It was hard to imagine the shock that overwhelmed Hai Bo Dong when the familiar face reappeared before him—so much so that even this powerful Duohuang warrior, who had never been afraid of clouds or mountains, now spoke with a trembling voice. He had never expected, after three years, that this woman he had always regarded as a formidable threat would still be by Xiao Yan's side. Unaware of Hai Bo Dong's astonishment, Xiao Yan stood up with a touch of irritation, quickly walked to Medusa, pulled Zǐ Yan over, and swiftly took the jade box from her hands. He then looked down at Zǐ Yan, whose face was full of embarrassment, and said firmly, "You'd better stay away from her and avoid trouble—otherwise, I'll send you back right away!" Hearing Xiao Yan's warning, Zǐ Yan promptly closed her mouth and quickly grasped his sleeve, clearly signaling her unwavering support for him. Medusa, though she had observed everything so swiftly that it seemed as though she had already surrendered to Ziyan, couldn't help but feel a touch of helplessness. Under the steady gaze of Xiao Yan's furious expression, her alluring eyes subtly shifted. After a moment, she offered a somewhat defensive explanation: "Well... I saw the battle here getting so heated, so I went around with Ziyan, and by chance, I ended up finding something." Xiao Yan blinked in surprise, then rolled his eyes—so the item had actually been stolen from the Mitel family? Gazing at Medusa, who seemed utterly unphased, as if she were completely indifferent to the flames of his anger, even though he was furious inside, he could only shake his head in resignation. Turning to Haibo Dong, seated at the head of the table, he offered a polite smile: "I'm sorry, Haibo Dong, these two troublemakers have apparently decided to target the Mitel family." As he spoke, he retrieved the jade box from his storage ring and prepared to return it. At the side, Queen Medusa watched the scene, her lips slightly parting as if deeply reluctant. Yet seeing Xiao Yan ignoring her entirely, she could only lift her head, her pair of striking, ethereal and beautiful almond eyes fixed on Hai Bo Dong, who was staring at her in wide-eyed astonishment, a hint of danger gleaming in her gaze. As their eyes met, Hai Bo Dong quickly regained his composure, sensing the slightly cool, threatening presence, and shivered, rising immediately to address Xiao Yan: "No, no, please! Since she's fond of it, let her have it. After all, these items are also part of our Mitel family's auction—let's just consider it a personal favor." Seeing Hai Bo Dong so eager to decline, Xiao Yan could only offer a somewhat awkward smile and, with a sigh, gently returned the jade box, turning sharply to give Medusa a withering glance as she quietly exhaled in relief, then pulled Zǐ Shā back to her seat. "Now, then—someone, please, take a seat!" "Upon seeing the beautiful Medusa standing alone in the hall, Hai Bo Dong hurriedly instructed, for he had no胆 to leave such a terrifying woman behind—while Xiao Yan certainly had the courage to do so. Medusa's icy demeanor softened slightly at Hai Bo Dong's attentiveness, making her feel that, after all these years of imprisonment, the old man was at least somewhat pleasant to look upon. After seating Medusa and the elder Yin Gu at their places, Hai Bo Dong turned his gaze to Xiao Yan and sighed, "I didn't know you had such a reserve card. With her support, Yunshan will no longer be a serious concern." Hearing this, Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "This great deity is extremely difficult to summon. Don't place too much hope in her. Should war truly break out with Yunlan Sect, I will personally handle Yunshan. As for her, well—perhaps she'll just watch from the sidelines, depending on her mood." Medusa sat gracefully in her chair, her delicate hands cradling her teacup, sipping slowly. Yet she seemed entirely unhearing to Xiao Yan's words. Her composed demeanor left Haibo Dong chuckling—what sort of relationship did these two have? From the way Xiao Yan had treated her earlier, it seemed they must have a solid connection. Otherwise, given Medusa's regal temperament, who would dare speak to her so plainly? She would have torn them to pieces long ago—Haibo Dong had first-hand experience of her fierce nature. Moreover, Xiao Yan's tone carried a subtle undercurrent of scorn, which left Haibo Dong somewhat bewildered. "Are you coming to confront Yunshan? Doesn't that seem like a rather risky endeavor?" After a moment of contemplation without resolution, Haibo Dong finally abandoned his attempts to decipher their relationship. Though Xiao Yan had grown immensely stronger, the chances of defeating Yunshan remained quite slim. "Alright, over the coming days, we'll make every effort to establish contact with the other two families, the Pharmacy Guild, and the Royal House. If we can secure their support, our chances of success will significantly improve. After all, both the Pharmacy Guild's Fama and the Royal House's elderly master are formidable fighters at the Battle Emperor level—especially the latter, who has long since reached