Hearing the increasingly frail voice echoing in the room, Xiao Yan finally exhaled, feeling a great sense of relief. The elder who had just rushed into the room earlier now stepped out slowly, retreating steadily. At his neck, an elderly hand—appearing slightly weathered—clutched firmly like an eagle's talon, tightly securing the elder's throat. Haran, his face filled with astonishment, gazed at the composed old man before him. Though he had been caught off guard and thus unprepared, when the old man's hand pressed firmly against his throat, Haran was struck by a profound sense of dread. He noticed that the qi that had been rapidly flowing through his body suddenly seemed to be restrained, as if it were crawling sluggishly—no matter how desperately he strained to summon it, the qi remained weak and lifeless. By now, even if Halang were as dim-witted as ever, he had come to realize that the elder before him was far more powerful than he had originally thought—no mere slight edge in strength. Given the impressive display just witnessed, his own strength clearly surpassed Halang's by at least two stages. " heavens! This old man has already reached the level of Qi-Enhanced Wings—why does he still insist on riding such a relatively slow flying creature?" Halang choked out a heartfelt lament, struggling to move his throat. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Sir, we have not intended to offend you at all. We merely wished to ensure our own safety." The elderly physician glanced at him with a calm, detached expression, then gently raised his right hand. A jade bottle of a soft rose hue appeared in his grasp. Within the slightly translucent vessel, a blood-red pill the size of a dragon's eye rolled playfully. "Would you like it?" he asked, smiling gently as he held up the jade bottle. Gazing at Harang, now completely subdued and with no strength left to resist the old physician, the other three middle-aged men also looked utterly stunned. Their steps faltered as they stepped back in fear, and soon their hearts began to race with apprehension. Only after the initial greed had receded from their minds did they realize just how foolish their actions had been. "I didn't intend to kill you. But if you've made it so that you're seeking your own death, then so be it..." As the powder in Harang's hands was about to be scattered, the elderly physician gently sighed, shook his head, and a cold, silver flame surged forth from the palm now gripping the younger man's neck. "Ah!" The moment the silver flame touched Harang's skin, intense pain caused his eyes to widen dramatically, his body stiffening like a spring. With a piercing cry, he was completely engulfed by the flame within just a few seconds. "Hmph..." Watching Harang, who had been reduced to black ash in mere eyeblinks, the others present—including Xiao Yan—could not help but take a sharp breath. "This is indeed the power of the unique flame?" Staring in awe at this scene, Xiao Yan felt as though the sea within him had turned upside down. Although, back in Wutan City, Master Yao had once used the Strange Fire to kill someone, that person, Liu Xi, had only been a Battle Rank fighter at the time, so Xiao Yan hadn't felt particularly moved then. But now, the person standing before him—someone who had merely endured a few seconds of the Strange Fire—was a true Battle Rank master! "Strange Fire... That's why so many people are willing to go to great lengths just to obtain it. Such power... truly, it's irresistible." With a sigh, Xiao Yan nodded, admitting to himself that after witnessing the strength of the Strange Fire, his desire to possess it had grown even stronger. He glanced indifferently at the ashes on the ground, then with a gentle sweep of his sleeve, a light breeze swept them clean. He tossed the jade bottle to Xiao Yan and gave a light clap of his hands. With careful attention, Xiao Yan took the jade vial containing the Blood Lotus Pill and gently placed it into his storage relic, exhaling a soft breath of relief. He then raised his head, giving the three pale middle-aged men a disapproving glance, and smiled, asking, "Master, what shall we do with them?" Xiao Yan stood with his arms folded, coldly gazing at the three individuals overwhelmed by fear and despair. In his heart, he harbored little sympathy—he knew that if the positions of the two parties were reversed, these three would surely have mercilessly slain him and his companion. Since no one else had shown any compassion, Xiao Yan could now temporarily suppress his own emotions and face them. He did not lift his eyes to meet their fearful expressions. The elderly pharmacist gently tapped his fingers, and strands of pale, shimmering flames rose and gently faded within his palm. The heavy, oppressive atmosphere persisted for a moment, until the middle-aged man, a first-rank alchemist, finally could no longer bear it. With a stifled roar, his aura surged around