Xiao Yan's figure slowly settled upon the summit of the rear mountain, gazing at the elderly herbalist seated upon a massive stone, smiling warmly at him. He bowed and said, "I've fulfilled my duty!" Upon hearing this, Feng Zun, standing beside him, let out a deep, relieved breath, raised his thumb in approval, and smiled, "Well done!" "You're all right?" the herbalist asked with a smile. "More or less unscathed," Xiao Yan replied, spreading his hands and briefly recounting the events within the ruins. "Another one from the Spirit Temple?" the herbalist nodded slightly, a cold glint stirring in his eyes. Xiao Yan smiled, then flicked his finger—immediately, a wooden box appeared in his hands, floated gently upward, and settled softly before the herbalist, opening on its own. Golden light poured forth, revealing within a golden fruit resembling a newborn infant. "Indeed, it's a Spirit Infant Fruit—specifically, the finest grade, a premium Golden Spirit Infant Fruit," the herbalist remarked, his composure momentarily stirred with genuine surprise. Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. The Huiying Fruit came in two grades—Silver-grade and Golden-grade—with the latter being superior in efficacy. The Huiying Fruit Xiao Yan discovered deep within the ancient forest was precisely the Golden-grade one. "With this Golden-grade Huiying Fruit, your lost fundamental soul energies should be fully restored," said Feng, stroking his beard with a smile. "Master, I'll close my meditation chamber today and work swiftly to replenish my fundamental soul energies so that I may begin crafting my body." Xiao Yan said. The elderly physician smiled and nodded, gazing at Xiao Yan, then softly added, "Little one, have you thought of your father lately?" "Heard the old medicine master suddenly say this, Xiao Yan was taken aback, then fell silent, his lips pressed tightly, a deep sense of regret shining in his eyes. Xiao Zhan was his biological father, sharing the same bloodline in his very bones. When he was young, Xiao Zhan had shown him boundless affection, and even during the lowest periods of Xiao Yan's life, that affection never wavered—because they were father and son. Those two simple words carried an unbreakable bond, one that no other circumstance could erase. In fact, the time when his father fell into the Hands of the Soul Palace was actually longer than that of the old medicine master. When Xiao Yan was first captured, he was still just a young, resentful boy, full of indignation, who had only recently arrived at Yunlan Sect. From the very beginning, the old medicine master had placed great hopes in Xiao Yan, firmly believing that he would transform the Xiao family and truly restore its strength amid its growing decline." Currently, Xiao Yan has become one of the foremost强者 in the Zhongzhou region, possessing the rank of Battle Sovereign. In the Gemma Empire, such a stature would be legendary. In a sense, he has seemingly achieved the expectations that Xiao Zhan once had for him—yet sadly, he has never witnessed his son transforming into a dragon and soaring into the heavens. "I will rescue my father. This is my promise to my elder and younger brothers. If I fail to bring him back, I shall have no face to see them," Xiao Yan said softly, his voice slightly strained. The Huan Palace, a towering mountain, has always loomed over him since his youth, pressing heavily upon his shoulders. Fortunately, rather than being crushed, he has flourished under this weight, growing rapidly until he has reached his current strength. "Your teacher will help you—though the price may be this old life," the Ye Elder gently patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder and smiled. "Should your father know that the little boy he once saw has now grown into a capable and independent powerhouse, he would surely be delighted." Xiao Yan smiled, blinked his eyes, and suppressed the slightly acidic sensation, then asked, "Has my teacher ever heard where my father was imprisoned in the Central Region?" "Never in any location within the Central Region," the herbal elder shook his head. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, furrowing his brows, "What does that mean?" "I'm not entirely sure why the Spirit Palace holds such high regard for my father. The only thing I can speculate upon is the ancient jade you carry with you..." The elder also frowned slightly, "The Ancient Clan has its own realm, and the Spirit Palace's strength and depth are no less than that of the Ancient Clan." "Does that mean the Spirit Palace also possesses its own realm?" Xiao Yan was surprised, asking. "The Spirit Realm," the elder nodded gently, speaking softly, "However, among the strong who know of the Spirit Realm, only a few are known in the Central Region, and even the entrance of the Spirit Palace—I myself am unaware of its location." "My father... has been imprisoned in the Spirit Realm?" Xiao Yan said, his voice steady. "Yes." Xiao Yan tightened his fist slightly, his fingers gently rubbing against the Naji ring. A ancient jade, exuding a timeless aura, slowly emerged into his hands—the Toshhe Ancient Emperor's jade, the very object of the Huan Palace's pursuit. Yet, despite possessing this artifact for so many years, he had never felt it exert any tangible influence—except during his deep meditation at the base of the academy tower in Canan, when it had shown a faint stir. Since then, it had never stirred again. The old pharmacist shook his head, sighed, and remarked that with every encounter he had with the Spirit Palace, he grew more and more aware of the enigmatic and strange nature of this powerful, deeply entrenched force across the continent. "Xun'er, then..." Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "That's all I can tell you. No matter what happens between you and the Spirit Palace in the end, your teacher will always stand behind you—no matter what, even if it means sacrificing this old life of mine." The old pharmacist smiled gently, patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder, held the wooden box tightly, and with both hands resting behind his back, slowly walked down the mountain path. Watching the figures of the old pharmacist and the Wind Master recede into the distance, Xiao Yan smiled as well, exhaled deeply, and looked up at the sky, a determined expression gradually forming on his face. "Father, no matter how strong the Hún Diàn is, I will surely rescue you. I'll be waiting for you..." After handing over the Hún Yīng Fū to the Medicine Elder, the Elder immediately chose to enter meditation as swiftly as possible. Only once his fundamental Hún Qi was fully replenished could he truly restore his peak strength, and in the future, he might even have the potential to advance further into the Dou Shèng stage. Following the Elder's retreat into meditation, Xiao Yan and the others took several days to rest and recover. During this time, Mu Qingluan and the others hurried back to the Xīng Yǔn Pavilion, breathing a collective sigh of relief upon hearing that their mission had been successfully completed. After several days of recuperation and reaching their peak condition, Xiao Yan began experiencing a new kind of headache—one caused by the poison within Qing Lin's body. The Xiangming's Heart-Weakening Poison is one of the most renowned and severe poisons in the Central Plains. It is traditionally said to be untreatable by any known remedy; however, Xiao Yan once mentioned that no poison is absolutely insurmountable over time—only that the right method has yet to be discovered. For this reason, he has devoted himself to studying the numerous pharmacological texts left behind by the old pharmacists, even borrowing and carefully reviewing the Seven-Colored Poison Classic that Xiao Yixian once received. Though the poison has been causing him headaches, fortunately, perseverance has paid off. After several days of searching through the dark and turbulent skies, Xiao Yan finally uncovered some effective methods of treatment. By the pool, Xiao Yan would occasionally withdraw powdered herbs or liquid substances from his storage seal and sprinkle them into the water. Only after the clear pool water gradually turned a pale red would he stop, then flip his hand, and a small jade bottle materialized—within it, a dense, almost tangible, pure energy shimmered. "Ah…" Upon seeing the jade bottle, the snowy creature nestled in Xiao Yan's arms let out a soft, mournful cry. Now the creature appeared unusually weak, its fur dull and lifeless, touching one's heart with its frailty. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you later," Xiao Yan chuckled, withdrawing several pills from his storage seal and placing them in the creature's mouth. Only then did the creature regain a little strength. Satisfied with this, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief—having convinced this creature to offer a drop of blood, he had truly gone to great lengths. "Zzzz…" The jade bottle was tilted, and the silvery liquid dripped down steadily, finally landing in the pool, where it immediately emitted a sharp, hissing sound. As the liquid flowed in, a remarkably pure energy surge began to ripple throughout the pool. "Qinglin, remove your clothes and enter the pool. If you can absorb all this energy, you should be able to stabilize your rank firmly at the Battle Sovereign level," Xiang Yan said, securing the bottle and smiling gently at Qinglin beside him. Upon hearing this, Qinglin was momentarily stunned, then her cheeks flushed a delicate pink. "I understand," she replied. Watching her expression, Xiang Yan smiled and turned away, saying, "Since we need to constantly add powdered herbs, I'm afraid we can't leave." "Hmm..." Qinglin nodded, her voice soft and barely audible, then swiftly shed her garments and gracefully dove into the pool with a light splash. Hearing the sound of water, Xiao Yan finally turned his head and glanced toward the pool. There, Qinglin's head only partially emerged from the surface, her long hair dampened by the mist and clinging to her cheeks, adding a touch of delicate charm. "Enter your training state and absorb the medicinal energy from the pool," Xiao Yan said softly. Hearing Xiao Yan's gentle voice, Qinglin's initial shyness and nervousness gradually eased, and she steadied her mind, closing her eyes and slowly entering her training state. Seeing Qinglin successfully enter her cultivation state, Xiao Yan smiled slightly. As he was about to rise, his gaze suddenly paused on the smooth, water-facing back of Qinglin. Amid the rising mist from the pool, a mysterious tattoo seemed to subtly emerge on her back—fine inspection revealed it to resemble a massive coiled serpent, though this serpent appeared to have nine serpent heads.