The sudden halt in the sky battle also left countless people below bewildered, exchanging murmurs and passing along various speculations. On the fortress, Hai Bo Dong had already recalled his memories—he could only wave his hands helplessly, indicating that he too had no idea what had transpired in the heavens. "That cold-hearted woman suddenly ceasing her combat is truly unexpected. Could it be due to her fear of Xiao Yan? However, after Xiao Yan performed the fire lotus once, he seems rather weakened now." Jia Xingtian mused. "Regardless of the reason, it's best if she stops. Her mysterious and terrifying poison technique is indeed formidable. As long as she hasn't fully unleashed it, the ordinary soldiers here—just a touch of the poison vapor and they're almost certain to perish." "Fa Ma sighed. Though the toxic sect's master might not be much stronger in combat than Medusa, her terrifying toxic arts could easily inflict heavy losses on our forces. Therefore, if we can manage to fully antagonize her, that would be the most favorable outcome for the Gamma Empire. "They seem to be discussing something... I hope Third Brother can truly contain this woman; then the Gamma Empire will avoid another major disaster." Xiao Ding also exhaled in relief. Over the past year, this master of the toxic sect had left an indelible impression on them. Even now, recalling the strangeness of her toxic techniques, Xiao Ding felt a slight chill in his own body. "Control?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yixian was momentarily startled, then furrowed her brows slightly, her gaze lingering on Xiao Yin's serious expression, as though she were beginning to be convinced. "As long as you can fully control this calamitous toxic body, such accidental deaths from poisoning will no longer occur—instead, the intense toxins within you will be at your complete disposal." Xiao Yan spoke solemnly. Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Yixian's eyes flickered, and she hesitated, asking, "Are you truly capable of it?" "Believe me," Xiao Yan nodded firmly. Though, based on his experience, he had no established method to counter the calamitous toxic body—yet, while refining pills and poring over the vast information left by the Elder Pharmacist, he had discovered such a method. However, it came with strict requirements, the most essential being three unique fires. For ordinary people, this might be utterly impossible. Yet for Xiao Yan, it posed no difficulty at all—his inner fallen heart flame, the Qinglian earth-heart fire, and the Elder Pharmacist's bone-spirit cold fire perfectly fulfilled the requirement. The gray-purple eyes of Xiao Yixian fixed intently on the serious expression of the young physician, and gradually, the cold gaze of the physician softened, gently nodding before shifting her attention to Medusa, who was tightly clenching her teeth, enduring the pain within her body. With a delicate gesture, the physician summoned several strange gray-purple blood spots that flowed out from Medusa's body, eventually being drawn into her own. As the gray-purple blood spots detached, Medusa's complexion swiftly returned to normal. She spoke with a cold tone, "I myself can resolve this as well." The physician remained silent, turning her gaze back to Xiao Yixian and hesitating, "If I can help you control this affliction of the厄难toxin, then I will disband my army and withdraw from the three sects. My purpose in launching this war has always been to find a method to overcome this厄难toxin." "Given the heavy losses sustained by both the Gamma Empire and the Serpent Clan in this great conflict, do you truly intend to leave it at that?" Medusa countered, her voice cold. "If I give the word, even with you defending, both the Gamma Empire and the Serpent People will be utterly erased. You're no naive child—you should know the principle of the strong prevailing over the weak!" The young physician's gray and purple eyes flashed with cold intensity, her voice calm and detached. "Then let me see just who is strong and who is weak!" Medusa's face remained icy, and though she moved again, she was pulled back by Xiao Yan's firm grip. "Should she truly fight to the last, the Serpent People and the Gamma Empire would indeed suffer greater losses under the combined might of the three realms. Now, let us put aside our pride and act with reason," Xiao Yan whispered softly into Medusa's ear. "I know you two have known each other, but what the Serpent People have done to my people—I will not forget. I will surely make it right someday!" Medusa's expression shifted subtly as her gaze swept across the endless ranks of her dark, imposing army, then she clenched her silver teeth and spoke coldly. Chuckles faintly, Xiao Yan only sighed inwardly. Over the years of experiences he's had, the current Xiao Yi Xian has clearly evolved from the kind and naive girl of old. Her resolve and tenacity are even sharper than Medusa's. This pause in the great war—first due to his own circumstances, and second, likely because of the proposal he himself made regarding control of the Eran Poison Body—must be significant. "Earlier, you mentioned that the war was initiated because after defeating the Gamma Empire, you would gain a method to resolve the Eran Poison Body issue," Xiao Yan said, turning to her as though suddenly remembering something, his brow furrowed. