On a small hill not far from the Black Mountain fortress, figures were scattered yet utterly silent—everyone was seated in stillness, their profound breaths suppressed to a near-whisper. At the summit of the hill, Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding, and Hai Bo Dong stood side by side, conversing softly among themselves. "Has Medusa not arrived yet?" Hai Bo Dong frowned slightly, glancing toward the direction of the Black Mountain fortress. "I've already sent messengers to notify her. She's likely busy organizing the stronger members of the Serpent Clan," Xiao Yan replied. Just as he finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind rippled across the sky, and soon a large group of figures surged in, appearing in the upper air within a few breaths before descending gracefully. The figures who appeared were clearly the elite of the Serpent Clan, and the one leading them was none other than Medusa. Upon seeing Medusa appear, Hai Bo Dong and the others breathed a sigh of relief. If this assassination mission lacked her, it would have little meaning at all. With Xiao Yan alone, the danger of penetrating the gathering grounds of the Three Armies Alliance would undoubtedly soar. "Heard that, everyone nodded in agreement." "Haha, then I'll stay at Black Mountain Fort and await further news," said Xiao Ding, smiling slightly and then bowing to the group. Xiao Yin nodded in return, then glanced at Medusa, their eyes meeting briefly before she slightly averted her gaze. Seeing her expression, Xiao Yin only could shake his head with a smile. His back wings extended, and with a wave of his hand, he rose into the air first. As Xiao Yin began to move, the numerous strong members of the Flame Alliance on the ground swiftly summoned their aura wings and hurried to follow. "Let's go," said Medusa, turning to the strong leaders of the Serpent People. "When I enter the city, you all must follow Sea Wave Dong's orders—no exceptions. Should any mistakes occur along the way, don't blame me for the royal regulations!" The stronger members of the Serpent Clan, led by Black Toxin, the Second Commander, who had previously had some conflicts with Xiao Yan, now quickly nodded upon hearing Medusa's words—within the Serpent Clan, Medusa's prestige was such that no one dared to challenge her. Seeing this, Medusa slightly nodded and then moved her body with a fluid motion, rising effortlessly without any external aid, eventually transforming into a streak of light to follow Xiao Yan and the others ahead. Behind her, the other strong members of the Serpent Clan swiftly followed. After all, as the young physician had pointed out, although she held autocratic authority within the Poison Sect and few people in the Chuyun Empire dared to challenge her word, the Jinyan Sect and Muling Valley were not part of the Chuyun Empire's power structure. Moreover, both sects possessed strength comparable to that of the Poison Sect. Initially, when both sects agreed to send troops and their strongest fighters to attack the Gama Empire, they had clearly intended to carve out their own share of the territory. However, now, at this stage, the young physician suddenly decided to abandon the offensive—this decision naturally left the two sects deeply dissatisfied. Though the leaders of Yanyuotian and Muling, the three elders, were both severely injured, as long as the two sects could deploy their subsequent elite forces and supply them with high-tier healing pills, the two elders would quickly recover their strength. At that point, they would once again become a formidable force capable of defeating both the Gama Empire and the Yan Alliance—something that would no longer be impossible. With these hopes in place, neither of the two sects would willingly withdraw now, so the current tripartite situation has become increasingly heated, leaving Xiao Yixian quite troubled. The sudden nature of the withdrawal not only meets resistance from the two sects but also from the Du Sect and even within the Chuyun Empire, though the latter remains silent out of deference to her authority. Thus, even if Xiao Yixian decides to withdraw, the crises facing the Jiamai Empire and the Yan Alliance are far from resolved. As long as Yan Luo Tian and the three elders of Mulan remain, the Jin Yan Sect and the Mulan Valley will never give up. Therefore, these two figures must be eliminated—now, at this very moment, is the optimal time to act! Concerned that the powerful figures within the city might detect such a substantial presence, the elite members of the Yan Alliance and the Serpent Clan gradually reduced their pace and quietly entered the forest, eventually making their way