Amidst a lush, verdant valley, a subtle fragrance lingers, occasionally interrupted by agile mythical beasts darting swiftly through the grove, their sudden, low growls infusing the valley with vibrant life. Deep within the valley, a dense purple glow radiates. At its heart stands a colossal luminous cocoon, stretching over ten feet in width. Though the contents within remain unseen, the immense energy it emits clearly indicates that this is no ordinary object. The cocoon's surface pulses with intermittent purple light, rhythmically like a beating heart. Those with keen perception can detect that each time the cocoon's glow shifts, a subtle ripple of energy flows through the valley's ambient atmosphere, swiftly drawn into the cocoon, intensifying its radiance. Near the luminous cocoon, Medusa sat cross-legged upon a massive stone, intently observing any movement or change within the cocoon. Only after a long while would she slightly relax, then glance toward the cave beneath the mountain wall, where a rich, fragrant aroma drifted out gently. With a sigh of resignation, she shook her head. Xiao Yan had entered the cave to refine medicinal pills a month ago, yet it seemed his work was far from complete. Similarly, since turning into a luminous cocoon three days prior, Zi Yan had shown no further signs of progress—each day, the cocoon continuously absorbed surrounding celestial energies, yet the cocoon itself remained unchanged. It appeared that the time required for Zi Yan's advancement would likely be considerably lengthy. One person refines elixirs, another transforms into a cocoon to advance—thus, within this valley, only Medusa remains to guard. Naturally, she finds herself somewhat monotonous. However, at present, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan are both preoccupied and unable to concentrate, and any interruption during their critical moments could prove disastrous. Therefore, she is compelled to remain constantly vigilant within the valley, returning promptly even if she occasionally ventures out. This routine, though, has grown increasingly tedious and frustrating for her. And this unvarying vigilance continued for approximately five days until it was finally disrupted by an unusual occurrence deep within the mountain cave. That day, Medusa as always remained closed-eyed in meditation, gently maintaining a portion of her awareness on the light cocoon. At that very moment, the once-quiet cave erupted in a thunderous explosion, causing the entire valley to tremble. Staring in astonishment, Medusa turned her gaze toward the cave, where a thick plume of smoke continuously rose. Then, a figure slightly disheveled emerged slowly from within, coughing violently. Stepping out of the smoke-filled cave, the blinding sunlight pouring down from the horizon made Xiang Yan instinctively shield his eyes. After a moment of adjustment, he opened them and glanced down at his tattered robe, chuckling softly. The Huangji pills were exceptionally potent—during their preparation, a fierce surge of medicinal energy constantly surged through the furnace. With even the slightest misstep, the pills would explode, a force no weaker than a full-power strike from a Dou Wang-level warrior. In his earlier attempts, whenever the internal energy of the pills showed signs of instability, the flames would rapidly spread and dissipate. Though this inevitably destroyed the batch of herbs, it ensured safety. Under such extreme caution, however, Xiang Yan had managed to avoid any significant mishaps in several attempts at crafting the Huangji pills. Just a few days ago, the three Phoenix-Polar Pills that Xiao Yan had needed had been fully crafted. To produce these three pills, the medicinal herbs he had prepared had dwindled to nearly nothing. Nevertheless, his primary objective had now been achieved. As he exhaled a deep breath of relief, he noticed the remaining herbs and was struck with an idea—why not craft another Phoenix-Polar Pill for himself in the future? This very issue arose precisely because the remaining herbs were now sufficient for only one such pill. Consequently, when attempting to refine it, the medicine once again experienced violent agitation. Seeing the last batch of herbs at risk of being wasted, Xiao Yan hesitated and decided to intervene forcefully. Naturally, the result was a spectacular, earth-shaking explosion. Had it not been for the clearly exceptional crimson medicinal cauldron absorbing most of the impact, Xiao Yan would have suffered far more than just his garments being torn. And at this moment, Xiao Yan felt a certain relief—back then, his defenses had not been particularly strong. Had he been directly struck by that immense force, his body would surely have accumulated both old injuries and new ones. Wiping the ashes from his face with his sleeve robe, Xiao Yan scanned the valley with his gaze, then suddenly stopped, stunned by the most striking, massive purple light cocoon. After a moment, he shifted his attention to Medusa beside him and asked, "What is this?" Seeing Xiao Yan's disheveled appearance, Medusa was momentarily taken aback, then offered a gentle smile, speaking softly, "This is the cocoon formed by Zi Yan." Hearing this, Xiao Yan paused, then exclaimed with excitement, "She's preparing to advance to the next stage?" "Indeed, though she has been in the cocoon for several days now, there has been no noticeable change—so it seems her advancement process is taking quite some time," Medusa nodded. Xiao