The sudden move in the hall startled many people. Once they had clearly seen the person stepping in to block, their expressions changed noticeably. Then, they cast a sympathetic glance toward Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan stared calmly at the large hand pressing on the "Jade Bone Fruit," his mind quietly murmuring, "Indeed, it's always like this..." From the very beginning, when the five jade boxes were brought out, Xiao Yan had sensed that this exchange of medicinal herbs would not unfold as smoothly as he had hoped. And now, his intuition had proven true. He slightly turned his head, observing the red-faced man standing behind him, his brow furrowing slightly. "Ah, Old Qi, this gentleman stepped in first—doesn't that seem a bit out of order?" As he watched the red-faced man intervene, Yao the Master felt a weight settle on his shoulders, and his smile came out somewhat strained. "What nonsense is this, Master Yao? This is a bidding session—price is everything, the highest bidder wins. How could there be any distinction between who comes first and who comes later?" Upon hearing this, Master Yao could only sigh and nod, though inwardly he muttered under his breath, "If you truly offered the highest price, then naturally I would have exchanged the herbs with you. But this old fool—always resorting to underhanded tactics!" Upon hearing Qi Shan speak, the stream of glances directed at Xiao Yan grew even more sympathetic. How pitiful this young man was—having to compete against such an elderly, domineering figure! Who in Black Emperor City didn’t know that Qi Shan had a well-earned reputation for leveraging his status to dominate others? Under the weight of all these gazes, Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment before gently grasping the jade box containing the "Jade Bone Fruit" and slowly drawing it toward himself, offering Qi Shan a warm, subtle smile. "I'm sorry, but I also need this 'Jade Bone Fruit,' so I恐怕 won't be able to part with it," he said. As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, an instant of quiet settled throughout the hall. Even Yao, the head of the pavilion, blinked in surprise—she hadn’t expected such a bold, direct refusal from this seemingly young and composed man. In the now-silent hall, Qi Shan's expression clearly stiffened slightly, then a shade of gloom settled in his eyes as he slowly turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan, smiling politely while his tone remained reserved. "Heh, today's young people truly are fearless—like calves born for the first time, unafraid of the tiger." Unmoved by Qi Shan's subtle mockery, Xiao Yan turned to Yao the Master, smiling and said, "Could you please check these three herbs and let me know which kind of pill I'd need to exchange for them?" Yao the Master gradually regained his composure, hesitating slightly before speaking softly, "Sir, are you really going to do this? To offend a senior sixth-rank alchemist from He Huang Sect over just one 'Jade Bone Fruit'? That seems rather unwise." Though the remark served as a gentle reminder to Xiao Yan, it also subtly conveyed Qi Shan's status to him. Regarding her kind offer, Xiao Yan merely smiled slightly and replied indifferently, "This 'Jade Bone Fruit' is also quite important to me. Today, regardless of who it is, I won't part with it. So, please let Master Yao specify what you would like in exchange." Seeing that Xiao Yan was firm, Master Yao and the white-haired elder beside him exchanged a glance and then nodded in agreement, saying, "These three herbs are among the finest in our Thousand Medicine Hall, and thus quite valuable. If Master Yan wishes to take them, then kindly present a fifth-rank pill." "Fifth-rank pill?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan paused briefly, mentally calculating. It wasn't particularly expensive—these three herbs were typically used to produce pills of sixth rank or even higher, so their value was indeed comparable to a fifth-rank pill. "Hey, if he doesn't have the ability, let him learn from others and swap for herbs..." Upon seeing Xiao Yan hesitate, Qi Shan sneered and then turned his gaze to Yao, saying with a calm tone, "I recall that the herb exchange gathering is conducted through bidding—should this young man fail to present a fifth-rank pill, then I shall take over the exchange myself." Hearing Qi Shan willingly offer a fifth-rank pill, both Yao and the people around him were visibly surprised—how generous was this old man today? "Indeed, in the herb exchange gathering, the one who offers the highest bid wins the herbs," Yao hesitated slightly, glanced at Xiao Yan, and then said. "This is a 'Fengxing Pill,' of fifth-rank quality. Once taken, it enables a person to dramatically increase their speed over a short period. Should they be pursued, it will surely ensure their survival." Qi Shan sneered softly, then withdrew a jade bottle from his storage seal and placed it on the table, explaining. Yao Fengzhu was slightly taken aback, then carefully took the