him, and he charged fiercely at Xiao Yan, his eyes blazing with determination—clearly, he had not completely lost his sense of judgment, and he still knew to target the softest fruit. After this middle-aged man launched an offensive resistance, another second-rank alchemist suddenly drew a long sword from his meditation belt, roared fiercely, and charged at Xiao Yan with deadly intent. He knew deep within that as long as he captured Xiao Yan and used him as a hostage, his own life today would be secured. Ignoring the two who were charging him, the elderly alchemist remained silent for a moment, then lightly flicked his fingers—white flames shot forth from his palm, swiftly arcing like an arrow and piercing through the body of the first-rank alchemist, instantly reducing him to ash. Having eliminated the first-rank alchemist with the precision of a chicken being slaughtered, the elderly alchemist was about to send another flame toward the second-rank alchemist charging at him. However, a soft, muffled sound caused his fingers to pause momentarily. He raised his eyebrows slightly, then tilted his head with a touch of interest. "Pfft..." At that moment, the second-rank alchemist who had been charging directly at Xiao Yan suddenly went rigid, spewing out a gush of bright red blood from his mouth. He slowly lowered his head, and a cold, sharp blade, streaked with vivid blood, pierced through his chest. "You..." With great difficulty, he turned his head to gaze at the colleague who had suddenly launched an attack on him, his voice strained and full of venom. "You... will die right here. You won't escape. He won't let you go!" Hearing this, the second-rank alchemist, whose face was now wildly agitated, drove his long sword deeper into the ground with a fierce thrust, then suddenly withdrew it, sending a cascade of blood spraying across his body. Watching his companion gradually collapse, the alchemist took a deep, labored breath and then turned sharply to the elder, shouting, "Master, I pledge to follow you! Just grant me a chance at survival!" Xiao Yan quietly gazed at the harsh internal struggle unfolding before him, and after a while, exhaled softly. "That is the treacherous nature of humanity. When facing adversity, do not place your back against those you do not trust—because unexpectedly, a blade might pierce your chest at any moment." He ignored the second-rank alchemist who was full of flattery and deference, turning instead to gaze steadily at Xiao Yan, speaking calmly. Tightening his fists slightly, Xiao Yan nodded in quiet understanding—this very scene had taught him much. "As for this person, resolve your own course. I do not require such a mere attendant." With a slow turn, the old doctor entered the room, leaving Xiao Yan with a mere, light remark. Nodding, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, and a faint, slightly cold smile began to spread across his face. After stepping inside for a moment, the elderly physician heard a deep, resonant sound from outside the door, and nodded slightly. With a light flick of his fingers, the pale flame that rose from his fingertips gradually faded away. "Creak." Xiao Yan pushed the door open. At that moment, he carried a faint scent of blood on his person. Upon seeing the elderly physician's gaze, Xiao Yan shrugged and smiled, "People like that—hard to predict when they might suddenly stab you. So, I sent him down." "Hm." The elderly physician nodded casually, his eyes passing through the window to the golden expanse stretching across the distant horizon, and smiled. "The Takor Desert is approaching. Let's go—our journey from here on will be by flight. That way, the birds won't be disturbed when landing, especially since the four alchemists have gone missing. We'll avoid any unnecessary commotion or delays." "Having said that, the medicine elder's body slightly wavered, transforming into a streak of luminous light that penetrated into the naga ring on Xiao Yan's finger. At the same time, the purple cloud wings pressing against Xiao Yan's back unfolded with a soft rustle. After gently flapping his purple cloud wings, Xiao Yan opened the window and leapt straight down. The strong wind rushed past his ears at high speed. With a single wingbeat, purple qi gradually enveloped his body. He raised his head, gazing at the large-winged bird beast nearby, which was steadily flapping its wings, and smiled faintly. After a brief pause, he swiftly accelerated, transforming into a streak of purple light that rapidly surpassed the bird beast. High above, the purple light streaked across the sky like a star-chasing moon, swiftly heading toward the yellow soil city standing amidst a golden desert. The bustling city is drawing near, waves of heat rushing toward him. Gazing at the golden expanse that stretches almost to the horizon, Xiao Yan took a deep breath: "Finally, I've reached the last place of cultivation—the Togor Great Desert!"