Beneath the night sky, four shadows moved silently, gliding past in quiet rhythm, with a still, silent atmosphere weaving between them. "Hey, Master Fa, we've wasted a whole night—just returning empty-handed?" Sea Bo Dong finally broke the silence, his foot lightly tapping the roof. At his side, Jia Old nodded firmly; by nature, he never returned empty-handed. "How could it be empty? We've already uncovered that man's true identity, haven't we? Now at least we have a solid foundation," Master Fa sighed, shaking his head in relief as he sensed the growing frustration from Sea Bo Dong and his companion. "But knowing that doesn't help much, does it? He'll still compete in the tournament tomorrow. With his level of skill and years of experience in alchemy, winning the championship won't be too difficult," Jia Old remarked, frowning. "Hmm. We still have the three young ones—Rock Hawk and his two companions, right? Each of them has something to offer. Who knows—perhaps something unexpected will happen tomorrow." Hafu glanced at Xiao Yan behind him and smiled. "You're not going to pretend any longer, are you? Though the three young ones from Yan Xiao have solid talent, that fellow is indeed the Vice President of the Yun Cloud Empire's Guild, and this time he came well-prepared. Their chances of winning are quite slim." Old Jia added solemnly, "Should he secure the championship, not only will your guild's reputation suffer a major blow, but the entire Jia Ma Empire might also be mocked across the continent." "Most importantly, once he becomes champion, he'll gain increasing recognition. At that point, even if you wish to eliminate him midway, you'll find yourself hesitant and cautious." Hai Bo Dong also added his point. Standing last, Xiao Yan listened quietly to the three ahead of him, knowing that at such a moment, it was best to remain silent. "As for Yue'er's abilities—I still haven't a clear idea." Although securing the top three positions isn't particularly difficult, winning the championship—even without that sudden emergence—still presents significant challenges. As for Ryu Ling, while Goto has indeed taught him many things, his main disadvantage lies in his youth; his experience is far behind that of Yan Li. "Among the three of them," added Jia, frowning and analyzing, "only Yan Xiao can possibly hold his own against that newcomer. However, I'm certain that Yan Li has concealed much of his strength today. By tomorrow's final match, Yan Xiao is likely to fall short as well." Fama remained silent, his facial expression shifting between calm and troubled, his eyes constantly flickering with intensity. "Ah, Fama, you've got to think of something now. That newcomer's very presence violates the regulations. So why keep clinging to those rigid formalities? Just do what needs to be done—just make sure he doesn't end up champion." Hai Bode sighed. "Hmm..." Taking a deep breath of the slightly cool night air, Famu gradually slowed his swift movements, nodded slightly, and spoke softly, "Indeed, we must do something. The Hereditary Council of Almec's Pharmacists has stood for so many years—definitely can't see its reputation fade under my watch." Laughter rang out twice as Fama stepped back slightly, patting Xiao Yan's shoulder and said, "This time, to compete with Lin Li for the championship title, it'll surely come down to you." "Fama is being too generous," Xiao Yan shook his head, with a sigh. "I don't mind boosting anyone else's reputation, but you know, Lin Li is actually the vice president of the guild. As a newcomer, I find it quite difficult to surpass him." "Of course, I can't entirely rely on you," Fama said calmly. "After all, he broke the rules first—so it's only fair that I take my own course." He then turned his gaze toward Hai Bo Dong and Jia Lao. "You two go ahead. I'll take Rock Xiao back to the guild with me. There are some matters I need to discuss with him." Hai Bo Dong and Jia Lao exchanged a look of surprise, then nodded slightly, bowed slightly to Fama, and in a moment, moved off—one to the east, one to the west—disappearing from Xiao Yan's sight. Staring at the two figures who had vanished, Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward Fama, expressing his curiosity. "Fama, what is this?" Smiling casually at the guard at the door, Fama turned to Xiao Yan and gave a gentle prompt before stepping inside the guild hall. Hearing Fama's urgent encouragement, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation, then followed closely behind, drawing surprised glances from the guards who had never before seen Fama treat a young guest with such urgency. As they moved through the guild, Fama swiftly guided them through several