On a shaded, lush path, two figures—a man and a woman—walked slowly, one ahead of the other, in quiet harmony. Shadows of two figures trailed behind them, drifting gently in the sky above. At a certain moment, the woman at the forefront paused, lightly brushing a strand of dark hair from her forehead. With a cool, clear voice, she spoke from between her alluring red lips: "Are the two above feeling fatigued from flying?" Though her voice was not loud, the two figures in the sky instantly halted, exchanged glances, and then descended slowly, landing on a large tree behind Xiao Yan. "Sea Elder, what are your plans now? The herbs for your Fuzi Ling Dan have yet to be gathered..." Xiao Yan stepped back carefully, his gaze shifting toward Hai Boheng, and asked. Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong stiffened slightly, his brows furrowed slightly as his gaze hesitated, scanning the beauty of the Medusa Queen who lounged against the tree trunk, idly twirling a leaf between her fingers. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he offered a wry smile. "Little one, since you've already successfully departed from Yunlan Sect, I may no longer need to follow you closely from now on. As for the Fuzi Ling Dan—when you find sufficient herbs in the future, please prepare it for me and send it to me through someone you trust. From then on, I shall remain in the Imperial Capital." "Hehe, very well. Then, let's part ways here for now. Should you ever need any assistance, just come to the Mitel family in the Imperial Capital." Sea Bode nodded with a smile. "Hmm." "Remember, young one. Though I don't know exactly what your relationship is with Queen Medusa, keep a sharp eye on her—this woman is far more ruthless than you might expect." Sea Bode glanced once again at the Queen Medusa ahead, his lips slightly parting, and in a soft, barely audible voice, wrapped in the power of his aura, he quietly conveyed the words to Xiao Yan's ears. Xiao Yan nodded subtly without drawing attention. "Young one, farewell!" Sea Bode bowed once more to Xiao Yan. He glanced at Ling Ying beside him and offered him a warm, friendly smile. Then, with a gentle vibration of his wings, he surged upward, swiftly vanishing into the azure sky. "This old man..." After watching Hai Bodo depart, Xiao Yan once again turned his gaze to the smiling Ling Ying, bowing respectfully. "Heh, according to orders, once you've left Yunlan Sect, my task is also complete. So, it's time for me to go as well." Ling Ying smiled, raising his thumb in appreciation toward Xiao Yan: "Young fellow, you've done well this time—real courage." "Your praise is most kind, Elder. I merely managed to stand up to the boldness thanks to your support. Without you and your colleagues, I'd have been too timid to even dare to speak my mind at Yunlan Sect." Xiao Yan smiled. Ling Ying laughed heartily. "Young man, your temperament suits me well. But I have other duties to attend to, so I can't stay any longer. I'll be off now—perhaps we'll meet again, and then I'll treat you to a hearty feast." "Thank you." Watching Ling Ying slowly rise into the air, Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. "By the way, since we share a similar flavor of mutual tolerance, I'd like to share a few words with you." "Suddenly, both wings halted. Ling Ying looked straight at Xiao Yan, speaking seriously, 'The Continent of Qi is vast. You must strengthen yourself quickly, or else you'll never even have the right to choose someone you love!' 'That's all. Now go on. In time, you'll understand what I mean.' With a wave of his hand, Ling Ying swiftly ascended into the sky, his form blurring into a faint black silhouette as he vanished toward the horizon. 'Ah, they've both gone already...' Standing in place, Xiao Yan sighed softly. He then furrowed his brows, gazing at the fading figure of Ling Ying, the words spoken before his departure now leaving him slightly puzzled. 'All right, have you said your goodbyes now?' As Xiao Yan was still in a state of thought, a gentle, tingling voice broke him out of his daze. Turning around, Xiao Yan gazed at the beautiful Queen Medusa, her strange, alluring eyes fixed upon him with steady intensity. A slightly awkward smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he stammered, "Um... Your Majesty, I mean, you... you haven't transformed back yet, have you?" "Transformed back?" The Queen arched an eyebrow, watching Xiao Yan with a composed, half-smiling expression. "Who said I need to?" "You... you must have assimilated the soul of the Sky-Eating Python," Xiao Yan's face paled, and his fist clenched tightly within his sleeve. Gazing at him calmly, the Queen had not missed the subtle shifts in his posture. She straightened her body, stretched lazily, and revealed her captivating curves, which were utterly mesmerizing. Yet at this moment, Xiao Yan dared not allow his gaze to linger on those areas—this woman, even the strongest among the Cloud Mountains, held him in awe. Any slight lapse in decorum from him would be enough to send her instantly to his grave. "As payment for saving your life, that little one must remain inside for the next three days." The Queen of Medusa smiled gently, clearly pleased with the terms of the deal. "Oh..." Relief washing over him, Xiao Yan turned his eyes thoughtfully and smiled, "So, during these three days, the Queen intends to take on a human form and stay by my side?" "Don't even think about it—she'll