Yan smiled, not at all surprised—after all, it usually took a long time for a beast to advance in rank, and especially so since Zi Yan’s true form was no ordinary creature; evolution naturally came with greater difficulty. "Did you successfully refine the elixir?" asked Medusa, her gaze sweeping over Xiao Yan. "Yes," Xiao Yan nodded, then sighed with a touch of regret, "I simply became too ambitious—otherwise, things wouldn't have turned out like this." "Your aura has been growing increasingly frail—sometimes strong, sometimes weak—and your battle energy seems to be subtly leaking outward. It appears you're about to break through the Battle King rank soon." Medusa remarked, her eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, sensing the powerful flow of battle energy radiating from him. "Indeed," Xiao Yan smiled, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "this time refining the elixir has been very beneficial. As I expect, within ten days, this very moment will arrive." "The gap between Dou Wang and Dou Huang is immense. Even with a breakthrough, it typically takes half a year to a full year to truly undergo transformation. It seems that you'll need to go into a deep meditation retreat for the coming period." Medusa lowered her gaze, speaking slowly. Looking at Xiao Yan, whose eyes held a hint of coldness, Mei Du Sha nodded lightly and said, "Don't worry. While I'm taking care of Zǐ Yán, I'll also be guarding your interests." Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled and bowed slightly to Mei Du Sha, chuckling, "Then I'll be grateful. I'll first deliver the pills, then rest a little before beginning my closed meditation." "Yes." Mei Du Sha turned her gaze toward the luminous cocoon, a soft nasal tone emerging from her smooth, elegant nose. Seeing this, Xiao Yan said nothing, simply circled the cocoon a few times, and only when he found no signs of irregularity did he ease his concerns, then ascended alone, flying toward the valley's outer edge. Once outside the valley, Xiao Yan hovered in the sky, surveying the surroundings, and after confirming his direction, flicked his fiery wings behind him, transforming into a streak of light and darting swiftly toward the northern horizon. With this swift movement continuing for half an hour, Xiao Yan's pace gradually slowed down. His gaze swept across the landscape and then settled on a mountain peak, where faint traces of human movement were subtly visible. A sudden thought struck him, and within mere breaths, he appeared atop the mountain. As soon as his form materialized, he sensed that beneath him, at the mountain's summit, several dozen energy signatures abruptly grew thin and delicate. "Come out," Xiao Yan said calmly, glancing at the scene. As soon as his words fell, a commotion erupted on the mountain peak. Soon, dozens of figures swiftly emerged. At the forefront stood an elder who, upon seeing Xiao Yan in the sky, was filled with surprise. He immediately bowed and respectfully said, "We greet the Grand Marshal." The other several dozen figures behind him also knelt in unison, their voices resonant and clear, echoing through the forest. Xiao Yan's gaze swept over them, finally resting on their chests—there, a patch of emerald insignia was visible, within which a finely drawn lotus flower of flame was depicted. Gently descending to the ground, Xiao Yan said in a calm tone, "Are you the ones dispatched by your elder brother?" Upon hearing this, the elder hurriedly bowed and stepped forward, retrieving a scroll from his storage amulet, offering it to Xiao Yan with both hands, and respectfully said, "Lord Marshal, my name is Bai Li Cheng. I am currently a steward of the Yan Alliance, and this mission was indeed sent by Xiao Ding, the senior elder." After receiving the scroll, Xiao Yan carefully reviewed it before giving a slight nod and smiling with a touch of deep meaning. "Then, thank you. I have other matters that prevent me from returning to the Imperial Capital, so I shall entrust you with the safe delivery of these items. Within each scroll lies my soul imprint; should any of them be seized en route, I will have means to recover them." "Of course, Lord Marshal, please rest assured," Bai Li Cheng quickly agreed, clearly understanding the deeper implication in Xiao Yan's words, and promptly added. "Well then, let's move swiftly. When we return, I'll inform Brother that I'll be entering seclusion for either six or twelve months—during that time, he shall handle all matters concerning the Flame Alliance." Xiao Yan waved his hand. "Yes, sir!" Bai Li responded respectfully, then slowly retreated. After stepping several dozen meters away, he raised his hand and led a group of about thirty well-trained, clearly capable individuals back into the forest, swiftly exiting the mountain range under the cover of the forest's vast canopy. As he watched the escort party depart, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Though the strongest among them was an elder at the peak of the Du Ling stage, the overall quality of the team was quite satisfactory to him. "Since the elixir matter has been settled, the next step is to begin returning and entering my closed meditation retreat..." Gently murmuring these words, Xiao Yan's form slowly ascended into the air. As he was about to head back toward the valley, he suddenly paused, eyes scanning toward a location some hundred li away—there, a soul imprint he had previously sent there was now clearly visible.