Here lies a vast and expansive stone platform, entirely composed of pure white rock. What is particularly astonishing is that this platform rises nearly a hundred meters high, its towering height supported by about a dozen colossal stone pillars beneath it. These pillars rise like celestial supports, creating an immensely majestic and imposing sight from a distance. The space atop the platform differs markedly from that elsewhere—here, it appears notably disordered, profoundly distorted, with dark fissures subtly spreading across the expanse. Within this warped space, bursts of silvery light frequently emerge, each burst ejecting numerous figures who then land upon the platform below. Here, it is clearly a concentrated hub for spatial wormhole transit. In the distorted space, another flash of silver shimmered, and a slender figure darted forth, then lightly touched the void with his foot, settling gracefully upon the stone platform. This figure emerging from the distorted space was none other than Xiao Yan, who had come from Tian Huang City. Upon landing, he exhaled in relief, his eyes sweeping the surroundings—especially the towering stone platform, which caused a subtle spark of astonishment in his gaze. "Then this is indeed the Central Region. Truly, no wonder it is the heart of the Continent of Qi—even the teleportation points through wormholes are so impressive." As he scanned the bustling platform, Xiao Yan noticed numerous figures dressed in the robes of alchemists. He silently admired them, confirming that indeed, in the Dan Region, alchemists, once rare elsewhere, were now commonplace. "The latest news from the Central Region: the Ice River Valley has offered a premium reward, seeking the location of the Female of the Catastrophic Poison. Any one who can provide her whereabouts will be able to claim the entire prize." As Xiao Yan was silently sighing, a sudden call from the stone platform caused his expression to slightly shift. He turned his gaze toward the sound, and there, a slender man was holding a stack of papers, carefully pasting them onto the stone pillars of the platform. A number of onlookers had gathered around him, evidently intrigued by the man's actions and the mention of the "female afflicted by poison and hardship"—a title that, Xiao Yan knew, must refer to the young physician. Yet he hadn't expected that the Ice River Valley had invested so much effort in seeking out her trail. His eyes flickered slightly as Xiao Yan took a few steps forward toward the slender man. With a gentle curve of his palm, a subtle suction emerged, drawing the paper from the latter's hands into his own. A quick glance revealed a portrait of a woman—though slightly blurred, Xiao Yan immediately recognized it as the young healer, Xiao Yixian. The slender man received the money bag with wide-eyed astonishment, his flattery even more evident as he hurried to say, "Sir, you're absolutely right. Fifteen days ago, the powerful figures from the Ice River Valley located this calamitous poison woman. The battle was truly fierce—those two elders, Bing Yuan and Bing Fu, from the Ice River Valley, were dispatched. They're well-known figures in the Central Region, each possessing power equivalent to a six-star Battle Sect master." He blinked several times, his voice gradually growing more solemn. "What happened afterward?" "The Ice River Valley sent out many of its strongest warriors, yet this calamitous poison woman proved no easy opponent. She not only defeated several of them during their encirclement but also successfully escaped from both Bing Yuan and Bing Fu. However, according to the latest reports, although she managed to break free, she was struck by the Heavenly Ice Azure Palms of both elders and is now seriously injured. As a result, the Ice River Valley is actively searching for her and has issued a substantial reward—any useful information provided will earn the seeker a share of this prize." The slender man chuckled. In Xiao Yan's slightly lowered, dark eyes, the chill deepened. He spoke slowly, "Where exactly was the ice river valley launching the assault on the calamity-poisoned woman?" "Fallen God Gorge in the north. However, now it's essentially surrounded by people from the ice river valley. They suspect the calamity-poisoned woman hasn't fled far, but despite all this time searching, there's still no word from her..." The man replied earnestly. "Is it only the ice river valley that has been pursuing the calamity-poisoned woman?" "Initially, several other powers had intended to intervene. But after the calamity-poisoned woman killed many of their people, the ice river valley made it clear they would capture her at any cost. As a result, the other powers hesitated and eventually withdrew. So now, in the central realm, only the ice river valley continues to relentlessly hunt her." Xiao Yan