After safely emerging from Wan She Xia, the entire team was filled with a sense of exhilaration and relief, the previously serious and composed atmosphere completely gone. Everyone was now bustling with conversation, discussing what had just unfolded—particularly the astonishing power displayed by that mysterious master, which had left them deeply impressed. "Ha ha! Just now, Xia Mang's ordinary snake looked like a dazed, unconscious one—what a treat! Though he almost got eliminated, it was truly satisfying to see the renowned demonic snake Xia Mang so unsteady and embarrassed." "This is indeed due to the senior's exceptional strength. As Xia Mang mentioned, the senior is a pharmacist. From my guess, he must be at least a Sixth-Rank pharmacist—otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to drive Xia Mang back merely with his spiritual power." "Hmm, a Sixth-Rank pharmacist? I remember our Han family's chief pharmacist only reached the Fifth Rank." And yet, even when the head of the household saw him, he was treated with great courtesy. "Indeed, we've been fortunate this time, though we're regretting not having had the chance to meet that senior figure. A sixth-rank alchemist—such a talent, even in Tianbei City, is truly among the very best." "Don't dream it. The accomplished ones naturally carry their pride; even if they merely happen to save us, they'd surely bow and express their gratitude." Xiao Yan sat within the carriage, listening to the lively conversations outside, and couldn't help but smile faintly—thankfully, he hadn't had to make an appearance. As Xiao Yan sighed, the curtain was suddenly pulled aside, and Han Chong stepped in with a bright smile, handing him a water bag. "Not startled, were you?" Xiao Yan took the water bag, sipped from it, nodded gently, and said softly, "I'm fine." "Ah, this time we've been lucky—thanks to a senior figure who stepped in. Otherwise, we might have perished within the Valley of Ten Serpents." Han Chong also sat down with a sigh, looking relieved and saying, "To be honest, that elder was quite impressive—usually, if one doesn't know someone personally, few would bother with such inconveniences." Xiao Yan smiled, noticing that Han Chong seemed quite shaken by the ordeal in the gully earlier, now having expelled all his breath in a single outburst. As Han Chong continuously praised the mysterious elder who had intervened, Xiao Yan could only nod with a slightly unusual expression on his face. After nearly fifteen minutes of rambling, Han Chong finally paused, giving Xiao Yan a cheerful grin and saying, "Now that we've passed the Valley of Ten Serpents, the journey has become mostly smooth. Though there are some bandits and wandering villagers along the way, they pose no real threat to us. Originally, we hadn't planned to pass through this stretch, but due to the sandstorms in the desert, we veered off course. If we had to backtrack, it would have taken an extremely long time—so we've had no choice but to press on and make the journey as it is." "Uncle Han, how much longer until we reach Tianbei City?" Xiao Yan was slightly puzzled. He had been wondering why, despite knowing that Han Xue and her companions would pass through the Ten-Serpent Gorge, Han's family had not sent any strong reinforcements. Now that he heard, it seemed their route had changed. Nodding slightly, he hesitated before suddenly asking, "If everything goes smoothly, it should be about six days," Han Chong replied after a moment's thought. "Six days?" Xiao Yan murmured softly. In his heart, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. With six days, his injuries should heal significantly. Once they reached those cities, there would surely be many strong fighters. If he didn't recover his strength soon, he would surely face numerous difficulties—after all, wherever he went, strength was what gave him voice and security. He intended to start gathering information about the Spirit Palace as soon as he arrived in Tianbei City, and if possible, make a trip to Burned Flame Valley to secure the remaining two transformations of the Tianhuo Sanxuan Change. With these two transformations in hand, even without employing the Buddha's Fury Lotus, he would be able to stand a strong challenge against a Douzong-level powerhouse. Han Chong was unaware of the thoughts swirling in Xiao Yan's mind, so after a brief conversation, he simply reminded him to rest well and then got off the carriage. The caravan proceeded steadily southward along the main road, gradually approaching Tianbei City, still some distance away. Since everyone knew Xiao Yan was severely injured, few came to disturb him after Han Chong's departure—this quiet period provided him with much-needed rest and recovery time. The vehicle's jolting motion, after persisting for some time, gradually subsided. Xiao Yan opened his eyes and glanced at the sky, knowing that the caravan would now begin setting up camp. In this vast desert region, night travel was both hazardous and inefficient, so few people chose to travel continuously into the evening. After a midday period of recuperation, the intense pain within his body had eased considerably, and he could now sense a subtle flow of ki moving through his meridians—though still modest compared to his usual state, the pace of recovery was most encouraging. Once the vehicles came to a