The familiar light laughter made Li Qing's body go stiff, and after a moment, he suddenly snapped back to awareness, staring at the smiling stranger before him with a look of disbelief, "You... you're Xiao Yan?" "As Liu Qing spoke, a sudden tremor ran through Liu Fei's delicate frame. Xiao Yan—this name held a deep and indelible impression in her heart. Even the talented Liu Qing, whom she once held in high regard as her own cousin, had failed to match him. Gazing at the young man before her with a quiet, subtle curiosity, she paused, her gaze lingering on that somewhat unfamiliar face, momentarily stunned. With her sharp perception, she soon noticed a subtle shift—her jade hands gently stirred within her sleeve, her eyes slightly avoiding hers. Once, there had been a minor rivalry between her and Xiao Yan, which had led to their direct confrontation. Yet, in the end, that very encounter had completely shattered her confidence. To this day, Liu Fei could not forget the image of Xiao Yan standing proudly and slenderly on the arena stage—then still a young man only recently arrived at the Inner Academy. Yet, his accomplishments had been so remarkable that they had commanded the entire Inner Academy's attention. 'Is it really him?' she thought." Liu Fei lightly bit her red lips. Since ancient times, beautiful women have admired heroes—Xiao Yan had made her realize that there were many people in the world who were far stronger than her nearly invincible cousin. This realization gradually softened her once impetuous nature, teaching her to be gentle and courteous. "There's a slight difference in appearance, but the voice sounds right..." Xiao Yan smiled, spreading his hands as he glanced over at Liu Qing. "Seven-Star Battle Emperor? That's quite impressive—significantly stronger than Lin Yan." Hearing this familiar tone, Liu Qing finally confirmed the identity of the person before him. A surge of excitement welled up in his eyes as he glanced at Xiao Yan, then his expression slightly paused, with a gentle smile: "By now, you must have already broken through to the Battle Conductor level, haven't you?" He had watched clearly the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the air. Lu Qings' words also caused the people behind him to shift their expressions, casting unusual glances at Xiao Yan. Such a young Douzong powerhouse was indeed quite rare. "Pure luck, then," Xiao Yan smiled slightly, neither denying nor disputing. "Ah, still can't catch up with you. No wonder you're the most gifted among the Inner Courtyard students—truly impressive." Lu Qing sighed. When Lu Qing had nearly reached Douwang status, Xiao Yan had still only been a Douling. Yet in just a few short years, Xiao Yan had now reached a level that made Lu Qing truly envious. Such a dramatic transformation was truly hard to believe. Xiao Yan smiled, his gaze sweeping over Lu Fei's face behind Lu Qing, and he nodded gently to her. Under his smile, however, Lu Fei's cheeks flushed a delicate pink, and her eyes quickly darted away. "Back then, when you left, you didn't even wait for me—I thought something must have happened." Xiao Yan turned his gaze back to Lu Qing and smiled. "Lin Yan and the others said you've avenged your grievances and have little left to offer there, so they all decided to leave the Jima Empire together. By the way, what brought you here?" Liu Qing smiled, the iron tension on his face gradually fading as he was delighted to suddenly encounter Xiao Yan here. "I need to head to the Dan Realm. Tian Huang City has a space wormhole directly connecting to the Dan Realm—so I'm making a stop by to see you." Xiao Yan smiled, his gaze subtly sweeping over the Chen family members nearby. Upon hearing this, Liu Qing nodded and then chuckled warmly, "Once today is over, the space wormhole will reopen. I'll take care of everything then—this small matter is well within my capabilities." "Actually, the Chen family has been managing the wormhole for some time now. They've always held our Liu family in low regard. If your brother steps in, they might even become more obstructive," Liu Fei suddenly murmured from behind Liu Qing. Liu Qing's expression darkened immediately, and Liu Fei fell silent at once. "What's going on? Do you need any help?" Xiao Yan seemed to have missed the expression on Liu Qing's face, instead turning his gaze to Liu Fei and smiling. "No worries, just some minor issues. Let's go back. Since you've come to Tianhuang City, I'm certain you'll deserve a proper welcome." Liu Qing waved his hand, then reached out to grasp Xiao Yan's