On the mountain range east of the Dragon's Peak, at a peripheral edge location, atop a hill. Standing on the summit, Xiao Yan looked up at the blue eagle circling in the sky, and waved enthusiastically at the graceful white-dressed woman standing on the eagle's back. "Little Healer," he laughed loudly, "let's part here. We'll meet again some day!" "Take care, Xiao Yan!" Gazing down at the young man on the slope, the Little Healer smiled gently, her expression tinged with a touch of reluctance. After one final wave, she finally stepped back, took command of the blue eagle, turned it around, and soared westward with a clear, resonant cry of the eagle. Standing on the summit, Xiao Yan watched the faint blue silhouette fade into the distant horizon before slowly exhaling. This farewell—when would he see her again? And when they met again, perhaps, the scenery would remain, but the people would have changed. There was a slight sense of melancholy on his face, but after a moment, Xiao Yan shook his head and sent it drifting away. Having stood atop the mountain for a while, Xiao Yan waited until his mood had settled before he took the heavy Xuanzhong Chi on his back and turned to walk down toward the mountain base. At this moment, Xiao Yan's location was no longer within the boundaries of Qingshan Town—a type of town that was quite common in the vicinity of the Beast Mountains. The nearest city to him at this time was situated in the eastern province of the Gamma Empire, a large city that was even more imposing than Wutan City. In terms of overall strength, Blackstone City ranked among the top among the major cities of the Gamma Empire. And the primary objective of Xiao Yan's journey was to reach Black Rock City first, since only such large cities were equipped with civilian flight transport teams by the Empire. Given the vast distance between the Dragon's Mountain and the eastern frontier, it would take Xiao Yan at least four to five months to walk there on his own. However, at this moment, he simply didn't have that much time to spare. Therefore, he had to head to Black Rock City and board the flight transport team to reach the Empire's frontier. Of course, Xiao Yan could directly use his Ziyun Wing for flight. Though he had now advanced to the status of a Battle Master, simply relying on this alone to cross half of the Jamah Empire remained impractical. Moreover, flying with his Ziyun Wing would make him highly conspicuous. With the Jamah Empire being so vast and boasting many hidden strong individuals, he didn't want to attract unnecessary attention or complications. After all, as mentioned above, what he lacked most at this moment was time! After reaching the summit, Xiao Yan arrived at the nearest town nearby, took a brief rest, and then hired the fastest horned horse carriage available. He then set off immediately toward Black Rock City. Although this town was the closest to Black Rock City, the carriage still took nearly the entire afternoon to gradually reveal the city's massive silhouette. Standing on the carriage, Xiao Yan gazed at the vast city, glowing with a soft red hue under the late afternoon sun, and exhaled a quiet breath of relief. As the carriage drew nearer, Xiao Yan noticed that the city's enormous walls were entirely constructed from neatly arranged black rock blocks. According to the elderly man who drove the carriage, these walls had once withstood a combined force of two Battle Kings' powerful impacts without being shaken—demonstrating just how formidable the city's defensive strength truly was. After paying the tax at the city gate, the chariot was smoothly admitted and passed through the somewhat dimly lit city walls. Moments later, the scene before him suddenly opened up—loud, bustling voices poured in like a flood, overwhelming Xiao Yan, who found his head slightly pounding. With a slightly dizzy feeling, he dismounted from the chariot under the warm, smiling gaze of the elder. After settling the fare, Xiao Yan stood motionless on the street, gazing at the departing chariot, then at the crowded throngs around him. Used to the quiet of the valley, Xiao Yan now felt utterly unsure of what to do. “…,” the herbalist was momentarily at a loss for words, only sighing and chuckling after a while, "I never once asked you to keep your identity as a pharmaceutical master a secret, have I? It's always been you who've chosen to hide it on your own. I know you value humility, but you must understand—what truly frightens people about pharmaceutical masters isn't merely their ability to craft pills; it's the vast network of connections they maintain. The very identity of a pharmaceutical master serves as the thread that weaves this network together. After all, many powerful individuals rely on pills, and when they need them, they naturally turn to pharmaceutical masters. Once a personal debt is incurred, those same powerful figures become the very best allies when the pharmaceutical master faces difficulties." "Back in my day, I once had someone come to me personally to seek justice. That person brought a Dou-Zong, three Dou-Phoens, and five Dou-Wars. Care to know what happened afterward?" The herbalist paused mid-sentence, smiling warmly. The most crucial part had been cut off. Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly and asked, "What happened?" "Later, I established a soul communication—something you'll come to know about eventually—and then... three Dao Congs, eight Dao Phoens, twelve Dao Wangs, and eighteen Dao Ling came. I can't remember the rest, but the result, I'm sure you can imagine." Dong Yao said with a cheerful smile. Xiao Yan's footsteps suddenly stopped. He slowly lifted his head, took a deep breath, and felt a wave of astonishment. Three Dao Congs, eight Dao Phoens, twelve Dao Wangs... Such an overwhelming force—could it possibly destroy an entire empire? Did alchemists truly possess such immense power? "Hmm. So, revealing one's alchemist identity isn't always a disadvantage." "That does make sense. Then, tomorrow I'll go to the Alchemist Guild and see if I can advance to a Second-Class Alchemist." "Still a bit uncertain, he gave his head a slight shake, but Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. He wasn't someone who insisted on everything—should an opportunity arise to have a powerful figure owe someone a favor, he'd naturally seize it. But if no such chance came along, that was simply fine too." "Also, if you have time, go to the auction here and take a look. If there are any three-stage magic cores available, try to secure them," the Elder of the Medicine Sect said thoughtfully. "Although we haven't yet discovered any unique flames, we must ensure all preparations are fully in place beforehand. Otherwise, should we happen to encounter one unexpectedly, we might miss this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity." "Three-stage magic cores? Is that the final ingredient needed for the Blood Lotus Pill?" Xiao Yan walked slowly along the street, casually glancing at the shops around him, and asked. "Yes. To absorb a unique flame, at least three essential components are required!" The Blood Lotus Pill is one of them. "The Blood Lotus Pill is essential for approaching the 'Ethereal Flame.' Without its protective shield, not only would you—this modest Doushi—be unable to approach it, but even a Douhuang-level warrior would hesitate to make contact with the Ethereal Flame." "The Ice Spirit Cold Spring: if the Blood Lotus Pill protects your outer body, then the Ice Spirit Cold Spring safeguards your inner essence. It ensures that during the process of refining the Ethereal Flame, you won't be incinerated into nothingness by its devastating heat." "The final one is called Nalíng. This substance creates a special, compact space within your body—specifically designed to store the Ethereal Flame. Given the Flame's incinerating nature, if it is not fully refined, any ordinary substance—be it your spiraling energy or your physical form—would be instantly consumed. Only this void space remains intact." "However, Nalíng is quite rare—it's actually related to Nalì, though this particular Nalíng can only be found at the central core of the highest-grade Nalí stone. You should know that high-grade Nalí stone is an essential material for crafting high-grade Nalì rings, so its rarity is quite remarkable. Moreover, the probability of Nalíng existing within high-grade Nalí stone is not particularly high either. Hmm… now, shouldn't you have a good sense of how rare Nalíng truly is?" Xiao Yan opened his mouth, looked utterly stunned, and after a while, shook his head with a wry smile. "I've never even heard of Nalíng or Ice Spirit Cold Spring. Where would I go to find them?" "Regarding Nalíng, you needn't worry too much. When I was searching for the unique flames, I had just happened to stock up a little extra. So, right now, the only two things you still lack are the Ice Spirit Cold Spring and the third-stage magical cores." The Elder of the Medicine smiled. "Where exactly can I find the Ice Spirit Cold Spring?" Xiao Yan asked, smiling awkwardly. "The most bitterly cold or the most scorchingly hot places..." the Elder of Medicine smiled. "Could there be such places that are extremely hot? Isn't it true that extremes reverse?" Xiāo Yīn blinked, somewhat astonished. "Exactly," the Elder nodded, smiling. "Of course, if you're lucky, you might acquire them from someone else or through an auction—though I suspect the chances aren't very high, since anyone with a bit of discernment knows how rare they are and generally doesn't bring them out unless necessary." "What if we can't gather all these items? We've fortunately encountered the Heterogeneous Flames—what then?" Xiāo Yīn asked, turning his eyes thoughtfully. "Then we withdraw. We abandon this opportunity, no matter how rare it may be. Without these three essential items, facing the Heterogeneous Flames, anyone who comes into contact with them will die!" the Elder said calmly, his voice showing no hesitation. "Is there no other alternative?" Xiāo Yīn asked, still somewhat reluctant. "Yes, though these three items are the ones I've carefully selected after countless experiments—without the slightest exaggeration, if you have a material combination that significantly boosts the success rate of refining hetero-fire, many alchemists would be willing to pay you a price that would leave you stunned!" The tone of the Elder's voice carried a touch of pride, clearly indicating that these three materials had truly consumed considerable effort on his part.