Fu Ma's account piqued Xiao Yan's interest—indeed, the prospect of having Dan King Guo He join the Yan Alliance was particularly appealing. Thus, on the second morning, he instructed Fu Ma to lead the way, taking Hai Bo Dong directly to Guo He's residence. After the Yunlan Sect disbanded, Guo He naturally left Yunlan Mountain, yet he did not depart the Jima Empire. Instead, he chose to retire in a quiet mountain range not far from Yunlan Mountain—precisely the destination of Xiao Yan's party. Guo He's retreat was not far from the imperial capital, and with Xiao Yan's group's pace, they reached it in about half an hour. Under Fu Ma's guidance, they easily located a cluster of thatched cottages nestled deep within the forest. Here, Xiao Yan also encountered an old acquaintance—Liu Ling, who had once competed with him for the championship title at the Pharmaceutical Grand Assembly in the Imperial Capital. Upon seeing the sudden arrival of these several individuals, Liu Ling was clearly taken aback; only when his gaze settled on Xiao Yan's face did he exclaim in surprise, "Xiao Yan? What brings you here?" Liu Ling harbored a complex feeling toward Xiao Yan. Back then, they had been roughly on par, yet now, while Xiao Yan was still striving to reach the fifth rank as a fourth-rank pharmaceutical master, Liu Ling had already achieved a level capable of standing alongside his teacher, Gu He. This gap naturally stirred a sense of quiet discouragement within him. "Ah, Liu brother," Xiao Yan smiled gently and said with polite courtesy, "Could you kindly inform Master Gu He that Xiao Yan would like to see him?" Hearing Xiao Yan's polite words, Liu Ling hesitated slightly but ultimately did not decline, merely nodded and turned to walk toward the thatched cottage. He was well aware of Xiao Yan's current status within the Jima Empire, knowing full well that he was no longer the young man from before with little background. Watching Liu Ling enter the cottage, Xiao Yan and the others glanced around, then nodded in approval—this ancient river truly knew how to choose a location. Remote and sparsely visited, few people reached this place, making it an excellent choice for retirement and seclusion. As they surveyed the surroundings, the door of the cottage slowly opened, and a figure stepped out, gazing calmly at Xiao Yan and the others. "You've managed to find your way here," he said, "It's clear that the influence of the Yan Alliance has indeed spread throughout the Jima Empire. I'm merely curious—has today's visit come to bring trouble, or is there something else on your mind?" "The person who has appeared is none other than Guo He, the Master of Dan Art, who has been largely absent for a long time. Behind him, Liu Ling bows slightly, glancing at Xiao Yan and the others, seemingly a bit puzzled by their purpose for coming here. "You're still as annoying as ever," remarked Fama, shaking his head and laughing. "It must be you, old man, who brought the people along," Guo He said, glancing at Fama before his gaze settled on Xiao Yan. "Master Yan, the Alliance's Grand Master, please state your matter. I still have a medicinal field to tend to today. If there's nothing urgent, I shall not stay any longer." Fama had once mentioned that Guo He was not a petty or narrow-minded person. With that in mind, I have no further hesitation in making my request: I would like to formally invite Master Guo to join the Dan Hall of the Yan Alliance." Xiao Yan smiled slightly and didn't waste time on irrelevant details, simply stating the matter directly. He knew that for someone like Gu He, speaking in a roundabout, hesitant manner would only make him feel impatient. "Joining the Yan Alliance?" Hearing this, Gu He's face immediately took on a strange expression. He then lazily waved his hand and said, "Well, then. I'm quite content with my current lifestyle. I've no desire to join the big factions and mingle with them—constant noise and fuss only serve to irritate me." "Ah, you always are... You didn't enter the 'Dan Tower' for cultivation back then, did you? The potential of the Dan Hall is far superior to that of the Pharmacist Guild today. If you join, your wish won't be difficult to achieve in the future," said Fama, somewhat exasperated. "Old man—stop trying to lure me with this! Do you really think I have no other way to enter the Dan Tower?" If I weren't certain that I was a Gamma Empire native, merely stepping away from here, wouldn't you think that my alchemy skills would attract some other powerful alchemy organizations to recruit me?" Guo He sneered, coldly. "Uh..." Hearing this, Fama found himself at a loss, awkwardly gazing at Xiao Yan. Naturally, he knew that Guo He's alchemy expertise was no ordinary talent—anywhere on the Continent, even a casual visit would surely draw interest, given that a Sixth-Rank Alchemist wasn't just a common commodity. Seeing that the seemingly substantial offer from Fama failed to stir even a hint of interest in Guo He, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. Indeed, this old man was truly unreliable. Observing Xiao Yan's expression, Fama's own embarrassment deepened. "Master Guo, if that's the case, you don't seem particularly interested in other alchemy organizations outside the Empire. Then, why haven't you considered the Yan Alliance? Is it perhaps due to the gap between us?" His gaze shifted to Gǔhé, and Xiao Yan spoke slowly. Gǔhé, eyes slightly narrowed, suddenly said in a calm tone, "Do you really want me to join the Yan Alliance?" "Given Gǔhé Master's expertise in alchemy, I believe no faction would casually overlook you," Xiao Yan said, spreading his hands with a smile. "Of course I'm willing to join you—though you'll have to meet one condition," Gǔhé said, his gaze slowly sweeping over Xiao Yan. After a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly. "What condition?