Wang Zhan glanced at everyone and noticed they were all injured. Without lingering, he waved at them and said slowly, "Let's not waste any more time. We should go back first."

Startled, Han Junxiong hastily asked, "Brother Wang, aren't we going to continue dealing with those demonic beasts? After all, our gains this time are pathetically small." The rest of the group nodded in agreement, clearly ready to contribute more since they hadn't been much help to Wang Zhan in the recent battle.

Wang Zhan smiled and said, "We're all injured and need some time to recuperate. Besides, obtaining demon cores from those demonic beasts isn't a day's work, so it would be better to return and regroup."

Seeing Wang Zhan's firm attitude, the group didn't say much more. Soon, everyone followed him.

Soon, Wang Zhan led everyone back to the estate. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Wang Zhan waved at Han Junxiong and the others, saying, "This is a barrier set up by Hu Xianfeng, so you all stay here and rest. There's no need to worry about attacks from demonic beasts. I'll go in and check on Hu Xianfeng, as he hadn't fully recovered when we left." Everyone nodded and remained silent.

In no time, Wang Zhan had entered a room. It was eerily quiet inside.

Hearing footsteps, the bedridden Hu Xianfeng slowly opened his eyes. A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth as he said, "I knew you'd be back."

Wang Zhan poured a cup of tea, handed it to Hu Xianfeng, and said, "You seem to be doing alright. Your recovery looks like it's going well."

Hu Xianfeng sighed, glanced at Wang Zhan, and joked, "Don't you know why I recovered so quickly? It's because you left my sight, which instantly improved my mood.

"After all, people cheer up when good things happen."

Wang Zhan shook his head silently. He knew Hu Xianfeng was just joking.

"So, how was the harvest this time?" After taking a sip of tea, Hu Xianfeng turned his attention back to Wang Zhan, his tone serious.

Wang Zhan nodded. "It was okay. Although we didn't get many demon cores, we obtained something better."

As he spoke, Wang Zhan placed the black beads in front of Hu Xianfeng.

"What are these?"

Even Hu Xianfeng didn't know what these black beads were.

Wang Zhan, however, chuckled and said, "These are all treasures I obtained after dealing with Xuan Lang."

"Xuan Lang?" Hu Xianfeng's eyes widened in shock. He bolted upright from the bed and looked at Wang Zhan. Grabbing Wang Zhan's arm, he hurriedly asked, "You actually dealt with Xuan Lang? And that fellow truly exists?"

Wang Zhan smiled and nodded. "I have to admit, his strength is terrifying. I couldn't have dealt with him with my abilities alone, but…"

Wang Zhan gestured towards his chest and suddenly laughed. "I wonder if you remember the Fire Deity Armor I wear? A remnant soul of the Fire Deity inherited within it unexpectedly appeared when I was in grave danger. It not only helped me defeat Xuan Lang but also gifted me a great fortune."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xianfeng looked at Wang Zhan. From the moment Wang Zhan had walked in, he'd felt something different about him but couldn't pinpoint what. Now, he realized the change must be due to an increase in Wang Zhan's strength.

"The Fire Deity? That's a legendary figure! Even someone of my strength can't hope to encounter them. It seems your luck truly isn't shallow, to have met the Fire Deity."

Wang Zhan patted his chest and grinned, "I've always believed that my luck is good, so I dare to risk my life battling those demonic beasts."

"I advise you to be more cautious. Since you've made it this far, your path ahead will only widen. The enemies you'll encounter in the future may be far beyond your imagination. So, it's better to be steady; otherwise, you won't even know how you died."

Wang Zhan ignored Hu Xianfeng's words. No one knew his reasons for acting this way.

Of course, only Wang Zhan himself knew. Only by constantly battling demonic beasts stronger than himself, repeatedly facing life-and-death situations, could he enhance his strength and eventually reach the pinnacle of the Star War Battlefield.

After a heavy bout of coughing, Hu Xianfeng waved at Wang Zhan. "Alright, just go.

