Staring lazily at this patch of black, broken jade, Xiao Yan casually held it in his hands. The jade felt rough upon contact, not smooth at all, and seemed to be made of a rather inferior material. Moreover, there were faint cracks running across it, and surprisingly, fine grains of sand clung to the crevices. As he examined it more closely, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. By instinct, he sensed something unusual about it—though he couldn't quite place where or what exactly. His soul energy swept through the jade, yet there was no movement, no information received at all. "Perhaps I've just misjudged it?" "Whispered a bit in confusion, Xiao Yan slowly traced his fingers across the jade tablet, intending to set it down, yet his hand would always hesitate and remain there. After a while, he sighed and shook his head, then looked up at the man earnestly staring at him. With a casual gesture, he selected a few herbs that were merely acceptable on the stone table, and held them out, smiling, "Would you like to exchange items, or are you looking to sell?" "Master, I would like to trade for a third-rank elixir." Upon hearing this, the man brightened instantly, then sheepishly smiled, knowing deep down that these herbs probably weren't worth the price of a third-rank elixir. Xiao Yan glanced at him briefly, then placed the items into his storage amulet. He then pulled out a small vial containing only three pills—Recovery Elixirs—and tossed it toward the man, saying, "This is the Recovery Elixir, a third-rank elixir that quickly restores consumed qi. Since it's a commonly used restorative elixir, I'm giving you three." "Gripping the bottles with a flurry of activity, the man could hardly conceal his joy. Three Revitalizing Dan, in value, would not fall short of four thousand gold coins—thus, in the end, he had actually made a solid profit. He promptly bent and bowed respectfully to the relaxed, turning back of Xiao Yan. Though suddenly stopped, the serving maid, who seemed to have an urgent matter, grew slightly annoyed. However, upon seeing the second-rank badge on Xiao Yan's chest, a sense of reverence appeared on her delicate face. With a slender finger pointing to the area where the crowd was thinnest—the western sector—she softly said, "That is the section where the regional chairpersons of the Gamma Empire are located. Only those pharmacists of third rank or above are eligible to enter." "Thank you," Xiao Yan replied, and then stepped forward toward the quiet western sector. As he approached the entrance, he was naturally stopped by the two guards at the door. "Could you please inform Master Frank or Master Otto of Blackrock City that Xiao Yan would like to see them," Xiao Yan said, smiling at the two guards with cold expressions. Glancing at the second-rank alchemist badge on Xiao Yan's chest and then at his youthful face, the two guards exchanged a few expressions of surprise—such a young person holding the rank of second-rank alchemist was indeed rare. Their previously reserved demeanor softened slightly, and they nodded gently, saying, "Just a moment," as one of them stepped back and swiftly moved up the stairs. "Heard the elder's scolding, Xiao Yan smiled and called out. 'You...' The voice sounded slightly familiar, and Otto paused, his gaze puzzled at the young stranger before him. After a while, he exclaimed in astonishment, 'Xiao Yan? How did you end up like this?' Xiao Yan shook his head with a smile and whispered to him, 'I'll tell you later—there are so many people here.' 'Hm... Then let's come in together.' Upon hearing this, Otto nodded with understanding and turned to the two guards, scolding them sharply, 'You two didn't hear a thing, did you?' Seeing Otto's fierce demeanor, the two stoic guards exchanged a苦笑, then nodded wisely. After years of serving as guards, they naturally knew the unwritten rules and protocols. Otto's actions earned Xiao Yan a subtle nod—indeed, a man capable of becoming Vice-Chairman of the Black Rock City's Alchemist Association was no ordinary one; his actions were truly seamless and precise." Following Otto, Xiao Yan and the other two moved slowly up the stairs. Only after the surrounding crowd had thinned out did Otto speak softly, "Xiao Yan, what's happened to you? Have you offended someone? Tell me, I'd like to hear it. In Jia Ma's Sacred City, I do have some weight when I speak." "Wow, what a promising young student! Such talent—simply astonishing. I can't believe how fortunate the elder must feel to have found someone like this," Otto exclaimed, his eyes filled with admiration. Xiao Yin smiled gently, remaining silent on the topic, walking steadily alongside Otto at the same pace. "We've arrived." Xiao Yan stepped into the spacious room, his gaze sweeping across before settling on the center, where Foklan, dressed in a robe of a senior alchemist, was passionately gesturing, his face flushed with anger as he slammed his hands on the table. Before him, Xue Mei tightly clutched the Peach Fire Seed, remaining silent despite Foklan's outbursts. At the other corner of the table, a woman in a red robe watched Xue Mei being scolded with a look of quiet satisfaction. