At the entrance, there stood a tall, graceful woman whose clear features resembled the cold, pure spring water of a snow-capped mountain. Her refined face, slender eyebrows, and elegant figure were accentuated by a fitted silver gown that harmonized beautifully with her skin, which shimmered like warm jade—bestowing upon her an unmistakable, subtle metallic coolness. What truly astonished was that this silver-clad woman possessed a long, flowing cascade of silver hair. This silver was not the pale, silvery hue caused by some illness, delicate and flowing like fine threads, but rather carried a unique, captivating charm. After carefully observing her, Xiao Yan was left in awe—no wonder this woman commanded such warm glances from most of the guests in the hall. Her grace and presence were truly exceptional. In comparison, the woman named Linfi lacked that same ethereal grace, especially her flowing, soft waves of pure silver hair, which still shone with a luminous glow—enough to spark envy in some of the other women. Pausing his gaze, Xiao Yan slowly turned his head, subtly shifting aside to make room. The woman in silver robes approached, maintaining steady eyes, walking straight past Xiao Yan and heading directly toward Frank. Standing by, Xiao Yan gently inhaled the faint scent of her passing, silently marveling, "First-rate." "Teacher!" As she reached Frank, a gentle smile bloomed on her refined face—so serene and radiant, it seemed like a snow lotus blooming on an icy mountain peak, instantly captivating all who witnessed it. "Ah, finally! Otto has been waiting for you all along," Frank chuckled. Frank smiled warmly, his gaze soft and appreciative, fixed on his proud student. "Master Otto!" The silver-robed woman slightly inclined her head, offering a polite bow to Otto, who was rolling his eyes beside her. "Xuemei still knows how to be courteous—better than me, I suppose. Well, well, come on, let's begin." Nodding with a smile, Otto turned back, only to find his student pouting. He shook his head slightly and quickly changed the tone. With a gentle nod, Xuemei stepped forward, entering the stone platform under everyone's gaze. Just one empty platform separated her from Linfei. Their eyes met, and a subtle spark passed between them—clearly, their relationship wasn't as harmonious as it seemed. "Hmph. Don't blow up the cauldrons again. It's fine if you fail, just don't bother me!" Linfei raised her delicate hand, lightly tapping the uniform cauldrons before her, then lifted her nose with a slight sniff and murmured. "I think, even without any interference, your chances of failing should still be quite decent," Snow Mirage said calmly. Though she appeared cold on the surface, she found it difficult to remain absolutely composed when it came to her long-time rival. "Hmph, well...," Frank sighed, shaking his head as the tension between the two grew steadily despite the fact that the assessment had not yet begun. He then turned to Xiao Yan and smiled, "Young one, go ahead there— I'm really looking forward to seeing how you do, hehe. Of course, if you don't make it, that's perfectly fine too; you still have plenty of time ahead of you." From the tone of his words, it seemed clear that his expectations for Xiao Yan's success were not particularly high. Shrugging, Xiao Yan followed Frank's gesture and glanced toward the spot indicated. Yet, he couldn't help but shake his head in resignation, realizing that his position was right between the two women whose rivalry had been intensifying. The two women, currently at odds with each other, glanced at Xiao Yan upon hearing Frank's arrangements. Though Xiao Yan wasn't quite a breathtakingly handsome man who would instantly win over women and make them fall in love at first sight, he certainly didn't leave anyone feeling uneasy. Thus, neither woman voiced any objection, merely glanced at him briefly before turning back to inspect the medicinal equipment on the stone platform. Xiao Yan picked up a sheepskin scroll from the stone table and glanced at it. It was a prescription for a pill known as "Ji Li Dan," which could temporarily enhance a person's strength over a short period. While this pill ranked only mid-tier among the first-class pills, it presented a significant challenge for newcomers who were participating in their first evaluation. Holding the prescription, Xiao Yan glanced around, noticing that each person had received a different one. Observing the expressions of the two women beside him, he could see they were confident in the specific pill they were expected to prepare. "Is this old man deliberately making things difficult for me?" he murmured to himself. He glanced at the cheerful Frank, shook his head in resignation, and then turned his gaze back to the stone table. On the stone pedestal, the herbs required for the Consolidating Power Pill were neatly prepared in three complete sets—meaning that if any candidate used