Inside the room, Xiao Yan held his arms in front of his face, and only after a while did he finally shift his peripheral vision through the gaps in his arms, gazing at the silent black ring before him. Then he lowered his arms and ran a hand over his body, feeling no apparent injury. At this point, the robe that had been inflated by the surge of his soul energy had slowly settled back onto his form. After sensing no discomfort in his body, he exhaled gently and looked up at the dark ring, yet still saw no trace of Yao Lao. "What on earth is going on?" he murmured, frowning, and called out again and again. But the dark ring only emitted a deep, steady glow, responding with no words, and showing no signs of soul activity—quiet as still water. "Has it failed?" Indeed, the earlier surge of spiritual energy was definitely from the Master himself... After waiting for so long without any response, Xiao Yan felt a touch of bewilderment and disappointment. If Master had truly awakened, he would have immediately replied in his mind. Yet this scene seemed to indicate that his spirit was still bound by certain limitations, preventing him from engaging in the free, spontaneous conversations he used to have. Nevertheless, no matter what, Xiao Yan could clearly see from the glow emanating from the black ring that Master's condition had improved significantly since his initial slumber—the Seven-Phantom Azure Spirit Nectar must have been of some benefit. Gazing steadily at the ring hovering before him for a long while, Xiao Yan sighed deeply, then reached out and grasped it firmly, refastening it on his finger. This time, the ring offered no resistance. After a moment of bright, steady light, the dark glow gradually faded, returning to its usual quiet, unobtrusive state. Gently running his fingers over the now calm black ring, Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead, and after a long pause, smiled faintly, murmuring softly, "Master, don't worry. I'll keep trying to help you recover..." Taking another deep breath, just as he was about to regulate his breath and begin cultivation, his gaze suddenly swept toward the window. A gust of wind, carrying a chill, surged in, forcing the window open. With it came the figure of Hai Bo Dong, who now stood in the room, gazing at Xiao Yan with a look of surprise. "You've recovered?" he asked. Xiao Yan was momentarily startled, then slightly relieved. It must have been due to the powerful soul resonance he had emitted earlier—someone of Hai Bo Dong's caliber would certainly be highly sensitive to such intense soul fluctuations. "I've just taken the Seven-Phantom Qing-Ling Saliva. My soul energy has surged back remarkably, but for some reason, a little while later, it's once again settled down..." Xiao Yan shook his head, speaking half-serious, half-true. "Hmm?" Hai Bo Dong blinked, then chuckled with a sigh, "So you're saying it hasn't recovered at all? Does that mean the Seven-Phantom Qing-Ling Saliva didn't work at all?" "I'm not entirely sure... But at least now I can feel that restored soul energy. Previously, during that period, I had absolutely no sensation of it. So, clearly, the salvia does have some effect." Xiao Yan said, with a touch of resignation. "It seems we'll have to find another way to restore my soul energy." "Ah well, I was really looking forward to that." "Hai Bo Dong shook his head in disappointment, then sat down heavily on the chair, saying, "If you regain your strength, your safety during this visit to Yunlan Sect will certainly improve significantly. But if you don't, even with me protecting you, the journey will still be perilous. Yunlan Sect has maintained its legacy for so many years—its senior monks are exceptionally strong. Moreover, Yunlan Sect members excel at coordinated combat techniques. When combined, such synergy makes it impossible for me to hold my ground—I'll have to retreat and wait for a better moment..." "I also mentioned back then that I would do my best to protect your safety—though, this is all within the bounds of not making too many sacrifices to the Yunlan Sect. You should know that I have deep ties with the Mitter family. Therefore, every move I make will inevitably involve them. While they are indeed one of the three major families in the Gamma Empire and appear to be a significant force, when it comes to sheer strength and power, the Yunlan Sect stands at the forefront. Over the course of centuries of continuous development, even the Gamma royal family falls short in comparison. Of course, this is aside from the