Hearing the words of the Red-Flame Elder, Cheng Yao's face also grew noticeably stern, yet constrained by the elder's status, he could not express any dissatisfaction—only clenched his fists tightly, glaring angrily at Liu Qing, his eyes blazing with fury. Though Cheng Yao knew that this turning of the tide was due to Xiao Yan's arrival, it was still difficult for him, as a seventh-rank alchemist, to harbor resentment. He was well aware of the immense power and influence that even a seventh-rank alchemist possessed. In contrast to Cheng Yao's strained expression, Liu Qing's face was bright with satisfaction. He bowed respectfully to the Red-Flame Elder and smiled, saying, "Thank you so much, Elder." The Red-Flame Elder waved a hand in polite response, yet his gaze remained fixed on Xiao Yan, who stood beside him. He stepped forward briskly, bowing with great courtesy and asked, "Ah, I haven't yet heard your name, young friend." "Yan Xiao." Xiao Yan smiled slightly and bowed respectfully to the Red-Flame Elder. "Li Qiong, at your age you've achieved such accomplishments—truly astonishing. I'd like to know, could you tell me who your master is?" The Red-Flame Elder chuckled, knowing that even though Xiao Yan possessed exceptional talent, without a guiding mentor, it would have been difficult for him to reach such a level at his age. "Just a mountain hermit, nothing particularly remarkable," Xiao Yan replied, subtly shifting the topic. Seeing that Xiao Yan wasn't eager to elaborate, the Red-Flame Elder promptly stopped speaking. Though he was a senior elder of Burn-Flame Valley and himself a Dou-Zong cultivator, he still maintained a respectful tone when addressing a seventh-rank alchemist. "Ah, Li Qiong. For the next three years, the spatial wormhole in Tianhuang City shall be entrusted to your family. As long as you send the required offerings to Burn-Flame Valley annually, that will be sufficient," the Red-Flame Elder said, his gaze turning kindly toward Li Qiong. The spatial wormhole is a substantial income, and while the Li family has secured management rights, they are required to pay a share of the earnings to Burned-In Valley—a longstanding agreement. Li Qing nodded with a smile, naturally aware that the Elder Chi's courtesy stemmed from Xiao Yan's influence. "The ownership of the spatial wormhole has now been settled. Hehe, Rock Jiao, my young friend, would you be available to visit Burned-In Valley with me?" Elder Chi rubbed his hands, smiling warmly at Xiao Yan. His task was to find senior alchemists; having been previously defeated by Xiao Yan, if the outcome didn't involve a visit to Burned-In Valley, he would indeed face a rather unfortunate situation. Hearing this, Xiao Yan paused slightly. He too had a considerable interest in Burned Flame Valley—naturally, this interest stemmed from the Tianhuo San Xuan Transformation and the so-called Nine-Drake Thunder Gale Fire. Though he had largely given up hope on the latter, seeing it firsthand would still offer him greater insights into other unique flames. "I wonder what Burned Flame Valley is seeking from high-level alchemists?" After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan finally asked. "Ah, our valley master wishes to prepare a high-grade pill, and requires the collaboration of several senior alchemists. Rock Xiao, please rest assured—this is not a difficult matter at all. Should we succeed, Burned Flame Valley will certainly offer our sincere appreciation." The Red-Flame Elder quickly replied. "Preparing pills?" Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes. The valley master of Burned Flame Valley must surely be no weaker than Feng Zun, and if even he requires such a pill, its rank must be at least seventh-grade—such a pill is no easy feat to produce. "Is the master of Burned Flame Valley himself an alchemist?" "Suddenly, as if remembering something, Xiao Yan asked in surprise. Most alchemy relied on one's own strength—how could external assistance yield any effect? Hearing this, the Red-Flame Elder instead glanced at Xiao Yan with a look of astonishment. "The Master of Burn-Flame Valley is not an alchemist himself, yet he is deeply interested in alchemists. Unfortunately, due to incomplete qualifications, he cannot become one. Nevertheless, he is truly outstanding—he has managed to manipulate the unique flames and produce some alchemical concoctions through his own mastery of flame control. However, the quality of these concoctions remains relatively low. To produce higher-grade alchemical pills, he would still require the assistance of other alchemists." Li Qing stepped closer to Xiao Yan and whispered the explanation. