Shock lingered on the gray-robed man's face for a while before gradually fading. He coldly glanced at Xiao Yan and said, "On what grounds do I believe you possess this ability? The fire toxin within my body has been examined by numerous outstanding figures in the medicinal cultivation field—each of them has concluded it's impossible. What makes you different?" "The depth of your fire toxin is indeed something I have never witnessed before," Xiao Yan remarked, his gaze sharp as it settled on the gray-robed man, whose face now flushed with anger. "But do you have any other choice? Perhaps even you have noticed—your rational mind is being subtly eroded by the toxin. Should this continue for much longer, you may well become a pressure-cooker, ready to explode at the slightest provocation." The man's expression shifted slightly. Xiao Yan's words had truly struck at the core of his being. After a moment of hesitation, the clenched fist slowly withdrew from before Xiao Yan and settled, and he spoke with steady resolve, "Who exactly are you? If you truly possess the ability to expel the fire toxin from my body, then you must surely be no ordinary person." "Xiao Yan, the new one." Xiao Yan smiled slightly and bowed to the gray-robed man, saying, "Xiao Yan? Is that the head of Panmen you're referring to?" As Xiao Yan spoke, his words naturally stirred a ripple of interest among the surrounding crowd. Over the past few weeks, most inner courtyard students had heard something about Panmen and Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan? I've heard that name before... Wasn't he the one who defeated all the seniors in the 'Fire Energy Hunting Competition'?" The gray-robed man paused thoughtfully, then his face brightened with surprise as he looked at Xiao Yan. Ignoring the array of astonished glances from around him, Xiao Yan nodded calmly. "Most of the participants in the 'Fire Energy Hunting Competition' were just ordinary, useless students—defeating them wasn't surprising at all. By the way, are you a medic?" The gray-robed man's words carried no deference to the seniors who had competed in the competition, and even as he spoke, he couldn't help but remain slightly doubtful, asking Xiao Yan, "Yes." Xiao Yan curled his fingers and lightly tapped— a strand of emerald flame appeared at his fingertip. "I believe, though not absolute, that a true Battle Seer's strength allows one to summon tangible flames. This should suffice to prove my identity. If you still doubt it, I can show you my alchemist's robe." Fixing his gaze on the emerald flame, feeling its intense heat, the gray-robed man's eyes flickered with mild astonishment. "Your flame is indeed stronger than that of the typical alchemists. Very well, I'll believe you. Still— even if you manage to expel the fire toxin from my body, simply taking this clearly exceptional young vine seems a bit... well, premature." He smiled slightly. "How about this: if you can fully eliminate the fire toxin from my body, and add one hundred days' worth of 'fire energy,' then this vine shall be yours. Shall we?" Raised one eyebrow, Xiao Yan gazed at the man before him, his eyes fixed on the crimson-lit pupils, surprised that despite his seemingly fiery temperament, the man also possessed such a merchant's pragmatism. "No additional terms," he calmly shook his head. "Whether you accept this deal or not makes no difference to me. Though I need this item, I don't necessarily have to secure it right now. If your internal fire toxin continues to be delayed, I believe even a master of alchemical medicine would be helpless. So, if you're not comfortable with this, then let it go." "You're threatening me?" the gray-robed man said, his brows furrowed. "That's precisely the situation. I can wait, but you cannot. Therefore, don't expect any further concessions—since you're at a disadvantage. Of course, if you're someone who's willing to face death with unwavering resolve, I'll have to accept my fate. But judging by your demeanor, it seems you're not quite that kind of person," Xiao Yan added with a teasing tone. "You... " The gray-robed man paused, clenched his teeth, and after a moment, nodded fiercely, speaking in a harsh tone, "Very well. I agree. As long as you completely expel the fire toxin from my body, this young pine vine shall be yours. But remember—completely expel it! Should I find any trace of residual toxin at that time, not only will you lose the vine, but you'll likely suffer a good deal of physical pain." "About one and a half years..." When mentioning this, the gray-robed man's expression wasn't exactly pleasant. However, considering his counterpart was a toxin-expelling alchemist, he had to swallow his irritation and replied, "During that period, I urgently needed to strengthen my abilities, so I remained in seclusion at the Tianfen Qi Tower for consecutive one or two months. With the fire toxin continuously accumulating, eventually it became so severe that by the time I realized it, it was tightly entangled with my qi, making it impossible to distinguish between the two." "By the way, my name is Lin Yan. Just call me by name." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan stared intently at Lin Yan's flushed pupils, only withdrawing his gaze after a while, and after a thoughtful pause of nearly seven or eight minutes, said slowly, "The depth of the fire toxin accumulation within your body exceeds my expectations. I didn't expect you to die—I simply asked for quiet. I didn't say it couldn't be cured." As soon as Xiao Yan finished his first sentence, Lin Yan was about to snap, his eyes blazing and his hands pounding the table. At that moment, Xiao Yan had to shout in frustration—this person's temper was truly "Hmph. Don't drone on and on when talking to me—after all, I don't care much. I'll only give you the Qingmu Vine once you've successfully expelled my fire toxin." Although scolded by Xiao Yan and forced to sit down, Lin Yan still hummed, tapping his nose. With the Ice Spirit Pill entering his body, the gradually dissipating coolness slightly softened the red glow in Lin Yan's eyes. As the fire toxicity began to ease, Lin Yan felt it most clearly, and his gaze toward Xiao Yan now carried a touch of confidence. "Of course, the Ice Spirit Pill can only suppress it and cannot completely eliminate the toxicity," Xiao Yan stroked his chin, paused again, then suddenly waved his hand, and a medicinal cauldron materialized on the table. He mumbled, "It seems I'll have to put in some effort with a specific technique after all." "You go and stand guard at the door—don't let anyone disturb me. I need to prepare something." Xiao Yan waved at Lin Yan. Upon hearing this, Lin Yan was momentarily stunned. In the inner courtyard, even Lin Xiu'ya and the other impressive figures like Yan Hao would never dare to ask him to guard the door. But recalling his own lingering fire toxicity, Lin Yan pursed his lips and nodded reluctantly, rising to leave and closing the door behind him. Seeing Lin Yan follow his instructions and step out, Xiao Yan finally turned his attention back to the cauldron before him. With a flick of his finger, a streak of emerald flame shot in, soon blazing into a vibrant, rising flame within the cauldron. As the flame heated the cauldron, Xiao Yan retrieved several herbs from his storage amulet, and finally placed a magic core emitting a gentle chill among the herbs. "To obtain the Qingmu Immortal Vine, one truly has to invest heavily," he mused, gazing at the third-tier ice-type magic core he had previously acquired. Though the combined value of the herbs amounted to at least fifteen thousand gold coins, Xiao Yan had to make the sacrifice to secure the Qingmu Immortal Vine. Although the ingredients for this concoction were numerous, the process required only moderate skill and precision—thus, given Xiao Yan’s already accomplished fourth-rank alchemical expertise, the preparation would not consume excessive time. As the azure flames surged, one herb after another was carefully dropped onto the table, and after roughly ten minutes, the solitary ice-type magical core left alone on the table was also tossed into the cauldron. Amid the roaring flames, a snow-white liquid floated above the azure fire. As it swirled, strands of cold vapor rose, intertwining with the flames to form tangible white mist that rose steadily from the cauldron. Fixing his gaze steadily upon this liquid radiating coldness, after it had been further roasted by the flames for several minutes, Xiao Yan gradually relaxed his expression. With a gentle flick of his fingers, the lid of the cauldron automatically slipped off. Then, with a swift motion, he drew a subtle suction, causing the snow-white liquid to arc gracefully through the air before settling precisely into a jade bottle on the table. Exhaled a long, steady breath, gazing at the jade bottle filled with cold essence, Xiao Yan smiled slightly. With a gentle motion of his hand, he set the medicinal cauldron on the table. Then, he spoke softly from the doorway, "Come in." Hearing Xiao Yan's voice, Lin Yan, who had been waiting impatiently at the door, quickly pushed it open and looked at him with eager anticipation. "All set?" "Indeed," nodded Xiao Yan, tossing the jade bottle toward Lin Yan, who promptly caught it with a flurry of movements. "This is the 'Sinew-Cleansing Cold Essence Fluid.' Simply pour one drop into a large basin of clear water, then sit quietly in that basin to meditate for thirty minutes each day, continuing until the fluid is completely used up. If the fire toxin persists even after that, I will prepare another batch for you. Remember—during this period, you must refrain from practicing at the Sky-Burned Qi Tower, or the effects of the medicine will immediately vanish." Xiao Yan reminded him. "Understood." Holding the jade bottle with a slightly excited demeanor, Lin Yan smiled at Xiao Yan and said, "As long as you can successfully expel the fire toxin from my body, I'll owe you a personal favor." "I don't particularly care about personal favors—just make sure to remember to give me the Qingmu Vine when the time comes." Xiao Yan waved his hand and then walked toward the door. "I need to go close the gate at the Tianfen Qi Tower now, and I suspect it won't be a short stay. So, during this time, you don't need to find me." "Hey, good..." Nodding, Lin Yan watched Xiao Yan's back and suddenly chuckled, "Kid, during your training, I'll take care of your Panmen. With me Lin Yan here, not only will they never dare to bother the Panmen with a mere white help, but even Lin Xiu'ya's 'Wolf Teeth' team won't dare to lay a finger on them." Xiao Yan paused, a gentle smile forming at the corner of his mouth, and nodded slightly.