Holding back the subtle surprise within, Xiao Yan pushed through the crowd and slowly made his way toward this slightly unusual stone platform. As he did so, the people around instinctively paused, gazing at him with a mixture of amusement and curiosity, as though watching a spectacle. Standing before the platform, Xiao Yan fixed his eyes on the jade-green immortal vine. After a brief hesitation, he extended his hand toward it. "Shhh—" Suddenly, as Xiao Yan's hand was about to make contact with the vine, a sharp gust of wind burst forth, strong enough to make the fine hairs on his arms stand up. Feeling the intensity of the wind, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. With a thought, a surge of emerald flame erupted from his spiritual reserve, swiftly flowing through several meridians before bursting forth and enveloping his retreating hand. "Hmm?" At the very instant the azure flame enveloped Xiao Yan's palm, a sudden exclamation of surprise rang out, followed immediately by the swift dissipation of that sharp gust of wind. With his hand safely retrieved, Xiao Yan looked up at the gray-robed man before him. The man had already opened his eyes, his face expressing a touch of astonishment as he gazed at Xiao Yan. His gaze swept over Xiao Yan's face, and Xiao Yan paused slightly, noticing that the man's eyes were filled with an unusual glow of red—glows that carried a certain agitation. This red glow was not unfamiliar to Xiao Yan; as long as he had trained at the Heaven-Burned Qi Tower, such a phenomenon would inevitably arise, commonly referred to as "fire toxicity invading the body." However, the red glow Xiao Yan had observed in others just a few days ago had been only faint. In contrast, the man before him now had his entire field of vision dominated by this red glow—clearly indicating a deep and severe case of fire toxicity. In fact, this was the first instance of such a profound fire toxicity that Xiao Yan had encountered during his time at the Tower. "If you're not buying, then don't touch anything randomly." The man in gray robes, with his eyes glowing crimson, coldly glanced at Xiao Yan before withdrawing his neatly clenched fingers, speaking softly. A little amused by the man's demeanor, Xiao Yan shook his head with a sense of resignation. Now he finally understood why everyone else had been avoiding this man—when potential buyers approached, they were nearly attacked. Even if the items he displayed were of the highest caliber, few would dare to make a purchase. "Who says I'm not buying?" Xiao Yan crossed his arms, responding with a calm tone. "Stop playing games with words! If you want to buy, pay with 'Fire Energy'—waste your time fumbling around!" A touch of irritation flashed in the man's crimson eyes as he sharply slapped the stone platform. "Fire toxicity has reached such a severe level... even my mind has been affected." Unmoved by the elder's outburst, Xiao Yan's face grew slightly serious. He hadn't expected the fire toxin within the Heaven-Burning Qi Tower to be so potent—clearly, in his future cultivation journey, even with the protection of the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire, he would have to be especially cautious. "How much for this vine?" Xiao Yan gently asked, pointing at the unusual green wooden immortal vine. From the fact that the man had placed it prominently, it was evident that he considered it rare; thus, Xiao Yan's hope of acquiring it casually, as he had in the past, seemed unlikely. "Four hundred points of 'Fire Energy,'" the gray-robed man replied coldly. As soon as the gray-robed man spoke, the entire area fell abruptly silent. Everyone stared at him as if he were mad—four hundred points! Such a substantial sum—some people might take a full year, or even two, to accumulate that much. Wasn't this request simply outrageous? Though they too could perceive that this young vine was quite extraordinary, no one would believe it was worth four hundred days' worth of "fire energy." At such a price—nearly astronomical—even the onlookers around them, and indeed Xiao Yan himself, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of their mouths. Four hundred days... that man... "Perhaps a bit overpriced?" After swallowing the lump in his throat, Xiao Yan frowned. "I may not know exactly what kind of plant this vine is, but the fact that two魔兽 of King-level strength fought to the death for it speaks volumes about its value. And to obtain it, I nearly lost my life. So, four hundred days' worth of 'fire energy'—that's not expensive at all. If you can't afford it, simply walk away. Don't delay my business." The gray-robed man glanced sideways at Xiao Yan and waved a hand. Though the gray-robed man spoke with ease, his words still sent a ripple of astonishment through the crowd. To seize items from two魔兽 of King-level strength—this man truly lived up to his reputation as the most passionate among the inner courtyard. Xiao Yan's eyes also flashed with surprise, and his gaze upon the gray-robed man grew