Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on the rather awkward gray-robed elder, and after a moment, smiled, bowing slightly. "Sir, aren't you a senior from the Shiji Mouse Clan?" The Tianmu Mountain range has a natural effect of restricting the entry of those with exceptionally strong prowess, yet this elder's strength clearly surpasses such a threshold. Therefore, he must be a native of the region—someone from within the mountain itself. Given that the entire Tianmu Mountain is the territory of the Shiji Mouse Clan, it's logical that he belongs to the clan as well. "The young servant Xiao Yan has managed to leave this place in such a state—perhaps a bit impetuous on his part. I hope the elder will not mind." Xiao Yan smiled gently, swiftly producing a jade vial from his hand, and then with great courtesy offered it: "These are 'Qi-Training Pills.' Though I know they may not quite meet the elder's expectations, they are quite effective in restoring combat energy. They are fifth-rank consumable pills, offering notable acceleration in restoring Qi for even a Battle Sovereign or Battle Sovereign-level cultivator, making them among the more advanced types of consumable remedies." Seeing Xiao Yan like this, the gray-robed elder was once again taken aback. However, upon hearing the name of the Qi-Training Herbalist, the subtle light in his eyes brightened noticeably. For魔兽stronger, medicinal herbs were even rarer, and thus, only humans possessed the skill of herbal crafting. Though some魔兽could produce herbs through innate talent, such cases were still few. Although the grade of the Qi-Training Herb was not particularly high, its ability to accelerate recovery of Qi proved highly appealing to the gray-robed elder. "Master Jin Gu, don't call me 'old sir'..." The gray-robed elder chuckled, then scanned萧炎 from head to toe, suddenly saying, "Young fellow, you're a medic, aren't you? That scent—ordinary people simply don't possess it." After a moment's hesitation, recognizing the elder's clearly exceptional sense of smell, Xiao Yan nodded gently. "Heh, a medic, indeed—such a rare talent!" As soon as Xiao Yan nodded, a spark of wonder flashed in Jin Gu's eyes. He smiled warmly and continued, "You go in first. The little girl's spirit fox should easily pass through the maze, but reaching the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool will still present several challenges. Don't worry—old man Jin isn't one who takes things in hand and then forgets them. I'll make sure someone gives it extra attention." "Heard this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile. The medicine was a solid gift—this old man truly holds a high standing within the Gold-Mouse Clan. Having secured what he needed, he didn't linger any longer. With a nod to the golden valley, he turned and stepped into the tree gate. This mist is nearly ten times denser than that within the mountains, and what proves most troublesome for Xiao Yan is that the mist itself seems to be impervious to spiritual energy—diffusing through it feels as though it's encountering immense resistance, making it nearly impossible to obtain reliable readings or detect anything effectively. "This is indeed the famed maze—no wonder it's so challenging," Xiao Yan murmured, his gaze steadily scanning the surroundings. As he spoke, he suddenly felt a coolness in his palm, and then Lan Yanran's gentle voice came from beside him: "Don't worry, it's me." Gradually relaxing his tense arms, Xiao Yan turned his gaze in the direction of the voice. Yet, he was startled to find no trace of anyone—yet the sensation of her presence in his palm remained unmistakable. "No need to look—this maze blurs vision. Even if we're close, we can't see each other's forms. I'm guiding you along, with the spirit-fox acting as our guide. Getting out won't be difficult at all." "Seeming to sense Xiao Yan's doubts, Lan Yanran's voice came slowly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded slightly, feeling a touch of relief—thankfully, he had encountered Lan Yanran on this journey; otherwise, even he would have been trapped within the maze for good. The thick mist enveloped him, and the softness of the hand in his grasp felt much like holding a fine jade block—delicate and pleasant, so inviting that it stirred a gentle warmth within him. Yet, as this feeling arose, Xiao Yan quickly suppressed it, focusing his gaze on his nose, then on his heart, allowing Lan Yanran to guide him step by step through the stillness. This quiet progress continued for nearly half an hour before Xiao Yan noticed the mist gradually lightening around them. "We're emerging from the maze," Lan Yanran murmured, her tone one of relief. As Nan Lan Yanran's voice had just finished, a gentle breeze blew across, causing the surrounding mist to surge violently and swiftly retreat. Gradually, the scenery began to emerge clearly. Before Xiao Yan and Xiao Lin stood a magnificent mountain peak. The two were currently positioned at the lower part of the mountain's midsection, where golden-furred giant mice continuously darted past the steep mountain paths on either side. "These are the Gold-Furred Mice. Do not harm them, or you will anger the Gold-Furred Mouse Clan..." Nan Lan Yanran glanced at the golden mice and gently reminded them. "Understood," Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "Let's go. Halfway up the mountain lies the Tian Shan Platform. After that, there are several checkpoints established by the Gold-Furred Mouse Clan. Only those who successfully pass these checkpoints will be granted access to the Tian Shan Blood Pond at the summit." Holding the white fox in her arms, Nan Lan Yanran pointed with her jade fingers toward the midsection of the mountain, smiling gracefully. "The Tian Shan Platform?" "Heard this, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. Apparently, this was the Tian Shan Tai that Tang Ying had mentioned. He said there might be an opportunity for collaboration here—likely referring to the task of passing through the checkpoints. 'There might be quite a crowd there,' he added. 'The checkpoints set up by the Shiji Mouse Clan are generally quite challenging. Though those who have reached this point aren't weak, breaking through them still requires considerable effort.' Lan Yan smiled. Xiao Yan returned a smile, his eyes glowing with enthusiasm. 'Then let's go,' he said. 'We shouldn't let someone else secure the eight spots ahead of us.' As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed his foot at the steep stone steps, and in an instant, his figure became a streak of black, swiftly moving toward the mid-slope. Lan Yan followed closely behind." ... Halfway up Tianmu Mountain lies a broad platform, constructed neatly from stone. At one end of the platform, a stone staircase leads directly to the summit of Tianmu Mountain. However, just before this staircase, a group of slender, mouse-like creatures with golden bodies—the Gold-Feeding Mice—stand guard. Outside the platform, nearly twenty figures are scattered in various groups—some alone, others in threes, or larger clusters—arranged in irregular formations. They chat with one another, their eyes constantly scanning the steep path leading into the platform. As time progresses, the magical maze is nearing its closing moment; once it closes, the challenge will officially begin. Among the crowd, a figure of vibrant seven-colored hues stands out, radiating an elegance reminiscent of a phoenix. This woman, naturally, is none other than Feng Lady from the Fenglei Pavilion. While casually chatting with someone beside her, the woman in colorful robes kept glancing at the stone staircase with a faint air of quiet contempt. After a moment, she gently shook her head, clearly having high expectations of the man—only to find out that even the Heavenly Mountain Platform remained out of reach. "Sorry, I arrived a bit late—hope I didn't delay your progress?" Hearing this light laugh, the woman in colorful robes fixed her gaze, slowly turned her head to gaze at the young face smiling gently. After a moment, she only sighed, then turned her head away.