"I wasn't coughing this much before you returned. But now that I see you, my mood has soured. If you don't want me to kick the bucket early, then get out of my sight."

Wang Zhan understood Hu Xianfeng was only joking. However, he could also see that Hu Xianfeng's health hadn't truly recovered; what he'd seen earlier seemed to be a pretense.

Wang Zhan quickly moved to Hu Xianfeng's side, grabbed his arm, and immediately began to examine him.

As seconds turned into minutes, Wang Zhan's face grew increasingly bleak.

After staring at Hu Xianfeng for a while, he finally spoke, "You've not recovered at all, have you?"

"In fact, your strength is gradually deteriorating, isn't it?"

"Could it be that the injuries that fellow inflicted on you still haven't healed?"

After all, Wang Zhan and the others had been gone for over two days. Given Hu Xianfeng's strength and the time that had passed, he should have recovered quickly. However, much to Wang Zhan's surprise, Hu Xianfeng had not only failed to recover, but his condition had also worsened significantly.

Clutching his chest and coughing violently, Hu Xianfeng laughed. "You really are a worrywart. Must I explain everything I do to you?

"That's enough. Don't bother me anymore. I still have plenty of elixirs and treasures. Even if it comes to the worst, I have ways to recover gradually. You don't need to worry unnecessarily."

Wang Zhan hesitated, saying nothing, but his eyes were filled with deep sorrow.

Seeing Hu Xianfeng in this state, how could his mood possibly improve? If it weren't for Hu Xianfeng's help back then, he might already be a corpse.

Actually, Hu Xianfeng was well aware of this. He understood the depth of his bond with Wang Zhan; they were friends who transcended age and had faced death together. If anything happened to him, Wang Zhan would undoubtedly be deeply distressed.

However, it was precisely because he knew this that he felt he couldn't let Wang Zhan stay any longer.

Wang Zhan headed toward the door with a grim expression. Just as he reached it, he paused, looked back at Hu Xianfeng, and asked in a deep voice, "Is there anything I can do for you now?"

Hu Xianfeng, still smiling, replied, "It's alright. You don't need to do anything for me. As long as you can master my Art of Alchemy, that will be enough. After all, I will have found my successor."

Wang Zhan's eyes welled up with tears. He was at a loss for words.

In an instant, Wang Zhan left and closed the door behind him. His gaze fell upon the group as he said, "For the time being, no one is to enter this room. Understood?"

Everyone nodded in unison without asking further questions. Only Han Junxiong's face turned visibly pale.

Seeing that Wang Zhan had returned to the furnace, Han Junxiong approached him and asked, "Has Hu Lao's condition worsened?"

Wang Zhan glanced at him. He casually took some materials from his pocket, tossed them into the furnace, and said, "Hu Xianfeng's situation isn't something we can interfere with. All we can do now is wait here quietly. If anything happens, at least we can offer some small help."

Han Junxiong nodded solemnly without saying anything more.

The others gathered around Wang Zhan and began discussing animatedly among themselves.

"Did something happen to Hu Lao?"

"Was Hu Lao's essence energy damaged in that epic battle of his?"

"Although I didn't see Hu Lao fight, I heard how terrifying that battle was."

Everyone chimed in with their concerns.

Wang Zhan just shook his head with a smile. "You all know Hu Lao's capabilities and strength. How could he be easily injured?

"There's no need to worry. Just focus on your own recovery, rest quietly, and build up your strength. We'll continue fighting together next time."

Everyone nodded and, saying no more, dispersed to rest.

Wang Zhan walked over to the furnace and examined the materials inside. Then, his hands began to form a series of seals, weaving through the air.

Streaks of fire dragons converged into the furnace, once again drawing everyone's attention.

As time trickled away, Wang Zhan maintained a Spirit Void state, his gaze steadily fixed on the furnace before him.

A fragrant aroma filled the air.

A nearby man nudged Han Junxiong's shoulder and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, Brother Wang is refining elixirs, right?"