The quiet atmosphere in the hall lasted for about a minute, after which Qi Shan finally broke the silence with a sarcastic tone: "I mean, Mr. Yan, even though your success rate in crafting Douling Dan these days is quite low, don't you think you're placing too much emphasis on this particular Douling Dan?" Upon hearing this, Mr. Yan of Qian Yao Pharmacy glanced at Qi Shan with a calm, steady gaze and replied with a cold smile: "Perhaps in the art of compounding herbs I may not match your skill, but when it comes to judging the quality of pills and dan, I truly don't see myself falling short of you." Stiffened by Mr. Yan's words, Qi Shan felt a bit put off—admitting that, indeed, he couldn't quite compare in discerning the quality of pills to Mr. Yan. "Sir, are you really going to trade this Douling Dan for these three herbs?" Master Yao gazed at Xiao Yan with a warm smile, her voice slightly hesitant. The value of the Douling Pill far exceeded that of these three herbs. Should this transaction succeed, she would even be willing to set aside Qi Mountain entirely. This pill, so highly praised by Master Yan, undoubtedly ranks among the top-tier among the five-grade pills—certainly a premium among premiums. While her Thousand Medicine Hall has long held some reservations about Qi Mountain, it is far from being overly fearful. Xiao Yan clearly sensed her hesitation. Naturally, he knew the Douling Pill’s worth surpassed that of the three herbs. Yet at present, within his meditation robe, he only possessed one of the five-grade pills originally crafted—others were present, though not significantly superior to this one, nor were they particularly impressive at the lower levels. Thus, he had to allow the headmistress of the Thousand Medicine Hall a favorable position. Fortunately, her earlier subtle recommendations had left a positive impression on him, so allowing her a bit of advantage was entirely acceptable. "If Master Yao has no objections, then I shall take these three herbs." Xiao Yan nodded gently and said. Upon hearing this, Master Yao's face immediately lit up with joy; just as he was about to nod, Qi Shan suddenly slammed his table and shouted, "Wait!" Interrupted mid-sentence, Master Yao's expression darkened slightly, and with a composed gaze turned toward Qi Shan, her voice carrying a restrained tone of anger: "Master Qi, I deeply respect you as a prominent figure in Black Emperor City, and therefore hold you in high regard. I beg you now not to impose a house arrest upon my Thousand Herbs Workshop!" "Qiān Yàofang's business in Black Imperial City has flourished so greatly, with a master pharmacist of Yan's caliber lending his strength—naturally, they can't be easily manipulated. Though Qi Shan's background is solid, he truly can't just sit on their heads and let them suffer. Hearing Yao's furious words, Qi Shan's face slightly tightened, then he snorted, fixing Xiao Yan with a glare full of intensity. "Isn't it just a Douling Pill? Do you think I can't produce one?" "Boom!" As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Shan waved his hand, and a jade vial materialized, then he forcefully stamped it onto the table. The sudden display caused a fresh wave of murmurs throughout the hall. Those who had been watching Qi Shan now stared at him with expressions of disbelief—was this old man suddenly off his medication? Instead of trying to gain an advantage, he had actually sacrificed, presenting a Douling Pill? Faced with the astonished glances from around, Qi Shan felt his heart heavy with emotion. He was currently preparing to refine a sixth-rank pill, with Yu Guo Fruit as its primary ingredient—thus, he had been determined to secure this material. Moreover, he had been deeply stirred by Xiao Yan's performance; should it later be reported that the esteemed chief alchemist of Hei Huang Sect, a man of such stature, could not even compete with a mere young apprentice, how would he face the pride of his own position? Under these dual pressures, Qi Shan had only managed to bite his teeth, endure the pain, and finally retrieve the sole stored sixth-rank pill of his. This move clearly came as a surprise to Yao, the head of the hall, and to Yan the elder beside him—neither had anticipated being able to gain an advantage over this seasoned veteran. They exchanged glances, both finding themselves at a loss. After a moment's hesitation, the old Yan slowly reached out and took the jade bottle, then poured out the pill inside. As he glanced at it, a slight frown formed on his brow. Seeing this, Yao, the head of the workshop, felt his heart sink as well and said, "Master Yan?" "Indeed, it's also a Dou Ling Pill," Yan said, slowly shifting his gaze to Qi Shan. "But in quality—well, it's far from matching the one this young friend here has." "Talk sense!" exclaimed Qi Shan, his face blazing with indignation. "A senior sixth-rank alchemist like me, how could my crafted pills be inferior to this young man's?" Unmoved by Qi Shan's outburst, Master Yan held the Dou Ling Pill from Xiao Yan in his right hand and the one from Qi Shan in his left, then spread them out before all the alchemists in the hall. "All of you are well-known alchemists in Black Emperor City. I assume each of you possesses the ability to judge the