Hai Bode slowly walked into the vast Herbalist Guild, the bustling noise behind him gradually fading away, a delicate aroma of herbs drifting out, instantly refreshing and invigorating. Over the past three years, with an ever-increasing number of herbalists joining, the Guild has grown significantly in both strength and size—far surpassing its state three years ago. Indeed, such a large volume of visitors was rare in the days of its early establishment. After informing Xiao Yan of his destination, Hai Bode departed first to make some prior preparations. Reflecting on the Guild after three years away, Xiao Yan felt a sense of nostalgia. Back then, he had participated in a particularly challenging Herbalist Competition, though at the time he was only a third-rank herbalist capable of crafting fourth-rank pills. Now, however, he stood as a sixth-rank herbalist, on par with the legendary Dan King, Gu He! The progress made in this period isn't merely incremental... Surveying the surroundings, Xiao Yan gently pulled along the curious little Ziyan, walking slowly toward the area he remembered as the trading district. In such a place, as long as you have a keen eye and a bit of luck, you might just stumble upon something remarkable—Xiao Yan's very "Heavenfire Triple Transformation" had been discovered through just such luck. As Xiao Yan and Ziyan entered the trading district, the nearly endless array of stalls and the dense crowd of people left Xiao Yan in awe. Over the past three years, with the Pharmaceutical Guild growing stronger and stronger, he hadn't expected the trading district itself to have expanded so significantly. As soon as they stepped into the district, Xiao Yan's scanning gaze suddenly stilled, and he stared in astonishment at a figure nearby, pale and snowy-white as snow. Qianying wore a white gown, her long hair as silvery and cool as winter snow. This subtly familiar silhouette reminded Xiao Yan of the disciple of the Foklan branch, Xue Mei, whom he had met three years ago during his training in the Empire, in Black Rock City. Back then, Xiao Yan had held a good impression of Foklan; the old man had been very helpful to him, though he had encouraged him to attend the Alchemist's Grand Assembly—his intentions had truly been kind. Moreover, he had a favorable impression of this woman whose demeanor was as clear and cold as snow. Not long after Xiao Yan joined the flowing crowd, the snow-maiden, who had been bowing over a herb, subtly turned her head as if sensing something. Her delicate, slightly puzzled face—ethereal and serene, like that of a mountain peak—caused several pedestrians passing by to pause, their gazes lingering with a touch of longing upon her. Frowning slightly at the attention from the onlookers, the snow-maiden gently stepped into the crowd and eventually disappeared into the throng. ... As Xiao Yan pulled Ziyan along the narrow street lined with vendors, his eyes continuously scanned the stalls around. Perhaps due to his elevated standards, it took nearly fifteen minutes before he found anything that truly caught his interest. "All just junk..." Zi Yan sighed, muttering. Usually, the pills she took were made from rare herbs that ordinary people considered precious; to her, however, common herbs—though somewhat rare on the market—were nothing but trash. As for this, Xiao Yan was equally helpless. It seemed clear that if he wanted to find anything as remarkable as the "Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation," he'd have to rely entirely on luck. With no tangible gains, Xiao Yan wandered around a bit more before finally giving up on such expectations. He shook his head in resignation toward Zi Yan. Yet, just as he was about to turn and leave, a commotion arose not far ahead, punctuated occasionally by sharp, sarcastic laughter and jeering voices. Xiao Yan generally didn't care for such crowds, so he merely glanced at them before turning to go. But as he did so, a clear, sharp voice of anger rising from the crowd stopped him in his tracks. Through the crowd, a snowy figure could be faintly seen. Xiao Yan waved his hand toward Zi Yan, saying, "It seems we can't just proceed like this..." As he spoke, he pulled Zi Yan swiftly toward the area of commotion. After a moment, he pushed through the crowd and scanned the scene within. "Hehe, Xuemei, this trading area always favors the highest bidder. I can offer you a higher price—so naturally, this item belongs to me. Even if you take it all the way to the Head Office, I won't be able to do anything about it," the man, who wore a second-rank alchemist's badge on his chest, chuckled in response to Xuemei's scolding. Then, turning to the stall owner, he commanded, "I offer five thousand gold coins for this 'Ice-Fire Snake Scale Fruit'—will you sell it to me?" Upon hearing Obah's voice, the stall owner was momentarily stunned, then immediately delighted. Though the 'Ice-Fire Snake Scale Fruit' was somewhat rare and typically valued at around two thousand gold coins, he hadn't expected the careless young man to pay double. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse. The snow-maiden gazed at Obah, whose face was pale with agitation, holding the "Ice-Fire Serpent Scale Fruit" high above his head and tossing it with evident satisfaction. She clenched her silver teeth tightly, yet found herself utterly helpless. Recently, she had been in seclusion for some time, only just emerging today, when she had just happened to spot this very herb—essential for the elixirs she had been preparing. She had only just negotiated a price with the vendor when, out of nowhere, this unbearable person materialized like a ghost. Oba once pursued Xue Mei for her beauty, but since she has now become a third-rank alchemist, his pursuit naturally ended in failure. Yet, failure be it, this persistent one grew increasingly displeased after being publicly rejected several times. He then found endless ways to cause her trouble, leaving her utterly exasperated. Though his teacher joined the guild only recently, his strong alchemical skills had already earned him a senior status, and his standing within the guild was consistently high. He was well-connected, and aside from the president and vice-president, no one held more influence than Master Oba. Thus, despite Xue Mei's mounting frustration, she dared not directly confront him. However, Xue Mei clearly underestimated the extent of her aversion to this tenacious one. Her patience only served to embolden Oba, who seized every opportunity to find fault. This situation was not new—this had happened before, in fact, on several occasions. Taking a deep breath, gazing at Obah's growing disdain and satisfaction, Xuemei clenched her silver teeth—she had no choice but to give up this "Ice-Fire Snake Scale Fruit." With a cold stare fixed on Obah, she turned to leave. Just as she did so, a sudden laugh erupted from among the crowd: "Ten thousand gold coins for this 'Ice-Fire Snake Scale Fruit.'" The crowd paused, then quickly turned their attention to a young man dressed in black, accompanied by a young girl with purple hair. Some of them couldn't help but cast pitying glances his way—wasn't he new? How dare he challenge Obah? The laugh prompted Xuemei to turn and look at the young man in black. There was something familiar about his face, which made her pause. After a moment, she finally remembered this young man who had left a strong impression on her. "You... you weren't...?" Staring in astonishment at the young man in black robes, Xue Mei gasped, but upon glancing at the onlookers surrounding them, quickly swallowed her words. With a smile, Xiao Yan stepped out of the crowd and surveyed Xue Mei carefully, asking, "Is Master Fuke Lan doing well?" "Master is fine..." Xue Mei nodded, then took hold of Xiao Yan's sleeve and whispered softly, "You didn't leave the Gamma Empire, did you? Hurry up—don't offend this man. Since you've been in seclusion, you've been completely unaware of the latest news—these past two days, it's been the biggest story in Gamma. All I know is that you're the target of the Yunlan Sect. Once they find you, you'll surely be in serious trouble." "Huh? You mean you wanted to save me like a hero?" When Xiao Yan spoke his first words, Obah's expression gradually darkened. He chuckled coldly, then gripped the "Ice-Fire Snake Scale Fruit" tightly in his hands, saying, "This fruit I've already purchased. You'd better go—go anywhere you like. I advise you not to interfere with what doesn't concern you. Otherwise, once you enter the Imperial Capital, you'll never leave." Seeing Obah's arrogant demeanor, Xiao Yan smiled calmly and decided to spare further words. He raised his hand toward Obah, and suddenly a powerful suction surged forth, forcibly drawing the "Ice-Fire Snake Scale Fruit" from his grasp. "You useless fool! You're going to die!" As Xiao Yan suddenly moved, Obah's face lost its composure entirely. He roared in anger, waving his hand, and a dozen men at his side charged at Xiao Yan like hungry tigers. Thud! Gazing calmly at the dozen men rushing toward him, Xiao Yan casually waved his sleeve, and a surge of strong wind erupted, then slammed hard against the chests of the men, powerful enough to send them flying backward, crashing to the ground outside the crowd, where they cried out in pain and chaos. Seeing his subordinates fall in mere moments, Obah was startled and about to shout a reprimand when suddenly, a figure flashed before him—there, a black-robed figure appeared mysteriously, one long, slender hand gently resting upon his chest, a calm voice speaking softly into his ear, causing him to sweat profusely. "Though the number of medicinal artisans in the Guild has grown, the quality has declined as well. Today, let me cleanse the mess for Fahu—just once," he said. As the words settled, the hand resting on Obah's chest suddenly released a powerful surge of force!