"Half a month, huh..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. From here to the Flower Sect, it would likely take nearly ten days—so the timeline indeed seemed rather tight. "Is the Sect Master the only one at the Flower Sect who's opposing Yun Yun? What about the other powerful figures? The Flower Sect is a well-established sect with deep roots, so it must have strong internal strength. If those others also harbor resentment toward Yun Yun, that would certainly pose a challenge." Xiao Yan mused. If the entire Flower Sect were unable to accommodate Yun Yun, then even if the current issue were resolved, Yun Yun would likely not be satisfied and would probably insist on leaving the sect altogether. "The Huazong indeed possesses a solid foundation, but many of the truly senior masters are currently in deep meditation, sealing themselves off. If these elder masters were still within the sect, it would hardly be the woman's turn to become acting abbot. As for the other elders, most of them remain loyal to Flower Grandmother, and naturally, they would have no objections to her bequest. The only issue lies with that woman..." Lan Yanran said. "Indeed..." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his expression calmer. If it were merely the woman who opposed it, things would be manageable. "If she wishes to go, let her go..." Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice broke in as Xiao Yan was pondering. There, by the side chair, appeared the figure of Yao Lao, who smiled warmly at Xiao Yan. "Master?" Xiao Yan was momentarily startled, then nodded in agreement. Concerning Yun Yun, he could not possibly delay—no matter what, a visit to Huazong was essential. Nalan Yanyan, standing by, felt suddenly more reserved upon seeing the herbal elder. Now she understood that the reputation and standing the elder held in Zhongzhou were no ordinary things—feeling a bit uneasy before such a distinguished figure was entirely natural. "Ah, I didn't expect even Flower Yu, the old lady, to have reached her final stage..." The herbal elder glanced at Nalan Yanyan and sighed quietly. Hearing the elder's sigh, Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback, then immediately realized that the Flower Yu the elder referred to must be the mysterious Flower Grandmother Nalan Yanyan had mentioned. He was now surprised to ask, "Do you know her, Master?" "When the old lady first gained renown in the Central Province, it was even earlier than when I first became known—she truly stands out as a remarkable figure. I had the privilege of meeting her a few times back then. She was always proud and had many rivals. As for her paralyzed legs, they must have developed after my incident—she likely suffered a severe injury, otherwise her passing wouldn't have come so swiftly. "Within the Flower Sect, the strong ones are numerous; the current Sect Master need not be a concern. With your current strength, handling her will not be difficult. The only challenging aspect will be her male companion, the demonic flower prince. However, I believe you should be able to manage that... " The old pharmacist smiled, then flicked his finger, sending a pale jade plaque soaring toward Xiao Yan. "This is my spatial scroll. Should you encounter any difficulties, simply break it, and I will arrive promptly. Some of the elder figures within the Flower Sect have also received my favors in the past. Once you mention my name, I'm certain they won't hesitate to assist you." Receiving the plaque, Xiao Yan immediately sensed the vast spatial energy flowing within it, his eyes briefly widening with astonishment, and he nodded respectfully to the old pharmacist. "This time, I'll go with Qinglin. Tianhuo Master and Xiao Yixian are both in seclusion for cultivation, so it would be best not to disturb them..." Xiao Yan hesitated, then said. With his current strength, even if he encountered a Seven-Star Battle Sovereign, he could easily make his escape. Though Qinglin was only a One-Star Battle Sovereign, once she summoned the soul of the ancient celestial serpent, her strength rivaled that of a Six-Star Battle Sovereign. "Agreed. It's better that Tianhuo Master stays here. I'm currently working on restoring him to his peak condition. Xiao Yixian's Hardship Poison Body—though you've crafted poison pills for her, you haven't fully unlocked its potential. During this time, I'll be assisting her. When you return next time, you might be amazed to see both of them making remarkable strides..." Master Yao smiled. "That sounds wonderful." "Xiao Yan also expressed his delight. With the elder's direct intervention, it was surely no difficult task to restore Tianhuo Zunzhe to his peak strength. As for how to fully unleash the potential of Eran Du Sheng, however, Xiao Yan naturally couldn't compare with the elder's vast experience. "This time, if possible, I'd like to assist Yun Yun in becoming the abbot of Huazong. Huazong