The Cangnan Academy remained a considerable distance from the Peace Town, so when Xiao Yan and his companions arrived, it was already midday. Though Xiao Yan made only a brief stop in the outer courtyard, he promptly set off toward the inner academy, nestled deep within the mountains behind the academy. With their current pace, it took them less than half an hour to traverse the vast, seemingly perilous mountain range that had once seemed daunting. As the familiar mountain stream came into view, Xiao Yan knew they had reached the inner academy. Under Su Qian's guidance, the group entered the inner academy seamlessly, effortlessly passing through the distorted spatial barrier. Past the silver gates, a vast, lush forest unfolded before him. Gazing at this familiar scene, Xiao Yan felt a subtle touch of nostalgia and warmth. Back then, he had entered the inner courtyard here, and in that very event—the so-called "Competition for Fire Energy"—he, a newcomer, had earned a modest reputation among the students. Beyond the forest, the vast inner courtyard once again came into view of Xiao Yan and the others. Standing on the slope, Xiao Yan looked down upon the lively courtyard below. The scale of the courtyard had grown even more expansive compared to two years ago. Moreover, due to the slightly relaxed admission criteria over the past few years, the courtyard now exuded greater vitality. Of course, this growth was accompanied by an increasingly intense level of competition. Those who could enter the inner courtyard were generally no ordinary people; capable individuals naturally didn't like to be stepped on—thus, a solid, though not particularly exceptional, "Strong Rank" list became their goal. To climb just one rank higher, many students devoted themselves wholeheartedly to cultivation. Watching the backs of Su Qian and the others until they had completely disappeared, he finally exhaled slowly. A fresh, youthful smile began to spread across his young face—a smile that had not appeared on Xiao Yan’s face for quite some time. Throughout all these years, he had been constantly driven forward by various matters, and at times even forgot that he was merely a young man in his twenties, not an elderly man with white hair. Now, under the vibrant, energetic atmosphere of the inner courtyard, Xiao Yan felt a sense of ease and lightness in his heart. He now truly looked like a young man of his age, rather than an old man. "How could they not even know where the headquarters of Panmen was located?" the student murmured, looking after Xiao Yan's retreating figure. Following the student's indicated route, after roughly ten minutes, Xiao Yan finally appeared outside what was claimed to be the Panmen headquarters. When he stopped there and gazed at the spacious manor before him, even with his usual composure, he couldn't help but be stunned—how could the inner courtyard be so grand? It was truly a luxurious headquarters for a college-level faction, a world apart from the previous situation where they had only used dormitory buildings as a base. Of course, Xiao Yan, who had been away from the inner academy for over two years, naturally had no idea how dominant the Pan Gate had become within the inner academy. Simply put, among the top fifty strongest students—those most prestigious—the majority now bore the Pan Gate's emblem on their chests. Even several of the newly appointed senior elders within the inner academy still held official titles from the Pan Gate. Moreover, due to the Pan Gate's increasingly rigorous standards, its internal cohesion has grown stronger, resulting in a more structured and tightly controlled presence. Compared to other more loosely organized academic factions, this difference is truly remarkable. Whispering in admiration, Xiao Yan walked straight toward this grand manor. As he approached, his gaze briefly swept over the four men at the entrance, each with a stern expression. From their aura, they were no ordinary staff—even among the inner courtyard, they were certainly capable. It was unprecedented, however, that such capable individuals were assigned to guard the entrance, a situation that had never occurred during Xiao Yan's own tenure. Observing the four men's vigilant, back-and-forth patrols, Xiao Yan moved with a subtle shimmer of silver light, gliding silently and effortlessly into the manor as if by magic. Then, with a cheerful smile, he clapped his hands and proceeded toward the deeper parts of the manor. As he walked through the manor, Xiao Yan once again felt the spaciousness of the estate. He simply chose a path and continued on. After a while, the view ahead broadened considerably, revealing a well-kept open space, accompanied by a steady stream of murmured applause. He raised his gaze at the applause, looking toward the dense crowd gathered in the open space, and smiled gently as he walked slowly toward them. There, he sensed a familiar presence. As he drew nearer to the crowd, he noticed a raised platform among them. On the platform sat a woman dressed in light blue robes, her figure graceful and elegant, her curves beautifully accentuated by the fabric—most appealing to the eye. Yet, a slight coldness radiated from her, creating a sense of distant reserve; she appeared to be one of those inherently aloof and proud women—typically difficult for men to win over. As a result, those without much charm or strength could only admire her from afar, unable to approach her closely. Of course, what most intrigued Xiao Yan was not the woman's appearance, but the medicinal cauldron placed before her—within which flames danced continuously, emitting a faint aroma of herbs, clearly indicating that this woman was a master of alchemical medicine. As Xiao Yan glanced over the cauldron with growing astonishment, he lightly inhaled the scent, his eyes widening further. "It's a fourth-rank pill, the 'Heavenly Qi Pill,' I didn't expect a young woman to be capable of crafting such a refined concoction. Her alchemical talent is no less than that of Liu Ling, one of Guhe's disciples." At that moment, the blue-robed woman was fully absorbed in the cauldron, her smooth forehead occasionally glistening with droplets of perspiration, which then traced down her slightly slender, oval face to her chin. Though her cheeks were damp with sweat, the blue-robed girl clearly still had ample strength, her soul energy carefully nurturing the medicine with a steady hand, releasing waves of rich, fragrant aroma that caused the onlookers to continually swallow. Soft murmurs and occasional conversations began to rise. "Xinlan's alchemical skills are truly becoming more refined—crafting a fourth-rank pill at her age is no small feat; her future achievements will surely be remarkable." "Hey, that's right—anyone who can marry Xinlan won't have to worry about running out of medicine for the rest of their lives." "Hmph, just dreaming again. Xinlan has such high standards—no one in the inner courtyard has truly caught her eye yet. And she herself has stated that, to be considered a suitor, one must surpass her in alchemy. Aside from a few senior alchemical elders or instructors, is there any student in the courtyard who could possibly exceed her?" "Who says there isn't?" Our Master once competed against others in the inner courtyard for refining medicinal pills, yet the pills he produced were only of fifth-rank! "Hmm... Go away, far away! Master has been away from the inner courtyard for two years now—how can this possibly be..." Hearing the murmurs and conversations around, Xiao Yan found himself slightly amused. It seemed he had truly become the legendary figure everyone spoke of. As Xiao Yan chuckled to himself, the blue-robed woman on the platform suddenly raised her voice with a graceful cry, extending her jade-like hand and summoning a round, fragrant pill that shot straight into the medicinal cauldron, landing finally into the smooth, lustrous jade-like hand before her. Upon witnessing her successful refinement, cheers erupted from the audience, and a steady stream of compliments poured in toward the blue-robed woman—yet these seemed to have no effect on her. Her face remained cool and composed, and with a single glance from her slender, elegant eyes, those who had been loudly praising or groaning were quickly silenced, embarrassed and at a loss. "Unfortunately..." Xiao Yan glanced at the pills in the woman's hands, then gently shook his head before speaking softly. As soon as his words fell, he suddenly noticed the surrounding atmosphere had grown quieter, and he raised his head in slight surprise to find a pair of calm, bright eyes quietly fixed upon him. The blue-robed woman observed the young man in black robes below, whose face she vaguely recognized, and spoke with a composed tone. "What did you mean by 'unfortunately'?"