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, hesitating to commit immediately, and asked with caution. "A trial in alchemy! If you win, then I'll join the Yan Alliance—how does that sound?" Gǔhé looked at Xiao Yan with intense focus. A surge of passion had suddenly welled up in his voice—ever since he had lost to Xiao Yan in their previous trial, he had harbored a lingering sense of pride. Today, he was determined to showcase his greatest strength, alchemy, and face Xiao Yan once again. Hearing Guo He's words, everyone present except Xiao Yan showed some change in expression. Guo He's expertise in alchemy was well known throughout the Galma Empire—compared to him, even Famu had little confidence. "You're being rather unfair," Famu frowned. "Given your standing, pitting you against Xiao Yan in alchemy seems rather dismissive." "He glanced at Fa Ma, slightly frowning. In recent times, he had witnessed Xiao Yan preparing and refining pills numerous times, and thus was very well aware of the level of his pharmaceutical skills—on the surface, at the very least, Xiao Yan's expertise was no lower than his own." "Xiao Yan, how about it? Let's have a match. If you win, I'll join the Yan Alliance. If you lose, then you may never bother me again," said Guo He, his gaze calm and composed. Under the watchful eyes of several others, Xiao Yan paused slightly, then smiled gently and nodded. "Since Master Guo has this intention, I'll gladly participate. Just please don't come up with any further excuses after the match is decided." "Indeed, a true master of the Yan Alliance. It's been many years since the Jima Empire has had a pharmacist dare to speak to me like this." "Heard Xiao Yan's words, Gu He didn't grow angry—he smiled instead. He then gently guided his hand and said, 'Then, please come inside. Father Fang, you two wait outside. Liu Ling, take care of them.' With that, he turned first and walked toward the thatched cottage. Xiao Yan followed without hesitation, stepping promptly after. Watching the two enter and close the door behind them, Fang and Hai Bo Dong could only shake their heads in resignation. Hai Bo Dong sat down on a stone mill and murmured, 'Old man, who do you think has the better chances?' Upon hearing this, Fang also shook his head and sighed, 'How can I say? Gu He is known as the Dan King for good reasons, and Xiao Yan clearly isn't a simple lad. Just from the occasional times he's crafted pills recently, it seems he's already reached the level of a Sixth-Rank Alchemist. So, really... the outcome is hard to predict." Li Ling, who had been carefully pouring tea for the two, froze at Fang Ma's words—her teapot trembled, spilling tea onto the stone mill beside her. She turned to gaze at the closed door with wide eyes, utterly stunned. She could never have imagined that in just a few years, the young apprentice who once had only just begun as a novice alchemist would now have reached the same level as his master. "Will the master be able to outperform him?" The alchemical competition had lasted two full days. Outsiders were unaware of the intense struggles that had unfolded within the thatched cottage, though the continuous waves of fragrant herbal aromas seeping out could clearly suggest that the contest had far exceeded any expectations. As the three waited patiently, at dusk on the second day, the closed door of the cottage finally opened with a joyful sound, and two slightly disheveled figures stepped out slowly. Upon seeing the two arrive, the three members of Fahu nearly sprang up immediately, eager to ask, "Who won?" The outcome of the match had not been revealed by either Xiao Yan or Guo He. However, just the day after Xiao Yan and his companions returned, Guo He took Li Ling and departed from this secluded location where they had resided for approximately one year—heading precisely to the Imperial Capital. When Fama and Haidong felt a slight sense of apprehension upon Anci's announcement of joining the Flame Alliance, their eyes, filled with disbelief, gazed at the smiling young man in black robes—clearly, the match had indeed favored this one. With Anci's joining, the Dan Hall's strength naturally grew stronger, and with Anci as a role model, free alchemists within the Empire began to join the Dan Hall one after another, causing the Hall's scale to expand rapidly. About a month after Anci's official joining, during a period of leisure, Xiao Yan finally received a messenger bird flying from the Chuyun Empire. After unrolling and gently spreading out the scroll, Xiao Yan's expression suddenly turned grave. "The Huan Palace has arrived—come quickly!"