In the quiet chamber, Xun sat silently by the side, her slender hands resting gently on her cheek. A section of her pale, snowy wrist peeked out beneath her jade-colored sleeve. Her two luminous, gem-like eyes, reflecting the soft glow of the lamps, fixed steadily upon Xiao Yan, who sat in meditation, eyes closed. "It seems today will still yield no results..." After waiting for a long time in the chamber and seeing no sign of awakening in Xiao Yan, Xun'er sighed softly and murmured, preparing to rise and leave. However, just as she was about to stand up, an unusual surge of energy suddenly rippled through the chamber. At this, Xun'er's face brightened, and her gaze instantly turned toward Xiao Yan. Shortly after this surge, a powerful aura surged forth from Xiao Yan, who had been closed-eyed. This aura rapidly intensified, surpassing even Xiao Yan's previous peak strength within a brief span, and continued to climb higher. Feeling the rapid surge of Xiāo Yīn's energy, Xūn'ér's cheeks also bloomed with delight—indeed, it matched her expectations. Just a few days ago, Xiāo Yīn had continuously absorbed an immense amount of energy within his body. Now, under the force of that vast energy, the barriers between levels had been nearly obliterated, crumbling effortlessly. The intense surge of energy lasted nearly five minutes before gradually easing. Then, after a brief interval, a sudden ripple of energy burst forth from within Xiāo Yīn's body, spreading out and striking the solid wall, causing the chamber to tremble violently. Following this ripple, the unusual rosy glow on Xiāo Yīn's face gradually faded, returning to his usual complexion. His tightly closed eyes trembled slightly before, under Xūn'ér's joyful gaze, slowly opened. As his eyes opened, a surge of emerald flame erupted from them, then swiftly retracted and vanished. "Hmm..." A slightly turbid breath, tinged with blackness, escaped Xiao Yan and rose slowly, eventually making contact with the solid ceiling. With a delicate hissing sound, it gradually corroded a small pit into the surface. Observing this scene, Xun'er's dark brows slightly furrowed. As the breath was expelled, a subtle glow appeared on Xiao Yan's face. Feeling the inner ki, now several times more robust than before, a sense of wonder could hardly be concealed on his features. "Xiao Yan brother, congratulations! This serious injury hasn't left any lasting damage—it's actually been beneficial. From the quality of your energy, I'd say your strength is now around five-star Spirit Guardian level," Xun'er smiled gently, gazing at the delighted expression on Xiao Yan's face. Xiao Yan lightly sensed the flow of energy and nodded, smiling, "Yes, I believe it's around five-star Spirit Guardian level." "His strength had surged by two stars in a single go. Although Xiao Yan was pleasantly surprised, it didn't seem all that astonishing to him. Others, however, found it hard to believe that he could suddenly leap forward by two stars. Yet Xiao Yan himself knew the reason—though this surge was partly due to the intensity of this battle, the greater factor lay in the fact that his body had absorbed numerous pills and rare treasures over time. For instance, the earth-core body-tempering milk he took a while ago—though most of its essence had been used to refine and strengthen his body—still retained residual energy that seeped into various parts of his body. Now, when Xiao Yan had completely run out of strength, these latent energies naturally began to emerge, actively healing his wounds while simultaneously providing a significant boost to his strength. "But there seems to be something wrong with Xiao Yan's body," Xun'er said, stepping lightly to his side and gazing at him intently with her clear eyes, speaking seriously. Xiao Yan was taken aback, then it dawned on him—likely because she had just seen that streak of black energy. With a slight nod, he sighed and said, "Back then, I was trying to obtain a medicinal herb to drive out the poison from Na Lan Jie, but in the process, I ended up absorbing the poison myself. Fortunately, the unique fire that surrounds me has protected me from its harmful effects. The poison has thus remained dormant within me, only becoming noticeable and expelling during my rank upgrades." "Even with Xiao Yan's exceptional skill in compounding medicines, this poison remains unresolved?" Xun'er asked, slightly surprised. "This poison is rather unusual. Even Na Lan Jie, who was at the Duke-level strength, nearly succumbed to it initially. To completely eliminate it is far from simple," Xiao Yan said, shrugging. "Rest assured, everything will be fine. As long as the unique fire remains within me, this poison will remain harmless." Xiao Yan offered a word of comfort, then