The delicate, faint voice lingered in his mind, yet it sent a cold chill through his entire body. His hand, concealed within his sleeve, subtly trembled, and he slowly exhaled, striving to conceal the shock from his face. He lowered his head, remaining silent for a long while, until finally, he calmed down and spoke with a steady voice in his heart: "Do you wish for the prescription?" After uttering the words, there was an immediate silence—Medusa the Queen offered no further response. Frowning slightly, Xiāo Yīn called out to her mentally several times, only to find her response as distant as if the words had sunk without a trace. After repeated attempts, he decided to let go, his fingers gently tapping the table, as his thoughts began to unfold. The effect of the Ling-Ren Pill was to fuse the soul with the body. Given how deeply Medusa the Queen cared about it, it was clear that her concern stemmed from her connection with the Tian-Shun Serpent—something Xiāo Yīn understood well. Yet… if Medusa the Queen truly obtained the Ling-Ren Pill, wouldn't she then be able to control the body of the Tian-Shun Serpent? Then, perhaps, the only hope for Xiao Yan to survive would be with Yao Lao's protection—a legendary powerhouse of Dao Cong level. Though she claimed she wouldn't kill him, Xiao Yan still wasn't entirely convinced. If he refused the Queen of Medusa's demands, their relationship might only grow worse. In the early stages, the Sky-Eating Python could still contain the Queen, but Xiao Yan didn't believe it could do so for the long term. Once the Queen reappeared forcefully in the future, Xiao Yan's situation would truly become dire. Should he agree or not? Frowning, Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead with his fingers, deeply pondering. After a long silence, he suddenly pressed his fingers firmly onto the table, looked up at Otto, and sighed, saying, "Very well, I'll participate." "Regardless of how it turns out, as long as we first secure the prescription, the next step will naturally be to prepare the pills. This process can only be fully entrusted to Xiao Yan. Thus, at that point, Xiao Yan will have the grounds to engage in dialogue with the Queen of Medusa. Perhaps, on this matter, he can negotiate favorable terms with the Queen. Honestly, Xiao Yan doesn't want to offend this legendary powerhouse who will rise to the status of a Cultivator at the very moment she awakens. If the opportunity arises to reconcile with her, he would be more than willing. Hearing Xiao Yan's agreement, both Otto and Frank exhaled in relief. Xiao Yan is registered under their branch. If he represents the Black Rock City branch at the Pharmacist Assembly, it will undoubtedly bring honor to their branch, and thus significantly boost their standing on the next year's branch performance rankings. "However, I have one condition," Xiao Yan suddenly said, observing the beaming expressions of the two. "Hmm? Go on, tell us..." Hearing this, Otto and the other person were momentarily stunned before smiling. "Due to certain circumstances, I'll be attending the assembly under the appearance you've both seen before. Also, could you please help me update my name—change my previous name, Xiao Yan, to Yan Xiao? That would be greatly appreciated." Xiao Yan touched his face and smiled. "Hey, it's just a matter of attending, right? What's so embarrassing about it?" Nearby, Lin Fei propped her chin on her hand, rolled her eyes, and gave Xiao Yan a dismissive look. Xiao Yan smiled but didn't respond, instead fixing his gaze on Otto and Foklan, waiting for their reply. "Changing my name is rather a minor matter," Otto nodded, looking at Xiao Yan, "It seems you've encountered some difficulties. If there's anything we can assist with, please let us know—we'll do our best." Smiling and shaking his head, Xiao Yan didn't wish to dwell on this topic, saying, "Heh, though, don't place too much hope in me. The Jiaema Empire is vast and full of talented individuals—how many there are, I can't even count. As a young up-and-comer, merely making it into the final circle is already a matter of luck. Back when Dan Wang Guo He participated in the grand assembly, he was already a fourth-rank alchemy master. As for me, a mere second-rank alchemy master, stepping onto the stage might even seem rather modest..." Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Otto smiled and shook his head, saying, "Guo He took part in the alchemy master assembly when he was nearly thirty. How old are you now? And we didn't ask you to vie for first place—quite the difficult achievement. As far as I know, several of the most influential factions are all eyeing that position closely. Simply entering the top ten would be a real surprise to many." "Does the assembly have an age limit?" "Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised to ask, "If there's no age limit, then who among the younger generation could possibly outperform those seasoned elders once they step onto the stage?" "Of course, there are indeed such individuals. This grand assembly is open only to pharmacists under thirty. Ancient He nearly reached that age back then, so he gained a significant advantage in experience. Still, his pharmaceutical talent was truly rare—his mastery of flame control left everyone in awe, making him the most dazzling figure of that entire gathering." Frank praised with admiration, recalling the young Ancient He, full of confidence and vigor, who had delivered a flawless performance of flame control before the entire council of pharmacists in the Gamma Empire. At that time, Ancient He had become a beloved figure among countless young women in the Gamma Holy City. Xiao Yan nodded slightly and smiled, asking, "When does the assembly begin?" "In three days." "Three days later, I'll come here to attend the conference proceedings—please take care of that for us," Xiao Yan quietly noted the time and smiled at the two masters. "Yes, we'll be staying here throughout this period. If anything comes up, just come find us," Foklan nodded warmly, offering a reminder. Xiao Yan smiled and then rose, bowing gracefully to the four people in the room before placing the ice silkworm mask over his face and slowly stepping out of the spacious room. Watching the figure fade behind the door, Foklan sighed, "I wonder if this young one will make it into the top ten." "The past ten finalists have all been third-tier alchemists—seems he's still at the second tier. That's quite a challenge. However, considering his age, he might shine at the next event. As for this one? Well, it's tough—those exceptional contestants have all been released by