That spacious hall, upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, all present were momentarily stunned, then turned their gaze toward a particular spot. Under the collective attention of so many people, a quiet, resigned chuckle emerged from the shadowed area, followed by an elderly figure slowly stepping forward until he came into full view—revealing none other than Master Fama, the Chairman of the Alchemy Guild. Beside him, Vice-Chairman Mitchele closely followed. At Mitchele's side stood a young woman dressed in a deep green alchemist's robe. With her graceful appearance, her full, slightly proud lips, and porcelain-like skin, she exuded an air of elegance and refinement. Her bright, lively eyes, sharp and subtly cunning as they moved, suggested she was a spirited and unconventional personality. Now, at this very moment, her gaze shimmered with a distinct intensity, fixed upon the dark-robed young man who had just been effortlessly restrained by Fu Yan. Under the collective gaze of the onlookers, the elder who presided over the Gamma Empire's Pharmacist Guild smiled warmly and spoke kindly to Xiao Yan. As for Fu Yan, whose face had turned pale from being choked by Xiao Yan's grip, the elder seemed entirely unaware of him. This demeanor naturally surprised the guests in the hall. However, when the name now widely circulated throughout the Imperial Capital was uttered from his lips, they were once again taken aback, and then suddenly enlightened. The way they now gazed at the young man in black robes became notably more intense—no wonder he dared to act so arrogantly; he was indeed the very one who had inflicted such a heavy defeat upon Yunlan Sect... The Fu Yan who had been subdued by Xiao Yan grew pale at once upon hearing the name that Fang Ma bestowed upon the young man before him. The confidence that had previously burned in his eyes faded away. That very day, even the senior Douhuang-level warriors of Yunlan Sect had fallen at his hands. He had no doubt that he could snap his own neck with only a slight exertion of strength. Moreover, given his own strength, even if he were truly killed, the Herbalist Guild would likely take no retaliatory measures—this was clearly evident from Fang Ma's respectful and deferential attitude toward Xiao Yan as he entered the scene. His lips trembled slightly, and Fu Yan was forced to direct his angry gaze toward Obah, who had already begun to shake with fear. If it weren't for this stubborn fool provoking him, how could he have found himself in such an awkward position? "Heh, President Fahu, it's been three years. I must say, the Medicine Master's Guild has somewhat let me down. To partner with a force like this—well, perhaps..." Xiao Yan chuckled softly, turning his head to smile gently as Fahu approached slowly. Hearing this, Fang Ma sighed with a gentle smile and said, "Xiao Lin, our guild indeed bears some responsibility. Fu Yan has offended you, and whatever you decide to do, it's all up to you..." Though his words were somewhat soft, they gave Xiao Lin considerable face. Moreover, Fang Ma knew that Xiao Lin had grown far beyond the boy who once merely needed a prescription reward to strive hard for the grand championship. With Xiao Lin's current influence and strength, he now deserved such treatment. Indeed, in Fang Ma's eyes, Xiao Lin had truly earned the title of a true powerhouse. Seeing the two leading figures of the Medicine Master Guild step forward and receive such polite, respectful words—clearly reserved especially for Xiao Yan—left Xue Mei utterly astonished. Her eyes kept darting back and forth between Xiao Yan and the scene. She knew that Xiao Yan had once won the championship of the Medicine Master Grand Tournament, but even that alone wasn’t enough to earn such courtesy from masters like Fama and Mitchell. Moreover, the way they spoke suggested they were willing to sacrifice even a fifth-rank Medicine Master rather than clash with Xiao Yan—this truly left her speechless. Before her stood the young man who had once been chased out of the Gamma Empire by Yunlan Sect—how could someone with such stature have achieved this? Beside Mitchell, the graceful girl stared at the dark-robed young man, who remained calm despite the intervention of the guild's two foremost figures, his eyes flickering with wonder. She gently pursed her lips, her mind stirred with a sense of dazed amazement. Back then, though outstanding, the young man had merely been a promising up-and-comer. Yet in just three short years, he had grown into a force so formidable that even the esteemed Chairman Fama had to treat him with due respect—such a pace of development was truly astonishing. "It's no wonder Grandfather back then said this young man would achieve something truly remarkable," she recalled a remark made by Jia Xingtian. At the time, she had found it hard to believe, but now, even with her pride, she could no longer help but admit it. Compared to his peers from that era, Xiao Yan had now firmly established himself as one of the leading figures. Gently glanced at Fang Ma and the other two, Xiao Yan then looked at Fu Yan, whose pale complexion and barely able to move at all, and smiled softly, slowly withdrawing his hand, speaking in a calm tone, "Since both of you have stepped forward, Xiao Yan naturally has to show some face. This matter was originally just a minor affair among the younger members. But this elder has personally come out—there's not much I can do about it." Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Fu Yan's face turned from pale to bluish-white, then back to pale again. "Ah, thank you, Xiao Yan, for sparing Fu Yan's life. I will handle this matter privately and provide you with a proper explanation," said Fang Ma, relieved that Xiao Yan had not actually attacked Fu Yan, and quickly added. Xiao Yan waved his hand, glanced at Obah, who clearly knew that he would be the one most affected—his face now as white as if powdered with flour. Xiao Yan hadn't expected to encounter such a solid resistance today. "Are all the people here present?" His gaze turned to Fama, and Xiao Yan didn't dwell on the topic any longer, saying, "Heh, everyone's here now—just waiting for you." Fama nodded with a smile. "Then let's go..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate. He turned to Xue Mei and smiled, "I've got something to attend to now, so I'll be off. When you see Master Foklan, please give him my regards." Without waiting for Xue Mei to reply, he took Zhi Yan by the arm and walked toward the hall. Only when Xiao Yan turned to leave did Xue Mei regain her composure, her delicate teeth gently biting her full red lips as she gazed at the slender, graceful silhouette of his back, her eyes shimmering with a touch of wonder... Back then, when she first saw Xiao Yan, he was still striving to become a Second-Rank Alchemist. Yet now, as time quietly passed, he had grown into a power equal to the empire's most distinguished figures—such a transformation was truly remarkable. One could only imagine how much admiration Foklan and Otto would have for it. "Seeing Xiao Yan suddenly looking at me, the graceful girl was momentarily startled, then smiled slyly, 'I didn't expect a master of your caliber to still remember me—what a privilege!' Watching this still spirited young woman, Xiao Yan smiled, feeling the vibrant energy radiating from her. Though his years of wandering and trials had enriched his experience, he had grown rather old-fashioned, like an elderly man. Who would have thought that in reality, his age wasn't much older than the young princess? Recall the days when the younger generation had been fiercely competing for the title of Grand Champion of the Alchemist's Grand Tournament—now, everything had changed, people and places alike. "Princess Xiao's age... seems to be reaching a point where she should find a suitable match. And this girl is so proud, with such high expectations—quite perfectly matched with Xiao Yan's abilities..." As they walked, a sudden thought arose in the minds of the two elders. They exchanged a glance and smiled with the grace of seasoned foxes. As for what the two ahead had in mind, Xiao Yan naturally remained unaware. Inhaling the youthful aura emanating from the girl beside him, he found himself quite content to feel younger himself at this very moment. However, when Fama and Mitchell paused their steps before a grand gate, Xiao Yan also gradually slowed his conversation, straightened his robe, and once again assumed a composed, calm demeanor. He knew that the individuals within were among the very finest of the Gamma Empire—back then, he had only looked up to them; now, he had the standing to meet them on equal footing, or even to look down upon them. Moreover, although all present were powerful figures within the Gamma Empire, they all seemed somewhat uneasy.