Staring at the spot where the two Nine Heavens Sovereigns had vanished, it wasn't until a moment later that Master Yao slowly lifted his gaze, briefly glancing at the distant strong ones before paying them little attention, and then turned to settle beside Xiao Yan. He surveyed the mess within the Star Realm, his brows furrowing slightly. Though today's defense against the Huan Palace's attempt to wipe out the entire family had succeeded, the disciples of the Star Ruin Pavilion had still suffered casualties. "If only I had just reached the rank of Half-Saint, with my foundation still unstable, I'd have let those two go and had them join the ranks of the fallen." Master Yao sighed softly, a subtle undercurrent of resentment and determination in his tone. "Master, don't worry about it. If it weren't for your intervention today, the Star Ruin Pavilion would have truly been in peril." Xiao Yan smiled. "Ah, this is all thanks to you. Without your help, not only would I have struggled to reach the rank of Half-Saint, but even recovering my peak strength would have been a great challenge." Master Yao smiled warmly, his expression filled with genuine satisfaction. "Old man, congratulations!" While speaking with the medicine elder, the Wind Sovereign also hurried over with his entourage, bowing respectfully and smiling as he approached. The medicine elder shook his head with a smile and spoke softly, "First, send out the orders to clean up the aftermath. I'm certain the Soul Palace won't dare to come again so easily. With a half-Saint strength presence here, the Soul Palace will surely realize that ordinary warriors can no longer make a difference—nor will they be able to summon a half-Saint-level warrior at a moment's notice." The Wind Sovereign nodded thoughtfully. "There are quite a few representatives here today. Your rise to the Saint level is likely to spread throughout the Central Plains soon. This is a golden opportunity. With you firmly in place and the reputation of the continent's foremost alchemist, I'm confident that the elder masters who've long maintained good relations with us will no longer refuse our invitations." The old pharmacist nodded slightly. The Starfall Pavilion had a thin foundation, even among the four pavilions—though it had been established relatively early. Although he had now ascended to the rank of half-Saint, the truly capable leaders within the pavilion were still few and far between. These individuals were essential if the pavilion were to grow stronger. Fortunately, the old pharmacist was not only a half-Saint but also held the prestigious title of the continent's foremost alchemist—a shining hallmark. Once this reputation was widely known, many genuine elite would naturally come to join. Only then could the Starfall Pavilion truly be considered strong. ... As the Hall of Souls withdrew, the Starfall Pavilion, having endured a fierce battle, gradually settled into a more tranquil state. Yet in this quietude, the Central Plains were profoundly stirred—precisely because a half-Saint cultivator had emerged from the Starfall Pavilion. Everyone understood what such a figure represented: a half-Saint cultivator was a rarity, one that even the openly recognized Dan Towers had never seen before. Simply this fact alone propelled the Starfall Pavilion into a state of remarkable prominence. And even more so—when people learned that this half-Saint cultivator was also the continent's foremost alchemist, the momentum of their acclaim multiplied exponentially! Consequently, just a few days after the relative calm, the Starfall Pavilion suddenly became bustling. Leaders from various factions and elder cultivators arrived in succession, with countless visitors coming daily—quite a transformation from the once-desolate scenes of yesteryears. Amidst this bustling activity, several powerful figures who had previously maintained strong ties with the Medicine Elder and Wind Master finally accepted the invitation and became guest senior elders of Xingyin Pavilion. Though the title may seem somewhat honorary, it truly brought them onto the ship of Xingyin Pavilion. Although the old doctor was diligently managing the Xingyin Pavilion, striving to grow it strong so as to serve as a solid backstop for Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan himself knew that some matters still had to be handled by himself. Thus, his cultivation efforts could never afford the slightest slack. Xiao Yan also smiled slightly, as if recalling something, gently stroking the dark ring before lifting it and tossing it toward the elderly doctor. "Master, since you have now been reborn once more, it's time this item returned to its rightful owner." Gazing at the dark ring floating before him, the elderly doctor was momentarily startled, his eyes glistening with a touch of nostalgia. He touched the ring with his palm, pausing for a while, then said, "All of Master's lifelong teachings were preserved within this ring. By