Within the dark and cold hall, the elderly herbalist within the glow of light glanced at the purple-robed elder whose brows were slightly furrowed, and smiled gently. "Qin Tian, are you feeling uneasy?" Hearing the herbalist's words, the purple-robed elder's expression grew colder. "Drug Dust, you should focus on yourself. If it weren't for the Hall Master's appreciation of your skill in preparing elixirs, how could you have survived this long?" The herbalist slightly nodded, the chain at his neck rustling softly with each movement, lowering his eyelids with a cold smile. "I am no weakling like you." "Those who know when to act are truly outstanding. To stubbornly resist now would be the most foolish thing you could do. As for your elixir craft, on this continent of Qi, few can match you—perhaps only the elderly at the Dan Tower. If you join the Spirit Hall, your status will surely surpass mine. Why endure this suffering here?" The purple-robed elder's tone softened. The herbalist's face flickered with a touch of scorn, yet he chose not to respond. "As for the strength of the Spirit Pavilion, I'm sure you're most familiar with it—otherwise, with your pride, you wouldn't have hidden here for so long. Though this is merely a branch of the main Spirit Pavilion, surely you don't truly believe your disciple could have made it all the way here, do you?" The robed elder sneered. "Right now, all you can do is sound confident with words. Everything will unfold naturally when the time comes." Upon hearing this, the elderly physician smiled gently, and his previously cloudy gaze now brightened noticeably. Seeing this, the robed elder's expression darkened slightly before he coldly added, "Your disciple is named Xiao Yan, isn't he? If my assessment is correct, he's likely already in the Central Plains. Very well, I'll be waiting for his arrival. In the meantime, I hope he manages to survive the Spirit Pavilion's pursuit!" With that, the elder swept his sleeve, causing a ripple of distortion to spread around him, and then his form gradually vanished into the warped space. Staring at the spot where the robed elder had vanished, the elder physician also clenched his fists slightly, then let out a low, quiet chuckle, gradually closing his eyes... As the conversation between the two concluded, the immense, dark hall once again fell into stillness... The purple-robed elder that Xiang Yin had just witnessed was undoubtedly the first true Dou Zun powerhouse he had ever encountered. The vast and imposing pressure emanating from him was indeed formidable, yet fortunately, Xiang Yin had grown considerably since his early days as a newly promoted Dou Huang. Under that pressure, he now remained composed—far superior to the previous encounter, when even a glimpse of the elder's face had been enough to shatter him. "Once these matters here are settled, I'll head to the Wind and Thunder Pavilion. No matter what, I must find Master Feng—his assistance is essential if we're to swiftly rescue the old medic." With this resolve firmly set, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief, his mind sinking inward to carefully sense the changes within. Now, his body had undergone a transformation as profound as a complete rebirth—the meridians had widened by more than tenfold compared to before, and beyond the meridians and even the bones, a faint, crystalline aura of combat energy shimmered, softly radiating delicate glimmers. Gently clenching his fist, he then delivered a straightforward, unadorned punch. Instantly, the space around his fist warped, and a deep, resonant sonic boom erupted across the sky, echoing like thunder. This simple, unassuming punch proved stronger than even Xiao Yan's peak performance of the Eight-Extreme Break—a feat he had once achieved with full force! Indeed, the distinction between a Dao Sect Master and a Dao Emperor was unmistakable. "Currently, my strength should have stabilized at the level of a one-star Douzong. This has saved me quite a bit of adjustment time—likely thanks to the Tian Shan Blood Pond's effects." Xiao Yan murmured softly. Generally, most individuals reaching Douzong rank undergo a prolonged period of adaptation before truly attaining the level of a one-star Douzong. Yet Xiao Yan had bypassed this phase and successfully reached the one-star level. Although this achievement may seem modest, the distinction between Douzong ranks is substantial—most Douzong practitioners require several years, sometimes even a decade, of consistent cultivation to advance just one star. Such progress is therefore no rare occurrence. With a sense of gratitude for his good fortune, Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward the stone pavilion near the