"Boom!" Amid the quiet, dense, and verdant mountains, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted, startling countless birds that took to the skies in a sweeping, almost apocalyptic exodus. At one spot on the mountainside, a peak began to tremble and sway, with massive boulders continuously rolling down its slopes, crushing several towering trees at the base and snapping them entirely. As the boulders tumbled, deep fissures—some as wide as a human arm—spurred rapidly along the mountain walls. Within just a few minutes, a once-stable peak now stood only a step away from complete collapse. Midway in the sky above the mountain peak, a figure clad in black robes vibrated his back, where emerald flames spread like wings, gazing steadily at the mountain peak that trembled and nearly collapsed. With a slightly satisfied nod, he remarked that the power of the "Mountain-Opening Seal" had indeed grown considerably stronger than before. Since this was merely a practice session, the qi he employed had not been fully exerted—imagine what would happen if he truly poured all his strength into it at once. "This is the 'Mountain-Opening Seal,' isn't it? Truly a top-tier technique for the Earth Rank," said a slightly ethereal elderly figure hovering beside the young black-robed figure, gazing at the mountain peak now fractured under the assault. He nodded with mild astonishment and smiled. "Yes," Xiang Yan agreed, then asked, "Has my teacher ever heard of this technique?" "Heh, the Imperial Seal Technique—how could I not have heard of it? Even within your petite girlfriend's family, this technique is not something everyone can master; she's able to obtain it largely due to her distinguished status. Yet, it's truly surprising that she would offer such a rare technique to you." The elder pharmacist smiled, then lightly sighed. "Back then, I was quite enthusiastic about this hand-seal technique, but I never managed to secure a copy. When refined to its peak, this technique is truly capable of burning mountains and boiling seas." "The old medic chuckled and scolded, saying, 'Even if your young girlfriend holds a distinguished position within the clan, sending such a technique to you privately must come with considerable risk. Her family places great value on these top-tier techniques—offering you two of the Imperial Seal Techniques might already be their utmost effort.' Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly; he had only mentioned it casually, naturally not intending to complain to Xun'er. When she first presented the Imperial Seal Technique to him, her serious demeanor clearly showed how much she valued it. As stated on the scroll, merely mastering the first technique, 'Opening the Mountain Seal,' requires reaching the strength of a Grand King-level combatant. With Xiao Yan's current abilities, he could only begin to explore this 'Opening the Mountain Seal.' Thus, even if Xun'er were to bestow upon him all the techniques of the Imperial Seal, he would be able to admire them but unable to fully cultivate them—this would be even more taxing." "It's been over ten days since we've entered the mountain range, and I still haven't heard any news from my second brother. Is something going to go wrong?" Xiao Yan vibrated his fiery wings behind him, gazing toward the direction of Black Angular Region, furrowing his brows. "It should be fine. If there were any issues, he would have sent a signal to you." The Elder of Medicine smiled, then straightened up and said, "Right now, focus your mind on yourself. To stand a chance against that Yunshan, you'll need strong means—without them, it will be difficult to defeat him." When he mentioned that name, which still held deep significance in Xiao Yan's memory, he gently set aside his smile, nodded slightly, and said thoughtfully, "Although my strength has grown significantly over the past three years, I'm certain that old man hasn't been standing still. The Yunlan Sect has stood strong in the Gamma Empire for so many years—its foundation must be solid. The techniques he possesses are likely no less impressive." Back then, thanks to the strength of the Medic Elder, Xiao Yan was able to hold his own against Yun Shan for a few rounds—though this was only possible because Yun Shan rarely deployed his combat techniques. Once he did deploy them, combined with his own formidable prowess, even with the Medic Elder's assistance, Xiao Yan would likely have faced a rather grim fate. Now, although Xiao Yan has greatly strengthened his capabilities and possesses powerful assets such as the Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus and the Emperor's Seal Technique, he may still face uncertainties when attempting to defeat Yun Shan. After all, at the Douzong level, while not among the very elite of the continent—perhaps only slightly below the pinnacle—such a strength is still substantial. To look down upon such a being, especially when Xiao Yan himself is significantly lower in rank, would undoubtedly lead to disaster. Yet this time, when returning to