Here lies a vast expanse of red and yellow desert, where gusts of wind carrying sand sweep across the plain. The continuous whistling of the wind carries a subtle chill, and in this somewhat desolate landscape, it's hard to spot any human figures—only endless gusts of wind and the sound of their roar. The wind sweeps through a patch of pale yellow wild grass, bending the stems low. Amidst the grass, a dark silhouette emerges. The figure's clothing is tattered, covered in blood, and his breathing is faint and labored. If it weren't for the faint rise and fall of his chest, one might easily mistake him for a corpse abandoned in the desert. After a long period of stillness, the body suddenly shivers slightly, and then, slowly, the closed eyes part just a fraction. Listening to the wind's constant roar, a wry smile forms at the corner of his lips. What in the world has this cursed space wormhole transported him to? The silhouette of the body believed to be deceased was none other than Xiao Yan, who had escaped from the spatial wormhole. At the moment he burst into the luminous circle, he did not immediately materialize on the ground; instead, he was subjected to an intense and violent assault by the turbulent spatial energies within the silver ring, only to be finally expelled—like something being vomited out—onto this very spot. Due to the severe damage inflicted upon his body by these spatial forces, Xiao Yan's internal injuries were profound, and he lacked even the strength to rise. Since he was expelled and has remained here, nearly a full day has passed. Throughout this time, he has lay motionless, like a corpse, gradually absorbing celestial and terrestrial energies while carefully nurturing his greatly damaged frame. With a difficult motion of his fingers, a pill materialized and, as Xiao Yan steadily and tremulously placed it in his mouth, waves of intense pain surged through his body, causing beads of cold sweat to form on his forehead. Had it not been for the unusual inner fire providing protection, his body would have been torn apart under the violent spatial forces. Even so, he still ended up in a severely injured condition. "As long as I recover a little Qi, I'll be able to heal my injuries on my own and begin preparing the elixirs—gradually, my condition should improve. I hope I won't be the unluckiest at this very moment, encountering some wandering beast. Even the strongest Douzong cultivators can't manage me; if I end up becoming their meal, that would truly be unacceptable...". Whispering these words softly to himself, feeling the warm, soothing energy spreading through his body, a wave of weariness surged once more, causing his eyes to slowly close again. As they closed, he seemed to faintly hear some commotion and cries... Before him stretched a vast ceiling. Xiang Yan gently rubbed his fingers against the spot where his body rested, then scanned his surroundings, instantly understanding his current location—this appeared to be aboard a carriage. Therefore, he must have been discovered by passersby amidst the grassy thicket. He glanced at his own attire and noticed that the bloodstains had been wiped clean, and even his torn black robe had been replaced. Now, he wore only a coarse hemp tunic. Staring at his current garments, Xiang Yan paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. He quickly reached for his right hand, relieved when he found all his rings still there—only then did he exhale deeply. As Xiang Yan breathed out in relief, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, allowing a bright stream of sunlight to flood in. A sturdy middle-aged man stepped into view. Upon seeing Xiang Yan awake, the man smiled warmly, with a straightforward, honest demeanor. "Hey, young man," he said, "you're finally awake!" Xiao Yan glanced at the middle-aged man. Though currently weakened by his severe injuries, with his internal qi significantly depleted, the strength of his soul force remained robust. In a single glance, he immediately assessed the man's prowess—peak Douling, just one step away from Douwang. "Heh, we found you in a patch of grass within the northern desert. We examined your condition and initially thought you wouldn't make it. Yet here you are, revived and conscious," said the middle-aged man, smiling warmly at Xiao Yan. "My name is Han Chong. I'm a steward from the Han family of Tianbei City. I was on a mission to pass through the northern desert, and that's when I discovered you. To be honest, you're quite fortunate—wolf predations are common in the desert. If the wolves had found you, you'd likely have been reduced to nothing but bones." "Thank you so much, Brother Han Chong, for your rescue. My name is Xiao Yan." "Heavily appreciated," Xiang Yan said, feeling grateful. Though as long as he remained in bed for another couple of days, he would gradually recover some qi and be able to summon the Earth Spirit Puppet to protect himself, no one could be certain whether something unforeseen wouldn't happen within that time. Thus, Han Chong truly owed him a life-saving debt. "No worries," Han Chong smiled, glancing at Xiang Yan. "When you're away from home, helping out is always a good thing—there's never any harm in that. As for what I can do, I've already done my best. Regarding your injuries, however, I'm truly at a loss. If we reach Tianbei City, I can arrange for a pharmacist from the pharmacy to treat you, though that would require a considerable amount of gold. Most ordinary people simply can't afford it—the pharmacists are quite formal and have a stiff demeanor, and no one dares to offend them. Even the head of my family, Han Family, has to remain courteous in their presence." Xiao Yan smiled. His injuries weren't serious, though severe—they were almost routine for someone who frequently endured such wounds. With a bit of time, recovery would certainly be no problem. "By the way, Brother Han, could you confirm if we're in the Central Plains region?" Xiao Yan hesitated and suddenly asked. He didn't want to go through all the trouble of navigating through the spatial channels only to end up scattered somewhere on the continent at random. "Yes, this is the northern region of the Central Plains," Han nodded, then added with some surprise, "Didn't Xiao Yan come from the Central Plains?" Xiao Yan chuckled, not hiding his truth, and briefly recounted the spatial rift incident. "Ah, so it was a spatial storm that caused the severity of your injuries. That's quite fortunate—encountering a spatial storm within a spatial rift is rare, and most people barely survive. In fact, our Han family once had a guard unit that was completely swallowed by the storm when they passed through a rift." "Heard this, Han Chong only then realized and exclaimed, gently clicking his tongue in amazement. "The Central Region of Zhongzhou... I wonder, where exactly is the Dan Tower?" Xiang Yan pondered, then asked again. "Ah, the Dan Tower, of course—it's located in the central region of Zhongzhou. Everyone there is well aware of it. However, the northern region is quite distant, even when traveling through spatial wormholes, one has to make several transfers." Han Chong explained. Xiang Yan nodded slightly. Though he didn't know where the Little Healer and the others were, he believed they would be safe. As he had speculated, when he entered the Silver Circle, the spatial energy became so turbulent—likely due to the earlier surge of spatial energy—and the Little Healer and her companions had already safely exited before that. "Ah, Xiang Yan, since you've just awakened, stay a bit longer on the vehicle. We still have a considerable distance to reach Tianbei City. If you need anything along the way, just let me know." Han Chong watched the silent Xiao Yan, assuming it was due to his injuries, and thus did not disturb him further. He simply smiled at him and then turned to lift the carriage curtain, stepping out. As he lifted the curtain, Xiao Yan could see several other carriages nearby, clearly indicating that this was a caravan. With Han Chong's departure, the quietude within the carriage returned. Xiao Yan leaned against the wall, his thoughts swirling. Now, due to this unexpected separation from Xiao Yixian and the others, his foremost priority was to recover his injuries. Otherwise, traveling through this land of powerful individuals would leave him with little sense of security. "There's still a long way until the Dan Gathering at Dantai. If my injuries heal, perhaps I can make a trip across the Central Plains, while gathering news about the Huan Pavilion, I'll also seek out my teacher's close friend, Master Feng... Of course, I might also take the opportunity to visit Burned Flame Valley and try to secure the final two transformations of the Heavenly Fire Triple Variations—those would be quite beneficial to me." Xiao Yan murmured softly, then his eyes gradually brightened: "Also... I need to find out more about the mysterious clan behind Xun'er... Right now, I'm nearly meeting the standards she once mentioned."