their teachers. This year's competition truly looks like a fierce battle among the strongest." "Linfei played with the wine glasses on the table. "It's indeed a challenge, but not impossible... Don't underestimate Xiao Yan. A second-tier alchemist under twenty, such talent—even the ancient He River couldn't match it. I truly don't think it's out of the question for miracles to unfold in his case." Otto smiled gently. "Hopefully, if such miracles do happen, our Black Rock City Alchemist Branch will surely gain widespread acclaim. Hehe, then next year's budget will allow us to make bold requests to headquarters." Foklan chuckled. "And those rare herbs and materials..." Otto said with a sly smile. "Two old fellows, always concerned about their own guild's possessions..." Watching the two exchange their quiet, amused glances, Linfei and Xue Mei shook their heads in resignation, murmuring to themselves. … As he stepped out of the Herbalist's Guild, Xiao Yan stood on the bustling street, surveying the surroundings thoughtfully before taking a steady step toward the Na Lan family at the city center. Today’s detoxification had not yet been carried out. Yesterday, he had discovered that the scorching toxin remained embedded within his body. Today, he wished to verify once again—how exactly had this toxin managed to reach him? If each detoxification session were to add more of this toxin, then the situation seemed… He sighed, shook his head slightly, and then stepped into the crowd, gradually fading into the flow of people. … At the headquarters of the Mitel family, in the waiting lounge, the elderly figures—usually rarely seen—sat upright, trembling slightly, ignoring the bewildered glances of the younger members and instead casting respectful glances toward the white-haired elder seated at the head of the lounge. "Haole, I didn't expect to see you today. When you first left, I nearly exhausted all my resources, yet I found not a single trace of yours." The elder, dressed in magnificent robes, spoke with a slightly excited tone, standing at the forefront. "There were some incidents back then, so I've been living in seclusion for many years. Fortunately, everything has settled now..." The elder at the forefront was none other than Hai Bo Dong, the one who had parted ways with Xiao Yan earlier. Now, he was holding a warm cup of tea, glanced at the excited elder, and with a composed expression, his face softened as he spoke. "Tengshan, it's been many years since we last met—now you've become a Supreme King-level warrior. The weight of the Miter family's responsibilities is well managed by you. From now on, you shall continue to lead the Miter family. I no longer wish to be involved in the details. I believe the royal court's old sage will soon learn of my return." With a gentle nod, Hai Bo Dong spoke softly. "Heh, it's truly a great joy for the Miter family that Hai has returned." The elder known as Teng Shan—naturally the head of the Miter family and one of the Top Ten Powerhouses of the Gamma Empire—was none other than Miter Teng Shan. In the hall, several promising young members of the family were also seated, observing with wide-eyed astonishment how the usually stern and rarely smiling senior elder, who had always been so strict with others, now displayed such respectful demeanor. They were utterly puzzled, wondering who this white-haired elder really was. Hai Bo Dong had not returned to the Miter family in over forty years—enough time for the younger generation to have completely forgotten his existence. "Rayo, come out!" Miter Teng Shan suddenly turned and shouted sharply at someone in the crowd. Instantly, a rather embarrassed figure hurried forward and then fell to his knees, trembling, and stammered, "Senior Elder." "We collided with Haigo. We should have expelled you directly from the family, but considering your past contributions, we're demoting you from your position as a senior elder and assigning you to the border city management branch. For the next three years, you're not permitted to return to the headquarters!" Mitel Tengshan spoke in a calm, detached tone. Your room will be kept clean at all times," Mitel Tengshan said, turning to Hai Bo Dong with the rewards and penalties now neatly arranged. She looked at him with eager anticipation. Shaking her head slightly, Hai Bo Dong smiled, "Not yet. As per our agreement, I'll still need to accompany that young man—follow him for a while as his bodyguard." "Bodyguard?" Mitel Tengshan's expression changed slightly, her mind briefly puzzled as she murmured, "That young man, Xiao Yan, has actually managed to make the Sea Elder himself bow down and serve as his personal guard? How impressive is that?" With Mitel Family's extensive intelligence network, Mitel Tengshan certainly knew Xiao Yan's background—though that knowledge was limited to his time in Wutan City. "Don't underestimate him. He's far from ordinary—back then, even I had to suffer several defeats at his hands. People like this hide their true strength deep. If you can make him your friend, never oppose him; otherwise, even I may not be able to protect the Mittel family." Hai Bodo spoke with serious demeanor. At present, whenever he thought of the Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus that Xiao Yan had created, a deep sense of unease would rise within him—the power was truly overwhelming. Seeing the rare seriousness in Hai Bopo's expression, the elders in the hall and Mitel Tengshan both felt a surge of astonishment, knowing well that among the entire Gamma Empire, there were not more than five individuals worthy of such treatment from Hai Bopo. Those five were all elderly, while the young man named Xiao Yan was barely in his twenties. "Don't worry, Hai Elder. I'll personally instruct our family members to ensure they don't harbor any ill will toward him," Mitel Tengshan said, nodding firmly. In such a momentous occasion, he certainly wouldn't act casually. "Agreed," nodded Hai Bopo, rising to his feet. "If possible, provide him with as much support as he needs. In the future, you'll look back on today's decision with gratitude. I must be going now. Should there be any matter, someone will come to find me. You know where I reside." "With that, Haibo Dong simply stepped forward and exited the hall, gradually fading from sight. "Ah...," Midel Tengshan breathed out, easing his shoulders as he cast a stern gaze around the hall. "I hope you've all heard clearly what the old sea man said. That young man named Xiao Yan—don't let him get on your nerves. Otherwise, Lei Ou will be your warning!" The guests in the hall quickly nodded in agreement.