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, then nodded thoughtfully, then pursed his lips in amazement—how could someone who wasn't even an alchemist produce alchemical pills at all? Indeed, the master of Burned Flame Valley is no ordinary figure—this kind of marvel has been the first such event that Xiao Yan has heard in all these years. Yet Xiao Yan also understands that this achievement must stem from the unique flames and the master's exceptional command over them. Still, without the refined, all-encompassing soul force of a true alchemist—capable of deeply comprehending the inner workings of pills—any concocted medicine inevitably carries subtle imperfections. "I believe the special flame the master of Burned Flame Valley relies upon is the Nine-Drake Thunder Gale Flame. Since the Dan Conclave is still some time away, perhaps I can make the journey to Burned Flame Valley now and secure the remaining two transformations of the Heavenly Flame Triple Transformation—those would be of great significance to me. If I can gather all three transformations, my combat strength will undoubtedly soar. Even facing off against strong opponents like Fei Tian, I might be able to stand toe-to-toe. With so many powerful alchemists in the Dan Realm, and even more at the Conclave, Xiao Yan must strive to enhance his own capabilities as much as possible!" "Since I've already taken the initiative, I shall certainly not back down," thought Xiao Yan, who then smiled gently and addressed the Chi-Huo Elder. Upon hearing this, the Chi-Huo Elder immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his weathered face brightening with a warm smile. With a wave of his sleeve, a massive crimson bird suddenly soared from beyond the plaza, and he bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan, chuckling, "Then I shall wait for you right here on the bird's back." As he spoke, he ascended into the air and settled gracefully upon the bird's back. "Hehe, I hear that quite a number of skilled alchemists have been invited to Burn-Flame Valley this time. They're all quite accomplished, but if they can successfully help the Valley's master produce the elixirs, the compensation must be quite generous—Burn-Flame Valley, with its reputation, certainly won't fall short." Li Qing smiled, as he was quite familiar with Burn-Flame Valley. Xiao Yan smiled lightly; he didn't particularly care about the compensation, as long as he could secure the complete version of the Heavenly Fire Three Perfection Technique. "Lin Yan will stay in Tianhuang City for now. I'll return once I've settled all my affairs. Also, Li Qing, there's one matter I'd like to ask you to help with." Xiao Yan paused thoughtfully. "Just say the word—whatever I need, I'll make sure to see it through without a single hesitation," Li Qing said, his tone both confident and spirited. "Could you please look into recent news from the Central Region regarding a woman named Xiao Yi Xian?" "Xiao Yan spoke slowly, 'Also, could you find out which family has a woman named Xinlan?' Since they've been separated for so long, he has no idea how little medicine goddess is doing these days. Therefore, he needs to get some updates as soon as possible. The Li family has been active in the Central Region for many years, so their information network must be stronger than his own. As for Xinlan—Xiao Yan has never known much about her family. He simply doesn't know what kind of family she comes from. Since the Li family has given her a promise, he naturally won't deliberately avoid seeking information about her." "Little Medicine Goddess?" Li Qing stroked his chin and nodded. "I haven't heard of her before, though I'll send someone to investigate in the Dan Region as well. As for the woman named Xinlan, that's quite difficult to trace. In my opinion, 'Xinlan' is probably not her surname. With so many families in the Central Region, finding one among them is like searching for a needle in a haystack." "Their family used to be part of the Dan Tower's senior council, though I believe they've been removed now." Xiao Yan said. "Oh?" "Heard that, Liu Qing was slightly moved. Families that could reach the Senior Monks' Bench of the Dan Tower were no ordinary forces—even now excluded, their strength undoubtedly surpassed that of the Liu family. 'With that, the search scope has shrunk considerably. Well, I'll take care of this matter. By the time you return, it'll be settled,' Liu Qing mused, smiling. Xiao Yan nodded in agreement, finding this arrangement much more efficient than his own frantic, aimless efforts. After settling all the details, Xiao Yan conversed with the two for a while longer. Only when the massive crimson bird soaring above the sky emitted a sharp cry did he turn to Liu Qing and Lin Yan, bowed slightly, and with a tap of his foot on the ground, launched himself into the air. Seeing Xiao Yan take off, Lin Yan immediately said, 'Be careful.' Xiao Yan nodded warmly and then moved smoothly, landing firmly on the giant bird. 'Heh, is Lin Yan ready?' Upon seeing Xiao Yan arrive, the Red-Flame Elder promptly smiled warmly. Xiao Yan returned a gentle smile, bowed slightly to the elder, and said, "Please, Elder Ci-Huo, lead the way." The elder nodded politely, then waved her sleeve. At once, the massive bird beneath her feet emitted a clear, sharp cry, its broad wings vibrating and stirring a gust of scorching wind. Amidst a wave of admiration from those below, it swiftly took off toward the northern horizon. Standing atop the great bird, Xiao Yan folded his hands behind him, gazing steadily toward the distant north, and let out a soft laugh. He was particularly curious about the Nine-Drake Thunder-Blaze Fire of Burned-Inn Valley—how it compared to his own Luminous Lotus Heart Fire. He wondered which was stronger. Moreover, if the complete form of the Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation were realized, how formidable would its power truly be?