Under Xiang Yan's steady gaze, Fang Ma's expression of helplessness deepened, yet he remained silent. The alliance Xiang Yan proposed was indeed highly appealing, but the reputation of the Pharmaceutical Guild within the Gamma Empire ranked only slightly behind that of Yunlan Sect—indeed, due to the sheer number of pharmaceutical experts, even Yunlan Sect held a certain level of caution toward them, recognizing the immense influence and appeal of such experts. As Guild Chairman, Fang Ma's standing within the Gamma Empire was even more esteemed than that of Dan Wang Guo He; over the years, numerous powerful figures across the empire had cultivated relationships with him. Therefore, it would be difficult to persuade him to join Xiang Yan's newly formed alliance without offering him tangible reasons to be convinced. With Xiao Yan's steady gaze and Fang Ma's silent demeanor, the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew tense. Though everyone maintained composure on their faces, their minds were already racing. From Fang Ma's expression, it seemed clear that he was unwilling to integrate the Medicinal Herbs Guild into this alliance. And given Xiao Yan's nature, he certainly wouldn't allow such a highly influential force to remain independent. It appeared that today would surely bring its share of complications. Jia Xingtian and Yao Ye remained silent from the very beginning, observing the unfolding situation with calm detachment. Even when Fang Ma's words subtly conveyed hesitation, they said nothing. While it was undoubtedly beneficial for them in the Empire if a powerful alliance emerged to strengthen their standing in the northwest region, they also harbored concerns that such a strong alliance might gradually erode the imperial court's authority. Thus, though they did not oppose Xiao Yan's initiative to form an alliance, they were far from enthusiastic in their support—everything would ultimately depend on Xiao Yan's own capabilities. "Master Fahu, once the Herbalist Guild joins the Alliance, all the Herbalists' expenses within the Guild will be fully supported by the Alliance. This will greatly benefit their efforts in advancing their ranks. As for your point about most of the Herbalists in the Guild being independent contractors, there's no need to worry—so long as Master Fahu agrees, Xiao Yan is confident that the majority will feel secure in joining the Alliance." The tense atmosphere finally broke when Xiao Yan spoke. Seeing Fa Ma’s slightly flickering eyes as he spoke, Xiao Yan smiled gently and said, “Fa Ma, President, truly seems confident about reaching the sixth rank. Achieving higher ranks among alchemists is exceptionally difficult, as the primary requirement is to strengthen one’s spiritual power—yet enhancing spiritual strength itself is no easy feat. Usually, spiritual power grows only when one’s combat energy level advances. Fa Ma, now well into his prime and already at the level of a Battle Emperor, finds it particularly challenging to make further progress. After all, not everyone, like Xiao Yan, is born with a naturally powerful spiritual essence and also possesses rare items such as the Burned Scripture or the Unique Flame, which specifically aid in spiritual cultivation. Upon hearing Xiao Yan’s words, Fa Ma slightly softened his smile, furrowed his brows, and remained silent—most aware of his own condition. "As long as Director Fahu agrees to join the Alliance, I hereby pledge that within ten years, our guild will have ten Fifth-Rank Alchemists, and you, esteemed elder, will also ascend to Sixth-Rank status during this period." Seeing Fahu's expression, Xiao Yan smiled and gently dropped a proposal that, to him, was no less than a game-changing revelation. As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, a wave of astonished murmurs rose throughout the hall—even Hai Bode, who had been watching Xiao Yan with a look of surprise, could hardly believe the calm confidence in his smile. Having firsthand experience with the challenges of advancing alchemists' ranks, the others found it hard to believe when Xiao Yan announced that within a decade, the guild would boast ten Fifth-Rank Alchemists and one Sixth-Rank Alchemist. As for the slight experience of Hai Bodo and others, Famu was even more aware of the difficulty involved, thus he stared at Xiao Yan in open astonishment, only gradually regaining his composure after a while, his face expressing a strange mixture of amazement and doubt. "Xiao Yan, your words have deeply moved me, yet they seem rather unrealistic," he said. "Xiao Yan began his journey in alchemy at the age of thirteen, and in just seven years, he has reached the sixth rank—how could one possibly claim this is mere exaggeration?" Xiao Yan spoke softly. "However, his teacher was that elder master—given his own strength, it was quite reasonable that he could produce such an outstanding disciple... Perhaps he truly could achieve what he claimed." The awe in his eyes gradually faded as Fama suddenly recalled the old master who had once casually guided