Leaping from the cave onto the valley floor, Xiao Yan scanned the valley and noticed that the small thatched cottage remained lit. Outside the cottage, a slender figure in a simple white dress sat on a small chair, leaning against the doorframe, immersed in a colorful scroll illuminated by the firelight. Upon sensing the footsteps approaching from afar, the young physician furrowed her brows slightly, shifting her gaze from the scroll to the young man walking slowly toward her under the moonlight, and smiled gently. "Have you finished your training?" she asked, "There's still warm food inside." Hearing her soft, tender words, Xiao Yan felt a subtle stir within his heart. The scene and the words felt just like a wife patiently awaiting her husband's return—gentle, warm, and full of quiet concern. The expression on her face grew softer. As Xiao Yan approached, he sat down beside the young physician, tilted his head to gaze at the seven-colored Toxic Classic she held, then scanned her delicate face. After a moment, as though he had noticed something, his brows furrowed slightly, sighed with a touch of helplessness, and reached out to wipe away a barely noticeable speck of black powder at the corner of her rosy lips. He shook his head with a faint smile. Clearly, during his period of cultivation, she had been poisoned once again. At the sight of Xiao Yan's actions, the young physician's cheeks flushed first, then, upon seeing the faint black specks on his fingers, she shyly shifted her gaze away. After a brief pause, she quickly produced a white handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped away all the black powder from his fingers. "...I might have to leave by tomorrow," Xiao Yan said, gazing at the young physician carefully wiping the toxic residue. The jade hands, gently brushing and wiping, slightly stiffened before softening again. The young physician nodded slightly, speaking softly, "Having stayed here so long, it's truly time we departed." "Where do you plan to go after you leave?" The silence lasted a while before Xiao Yan broke it with a smile. "I believe, after leaving the Gamma Empire, I might visit the Yuchun Empire first, then journey across the continent." The young physician forced a smile. "The Yuchun Empire..." Xiao Yan murmured to himself, then chuckled softly. Though he had never visited the empire, he knew something about it—particularly that the number of poison specialists there surpassed that of any other empire. "I intend to continue my cultivation in the Tago尔 Great Desert. It lies on the eastern frontier of the Gamma Empire, while the Yuchun Empire is situated to the west. Therefore, if we set out tomorrow, we shall have to part ways." Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead and looked up at the stars in the sky, saying, "Oh." Nodding slightly, the young physician's tone clearly indicated a somewhat low mood. She spoke softly, "I hope you take good care of yourself. After we part tomorrow, I'm not sure when we'll see each other again. Perhaps, in the future, I may never return at all... Though, that's not certain either. If one day I reach the point of being universally condemned, then, yes—I'll return to this small valley and wait for the ultimate end of this calamitous toxic condition." Gazing at the young physician's serene, slightly sorrowful profile, Xiao Yan opened his mouth to speak, but found himself unable to utter any words. After all, as he had heard from the old doctor, the woman who once suffered from this calamitous toxic condition had indeed carried out such a remarkable and astonishing event. After a moment of silence, Xiao Yan gently patted her shoulder, reassuring her, "It won't be that bad. Although the厄难毒体becomes more formidable as it matures, as long as you can maintain some control—especially if you don't lose your temper and poison tens of thousands of people at once—no one will dare to come after you." With a wry smile, Xiao Yixian slightly shook her head, remained silent. She hadn't told Xiao Yan that once the厄难毒体matures, the toxins within would occasionally cause the host to experience mental lapses. In such a state, she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't end up doing something truly terrifying. Shaking her head slightly, Xiao Yixian pondered for a while, then, under Xiao Yan's puzzled gaze, rose and walked into the small hut. A moment later, she carefully brought out a beautifully packaged incense pouch and a small jade bottle. "The ingredients here are called 'Spirit-Weakening Powder.' Though the name sounds intimidating, it's not merely a poison—it's what I discovered in the Seven-Color Toxic Classic, and it's the highest-grade powdered medicine I've been able to refine so far." The young physician smiled, waving her fragrant pouch. "This Spirit-Weakening Powder emits an intensely sharp aroma. I've also added certain special components to it. Should you ever encounter a powerful opponent that you're unable to overcome, simply scatter the powder toward them. When they're unprepared, even a senior Battle-Style