The leading figure among the strong members of Wan Xie Men was a middle-aged man with a cold expression, dressed in elegant robes. Given the respectful demeanor of the other strong members of Wan Xie Men toward him, it was clear he was the one who had spoken earlier—the Master of Wan Xie Men, Scorpion Mountain. Behind Scorpion Mountain stood five elders. Xiao Yan paused his gaze on them for a moment, as all five were at the level of Battle Emperor. However, among them, three appeared to have only recently achieved Battle Emperor status, their inner ki slightly overflowing. The group further back consisted of the Battle Kings of Wan Xie Men, and a rough count suggested there were at least several dozen of them. This impressive array indeed carried considerable weight. The Young Healer glanced at Scorpion Mountain and then said calmly, "Where is Scorpion Bi Yao? Bring out that old man as well. Otherwise, today's Wan Xie Men will surely be absorbed by our Toxin Sect." "Hehe, Tian-Soaked Maiden—though it's been barely a year since we last saw each other, you've grown more assertive than ever. Our Wàn Xiē Sect isn't like ordinary powerhouses; we won't be crushed simply by being absorbed!" The middle-aged man, Master Xī Shān of the Wàn Xiē Sect, chuckled warmly. "Moreover, Master Xī is a renowned powerhouse in our Chū Yún Empire. You, a young upstart, may still lack the credentials to directly challenge him." Receiving such a massive surge of qi, Xie Shan's face also turned noticeably flushed. With a mental effort, he drove his palms forward with great force. The powerful qi column, gathered from the efforts of six individuals, suddenly shot out and collided with Xiao Yi Xian's gray qi ribbon. At the moment of impact, a thunderous sound erupted—and surprisingly, it managed to deflect Xiao Yi Xian's attack. "Indeed," Xiao Yi Xian observed calmly, her eyes never lifting from the fading qi waves, her voice laced with a subtle sense of mockery. "You've managed to withstand our attack. It seems that your Wàn Xiē Sect has invested considerable thought and effort in preparing for this." Xie Shan chuckled, yet remained fully alert. His internal qi flow had been overwhelmed, causing slight discomfort along his meridians. Should this intensity continue, he feared his meridians might rupture entirely. Unlike the Mu Lan elders, who possessed unique techniques to blend and harmonize their qi, their own capabilities were more conventional. "But our sect has already stated today: if Xie Biyan does not appear, your Wan Xie Sect will surely face this calamity!" The young physician's eyes suddenly grew icy, and her hand seal shifted abruptly. "Thousand-Phantom Poison Spring!" With the commanding cry, a sudden surge of thick, gray light erupted from within her, pouring out in countless streams and sweeping across the sky toward the Xie Mountain group. The thick gray light raced across the heavens, intensely corroding the atmosphere, and left behind numerous visible traces on the sky itself. Faced with Xiao Yixian's impressive display, the figures from Xie Mountain and others grew serious. Indeed, Dao Cong-level warriors were beyond their reach—each pulse of gray light carried enough energy to kill a Dao Wang-level warrior. Yet despite this powerful assault, Xie Mountain and his companions showed no signs of panic. As the countless viscous streams of light approached within ten zhang, the dense green toxic mist suddenly surged upward, and then a苍old figure materialized mysteriously in midair. With a firm stomp of his walking cane, a surge of powerful Dao Qi erupted from within him, eventually forming a radiant barrier that completely enveloped the space in front of him—ten zhang wide. The countless gray, viscous streams of energy then surged forward, crashing down with sharp hissing sounds. Under the continuous barrage of these gray, viscous attacks, the barrier rippled repeatedly, yet remained steadfast, showing no signs of dissolving. After enduring for half an hour, the bombardment gradually subsided, eventually fading away. As the gray qi dissipated, the vast luminous screen also softened and lightened, revealing the figure of an elderly white-haired man with a slightly hunched posture. Dressed in plain garments, his face aged and expressionless, his eyes—though seemingly cloudy—held a piercing, chilling intensity. In his hands, he held a black cane, upon which a particularly fierce scorpion's head was mounted. A faint, barely perceptible purple glow shimmered at the scorpion's forehead. Standing motionless in the air, the elder had completely withdrawn his vital energy, leaving no outward sign of presence—appearing no different from an ordinary elder at first glance. Yet, upon his arrival, the powerful members of the Ten-Thousand Scorpion Sect immediately hastened to bow