Inside the room, Xiao Yan sat upon the bed, his fingers gently rubbing a blood-red storage ring held in his hand—the very one forcibly taken from Yi Chen. Yi Chen held a high position within the Tian Ming Sect, so the contents of the ring should not be ordinary. "This is the interest..." With a light chuckle, Xiao Yan stirred his mind, and a thread of spiritual energy flowed from his brow, extending toward the blood-red ring. Yet as soon as this spiritual energy touched the ring, it was met with a force that pushed it back. "A spiritual seal has been placed upon it..." As the spiritual energy was repelled, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. Yi Chen was indeed strong, but if it came to sheer strength in spiritual energy, even ten such individuals would fall short of Xiao Yan. In Xiao Yan's view, this seal lacked any defensive quality. His fingers gently caressed the blood-red nary ring, and a vast surge of soul energy flowed forth like a tidal wave. A subtle crackling sound was heard, and the soul imprint within the ring was instantly erased by Xiao Yan. With a simple gesture, he seamlessly infused his soul energy into the ring, unimpeded. After a brief search, a crimson scroll materialized in his palm. "Blood Evil Technique," Xiao Yan said, his eyes scanning the scroll. They paused at the three blood-red characters, and at once, a rich, pungent scent of blood filled the air. Carefully unrolling the scroll, Xiao Yan glanced over the introductory description. His brows furrowed slightly. After a moment, he murmured, "Indeed, it's quite bloody. This technique is exceptionally strange and ruthless—devouring human blood and flesh, siphoning off the opponent's qi. Such methods are truly merciless." "This so-called Blood Evil Power is indeed among the top-tier techniques within the Tianming Sect—something evident from the fact that Yi Chen, even at around thirty years old, has already reached the peak of the Douzong stage. While his exceptional talent certainly plays a role, the greater factor lies in the peculiar and powerful nature of the Blood Evil Power itself." "However, relying on drawing others' Dou Qi to enhance one's strength is not particularly refined. If too much is drawn, one's own internal Dou Qi becomes impure, and once a certain level is reached, further progress becomes difficult. Unless one disbands the technique and starts anew, the accumulated impurities eventually begin to backfire." After briefly reviewing the Blood Evil Power, Xiao Yan also identified several drawbacks in the technique. It enables rapid advancement, but the side effects are substantial, and the process is extremely harsh and bloody—likely unsuitable for anyone with a naturally compassionate or warm disposition. "Indeed, the Tianming Sect is a true oddity." Xiao Yan shook his head and casually stored the Blood Evil Technique into his Na Ji. Regardless, it was already a solid mid-tier ground-level technique, and if he ever auctioned it off later, it would surely fetch some valuable items. After securing the Blood Evil Technique, Xiao Yan went through his belongings again, but ultimately found nothing that truly caught his interest. As he was about to give up, his gaze suddenly settled on a particular item within the Na Ji—a rather unremarkable gray scroll. Subtly, Xiao Yan sensed a faint aura of decisive and cutting power emanating from the scroll. "This is..." His eyes narrowed slightly. This aura of decisive force felt familiar. Upon recalling, he realized it was the very same sharp, mind-shattering intensity that Yu Chen had displayed in his final, powerful combat technique. With a firm grasp, a gray scroll appeared in his hands. Xiao Yan curled his finger and flicked it, unfolding the scroll. Several characters, seemingly ordinary at first glance yet radiating an endless aura of martial intensity, came into view. "Sky-Mortar Warhand..." Xiao Yan murmured softly, a spark of keenness flashing across his eyes—indeed, this was precisely the final technique Easy Chen had employed earlier. During their previous battle, Xiao Yan had personally experienced the power of the Sky-Mortar Warhand, which was undeniably formidable in its sharp, decisive nature. However, it appeared that Easy Chen had not yet refined it to its peak. The intensity of the martial aura seemed somewhat diluted, perhaps due to the overwhelming concentration of blood-related energy within his body. The Sky-Mortar Warhand demanded an unyielding