After the conclusion of the Strong Ranks Tournament, for several days the entire Inner Courtyard remained immersed in the reverberations of the astonishing battles that had unfolded. Everywhere, people were discussing the various clashes from the tournament, with the matches between Xiao Yan and Liu Qing, and between Xun'er and Lin Xiu'ya, standing out as the most celebrated. Particularly the latter—everyone who spoke of it still carried a look of profound astonishment. No one could have imagined that this graceful, serene young woman, admired for her exquisite beauty, concealed such formidable strength. Even those within the Inner Courtyard who had previously mocked Xun'er as merely a "pretty decoration" due to her appearance now realized that, in the Panmen, the most formidable force was not Xiao Yan, but the elegant young woman who had always been so patient and accommodating toward him. And thanks to the momentum generated by Xun'er and Xiao Yan, within just these two or three days, the prestige and status of Panmen have risen almost straight upward. Each Panmen member now walks through the inner courtyard with a proud and confident demeanor, no longer hesitant or cautious as before. Onlookers alike are filled with admiration, seeing these Panmen members. With Xiao Yan and Xun'er—two exceptionally powerful figures—as their strong backing, Panmen's influence is poised to surpass that of Lin Xiu'ya and Liu Qing, and this is expected to happen within the near future. Yet, amidst the bustling rumors circulating within the inner courtyard, Xiao Yan and Xun'er themselves had quietly disappeared from the scene... Liu Hao glanced at Xiao Yan, whose eyes were tightly shut. "A typical promotion usually doesn't take long, so clearly this is no ordinary promotion—stupid boy." With a crisp, muttered remark, Zi Yan, with her light purple ponytail, rolled her eyes with a pretense of maturity. Yet her explanation only caused Xun'er and the others to burst into laughter. "What's so funny? If he doesn't wake up soon, I'll have to go back and chew on those awful things again." Zi Yan frowned, clearly troubled. Xun gently rubbed the top of Ziyan's head, smiled, and directed his gaze toward Xiao Yan, whose eyes were closed. "Xiao Yan has sustained severe injuries. His internal qi was nearly completely depleted during the battle against Liu Qing—almost extinguished. Yet precisely because of this intense combat, he has fortunately managed to secure his promotion. As Ziyan mentioned, this promotion is no ordinary one. If my assessment is correct, should Xiao Yan succeed, he may not only advance by one star, but possibly even by two." Xun shook her head lightly, smiling gently. "This battle has indeed brought great benefits to Brother Xiao Yan. As for why this situation has arisen and exactly how much improvement it will bring, I'm not entirely sure. But one thing is certain—after this, Brother Xiao Yan's strength will greatly advance. There's no downside at all, so you needn't worry about it anymore." "Alright, you all have other matters to attend to. I'm right here." With her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Yan's face, Xun waved lightly to Wu Hao and the others. Upon hearing this, Wu Hao and the others only shrugged and then prepared to depart. "Oh, by the way, Xun, Lin Xiu'ya has come back to Panmen again, saying he wants to check on Brother Xiao Yan's condition." Hu Jia suddenly paused, her gaze shifting to Xun, her dark brows furrowed. "What has he been taking these days? He's been coming here constantly, even when he's not ill—this is completely new for him. He used to be so reserved. Did you defeat him? Has he stuck around because of that?" "Slightly startled, Xun'er nodded casually and then said softly, 'Just tell them I'm busy. Have them send their greetings—Master Xiao Yan is at a crucial stage in his advancement and doesn't receive visitors.' Huojia's eyes flickered, and suddenly she leaned in close to Xun'er's ear, whispering, 'I think Master Xiao Yan's attitude toward you has been a bit odd. It's similar to how he used to be back then, when it was Bai Shan or Wu Hao.' Gazing at Huojia with a slightly puzzled expression, Xun'er calmly replied, 'Don't mention this to Master Xiao Yan. Also, tell him that he hasn't been able to see me in the past few days. Let him know he doesn't need to come anymore—otherwise, he'll come without anyone to receive him.' 'Poor fellow,' Huojia spread her hands, paused, and said, 'Though, I do think you should step out at least a little.'" He came several times, yet you always avoided him. After all, he does have a bit of acquaintance with Xiao Yan...” Xun'er furrowed her brows slightly, then sighed and nodded with resignation, turning to walk toward the outside. “Let's go. I'll handle him.” Watching Xun'er walk away, Huoga rolled her tongue and murmured under her breath, “Why pick on this one? This girl is completely head over heels for that young man. She's got it coming.” Xun slowly walked down to the hall, offering a gentle smile to Lin Xiu'ya and Yan Hao standing beside him. "Hmm, no problem," Lin Xiu'ya replied with a warm smile. Indeed, he was quite handsome—his ink-blue robe enhanced his graceful demeanor, and his voice was soothing, which was no surprise given that numerous female students had praised him as the most charming man in the inner academy. Yet, this composed smile seemed to have little impact on the young woman before him. She sat elegantly in her chair, her eyelashes slightly lowered, her gaze never lingering on him. Observing Xun's composed posture, Lin Xiu'ya sighed internally, having tried several times to initiate conversation only to be met with subtle, understated responses. Finally, he gave up, stood up, and withdrew a jade box from his storage bracelet, placing it gently on the table. "This is a particularly effective medicinal herb for healing," he said with a smile. "I believe it will be of great benefit to Xiao Yan and Xiao Xiang. Xun, don't hesitate to accept it." After a slight pause, Xun'er nodded gently, her bright eyes finally settling on Lin Xiu'ya's face, and softly said, "Then Xun'er will thank Brother Xiao Yan on behalf of Lin Senior." "Never mind..." Lin Xiu'ya quickly waved his hand, but as he was gazed at by her steady gaze, he found his usual calm, quiet demeanor nearly slipping away. He bowed slightly, and with a touch of embarrassment, led Yan Hao away from the hall. Lin Xiu'ya smiled awkwardly, utterly helpless—there was nothing he could do. That feeling just came upon him unexpectedly, like a wave he couldn't even block. "Ah, it seems you're destined for a sad fate. From her attitude, it's clear she doesn't feel anything for you. She keeps calling you 'Brother Xiao Yan,' 'Brother Xiao Yan,' all day long. I simply don't see how you could possibly have a chance." Yan Hao sighed, saying so. "Exhaling a long, deep sigh, Lin Xiu'ya vigorously shook his head, bursting out with a string of profanity under the astonished gaze of Yan Hao: 'For heaven's sake, I'm so jealous of Xiao Yan! How does that boy keep getting such good luck?"