more serious. If relying solely on his own strength, Xiao Yan would have to admit he wasn't entirely confident in successfully claiming such a rare item from two King-level魔兽. Though the man was bold and arrogant, he clearly had solid credentials. "Could we perhaps make a trade? For instance, a barter? I can certainly offer four hundred days' worth of fire energy—though I don't have it on hand." Xiao Yan hesitated. The Qingmu Immortal Vine was the primary ingredient for crafting the Di Ling Dan, and to successfully absorb the Fallen Heart Flame, the Di Ling Dan was absolutely indispensable. Therefore, no matter what, he had to secure all the medicinal materials—specifically the magic cores—required for the Di Ling Dan before obtaining the Fallen Heart Flame. Although the number of ingredients for the Di Ling Dan was not large, each one was exceptionally rare. For instance, this Qingmu Immortal Vine—should he miss it today, Xiao Yan might not even know when he would next encounter it again. Thus, he naturally wouldn’t hesitate to pursue it. "Alright, I need a Battle Technique of Earth Rank—do you have one?" For Xiao Yan’s proposal, the gray-robed man showed no hesitation, immediately suggesting another one, though this price still left Xiao Yan and the surrounding students speechless. In the Inner Courtyard, perhaps only a few students possessed Battle Techniques of Earth Rank. Of course, Xiao Yan possessed a ground-rank combat technique—specifically, a mobility-based one—but this was one he had chosen to cultivate. To ask him to trade it for Qingmu Immortal Vine was truly like cutting his own flesh. His facial expression shifted between gloom and hope, and under the watchful eyes of those around, he shook his head slowly and said, "I don't have a ground-rank combat technique to offer..." The gray-robed man glanced at him with disdain, this time choosing not even to speak, simply closing his eyes again and ignoring him entirely. As Xiao Yan's efforts fell flat, a soft ripple of laughter began to rise from the crowd—clearly, his own awkward attempt had brought them amusement. "He truly has a peculiar temperament," Xiao Yan sighed, not paying attention to the laughter. He neither left nor immediately moved, standing before the stone platform, pondering for a while. Then, suddenly, an idea struck him, and his gaze slowly swept over the gray-robed man before him. As Xiao Yan's gaze swept across, roughly two minutes later, a powerful and slightly furious aura suddenly surged forth from within the gray-robed man, sweeping across the surrounding area with such force that the onlookers quickly turned pale and hurriedly stepped back. "This fool is going to suffer—how dare he provoke Lin Yan, that madman!" "He deserves it. Everyone knows Lin Yan is the most impatient person in the entire academy; to keep dragging his feet like this is just asking for trouble!" "Though, that man seems rather familiar..." Amidst their retreat, the students began to express growing frustration and resentment, their complaints and laughter rising in volume. Under the overwhelming force of the gray-robed man's furious aura, Xiao Yan himself also stepped back slightly, his expression shifting with mild surprise. Simply by observing the strength of this aura, he could already sense that the man's prowess likely surpassed even the Seven-Star Duelist level. The closed eyes gradually reopened, glowing with a fierce, restless anger. He stared at Xiao Yan, his voice cold as ice, asking, "Are you simply overdue for a beating?" "I don't want to fight, but I'm quite interested in this young vine," Xiao Yan shrugged lightly, offering a gentle smile. "One minute. Leave the trading zone." The gray-robed man took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly with restrained fury. "I don't have four hundred days' worth of 'fire energy,' nor do I possess a ground-rank combat technique..." Xiao Yan sighed, his brow furrowed in frustration. Yet before he finished speaking, the gray-robed man's suppressed rage erupted completely. He surged upright, and in a single motion, stood directly before Xiao Yan. His eyes blazed crimson, and the sharp gust of wind emanating from his fists nearly tore the air apart. Along the path of his swinging arms, a faint, reddish shadow of his punches subtly emerged. The vigorous qi rushing toward him did not cause the slightest change in Xiao Yan's expression. His body remained straight, his dark eyes calmly observing the eyes now eroded by fire poison, and his steady voice slowly spoke, "But I can help you expel the fire poison from your body." As for the psychological duel, Xiao Yan paid no attention, simply keeping his hands folded in his sleeves and quietly waiting for the other person's response. Amid the bustling trading area, this particular section had momentarily fallen into stillness. The streams of eyes cast upon Xiao Yan, however, were filled with a touch of astonishment—this man had actually subdued the most frenzied figure from the inner courtyard. Truly remarkable.