Gazing at the startled, elegant face, Xiao Yan smiled and asked, "Unharmed, I hope?" "Yes," replied Han Yue, shaking her head. Her gaze was strangely fixed upon Xiao Yan, the rosy hue on her cheeks gradually fading. She gave a gentle thanks, then sighed, "It's only been two or three months since we last saw each other, yet you've grown so much stronger. Back then, your speed was such that few from the Inner Courtyard could have matched it." Even with the enhanced speed of the Snow Demon Tiger Leopard, even Lin Xiu'ya, of such strength, had struggled to evade her. Yet here, Xiao Yan had managed to rescue her in the very instant of lightning-fast action—such speed was likely unmatched among those present. Compared to just a few months ago, it was truly a transformation of a different kind, which explained Han Yue's admiration. Xiao Yan smiled again, saying nothing, and turned his gaze toward the red silhouette that had appeared on a massive stone, materializing from the ground. A sense of seriousness flashed in his eyes. Now, the Snow-Magic Tian-Yuan, whose once-white fur had completely transformed into a deep crimson, radiated an even more intense aura of murderous intent and agitation. Thick, tangible streams of blood-colored mist continuously seeped out from within its body, and whenever these misty vapors touched leaves or other surfaces, they gradually eroded them, turning them into nothingness. Observing this display of power, it was clear that the creature's strength had nearly doubled compared to before. "Han Yue, it seems this creature is growing stronger by the day. I think we should withdraw early—otherwise, things might get worse..." Xiao Yan said, frowning slightly. The old medicine master had mentioned that after awakening the furious bloodline, Xue Mo Tian Yuan could briefly match five-star to six-star Dominant-level warriors. Now that Lin Xiu'ya had been injured and had to retreat, their current group simply couldn't pose a serious threat to it. And if they weren't careful, significant casualties might occur. "Hm," Han Yue nodded with a wry smile. The sudden mutation of Xue Mo Tian Yuan had surprised her as well. With their current team strength, they now clearly lacked the power to defeat it. Having witnessed the earlier demonstrations of its formidable prowess, her hopes of securing the "Earth-Core Body-Infusing Milk" had become increasingly dim. Not far away, Yan Hao observed the Snow Demon Tian Yuan, now seemingly in a state of recuperation after its fierce assault, and promptly waved his hand, sending one person into the forest to search for the injured Lin Xiu'ya. The others carefully moved to the tree canopy beside Han Yue and her companions, then gazed at Xiao Yan with a sense of curiosity. Earlier, Xiao Yan's demonstrated speed had earned the respect of these top-tier inner courtyard warriors, who had previously held some slight reservations. "Heard this, Yan Hao and the others instantly gasped, their eyes slightly puzzled. A fresh recruit who had only joined the Inner Court for less than half a year—how could someone of such caliber possess such strength? Hadn't the Outer Court grown this strong already? Their gaze swept back and forth over Xiao Yan, yet their growing confusion deepened. Judging by the intensity of his aura, Xiao Yan clearly hovered around the Grand Battle Seer level. Yet how could his earlier burst of speed have left even them struggling to keep up? I seem to have heard this name before—didn't the freshman team recently defeat all the senior teams in the "Fire Hunt Competition"? Wasn't the leader of that freshman team named Xiao Yan? I believe this must be the same person." A man in yellow robes, with a dark complexion but exceptionally bright eyes, spoke suddenly after a moment of thoughtful silence. Upon hearing this, Yan Hao and the others were momentarily startled, then recalled with a smile, "Ah, so you're Xiao Yan! That name has truly become legendary. When we first entered the inner courtyard, I and Lin Xiu'ya were defeated by the final White Shad team. Who would have thought that the new generation has grown so strong—this year's freshmen are even more formidable, having completely eliminated both the White and Black Shad teams. Indeed, they have real talent." Seeing the others' unusual glances, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "It's just good luck. Back then, Yan Hao and Lin Xiu'ya, our seniors, faced off against each other one-on-one in the Black and White Gate Trials, while I relied on the entire freshman team. How could that possibly compare?" Xiao Yan had heard of some of those events as well. Yan Hao and Lin Xiu'ya were both naturally proud, and the other freshmen from that year never quite made an impression on them. So they formed their own teams and pushed forward relentlessly until they narrowly lost to the Bai Sha team—what a tale it was. "As long as we win, that's what matters. We were too arrogant back then. Otherwise, the very first team to break the curse of the 'Fire Hunting Tournament' would have done so long ago," Yan Hao said, shaking his head with a smile. As Xuanyin and the others were conversing, two figures suddenly burst forth from the forest, swiftly materializing beside the group. They were Lin Xiu'ya, who had been thrown into the forest earlier, and the other person who had gone to search for him. "This one?" At that moment, Lin Xiu'ya's face was pale, with faint traces of blood at his lips, and his once-pristine green robe was now torn in several places. Though his appearance was disheveled, his demeanor remained undiminished. He first offered a wry smile to the group, then, upon seeing Xuanyin's unfamiliar face, was momentarily taken aback. "Are you all right?" Yan Hao asked first, then briefly outlined Xuanyin's background. "Ah, so this is Xuanyin, brother—quite a familiar name indeed." "Heard what Yan Hao had to say, Lin Xiu崖 was also somewhat astonished. The snow-mage tigress's speed had been nothing short of terrifying—he had personally experienced it. He never expected that a freshman who had only joined the inner academy for less than half a year could rescue someone from within her grasp. Such ability truly warranted a conversation on equal footing. 