Thanks to the obstruction of the Sky-Eating Python, Xiao Yan finally managed to smoothly enter the valley. As he heard the thunderous explosion echoing from outside the valley, his body paused slightly, and he turned to gaze outward. The sky above was nearly enveloped in vibrant hues of seven colors, with the massive form of the Sky-Eating Python subtly appearing and disappearing within the glow, radiating an overwhelmingly strong pressure. Beneath this pressure, another powerful wave of snowy, cold air spread across half the sky, so cold that even within the valley, Xiao Yan couldn't help but shiver. "Don't worry," the Elder of Medicine said, clearly sensing Xiao Yan's concerns. "While the Sky-Eating Python may find it challenging to defeat the Snow Demon Monkey, it will certainly be able to hold it off. Right now, you should quickly seek out the 'Earth-Core Body-Quenching Milk.' " "Hm." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan no longer hesitated. He turned around and gazed into the dark valley, his brows furrowed. With gentle movements of his fingers, streaks of emerald flame drifted from his fingertips and spread out into the surrounding air, forming like lanterns. The warm light gradually dispelled the darkness throughout the valley. With the illumination, Xiao Yan realized the valley was far more spacious than he had expected. Though densely wooded and studded with scattered rocks, there were no living creatures present—clearly all driven away by the Snow Demon Tian Yuan. "The environment here is quite complex," Xiao Yan murmured to himself. "Finding the 'Earth-Core Body-Quenching Milk' will surely take some time." The purple cloud wings on his back subtly vibrated, lifting him once again into the air. The delicate emerald flames swirled around him, moving with him as if serving as guards. Slowing his flight speed, Xiao Yan gradually swept toward the deeper parts of the valley. Along the way, everything remained quiet, with no sound at all; yet, with the glow of the flames, scattered white bones on the ground could be seen—creating a scene as lifeless as a graveyard, which was quite unsettling. "It seems not only humans have a strong desire for this 'Earth-Core Body-Infusing Milk,' but even some of the beasts themselves are eager to claim it," Xiao Yan murmured, gazing at the massive skeletons. "The rejuvenating and bone-renewing effects of the Earth-Core Body-Infusing Milk are far more appealing to the beasts than to humans. Should they obtain it, their journey toward becoming humanoid would be significantly smoother." The old doctor spoke calmly. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, suddenly remembering the purple-crystal-winged lion king he had encountered in the Mythic Mountain of Jia Ma Empire back then. At the time, Yun Yun had proposed to trade for purple spirit crystals, and the lion king had insisted on exchanging them for a transformation pill. Now, Xiao Yan was no longer the novice he once was; having reached a masterful level in the art of alchemy, he clearly understood the immense value of such a pill—and also grasped the great difficulty involved in a beast's transformation beyond its physical form. The name that flashed to mind suddenly caused Xiao Yan's flight speed to slow abruptly. With his lips tightly pressed, a picture of grace and elegance emerged from the depths of his memory—calm, serene eyes still radiating the dignity of the head of the strongest sect in the Jia Ma Empire. "Yun Lan... Yun Yun..." He softly murmured the two names, which evoked entirely different feelings in Xiao Yan. With a self-mocking smile, he shook his head vigorously to dispel the emotions swirling within. Now, due to various connections, they had effectively become adversaries—she was the abbot of the Yun Lan Sect, and it was unlikely she would change her stance for him; and as for him, he harbored irreconcilable grievances with the Yun Lan Sect, and by his nature, he would certainly not waver merely because of her position. Thus, upon returning to the Jia Ma Empire, they might well have to face each other with swords drawn. "Whispering to himself, Xiao Yan gently flapped his wings and descended toward the ground, landing with agility on a massive stone outside the cave a moment later. He inhaled the air drifting from within the cave, sensing a faint wild-game scent—strikingly similar to the aroma emanating from the Snow Demon Heaven Monkey's body. "This must be the Snow Demon Heaven Monkey's lair. Since it values the Earth-Core Nourishing Milk so highly, it likely isn't far from the source..." A thought passed through his mind. With a hand gesture, the streak of emerald flame swirling around him drifted into the cave. After wandering haphazardly around, it settled, and only then did Xiao Yan feel at ease, stepping inside. The cave was quite spacious, otherwise it would have been impossible to accommodate the Snow Demon Tian Yuan's residence. The mountain peak was over ten meters high. Scattered rocks dotted the