Master will be momentarily blinded and their sensory perception temporarily overwhelmed by the stimulating scent. In that brief window, you'll have the opportunity to escape." Some curious, they took the fragrant pouch. Xiao Yan wanted to open it, but was promptly stopped by Xiao Yisheng, who also handed him a jade bottle, scolding, "These poisons don't distinguish between friend and foe. When you use them, you'd better take my prepared antidote as well—otherwise, your vision will be temporarily blotted out, and you'll end up blind for a while." Blushing slightly, Xiao Yan carefully set both items aside, perhaps they'd come in handy someday. After giving him these, Xiao Yisheng then reached into her sleeve and produced another jade bottle, tossing it toward Xiao Yan, saying, "The Tagoer Desert is the territory of the Medusas—their specialty is venom. This is the antidote I've prepared. While it won't completely neutralize all snake venom, it effectively counters the venom of less powerful Medusas." Gently caressing the jade vial, still warm to the touch, Xiao Yan smiled slightly. Though this detoxifying pill held little value for him as a alchemist, the thoughtfulness of Xiao Yixian truly touched him. "That's all I have," she said, spreading her hands with a playful tone. "I've given you everything—don't expect any more from me." Smiling and nodding, Xiao Yan also tossed the vial toward Xiao Yishen, who promptly caught it with care. "Be careful now—what if it breaks?" After catching the small jade vial, Xiao Yishen gave Xiao Yan a scolding glance before quickly lifting the lid and tilting it gently to pour out a round, slightly emerald-colored pill. She placed it beneath her delicate nose and inhaled deeply. The fresh, medicinal aroma stirred a sense of both enchantment and bittersweet emotion within her—this very question, she had pursued for many years, only to find, in the end, that she could only catch the scent of bitter medicine. "This is indeed a pill, isn't it? Truly, nothing like the ordinary flame I used to simply blend the herbs together." Gazing at the pill's smooth surface and luster, Xiao Yishen sighed, and said with a touch of resignation. "Here, take this pill—this isn't meant to discourage you. It's called the Return Qi Pill. It quickly replenishes the energy consumed within your body. During battle, with this pill's support, you'll surely save a great deal of strength." Watching the young healer's self-pitying demeanor, Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "That's why you managed to hold your ground so long during your battle with Mu She—you must have had something special." Without ceremony, he took the jade bottle and said with a warm smile. Xiao Yan smiled, not dwelling on the matter, and leaned against the doorframe, quietly gazing up at the stars stretching across the sky. Inspired by the quiet atmosphere, the young healer also fell silent, her arms gracefully encircling her long legs, her bright eyes subtly blinking in time with the stars above. In the enchanting, moonlit valley, the man and woman remained still, gazing up at the night sky until the moon gradually faded. Then, as sleepiness settled over them, they leaned into each other, resting against the doorframe and slowly drifted off to sleep. … When, on the second day, Xiao Yan gradually awoke from his sleep, he found himself lying on the bed, having no recollection of when he had settled there. He turned his head, scanning the empty room, shook it vigorously to dispel the drowsiness, then sat up and stepped out of the small cottage. Gently caressing the jade ring on her finger, Xiao Yisheng smiled softly. Though she knew such an item was quite expensive, she had not hesitated, carefully placing one herb after another from the basket into the ring, then finally packing in all the other items—such as the Seven-Colored Toxic Classic. Raising her gaze to Xiao Yan, she softly said, "You haven't prepared any herbs yet? Once you leave, it'll be hard to find such a wonderful spot again, won't it?" "Hey, I've already prepared everything just two days ago!" Xiao Yan beamed, proudly displaying the jade ring on his finger. Staring at Xiao Yan's radiant smile, Xiao Yisheng lifted her delicate nose, exhaled gently, and placed the bamboo whistle into her rosy lips. With a soft breath, the delicate sound waves soared into the sky. At once, the azure eagles soaring above spiraled down, their wings flapping and gently blowing the plants beside Xiao Yan and himself to the ground. "Then let's go," she said, "for our final shared journey." "Taking a step forward, the young physician gracefully pressed her soft form against Xiao Yan, smiling warmly. Nodding with a smile, Xiao Yan extended his arm, cradling the seemingly frail will of the young woman, then propelled himself with a push of his feet, lifting both of them swiftly into the air. They settled steadily upon the back of the blue eagle. Standing on the eagle's back, Xiao Yan gazed at the increasingly distant thatched cottage in the valley, sighed softly, and murmured, 'Goodbye!'