up all three sets during the preparation process, the assessment would be deemed a failure. Beside the herbs, several jade bottles of particularly fine appearance were arranged, presumably for the final packaging of the pills. After a quick glance at the overall setup on the pedestal, Xiao Yan gradually calmed his mind. With his current skill in pharmaceutical preparation, successfully crafting the Consolidating Power Pill would not require much effort. Moreover, thanks to the aid of the purple flame, his process had become significantly more efficient. Even this relatively simple first-tier pill—just entering the first rank—was no longer a source of concern. Since no one had officially announced the start of the assessment yet, Xiao Yan casually scanned the two sides of the hall, his gaze briefly passing over the herbs arranged on the stone platforms of the two women. Having been nurtured by the Elder of Medicine, Xiao Yan now could already vaguely deduce the type of pills the two women intended to prepare simply by a cursory glance. "Compound Rejuvenation Pill, Consolidated Fire Pill... Hey, why is it so difficult for my prescription?!" Xiao Yan muttered under his breath, feeling dissatisfied. Compared to the prescriptions of Xue Mei and Lin Fei, his own, which required the most effort, was undoubtedly the most challenging. "Damn it, those two old fellows are acting selfishly!" In frustration, Xiao Yan silently accused Frank and Otto in his heart. "Have you finished your checks? If everything is satisfactory, then—let the assessment begin!" His gaze swept across the stone platform. Upon seeing no one speak, Frank raised his hand, and a surge of power shot forth, striking the ancient iron bell at the ceiling. Instantly, a clear, resonant chime echoed throughout the hall. As the bell rang, every candidate on the platform except Xiao Yan quickly pressed their palms against the flame mouth of the medicinal cauldrons, their inner qi surging forth. With several deep, resonant thuds, flames erupted within each cauldron. After the flames ignited, a translucent, square light screen began to rise gently from the outer edges of the platform, fully enclosing all the candidates within. As the light shield barrier opened, the murmurs in the hall fell completely silent, everyone intently focused on the actions of the candidates on the stone platform. Occasionally, when they spotted newcomers with particularly strong control, they would quietly nod in approval. Standing at the platform, Xiao Yan glanced around, noticing that all the flames within the medicine pots were of a pale yellow hue, except for Xue Mei and Lin Fi, whose qi flames were deeper and more intense—clearly indicating that the others' true abilities were all below the level of Four-Star Fighters. On the platform, everyone began their respective potion-making processes, yet Xiao Yan remained somewhat bewildered, gazing blankly at his surroundings, appearing as out of place as a crane among chickens—hard to ignore. "Stretched out his hands, Otto was equally puzzled—wasn't this young fellow even aware of how to start a fire? If that were the case, it would truly be a comedy. 'Hmm... Does he have a mentor's recommendation letter? I'll check who trained him.' Frank waved to a subordinate and said. 'Sir, he doesn't have a mentor's letter, though his records mention a pharmacist named Yao Lao.' The subordinate flipped through Xiao Yan's files and sighed. 'Yao Lao?' Frank blinked, then turned to Otto, 'Have you ever heard of that name?' 'I've been in the Gamma Empire for over forty years—I've never come across a qualified pharmacist who's known as Yao Lao.' Otto was just as confused. 'Well, let's ask him more details later. For now, I think we're being played for laughs by this young man.' Frustrated, Frank tossed the documents he was holding to his subordinate, his face slightly flushed. After all, such a comical incident had occurred within his own branch—should it be reported, it might well draw laughter from the pharmacy guilds in other cities. While Frank and his team were growing increasingly exasperated by Xiao Yan’s actions outside, within the glowing screen, Xue Mei and Lin Fei exchanged surprised glances at this remarkably unconventional young man. Did he truly think they were merely playing around? "Boom." With a deep, resonant sound, a surge of vibrant purple flames suddenly erupted from within the cauldron. At the same time, outside the light screen, Frank was slightly irritated, receiving a tea cup from one of his subordinates. He had just taken a small sip when, abruptly, his eyes caught the rising purple flames from Xiao Yan's cauldron. His pupils instantly widened, and with a startled "pffft," he forcefully expelled all the tea from his mouth. The tea soaked through his shirt, yet Frank didn't care. With trembling fingers, he pointed at Xiao Yan on the screen, gasping in awe, "Purple flames? Unusual fire??"