halt, Xiao Yan stepped down, the carriage帘 drawn behind him, knowing well the nature of Han Xue and not wanting to be caught again for another reprimand. As Xiao Yan walked toward the designated camping spot chosen by Han Chong and the others, carrying several tent frames, he occasionally paused, detecting a faint, delicate fragrance drifting from ahead. He halted, raised his head, and smiled gently at Han Xue. Standing on a patch of scattered stones, Han Xue gazed steadily at the young man before her. Though dressed in simple, coarse cotton garments that gave him a grounded, ordinary appearance, his face was clean and refined—though not particularly handsome, it was certainly pleasing and seemed to grow more appealing with each glance. Her eyes locked onto his, and she was momentarily taken aback. Unlike the usual hesitation and wavering she had observed when meeting others, Han Xue’s dark, ink-black eyes now held a calm, serene stillness, as if reflecting a deep, quiet pool of water—unwavering and free from any ripple. "Is there anything, Miss Han Xue?" While Han Xue fixed her gaze on Xiao Yan, the latter found it somewhat difficult to endure such steady attention and broke the silence first, smiling. Upon hearing this, Han Xue's eyelashes gently trembled, then slowly extended her jade hand. Amidst a few astonished glances from the onlookers, she grasped Xiao Yan's arm, and a probing aura of qi swiftly flowed into his body. As Xiao Yan felt the qi entering him, his expression remained unchanged. With a subtle mental effort, the qi within him immediately dispersed throughout his meridians. After circulating once through his body, the qi eventually had to return along its path, ultimately re-entering Han Xue's body. Only then did she slowly release her hand, her eyes briefly reflecting a sense of disappointment—her rather vague and ungrounded suspicions seemed to have found no basis at all. Within Xiao Yan, she could only detect the severe internal injuries that had long plagued him. "I'm fine," she said. Shaking her head, Han Xue glanced at Xiao Yan's frame carrying the tent scaffold and said, "Your injuries aren't minor—there's no need for you to take on any tasks. Let others handle these." "No thanks," Xiao Yan laughed heartily, shaking his head again, then took up the cloak scaffold and walked past Han Xue, heading toward Han Chong and the others. Gazing slightly off to the side, watching the slender, determined figure recede, Han Xue couldn't help but chuckle at her own unrealistic expectations. From appearances alone, Xiao Yan's age must be about the same as hers. For someone of that age, even a true prodigy, it would be quite difficult to achieve such a feat—two words that could send off two Dao Monarchs in shock. "It truly seems to be nothing but good fortune after all..." ... The night in the Great Desert remained as cold and desolate as ever, a soft silver glow spreading across the endless expanse. From a vantage point, the horizon stretched endlessly, unbroken. The camp was remarkably quiet, save for the occasional crackle and boom of the fire. Outside, numerous sentries patrolled back and forth, guarding the camp. Inside a somewhat humble tent, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged, his body once again coated with the medicinal ointment used for cultivation. Subtle energies flowed from the surrounding space, then entered his body through his breath. The qi within him steadily grew stronger, and the sense of strength gradually returned to his previously weak frame. This cultivation process continued for a long time. When the first hints of morning light began to appear on the horizon of the desert, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes—only to find a sense of profound astonishment evident in their gaze. The palm slowly unfolded, and a steady stream of emerald qi began to rise. Xiao Yan's gaze remained fixed upon the gathering qi, and subtly, he caught a faint silver energy shimmering within it—something that seemed... "Spatial power?" Taking a deep breath, a growing sense of wonder appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes. Spatial power was one of the extraordinary forces that could only be勉强 manipulated at the Dao Sect level or above. Even the most accomplished Dao Emperor-tier warriors, at their peak, were not yet capable of wielding it. Yet this delicate silver energy now manifesting within Xiao Yan's qi was undeniably a true trace of spatial power. "This spatial power," Xiao Yan mused, eyes reflecting contemplation, "must have been left behind in his body when he was subjected to the spatial force during the spatial channel's collapse, and due to some reason, it hasn't faded—it has instead seamlessly integrated into his qi. Indeed, it's a case of fortune and adversity going hand in hand." He murmured softly after a moment of quiet reflection. "Nevertheless, no matter what... right now, I seem to have acquired a certain ability to manipulate space, though it's quite subtle—it's truly there." Xiao Yan's lips slowly curled into a smile. With his palm gently extended, he then suddenly clenched it tightly. As his palm closed, subtle distortions began to appear in the space before him! This ability to warp space—normally possessed only by Douzong-level cultivators—now manifested in Xiao Yan, who was still only at the Seven-Star Douhuang rank!