jade bottle from his hand and passed it to the white-haired elder standing beside him. The elder glanced at the color of the pills inside the bottle, inhaled the aroma, and then nodded gently, saying, "Indeed, it is a fifth-rank pill, 'Fengxing Pill,' though the quality is not of the upper grade. It seems the person who prepared the pills was rather hurried during the process." "Heh, Yan Elder's eyes are as sharp as ever—yet to advance to the sixth rank, one can't rely solely on sight," said Qi Shan, chuckling. "Since the pills have been verified, then these herbs should be mine, shouldn't they?" As he spoke, he extended his hand to grasp the three jade boxes resting before Xiao Yan. However, just as his hand reached out, another hand gently intercepted it, and a soft laugh echoed, "This gentleman seems rather eager—yet I haven't had the chance to speak yet." His gaze grew slightly colder as Qi Shan slowly lifted his eyes, meeting the dark pools of the other's stare, his voice gradually becoming more impatient and cold. "Young man, seize the moment when things are going well. When operating within the Black Corner Domain, you must learn to temper your actions—otherwise, you'll gain little benefit." Hearing this, Xiao Yan offered a gentle smile. "Thank you for the advice. However, I've already stated that these herbs will not be relinquished today." As he spoke, he moved his hand, withdrawing a jade vial and placing it gently upon the table. "This is the Du Ling Pill, a fifth-rank elixir. As for its effects, I'm certain all of you are familiar with them—I need not elaborate further." As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, a wave of astonishment surged throughout the hall. Everyone turned their eyes, filled with shock, toward the jade vial on the table—the Dan of the Combat Spirit. This medicine was renowned throughout any place it was found. If the Fengxing Dan presented by Qi Shan could be considered a lower-grade fifth-rank medicine, then the Dan of the Combat Spirit truly stood as a premier-grade one. Moreover, Fengxing Dan was a consumable medicine, while the Dan of the Combat Spirit directly and permanently enhanced one's capabilities. In comparison, the difference in value between the two was nothing short of celestial. Thus, regardless of the aspect considered, the two were utterly incomparable. As Xiao Yan directly produced a Dou Ling Pill, even the Yao Director, the elderly Yan, and Qi Shan beside him all grew stunned. It wasn't until a few moments passed that Qi Shan's face quickly flushed with an unmistakable surge of joy—the Dou Ling Pill, though a fifth-rank pill, was truly valuable, and when compared to some lower-tier sixth-rank pills, it was no less impressive. "Impossible! How could this young man possibly have obtained a Dou Ling Pill?" "Meanwhile, Qi Shan suddenly erupted in anger. Even with his current expertise in alchemy, the success rate for crafting Dou Ling Dan was far below fifty percent. As the chief alchemist of Hei Huang Sect, any pills he produced naturally belonged to the sect first—so in truth, his personal wealth wasn't as impressive as many imagined. Indeed, he did possess one such Dou Ling Dan himself—but he would absolutely never be willing to part with it to exchange for these three herbs. Qi Shan's outburst went largely unnoticed. The white-haired elder, known as Yan Old Man, stepped forward first, snatched the jade vial, and carefully poured out a single round, emerald-colored pill. With careful scrutiny, Yan Old Man's eyes gradually filled with astonishment, which soon deepened into a sense of serious concern. "Master Yan, how is the pill? Is there any issue?" Seeing the elder Yan in this condition, Yao the Master immediately felt a sudden jolt in his heart and spoke cautiously. "No...," said Elder Yan, drawing a deep breath and displaying a rare fervor in his tone, "this is indeed a Spirit Combat Pill." Upon hearing this, a wave of astonishment rippled through the hall, and Qi's face turned alternately pale and flushed—never having imagined that such a young, barely twenty-year-old lad could actually present a pill of this caliber. "Moreover," Elder Yan continued, his voice growing more forceful, "the quality of this Spirit Combat Pill is exceptional—this is the first time in all these years that I've seen such refinement in both its appearance and the vitality of its essence. Based on my experience, even some sixth-rank alchemists, without special flame assistance, would never be able to produce a pill of this quality." The force of his subsequent words sent several people in the hall taking a sharp intake of breath. As for Master Yan's discerning eye at Qiayao Fang, even those from Qi Shan are well aware. Given that someone so particular about herbal pills as he is has bestowed such a high evaluation upon this Dou Ling Pill, its quality must surely be extraordinary—indeed, truly formidable. While the guests in the hall breathed in astonishment, the intensity of the shock reflected in Master Yan's gaze toward Xiao Yan only deepened.