now, you must have mastered nearly all of them. In a sense, you have already met the qualifications to graduate." "These things—you really won't find much use for them, even if you keep them..." The herbal elder gently placed the dark ring on his finger, then smiled, "But there's one thing that will be of great benefit to you." As he spoke, he lightly touched the dark ring with his finger, and a slender, pale flame rose gently from within, hovering before him—clearly the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame. "Master?" Xiang Yin was momentarily stunned. "You've cultivated the Burned Technique. To you, the unique flames are far more valuable. Now that I've reached the rank of Half-Immortal, this Bone-Spirit Cold Flame holds little significance for me anymore." The elder gazed at Xiang Yin with a warm expression. "Don't treat me like a child, Master. I'm no longer the naive youth I once was. I won't be able to let go of this Bone-Spirit Cold Flame." Xiao Yan shook his head with a wry smile. For a pharmacist, the Divine Flame was an absolute asset—despite the fact that Yao Lao had ascended to the rank of half-Saint, possessing the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame in his hands would be like adding wings to a tiger. The notion that it held little significance was entirely a fabrication by Zi Nu. Upon hearing this, Yao Lao couldn't help but shake his head in resignation, thinking to himself that this young man had truly matured beyond his earlier days as a clumsy rookie. Yet, this did not deter him from his already decided course of action. He paid no further attention to Xiao Yan, gently touching his finger to the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame. The flame immediately trembled violently, and after a while, the trembling ceased. At that moment, Yao Lao's face turned slightly pale. "Young one, the soul imprint within the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame has been completely removed by me. However, this flame has been fully integrated into my body over the years. Even now, after the soul imprint has been eliminated, it will still exert a notable resistance against you. Therefore, you won't be able to fully absorb and consume it using the Burn Technique in the near "The old pharmacist gently stroked the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame, then smiled softly, bending his finger slightly—immediately, the flame drifted lightly toward Xiao Yan, floating before him. 'First, implant the Soul Seal within it, absorb it into your body, and nurture it well. Once it no longer resists you, then you may merge it with your own.' Gazing at the pale, forest-like flame before him, Xiao Yan's eyes were slightly glistening with emotion. This Bone-Spirit Cold Flame had been his companion for the longest time—now, it was being erased of its soul imprint by his own hands. 'With your current strength, even if you absorb it, you may not experience a particularly remarkable leap. For a Flame of this rank, the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame may already fall short of your expectations,' the old pharmacist remarked, somewhat regretful. Then he urged, 'Alright, go ahead and implant the Soul Seal now.'" Xiao Yan chuckled, for the matter had now reached this point, and there was no longer any room for him to delay. He could only close his eyes and place his fingers upon the pale, flickering flame. A trace of his soul seal slowly seeped into the flame through his fingertips. As the soul seal entered, the initial Bone-Spirit Cold Flame initially resisted, emitting a faint resistance. However, since the flame was currently unclaimed, this resistance lasted only a moment before gradually fading away, and thus Xiao Yan's soul seal successfully took root within it. As for this, Xiao Yan didn't particularly care—this resistance would eventually fade away, merely a matter of time. "By the way, have you gathered the ancient scroll of Jinglian Demon Fire yet?" When he brought up this point, Xiao Yan felt deeply frustrated. Shaking his head, he said, "Since I obtained one fragment in the Black Corner Domain, I've not managed to gather any further progress..." "Jinglian Demon Fire is exceptionally mysterious—even I have never personally witnessed it. For a demon fire of this caliber, if you can secure it, its benefits would far surpass those of Bone and Spirit Cold Fire. I'll do my best to keep you informed over the coming days." The old doctor pondered. Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "Oh—by the way, there's a familiar face who has come to the Starfall Pavilion to see you. Would you like to meet them?" Sudden inspiration struck the old doctor, who now looked somewhat unusual. "Who?" Xiao Yan was momentarily surprised by his expression. "Nalan Yanran." "Heard that name, Xiao Yan's brow slightly furrowed. By nature, Lan Yanran wouldn't just show up unexpectedly—unless..." "Yun Yun has something on her mind?"