merits of pills. Now, let's see—whose Dou Ling Pill is superior?" Hearing Master Yan's words, a stream of glances immediately turned toward the two pills, lingering for a moment before settling on them, and then their faces all grew somewhat strange. Regardless of appearance or the quality of the qi emitted, Xiao Yan's pill clearly surpassed Qi Shan's in every way. The effect of the Dou Ling Pill enables Dou Wang-level warriors to gain one star of strength, though this enhancement is not guaranteed—success depends heavily on the quality of the pill. Simply put, if a Dou Wang-level warrior takes either Xiao Yan's or Qi Shan's Dou Ling Pill, the former's pill will have a significantly higher success rate. Since a Dou Wang can only consume one Dou Ling Pill, anyone wishing to purchase such a pill would likely need to prioritize Xiao Yan's, even if they had to sell off all their assets. Thus, the difference between the two pills becomes immediately apparent. Of course, though they knew in their hearts which of the two pills was superior, no one had spoken up—since speaking now might offend Qi Shan. Thus, the hall fell into a moment of awkward silence. Yet, despite this silence, nearly every gaze in the hall remained fixed on Yan Old Man’s right hand, where the pill belonging to Xiao Yan—the Dou Ling Pill—was placed. This scene naturally caught Qi Shan’s attention, and even with his thick face, he quickly turned crimson. The look he now sent toward Xiao Yan grew steadily more somber, clearly indicating that this less magnanimous elder had grown deeply resentful of Xiao Yan’s rising prestige. Yan Old Man slowly withdrew his hands, placing each pill back into its jade vial and then handing one of the vials back to Qi Shan, the implication clear. "Mr. Yan, these three herbs are now yours." Seeing Yang La's demeanor, Yao Fengzhu also quietly breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled warmly at Xiao Yan. "Thank you..." Xiao Yan felt equally relieved. These three herbs were exceptionally hard to find. Since leaving the Yun Cloud Empire and journeying all the way to Hei Jiao Domain—over ten thousand miles—he had yet to hear a single word about them. Now, with such good fortune finally coming to pass, he would surely not hesitate to pursue them. Ignoring Qi Shan behind him and the stern, angry gaze fixed upon him, Xiao Yan carried the three jade boxes directly over. However, as he was about to place them into his storage scroll, his expression subtly changed—he sensed a powerful gust of wind surging from behind, suddenly and fiercely attacking him. Recognizing immediately who had launched the attack, Xiao Yan's face instantly grew serious. With a cold exhalation, a surge of vibrant, scorching combat energy erupted from within him, flooding out in waves, as if a volcano had erupted. The qi surging from within spontaneously churned and, finally, as if drawn by an unseen force, surged directly toward the attack aimed at his back. "Boom!" A deep resonant energy explosion rang out in the hall, followed by a wave of rippling energy that sent the gathered guests scrambling back. A wave of astonishment settled upon Xiao Yan, who now stood enveloped in a powerful, vibrant emerald qi, the sheer strength of which caused several spectators to gasp in awe. "An Emperor of Combat?" After successfully deflecting the assault, Xiao Yan turned slowly, his face cold and his gaze sharp, fixed upon Qi Shan, who had likewise grown pale with recognition of Xiao Yan's strength. "Ah, I didn't expect you to be an Emperor-class warrior—my eyes must have been dull today. My emotions were unsteady just now, so please forgive any offense I may have caused." Noticing the cold, lethal intensity in Xiao Yan's eyes, Qi Shan hurriedly stepped back, smiling politely. Staring at Qi Shan with cold eyes, Xiao Yan said in a chilling voice, "Do not think because you are the chief alchemist of Hei Huang Sect that I will hesitate to strike." As Xiao Yan spoke, two figures slowly approached beside him, their gaze unkindly fixed on Qi Shan. It seemed as though, as soon as Xiao Yan spoke, they would immediately move to seize and permanently remove this troublesome old man. Xiao Yan's words caused a slight twitch on Qi Shan's face, but after their earlier encounter, he had come to realize that Xiao Yan's strength was no weaker than his own—should they truly engage in combat, the outcome would likely be a draw. Moreover, the young healer beside Xiao Yan and Zi Yan themselves gave him a subtle sense of unease. Thus, he managed only a dry, forced smile and said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "Today's young people are simply getting more and more fiery. I hope next time we meet, you'll still carry such confidence..." As he spoke, Qi Shan swept his sleeve aside, carrying with him a surge of anger, and turned to descend the stairs, vanishing from the group's sight. As soon as Qi Shan departed, the remaining alchemists in the hall also realized that they should not stay any longer. After bowing respectfully to Yao the Master, they began to file down to the second floor one by one. Yao Fengzhu was slightly taken aback, then smiled. Xiao Yan licked his lips, hesitated a moment, before slowly asking, "Have you ever heard of 'Bodhi Body-Saliva'?"