nodded expressionlessly, and the paper in his hand crumpled and turned to ash, drifting gently to the ground. Then he turned abruptly and walked toward the stone platform's outer edge. Reaching the edge of the stone platform, Xiao Yan withdrew the map gifted by Liu Qing from his storage seal, carefully examined it, and determined the direction. Then, his gaze turned northward, and he murmured softly, "Whether it's Lu Shen Jian or Ye City, both lie in this general direction. However, Ye City is closer—within a day, I should be able to reach it. I must therefore accelerate my journey. As the previous person mentioned, the current condition of Xiao Yixian appears to be quite serious..." At this thought, a surge of determination surged within Xiao Yan's heart. Even with the seal of the厄难toxin body unveiled, Xiao Yixian's strength could only match a six-star cultivator of the Dao Sect. Should her opponent be two such cultivators, she would surely be no match. Clearly, this Ice River Valley has gone to great lengths to capture Xiao Yixian. "Should anything happen to her, Ice River Valley—my name shall be etched in your records as an enemy for life!" The murderous intent surged in his black eyes. Xiao Yan forcefully stomped the ground with his foot, launching himself into the air, then transforming into a streak of rainbow light, rushing swiftly toward the northern sky. ... Ye City was not far from where Xiao Yan was located, only about one day's journey away. However, as he passed through various cities along the way, he made several stops, as he needed to gather beast fire. Undoubtedly, the Dan Domain lives up to its reputation as the heart of Zhongzhou and the entire Qi Continent—everything here is far more accessible than outside, provided one can offer sufficient funds or something of value that others desire. Along his journey, Xiao Yan stopped at five cities and returned with an unexpectedly rich haul. He had collected twelve different types of beast fire, and he had also gathered a substantial amount of materials needed for body refinement. This abundant return journey slightly eased the previously somber expression on Xiao Yan's face. On the move, Xiao Yan made the most of every moment, taking all the beast flames he had secured. Besides setting aside one particularly unusual flame as a reserve, he fully infused the rest into his body, gradually integrating them with the faint "Birth Flame" seed already within him, thus rapidly expanding the flame's reach. When he finally incorporated the last beast flame into the seed, a vast, deep-green city emerged faintly on the distant horizon. Situated on a flat plain, the city was surrounded by lush forests, with sky-high roads spreading out from the forest and stretching to the far edge of sight. "Have we arrived?" Xiao Yan breathed, a sense of ease washing over him. Then, with a subtle mental focus, he suddenly accelerated his pace once more. … Yecheng, the city's ruling power, is the Ye family—once renowned in the Dan Domain. Of course, today's Ye family no longer holds the glory it once did. Yet even so, a lean camel outshines a sturdy horse. Within Yecheng, no other force dares challenge the Ye family's authority. "In the council chamber, an elderly man in blue robes frowned and said, 'What is the current state of the family, you surely know—Cao is one of the Five Great Families, and our families are perfectly matched. Moreover, Cao Dan is a rare talent in pharmaceutical crafting within the Cao household. Marrying you off to him would not only secure our family's position among the Five Great Families but also secure a good match for you.' 'Even if I were to marry Cao Dan, would that truly resolve our crisis? The Cao family has long harbored ambitions to absorb our family. This is merely sending a lamb into the jaws of a tiger!' the woman in blue robes exclaimed. Her words caused the man in blue robes to pause, after which he said firmly, 'This won't do. Then tell me—what can we do? Should we rely on that supposed prodigy from the Gan Nan Academy? You've clearly overestimated others. Our family's crisis cannot be resolved by mere ordinary people. And yet, you've spoken of this person for so long—have you ever actually seen him?'” "I wonder if he's already long gone, with such a lack of courage to even touch upon such matters?" Hearing this, the blue-robed woman paused, momentarily at a loss for words, unable to think of anything to counterargue. "Even ordinary cats and dogs would have no interest in helping you resolve your crises..." Just as the blue-robed woman was speechless, a cold voice suddenly rang out in the hall! Familiar as it was, it echoed in her ears. She was first startled, then quickly turned around with a face lit with joy, gazing at the young figure slowly appearing at the hall's entrance, exclaiming in surprise, "Brother Xiao Yan?"