him—Xiao Yan's teacher, Yao Lao. After a brief pause, he murmured to himself. As he thought of this, a warm glow stirred in his eyes. Throughout his life, Fama's greatest aspiration had been to advance further along the path of a pharmacist. Yet, due to his inherent aptitude and age, he had found it increasingly difficult to make further progress. If Xiao Yan truly achieved what he had promised—reaching the sixth rank of pharmacist within ten years—then even incorporating the Pharmaceutical Guild into the Alliance would no longer be out of the question. Thoughts raced through his mind, and after a long while, Fang Ma exhaled deeply, fixing his gaze on Xiao Yan and speaking solemnly, "If Xiao Yan truly manages to secure ten fifth-rank alchemists for the Alchemist Guild within the next decade, then I shall gladly agree to incorporate the Guild into the Alliance!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled gently and nodded. Having accompanied the senior alchemist for so many years, he had inherited much of his master's refined alchemical expertise. With these foundations, he was confident in cultivating several outstanding alchemists within a decade. Though helping Fang Ma advance to sixth rank would be a challenge, it was by no means impossible. "Congratulations, Xiao Yan! With the Alchemist Guild now part of the Alliance, its potential will surely be incalculable." "Jia Xingtian smiled warmly, though inwardly he sighed. He was well aware of the position the Pharmaceutical Guild held within the Jia Ma Empire. In the past, the imperial family had made numerous efforts to win them over, yet these proud and independent members had always remained aloof. Now, however, it seemed that Xiao Yan had unexpectedly secured such a significant advantage. Xiao Yan smiled gently, glanced at Mu Chen and others, whose eyes gleamed with a touch of admiration, and said calmly, 'As long as the three great families continue to serve the Alliance faithfully in the future, I promise you that by the tenth year, your clans will boast at least three, if not more, Dou Huang-level warriors. I believe this will be easier to achieve than cultivating ten Five-Rank Pharmaceutical Specialists.' Upon hearing this, Mu Chen, Na Lan Jie, and the others were momentarily stunned, then burst into joyful excitement, rising promptly to bow and express their gratitude. Xiao Yan waved his hand with a smile, saying, 'Since all of you have joined the Alliance, we are now family. The stronger the members, the stronger the Alliance becomes—this is simply what I should do.' "Both Jia Xingtian and Yao Yexie were equally stunned by Xiao Yan's pledge—ten years of cultivating a strong contender at the Dou Huang level. If someone else had made such a claim, they would have surely scoffed. But for this young man, who at just twenty had already defeated a Dou Zong-level powerhouse, their skepticism had been significantly dampened. With his ever-growing array of reserves, he might truly possess such capabilities. As this thought came to them, a quiet admiration stirred within. Having nurtured their royal lineage for years, they had only a few Dou Wang-level warriors—besides Jia Xingtian, the only Dou Huang-level figure in the entire royal family was the ancient Yuhai Jiang creature. This very fact was the source of Jia Xingtian's greatest concern: should he one day fall, the royal house he had protected would lose much of its prestige and influence." A quiet sigh escaped from his heart. Looking at each other, both Jia Xingtian and Yao Ye gently exhaled, their brows furrowed. After a moment's pause, Jia Xingtian suddenly stood up, bowing formally to Xiao Yan and saying, "Hehe, Xiao Yan, I wonder—if the royal family joins this alliance, will it enable our royal house to produce several more Dou Huang-level warriors within the next decade?" On the Dao Qi Continent, true强者 transcend any empire. A Dao Pharaoh is sufficient to match an ordinary army of tens of thousands, and their status is determined by their powerful destructive force. In a relatively weaker empire like Jia Ma, a single Dao Pharaoh can even decide the outcome of a war. Xiao Yin found it surprising to see Jia Xingtian's actions—unexpected indeed. He hadn't anticipated that Jia Xingtian would be moved by the three noble families' pledge. After a moment of astonishment, he smiled warmly and nodded, saying, "If Jia Elder has this intention, Xiao Yin is most delighted. As long as the royal family can present truly talented individuals, Xiao Yin will do everything in his power. And in the future, the alliance and the royal family shall share both fortune and adversity!" Upon hearing this, Jia Xingtian laughed heartily, though a quiet sense of relief stirred within him—perhaps this would actually strengthen the royal family's position even further. "Ah, well, since the alliance has now taken shape, may I ask—what shall we call it?" Xiao Ding smiled slightly, glanced at Xiao Yan, and said softly, "The name of the Alliance consists of just two characters. We call it..." "In-Alliance!"