A cool moonlight poured gently from the sky, draping the entire forest in a soft, ethereal veil of mystery. "Ah—!" On a hilltop, a young man clutched his clothing tightly, beads of sweat dotting his forehead, his hands gripping the tree trunk with veins bulging under the pressure. A venerable figure, his body slightly translucent and pale, had filled the young man's back with a steady flow of red liquid. As the elder slowly scraped the surface with a jade plaque, the young man convulsed violently with each motion. Only after the red liquid had fully covered the young man's back did the elder finally pause, lowering his gaze to the boy, whose face was contorted in pain, and chuckling with satisfaction, "Comfortable, are you?" "Comfortable? Pfft!" The searing pain radiating from his back caused Xiao Yan to burst into furious complaints. He simply couldn't bear the intense, burning sensation—it had become a deep psychological burden for him. "Hehe." Smiling, the medicine elder lowered his gaze to the gradually evaporating red liquid on Xiao Yan's back, then slightly nodded and casually asked, "How about it? Have you felt the threshold of the Seven-Star Combatant yet?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan immediately rolled his eyes, sighed with a look of helplessness, "We've only just broken through to the Six-Star Combatant status a month ago. If we're already feeling the Seven-Star threshold now, do you think that's possible? The final three stars of each rank are notoriously the most difficult to surpass." "Since we've started our cultivation journey, it's been nearly five months now. And since your agreement with that girl from Yunlan Sect, it's been just about a year ago, isn't it?" the medicine elder said calmly. He paused slightly, licked his lips, and furrowed his brows, "I'm not sure where she stands now. She was already a Three-Star Combatant two years ago. Given her talent and Yunlan Sect's strength, I don't think she'll fall behind me." "Indeed, although I have numerous methods to dramatically enhance your strength, each comes with severe aftereffects. Once you employ those techniques, you'll likely remain at that level forever." The elderly pharmacist spoke slowly, glancing at the silent Xiao Yan. "Even if you truly lose to that girl, I won't allow you to use any of those methods—the cost would be too great." "I absolutely don't want to lose to her within the three-year agreement. You know how much I've sacrificed these past two years—she's been the crucial factor that has enabled me to persevere through all this hardship." Xiao Yan turned over, gazing upward at the silver moon in the sky, and with his palm outstretched, gently closed his eyes, speaking softly. After taking a slow, steady breath, he turned his head and looked at the somewhat ethereal figure of the pharmacist, giving a slight scowl. "Moreover, my teacher had promised me back then that I would be able to catch up with her." “You young man…,” seeing Xiao Yan acting stubborn, Yao Lao shook his head helplessly. With a gentle gesture of his hand, a pale, cold flame emerged in his palm, shimmering and dancing lightly. Gazing intently at the flame, a faint smile played on the elder's weathered face, "Rest assured—should I not possess even this level of skill, what would I have to boast about in front of you?" Shrugging his shoulders, Xiao Yan turned back around, groaned in frustration, and muttered, "Those bunch of idiots will eventually wipe them all out—such a waste of my time... Ah...!" He strained his voice, wailing loudly for a while. Suddenly, he bit down on his clothing, speaking in a muffled tone, "Master, please continue..." "Hmm?" The Yao Elder blinked, surprised, "You're still holding on?" "Ah, I don't have much time for rest," the young man murmured, burying his head in his clothes. Watching the youth once again tense his entire body, the Yao Elder paused. The latent tenacity within the boy's spirit brought a touch of satisfaction to his face, and he nodded gently before withdrawing another bottle of "Burned Blood" from his storage amulet and tilting it to release the liquid. "Hmm..." In the stillness of the night, the cold tremors escaping from the youth's jaw slowly spiraled and lingered, never fading. … The scorching sunlight, filtering through the dense canopy, cast countless delicate spots of light across the thick forest, creating a most beautiful scene. Crouched in a concealed spot within the undergrowth, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, gazing intently at the groups of mercenaries moving in and out nearby. This was the main thoroughfare leading into the Beast Mountains. While the number of mercenaries passing through daily was considerable, Xiao Yan sensed something