The herb and elixir merchant fair in Shentan City holds a notably strong reputation within this region. Unlike other fairs that are often crowded and chaotic, if we were to rank the fairs from best to worst, the fair that Xiao Yan and his companions are heading to would undoubtedly fall among the top tier—far surpassing the smaller fairs they observed yesterday. Located just outside the city, this fair occupies a prime spot at the junction between the outer and inner districts. It is said to have flourished under the support of the Elixir Towers. As a result, exchanges of goods at this fair are rarely marred by incidents such as robbery or violence—indeed, within this Elixir Region, no one has yet managed to escape the pursuit of the Towers. "The Herbs and Potions Merchant's Fair..." Standing before a spacious building, Xiao Yan gazed at the delicate green wooden plaque inscribed with flowing, majestic characters of dragons and phoenixes, and couldn't help wiping a bead of sweat from his brow—indeed, the fair was named exactly as such. At the moment, the fair was bustling with activity, people flowing in and out like waves, countless merchants dressed in traditional herbalist robes smoothly passing through the guarded entrance and entering the premises. "Is this it?" Xiao Yan looked at the grand structure, then turned to his companion, Ye Zhong, and asked. "Indeed." Ye Zhong smiled and nodded, then, with a touch of nostalgia, said, "It's been quite a few years since I last came here—the changes are truly remarkable." After confirming his destination, Xiao Yan smiled gently and walked steadily toward the entrance of the trading hall. As the stern guards were about to block his way, he withdrew the seventh-rank alchemy physician badge he had earned the day before from his storage amulet and gently placed it against his chest. Upon seeing the badge on Xiao Yan's chest, the guards slowly stepped back, bowing respectfully to him. According to the rules of the alchemy physician trading hall, alchemists of seventh rank or above are entitled to lead companions into the hall, so the guards did not obstruct Xinlan and the others, allowing them to follow Xiao Yan into the spacious entrance. Beyond the entrance lay a broad, refreshing corridor. Xiao Yan and his companions walked along it, and then, suddenly, the vibrant sounds surged forward, filling their ears. Standing at the entrance of the corridor, Xiao Yan swept his gaze and was greeted by an expansive hall. Within the hall, numerous neatly arranged stone platforms stood like stalls. Behind each platform, figures resembling stall owners sat cross-legged, their postures relaxed and indolent—far from the demeanor of typical businesspeople. Indeed, they were no ordinary merchants. The hall was bustling with activity, and the majority of the people present wore robes of alchemists, clearly indicating that they were all alchemists. Many alchemists wandered throughout the vast space, occasionally pausing at various platforms to carefully examine the items displayed. Should they find something of interest, they would stop and begin negotiations with the stall owners. "Ye Zhong smiled behind Xiao Yan, saying, "To enter the second floor, one must hold at least a Sixth-Rank Alchemist's rank; for the third floor, one needs either a Seventh-Rank Alchemist or a Battle Sovereign-level strength." Xiao Yan nodded slowly and smiled, saying, "Let's just wander around here and see if we can come across anything of interest." With that, he took the initiative and stepped into the hall, his eyes scanning back and forth among the various vendors, searching for what he might need. Seeing Xiao Yan's enthusiasm, Ye Zhong could only nod in resignation, and the group followed closely behind. Amid the bustling crowd in this vast hall, time passed slowly. Though Xiao Yan had only examined about twenty vendors, it took nearly an hour—what was most frustrating was that he still found nothing of value. While the quality of goods here was indeed superior to that of other trading venues, it still fell short of truly captivating him. "The items here have already undergone rigorous selection, and these people—each one is a keen eye. To find something truly special, something others have overlooked, in their hands? That’s no easy task..." As Xiao Yan began to grow increasingly disheartened, Leaf Zhong finally couldn't hold back and spoke. "If you truly want something valuable, you'll have to go to the second or third floor." Hearing this, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and muttered, "I should have known earlier." "Seeing you enthusiastic, I didn't want to interrupt. Come on, let's head to the second floor." Leaf Zhong shook his head and pointed toward