cave, and white fur was visible everywhere. Xiao Yan moved swiftly through the cave, and after a moment, he stood before the far end of the mountain wall, frowning slightly and murmuring, "Could it be that the Earth's Core Body-Quenching Milk isn't here?" He scanned the surroundings carefully, then his gaze settled on a corner of the wall. There, the ground was significantly sunken, covered with a dense layer of white fur, and there were far more large footprints around this area than anywhere else. Approaching it, Xiao Yan knelt down and examined it closely, realizing that this must have been the Snow Demon Tian Yuan's resting spot, and the sunken area likely formed under the weight of its massive body. Nothing particularly remarkable had been found yet, and Xiao Yan sighed with a touch of disappointment, shaking his head. As he was about to stand up, a subtle sensation stirred within him. He gently brushed his sleeve against the pile of white fur, and at once a gust of wind surged forth, scattering the fur. With the fur blown aside, a layer of silt came into view—deeper in color than the surrounding sand, as though it had been recently disturbed. Focusing slightly, Xiao Yan stepped back a pace. He curled his fingers and then suddenly clenched them, generating a powerful suction force. As the suction surged, the scattered silt shot out in a burst, eventually coalescing into a basketball-sized ball in the center of his palm. He casually tossed the formed silt ball aside and repeated the process several times. After a while, the silt was completely drawn in, and in its place, a dark, deep underground opening emerged. The opening was clearly still expandable, yet it was already ample enough for Xiao Yan's frame. Smiling, he clapped his hands once, then waved them, and the floating jade-green flames instantly drifted into the opening. Peering inside, he was pleasantly surprised by how spacious the tunnel proved to be. He chuckled, leapt in, and quickly advanced along the winding, vast underground passage. Concerned about hidden dangers within the dark tunnel, Xiao Yan remained exceptionally cautious, summoning nearly twenty jade-green flame blooms that scattered around him, constantly sweeping ahead to scout the path. Though the passage was highly convoluted, Xiao Yan could clearly sense that he was steadily descending deeper into the earth. After walking in this quiet atmosphere for nearly fifteen minutes, Xiao Yan suddenly noticed a faint pale glow appearing at the far end of the dark corridor. He was delighted and immediately quickened his pace. As he drew closer, the glow gradually enlarged, eventually transforming into a luminous white archway. Standing at the entrance of the corridor, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and then stepped forward. As his foot touched the dark passage, a sudden brightness enveloped him. After briefly adjusting to the light, he turned to survey his surroundings. Upon taking in the scene, a look of astonishment spread across his face. Before Xiao Yan stood a subterranean world covered in stalactites. Stretching out as far as the eye could see, the milky stalactites formed an unbroken chain, radiating a soft, pale light that banished the darkness around. Stalactites grew everywhere—some hanging from the peaks above, some even reaching hundreds of meters in length. The mountain sky was densely lined with towering stalactites, and occasionally, droplets of white liquid dripped down, splashing up milky ripples on the ground. After nearly ten minutes of wandering through this stalagmite world, the elderly physician finally stopped, lifting his gaze to the immense stalagmite now before him—so towering that even with his vast experience, he could not help but be awestruck. Stretching from the summit of the mountain to the ground below, this stalagmite was over a hundred meters long and as wide as two people embracing it. A soft, pale glow surrounded it, giving the impression of a crystalline pillar. It stood without a rival as the largest stalagmite in this underground realm—majestic and regal, like a sovereign among the countless others, receiving homage from the countless smaller stalagmites around it. His gaze gradually shifted downward. Beneath this stalagmite lay a vast expanse of emerald stone, half buried in the earth. At the stone's upper surface, there was a shallow groove—less than half a foot deep—precisely aligned with the tip of the stalagmite above. Within this groove, a layer of milky liquid, about two inches deep, rested, with a delicate plume of white vapor drifting gently upon its surface. The vapor was peculiar—constantly swirling yet never dissipating. As Xiao Yan inhaled softly, a strange sensation of tingling throughout his bones spread through his body. He fixed his eyes intently on the milky liquid in the groove, his throat subtly rolling, a surge of excitement rising on his face. He knew clearly now that the long-sought "Earth-Core Body-Quenching Milk" had finally come into his sight.