to a concealed hollow nestled among the hills. Upon reaching their destination, the group did not immediately engage but instead settled into a state of quiet meditation, as arranged by Xiao Yan, striving to optimize their condition and reach peak readiness. Perched atop a cluster of trees within the hollow, Xiao Yan had a clear view of the city beyond. He observed that the city was bustling with soldiers patrolling back and forth, and occasionally, powerful warriors at the Battle King level would glide through the air in a crosswise pattern, their keen, eagle-like eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. Any subtle disturbance would be detected first by those stationed high above. "Indeed, the defenses here are formidable," Xiao Yan remarked, nodding thoughtfully as he watched the vigilant Battle King-level warriors. "It seems the other side is well-prepared as well." "The little medicine sage didn't give you that jade piece? Just crush it, and she'll naturally withdraw some of the defenses. However, I believe the patrolling strong ones aren't merely from the Toxin Sect. Even if she manages to remove the defenses, she can only transfer the Toxin Sect's guards. The strong ones from Jinyan Sect and Muran Valley will still remain vigilant and diligent." A calm voice came from behind, and without turning, he knew it was Medusa. "Yes, though we can't do much—this kind of mission is inherently risky. Let's act when it gets dark. With our two combined strengths, if we remain cautious, even with patrolling Battle King-level strong ones, we should be able to go unnoticed." Xiao Yan nodded, speaking softly. From behind, a quiet "hm" followed, clearly indicating Medusa had no further objections. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan quickly retrieved the gray jade piece from his storage scroll, crushed it, and then waved his hand, smiling, "Then let's just wait until nightfall." "Speaking, he turned his head and gazed at the refined, alluring face—elegant yet carrying a touch of coolness—hesitated slightly, then suddenly whispered softly, "Um... about yesterday's matter, I'm truly sorry..." Upon hearing this, Medusa was momentarily startled. Her graceful, captivating eyes swept toward Xiao Yan. Since meeting this person, she had never before heard Xiao Yan speak to someone in such a polite and apologetic manner. "Even you know how to apologize?" Medusa murmured, her eyes slightly lowered. Yet, though she said it so calmly, she herself hadn't noticed that her cheeks had softened slightly—clearly, Xiao Yan's apology had made a noticeable impact. Xiao Yan smiled slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed, and rubbed his hands. "Right now, I'm unable to prepare the Tianhun-Rongxue Pill within a short timeframe. Once my alchemy skills improve, I'll be able to start crafting it. But please rest assured—I will definitely succeed within two years." Medusa nodded. For some reason, she felt a genuine sense of pleasure at the fact that Xiao Yan had taken this matter seriously—something quite rare for someone as emotionally volatile as herself. The last trace of resentment she had harbored toward Xiao Yan vanished completely with his words. As she prepared to speak, her brows suddenly arched, and with a swift motion of her slender hand, a powerful suction surged forth, instantly capturing a dark bat in her grasp. A quick glance revealed a small scroll tucked at the bat’s claw. She removed the scroll, lightly flicked her finger, and sent the bat soaring into the forest before slowly unfurling the scroll and speaking softly, "It was delivered by the young healer. This is a map of the city, marking the locations of the three elders—Yanluo Tian and Mu Lan." "The Yanshu Tian lies to the north of the city, while the three elders of Mulan are stationed to the west. It seems we'll have to act separately," Musa mused. "Although Yanshu Tian is severely wounded, he remains a Douzong-level powerhouse. Should he launch a counterattack, he would be extremely difficult to handle. Therefore, I'll take charge of him. As for the three elders of Mulan, with one of their number lost, the Three Beasts' Wild Decree will be unable to unfold fully—thus they will only amount to ordinary Douhuang peak-level warriors. With your capabilities, even at your peak, you should be able to handle them without much difficulty. How does that sound?" "Ah... then you take care of yourself." Seeing Musa assign the most critical task to herself, Xiao Yan felt a touch of warmth and nodded in agreement with a smile. "Then, with that settled..." Musa smiled gently, her blossoming smile brightening Xiao Yan's eyes. "Let us simply wait until nightfall."