High above, an intangible radiance floated in the sky, its vast and majestic soul power surging outward like a tide, swiftly spreading in all directions. At this moment, throughout the entire mountain range, all the beasts—except for a few exceptionally powerful high-tier ones—felt an overwhelming soul pressure. Under this pressure, their bodies could not help but tremble subtly. "Xiao Yan is truly remarkable—he has genuinely broken through to the eighth rank. It's hard to believe!" Xiong Zhan gazed upward at that intangible glow and the immense soul force radiating from it. Even he felt a sense of astonishment. While his strength was evident in his physical form, when compared to soul power, even two Xiong Zhan's could not match Xiao Yan's current prowess. That soul energy, spreading out like a tide, gradually faded after nearly a minute, and the formless glow slowly came into view within Xue Zhang's line of sight. As the light dispersed, a faint figure emerged—clearly Xiao Yan. Yet now, Xiao Yan's body seemed extraordinarily ethereal. "Is this... a soul?" Xue Zhang stared at the translucent figure in the sky, his heart suddenly stirred, murmuring softly. For today's elite warriors, souls were too intangible, colorless and formless, often elusive and hard to defend against. True humanoid souls—stable, solid, and maintaining a distinct shape—were rare. To actually shape a soul into a human form and sustain it for an extended period was no easy feat, even for some Douzun-tier warriors. The "Xiao Yan" in the sky paused momentarily, then suddenly lowered his head, his gaze fixed upon the stone chamber below. There, a slender figure was stepping through the void, advancing steadily—Xiao Yan's physical form. As Bear Zhan's eyes swept across, he recognized this as Xiao Yan's true corporeal body. As the physical body began to move through the air toward the soul, the soul-formed "Xiao Yan" also shifted, stepping forward toward the body. With each step the soul took, his form gradually shrank; when he finally reached the physical body, he had become an intangible glow only the size of a palm, which then gently settled upon Xiao Yan's forehead—disappearing instantly. When the soul re-entered Xiao Yan's brow, his form trembled slightly, and the pervasive aura of soul pressure vanished completely. Xiao Yan stood motionless in the sky for a while, his dark eyes finally regaining clarity. He took a deep breath and then suddenly formed a hand seal. As he did so, a vast surge of spiritual power erupted from his brow, swiftly spreading out, and finally coalescing into an invisible spiritual palm seal at the position of his shifting hand seals. "Brother Yongzhan, try this spiritual hand seal!" A low cry issued from Xiao Yan's mouth. Then, his gaze suddenly shifted to Yongzhan below. He laughed heartily, solidifying his hand seal, and the immense spiritual pressure radiating outward transformed into a streak of lightning, aimed directly at Yongzhan atop the mountain. "Hah! Excellent!" Hearing Xiao Yan's laughter, Yongzhan grinned proudly, tightly clenching his broad palm and gazing intently at the vast, intangible force sweeping through the space. "Boom!" The intangible soul seal arrived instantly, then collided powerfully with Bear War's massive, iron-like fist. A deep, resonant boom echoed across the heavens. Despite the expected ripple of energy, nothing of the sort materialized. As Bear War drove his fist forward, his expression subtly changed—he had not expected the force of the soul seal to be particularly strong. Yet, at the moment of impact, he suddenly felt a faint ache and dizziness deep within his mind, as though his consciousness had been momentarily shaken. His feet wavered, and he stepped back two paces before steadying himself. "So… this is what a soul attack truly feels like?" "Stabilizing his stance, Bear Jian's expression grew serious. Though he hadn't fully exerted himself earlier, Xiao Yan's unusual attack could not be simply repelled by physical strength, since it targeted not the body but the opponent's soul. While this level of assault might not immediately prove fatal, if delivered suddenly during combat, the brief period of disorientation would be enough to completely shift the course of the battle. 'It's said that in ancient times, even powerful cultivators dared not lightly challenge renowned alchemists, as their soul-based attacks were nearly impossible to defend against. However, today's alchemists seem to have lost this particular cultivation technique, and thus, in most battles, they rely primarily on the strength of their qi.' Bear Jian frowned thoughtfully. Though he was a beast, he had lived a long life. When the era of the alchemical realm was at its peak, he had personally studied under a renowned alchemical master, giving him a solid understanding of alchemical practices." "Hehe, Brother Xiong Zhan, are you alright?" As Xiong Zhan was pondering, Xiong Zhan gently descended to the ground, smiling at him. Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhan shook off his thoughts, raised his head, and looked at Xiong Zhan, momentarily stunned—something odd, perhaps just a feeling, but whenever he saw Xiong Zhan now, he always sensed a subtle, elusive aura in him, as if he were not seeing Xiong Zhan himself, but rather his very soul. "This must be one of the changes that come with advancing to an Eighth-Rank Alchemist," Xiong Zhan thought, not dwelling on it further. With a broad, confident smile, he said, "Brother Xiao Yan's skill is truly impressive—had it been someone of a slightly lower rank, even their consciousness would have been severely affected by such soul-level attacks." "As he spoke with Xiao Yan, the way Chen Zhan referred to him gradually became more intimate. Though Chen Zhan was a top-tier powerhouse, Xiao Yan had now reached the eighth rank of a master of alchemical crafting—soon, Chen Zhan would surely find himself in need of Xiao Yan's support. Xiao Yan smiled, noting Chen Zhan's subtle shifts without filtering them. A quiet sense of admiration stirred within him—indeed, in the world of strong warriors, strength truly reigned supreme, and this truth fit even more perfectly in someone as straightforward and genuine as Chen Zhan. "You've finally come out!" a clear voice suddenly rang out behind Xiao Yan—naturally, it was Zi Yan, who had been waiting impatiently. Xiao Yan turned around, gazing at her, and smiled, asking, "I've been in seclusion for several days?" "Nearly eight days," Zi Yan rolled her eyes, saying, "If you'd been any later, the realm of alchemical medicines would have closed, and you'd have lost your qualification to compete. "Eight days, then? That means we still have over a day left." Xiao Yan nodded slightly. It had taken eight days—nothing particularly surprising. After a brief pause, he retrieved the map of the Dan Realm from his storage seal, checked the orientation, and then turned his gaze toward the north, saying, "My required materials are all in place. Now I just need to reach the exit of the Dan Realm. What about you?" Zi Yan spread her hands, responding, "We'll still follow you for now. However, there will be guards from the Dan Towers stationed at the exit. Once we arrive, you'll have to go first—I'll find a way out on my own." Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. He knew something about Zi Yan's abilities, and given that she had arrived here without being noticed, she certainly had a plan for departure. "Then, let's set off. There's still some distance to cover before we reach the exit—we'll need to move faster if we're to arrive before it closes." "Understood. Here, take this. But don't keep it all to yourself." Zi Yan suddenly spread out her small hands, and a jade-green ring appeared in her grasp. Upon seeing this stored ring, the bear-like Xiong Zhan couldn't help but draw in a breath. "What is this?" Xiong Zhan seemed puzzled. "Ah, these are the rare herbs from the Stone Hall..." Xiong Zhan, standing behind Xiong Zhan, cleared his throat, his voice dry and hesitant. Xiong Zhan looked at Xiong Zhan, who was now giving him a steady, urging gaze, and sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. Indeed, this young lady truly intended to empty everyone's savings. Taking the ring in hand and placing it on her finger, Xiong Zhan couldn't help but admit that the rare herbs were truly appealing—having such a storehouse would save him countless efforts and time in the future, especially since some of these herbs were hard to find outside the Stone Hall. "Will Brother Xiong Zhan also be joining us?" Xiong Zhan lightly cleared his throat and asked. "Um, I'd like to go out, but I'll still need this young lady's help—and I'd also like to serve as your bodyguard in case we encounter that same person again on the way. Otherwise, you might find yourself in trouble..." Xiong Zhan gently shifted his gaze from Xiao Yan's fingers. "Ah, then I'll be glad to have Xiong Zhan brother take care of that." Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled warmly and bowed slightly in appreciation. "Then let's set off right away." "Flying there myself would be too troublesome..." Xiong Zhan chuckled, suddenly emitting a clear whistle. Instantly, a crisp chorus of bird calls echoed through the myriad medicinal mountain range. A moment later, a massive figure soared forth from the distant peaks and eventually circled above the mountain summit. "Come on, this Pyroavian is incredibly fast and efficient..." Xiong Zhan waved to Xiao Yan, then stamped the ground with his foot, swiftly leaping upward and landing steadily on the broad back of the Pyroavian. Seeing this, Xiao Yan and his companion followed suit. "Crick!"