Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Han Chi's smile grew even wider, bowing respectfully, "Then I am truly grateful to Xiao Yan, young sir. Should there be anything the Han family can do, please just let me know." Although the Han family, with its strength, could certainly find elders capable of defeating Hong Chen, those were mostly senior members of the clan. However, if those elders stepped in, Hong family elders would likely not remain passive either. This matter had thus been confined to the younger generation. Indeed, among the Han family's younger members, there truly wasn't anyone who could defeat Hong Chen. Xiao Yan's sudden appearance now truly resolves a pressing predicament for the Han family. After a brief pause, Xiao Yan said, "I need some medicinal herbs. My internal injuries have not yet fully healed, and I must recover to my peak condition within the next three days." "Ah? There are still injuries within Xiao Yan's body?" "Heard this, Han Chi and the others were even more astonished, their regard for Xiao Yan had grown even stronger. Having effortlessly evaded Han Tian's attacks while still injured, it was clear that their initial assessment of him had been too conservative. "No worries at all," said Han Chi, turning his gaze toward an elderly man standing beside him, with a composed demeanor. The man had white hair and beard, dressed in a traditional alchemist's robe, bearing a medicinal cauldron emblem on his chest—five radiant golden waves shimmering prominently on the cauldron, standing out brilliantly." The elder man, whom Xiao Yan had noticed upon entering the room earlier, clearly carried an air of reserve—his eyes mostly closed. This was not necessarily a sign of arrogance, but rather a common trait among high-level alchemists across the Central Plains. Indeed, the status of an alchemist was well-deserved. As for Zhuo Qian’s capabilities, while his strength had only just reached the level of a Battle Emperor, this was hardly remarkable for the Han family. However, his status as a fifth-rank alchemist was what elevated him significantly within the family—demonstrating just how highly valued alchemists were in the Central Plains. Though Xiao Yan had sensed the source of the elder’s confidence, by nature, he was not inclined to proactively cultivate relations with someone of merely fifth-rank status. To the Han family, such a person was a treasure; yet in Xiao Yan’s eyes, he was simply ordinary. Now, this so-called Master Zhúqián, only after hearing Han Chi's words did he slowly open his eyes, glanced at Xiao Yan, and then said in a calm tone, "Come here, let me examine you." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's face couldn't help but reveal a touch of surprise. With his current level of alchemy, he was absolutely at the upper-middle tier of the sixth rank—yet the old man, counting only a fifth-rank alchemist, spoke to him so formally. In the alchemy world, the difference between each rank was as vast as the distinction between two types of pills—something truly incomparable. Unless there were exceptional elements, such as unique flames or particularly outstanding spiritual strength, it was rare for an alchemist to successfully craft a pill beyond their own rank. Xiao Yan's achievement in such a feat was precisely due to his fulfillment of these two exceptional conditions. With these thoughts running through his mind, Xiao Yan smiled gently and then stepped forward steadily, extending his hand toward Zhúqián. Zhu Qian didn’t rise, simply remaining seated straight in his chair, glancing sideways at Xiao Yan. As his withered hands rested upon Xiao Yan’s arm, a surge of spiritual energy flowed directly into Xiao Yan’s body. “Roar!” The moment Zhu Qian’s spiritual energy entered Xiao Yan’s body, Xiao Yan’s spiritual perception instantly shifted—within him, a massive, formless beast’s head, composed of intangible flames, solidified and then roared fiercely at Zhu Qian’s spiritual force. With that roar, an astonishing surge of spiritual energy erupted like a volcanic eruption. Under the overwhelming force of this energy, Zhu Qian’s own spiritual force trembled, as if a wild beast had encountered a tiger—the king of the forest. It let out a startled cry, then, with a mix of shock and fear, retreated in panic, fleeing back along the path it had come. In the hall, Zhuo Qian's eyes, previously slightly half-lidded, suddenly widened with shock, as if electrified. He abruptly pushed away from Xiao Yan's arm, the chair beneath him bursting into fragments. Retreating several steps with hurried urgency, he stared at Xiao Yan as though seeing a ghost, trembling