the second floor. Xiao Yan nodded and quickly followed. Given their qualifications, entering the second floor was no problem—though Xinlan had been a bit hesitant, the guards, seeing the seven-tier mid-grade badge on Xiao Yan's chest, eventually allowed them passage after a brief pause. As one ascends to the second floor, the bustling noise noticeably diminishes. The space here is spacious, with dazzling crystal flooring that gleams like smooth mirrors—so bright it can be somewhat overwhelming. Scattered across the floor are several crystal stands, each bearing items that, even from a distance, clearly surpass the goods displayed in the main hall below. The Xuejing Yāo Guǒ, an exceedingly rare medicinal ingredient, is a peculiar fruit that grows by absorbing vital blood essence. It dwells deep beneath the earth, drawing upon the life force from the blood, eventually transforming into a fruit-like form. This Xuejing Yāo Guǒ is one of the primary materials used in crafting the Shengguo Rongxue Dan, which in turn will be the key pill that Xiao Yan aims to produce during this current pill-making gathering! Should the Elder of Medicine be rescued, the issue of the body would be resolved, and to refine the body, the Bone-Infusing Blood Pill would be required. The Elder is not the Heavenly Fire Master, and thus, no matter how hard Xiao Yan strives, he will always give his utmost effort—only the Bone-Infusing Blood Pill can yield the most perfect body. To craft this pill, three primary materials are needed: Blood-Infused Spirit Fruit, Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Jade Vine, and Snow-Boned Root. These materials must all be gathered, yet so far, Xiao Yan has only secured the Blood-Infused Spirit Fruit before him, while the other two remain elusive. Such rare herbs are even absent in the Ye family. Glancing at the blood-vibrant crimson fruit within the jade box, Xiao Yan then turned his gaze toward the vendor standing behind the stone platform—a red-robed elder bearing a sixth-rank badge on his chest. "Ah, sir," he said, "have you taken a particular interest in something?" The robed elder glanced at the badge on Xiao Yan's chest, his expression instantly serious, and bowed politely with a smile. "How would you like to exchange for this?" Xiao Yan didn't linger, simply pointing to the blood-essence spirit fruit and smiling. "Ah, I see—this is indeed the blood-essence spirit fruit," the elder remarked, clearly well-versed in the item he was offering. Those capable of selling goods here certainly matched Xiao Yan's discernment. "I'm sure you're aware of how rare this blood-essence spirit fruit is—many seventh-rank premium elixirs require it in their preparation..." The elder smiled, stroking his beard. "I would like to exchange this blood-essence spirit fruit for a seventh-rank mid-level elixir recipe that I have never studied myself." Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, smiling gently. "That's quite a stretch, isn't it? Though the blood-essence spirit fruit is rare, a seventh-rank mid-level elixir recipe is truly priceless—how would anyone offer it in exchange for this?" Although Xiao Yan possessed numerous high-tier prescriptions left behind by the Elder of Medicine, this did not mean he would recklessly pledge or arbitrarily compromise. The Blood-Infused Spirit Fruit was indeed precious, yet it still paled in comparison to a mid-tier seventh-rank prescription—especially one that the other party had never studied before. The robed elder felt a touch of embarrassment; he understood that some of his demands were inflated, yet he remained unwilling to back down, knowing that among the items before him, only the Blood-Infused Spirit Fruit stood out as exceptionally rare and valuable. Seeing that the robed elder refused to lower his price, Xiao Yan shook his head and then turned to Xinlan, saying, "Let's first head up to the top floor. If you can't make it there, stay here and find a suitable spot to announce your intention to purchase the Blood-Infused Spirit Fruit, the Evergreen Spirit Vine, and the Snow-Boned Root—all these rare herbs. For each herb, we will exchange one fully finished mid-tier seventh-rank pill." Upon hearing this, Xinlan nodded in agreement. After explaining, Xiao Yan turned his gaze to the robed elder and said calmly, "This is the condition I have exchanged for. Whether or not you accept it is entirely up to you. If you've decided, you may go find her..." Having said that, Xiao Yan paid no attention to the elder's furrowed brow and simply turned to head toward the top floor. A mid-rank seventh-level pill in exchange for a type of herb was already a favorable price. If the elder still refused, Xiao Yan would have no further words to offer.