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian hesitated before adding, with a slightly unusual expression on her face, "There was a mysterious organization that once approached me. They said if I could secure the Gamma Empire and capture the leader of the Yan Alliance, they would provide me with the means to resolve the Eran Poison Body. But I never expected—this very leader of the Yan Alliance, to be you." "Heard this, both Medusa and Xiao Yan were taken aback, never expecting that after all these twists and turns, the matter would ultimately come down to him. 'There were numerous opportunities throughout this year to directly eliminate the Jia Ma Empire, yet you've remained absent—thus, no decisive action was taken against them.' Xiao Yixian glanced at Xiao Yan with a puzzled expression, then continued, 'It seems you've offended quite a few people over the years. That mysterious organization appears formidable, and they seem unafraid of my Eran Toxic Body.' Xiao Yan frowned, stunned that the target would be him. He hadn't clashed with any particularly powerful factions during these years, and the Black Horn Region was so distant from here... Could it be... As this thought struck him, a sudden realization dawned on him. His expression darkened, and he said, 'Is it the Hall of Souls?'" "Yes, that mysterious organization spreading across the entire continent, collecting soul bodies. I never expected they'd target you—seems you're truly as I've said. Now, you're no longer just that young soul warrior from back then." The young healer didn't hide her sentiments, merely nodded. Perhaps recalling the time when Xiao Yan had been pursued and nearly overwhelmed by the wolf-headed mercenary unit, a rare smile appeared on her usually composed face. In that smile, Xiao Yan could faintly see the shadow of the kind-hearted girl from those days. "You look just as beautiful when you smile as you did then," Xiao Yan said, his voice softening. Hearing this, the healer gently bit her lower lip and softly replied, "Some things always change. Back then, it wasn't suitable for me." "But I really like you," Xiao Yan said casually. The healer was momentarily surprised, her gaze lingering on the face that now carried a few fewer traces of youth, and she smiled warmly. "Are the people from the Spirit Temple still in the Shu Yun Empire?" Xiao Yan hesitated a moment, then suddenly asked. Now, he knew very little about the Spirit Temple. Although he had once accidentally entered that immense stone hall during his promotion to Duke of Spirit, and had met the Medicine Elder, he still had no clear idea of the hall's location. "I'm not sure. The people from the Spirit Temple are quite enigmatic—they actively seek out those who approach them. Unless you're very familiar with them, it's hard to find them." Xiao Yixian shook her head. Hearing this, Xiao Yan only sighed in disappointment. He had hoped to capture one of the Spirit Temple's members and learn more about their connection to the Medicine Elder and his father. "Then, I'll disband my army today. But you must quickly resolve the issue of the厄难 toxic body, for I can sense that the full outbreak is drawing near. If it happens then, everything will be too late." Xiao Yixian spoke firmly. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, asking, "Can you sense the exact timing of the outbreak?" "As early as six months, or as late as two years," the young physician sighed. "So urgent?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression turned slightly concerned, and he furrowed his brows. "If it weren't for the urgency, I wouldn't have agreed to the Holy Palace's request to launch war." The young physician spoke with a touch of melancholy. "Alright, I hope the outbreak is delayed a bit. As long as we gather the necessary materials, I'm certain I can stabilize your calamitous toxin condition." After a moment of thoughtful silence, Xiao Yan clenched his teeth and said firmly. "Yes, I'll come by again tonight." The young physician nodded gently, gave Xiao Yan a deep gaze, and then swiftly vanished into the air. Upon seeing the young physician glide into the scene, the three powerful figures floating in the sky promptly bowed in welcome. As she descended, the young physician glanced at the gathered figures and spoke calmly, "Retreat the three armies back to the Outbound Empire." "Heard this, all the powerful figures in the air froze. Though they had suffered back-to-back defeats against two Douzong-level masters today, their combined strength from the three sects remained overwhelmingly strong—definitely capable of breaking through the Jiamai Empire's defenses. How could they have suddenly decided to retreat?" "Master..." As doubts formed in their minds, several of them immediately spoke up. "Wait—retreat!" Yet before their questions fully escaped their lips, Xiao Yixian's gray-purple eyes slowly swept over them, her voice cold and firm. "Who has an objection?" Under the gaze of those gray-purple eyes, every single person felt a wave of chill run through their bodies. They quickly swallowed their doubts, dispersed, and swiftly relayed the order to every corner of the army. Such a transformation—truly a world apart!