Standing atop the broad back of the majestic blue eagle, Xiao Yan gazed down at the town retreating swiftly behind him, then glanced at the noble creature beneath his feet. A quiet sense of admiration stirred within him—such a flying mount truly was something to covet. He gently caressed the blue eagle’s feathers with his jade hands. Xiao Yi, observing Xiao Yan’s expression, couldn’t help but smile. “Have you taken a liking to my little Lan? Though, I’m afraid I can’t give you her—she’s been by my side for many years now.” “I do find her quite appealing, but I won’t take what belongs to someone else. And even if you were willing, I’m certain she wouldn’t agree.” Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head. He knew that on the Continent of Qi, there was no magical bond or formal contract required to secure a combat companion pet. To obtain a pet of monster caliber, one had to cultivate a deep emotional connection between themselves and the creature. Monstrous beasts, however, were typically wild and temperamental—only a few fortunate individuals managed to win their friendship and secure their loyalty. The one-stage monster, the Blue Eagle, that Xiao Yi had nurtured, had been saved by her several years ago during a chance encounter, which had allowed her to earn its trust and devotion. Should Xiao Yi now transfer it to Xiao Yan, the Blue Eagle would likely take off immediately and fly straight into the mountains. Xiao Yi smiled gently, running her fingers softly over the blue feathers, and said softly, "Though monster beasts are often fierce, once they gain your loyalty, they will never betray you. That's far better than human companions." Nodding in agreement, Xiao Yan shook his head and turned his gaze toward the swiftly moving area below, asking, "Where is the headquarters of the Wolf-Head Guild?" "The Wolf-Head Guild is stationed in the southern part of Qingshan Town, where they have almost entirely taken over the region," smiled Xiao Yixian, pointing her slender finger toward the direction where Lan Ying was flying. "Having stayed in Qingshan Town for so many years, you should have a good sense of their exact numbers and overall strength, right?" Xiao Yan asked seriously. "Indeed, the Wolf-Head Guild has developed in Qingshan Town for over a decade. Their core members number roughly between seventy and eighty. Most of their members are at the level of Two to Five Star Battle-Beings. The Guild currently has three captains—Ha Meng, who fell to you, has already passed away. So only Mu She and Gan Mu remain..." "Han Mu? I actually encountered him when I arrived, so I managed to take him out on the spot." Hearing the name, Xiao Yan raised his hand and smiled, cutting off Xiao Yi's words. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi was slightly taken aback, her eyes filled with astonishment as she stared at Xiao Yan for a while before gently nodding her snow-white chin, smiling, "It seems I've underestimated your strength. After all, Gan Mu is a nine-star battle cultivator. The fact that you were able to defeat him so easily suggests your own strength is at least in the nine-star range." "Hmm," Xiao Yan smiled, giving a simple, non-committal nod. "According to you, then, the only one in the current Wolf Head Guild who can match you is Mu She; the rest are all beneath you." Xiao Yi mused. "Still, they have numbers on their side. For some reason, I'm not particularly skilled in one-on-many situations." "Xiao Yan sighed with a touch of regret. Though he was proficient in several senior-level combat techniques, his combat cultivation method was merely a basic yellow-level one. The qi generated and stored through this method simply wasn't sufficient to support him in achieving such a feat as slaying a hundred soldiers. "As for those mercenaries, they won't be much of a threat," he shook his head, then pulled out a small jade bottle from his sleeve, tilted it, and poured out a pill of vibrant color, offering it to Xiao Yan with a smile. "Thanks to the Seven-Color Toxic Classic, while I can't claim to be able to instantly kill large numbers of combatants with my poisons, I'm confident in temporarily disabling those fighters whose strength falls below five-star level." "I'll provide aerial support during the battle. Should they attempt to surround and eliminate you, I'll sprinkle my powdered remedy. This pill is my specially prepared antidote. Although the poison I use may not have a significant effect on your combat capabilities, taking it will still save you some of the qi you'd otherwise need to defend against it." "Hmm." Nodding, Xiao Yan took the pill, holding it in his hands and rotating it slightly, curious. As a first-rank alchemy master, he could clearly see that the pill lacked the smooth, perfectly round quality of a true dan—instead, it was merely a product of Xiao Yi's ordinary flame, used to loosely bind the herbs together. He tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it whole, confident that with the presence of Yao Lao, a master alchemist of the cultivation lineage, he wouldn't be at risk of any hidden, fatal poison. Looking at Xiao Yan, who took the pill from her hands without the slightest hesitation and swallowed it with ease, the young physician’s smile subtly softened, though barely noticeable. No matter how one might say it, after learning of her poisoning technique, his ability to still consume her offerings so casually spoke volumes of trust—something