After evading the search of the elder in the black robe, Xiao Yan stayed in the deep mountains for another half day before finally deploying his Purple Cloud Wings and returning safely to the inner courtyard. Taking advantage of the dimming light, Xiao Yan once again smoothly slipped past the eager challengers, directly rushing into the Pan Gate and making his way grandly back to his pavilion. However, as he pushed the door open, a sudden flash of white figure darted across his field of vision, prompting him to hastily step back and alert. Upon closer inspection, he was momentarily stunned—there before him stood none other than the famed "Strong Rank" No. 1, the purple-clad girl transformed into a beast form, Zǐ Yán. The young white-clad girl was gazing at Xiao Yan with eager anticipation, her dark eyes brimming with longing. "Ah, Zǐ Yán," Xiao Yan cleared his throat, "how come you're here?" "Setting down the heart that had been lifted, Xiao Yan cleared his throat, smiled, and gently rubbed the top of Ziyan's head before stepping aside and entering the room. Inside, he found Xun'er, Huo Jia, Wu Hao, and others already present, all of whom were staring at him with somewhat puzzled expressions. "I've finished all the pills you prepared for me," Ziyan said, following closely behind Xiao Yan like a shadow, her cheeks slightly flushed, as if a bit shy. This morning, she suddenly arrived at Panmen, straight saying she wanted to find you. Upon hearing that you were not here, she simply sat down and wouldn't leave, her face cold and intimidating—so cold it was almost frightening. She's a child, and we didn't dare to press her. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, offering a wry smile: "Thank goodness you didn't insist. Otherwise, this building would have been completely demolished." "Huh?" Hearing this, Wu Hao and Huo Jia both looked at the little girl—ever since Xiao Yan appeared, her cold demeanor had gradually thawed—so endearing was she, yet now she seemed so forceful. "Though young, this girl seems to carry an exceptionally powerful energy within her. If it came to a physical confrontation, I'd say there aren't many people here who could handle her." Xu Er, however, didn't seem at all surprised. From the way she spoke, it seemed she had already sensed the strength of Zi Yan. Xiao Yan glanced at Xun'er with a look of surprise. Her keen senses certainly didn't seem something a senior Battle Master would typically possess. Yet, he wasn't unfamiliar with Xun'er's enigmatic nature, so the surprise faded away within a moment. "Plink, plink..." Just as Xiao Yan had settled down, a series of rustling sounds suddenly broke out. Confused, he opened his eyes to find a pile of herbs neatly arranged on the table. Beside the table, Zi Yan was gently slipping a naga ring onto the tip of her little finger. "This old man who guards the herb store sent these over to you," she explained. "He said these herbs were specially prepared by Liu Elder." Clearly, these details weren't the main point of her visit. After setting them down, she quickly pulled out a pale pink, block-like herb resembling a plant root from the ring, her dark eyes full of anticipation, and in her soft, youthful voice said, "Also, you promised that once I've finished all the pills, I could find you." Glancing at the herbs on the table, Xiao Yan casually browsed through them and gave a slight nod. The Liu Elder hadn't been overly sparing—there should be three portions here, clearly concerned that Xiao Yan's success rate might be too low, so he'd held back only as much as he could, hoping that among the three sets of herbs, at least one Dragon Force Pill would succeed. After reviewing them, Xiao Yan then took the stem herb from Zi Yan's hands, examined it carefully, and sighed. He recognized this herb—it was a rare one called "Fire Spirit Root," with a rich concentration of fiery energy that even he found deeply appealing. "This guy is simply wasting precious herbs," Xiao Yan shook his head, chuckling. "The Hao Elder will surely be furious with you." "Nonsense! These herbs were discovered by me myself deep in the mountains. I've always had a special connection with these celestial and terrestrial treasures—definitely not stolen from that old man!" Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's dark, large eyes instantly flashed with indignation. "A special connection?" The word struck a subtle note in Xiao Yan's heart. Zi Yan's original form was an ancient, unique beast—did she possess an innate talent, akin to a treasure-hunting instinct? Her eyes subtly brightened. If that were true, then this young one was indeed like a treasure chest, capable of greatly simplifying the search for terrestrial and celestial treasures in the mountains. "Can you sense herbs buried deep beneath the ground?" asked Xun'er, equally astonished. Zi Yan glanced at Xun'er, and for some reason, she always felt a subtle sense of apprehension toward this beautiful elder sister—so that, though she spoke, she didn’t come across as cold. "Hmph, I certainly know where the medicinal herbs are in the deep mountain groves of the inner courtyard. But most of these herbs are guarded by powerful, formidable beasts. Take, for instance, the Snow Demon Tian Yuan in the valley—it must be protecting something precious. I’ve visited it several times, only to be driven back each time. Later, in the inner courtyard, I met a woman with silver hair. I found her pleasant to be around, so I told her about the treasure the Snow Demon Tian Yuan was guarding. I wonder if she succeeded—she mentioned that if she did, she’d share a portion with me." As soon as Zi Yan finished speaking, the expressions of the several people in the hall changed noticeably. Hu Jia and Wu Hao stared at her in wide-eyed astonishment. They had certainly heard of the Snow Demon Tian Yuan—how could this young girl dare to face such a formidable creature? With such prowess, even within the Inner Academy, it's likely hard to find several others like her. "I didn't expect that Han Yue knew about the 'Earth-Core Body-Quenching Milk' hidden in that valley—it was Zi Yan who told her. What a fascinating twist!" Xiao Yan shook his head in amazement. With silver hair, there seemed to be only Han Yue among the Inner Academy students. "Hehe, Zi Yan, how about we strike a deal?" Xiao Yan twirled his eyes, suddenly beaming with a warm smile and addressing Zi Yan. "What do you have in mind?" Seeing Xiao Yan's smile, Zi Yan stepped back slightly, her posture alert. "Whenever your pill supply runs out, I'll step aside and prioritize helping you with your concoctions," Xiao Yan said with a gentle smile. "But as a condition, whenever I need to journey deep into the mountains to gather herbs, you'll have to accompany me." "As a medicinal artisan, my yearning for rare herbs surpasses even anything else, and Zhu Yan's natural talent for discovering treasures is truly irresistible to me." "Would you like me to search for herbs for you?" Though young, Zhu Yan was far from dull, and thus instantly grasped the purpose of Xiao Yan's request. "But preparing herbs for you is quite exhausting—can't I just work for nothing?" Xiao Yan spread his hands, explaining. Frowning, Zhu Yan thought deeply before finally giving a slightly reluctant nod, murmuring, "Fine with me, as long as you only accompany me on herb-hunting expeditions. If you encounter a beast guarding the herbs, you'll have to handle that yourself. Of course, if things get too tough and I need to step in, I'll be glad to, but then you'll have to pay me." Smiling and giving a firm nod, Xiao Yan rose, gathered all the herbs piled on the table into his storage amulet, and then held up his "Fire Spirit Root" toward Zhu Yan. "I'll prepare the herbs for you by tonight. You can collect them from me tomorrow." "No, I'll stay right here." Upon hearing this, Zi Yan quickly shook her head. "Alright, Xun'er. Arrange her a place. She's been so tired these days. I'll rest for a while." Xiao Yan nodded indifferently and then instructed Xun'er. Xun'er smiled and nodded, watching as Xiao Yan turned and ascended the stairs. Her lips moved slightly, as if she had something to say, but after a moment, she sighed softly, lowered her gaze, and gave a gentle smile to Zi Yan. She waved a greeting to Huo Jia and then took Zi Yan's hand, leading her toward a room. In the quiet, in the darker corner of the room, a shadow suddenly stirred and eventually coalesced into an elderly figure. "Miss," the figure materialized, bowing respectfully to Xun'er, and upon looking at her face, it was clear that it was Ling Ying. "Master Ling, please go on," Xun'er turned to face him, her refined and flawless beauty radiating a gentle smile as she spoke softly. Hearing this, Ling Ying hesitated slightly, her gaze fixed on Xun'er's expression, before finally murmuring, "Miss, the clan chief has sent a message..." As soon as Ling Ying finished speaking, Xun'er's slender figure standing beneath the moonlight subtly trembled—though the movement was barely perceptible. "Speak," Xun'er said, her voice slightly cool under the glow of the moonlight.