the Jamah Empire, Xiao Yan would not tolerate any uncertainty. Back then, he had been pursued like a fugitive, forced out of the empire, and as a result, the Xiao family suffered a devastating blow. Should this return still fail, he might manage to escape once again—but the Xiao family might then face a true extinction. Therefore, this time, no matter the cost, Xiao Yan must absolutely eliminate Yun Shan. Of course, with the combined strength of Medusa and Yao Lao, defeating Yun Shan would surely be achievable. However, Xiao Yan has no confidence in persuading Medusa to join him in confronting Yun Shan. As for Yao Lao, though his current strength now rivals that of a Douzong-level master, who could guarantee that the Yunlan Sect wouldn't still harbor other hidden, super-powered figures? According to Xiao Li's account, Yunlan Sect clearly has ties with the Spirit Palace. Therefore, Xiao Yan must prepare for the worst—should an unforeseen incident occur that prevents Yao Lao from joining the battle, he would then have to face Yun Shan alone. Thus, he must cultivate the strength to defeat Yun Shan. Observing Xiao Yan's gradually stern expression, Yao Lao nodded slightly and said softly, "With your current strength, it is indeed difficult to guarantee a decisive victory over Yun Shan. Yet, it is not entirely impossible." "What methods do you have, Master?" Xiao Yan was startled and quickly asked. "Master the second seal of the Emperor's Seal Technique," Yao Lao smiled calmly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan immediately looked disheartened and sighed, "Right now, I haven't even fully mastered the first seal. How could I possibly master the second? Moreover, according to Xun'er, the second seal requires at least a Battle Emperor stage to be practiced." "Ah, well, in that case, there remains only one final option." The medicine elder smiled, raised his hand, and a crisp, white flame rose gently into the air. He looked at Xiao Yan, who was gazing at him thoughtfully, and chuckled, "I'll summon the Buddha's Wrath Lotus—fusing three distinct heterofires!" "The Buddha's Wrath Lotus, fusing three heterofires..." Xiao Yan's expression shifted, his brows furrowed. As the creator of this immensely powerful and notoriously dangerous heterofire lotus, he deeply understood its instability and risks. Back then, he had only managed to maintain balance between two heterofires through sheer luck, at the cost of nearly being incinerated himself. Though fusing three heterofires seemed merely an incremental addition, the challenge was far greater. In fact, he could confidently say that the difficulty of achieving this fusion was no less than that of mastering the "Mountain-Opening Seal." "If you truly manage to fuse the three strange flames into the Buddha's Wrath Lotus Flame and defeat Yunshan, there should be no further surprises." Smiling at Xiao Yan's furrowed brows, Yao Lao said. "I... I'll try." After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Yan finally nodded reluctantly—now, there seemed to be little else he could do. Yao Lao smiled and nodded in return, saying, "You don't need to rush. Just focus on fusing them if possible. If that proves too difficult, then so be it. In that case, our teacher can step in and defeat Yunshan." Xiao Yan smiled, though deep down he knew that, to ensure true security, he should give it his best effort. ... With a clear goal in mind, Xiao Yan began attempting to fuse the three strange flames into the Buddha's Wrath Lotus Flame over the following period. As he had anticipated, the fusion proved exceptionally difficult. Several experiments ended in failure, and during the intense explosions caused by the flames colliding, Xiao Yan himself sustained a few minor injuries. As for Xiao Yan, who repeatedly failed in his attempts, Ye Lao found himself at a loss. This wasn't due to Xiao Yan lacking talent, but rather because the fusion of the unique flames was genuinely difficult—indeed, even at his peak, he doubted he could successfully merge three such flames. Moreover, although Xiao Yan now possessed two unique flames, the Bone and Spirit Cold Flame belonged to him personally. Even though he could wield it, he still struggled to achieve complete control over it. Such subtle control imperfections proved crucial in this highly precise fusion process. Yet despite these repeated setbacks, Xiao Yan remained calm and composed, which eased Ye Lao's concerns. He had genuinely feared that Xiao Yan might grow frustrated under the pressure of time and become stuck in a rut. This kind of flame fusion couldn't be achieved through haste—it required stillness of mind. The more restless and anxious Xiao Yan became, the less likely he was to succeed. After such continuous and repeated experiments, by the end of the first month, the fusion of the three distinct flames had begun to show some progress—yet at this very moment, a messenger bird arriving from Black Horn Domain caused Xiao Yan to pause his upcoming experiments. "Everything is ready—we can leave at any moment!"