Staring at the space rift through which Xiao Yan and the others had vanished, every member of the Tian Yao Huang Clan exchanged glances, none daring to speak up and intervene. "Huang Elder, shall we just let them take the Dragon-Huang Source Fruit away like this?" the man with white hair gritted his teeth, his expression filled with resentment. "Then what can you do? Charge in and fight to the death? If all of us here perish, I doubt we'll even be able to make a dent in them!" Huang Xuan was now furious—his carefully planned move had been dashed, and even before it took flight, the others had given him two solid slaps. How could he possibly remain calm? "I never thought... that the young girl would be from the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan. If it weren't for her, the Dragon-Huang Source Fruit would have been ours all along." Feng Qing'er bit her lower lip lightly, saying, "This time as well... so many strong members have been sent by the clan. If we return without success..." Huang Xuan took several deep breaths, striving to calm himself. After a moment, he turned abruptly and walked toward the corridor. "Huang Elder?" Feng Qing'er and the others were momentarily startled. "Come. Let's go back to the Beast Spirit Enclosure and retrieve the remains of the Heavenly Phoenix. No matter what, we can't leave empty-handed. Even if these things prove useless, they'll at least silence some of the critics." Huang Xuan's expression was grave. With a sweeping motion of his sleeve, he strode resolutely toward the corridor's interior, and Feng Qing'er and the others had no choice but to follow. The bones, having endured countless years, had long since turned into mere scrap. Even if they were brought back, their value would likely be minimal. Gazing at the Tian Yao Huang clan members and others swiftly retreating, the old ghost of Zhaixing also grew cold in expression, his eyes fixed firmly on the spot where Xiao Yan and the others had vanished, his voice sharp and venomous. "Xiao Yan, wait. Soon, we shall meet again. Then, it will be the time when both you and the Xingyun Pavilion are utterly destroyed!" With those words, the old ghost did not linger, but turned and surged forth toward the outside of the ruins. "Master Heiqing, you're too kind. I've treated Ziyan as my sister, and taking care of her is simply what I should have done." Xiao Yan said seriously. When he first met Ziyan, he hadn't known she would hold such a distinguished status—back then, he simply found her endearing and a perfect match, which is why he had treated her so kindly. "Hmm, this girl has a particularly special status—of great importance to our clan. Therefore, she mustn't suffer any mishaps. Your ability to safely bring her to the Central Plains and reestablish contact with our clan is truly a great favor to us." Master Heiqing glanced at Ziyan beside him, then shook his head. "Alright, let's not waste time on all this small talk. I'm getting tired of circling around and making things complicated. Our clan will surely repay you in good time. The distance between here and the Bone Mountain Range is considerable—once you're settled, simply head east and you'll be out of the Beast Realm. However, Ziyan will have to accompany me back to our clan." "Why? I'm not going back there! It's not at all exciting." "Heard this, Zi Yan furrowed her brows, shaking her head vigorously as if trying to dislodge something. "You tell me this is useless—these elders have issued orders, stating that you've played your part long enough. The ancient Long Dragon lineage hasn't been fully completed yet, and this time, you must finish it thoroughly before you're allowed to leave. Moreover, you've now discovered the Dragon-Phoenix Original Fruit—something that will also require your personal attention," Black Qing spread his hands, explaining. Xiao Yan glanced at Hei Qing. Though he appeared rugged, he was also quite cunning—his single remark had directly struck at Zi Yan's weak point, forcing her to yield. As if sensing Xiao Yan's thoughts, Hei Qing smiled at him and then turned to Xiong Zhan, saying, "This big fellow should come with me as well. The ancient dragon-bear lineage was once a subordinate group of my ancient void dragon clan. By accompanying me, you'll gain many benefits..." "Heh, all right, I'll follow Hei Qing senior," Xiong Zhan replied, chuckling warmly. Before the mature, ancient void dragon, he felt utterly unable to resist. "Then, let's part ways here," Xiao Yan said, bowing politely. "Zi Yan, keep practicing and improving," the young physician gently stroked her head, smiling. Zi Yan could only nod quietly in agreement. "Um... before you go, just keep in mind—be especially cautious with the Spirit Pavilion. Now that you're fully at odds with them, try to stay safe and don't let yourself fall into their hands." Black Qing nodded, hesitated, then suddenly added. "My father is still in their custody. No matter what, I have