With a resonant roar that rippled through the mountains, spreading steadily until it finally subsided, the once-silent peaks gradually regained their vitality. On the cliff face, Xiao Yan suddenly clutched his neck, coughing violently before forcing down several mouthfuls of saliva, which slightly eased the burning sensation in his throat. "A normal reaction—don't worry too much," the herbal elder smiled, offering reassurance. "Cough... Master, have I successfully inherited it?" Though his face was flushed from the intense coughing, Xiao Yan's expression remained bright with excitement and eagerness. "Yes, it appears you've indeed received that remarkable dragon energy capable of震撼ing the soul," the elder replied, his voice warm with satisfaction. Hearing this, the excitement on Xiao Yan's face grew even more intense. Although the Yin-Yang Dragon Pill hadn't immediately boosted his strength, the so-called dragon energy had indeed granted him an unexpected new offensive technique—one he could envision would prove immensely beneficial in the future. "However, even though you've now successfully inherited the dragon energy of the Yin-Yang Dragon Pill, if you rely solely on that dragon energy to generate the sound waves, the strain on your throat will be tremendous. Should you make a single misstep, you might end up becoming a mute—something that would be a significant loss," the medicine elder mused. "Doesn't the dragon energy sound wave need to be combined with a technique similar to a sound-based combat skill?" Xiao Yan slightly furrowed his brow. After hearing the elder's nod, he sighed with a touch of frustration, "Such combat techniques are also quite rare. To obtain even one would be no easy task." "Find it slowly, then. Back then, I indeed had a Book of Sound Techniques at the Xuanyuan level, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I lost it. So now, this item can only be found by you yourself," the Elder Yao sighed. Hearing this, Xiao Yan only shrugged, realizing that he would have to look elsewhere for a Sound Technique book. He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a bottle of clear water, drank it heartily, and wiped away the moisture from his lips. Then, casually asking, "Master seems to know quite a bit about the Yin-Yang Dragon Pill—how could you possibly know how to extract that thread of dragon energy hidden within the Qi?" As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, the Elder Yao suddenly fell silent. Seeing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily startled, then recalled the Elder's initial reaction when he first saw the Yin-Yang Dragon Pill at the auction. A slight embarrassment crept over him. After a long silence, the elderly pharmacist's voice finally rose again—yet the words that followed left Xiao Yan somewhat astonished. "The prescription for the Yin-Yang Xu Long Pill was created by me. On this continent, only two people are capable of crafting this type of pill—one is me, and the other..." At this point, the elder's voice subtly carried a touch of quiet melancholy. Xiao Yan clearly sensed the emotions in the pharmacist's tone and wisely remained silent, choosing not to interrupt. "The other one—was the student I once regarded as my most perfect heir. His talent in alchemy is no weaker than yours, and the care and effort I've invested in him is equally, if not more, substantial. Even when he was still an infant, I carried him out from the cold ruins, treating him as my own child and nurturing him as my ideal successor." The old pharmacist smiled, his voice calm. "Yet, for certain reasons, he ultimately chose to betray me. Hah—perhaps, I've come to be like this precisely because of his 'good fortune.' "He deserves to die," said Xiao Yan, feeling the undercurrent of sorrow in the pharmacist's voice—a deep, lingering chill born from the betrayal by someone so close. With a slow exhalation, he clenched his fists tightly within his sleeves, eyes fixed ahead, his tone soft, as though speaking directly to the elder brother he had never met. "We shouldn't have left Blackprint City so early. Since the Eight Gates Guild sold off those items, they must have seen him as well. Moreover, such precious goods wouldn't likely be simply handed over to someone—definitely, he would have personally escorted them here." Though the elder's words were plain, due to their shared essence, Xiao Yan still sensed a deep, concealed anger beneath the surface—like a volcano buried beneath a hard crust, patiently suppressed, waiting for the moment of its full eruption. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan remained silent for a while, gazing upward at the azure sky, and his voice suddenly softened: "Master, I will surpass him—whether in alchemy or in combat prowess. Then, I will clear the way. I will make you see that your eyes will never again miss a single truth!" "Ah, excellent, excellent," the elder replied, his voice warm. "I, Ye Chen, also firmly believe that my eyes will never again falter." Xiao Yan's gentle tone unexpectedly stirred a profound sense of tenderness and even sorrow within the elder's soul—so deep and lasting was the wound from that earlier betrayal. Yet, fortunately, fate had not allowed him to sink into an endless darkness and despair. Rubbing his slightly flushed nose vigorously, Xiao Yan beamed with a bright smile. "It seems we've finally reached the point where we need to head over to the Gan Nan Academy to speed up our growth. However, we might first need to find the right time to master the 'Three Thousand Thunder Waves' technique—then, even if we encounter stronger opponents we can't defeat, at least we'll have a solid escape strategy." "The Three Thousand Thunder Waves is a Terran-level technique—how easy can it be to master? Don't you remember the hardships you faced when learning the Flame-Splitting and Wave-Consuming Scroll? The effort and sweat required to master this technique surely aren't any less." Setting