and stammering, "You... you..." "Master Xue, what's wrong?" The sudden start that Zhū Qián had experienced had also startled Han Chi and the others standing nearby, who quickly asked. Xiao Yan's words were neither courteous nor hesitant—they carried the tone of a direct instruction, which left Han Chi and the others with expressions of genuine relief and resignation. After all, Zhu Qian wasn't from their Han family; in fact, Han family had invested considerable effort to secure him as their chief alchemist. Aside from a few close relatives who could still summon him, Zhu Qian was practically a living deity—unyielding to any outside suggestions, especially not to someone like Xiao Yan, whose tone seemed so straightforward. However, as Han Chi prepared to intervene and smooth things over, Zhu Qian quickly stepped in, took up the sheet of paper, and scanned the list of over a dozen herbs written on it. His eyes widened in growing astonishment. With his keen eye for detail, he knew these herbs were only used in the preparation of high-tier elixirs. "You needn't worry," he said, "I will select the herbs whose medicinal potency is best preserved." With great care, he folded the white paper and promptly bowed, for now he was almost certain that the young man before him was indeed a pharmacist, and one of a higher rank than himself. Upon confirming this, a surge of excitement stirred within him—most pharmacists were passed down through teacher-student relationships. To cultivate such a young, high-level pharmacist, the mentor must surely be no ordinary person; perhaps even a master-level figure from the central plains. Seeing Zhú Qián's so formal and respectful demeanor, the others—especially Han Chi, who had just been about to praise Xiao Yan—stared at him in surprise. This usually proud old man had completely transformed today. When they all looked stunned, Han Yue and Han Xue chuckled softly. They both had a vague sense that Xiao Yan himself was a pharmacist. It must have been some unspoken events during their earlier interactions that they hadn't been aware of, which had caused Zhú Qián's usual arrogance to fade so completely. With a light smile, both girls were also subtly amazed—Xiao Yan had unexpectedly made Zhuo Qian lose all his pride, revealing a side that even he hadn't anticipated. To earn such deep respect from a Fifth-Rank Alchemist, one would have to at least surpass Zhuo Qian in rank. Therefore, Xiao Yan must be at least a Fifth-Rank, if not a Sixth-Rank Alchemist! The gentle laughter of the two girls also roused the others from their stunned state. They exchanged glances, then deliberately turned their eyes toward Xiao Yan—this young man always carried an air of profound depth. Unconsciously, the way she addressed them had grown more familiar. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan didn't react much—just smiled and bowed slightly to Han Chi and the others, then turned and followed Han Xue. As the two figures gradually faded from view, Han Chi's expression grew increasingly serious. He turned to Zhu Qian and said, "Master Zhu, what about a moment ago?" Zhu Qian exhaled gently, then glanced at Han Yue, speaking with cautious confidence, "I believe Master Xiao Yan is also a pharmacist?" Han Yue didn't hesitate to reveal this information. With a delicate hand, she brushed aside a strand of silvery hair that had fallen over her forehead, then smiled lightly and said, "Master Zhu, even when I was still training in the inner courtyard, Xiao Yan was already capable of crafting fifth-rank pills..." The moment she finished speaking, a wave of gasps echoed throughout the hall. Even Zhu Qian, who had anticipated this, had his hand trembling slightly as he stroked his beard, nearly pulling a tuft of it loose. "It seems Xue'er has truly accomplished something remarkable this time—she's brought back a true deity for our Han family..." Han Chi murmured, then spoke firmly, "All of you listen: treat Xiao Yan with the highest honors, without the slightest negligence. Should any family member dare to offend him, they shall be held to the family's strict regulations!" Hearing Han Chi's stern command, the various Han family members promptly responded with respectful nods. While a young cultivator at the Dou Huang level might not be enough to warrant such a response from the Han family, adding to that a炼药师 who surpasses the esteemed Zhuanqian would surely demand the family's utmost attentiveness and goodwill. The status of a炼药师 is especially prestigious in the Central Plains, as there are more powerful cultivators here, and they rely even more heavily on medicinal pills than in other regions.