As he stepped out of the auction hall, Xiao Yan wandered around the area for a while, finally slipping into a narrow alley where the crowd was sparse. With swift movements, he removed his large black cloak and murmured, "Master, you almost exposed me." "Heh, what I did wasn't exactly different from what you'd have wanted," came the playful laughter from the ancient, dark ring. Shaking his head in resignation, Xiao Yan did indeed feel a sense of regret toward his father. Having to indirectly charge his father twice for the medicinal pills sold at the auctions, he kicked the cloak into the gutter and softly remarked, "I'll find a chance to collaborate with the Xiao family soon—just as a small token of repayment." Holding the herbs tightly, he carefully tucked them into his chest and then darted out of the alley, racing back to the Xiao household. Since Xiao Zhan and the others had not yet returned, the family felt a bit empty. The guards at the gate, upon seeing this young lord who had already gained an outstanding reputation at Xiao Family, dared not offer any resistance, merely offering a warm smile and allowing him to rush inside. Hurrying back to his room, Xiao Yan carefully carried the materials in his arms, treating them as precious treasures, and gently placed them on the table. The entire plant was yellowed, with five leaves resembling ink—this was the Ink-Leaf Lotus, each leaf symbolizing a decade of growth. The Snake's Saliva Fruit was a round, jade-green fruit, about the size of a clenched fist. When held close to the nose, a sweet, slightly sour aroma could be detected. This fruit grew only beside the dens of five-stage serpent-type beasts, making it quite rare. Due to the serpents' nature being yin, the fruit itself is particularly cool and is commonly used in medicine to balance the potency of hot or intense herbs. The Luminescent Grass looks no different from ordinary leaves, except that at the tip of each stem, there's a faint glow—the brighter the glow, the more potent the pure energy it contains. The second-tier Water-type Magic Core is a deep blue in color; when placed on the table, it emits a subtle moisture that fully saturates the surface, clearly demonstrating the richness of its Water-type energy. As his eyes carefully sweep over these materials, Xiao Yan speaks in an eager tone, almost impatience: "Master, all the materials are ready—shall we begin the preparation?" "Be patient," the elderly pharmacist chides, with a sigh from within his ring. "The herbs won't just vanish here. We need uninterrupted focus during the preparation. It's still early morning—what if someone accidentally interrupts us? Even if we lose only a little material, what about the risk of exposing me?" "We'll begin later." "Heard this, Xiao Yan shook his head with growing frustration, sighed, and reluctantly carefully placed the materials into the cabinet in the corner of the room. Then he lay down on the bed, staring blankly ahead, waiting for night to fall. More than half an hour later, the door of the room was violently kicked open with a loud 'thud'. Xiao Yu entered the room, her long, graceful legs moving with elegant grace. She surveyed the room before turning to the startled Xiao Yan, who had just woken up, and coldly remarked, 'Young master, you're not even invited to eat—you have to be asked!' The sudden sound had jolted him so sharply from his drowsy state that he sat up straight on the bed. He stared at Xiao Yu, arms wrapped around her full chest, standing at the center of the room, dumbfounded. After a moment, a cold rush swept over his back: 'Damn it, damn it! I'm so glad I didn't have to interrupt the teacher's medicine preparation just now. This idiot woman...' Thinking of the consequences if he had been interrupted during his potion-making, Xiao Yan swallowed hard, his gaze growing increasingly angry. " Tugging at her lips, Xiao Yan slowly inhaled a deep breath of cold air, his lingering sense of dread instantly transforming into furious rage: "Stupid woman! Do you even know how to be polite? Didn't you knock when you entered? Stupid woman! Stupid woman! Are you completely uneducated?" Staring at Xiao Yan, who for the first time had displayed such a flushed, exasperated expression, Xiao Yu was momentarily taken aback. But as she heard each of his scathing remarks, her cheeks turned pale, her teeth clenched tightly, and with her graceful long legs moving purposefully, she charged straight toward him: "Little brat! You can't even knock on my door—what's your point? From now on, I'll knock on your door every single day!" Watching Xiao Yu charge at him with clenched teeth, ready to give him a good scolding, Xiao Yan himself grew stern, lifting his hand and suddenly clenching it firmly: "Palm suction!" A powerful suction force surged forth from within his palm. The very moment Xiao Yu reached the edge of the bed, she tilted forward and was instantly pulled upward by the force, landing squarely on the bed. After entering the ninth stage of combat energy, Xiao Yan found the suction power generated by his palm to be even stronger—previously, it had never been this easy to lift someone's entire weight. He was slightly surprised by the sudden increase in suction power, but that surprise quickly gave way to anger. With a swift flip, he firmly pressed Xiao Yu's long, graceful legs beneath him, then settled his buttocks firmly onto her smooth, jade-like abdomen, bending his body forward and quickly pressing his palms against her hands. Once again pressed beneath him in such an embarrassing position, Xiao Yu felt her head spin, and after a moment, her cheeks flushed with a delicate pink hue. She struggled violently, gritting her teeth and shouting angrily, "Little brat, get off me!" While holding firmly onto her hands, Xiao Yan himself grew breathless from her vigorous resistance. After a moment of tense stillness, he suddenly pushed himself back, flipped her hands over, and instantly turned her over completely. Rolling over, Xiao Yu's smooth back and the swaying, full hips, along with her long, slender legs, immediately formed an exceptionally alluring curve. Without bothering to admire this perfect silhouette, Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, raised his hand, and with no hesitation, delivered a firm, decisive blow to the rounded, graceful buttocks. "Crack!" The crisp sound, tinged with a hint of intimacy, gently echoed through the room. "For heaven's sake, sir—did you really think you could walk in without knocking?"