respectfully, while the members of the Toxin Sect grew increasingly serious. Even Xiao Yi, the young healer, could not afford to show the slightest disregard toward this formidable figure, whose renown in the Chuyun Empire had grown steadily over many years. "This must be Xie Biyan, the Douzong cultivator from Wan Xie Sect," Xiang Yan said, his heart suddenly stirred as he gazed at the elderly man who had suddenly appeared, speaking in a low voice. "Agreed," Medusa nodded slightly, her eyes slightly serious. "I didn't expect this old man to have refined his aura to such a degree. Clearly, these years haven't been in vain. Based on my assessment, he has likely reached the peak of the Four-Star Douzong rank—perhaps, by sheer fortune, he might even break through into the Five-Star Douzong rank." Medusa said firmly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's face also slightly tightened. Back then, Yunshan had at most reached the level of Three-Star Douzong. It seemed now that this old man had already reached the peak of Four-Star Douzong—perhaps Medusa's strength was no different. Over the years, among all the individuals Xiao Yan had encountered, the strongest had likely been the Huan Dian Wu Fuzhi who had absorbed Yunshan's soul, followed by Yao Lao, who had merely restored his soul energy, then Medusa and Xiao Yi, and now perhaps another addition—Xi Bo Yan. After attaining Douzong rank, each subsequent level advancement became increasingly difficult, and the gap between strengths grew wider. Though Xiao Yan wasn't fully aware of this yet, he was still striving at the Douhuang level. While he could fight a Douzong-level powerhouse with all his strength, the cost was extremely high—this clearly demonstrated the immense strength of Douzong-level warriors. "Once these matters here are settled, it's time to seek out new异fires to strengthen my capabilities. Otherwise... every time I'd have to exhaust myself completely just to fight against a Douzong-level powerhouse, and that wouldn't do at all." As this thought passed through his mind, Xiao Yan silently nodded. To successfully rescue the Medicine Elder, his father, and to reunite with Xun'er, he would need extraordinary strength—something he clearly didn't yet possess. While ordinary individuals would find it exceedingly difficult to advance in rank, Xiao Yan was different. With his unique异fires, as long as he could locate new ones and absorb them, his power would soar dramatically, reaching Douzong level within no time. Though the journey would come with significant risks, wasn't that the nature of cultivation—rarely smooth or uneventful? Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan's urgency to strengthen himself grew, and he began to form a clearer sense of what lay ahead. "Young man, you truly shine. When I was ruling the Cloud Empire, you were still playing in some corner, digging in the mud. Even now, as the waves keep pushing the others, at least I haven't been pushed under yet..." Scorpion Bi-Yan's cloudy gaze swept over Xiao Yi-Xian, speaking softly. "Back then, I didn't expect you to actually clear out most of the Cloud Empire's factions—your methods are indeed sharp. But that's all well and good. With the Toxin Sect now in place, I'll save myself the trouble of constant reorganization. Once I've settled you, the Toxin Sect will naturally become the Wàn Scorpion Sect." "If you wish to absorb my Toxin Sect, then prove you have the strength!" Xiao Yi-Xian's eyes flashed with cold resolve, her voice sharp. "The Five Elders of the Toxin Sect, form your array! Scorpion Bi-Yan, to me!" "Yes!" At the sound of Xiao Yi-Xian's command, the five elders behind her instantly roared in unison, then swiftly dispersed to form a strange, intricate array. Their inner qi surged powerfully, and as their palms met, a solid, unified aura began The young physician stared at Bi Yao of the Scorpion with a cold gaze, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her—she had caught a faint trace of mockery in his eyes. As she slightly furrowed her brows at this, a sharp gleam flashed suddenly in Wudu's eyes behind her. Her hand seal changed, and then five powerful streams of energy coalesced, shooting forth with great force. Yet these attacks were not aimed at the people of Wan Xie Men—they were directed straight at the young physician, who was facing away from them. "Hehe, I didn't expect it—turns out the traitors aren't just one or two, but five! This really is a fierce move, a dog biting its master to the very core..." The shadow gradually materialized, his steps shaken and retreating slightly before he broke into a strange, chuckling smile. Upon witnessing this unexpected assault being repelled—especially after seeing who had launched it—the five members of Wu Ya exchanged looks of growing displeasure.