As Xiao Yan finished speaking and looked up, he was met with several astonished faces, which left him momentarily stunned. He carefully asked, "What's wrong? Is it not working?" "Oh, no, no—it's fine, it's absolutely fine," the Senior Elder quickly replied, her eyes glowing with unmistakable joy. She hadn't expected Xiao Yan to go to such great lengths to craft the highest-grade Tian Hún Róng Xuè Dan. As a senior elder of the Serpent People, she was well aware of the difficulty and risks involved in producing such a rare medicine. The other three elders, who had previously been cold and critical toward Xiao Yan, now smoothed out their expressions and nodded slightly. Though he was human, Xiao Yan at least wasn't unbearable. The icy demeanor in Medusa's eyes quickly melted, and a newfound warmth appeared in her gaze toward Xiao Yan—though this warmth lasted only briefly before being gently concealed once more. "Hehe, Master Xiao Yan, if you wish to prepare the 'Heavenly Soul-Infusing Blood Pill,' there's no issue at all. I'll be able to hand you the recipe shortly. However, this is a seventh-rank pill—extremely difficult to craft—and it comes with the added peril of a thunderstorm ordeal, making it quite risky..." The Senior Elder smiled warmly at Xiao Yan and said so. The Senior Elder hesitated slightly before speaking. "Within two years?" Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "Senior Elder, please rest assured—within two years, I will surely present the Sky-Soul and Blood Pill to you!" As the Senior Elder had mentioned, regardless of whether or not Medusa was truly pregnant, complete preparations were essential. Though Xiao Yan had no intention of becoming a father at all, the fact remained that Medusa carried a strand of his Xiao family's bloodline. Therefore, he would naturally offer her his very best. Hearing Xiao Yan's pledge, the Senior Elder's face brightened with joy, and he smiled warmly, nodding. "With Xiao Yan's remarkable progress, the old woman now feels truly at ease. Should this indeed come true, perhaps our serpent people will one day see a super-strong being unlike any we've known before." Xiao Yan managed a dry smile—on such terms, he felt he could only offer polite expressions and nothing more. After finishing this matter, the four elders' attitude toward Xiao Yan had noticeably softened, and they chatted with him warmly for a while before handing him the prescription for the Sky-Soul and Blood-Blending Pill and then waving them to send out Medusa. As the two walked out of the bamboo pavilion and along the quiet path for a while, Xiao Yan finally turned to gaze at Medusa, who was looking straight ahead but with a gentle blush on her cheeks. He sighed, saying, "Well, this is...". "Don't worry," Medusa said, glancing at him with a calm expression, "if this indeed turns out to be true, you only need to produce one Sky-Soul and Blood-Blending Pill as the elders have requested. The rest, you need not concern yourself with." Understanding the complexity of Xiao Yan's emotions, she spoke with quiet assurance. Xiao Yan shook his head in frustration, still struggling to recover from the profound shock he had just experienced. "I know a few things about you, so don't worry that I'll keep pursuing you—I have no such interest. Once you successfully refine the Tianhun-Rongxue Pill, you may go wherever you wish, unimpeded. Should this indeed be the new bearer of the Medusa lineage, I and the Serpent People will fully nurture her." Medusa glanced at her slender, sturdy waist, speaking softly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. How could this sound so unlike the indifferent, unfeeling people he had once known? Yet, upon reflection, he only managed a weary smile and sighed. His relationship with Medusa was complex—emotionally, it didn't compare to his bond with Xun'er. But after the events beneath the earth, he could no longer ignore her. And now, with this latest development, the delicate balance between them had grown even more intricate. Of course, he also understood that Medusa might harbor some unspoken feelings toward him—feelings rooted in the events beneath the earth. After all, no matter how merciless she could be, she was still a woman, and deeply valued the dignity of her maidenhood. Had it not been for the lingering influence of the Sky-Draining Serpent's soul, she likely would have killed Xiao Yan outright from the start. Over time, as that influence waned, her resistance and murderous intent toward Xiao Yan gradually softened. Now, perhaps those initial thoughts had long since faded from her mind. "I'll take you as far as this point. When you decide to carry out your assassination against Yan Luotian and Mu Lan's three elders, send word to