The elderly figure stiffened for only an instant before swiftly recovering, then turned not at all, and shot straight into the dark forest. "Shhh!" As the figure struck into the dark forest, a sharp, piercing streak of cold light suddenly flashed forth, cutting through the air with a crisp, biting wind that made every hair on the observer's body stand on end, aiming precisely and cruelly at the figure's throat. The sudden assault caught the elder off guard, though fortunately his strength was not to be underestimated. A low cry escaped his throat, and the space before him instantly warped, causing the cold streak to veer off course and skim past his shoulder. "Who is it?" With the attack narrowly avoided, the elderly figure roared, sweeping his sleeve and clenching his dry, withered hands tightly. Several faint arcs of energy surged forth, and he drove them hard toward a specific point deep within the dark forest. "Crack!" Five sharp gusts of wind burst forth from the elderly man's hands and claws, instantly shattering several massive trees—thick as a person's thigh—causing splinters to scatter everywhere. Though the attack missed its intended target, the elderly figure's face slightly tightened. As he prepared to retreat, a white figure suddenly materialized like a ghost, a fine gray mist tinged with a subtle metallic scent rushing toward him. Even before the mist touched his body, the seasoned warrior sensed its potency—knowing instantly it carried a potent toxin. With a swift motion of his sleeve, he unleashed a powerful gust of wind that swept the mist aside. Taking advantage of this temporary obstruction, he planted his foot on the void and surged upward, finally breaking through the dense canopy of the forest with a soft *puff*. A cold tone emanated from the teeth. The elderly figure slightly tilted his head, revealing a familiar face—none other than the old man from Eagle Mountain who had willingly relinquished his bodhi essence to form his body. "Hah, Master Eagle, your skill is truly remarkable," he chuckled, "you managed to conceal your soul energy within the bodhi essence, and even I couldn't detect it." A light laugh rang out behind the old man, who suddenly turned to see Xiao Yan flapping his emerald fire wings, now appearing on the expanse of the forest sea. "I didn't expect you to discover it so easily... There's another person as well—bring them out!" Master Eagle's expression grew slightly somber, and then he sharply turned his gaze toward the depths of the forest sea, his voice sharp. "Crack!" As soon as Master Eagle finished speaking, the dense branches trembled violently, and then a graceful white figure swiftly materialized, floating gracefully in the air. Her slightly ethereal form precisely sealed off Master Eagle's retreat. "Hehe, you old trickster are indeed cunning. If it weren't for Xiao Yan's exceptional sensitivity as a pharmacist, capable of perceiving subtle spiritual energies, I doubt he would have even noticed your soul hidden within the Bodhi Body-Saliva." Su Qian smiled warmly at the elder from E Jing Mountain, saying, "Since you've detected me, why haven't you acted sooner?" "Old Eagle Mountain laughed coldly. When he originally concealed his soul within the saliva of the Bodhi transformation body, he had intended to wait for a fierce clash between Xiao Yan and Han Feng, hoping to witness a two-sided defeat before suddenly seizing the Bodhi transformation saliva without anyone noticing. Yet the final outcome fell far short of his expectations. Xiao Yan struck down the three senior elders of Magi Fire Valley with thunderous efficiency, then deployed the Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus, causing Han Feng and Mo Tianxing to grow secretly wary and retreat. As a result, Xiao Yan and Su Qian were able to preserve their full strength. Though the Old Eagle Mountain's prowess allowed him to hold his own against either of them individually, facing both at once would surely lead to a decisive defeat." "The day before yesterday, my pursuers were so numerous that I didn't have time to attend to you. Moreover, I must admit, your method of concealing your soul is indeed quite unusual—I can sense it, yet I cannot pinpoint it. After all, with countless greedy pursuers trailing behind, I simply couldn't extract and carefully examine the Bodhi essence sap of my own body." Xiao Yan smiled slightly. "Also, I know you'll naturally appear within the next two days, because you understand that should I reach the Gan Nan Academy and gain sufficient time to study the Bodhi essence sap, you would inevitably be uncovered. Therefore..." "So you deliberately chose to depart separately, specifically to make me appear alone!" Elder Yingshan's face flushed slightly. He hadn't expected that he had been subtly outmaneuvered by Xiao Yan. He had always believed his well-concealed plan to be flawless—yet it had already been discovered by Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan smiled, his gaze sweeping over the ethereal form of the Elder from Eagle Mountain, and said with a gentle tone, "Elder, perhaps you could hand me the Bodhi Body-Saliva now. Regarding today's matter, I'll forgive you. Though you're currently in a spiritual state, if our actions disintegrate your spirit, your physical body may suffer significant damage as well. Moreover, by sensing your presence, I might even be able to locate your physical form." The Elder's face subtly shifted, then chuckled with a touch of surprise, "Young man, do you really think I've been cowed by fear all these years? If you insist, I'll simply destroy this Bodhi Body-Saliva right here and see how you'll handle it!" "It seems that the soul-duplication technique you've employed requires your physical body to remain within a certain proximity?" That is to say, your current true form is not far from us—assuming I haven't misjudged it—right there, just a short distance away...” Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, then suddenly widened as he pointed toward the dark forest in the north, chuckling coldly, “Your true form should be in that direction, correct?” Upon seeing the direction Xiao Yan indicated, even with the seasoned tact of the Eagle Mountain elder, his face could not help but shift subtly. His cultivation technique was quite unique: if his spiritual duplicate were dispersed, he would merely enter a state of temporary weakness and recover after some time. But should his true body be discovered, that would truly constitute a life-threatening crisis for him. Therefore, every time he employed his technique, Elder Yingshan would place his true form in the most concealed and secure location. Yet now, that very location has been directly pointed out by Xiao Yan. This means that, should the latter search carefully, he might indeed be able to pinpoint the exact position of Elder Yingshan's true form. Then... Gazing at the Elder Yingshan, whose face constantly shifted under the moonlight, Xiao Yan's cold demeanor slightly softened. He spoke gently, "Elder Yingshan, as I hold you in high regard as a senior figure from Black Angle Domain, I have not yet sent anyone to confront you directly. As long as you return the Bodhi-Body Saliva, I, Xiao Yan, guarantee that you will leave unharmed!" Faced with Xiao Yan’s successive threats and gentle appeals, the elderly elder from Ege Mountain took several moments to gradually settle his fluctuating expression. After taking a deep breath, he slowly scanned the intense gazes of Su Qian and Xiao Yi standing beside him, sensing the sharp, unyielding presences radiating from their bodies. With a sigh, he could only shake his head—no matter how powerful his current form, whether as a soul fragment or at his peak, he found himself unable to escape their grasp. "It's truly the case of new waves pushing out the old ones. It seems the younger generation has taken over in Black Angle Domain. Well, you’ve certainly shown your mettle. As for that Bodhi Body Essence...," the elder murmured, shaking his head. Then, he slightly raised the jade box in his hands, hesitated, and finally clenched his teeth before tossing it decisively toward Xiao Yan, "Here you go!" Smiling at the jade box being hurled toward him, Xiao Yan smiled slightly but did not immediately reach out to grasp it. Instead, he flicked his finger, and a subtle inner force surged forth, catching the box and gently suspending it before him with careful precision. Observing Xiao Yan's cautious demeanor, the Elder of Yijing subtly furrowed his brows, then coldly remarked, "Hmph. Even if you obtain the Bodhi Body-Saliva, you'll likely never learn of the Bodhi Heart behind it." "My true objective," Xiao Yan said with a gentle smile, "is not the distant Bodhi Heart, but rather this Bodhi Body-Saliva." Hearing Xiao Yan's words, the young physician with a cool, graceful demeanor was slightly taken aback. A gentle touch of warmth shimmered in her clear, bright eyes—she knew well that Xiao Yan had devoted countless efforts to help her manage her affliction of the calamitous poison, even being willing to oppose the powerful elders directly. Though touched, by her nature, she did not allow her emotions to overflow visibly. Yet within the still, ancient depth of her heart, a soft ripple stirred, gradually melting the once cold and distant core of her being. The elder of Yingshan's spirit dispersed with remarkable speed, vanishing into the boundless darkness within mere moments, beyond the reach of Xiao Yan's senses. Upon seeing the elder hand over the Bodhi's transformed saliva, Xiao Yi and Su Qian also breathed a sigh of relief, moving swiftly to join Xiao Yan beside him, gazing at the jade box hovering nearby and chuckling, "At last, he gave in." Under the scorching heat of the Fading Heart Flame, the jade box turned to powder within a blink, revealing the bodiless, living-like substance of the Bodhi essence that slowly quivered and pulsed. Xiang Yan glanced at it with a sideways gaze, then a cold smile spread across his face. With a controlled thread of Fading Heart Flame, he gently encased the substance. As the flame enveloped it, a sudden tremor surged at one point of the Bodhi essence, and wisps of white vapor rose, accompanied by a faint hissing sound—seeming to carry, beneath the surface, a faint cry of agony. "Pfft!" At a mountain cliff cave some kilometers away, Elder Yingshan, whose soul had just returned to his body, suddenly turned pale, spitting out a sudden gush of blood. He then lifted his head sharply, his gaze fierce and directed squarely at the location of Xiang Yan and his companions, his voice strained as he exclaimed, "How ruthless, how cautious! I'll remember you!"