhilarated that he felt slightly dizzy. With the staff planted firmly into the ground, Yao Lao clapped his hands and nodded toward the ten massive wooden piles beneath the waterfall, smiling, "From today on, you will train under the force of the waterfall's surge. As long as you can maintain continuous strikes of three hundred times on the water flow at the tenth pile, you will be able to initially harness the power of the 'Flame-Splitting, Wave-Devouring Staff.' However, remember—given your current strength, you can only use this technique once. If you force it to be used a second time, you will suffer severe internal injuries, possibly even compromising your future potential. Therefore, do not deploy it casually unless it's absolutely critical." By the end of his words, Yao Lao's tone had grown noticeably more serious. Nodding, Xiao Yan followed the elder's gaze toward the waterfall below. The rushing water crashing against the massive stones produced a deep, resonant roar, causing Xiao Yan to shiver and chuckle nervously, "Such powerful force—without the protection of Qi, one would likely be knocked out upon entering." "Perhaps so," the elder said, spreading his hands and smiling as he extended them toward Xiao Yan. "During your training, you must always wear the Xuan Zhong Chi. And when you later use the Yan Fen Shi Lang Chi, you'll rely entirely on it. Without this tool, the power of this Mid-Grade Technique might only amount to three layers." "Also, hand over all the Qi-restoring pills you're carrying. This kind of training doesn't require them—you'll need to rely completely on your own Qi to recover." The elder simply removed Xiao Yan's naga ring and smiled. Staring at all the reserves taken by the old doctor, Xiao Yan sighed and rubbed his lips, then turned his gaze toward the massive wooden posts beneath the waterfall, gritting his teeth firmly. "I've weathered my share of hardships—how can I be stumped now by you?" "For a Terracraft technique, I'm going all out!" With a roar of fury, Xiao Yan shed his clothes and leapt with graceful ease onto a large stone, then charged toward the first wooden post. "Boom!" As his feet just touched the post, before his aura could fully protect him, the powerful surge of water slammed into his body. The force sent a sharp pain through his back, and with a forceful kick, he was thrown straight into the lake. Pushing his head above the surface, Xiao Yan spat out the lake water he had swallowed, shouting, "Today, we're settling this!" After the shout, he climbed out of the lake, climbed back onto the stone, and charged again at the post. "Boom..." "For heaven's sake!" "Boom..." "Damn it!" "Humph..." "..." Seated upon a massive stone by the lake's edge, the elderly physician gazed at the young man, who, with unwavering determination, continuously struggled against the cascading waterfall. A gentle smile played on the elder's lips, and a sense of satisfaction flickered in his eyes.