Staring at that familiar face, Yun Yun also froze, only regaining her composure after a while, and chuckled weakly, "Indeed, it's you..." Xiao Yan smiled, then retrieved a jade vial from his storage ring and handed it to Yun Yun. Understanding her intent, Yun Yun took out one pill and swallowed it, then passed the vial to Nalan Yanran, who in turn distributed the medicinal pills among the other elders. "How did you both end up here?" With the pill down, Yun Yun's complexion improved slightly. Her gaze swept over Xiao Yan and Cai Lin before shifting away, as if casually asking. "We happened to enter the Wild Ancient Domain and encountered the Tianming Sect's people, and then we sensed your presence..." Xiao Yan said with a smile. "Oh..." Yun Yun slightly nodded, her gaze drifting for a moment before finally settling on Cai Lin, saying, "I didn't expect to see you here..." Back in the Gamma Empire, Yun Yun had been invited by Gǔhé to retrieve the Qinglian Earth-Core Flame held by Cai Lin from the Tago尔 Great Desert. Cai Lin had also appeared in Yunlan Mountain due to Xiao Yan's influence, but overall, their encounters had not been particularly pleasant—thus, there had naturally developed some lingering tensions between the two. Yet neither of them had anticipated that they would meet again in such a place. "Hmm." Cai Lin gave a quiet nod, remaining composed and saying little. She showed no intention of engaging in an in-depth conversation with Yun Yun. Seeing this, Yun Yun, who herself carried a certain inherent pride, naturally chose not to warm up and actively pursue interaction, and thus remained silent as well. Seeing the atmosphere between the two women, Xiao Yan also felt a bit embarrassed, casting a求助 glance toward Xiao Yishen. The latter glanced at him briefly before turning away, leaving him rather frustrated—unaware that the usually gentle and compliant Xiao Yishen would abandon him in such a moment. "It's been nearly five days, though we haven't yet established a clear route, so our progress has been rather slow. Along the way, we've stirred a group of exceptionally powerful beasts, and ultimately, we were ambushed by members of the Tianming Sect, which also led to the demise of Qinghua Elder. Ah...," the elder said, his voice tinged with sorrow. "Ah, the Ancient Domain Platform..." Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed in contemplation. To successfully secure the Bodhi Mind would clearly be impossible relying solely on their current strength. After all, any extraordinary celestial treasure is invariably guarded by a unique beast, and this Bodhi Ancient Tree—ranked among the very finest treasures in the world—must be protected by an exceptionally powerful creature. Therefore, he would need to leverage the strength of other factions to emerge victorious at the end, otherwise, his chances would be virtually nonexistent. However, should they manage to overcome these successive obstacles and reach the Ancient Domain Platform, the factions they encounter would undoubtedly be of formidable strength. Indeed, there might even be some of Xiao Yan's rivals there—such as the Spirit Palace. Xiao Yan's eyes slightly narrowed, then softly said, "Then, shall we continue on together? Combined, our forces will surely be stronger. Should any difficulties arise, we can certainly assist one another." "No matter how strong the forces within the Ancient Domain Plateau are, Xiao Yan must reach there first; otherwise, relying solely on their strength would be of very little use." "Hmm." Hearing this, Yun Yun hesitated slightly. The atmosphere here felt a bit overwhelming, but upon seeing the group of injured companions, she could only nod. The dangers of this Wild Ancient Domain had become increasingly evident over the past few days—relying solely on their own strength, reaching the Ancient Domain Plateau would still prove challenging. "We'll proceed eastward. Although the western route is closer, the main road there is currently occupied by a 'Primordial Heavenly Demon Serpent' whose combat prowess rivals that of a five-tiered Peak of a Supreme Sovereign. To pass through would inevitably awaken it..." Yun Yun said. "The Primordial Heavenly Demon Serpent?" "Heard this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. This was an exceptionally rare variant of the serpent-type beast—its ferocity even surpassed that of the Nine-Deep Earth冥Snake. However, such creatures were extremely scarce and had already gone extinct outside this region. It was surprising to find one here. What truly caught Xiao Yan off guard, though, was not merely the rarity of the ancient Tian-Mo Serpent, but the sudden memory that its blood possessed the ability to cleanse and strengthen the body. Right