his peak. Moreover, now that I have your specially prepared Fuzi Ling Dan, I'll give myself a few days to recover and regain my peak condition. With all of us working together, defeating Yunshan will surely be within reach." Hai Bo Dong suggested. "Fine, whatever you say..." Regarding this proposal, Xiao Yan remained unconvinced. While the Royal House's elder and Fama indeed possessed solid strength, the combat power that the Lan and Mu families could offer was nearly negligible. Fighters at the Battle King level simply wouldn't make a significant difference in this confrontation. Seeing Xiao Yan's indifferent expression, Haibo Dong shook his head helplessly and suddenly asked, "How do you intend to conclude your affairs with Yunlan Sect this time?" "Either they perish or we do—my goal is for Yunlan Sect to vanish completely from the Gamma Empire," Xiao Yan lifted his eyelid and said calmly. "Yunlan Sect currently has a widespread presence across half the empire. If you wish to eradicate them entirely, you'll need to eliminate every single member. While your forces might be able to wipe out the sect's elite, the remnants will remain difficult to eradicate—this is something the royal family and other powerful factions are capable of achieving." Haibo Dong persistently tried to persuade Xiao Yan to set aside his previous reservations toward other factions. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed slightly—Haibo Dong indeed made a strong point. "Third brother, Haibo Dong is right. To truly eliminate Yunlan Sect, your current strength is still far from sufficient. This is precisely what the royal family and others would handle most effectively." Xiao Ding paused slightly, then finally spoke slowly. Upon hearing Xiao Ding's words, Xiao Yin thought it over and no longer resisted, waving his hand and saying, "Then, I'll ask Hai Lao to make the arrangements. Before the conflict with Yunlan Sect begins, these uncertainties indeed need to be resolved in advance. Behind-the-scenes sabotage—well, I've seen plenty of that over the years..." "You young man..." Hearing Xiao Yin's somewhat scheming perspective, Hai Bo Dong could only shake his head in resignation. Still, the fact that he agreed to discuss matters with other factions was promising. Given the subtle apprehensions these factions have long held toward Yunlan Sect, there should be common ground for cooperation. "Though there's still one matter..." "What is it?" Xiao Yin was momentarily surprised, asking. "If we wish to eliminate Yunlan Sect, we may first need to address one person." Hai Bo Dong said, his expression serious. "Who?" Xiao Yin furrowed his brows. "The King of Herbs, Guo He!" "Heard that name, Xiao Yan was also momentarily stunned, murmuring softly to himself, and then recalled the first alchemist who had gained renown across the entire Jia Ma Empire three years prior. 'You must be aware of the immense influence an ancient river sixth-rank alchemist holds within this empire. Should he decide to assist Yunlan Sect, he could easily summon five or more of the empire's top ten powerhouses. Therefore, before you act against Yunlan Sect, you must first resolve his concerns,' Hai Bo Dong said seriously." Xiao Yan nodded slightly; he had almost forgotten this important figure. Gu He was also a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, and Xiao Yan was most familiar with the capabilities of alchemists at this level. When Han Feng had rallied the strong forces in Black Angle Domain, even the Inner Academy had been deeply troubled. While Gu He's alchemical skills might not quite match Han Feng's, he was still a genuine Sixth-Rank Alchemist. "But how exactly can we handle him? That's a real challenge. Gu He isn't someone who's easy to manage. Though in recent years his relationship with Yunlan Sect has somewhat cooled, he has always remained a dedicated senior official of Yunlan Sect," Hai Bo Dong said, slightly troubled. "Then, I'll ask Master Fangma to reach out to Gohara. Ideally, I'd like to meet him personally—I'll find a way to keep him neutral." Xiao Yan nodded. "Alright, I'll have Master Fangma assist with that." Seeing Xiao Yan take ownership of the matter, Hai Bo Dong exhaled in relief. Once Gohara was dealt with, Yunlan Sect would lose one of its most crucial supports. "The coordination will be handled by Hai Elder, and also, please arrange for them to rest well. After their long journey back from Black Corner Region, they haven't had a single period of uninterrupted rest." Xiao Yan stood up, pointed at Lin Yan and the others, and smiled at Hai Bo Dong. "Of course, as honored guests, the Mitel family will naturally treat them with the utmost care," Hai Elder replied, smiling and nodding. Xiao Yan smiled and glanced at Xiao Ding, suddenly saying, "I think it's time for me to visit the members of the Xiao family now." "This is indeed what should be done. You are the Xiao family's head chieftain, entrusted to you by the Grand Elder in his final days, and the family members have been waiting for you to return—ever since two years ago." Xiao Ding nodded slightly and spoke slowly.