aside his current emotions, the old medicine master smiled warmly at this young apprentice he had once again poured his heart and hopes into. "Have I not endured my share of hardships over the years?" Xiao Yan chuckled lightly, then reached into his storage ring and took out the black horn domain map that Domah had given him during his stay in Hei Yin City. After carefully studying it, he folded it and turned his gaze toward the northern region, smiling, "Then let's go. From now on, we'll head straight for the Canaan Academy. According to the map, at my pace, I'm confident we'll reach there within three days!" "Hmm. The mysterious Huan Palace in the Canaan Academy probably won't venture into that area—after all, some of the older members there aren't exactly easy to impress. But don't expect to use my soul power to sneak in unnoticed; those elders are quite sharp and will easily detect my presence." The old doctor smiled. "Hmm... Teacher, you're really underestimating me! Ever since your influence, I've been constantly battling those formidable strongholds, often forced to flee and retreat. Yet even among my peers, I still need your direct assistance?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and gave a dismissive glance. "Hehe, that's not necessarily true. As the oldest academy on the Qi Continent, Canaan Academy boasts countless prodigies. I've even heard that within the academy there's an inner academy—its students are truly among the very best, selected from thousands. If you were to send someone like you, a mere youngster, there, I'm certain it would be quite an exciting spectacle," the Herbal Elder said with a teasing tone. "Then I'm genuinely looking forward to it," said Xiao Yan, shoulders slightly raised. His back subtly trembled, and the Purple Cloud Wings gently extended from his shoulders. With a light flick, his body surged upward, then spun once in the air before rushing off toward the northern horizon with a roaring wind. … During this journey, besides being cautious to avoid drawing attention to himself due to the noise of the Purple Cloud Wings when passing through populous cities, where he occasionally landed, Xiao Yan had almost entirely relied on the Purple Cloud Wings for the rest of the trip. Although this method consumed a significant amount of Qi, it was not a major issue for Xiao Yan, who carried over a dozen Revitalizing Dan bottles with him. Over the course of three days, with continuous travel, the distance between the map-marked Cangnan Academy and Xiao Yan steadily decreased. By late afternoon on the third day, Xiao Yan, who had been visibly exhausted, suddenly became alert and energetic—thanks solely to the elder's sudden words. "Young one, Cangnan Academy is approaching. Descend now. Within a hundred li of the academy, avoid forced flights; otherwise, you'll attract attacks." Hearing the old doctor's words, Xiao Yan quickly nodded and slowed his flight speed considerably, then gently descended until his feet came to rest on a small hillock. Standing atop the hillock, he gazed out far into the distance, where at the junction formed by two imposing, majestic mountains, a small town emerged faintly and clearly visible. Glancing at the town, Xiao Yan disregarded the dust covering his body and swiftly descended the hillock, then joined the yellow earth road leading directly to the town. On this yellow earth road, there were many pedestrians—clearly coming from Black Angle Domain. Yet what surprised Xiao Yan was that although these people carried certain fierce, aggressive energies within them, their faces displayed no trace of hostility. However, this ability to conceal their inner rage was not natural; rather, it appeared as though they were deliberately suppressing it. As a result, the expressions of these travelers seemed quite unusual. Noticing the steady gaze of Xiao Yan from the side, these people merely returned cold, fierce glares—something that made Xiao Yan find it rather amusing. If this were in Blackthorn Domain, wouldn’t these fellows have already drawn their swords and started slashing by now? "It seems indeed as the teacher predicted—anyone who arrives here must adapt and temper the fierce, unyielding spirit of Blackthorn Domain. Hm, the Galen Academy truly is formidable; they’ve managed to keep these relentless, battle-scarred individuals in check." Observing the determined efforts these people made to suppress their aggression, Xiao Yan shook his head silently. Proceeding along the well-tended, lush yellow earth path flanked by dense trees, the chaotic atmosphere of Blackthorn Domain was completely severed from the town. After about ten minutes, Xiao Yan halted at the town gate, glanced up at the plaque above the entrance, and found the name on it quite ordinary and unremarkable—something that would surely have been torn down by the next day in Blackthorn Domain. "Peace Town"—this was the very first town encountered upon entering the vicinity of Canaan Academy from the Black Corner Region! As Xiao Yan stepped toward the city gates, he suddenly noticed that the surrounding sounds had grown remarkably quiet. A bit surprised, he turned to see several people arriving from the Black Corner Region, pale as ghosts, their ankles trembling, gazing in awe at a large tree located a short distance to the left of the town entrance. The tree was of a deep black hue, its branches spreading out in all directions, appearing fierce and outstretched. Under the lingering golden glow of sunset, it exuded a faint coldness. As Xiao Yan slowly scanned the tree with his eyes, his pupils narrowed sharply. To his astonishment, he saw bodies suspended between the branches, their limbs pierced and hanging precariously. With the gentle breeze rustling through, the bodies swayed and creaked, emitting a chilling, bone-jarring sound. "This must be the so-called 'Spirit-Death Tree,' then," Xiao Yan murmured, his throat moving slightly as a bead of cold sweat formed on his forehead.