The square fell silent beneath the still, upright crimson pill in the young man's black robe. Only after a long while did that silence break, as Han Xian hurried toward Xiao Yan, his eyes blazing with red, like a gambler who had lost everything: "It's impossible! There's definitely something wrong! This man must have cheated—while the white mist rose earlier, he must have done so!" Hearing Han Xian's outburst, most of the crowd on the square furrowed their brows, and even Hao Elder, who had been watching closely, showed a hint of displeasure. Xiao Yan had been preparing the pill right under his very eyes. If he were cheating, wasn't that a direct criticism of Hao Elder's own fading vision? "Han Xian, please be more measured in your words. Fair judgment is not something you can decide on your own," Hao Elder said coldly, glancing at him. After being scolded so thoroughly, Han Xian regained his composure and promptly bowed, apologizing with a respectful gesture. He was well aware of the considerable influence the elders held within the inner courtyard. Upon seeing Han Xian apologize, the Hao Elder's expression slightly eased, and his gaze shifted back to Xiao Yan. In his stern eyes, there was an unmistakable admiration—such talent, such character—how fortunate indeed would it be for anyone to secure him as a disciple. "Hao Elder, please examine it yourself, otherwise someone might feel uneasy," Xiao Yan smiled gently and raised his hand. As Hao Elder examined the medicine, suddenly figures flickered beneath the square, and shortly thereafter, several elderly figures leapt onto the platform, smiled warmly at Xiao Yan, and gathered around Hao Elder, their eyes fixed on the pale red pill, all of them expressing astonishment. "Old fellows like you," Hao Elder said, lifting the pill slightly as he glanced at the group, shaking his head with a sigh of resignation, "take a look—this should indeed be the freshly forged Long-Force Pill. The pill still carries a hint of warmth." "Hmm, it's genuine," remarked an elder wearing a senior insignia on his chest, stroking his beard and nodding with a smile, "I've seen Long-Force Pills crafted by Fire Elder from the Medicine Division—this is exactly the quality and flavor I'd expect." "It's surprising, really," he continued, "that this young lad has only been in the Inner Academy for less than three months and has already managed to produce such a Long-Force Pill. In fact, within the Medicine Division alone, only a handful of people are capable of crafting this particular pill." "Several other elders also expressed their admiration and agreed. Hearing the elders' conversation, Han Xian's face grew noticeably more somber. After a brief murmuring among the elders, they finally turned to leave the plaza. As they passed by Xiao Yan, however, they paused, gently patting his shoulders and smiling warmly, saying, 'Young fellow, whenever you need help with refining medicinal pills in the future, you'll surely have to come to us.' While elders of strong prowess might not place much emphasis on fourth-rank pills, fifth-rank pills are quite different—these are typically ones that would stir their interest. Now that Xiao Yan has demonstrated the ability to produce fifth-rank pills, their demeanor has naturally become much more courteous. 'Of course,' said Xiao Yan, 'as long as the elders can provide the necessary herbs, I will do my utmost.' "As for these elders, Xiao Yan naturally didn't hesitate—he simply smiled and agreed with each one, eventually charming them into leaving with bright smiles. Only after the last elder had stepped down did Xiao Yan finally ease his breath, turning to see Hao Elder's cheerful face. At that moment, a slight crinkle formed at the corner of his mouth as he smiled and said, 'Should Hao Elder ever need any assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to find me. As long as I can, I'll never refuse.' 'Ah, that's very kind of you,' Hao Elder replied, his smile deepening. He silently praised himself for having found such a fair and honest person. 'Pardon me, Han Xian—have you already heard the evaluations from the elders? Is there anything you'd like to object to now?' With a gentle cough, Hao Elder instantly shifted from his cheerful expression to a composed, neutral one, and spoke calmly to Han Xian. Han Xian's face had turned a deep liver-color. After a moment, he finally shook his head, gritting his teeth and saying, "No." Nodding slightly, Elder Hao turned toward the crowd below, and in a solemn tone declared, "The competition is over. I announce that Xiao Yan has won this alchemy contest!" "Ah!" As soon as Elder Hao's announcement fell, the members of Panmen spontaneously erupted into loud cheers, and inspired by their enthusiasm, the other spectators on the platform