"Sky Demon Puppet?" Glancing at those three blood-red characters, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, and with a touch of curiosity, he gently unfolded the scroll. Instantly, the fine, blood-thirsty red script flowed into his line of sight. "The Sky Demon Puppet technique—this is neither a cultivation method nor a common combat skill, but an ancient art of puppetry passed down through the ages. To create a Sky Demon Puppet, three essential elements must converge: the body, the soul, and the demonic core. Using the body as the vessel, the soul as the guiding force, and the demonic core as the heart, combined with various materials, one ultimately achieves a creature-like puppet. These Sky Demon Puppets are categorized into three grades—Heaven, Earth, and Human—differing in rank based on the quality of materials used and the fire employed in their forging. They possess boundless power, yet remain emotionless, indifferent to pain or injury—true instruments of slaughter." As Xiao Yan's gaze slowly traced the blood-red characters on the scroll, the astonishment on his face deepened. He had never heard of such a puppetry technique before, and now found it astonishingly profound. As his gaze shifted away from the last crimson character, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply, deeply intrigued by this so-called "Heavenly Fiend Puppet." If he could successfully craft one, he'd surely have a loyal, close-at-hand attendant serving him faithfully. With a murmured admiration and a shake of his head, Xiao Yan passed the bamboo scroll to Su Qian and the others beside him. Upon receiving it, they carefully examined it, their faces likewise expressing astonishment. "I've only occasionally encountered this puppet technique in ancient texts, yet never seen a method for its actual creation. I never expected someone like this ancient earth-magic old man to possess such a collection. I suspect that very seven-stage fire-magic core he mentioned earlier was precisely what he preserved in order to craft the 'Heavenly Fiend Puppet.'" Su Qian remarked, marveling aloud. Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, reached into the wooden box, and took out the crimson magic core, gently caressing it in his hands, feeling the immense power within. The warmth of his smile deepened. "However, the method for crafting the 'Heavenly Demon Puppet' does carry a certain sense of bloodiness—taking human bodies, souls, and pairing them with magic cores. With these three elements gathered and combined through its unique crafting technique, the resulting creation might indeed be remarkably powerful." Su Qian shook his head, returned the bamboo scroll to Xiao Yan, and said, "This item, I believe, is better kept by you. It's not common for such things to appear within the academy. Since you're setting out to explore the Central Plains, it will suit you better." "Thank you, Senior Elder." Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled calmly, not showing any pretense. He was indeed deeply interested in the "Heavenly Demon Puppet." Besides a few special materials, the body, soul, and magical core mentioned were almost entirely in place—perhaps he could actually succeed in crafting the very "Heavenly Demon Puppet" after all. He placed both the bamboo scroll and the Nong Yan Technique into his storage relic. Surveying the surroundings, he found that most of the other techniques and combat skills no longer held much appeal to him. However, the well-preserved rare herbs collected here proved useful. After a brief selection, he gathered several herbs that might prove valuable in the future. After gathering everything he needed, Xiao Yan finally paused, his hands still lingering with satisfaction. Though the remaining items in the warehouse were few and no longer particularly appealing to him, they still represented a substantial windfall for the Xiao Clan. The clan had been established only recently and had limited resources, with few cultivation techniques or battle skills available for its disciples to practice. Now, having seized the assets of the Mòyán Valley, the clan had finally alleviated this long-standing concern. Upon seeing Xiao Yan halt his actions, Xiao Li also smiled, summoning several members of the Xiao family to assist him. He then used his storage relic to carry away every single item from the warehouse, leaving it empty. The group exchanged rather sly, dry smiles before departing gracefully. Moreover, he was heading toward the Central Plains, a region teeming with powerful individuals. Those capable of attending the "Herbal Assembly" would undoubtedly possess strong backgrounds and formidable capabilities. If he lacked any reserve strength, he would likely be completely consumed—his flesh and bones eaten away—by the stronger competitors. This is a law that holds true everywhere. Therefore, Xiao Yan must prepare all his reserves in the coming time, so that he may have confidence when navigating the vast and boundless continent of the Central Plains. Ten days were rather tight—something that would have been nearly impossible