me." Just as Xiao Yan was looking worried, Medusa suddenly paused, speaking calmly. Hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. As he reached for words, he noticed Medusa had already turned around, and thus could only shake his head in resignation—his earlier expression must have displeased her. "Ah, women..." Standing on the path, Xiao Yan watched the graceful, elegant figure recede into the distance, sighed wryly, and then turned to walk toward the courtyard. Steadily making his way through the outer courtyard, he ignored the stream of curious glances from those around him, intent on simply leaving. "Hold on, that young man!" Just as he passed through the outer courtyard, a loud cry rang out. Several sturdy figures suddenly materialized in front of him, blocking his path. He raised his head, furrowed his brows, and faced the two male Serpentine warriors who had now appeared. One of them was precisely the one who had previously attacked him—Mobeas. Standing beside him was another male Serpentine, his expression stern. Observing his aura, Xiao Yan realized he too was a Battle Emperor, though only perhaps in his second or third year of that rank. "Black Toxin Brother, this is Xiao Yan—the one the elder mentioned might become the husband of the clan's chief..." Murk Bas stared fiercely at Xiao Yan, then turned to the cold, stern serpent. The serpent known as Black Toxin nodded, his triangular pupils fixed on Xiao Yan, his voice low and steady. "Human, I am Black Toxin, Second Commander of the Serpent Clan. Though our clan has already pledged alliance with yours, you'd better stay well away from us. Otherwise, it will be you who suffers—our clan will have absolutely no dealings with any foreign clans." Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, growing increasingly impatient with these repeated provocations. A faint glint of frost now sparkled in his gaze. Already agitated, if these people added more fuel to the fire, Xiao Yan could not guarantee he wouldn't have them lying here. Among the strong members of the Serpent Clan in this courtyard, many gathered closely when they saw Mo Ba was bringing in Hei Du as an assistant—clearly intrigued. Given their status within the clan, they also knew that Xiao Yan's relationship with Medusa was somewhat unique. "Step aside," Xiao Yan said calmly, lifting his gaze as more and more eyes turned toward him. The sharp, triangular pupils of Hei Du flashed with intensity. "I hope you won't be seen here again next time," Hei Du stated firmly. Xiao Yan raised a brow, finally losing his last thread of patience. He stepped forward, and after a brief moment, he reached directly before Hei Du and Mo Ba. Though these two stood like towering fortresses, Xiao Yan paid them no mind—his steps light and fluid, as he gently collided with them. "Thud!" The seemingly gentle collision suddenly erupted into a deep, resonant boom. Amidst a wave of astonished gazes, Black Toxin and Mo Ba sustained a jolt as though struck by a powerful blow—Black Toxin fared better, retreating only a few steps before steadying himself, while Mo Ba, after retreating over a dozen paces, collapsed directly to the ground, his face flushing crimson. Though he had regained his footing, Black Toxin's expression grew notably serious. Though Mo Ba's power level appeared only at the early stage of Battle Sovereign rank, his strength had proven far more formidable than expected. In past battles, many of the Snake Clan's elite had been stationed to guard other cities, thus not all were aware of the extraordinary clash that unfolded at Black Mountain Fortress. Fortunately, Black Toxin, the second deputy commander, had only just returned from outside that day, and thus was unfamiliar with Xiao Yan—though the name had a certain familiarity to him. Staring at Xiao Yan, who continued advancing straight toward the gate even after repelling the two of them, a fierce gleam flashed in Black Mountain's eyes. Suddenly, he roared, and a powerful surge of his martial energy erupted from within him, spreading a commanding presence that caused the surrounding snake-people warriors to step back in response. Xiao Yan gazed at Black Mountain with a calm expression, a subtle smile forming at the corners of his lips as a jade-green flame slowly rose from within him. "Mebas, Black Toxin—lately, you two have been increasingly ignoring the King himself!" The cold voice that followed swiftly caused both Black Toxin and Mebas to pale, quickly bowing to one knee. They could clearly hear the simmering anger in Medusa's words. "Xiao Yan is a distinguished guest of our Serpent Clan. Should anyone else deliberately obstruct him in the future, don't expect anything less than the full force of our clan's regulations!"