resolve in combat—a martial spirit born from a single, resolute thought—something that could not simply be compensated for by sheer blood energy alone. "This technique is truly one of the Tianming Sect's foundational masterworks—its power must surely surpass what Yi Chen has demonstrated. That man is overly confident and has yet to grasp the true essence of the Tianming Warrior's Hand..." Xiao Yan carefully studied the scroll in detail, then exhaled deeply, his voice filled with genuine excitement. According to his analysis, if the Tianming Warrior's Hand were fully and completely executed, its power would only be surpassed by mastery of the Fifth Seal of the Imperial Seal Technique. Indeed, it was no ordinary skill—this technique truly stood out. Xiao Yan gently rubbed his palm over the scroll, his smile growing even more vibrant. He hadn't expected that Yi Chen would truly present such a precious offering this time. Should he master the Tianming Warrior's Hand, his combat prowess would undoubtedly improve, and he would possess even more versatile strategies when facing opponents in battle. Moreover, shortly thereafter, the rescue mission for the Elder Medic will commence—such timely arrival from Yi Chen, this is truly a timely rain... For Xiao Yan's somewhat frantic behavior, the young physician and others felt helpless. Having followed him for so many years, she well understood the immense efforts he had made to save his teacher. Now that everything was in place, he naturally dared not relax even slightly. Inspired by Xiao Yan, the young physician and Tian Hu Zunzhe had also grown less inclined to leave their quarters recently. They realized how crucial this mission was to Xiao Yan, and thus made concerted efforts to strengthen their own capabilities, aiming to increase their chances of success. Their intense training, however, had begun to frustrate Xuan Kongsi and others, though they fully understood and thus specifically instructed that no one be disturbed. They even assigned several maids to accompany them, who would promptly deliver any needed supplies from the Dan Tower should Xiao Yan require them during his alchemical work. Under Xiao Yan's relentless, all-night meditation and seclusion, the half-month passed quietly and uneventfully. During this past half-month, Dan-ta itself has also experienced a disturbance—specifically, a thundercloud suddenly appeared beyond the tower's outer reaches. Within this cloud, two faint hues shimmered, clearly indicating yet another dual-toned Dan-thunder. This clearly suggested that somewhere within the Dan-ta, a master of alchemical refinement had successfully crafted an eighth-rank pill. However, as the observers were marveling at the swirling thunderclouds, a golden light surged forth from within the tower, ascending into the sky, where it hovered and endured a fierce strike from the dual-toned Dan-thunder, emerging unscathed before vanishing in an instant. This scene was no stranger to the Dan-ta's inhabitants. Even as the golden figure appeared, they recognized that the very master who had produced the eighth-rank pill was none other than the reigning champion of this current Dan-Assembly, Xiao Yan. Many alchemists were left in awe of this phenomenon. For them, eighth-rank pills were exceptionally difficult to achieve, yet in the hands of Xiao Yan—whose age even surpassed theirs—they seemed effortlessly attainable. This contrast left people feeling quite embarrassed, for indeed, people are fundamentally unequal in their abilities. After two days following the Dan Lei, Xiao Yan, who had been in seclusion for nearly a month, finally emerged once more, though his disheveled appearance was notably unrefined. Despite his disheveled state, the excitement radiating across his face remained undiminished. After nearly three failed attempts, he finally succeeded in crafting the famed Fu Ling Qing Dan. The Tianhuo Master, who had been guarding outside, was stunned to see Xiao Yan in such a disheveled state. However, when Xiao Yan threw a deep green, spiritually vibrant, perfectly round pill toward him, the Master's face instantly lit up with excitement. Without further words, he grasped the pill and darted into the adjacent chamber. Xiao Yan's wait did not last long. On the fifth day after his awakening, as he was studying the Tianming Shouluo Hand, he suddenly stood up from his seat, sensing a familiar, vast presence now entering his awareness. Feng, he is here.