large areas, and many pharmacists who encountered Fama bowed respectfully and stepped aside. With Fama at his side, Xiao Yan enjoyed the privilege of being treated in the same manner. Upon reaching the upper floor, the pharmacists in the hall began to whisper among themselves. "That young man... isn't he the one known as Yan Xiao from today's grand assembly?" "He must be quite valued by the president..." "Hmph, nonsense. He's one of the few who can truly compete with that gray-robed youth from the Uryu Empire—how could he not be valued?" "If he wins this championship, he'll likely become the youngest elder of the Gamma Empire's Alchemy Guild, won't he?" "Ah, what a generation of young heroes! I've been with the guild for my entire life, and I've only just managed to reach the level of a steward..." ...Following Mamu up to the highest level of the guild, they stopped outside a room. Mamu pushed the door open, and Xiao Yan followed in. As he took in the room, he was slightly surprised—though the space was indeed spacious, it felt rather old-fashioned, with several bookshelves lining the walls and an ancient table standing alone in the center. "Please sit," Mamu said, smiling at Xiao Yan as he took his seat. "Hmm." Nodding, Xiao Yan casually pulled out a chair and sat down, quietly gazing at the smiling Fahu. After a while, he finally smiled lightly, "Fahu, please go ahead and say what you have. As long as it's within our capabilities, Rock Jiao should not refuse." "Ah, I'm sure you can already guess why I invited you to come with me—to secure your position as champion," Fahu said with a smile. "I truly would like to claim the championship, but..." Xiao Yan sighed, spreading his hands in a gesture of resignation. "I know," Fahu nodded, stroking his beard and pondering, "The next round's competition tomorrow won't involve much complexity. It will largely depend on each of our true abilities and our reserve strengths." "The match yesterday was entirely based on improvisation—everything, including the materials, had to be brought by each participant themselves. That means, tomorrow's assessment, the council won't provide any prescriptions at all. It will entirely depend on whether you personally possess a suitable prescription within your capacity. Furthermore, even if you have a prescription, you must also carry sufficient raw materials in your own pack to prepare the medicine. If you don't, then you're simply out of luck." Fama spread his hands with a teasing smile. "Heavens!" Xiang Yan slowly opened his mouth, finally exclaiming in frustration. If Fama hadn't informed him in advance, then tomorrow, the highest-level prescriptions he could possibly rely on would be the occasional third-rank formulas passed down by the senior pharmacist. Yet, such prescriptions clearly wouldn't stand a chance against the well-stocked collections of Yan Li, the Princess, and Liu Ling. "Though this evaluation has a certain element of luck, luck itself is a form of strength, so..." Fama smiled and said, "Based on my guess, Yan Li should be keeping four-rank prescriptions. Moreover, as Vice President, he should have access to ample materials." "Four-rank? Given his strength, shouldn't he be capable of crafting five-rank pills?" Xiao Yan frowned. "He can, but the success rate is too low—clearly unsuitable for such competitions." "Still, even if it's four-rank... I'm not sure I can manage it. Don't laugh at me if I seem rather humble—right now, the highest prescription I can craft within my current strength range is only three-rank, and many of them are lacking in materials." Xiao Yan sighed. "Hehe, I can already guess..." Mamu smiled and nodded, looking at Xiao Yan. "I've called you here precisely because I need you to outperform Yan Li. So, regarding the prescription and the materials, I can certainly assist you—though, there's a condition: you must be confident that you can successfully prepare it!" "...Then I'd like to take a preliminary look at the prescription's rank and the specific requirements." Hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a subtle sense of relief. With the pharmacy guild's financial strength, the prescription they offered would surely not be ordinary—being able to obtain it for free would indeed be a windfall. "The prescription won't disappoint you. Though this one is only of fourth rank, in terms of value, it will certainly match or even surpass a fifth-rank prescription." Mamu smiled calmly, rose to his feet, and walked toward the bookshelf. After a while, he returned, holding a scroll as dark as ink, and slowly stepped out. "Here you go. I'm sure you'll appreciate it." Gazing at the scroll's timeless surface, Fama smiled and offered it forward.