surely perish if you do!" The Queen of Medusa stepped gracefully forward, her movements sending a delicate, warming fragrance that made the air feel hot in the abdomen. Her cheerful expression, however, left Xiao Yan completely stiff. A snowy-white hand suddenly extended before him, delicate and fresh, so inviting that one wanted to bite into it. "Give me the item," the Queen said softly. "What item?" Xiao Yan looked utterly puzzled. "The formula for the Spirit-Infusing Pills," the Queen said calmly, methodically helping him clear his confusion. “Hmm…” With a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth, Xiao Yan then sighed with a look of weary resignation, lightly tapping his nacreous bracelet. The scroll of the Ling-Infusing Pill formula—something he had struggled to obtain with great effort—was now effortlessly passed to the other person. Xiao Yan nodded seriously. "Can you produce it?" The Queen of Medusa asked softly, and at that moment, Xiao Yan could feel her breath subtly quickening. "I'm a pharmacist of barely fourth rank, and this Ling-Ren Pill is a sixth-rank medicine..." Xiao Yan smiled slightly and spread his hands, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a cold laugh from the other side. "Although my soul has always been under the pressure of the Sky-Consuming Python, I still have a vague awareness of some of your matters. When you prepared the sixth-rank pills for Haibo Dong to break my seal, didn't you also use sixth-rank medicine? I may not fully understand why your strength sometimes seems inconsistent, but I do know for certain that you are capable of producing sixth-rank pills." "You can concoct sixth-rank elixirs, and then you're qualified to speak with me. If you truly can't, then I have no objection—here, right here..." The jade hand gently swept past Xiao Yan's neck, and instantly, Xiao Yan felt a coolness on his neck. He quickly touched it, only to be startled to find a few drops of crimson blood had formed there. "Sea Elder's words are indeed accurate—this woman is truly ruthless." Swallowing hard, Xiao Yan silently cursed under his breath. After a moment of thought, he no longer hesitated, meeting the gaze of Queen Medusa directly. "Very well, I'll help you prepare the Spirit-Uniting Elixir. But what benefit can I expect from this?" "Benefit? Simply that matter of your prior offense against me—I'll overlook it." Queen Medusa replied calmly. "Hmph. Then go find someone else. I have no interest in doing this." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan gave a dismissive smirk and coldly remarked. Her eyes slightly narrowed, a cold, steady intent slowly swirling around her. Suddenly, a vibrant, seven-colored energy surged from the delicate fingers of Queen Medusa, rippling out like waves. Gazing into those rippling hues, she smiled gently, "Do you have the right to negotiate with me?" "If you truly intend to kill me, wouldn't the soul of the Sky-Eating Python instantly rebel?" Xiang Yan stepped back, and a subtle jade flame began to emerge from the palm concealed within his sleeve. The lingering aura of hostility momentarily paused. Queen Medusa furrowed her brows, remarking, "You do show a bit of cleverness—knowing to leverage your connection with the Sky-Eating Python to counterbalance me." Seeing this, Xiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Sky-Eating Python indeed held a certain restraining influence over Queen Medusa. "I've never been one to ask for much, but Queen Majesty's 'empty-handed white-wolf' strategy is rather unkind. Crafting a sixth-rank pill is a highly intricate and mentally demanding task, yet with just a simple remark from you, I'm expected to pour my energy into it—how could such a thing be expected? Isn't that right, Queen Majesty?" Xiao Yan said, sounding somewhat helpless. "Stop fumbling with words—state your demands plainly." Queen Medusa replied calmly. "With both Sea Elder and Master Ling Ying now gone, I feel rather insecure all of a sudden..." Xiao Yan gently shifted his head, blushing slightly. "As long as Queen Majesty agrees to protect me for the next three years, then no matter what I say, I'll make sure to help you produce the Ling-Ren Pill." "Hmph. Protect you for three years?" A radiant smile bloomed on her graceful face. Queen Medusa gently rested her hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder, her expression especially charming. "Then perhaps I'd rather risk being crushed by the Sky-Consuming Python and simply kill you outright," she said. "So, no room for negotiation then?" Xiao Yan pulled his shoulders back and spread his hands. "Alright, don't dwell on unrealistic hopes. I'm not as foolish as Hai Bo Dong. I'll give you one year. During that time, I won't serve as your bodyguard—only stepping in when you're on the brink of death to help you escape trouble. Otherwise, if I'm in a good mood, I might intervene occasionally. Of course, if by the end of that year you haven't secured the Spirit-Uniting Pill, don't expect me to be gentle. This is the deal—will you accept it or not?" Queen Medusa spoke with a touch of impatience. Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, and after a moment, he finally looked up at the queen, whose face now carried a hint of cold determination, and reluctantly nodded. "Very well." At these words, the queen Medusa's fierce demeanor instantly transformed, as if her face had changed, into a gentle, charming smile, radiant and alluring.