also raised their hands high, clapping with vigorous, thunderous applause. Making eye contact with Xun'er and the others below, seeing their raised thumbs, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile lightly. "Since you have conceded, you must hand over the five trading locations you pledged during the bet to Panmen within the next three days, and at the same time, you must withdraw your covert control over Panmen." Listening to the enthusiastic applause, Elder Hao turned to Han Xian, whose face remained gloomy, and spoke calmly. "Yes." Though his heart was bleeding, the bet had already been placed, and Han Xian could only swallow his teeth and quietly respond. Then, with a sweeping gesture, he turned and walked toward the plaza. As he passed by Xiao Yan, he coldly added, "This isn't over yet!" Though Hao Elder's hesitation lasted only a moment, it had not gone unnoticed by Xiao Yan, who smiled and said, "The prescription for the 'Dragon Force Pill' that Hao Elder provided is worth far more than this single pill. Please, take it." Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Hao Elder was slightly moved, yet after a moment's thoughtful pause, he shook his head and placed the pill into Xiao Yan's hands, offering a wry smile. "Well, the other elders are also eager for these Dragon Force Pills. If I accept this one, I'm afraid they'll mock me. Should you ever produce any extras, feel free to send me one whenever you like—I'll certainly remember." Xiao Yan paused slightly, then accepted the pill, placing it into his storage scroll, and smiled lightly. "As long as I find sufficient herbs and successfully prepare them, I'll deliver the first batch to Elder Hao right away." "Hehe, as long as you have the intention—that's all. As for the herbs... hehe... over the years, the Inner Courtyard must have gathered quite a collection. The herb store is actually under my supervision. Now, if you ever need anything, feel free to drop by and take a look." Elder Hao smiled, his words flowing with several subtle shifts in tone. After finishing, he gently patted Xiao Yan's shoulder—a gesture that only the two of them fully understood. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback, then a spark of excitement flashed across his eyes. He gave a subtle, unspoken nod, knowing that with the Inner Courtyard's strength, they must have amassed many rare and hard-to-find herbs—something that held immense appeal for him. "Oh, by the way..." As Hao Elder handed over the pills to Xiao Yan, he suddenly remembered something and furrowed his brows, "Since your Pan Sect now officially intends to sell the pills, according to the established rules, when selling in large quantities within the inner courtyard, you are required to pay two-tenths of the total fire energy earned each month to the inner courtyard. That means, if your sect earns one thousand days of fire energy in a given month, you must submit two hundred days." "Chuckles softly, Xiao Yan said in a low voice, 'But isn't this quite severe? The Elder knows well that medicinal materials are now expensive, and it's impossible for all the pills to succeed this time.' 'I know that too, but the rules have to be this way...' The He elder spread his hands, observing the furrowed brows of Xiao Yan, and after a brief pause, added, 'Ah well, how about this: from now on, your Pan Sect will only pay one-tenth of the current tax. Just don't make a big deal out of it—otherwise, the Medicine Guild will find out, and Han Xian will surely be displeased.' 'Can the Elder adjust the tax rate at will?' Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised upon hearing that the Elder had already decided to reduce the tax. 'Heh, within the Inner Court, the management of medicinal materials and pills is precisely under my full responsibility,' the He elder smiled, though in his heart he thought, 'Moreover, the Grand Elder has specifically mentioned that you should receive special attention—so I'm not really violating any protocol.' 'Very well, then, thank you so much, Elder. When I finally produce the Dragon Force Pills, A quiet breath of relief escaped him, as the pressure had been reduced by half—no small matter. At once, Xiao Yan expressed his gratitude. Hao Elder nodded with a smile, saying, "Well, today you've probably reached your limit in the alchemy process. It's best you go back and rest now. Tomorrow, we'll send someone to take over the pharmaceutical trading and sales points—the location is excellent." With that, he turned and walked toward the outer plaza. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then stepped down from the plaza, waving briefly to Xun'er and the others. Together, the group surged out of the plaza, cheered and animated, under the warm, attentive gaze of the onlookers.