rolled off the bed, stretching out his body that had been sitting for several days. A series of crisp bone sounds erupted—like beans being crushed—echoing pleasantly throughout the chamber. "By the way, how did the Strong Rank Tournament go? Shouldn't I have made it into the top ten?" Suddenly remembering the most important matter, Xiao Yan quickly asked. "Heh, don't worry—you've definitely made it into the top ten, though just last place," Xun'er smiled lightly, gazing at Xiao Yan's relieved expression. Then she added, "Liu Qing also made it into the top ten." Xiao Yan paused, startled, "So who actually won?" "The Senior Elder declared it a tie, so you and Liu Qing are both ranked tenth," Xun'er said with a bright smile. "Ah, well—whatever. As long as I'm admitted into the Tianfen Qi Tower, it doesn't matter how many people share that tenth spot." Nodding indifferently, Xiao Yan stretched lazily and briskly headed toward the outer area, murmuring, "I've been stuck here for so long my bones are practically rusting. Come on, little one, let's go outside and get some fresh air." Upon hearing this, Xun'er smiled gently and nodded in agreement, then turned to follow. When Xiao Yan and Xun'er appeared at the Pan Gate, a significant stir ensued. For some time, it had been rumored that Xiao Yan had suffered a serious injury that was unlikely to heal, though Xun'er and others had repeatedly refuted this. Xiao Yan's absence for several days, however, had indeed caused the Pan Gate members to feel uneasy. Now seeing him not only unharmed but in better spirits than ever before, everyone was filled with joy and excitement. As they walked through the Pan Gate, Xiao Yan found himself slightly surprised—he noticed that the members seemed more numerous than usual, and the overall atmosphere was exceptionally vibrant. The waves of glances pouring in from all directions were filled with admiration and reverence. "Hey, Xiao Yan, you finally recovered?" Just as Xiao Yan was touring the area, a familiar voice suddenly broke in. Instantly, a figure darted swiftly to appear beside him, his face beaming with joy as he gave Xiao Yan a hearty shoulder pat. "What a joke—it's no wonder the Pánmen's influence within the inner courtyard now surpasses even Lin Xiuyá's 'Wolf Claws' and Li Qíng's 'Splitting Mountains.' Though they have strong leaders on their side, Pánmen has far more members than either of them. Besides the powerful King of Strength who stays here nearly every day, you yourself are a force capable of matching Li Qíng. And then there's Xun'er—hmm, even the second-ranked Lin Xiuyá was easily defeated by her. Who else in the inner courtyard dares to claim that Pánmen is weak or hard to handle?" Lin Yán chuckled. "When exactly did Xun'er defeat Lin Xiuyá?" Xiao Yan was taken aback once again, eyes wide as he looked at Xun'er, who smiled gently beside him. "It was during the sparring matches right after the Strongest Rankings Tournament concluded. Honestly, you didn't see the scene, did you? Within less than ten minutes, Lin Xiuyá was defeated by Xun'er. The entire audience just stood there, stunned." Lin Yán spread his hands, smiling with satisfaction. As Lin Yan spoke, the astonishment in Xiao Yan's eyes grew ever deeper. He indeed knew that Xun'er had always concealed her true strength, yet he had never expected her to be so formidable when she truly unleashed it. Lin Xiu'ya was a power capable of matching Liu Qing, and to defeat Liu Qing, he had fought with every ounce of strength, ultimately resulting in a stalemate. Yet, within just ten minutes, this young girl had managed to defeat Lin Xiu'ya entirely. Her strength—was it perhaps already at the Duke King level? The thought alone made Xiao Yan take a quiet breath. How astonishing was she! At her age, she seemed even younger than himself. A Duke King at just seventeen or eighteen? Such an achievement would surely make the elders of the Inner Courtyard feel humbled, perhaps even embarrassed enough to cover their faces. As his thoughts raced, when he recalled the ancient power behind Xun'er, a sense of clarity settled upon him—she likely could not be judged by ordinary standards. It seemed as though the thoughts swirling in Xiao Yan's mind had been clearly perceived. Xun'er smiled gently, her delicate hand gently entwined with Xiao Yan's arm—so obedient, so endearing, completely unlike the cold, composed demeanor she had displayed when challenging Lin Xiu'ya back then. Watching Xun'er's tender, accommodating grace toward Xiao Yan, Lin Yan pursed his lips. Even as someone as passionate about battle as he was, he couldn't help but feel a quiet admiration for Xiao Yan. What a blessing this was—how many of the inner courtyard companions could truly enjoy such fortune?