that touched her heart. Of course, she didn’t know that Xiao Yan felt confident enough to take her pills because he had a solid assurance behind him. “Mu She’s strength should be around two-star Combatant level. The cultivation technique he practices is called ‘Feng Xiang Sha,’ a wind-based technique, at the level of Yellow Rank, upper tier.” The young physician gently brushed aside her hair, which had been blown across her forehead by the strong wind, and paused thoughtfully. “Upper tier of Yellow Rank, is that right?” "Heard that, Xiao Yan exhaled a quiet breath of relief. Though his practiced 'Burn Technique' was merely a low-tier Yellow Stage method, when truly compared, it didn't fall far short of a mid-tier Yellow Stage technique. Combined with the several high-tier combat techniques he was proficient in, Xiao Yan felt confident he could bridge the gap in level between the two parties." "Beyond his techniques, Mu She is also skilled in three combat arts—one offensive, one defensive, and one mobility-based," continued Xiao Yixian. "All three are high-tier Yellow Stage techniques." "So, do you feel confident you can defeat him?" Xiao Yixian turned to him with a warm smile. "Watch the drama unfold later." Standing atop the eagle, Xiao Yan gazed down at the town below, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Based on Xiao Yixian's description of Mu She's abilities, his chances of victory seemed quite promising indeed. "...You mean this was all done by Xiao Yan?" In the hall, Mu Snake's eyes were blazing red as he roared fiercely at a trembling mercenary. Before him stood the body of a fallen warrior—the very one slain by Xiao Yan earlier that morning. "Yes, sir! The one we chased deep into the Beast Mountains—Xiao Yan—he's alive again!" The mercenary swallowed hard, his voice trembling with fear. "At the same time, hearing the knight's words, Mu Li leapt up instantly, his face darkening as he barked out, 'Know this—over the course of this entire half-year, I've only managed to climb from six-star to seven-star rank. Yet this man has already reached nine-star level? Such a blow is simply unbearable for someone as confident as I am. 'Others may not be able to do it, but perhaps this one truly has a chance.' Taking a deep breath, Mu She waved his hand and spoke coldly, 'But what matters now is that he's reached nine-star status—before a Battle Master, no Battle Specialist can stand a single match!' 'Issue orders to thoroughly search for Xiao Yan's trail. This time, he must not escape again!' He slammed his palm firmly onto the table, his voice growling, 'I've been lamenting ever since I chased him deep into the Monster Mountain, only to lose sight of the treasures he gathered in the cave. Now, not only has he returned on his own, but he's come back with purpose. From this day forward, he shall remain here—forever.'" With his eyes half-closed, Mu She suddenly recalled the terrifying technique Xiao Yan had demonstrated at the edge of the abyss that day, his heart giving a slight tremor. He then calmly reassured himself, speaking softly: "It doesn't matter. Even if he has a high-tier technique, his own strength is still too weak. Besides, what if I never had one at all?" As Mu She was reassuring himself, a mercenary figure suddenly rushed in, knocking open the main door and shouting urgently, "Sir, Xiao Yan has stormed in through the main gate!" "What?" The entire hall immediately went quiet in astonishment. Mu She, too, was momentarily stunned by the news, then sat up straight, quickly stepping forward and grabbing the mercenary who had reported the news, asking, "How many people did he bring?" "Just him!" the mercenary replied, his face expression oddly puzzled. "Just one?" Mu She's face tightened as if he had misheard. He stared at the mercenary, clearly surprised, asking, "You mean he came in alone, straight into our headquarters?" The mercenary nodded eagerly. "This little brat must have had a stone knocked on his head? Does he think he can single-handedly take out our entire Wolf's Head Guild?" A faint twitch of the lips, Mu She sneered, then strode resolutely toward the hall's entrance, his voice cold and dark. "Well, it's good he's arrived—no need for me to send out messengers searching everywhere. Mu Li, go and secure the main gate. I want him to understand: our Wolf's Head Guild isn't a place where he can just show up and leave whenever he pleases!" "Understood!" Mu Li nodded firmly, a grim smile spreading across his face, then swiftly turned to carry out the orders. "Come on, let's see what it is that's given this young fool such boldness! Hah!" Mu She raised his hand and laughed heartily, stepping out of the hall first, then heading swiftly toward the forecourt, with a large group of followers quickly following close behind. The group quickly crossed the main hall and arrived at the foreyard, where a young man in a black robe stood smiling at the grand entrance. At his feet lay more than a dozen wolf-headed mercenaries rolling around in the grass, and the sturdy gate had been shattered into fragments. "Mu-She, huh," the young man said, lifting his head slowly as he saw Mu-She stepping out with a serious expression, "It's been a while." "Today," Mu-She breathed deeply, taking a step forward, his finger pointing at the young man, his face instantly transforming into a fierce and venomous rage. Yet, at the young man's words, a faint, mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.