now, what Xiao Yan needed most was precisely such bodily enhancement—only then could he fully cultivate his Jin-Gan Li-Lu Body to its peak of nine zhang nine chi. Currently situated in the Prime Ancient Domain, he would soon have to engage with powerful external factions. Without a solid foundation of strength, he would find himself in serious trouble." Moreover, Xiao Yan remembered having read in ancient texts that the ancient Tianmo Python had a fondness for constructing Blood Pools, as these pools served as the birthplaces and cradles for their offspring. To ensure that the young ones could absorb sufficient energy, the ancient Tianmo Pythons would spend hundreds of years continuously gathering high-energy celestial and terrestrial treasures, then depositing them into the pools. Eventually, the energy would be absorbed by the blood and fully integrated into the bodies of their descendants. "Have you personally witnessed the ancient Tianmo Python?" Xiao Yan's eyes flashed, asking. "Indeed... we've even fought it several times, and it nearly held us captive." Yun Yun replied seriously. "Such a case..." Xiao Yan murmured, then lifted his gaze to Yun Yun, saying, "I intend to visit the ancient Tianmo Python—it holds great significance for me." "What?" Hearing that Xiao Yan planned to actively seek out such a formidable ancient creature, Yun Yun and the others were utterly astonished. "I have my plans, not just acting on impulse..." Xiao Yan smiled. "Rest assured, although the ancient celestial dragon snake is strong, it's not yet certain that it can take us down." Seeing Xiao Yan's determination, Yun Yun could only shake her head in resignation, pause briefly, and then sighed, "Since you're so set on it, let's go together. We have so many wounded now; if we split up, we'd be even more vulnerable. Plus, we know the route, so you'll be able to quickly locate the ancient celestial dragon snake." "That will be a bit of a bother," Xiao Yan chuckled, "but don't worry—I'll make sure nothing untoward happens to you." Hearing this, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief and smiled. "I really regret telling you about this." Yun Yun shook her head with a wry smile. She hadn't expected that, originally intending to gently remind Xiao Yan, she'd ended up drawing him in completely. "Everyone, take a moment to rest. We'll set off in half an hour," Xiao Yan said, then waved his hand and addressed the group. Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and then settled themselves cross-legged. Xiao Yan also settled cross-legged on a large stone, closed his eyes, and entered a state of light sleep... The half-hour rest passed swiftly, and when Xiao Yan finally opened his eyes, he noticed that the members of the Hua Sect had improved in appearance. Nodding in satisfaction, he stood up. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt a strong sense of awareness, his gaze shifting toward the distant sky. After a moment, he raised his hand and said swiftly, "Everyone, conceal your presence—someone has arrived." Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, everyone was startled and immediately retreated into the forest, carefully suppressing both their presence and breathing. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" Not long after Xiao Yan and the others entered the forest, sharp gusts of wind suddenly sounded across the sky, and a series of figures swiftly glided through the air, racing past at high speed. "These people have quite the nerve—neither afraid of drawing the wrath of the fierce beasts surrounding them..." Seeing them boldly soar through the air without hesitation, even as the small healer furrowed her brows and spoke softly. This difference did not stem from appearance, but from the soul! Previously, due to his lineage from the Phoenix Clan, Feng Qing'er had never felt any sense of pressure from him. Yet now, he sensed a subtle pressure emanating from Feng Qing'er—pressure he had once felt in Zi Yan. "It's the pressure of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix," Xiao Yan's gaze flickered, and after a moment, it settled. He gently inhaled, his breath cool. The ancient Heavenly Phoenix had long since vanished from the world—why was this pressure now reappearing in Feng Qing'er? "This woman must have encountered a tremendous fortune, leading to a remarkable surge in her strength. I can't afford to delay any longer. I must journey to the ancient Heavenly Dragon Serpent and harness its blood pool energy to refine my Jade and Glass Body to its peak, and break through to the nine-star Battle Sovereign level!" Xiao Yan clenched his fists. These rivals, now so much stronger, had begun to exert a palpable sense of pressure upon him!