to rescue him..." Xiao Yan spoke softly. Black Qing was momentarily stunned, then silently nodded and said, "Then I'll say no more. I'll be off!" As soon as he finished speaking, a ripple of distortion appeared in the space beside him, and a fresh rift in the space unfolded. "Let's go." With a wave of his hand, Black Qing turned and stepped into the rift. Xiong Zhan followed closely behind, while Zi Yan walked last, lingering with a heartfelt gaze on Xiao Yan and the others, her hands tightly clasped. "Xiao Yan," she said earnestly, "next time I come out, I'll definitely be stronger than you. Then... then you'll have to make me medicine every day! Haha!" "As the words came to an end, Zi Yan offered a sweet, bashful smile and then didn't hesitate, turning and stepping boldly into the spatial rift. 'Ssshh!' As Zi Yan entered the rift, it swiftly vanished with a soft hiss. Standing where Zi Yan and the others had disappeared, Xiao Yan felt a touch of melancholy—without this little girl, his surroundings seemed to lack much of the joy and warmth. 'Well,' he said, composing himself after a moment of reflection, 'our mission is complete. We've secured the Spirit-Infant Fruit, and the teacher's soul issue now finally seems to have a viable solution.' With a renewed sense of purpose, Xiao Yan raised his hand, laughed heartily, and leapt into the air, becoming a streak of light, swiftly heading toward the outer reaches of the Beast Domain. Soon after, Xiao Yi and the others followed close behind. This journey to the ancient ruins yielded far more than Xuanyin and the others had anticipated. Not only did they successfully obtain the Spirit Infant Fruit, but they also serendipitously acquired the exceptionally rare Dan Beast—a creature that, with proper cultivation, would eventually ascend to the true Nine-Rank level, at which point it would possess truly miraculous abilities such as reviving the dead, reversing fate, and altering destiny. Of course, the greatest treasure was the three ribs painstakingly extracted from the remains of a Battle Saint. These ribs concealed a genuine Heavenly-Rank Battle Technique. However, Xuanyin currently lacked the time to immediately unravel this technique; all he could do was await the return to the Starfall Pavilion, where he could then carefully study and analyze it in depth. ... Now that they have incurred the displeasure of the two most influential clans in the Beast Realm—the Celestial Fiend Phoenix Clan and the Nine-Depths Earth-Mortar Python Clan—whose eyes are widely spread throughout the realm, Xiao Xin and the others dared not linger any longer. After parting ways with Hei Qing and his companions, they immediately set out at night toward the borders of the Beast Realm. With their swift journey, they completely exited the Beast Realm within just one day. Once outside the Beast Realm's boundaries, Xiao Xin first arranged to send messages to Mu Qingluan and the others still within the realm, and then led the group on their way back to the Starfall Pavilion. ... At the summit of the rear mountain of the Starfall Pavilion, an elderly figure sat in meditation upon a massive stone. Though his form appeared slightly ethereal, a profound aura of soul strength subtly radiated outwards, spreading through the pavilion. Aside from Yao Lao, who possessed such vast soul power, who else could claim it? "Old man, I've quietly reached out to a few of the former acquaintances among the extraordinary figures—those who were close back then—and they've already responded. As long as you can restore your strength, you'll be honored as a Guest Scholar of the Starfall Pavilion..." The Wind Patriarch, dressed in a green robe, smiled warmly behind the old herbalist. "Indeed. If I can regain my peak strength, the Starfall Pavilion will then possess the stature to command the attention of the Hún Palace. With such solid backing, they'll naturally be willing to recognize us." The herbalist smiled calmly, unsurprised. The Wind Patriarch nodded slightly, paused thoughtfully, and said, "Xiao Yan and the others have been in the Beast Realm for some time now. I'm not sure yet whether they've secured the Hún Infant Fruit—reports say a large number of powerful cultivators have been drawn to the ancient ruins this time." "Rest assured," the herbalist replied with a gentle smile, his eyes, previously closed, slowly opening. His gaze settled on the entrance of the star realm, where subtle ripples of space were beginning to form. Seeing the Medicine Elder's such strong confidence in Xiao Yan, Feng Zunshi was momentarily stunned. Then, following the elder's gaze, he noticed the space there slowly splitting open, with several familiar figures advancing steadily—exactly the group who had returned to the Starfall Pavilion, weary but determined. "Old man," Feng Zunshi smiled gently, his voice tinged with slight admiration, "Congratulations. Your wish is finally coming true... You've picked a wonderful disciple."