'Ah, Lin senior, I was just practicing in the mountains. I only came here upon hearing the commotion. I saw you two engaged in a standoff with this giant, and when I noticed Han Yue senior in trouble, I couldn't remain idle. So I stepped in. If my arrival has disturbed you in any way, I hope you'll forgive me...' Xiao Yan glanced at the snow-mage tigress, who, slightly hesitant due to the growing crowd, had paused her advance and not yet launched a full assault, and smiled warmly at Lin Xiu崖." "There's nothing to apologize for. Since Brother Xiao Yan saved Han Yue's life, there's no need to hide anything from you. We've come here to besiege this Snow-Magic Heaven Monkey merely to obtain a rare item it guards—'everyone who sees it gets a share.' If we succeed in securing it, Brother Xiao Yan will certainly be among the beneficiaries." Lin Xiu'ya smiled casually, his relaxed words clearly aiming to integrate Xiao Yan into this small team. It was evident that he believed Xiao Yan's strength merited a share in their prize, though he deliberately omitted details about the Earth-Core Body-Infusing Milk—something so precious that, being their first encounter, he naturally didn't wish to reveal such secrets so easily. When Lin Xiu'ya unexpectedly invited Xiao Yan to join, Yan Hao and the others were all taken aback, exchanged glances, and then fell silent. While Xiao Yan's personal strength might not yet command their full attention, the remarkable speed and unusual demeanor he had displayed earlier made them unable to overlook him. Moreover, the "Earth-Core Body-Infusing Milk" was first discovered by Han Yue, and now Xiao Yan had saved her life—she would likely not object to Lin Xiu'ya's proposal. After a moment of internal deliberation, they all decided to remain silent without offering any objections. So, under everyone's watchful eyes, Xiao Yan shook his head and offered a wry smile. "Thank you, Lin, for your kind offer. But I fear Xiao Yan simply doesn't have the means to enjoy such a gift. This Snow Demon Tiger Monkey isn't a patient creature at all. It's said that within its body flows a wild, turbulent bloodline. Once awakened, its power surges dramatically in a short span. From what I see now, the changes in this beast seem to point precisely to the awakening of that bloodline. At this stage, even a regular Duke-Class cultivator would struggle, let alone someone reaching the peak of Five-Star Duke rank. While this may sound discouraging, I don't believe we, as a group, will be able to defeat it." "A turbulent bloodline?" "Heard this title, Lin Xiu'ya and the others all paused, then grew slightly concerned. Though they too were familiar with this kind of beast, their understanding naturally couldn't match that of Yao Lao. They had never heard of such a 'frenzied bloodline' before. However, judging from the transformation of the Snow Demon Tiger Monkey earlier, it indeed matched what Xiao Yan had described quite well. As a result, everyone's expressions grew somewhat troubled—naturally, they knew that a beast capable of holding its own against a Five-Star Battle King was something they simply couldn't conquer with their current strength. 'Now what should we do? Should we give up?' Yan Hao furrowed his brows, asking Lin Xiu'ya. The Earth-Core Body-Infusing Milk was truly too enticing for him to let go, and giving it up would be deeply painful. Lin Xiu'ya sighed, pondering for a while before finally gritting his teeth and saying, 'Well, let's just believe Xiao Yan once. This time, I've been seriously injured and will likely need at least fifteen days of recovery. So, perhaps we'll have to find other ways to deal with this encirclement." "Heard that Lin Xiu'ya intended to temporarily retreat, Yan Hao and the others were all reluctant. However, upon glancing at the snow-mage tigress far off, radiating an intimidating presence, they all felt a chill and had no choice but to nod in resignation. "Let's retreat first. Once we've recovered from our injuries, we'll figure out what to do next," Lin Xiu'ya sighed, then bowed to Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, shall we return to the inner courtyard together?" "Then thank you. Should Brother Xiao Yan ever need any assistance in the future, feel free to come to me. In the inner courtyard, there are quite a few people who still hold my name, Lin Xiu'ya, in high regard." Lin Xiu'ya smiled warmly. He hadn't harbored much doubt about Xiao Yan, though the latter's speed was indeed impressive—yet even with his powerful Grand Master-level strength, it was unlikely he could have entered the valley guarded by the Snow Demon Giant Monkey alone. "Let's go." With that, Lin Xiu'ya raised his hand and stepped forward, swiftly heading toward the deep mountains. The others, particularly Yan Hao, who seemed somewhat reluctant, had no choice but to follow closely. "Xiao Yan, be careful in the mountains," said Han Yue, offering a gentle smile and a word of concern before she herself moved, her silver hair flowing as she darted off toward the distance. Staring at the figures of Lin Xiu'ya and the others gradually fading from sight, Xiao Yan sighed deeply, his face creased with a gentle expression of regret. "I truly apologize," he murmured, his voice soft. "I've urged you to leave not only out of concern for your safety, but because if we continue to press, once the Snow Demon Sky Leopard fully erupts, I fear none of you will be able to escape here." Thanks to the advice of Yao Lao, Xiao Yan now fully understood the terrifying power of the Snow Demon Sky Leopard after its bloodline awakened. Not only were Lin Xiu'ya and the others at the peak of the Douling stage, even five official Douwang-level warriors would likely hesitate to engage it under these circumstances. Turning his gaze toward the Snow Demon Sky Leopard, whose increasingly agitated aura was now calming as Lin Xiu'ya and the others departed, Xiao Yan quietly exhaled in relief. He gently stroked the fabric of his sleeve, where beneath the folds, a graceful little snake was subtly wriggling. With this little companion, he would be able to stand a real fight against the Snow Demon Sky Leopard. With thoughts swirling in his mind, Xiao Yan suddenly lifted a corner of his mouth, fixing his gaze on the Snow Demon Tian Sun, murmuring, "You brat, you're so bold now. Wait until you reach your weakened period at night—then I'll deal with you. As for your 'Earth-Core Body-Quenching Milk,' I'm taking it."