Silence. Dead silence. The once bustling hall had instantly fallen quiet, the red glow pulsing from the examination screens casting a comical stillness upon the faces of the gathered crowd. Staring in disbelief at the flickering screens, Otto's previously somewhat exasperated demeanor—stemmed from Xiao Yan's earlier performance—now surged like a tidal wave. To refine iron-wood leaves eight times, a skill that could rival some novice fourth-tier alchemists, was no small feat. Indeed, with Otto's current command over flame, he could only manage nine refinements at most. Yet here was Xiao Yan, at such a young age, achieving this level. Such an extraordinary aptitude could only be described in one word: wonder. And another: monster. Otto had never considered Otto beneath him in terms of his innate talent for alchemy, yet now what he saw from Xiao Yan revealed that he had still underestimated him—quite significantly. "Given how this young man has performed, he must have already possessed the capabilities of a third-rank alchemist, I suppose. Honestly, he's hidden his strength so well—my old bones are trembling with anticipation!" murmuring to himself, Otto gazed at the calm face before him and shook his head with a wry smile. Princess lightly bit her red lips, the shock slowly fading from her eyes as her gaze settled on Xiao Yan. Remembering his earlier demeanor, a mixture of resignation and irritation flickered in her eyes: "This guy's deliberately concealing his strength to make people look down on him—does he have a chronic case of being underestimated?" Of course, given the strength Xiao Yan now displayed, Princess's words were only spoken in her heart; she was well aware that her initial attitude had likely left him with a certain sense of annoyance. So she hadn't immediately rushed forward to offer a formal apology or show off her politeness. Perhaps Xiao Yan was indeed a promising, reserved talent, but as a member of the royal family, she simply wouldn't lower herself to seek out a connection with him. Still, honestly, missing out on someone so outstanding did leave her a bit disappointed. As the little princess murmured softly in the background, Li Lin, with his handsome face, also grew increasingly troubled—his eyes fixed intently on the flickering red score. It seemed as though he were doubting the very authenticity of the testing machine. Nine points? Heaven's sake! That was two points higher than his own! For a young man of such inherent pride, this was hard to accept. With Xiang Yan's remarkable achievements, Chemil's way of addressing him has begun to subtly shift. Regardless of Xiang Yan's exact capabilities, the skill in refining materials alone is something far beyond the ordinary alchemist. Moreover, Xiang Yan's age and potential are what truly make Chemil take him seriously—considering that at just around twenty years old, he has already refined Ironwood Spirit Leaves eight times. Even the ancient He River might have found it difficult to achieve that. And most importantly—what truly matters—how capable is the teacher behind him, if he can produce such an outstanding student? Clearly sensing a subtle shift in Chemil's tone, Xiang Yan smiled calmly: "You're being too kind, Vice President. I'm merely a bit more skilled at controlling fire. The rest is nothing special." "After this stunning demonstration, of course, Chaimer and the others won't believe anything that Xiao Yan says anymore—they'll just smile politely, thinking he still wants to keep his strength hidden. 'Old Otto, your eyes are truly sharp!' Chaimer turned to Otto, who had just recovered from the initial shock, and chuckled, patting his shoulder. 'I didn't expect this at all. Just in one year, this young lad has advanced so remarkably. When I first evaluated him as a Second-Class Alchemist at our guild's assessment, he was far behind where he is now. The pace of his progress is truly impressive.' Though the admiring glances from the older members made Otto feel quite pleased, he still shook his head with a wry smile and sighed. 'Well, let's not dwell on this anymore. Let's just announce the results of the examination.' Gently stroking his white-bearded chin, Otto looked at Xiao Yan's calm expression and decided to move on, offering a reminder. 'What's there to announce?' Rock-fox's performance was naturally the best, followed by Liu Ling, then Yue'er, with the rest nearly all passing—except those who hadn't met the initial requirements earlier. "I'm glad to see that," Cheimir smiled, then turned to face Xiao Yin and his companions, speaking seriously, "First, congratulations on passing the guild's internal assessment. The Grand Pharmacist Conference begins tomorrow. You should know that, besides our own top pharmacists, outstanding pharmacists from other nations will also be attending. Their abilities are no less impressive. You must give your very best to outperform them. Otherwise, if our empire's championship is claimed by pharmacists from other countries, it would indeed be a source of