was amiss today. Peering through the grass, he fixed his gaze on the passing mercenaries, and after a while, his pupils suddenly narrowed. He finally understood what was out of place… Many of the groups moving up and down below appeared to be hastily assembled, yet as they walked, they unconsciously revealed subtle gestures—coordinated movements that only developed through long-term, seamless collaboration. "It seems a bit off, actually..." With a furrowed brow, Xiao Yan expelled the herb root from his mouth, turned his eyes around, and then carefully crept out of the grassy thicket, moving silently through the dense forest. On his garments, Xiao Yan had painted green streaks with the juice of various herbs, enabling him to blend seamlessly into the forest and remain undetected. Hidden in the shadows, Xiao Yan observed three or four separate teams of five mercenaries, watching their movements closely. After a while, he was certain that these mercenaries, who appeared to be hunting monsters, were actually searching for something specific. Thanks to the forest's cover and the plant juices masking his scent, Xiao Yan successfully evaded both the small teams of mercenaries and the roaming beasts. After wandering and exploring throughout the morning, Xiao Yan finally learned the identities of these mercenary teams through a fortunate chance. "The Wolf-Head Mercenary Corps... Hmm, seems like killing their so-called Third-in-Command truly stirred up the hornets' nest." Upon hearing the news, Xiao Yan had been momentarily stunned. "Damn it! They've been hiding all morning, building up a storm of frustration—well, that's exactly what they deserve..." Hidden in the shadows, Xiao Yan watched the small team of five steadily moving deeper into the forest, offering a quiet, cold chuckle. This team had caught his attention for some time now. Five Star Combatants—Xiao Yan was certain he could take them all. And with the forest providing cover, he didn't have to worry about other teams spotting them and surrounding them. As the small squad plunged into the dense forest, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate to launch an immediate assault from the front—he quietly remained hidden among the trees, like a venomous snake patiently awaiting its prey. This is the outer edge of the Warcraft Mountains—what the hell, a third-tier mage? The complaint had barely finished when the bowing soldier surged forward, a flash of cold light erupting suddenly, instantly freezing the soldier's words in his throat. With lightning speed, he dispatched the first soldier. The figure who had been bowing suddenly shifted his stance, raised his hand, and with a powerful suction force, pulled the soldier who had been momentarily stunned from the farthest point across the field. Then, with a sharp flick of his dagger, he drove it firmly into the target's throat. "It's Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan!" In just a matter of ten to fifteen seconds, two Five-Star Combatants were easily dispatched by Xiao Yan, who had been skillfully disguised. The other two mercenaries finally regained their composure. An older one suddenly kicked his companion across the path toward the swiftly advancing Xiao Yan, swiftly drawing a short flute from his sleeve and placing it to his lips, ready to blow. But as he did so, a dark figure flashed in front of him, delivering a powerful, fierce kick that struck him squarely in the chest. "Pfft!" A gush of blood erupted from his mouth. Leveraging the force of the impact, the mercenary arced through the air, expending his final strength to blow out a brief, sharp burst of sound from the flute. "Damn, I underestimated these guys." With that, Xiao Yan turned and bolted. "Tch... Tch..." As Xiao Yan turned and fled, outside the dense forest, a continuous stream of哨 sounds blared, and at that moment, every mercenary rushed swiftly toward the forest. "Catch him!" The large group of mercenaries behind gave their all, chasing the increasingly faint outline of Xiao Yan's figure, their shouts echoing through the forest. "For heaven's sake, we've really blown it this time." Glancing back at the growing ranks of pursuers, Xiao Yan pulled a wry smile and shook his head with mild frustration, then used the green patterns on his body to blend in, darting through the undergrowth. After running another stretch, Xiao Yan's face suddenly changed, and he turned around to see a middle-aged man with a stern expression charging toward him at a swift pace. As soon as he spotted Xiao Yan looking back, a cold smile spread across the man's face, and his low, roaring voice cut through the underbrush, reaching Xiao Yan's ears. "Little brat! Today, I'm going to have you buried right here in the Beast Mountains!"