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, she quickly turned her attention toward Xiao Yan, whose figure she caught in the background of Otto. She immediately frowned and murmured, "Master, this is the one you intended for me to personally escort down? Quite a face for this, isn't it?" Hearing her voice, Foklan paused mid-scolding, turned to Xiao Yan, and asked in surprise, "Old Otto, this is?" The way he looked suggested that when the guards had first reported the arrival, they hadn't known who exactly had come. Seeing the array of astonished glances, Xiao Yan gently rubbed his neck, then after a moment, tore off a piece of facial skin, revealing his naturally refined and fair face. "Master Franks, it's been a year since we last met—your strength and composure have only grown more impressive." Xiao Yan tucked the ice-silk face skin into his storage amulet and smiled warmly at Franks. "Xiao Yan? It's really you, the young one I thought wouldn't make it here at all." Franks was momentarily taken aback by the slightly more mature look compared to the year before, then brightened with delight. Xiao Yan smiled in return and took a steady step forward, his gaze settling on the snow-maiden dressed in a flowing silver gown, exuding cool elegance. She, too, had turned her curious eyes toward him, and the two exchanged a polite, courteous smile. "Master Foklan, this peony-flame, though not particularly powerful by itself, is undoubtedly stronger than ordinary flame enhanced by qi cultivation. Moreover, it's less turbulent and more refined than other flames—ideal for alchemical refinement. Though a fourth-rank prescription is quite valuable, I'm certain you've already read it, Master? With your skill, you should be able to prepare another one within some time." Gazing at the delicate pink flame in Xue Mei's hands, Xiao Yan smiled warmly at Master Foklan. "Ah, that's all I can do for now. However, without at least six months, it would be impossible to prepare another fourth-rank prescription—the process is simply too involved," Foklan sighed, finally silencing his complaints. Seeing his teacher no longer scolding him, Xue Mei exhaled in relief and offered Xiao Yan a grateful, gentle smile, her poised, elegant features now even more captivating. "You actually advocated for Xue Mei? Are you perhaps developing feelings for her?" "As Snow's perpetual rival, Linfei naturally wasn't pleased with her easy escape. She immediately leapt forward, arms crossed, glaring at Xiao Yan's refined face, while silently murmuring to herself, 'He seems much more attractive than before.' Though Xiao Yan didn't pay much attention to Linfei's petite, cat-like demeanor, he kept his gaze fixed on her delicate cheeks, only shifting his eyes with a warm smile when she began to blush slightly. Left standing there, Linfei's face flushed and she angrily stomped her feet. 'Heh, Xiao Yan, this time you've come to the Jima Sacred City—surely it's for the Alchemist Grand Assembly, isn't it?' Otto pulled her aside, sitting comfortably in his chair and smiling. Hearing Otto's words, Frank's eyes also brightened, and he quickly turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan. Naturally, he knew that this young man possessed an exceptional talent in alchemy, and if he decided to join the Alchemist Grand Assembly, he would surely be a strong contender for the championship. Xiao Yan smiled slightly, slowly tapping his fingers on the table, and said, "What benefits does one gain by participating in this assembly? Is it merely to secure a name? I'm not particularly interested in that." Xiao Yan shook his head, stretched lazily, and smiled, saying, "So, let me hear what tangible benefits you have to offer." "Hey, you're so practical!" Lin Fei frowned, her brows furrowed, slightly exasperated, at Xiao Yan's directness. Xiao Yan just waved his hands, ignoring her. "Ah, this young one... truly doesn't hesitate to wait until the hare appears before he leaps," Otto sighed, exchanging a look with Frak, before shaking his head in resignation. "By tradition, each champion of the Alchemy Conference becomes an Honorary Elder of the Alchemy Guild, enjoying the same privileges and authority as the senior elders. Once that happens, you'll be able to draw upon the support of any branch of the Jima Imperial Alchemy Guild, and you'll have priority access to rare herbs stored in the guild's warehouses." "By the way, throughout the entire Gamma Empire, there won't be more than fifteen people qualified to enjoy such a privilege. As long as you become a Honorary Elder of the Pharmacist Guild, any faction—any power—will hesitate before acting against you. Remember, I'm talking about any faction, including the Imperial Court and Yunlan Sect! The Pharmacist Guild has the right to say this." The pupil of his eyes slightly contracted as Xiao Yan slowly inhaled a breath of cold air. The prescription was of such caliber that its value could even rival that of a Terran Technique. "What kind of prescription is this? What effect does it have?" Xiao Yan asked cautiously. While a sixth-rank prescription was rare, its worth still depended on the efficacy of the medicine—such as the previous case of Haibo Dong's Pò'è Dan, which was a specialty prescription and only equaled a fifth-rank one in value. "Rongling Pill—a medicine that enables the fusion of spirit and body. Though its effects are somewhat specialized, it is an exceptional holy medicine for spirit-bodied beings. It not only rapidly restores their spiritual power but also completely heals any injuries their spirits have previously sustained." "Spirit-bodied? Restoring spiritual power?" Capturing these key phrases, Xiao Yan's heart began to beat more rapidly. "Young man, secure this Rongling Pill prescription for me. From now on, I won't kill you!" Just as Xiao Yan was being moved by the generous terms, his arm within the sleeve suddenly felt a coolness, and a faint spiritual signal, carrying a touch of grace, flowed into his mind.