Witnessing this sudden shift—from enemy to ally—left everyone else utterly bewildered, the change in their relationship happening too swiftly. "Hmph, she wanted to control me that night," Purple Yan glanced at Qinglin, murmuring with a hint of disdain. "That was a misunderstanding. I can perceive a person's true form. Initially, I thought you were one of the Nine-Deep Earth-Medusa Serpents, and your form was somewhat distinct from theirs—reminiscent of the royal lineage of the Nine-Deep Earth-Medusa Serpents—which is why I acted against you." Qinglin quickly explained. "Who would be those awkward, legless creatures?" Purple Yan was clearly dissatisfied with Qinglin's comparison of her to the Nine-Deep Earth-Medusa Serpents, pursing her lips. Then, realizing the scope of the criticism might have been broad, she quickly added, "Except for Cai Lin, of course." Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly, ignoring the two girls' arguments, and抱着 the still trembling herb beast in his arms, murmured thoughtfully, "Although this herb beast shows no energy fluctuations, experienced masters and alchemists would still be able to detect the distinct aroma of the herb, thus deducing its true identity." "Why don't we have Qinglin take it again?" proposed Xiao Yixian. As soon as Xiao Yixian spoke, the snowy little creature seemed to understand, suddenly shaking its head vigorously, its large, watery eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, its claws tightly gripping his clothes—clearly, it was very resistant to Qinglin. Seeing the snowy creature's determined expression, Qinglin felt a bit embarrassed, while Zǐ Yán chuckled softly beside her. Gazing at the snowy creature's bright, watery eyes, Xiao Yan sighed, wondering if this little one was simply trying to be cute. "Hm, let me take care of it—I can block out the essence fragrance within it..." The young physician suddenly cleared her throat, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on the white, fluffy creature, clearly overwhelmed by its endearing charm. "Women always seem to love things that are soft and furry." Watching her like this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. He hadn't expected someone as strong as the young physician to be so susceptible to this universal trait. With a sigh, he passed the white creature over to her. After a brief hesitation, the little beast leapt into her arms, its furry head bumping and nuzzling against her chest, sending the young physician into a soft, delighted laugh. Even Xiao Yan couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth—wasn't this creature a male one, after all? With the energy network's attachment, that refreshing, invigorating fragrance of the dan herb completely vanished. Now, this dan beast appeared no different from a regular small creature—likely no one would ever be able to recognize its true identity. Seeing this, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief, glanced at the small beast now contentedly nestled in Xiao Yi's arms, and blinked slightly before turning, waving his hand to store the Tian Yao Puppet and the numerous puppets within his storage scroll. Then he addressed Qing Lin, "Collect your bodyguards as well." Upon hearing this, Qing Lin nodded, and a flash of green light passed through her eyes—her numerous bodyguards instantly vanished, transforming into a stream of green light and returning into her gaze. Witnessing such a remarkable ability, including Xiao Yan himself, everyone was left in awe, their faces filled with admiration. Indeed, the Qing Lin's three-flower green eyes were truly extraordinary. "After the matured Three-Flower Eyes of the Azure Serpent, the eyes themselves can create their own space, allowing things under my control to be stored within—though there is a limit, which can only gradually increase as my own strength grows." Seeing the amazement on everyone's faces, Qinglin smiled. "However, the people I control will gradually weaken, as the Azure Serpent's Three-Flower Eyes absorb and consume their power, eventually returning it to me." The very next sentence from Qinglin sent Xiao Yan and the others gasping—how astonishing! With such a mechanism, wouldn't Qinglin simply need to stop training and instead go out, capturing stronger individuals to control, enjoying the fruits of their strength without effort? "It's not as terrifying as you imagine. The absorption and consumption process is quite slow, and with my current strength, I can only control Star-Rank Two and below Dragon Sovereigns—though I can manage no more than three. Looking at all of you, I can see how you're all concerned," Qinglin gently poked her delicate tongue, adding, "Moreover, I can only exert this effect on魔兽 with Serpent bloodline. For humans or other types of魔兽, this advantage simply doesn't apply—my influence is limited to merely providing some auxiliary benefits." Xiao Yan wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. He had personally experienced those auxiliary benefits just moments ago. If not for his significantly stronger soul power compared to Qinglin's, a complete collapse in the middle of the journey would have been entirely possible. Right now, Qinglin's true strength is only just beginning to reach the Dragon Sovereign level, and even then, it's still somewhat unstable. Against such a level of strength, Xiao Yan would likely have been defeated within twenty rounds of combat—yet with the presence of the Azure Serpent's Three-Flower Gaze, Xiao Yan would have to approach the situation with great caution. "It's no wonder your strength has improved so rapidly..." Xiao Yan remarked. Back then, Qinglin was barely considered a mere combatant. Yet within less than a decade, he had already reached such a level. This pace of cultivation was truly astonishing—so much so that even Xiao Yan felt a touch of humility. What is speed? This is what speed truly means! Though he expressed admiration, Xiao Yan knew deep down that figures like Qinglin probably numbered no more than ten across the entire continent. The rare, innate gift of the Azure Serpent's Three-Flower Gaze wasn't something every individual possessed. Seeing everyone in awe, speechless, Xiao Yan smiled bitterly and waved his hand, saying, "This is something born naturally—no matter how much you admire it, you can't really covet it. Let's go to the main hall then. Otherwise, if we're late, everything precious will already be someone else's. " Hearing this, everyone nodded, settled their admiration, made a few adjustments, and then stepped out of the quiet, secluded room. Now, more and more strong contenders were arriving at the third floor of the Hall of Dan Rooms, and within various rooms, frequent shouts and arguments could be heard—clearly, the discovery of treasures had sparked immediate competition. The other halls of the Herbs and Dan Rooms had already been thoroughly searched, so Xiang Yan lost interest in further exploration. After all, the most precious treasure of the Dan Hall was now secured—everything else was merely secondary. Thus, Xiang Yan and his companions did not linger any longer, but directly located the exit, and with a procession of rare and magnificent Dan Beasts that would make countless people envious, they departed with grand dignity. "I'll show you the way," Qinglin smiled, as she pointed to a brief map she had found inside the ruins, indicating the location of the main hall. Seeing Xiao Yan look momentarily puzzled, she chuckled. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief and nodded—indeed, this girl was a true blessing, quite unlike the young maid from back then. With a gentle smile, Qinglian adjusted her direction, then lightly stepped forward, her body gliding smoothly across the ground. Soon after, Xiao Yan and the others quickly followed. The complexity of the ancient ruins far exceeded Xiao Yan's expectations. Trailing behind Qinglin, the winding corridors seemed to plunge them into a maze-like experience. However, this sensation lasted only about ten minutes before the view ahead suddenly broadened. As their bodies surged forward again, a massive, ancient hall finally came into view before them. The hall was uniformly a rich, copper-yellow hue, deepened and enriched by centuries of time, exuding an ancient atmosphere that seeped from every stone slab, evoking a sense of stillness and timelessness that had endured for millennia. The hall was vast; standing within it, one felt like an ant. At its center, ten enormous luminous orbs floated in midair, their brilliant, dazzling light seemingly revealing faint traces of scroll-like forms. Upon seeing these orbs, Xiao Yan and the others' hearts surged with excitement—could these be the very celestial-tier combat techniques they had heard of? His gaze swept sequentially over these luminous orbs, each radiating an unusual aura of pressure. Suddenly, it halted at the center of ten such orbs—there, a stone platform stood, upon which a skeletal form of pure jade-white color sat, hands forming seals, legs crossed in meditation. "An elder of the Battle Saint rank," murmured Xiao Yan, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. This was the first time he had ever seen a Battle Saint's remains. Though it was merely a skeleton, the profound pressure seeping into the bones felt like a thousand catties pressing down, creating a sense of weight and restraint among the group. "This is the main hall of the ruins," Qing Lin said softly. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, shifting his gaze from the orbs and the skeleton to the vast central area of the hall, where numerous figures now stood, each radiating strong vitality. Among them, he once again spotted Feng Qing'er and the others. "Hey, you guys really showed up quickly..." Seeing these figures, a cold smile played at Xiao Yan's lips.