embarrassment. "Yes!" With the weight of representing the nation placed upon them, the young participants were instantly energized, their enthusiastic responses echoing clearly throughout the hall. His hands lazily tucked into his sleeves, Xiao Yan glanced calmly at the young people around him, most of whom had flushed faces, visibly excited—except for a few, including Liu Ling. Glancing sideways at Liu Ling's slightly gloomy expression, Xiao Yan's lips curled slightly, clearly indicating that the man was still brooding over his loss in the examination. With his fingers lightly tapping against the fabric of his sleeves, Chen Mire's impassioned speech held no weight for Xiao Yan. Though he was at the prime age for youthful enthusiasm, such energy seemed absent in him. Had it not been for the modest interest in the rewards for the championship, Xiao Yan likely wouldn't have attended the event at all. As for whether the champion would be a contestant from another nation or from the Empire—fairly speaking, it didn't matter to him at all. Standing on the platform, Cemil slowly scanned the enthusiastic competitors below. When his gaze settled on Xiao Yan, whose face remained calm, he paused slightly, then gently narrowed his eyes, his admiration for the young man deepening considerably. "This youngster is quite exceptional," he mused. While it was not unusual for an older figure to exude such composure, it was remarkable—indeed, quite extraordinary—that a young man in his twenties, typically brimming with youthful arrogance and ambition, should display such steady, seasoned poise. Such maturity demanded careful attention. In Cemil's eyes, Xiao Yan already possessed the essential qualities of a true powerhouse: not only a strong实力, but also an outstanding temperament. With both of these critical attributes in place, Cemil believed that Xiao Yan was only a matter of time away from achieving the highest rank. "Once I return, I'll make sure to thoroughly explain to Old O the full background of this young rock-fox. If things go well, he might just become another Dan King, Guo He—perhaps even surpass him." Chemil murmured quietly to himself. "If he truly has such potential, then this time we absolutely must ensure such talent doesn't fall into the hands of Yunlan Sect's various factions." With these thoughts in mind, Chemil didn't hesitate, waved his hand, and smiled warmly at the gathered crowd. "Alright, the assessments are now complete. Please go back now. Don't forget the scheduled start time of the grand tournament tomorrow—make sure you don't miss it due to any unforeseen circumstances!" Upon hearing this, the attendees bowed respectfully to the senior council members on the dais and then dispersed. "Ah, Mr. Rock-Fox, I never expected you to be so accomplished all along. Li Lin truly admires you." Just as Xiao Yan intended to follow the crowd and leave the hall, a laugh caused him to pause, furrowing his brows as he turned to gaze at Liu Ling's warm smile, and said softly, "It's just good luck—nothing particularly hidden." "Master Yanxiao has always remained so understated, haven't you? Heh, I suspect you must have employed the Strange Fire during the examination," Liu Ling smiled. Though the facts now stood before him, he still harbored a lingering doubt that Xiao Yan had achieved such outstanding results purely through his own strength. Recalling the initial matter of the Strange Fire, he now felt reassured. In his view, Xiao Yan's exceptional performance was likely due to the use of the Strange Fire. If that were the case, then even if Liu Ling had drawn upon his reserve strength, he would not have fallen far behind Xiao Yan. A man long regarded as a genius suddenly encountered someone who surpassed him in every way among his peers. In this stark contrast, he always found numerous excuses to prove that he was no worse than his counterpart. Xiao Yan glanced sideways at the young man with a striking appearance, clearly understanding the underlying implication in his words. He offered a slightly mocking smile and said lightly, "Li Lin, whatever you say is true—I have no opinion at all." Xiao Yan had no intention of arguing with Li Lin, as he found such a confrontation rather dull. Since Li Lin was willing to believe in his own imaginative vision, he would simply let it go. The final reality would surely deliver several sharp rebukes. For now, any conversation he had would merely be perceived as an attempt to conceal his shortcomings. With that, what else could Xiao Yan possibly say? After speaking, Xiao Yan smiled with a touch of amusement, and under Li Ling's slightly cold gaze, strode straight out the gate, eventually vanishing from her sight. Staring coldly at Xiao Yan's retreating back, Li Ling pressed her lips into a thin line, clenched her hands slightly, and murmured with a cold laugh, "How proud can you be? The grand tournament isn't merely about material refinement. Stay tuned—by the time you're at the finals, I'll show you just how lacking you are beyond your unique fire!"