volcano's crater and immediately spotted Jin and Shi. With a simple step, he moved through the void, descending gracefully from the sky, and then stepped steadily down until he reached the pavilion. "Hehe, congratulations to Xiao Yan, the young master, on successfully advancing to the Douzong level." Upon seeing Xiao Yan settle into the stone pavilion, the Jin Gu also smiled, and subtly changed their tone of address. Now, the former was on par with them in rank, and he was well aware that Xiao Yan possessed numerous strong assets—indeed, even he himself would likely not be able to match Xiao Yan in a direct confrontation. Regardless of where one stood, strength determined status. Though Xiao Yan had previously demonstrated the strength of a Douzong-level warrior, he had always been regarded as merely a Douhuang in the eyes of many Douzong-level practitioners, never truly considered on equal footing. Now that Xiao Yan had successfully ascended to the Douzong level, the Jin Gu naturally no longer treated him with the former formality, and thus their words carried a touch more courtesy. "It's all just good fortune—without the training grounds provided by the Jin Gu elders, Xiao Yan would have found it extremely difficult to make the breakthrough." Xiao Yan bowed and smiled, saying, "That's true. Without the Tian Shan Blood Pond, he would have needed nearly a full year to make a single breakthrough to the Battle Sovereign rank—something that would have been impossible in less time. Hearing this, Jin Shi chuckled and replied, 'We each pursue what we need. I wouldn't be able to bear such gratitude. However, your ability to stay at the bottom of the Blood Pond for over two months truly surprised me—there, even I wouldn't have dared to remain that long.' 'So you've been training there for over two months?' Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, glancing around, but didn't see Lan Yanran or the others. 'Feng Qing'er and the others have already left. Now, on this Tian Mu Mountain, you're the only one still here. By the way, your friend also stayed for a while before eventually departing. The way she looked when she left—so eager—suggests she must have something important to attend to.' 'Lan Yanran has also left?' "Heard this, Xiao Yan was slightly surprised, then nodded slightly. Fortunately, he now knew where Yun Yun had gone; once he found time, he would visit the Huazong to see how she was doing. 'Xiao Yan, you've now successfully ascended to the Du Phong rank. How about...?' Jin Shi hesitated momentarily, then suddenly said. Seeing his hesitant expression, Xiao Yan immediately understood what he wanted to say, and smiled, saying, 'Senior Jin, please don't worry. Xiao Yan is no one who takes benefits and then neglects duties. Your Tian Shan fire toxin will be taken care of by me.' Upon hearing this, both Jin Shi and Jin Gu were relieved. Jin Shi was the strongest among the Shi Jin Mouse clan, and their clan's ability to hold the Tian Mu Mountain relied heavily on their joint presence. Should Jin Shi fall now, it would represent a significant loss to the Shi Jin Mouse clan. 'Here are some herbs needed to expel the Tian Shan fire toxin. I didn't prepare these in advance, so I'm afraid I'll have to trouble both of you.' " Xiao Yan took out a sheet of white paper from his meditation belt and wrote down several herbs on it, then handed it to Jin Shi. Jin Gu, standing by, promptly took the paper, glanced at it, and smiled, saying, "No problem. The Tianmu Mountain is naturally rich in medicinal herbs, and our Shiji Moushui clan has been accumulating them for many years. Though these herbs are somewhat rare, we will be able to deliver them to Xiao Yin to you by the afternoon." Naturally familiar with the customary practices of alchemists, Jin Gu and his companion knew that while alchemists required their own supplies of herbs, they only needed to handle the actual preparation of the pills and elixirs. After receiving the paper, Jin Gu quickly departed from the stone pavilion and headed swiftly toward the mountain's midsection, aiming to gather all the required herbs as swiftly as possible. Watching Jin Gu's figure fade into the distance, Xiao Yan smiled gently. "Xiao Yan, if you can expel the fire toxin within my body, the Shijin Mouse Clan will regard you as a lifelong friend. Though our clan may not compare to the ancient, distant families, we have a modest reputation within the beast realm. Furthermore, due to our large membership, we are well-informed about various matters—indeed, we can be considered the 'Hundred-Handed Scholar' of the beast world." Golden Stone's gaze slowly shifted from the figure in the golden valley back to Xiao Yan, and he smiled gently.