overall political influence—the royal family still governs the entire empire. Nevertheless, the hidden strength of these older, established sects within the empire is far from what it seems." "You're well aware, aren't you, that on the Continent of Battle Qi, although human lifespans are finite, individuals can significantly extend their lives by advancing through ranks within their lifetime. For instance, the previous Yunlan Sect Master, Yun Shan, when he passed the leadership to Yun Yun, held the rank of Eight-Star Battle Emperor—yet at that time, he still had considerable time left before reaching his natural lifespan. Over the years, his "You mean... the previous master of Yunlan Sect is still alive?" Xiang Yan spoke softly, his lips slightly pressed. "Though I can't be certain, the chances are quite substantial. If he's still alive, I'd imagine he's already surpassed the Emperor's level and has become a true Conqueror-tier master." Hai Bo Dong sighed, saying, "Therefore, if possible, try to avoid major conflicts with Yunlan Sect. Otherwise, even if you have some personal connections with Fama and the old man, Xingtian, they won't hesitate to oppose Yunlan Sect for your sake, in the interest of the greater picture." Xiang Yan remained calm, unaffected by these words. He had never imagined such a scenario—he had only known Fama for less than a month, and to expect him to go against the most powerful force in the Kamara Empire for him seemed far-fetched. "If things truly come to a point where the two sides are at odds, wouldn't Hai Elder likely step back then?" Xiao Yan suddenly spoke softly, realizing that his relationship with Hai Bo Dong was essentially one of transaction. Had it not been for the Fuling Purple Pill, they likely would have parted ways long ago. Hai Bo Dong remained silent, gazing steadily at the young man's composed face, and after a while, said, "As long as Yun Tian doesn't appear..." The implication was clear—should the former master of Cloud岚 Sect, Yun Tian, show up, he would have to prioritize the interests of the Meter Family and step back from matters involving Xiao Yan and Cloud岚 Sect. Xiao Yan nodded silently. Without counting his teacher's strength, he was merely at the level of a Battle Master—something that would be quite common among the powerful disciples of Yunlan Sect. Yet, as Sea Bode had said, he was still young, and that was his greatest advantage. "Hehe, that's all for now. I just wanted to remind you briefly so you'd be a bit more cautious when you arrive at Yunlan Sect." With a smile, Sea Bode stood up and said to Xiao Yan, "It's getting late. Go rest now. Take tomorrow off, and then head to Yunlan Sect." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, watching Hai Bo depart the room. After a while, he exhaled deeply. Hai Bo's words had truly awakened him. Though it seemed that Fang Ma and the elder, these peak-tier emperors of the empire, treated him with great kindness, such kindness largely stemmed from their uncertainty about Xiao Yan's true capabilities and the mysterious master behind him—whose very existence remained unknown. Once a situation arose where Xiao Yan directly opposed Yunlan Sect, drawing them all into the storm, they would certainly not choose to oppose Yunlan Sect simply because of Xiao Yan. Reality, as always, remained harsh. Lying on the soft bed, Xiao Yan rested his arm against the back of his head, gazing steadily at the bed curtain, his eyes slowly closing. After a while, they suddenly snapped open—no longer a trace of fear in the dark depths of his gaze. Whether he was a young bull unafraid of the tiger or simply arrogant, he had long declared that this journey to Yunlan Sect would not be abandoned for anything, no matter what. Whether Yunlan Sect possessed merely a Douzong-level master or even a Dousheng—one thing was certain: he would surely arrive as agreed! With his fists tightly clenched, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, straightened his back, and leapt onto the bed, sitting cross-legged. "Nalan Yanran, wait for me!" He softly murmured to himself, then formed the cultivation seal with both hands. His body trembled slightly as he calmed his turbulent emotions, and soon settled into a state of focused cultivation. Since Master Yao had not appeared as expected, Xiao Yan had decided to push himself to his peak tonight. Tomorrow, he would take the Three-Stripe Qingling Pill and break through the Battle Master barrier, aiming to become a Grand Battle Master. This time, he would absolutely not allow failure!