boasts an exceptionally strong foundation. Should she succeed, the Xingyin Pavilion will gain a reliable ally." As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, a faint, almost whispering voice suddenly reached his ears. He lifted his gaze and noticed the elder subtly moving his lips. With a sigh, he nodded in agreement. Since the day Cloudlan Sect had been forcibly dissolved under his authority, Yun Yun had consistently shown reluctance toward the position of abbot. Who knew if she would actually be willing to accept the role at Huazong. "Yes, you both should hurry and set off—time is running short..." Seeing Xiao Yan nod, the elder smiled and waved his hand. "Yes." Xiao Yan nodded and turned, heading straight toward the entrance of the living room. After paying a respectful bow to the herbal elder, Nalan Yanran hurried after him. Once outside the living room, Xiao Yan made no further停留, allowing Nalan Yanran to lead the way, and the three of them set off without delay toward the Flower Sect. Located in the northwest region of the Central Plains, the Flower Sect was some distance from the Starfall Pavilion. Even at the pace of the three, it would likely take ten days or so to reach it. Fortunately, after leaving the Starfall Pavilion, Qinglin summoned a powerful warrior from the Nine-Deep Earth-Mortar Serpent Clan, commanding him to transform into his true form, and the trio used him as their mount, thus avoiding the tedium of travel. In the distance, high above the sky, a massive black figure glided through the clouds, its enormous body twisting and shifting, creating a deep, resonant wind as it moved. Xiao Yan sat upon the back of the serpent, though the nine-abyss earth-mid serpent's body was covered in cool, smooth scales, its form remained perfectly still—only a gust of wind brushed past his ears, leaving not a single strand of hair stirred. At this moment, Xiao Yan kept his eyes closed, his mind fully concentrated within the center of his forehead, where the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame was slowly radiating a peculiar warmth. Unlike other rare flames, this Bone-Spirit Cold Flame conveyed an intense sense of cold, yet within that cold lay an extraordinarily fierce, blazing heat. The two seemingly contradictory forces blended seamlessly, leaving one in awe of the wonders of the natural world. The center of the forehead was traditionally the seat of the soul's power. Fortunately, Xiao Yan had already inscribed soul imprints within the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame, so that this unusual warmth not only did not cause any discomfort to the soul but actually made the soul's vibrations more vibrant and lively. The bonespirit cold flame burned fiercely, and the white flame mark at the center of Xiao Yan's brow also gently radiated light. Now, he was steadily infusing his soul energy into the bonespirit cold flame. Though this unusual flame had been refined by Yao Lao for many years, even after the soul imprint had been removed, it still subtly resisted other souls. What Xiao Yan needed to do was gradually help the bonespirit cold flame adapt to himself as its new master, thus eliminating that resistance. This process should have been extremely time-consuming. Yet, when Xiao Yan first attempted to strengthen the mutual adaptation between the two, he unexpectedly discovered that the bonespirit cold flame's receptiveness to him far exceeded his expectations—both surprising and deeply encouraging. This transformation, Xiao Yan realized after a brief reflection. When he was first captured, Yao Lao had sealed the Bone Spirit Cold Flame within him, and Xiao Yan had subsequently gained control over it. Over the years of gradual adaptation, Xiao Yan had effectively become the second master of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. Now, this second master had advanced to become the first—indicating a rapid deepening of mutual compatibility. Xiao Yan speculated that, at this pace, he wouldn't need much longer to begin actively employing the Burned Technique to refine and transmute the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. Such progress—perhaps even beyond what Yao Lao had anticipated. On the journey ahead, Xiao Yan devoted himself daily to focusing his spirit, allowing seamless integration between his soul and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. Through his persistent efforts, the resistance within the Flame steadily diminished day by day. … On the vast serpent's back, Xiao Yan closed his eyes and focused deeply, his breathing growing faint. Yet the flame mark at the center of his brow gently pulsed with a soft, luminous glow, syncing with each breath. To Lan Yanran and Qing Lin, who merely glanced at him, this state had become utterly routine over time. At that very moment, the inherent resistance within the Bone Spirit's cold flame was completely refined and absorbed by Xiao Yan!