for Xiang Yin in the past. Fortunately, when the Yao Elder was captured, he left behind an exceptionally rich treasure for Xiang Yin: a vast collection of medicinal formulas he had mastered throughout his life. With these formulas, Xiang Yin could now prescribe treatments precisely suited to the situation, rather than scrambling at the last minute to locate the right recipes. While the elixirs nourishing the soul were somewhat specialized and therefore rare, the Yao Elder truly lived up to his reputation as the Medicinal Sovereign. After Xiang Yin spent an hour searching through the numerous formulas, he finally found one particularly well-suited for the current Tianhuo Sovereign. "Elixir of Soul Nourishment." This small item isn't particularly high-ranked—just around fifth grade—and its preparation isn't overly complex. The only drawback is that the required herbs are quite specialized. Fortunately, Xiao Yan's personal collection is quite extensive, and combined with the years' worth of stock from the Inner Courtyard, he hasn't had to struggle much over this issue. After successfully gathering all the necessary herbs for the "Spirit-Nourishing Saliva," Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief and summoned the cauldron. Flames gently drifted from his fingertips, beginning the countdown to the fading of Tian Hu's spiritual essence. During the process, perhaps due to the pressing time constraints, Xiao Yan grew more urgent in his mindset. As a result, his first two attempts at preparation both ended in failure. However, after two setbacks, he finally grasped the underlying issue, calmed his mind, and the process gradually stabilized. This time, the process lasted for three full days without coming to an end. Though the "Spirit-Soul Nectar" seemed not particularly difficult to prepare, it was remarkably time-consuming. Drawing from his earlier lessons, Xiao Yan remained calm and never grew impatient, steadily maintaining a gentle flame and slowly refining the jade-like liquid within the medicinal cauldron. With Xiao Yan's composed and steady mindset, the process ran smoothly without any further complications. On the fifth day of refining, Xiao Yan, who had been quietly closed his eyes, suddenly opened them. With a simple hand gesture, a liquid radiating a jade-like luster shot out of the cauldron and hovered before him. Staring at this vibrant, jade-like liquid spreading before him, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief and slowly lifted his finger, adorned with the white naga ring. With a gentle curl of his finger, the liquid drifted down and settled upon the ring, gradually seeping in. As the "Spirit-Nourishing S掖" slowly infused, the once-quiet white naga ring, which had remained still for several days, began to emit a faint, bright glow. Within that glow, Xiao Yan sensed the dormant soul within gently stirring and awakening. When the final drop of "Spirit-Nourishing S掖" fully merged into the ring, the soul within radiated a sense of vitality, and an elderly voice, full of gratitude, resonated softly. "Ah, Xiao Yan," the voice said, warm and sincere. "Gratitude need not be spoken. This time, I shall owe you a personal favor." Hearing that familiar voice, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply, relieved, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled, saying, "Master Yao, what are you talking about? If it weren't for your timely intervention in dealing with that fierce spirit, I'd have been in serious trouble." "I didn't actually resolve the fierce spirit—my intention was merely to extract its soul energy. That has nothing to do with you. There's no need for you to mention it. I'm far from someone who lacks sense of obligation or grudges." A laugh came from within the ring. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan only shrugged, knowing that it was a rare honor to have a Douzun-level master owe him a personal favor—something he certainly wouldn't turn down. He reached out, placed the medicine cauldron into his storage ring, and adjusted his posture slightly before standing up and walking toward the warehouse, saying as he went, "Master Yao just woke up. He should rest a bit more now. The matter of the fierce spirit doesn't need to be rushed." "Yes, my current condition makes it quite challenging to fully absorb it..." To which Master Tianhuo agreed wholeheartedly. Xiao Yan smiled, pushed open the door, and stepped out slowly under the glaring sunlight. As soon as he stepped outside, he immediately spotted Xiao Li walking back and forth outside the warehouse, and was taken aback, smiling, "Brother Li, what are you doing here?" Hearing his voice, Xiao Li quickly turned around and looked at Xiao Yan stepping out, breathing a sigh of relief. Then, his expression grew serious, saying, "You've finally made it! Hurry—hurry and go see Xiao Yixian. Something's wrong with her!" Xiao Yan's smile froze instantly. Before Xiao Li could react, Xiao Yan had already transformed into a blurry silhouette and dashed off like a flash. Xiao Li then sighed wearily and hurried after him.