shoulder, smiling. "Back when you came with me to the Jima Empire, I never said anything like this." Xiao Yan stared directly at Liu Qing, yet smiled lightly. Liu Qing's arm remained suspended in mid-air, his eyes locked with Xiao Yan's, and he could only shake his head with a sigh, remarking, "Here, it's not the Jima Empire anymore. Even the strength of the Cheng family alone surpasses Yunlan Sect. If you step in, you might just end up creating complications for yourself." "Heh, Liu Qing, you really underestimate Xiao Yan. He just came out of Fenglei Pavilion, and even couldn't be stopped by Fei Tian, the head of Fenglei North Pavilion. What could a mere Cheng family possibly do to him?" Lin Yan by the side frowned slightly and said. Upon hearing this, Liu Qing and the two elders behind him were momentarily stunned, then slightly moved by the news—having fought their way out of Fenglei Pavilion? "Don't believe this kid's nonsense," said Xiao Yan, waving his hand with a smile. Though his tone remained calm and composed, the underlying intensity of the journey clearly resonated with Liu Qing and the others. Liu Fei's eyes sparkled with interest, and she slowly scanned over Xiao Yan. After a moment of astonishment and some struggle, Liu Qing finally sighed, "It's all due to the trouble caused by this spatial wormhole. This year, it was supposed to be our Li family's turn to take control, but Fengyan Valley had to offer it as leverage since they needed to find a senior alchemical master. The Cheng family must have found a sixth-rank alchemical master somewhere, and our highest-ranked alchemical master has only just reached the fifth rank." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then turned his gaze toward the elderly man in purple robes standing at a distance, his expression proud, and said, "So, if you can present a pharmacist of a rank higher than that old man, then the spatial wormhole will still remain under the Li family's control?" When Xiao Yan first appeared, the Elder of Crimson Flame noticed him immediately. He was somewhat astonished that Xiao Yan had already reached the Douzong level at such a young age—such an achievement was rare even among his peers within the Burned Flame Valley. "If you haven't yet conceded, then bring out your pharmacist. Should the Li family find a pharmacist stronger than Master Zeng Xiu, the stewardship of this spatial wormhole will remain with the Li family." Perhaps due to Xiao Yan's current strength, the Elder's tone had grown more relaxed. "If that's the case," said Xiao Yan, smiling and nodding, then turning his gaze toward the elder in purple robes, bowing politely, "then let me have a match against Master Zeng Xiu—would that be acceptable?" "You are the pharmacist Li family has summoned?" Hearing Xiao Yan's words, the Elder of Crimson Flame was also momentarily stunned. With his seasoned gaze slowly sweeping over Xiao Yan, he couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief—Xiao Yan achieving the Dao Conclave level at such a young age had already been astonishing. If, on top of that, he also possessed the qualifications of a Medicinal Alchemist, it would indeed be utterly remarkable. The cultivation of Qi and the art of alchemy were both vast and profound disciplines. To stand out in either one was no easy feat, and to achieve notable success in both—such a feat was truly rare! Xiao Yan's words also caused a stir among the crowd gathered around the plaza, though many people scoffed at him. Though he appeared to be a young and powerful individual, that did not necessarily mean he had the credentials to challenge a master like Zeng Xiu, a renowned alchemist. As one of the parties directly involved, Zeng Xiu himself was momentarily stunned, then a cold smile crept across his dry face as he looked at Xiao Yan and said, "Perhaps you outshine me in battle, but as for alchemy—let me be blunt—your qualifications are still lacking." Undeterred by Zeng Xiu's sharp remarks, Xiao Yan turned his gaze to the Chì Huǒ Elder and smiled, "I wonder how we're to proceed? Should we have a public demonstration of alchemy?" "No need for such formality," Zeng Xiu interjected, with a cold laugh, "Since you're also an alchemist, you must know the importance of spiritual energy for alchemists. Then, let's settle this by comparing our spiritual energies!" "Since you are my junior, I shall let you go first. As long as you can use your soul energy to push me back, you shall be considered the victor!" It's no surprise that Zen Xiu speaks so confidently—after all, the greatest distinction between a medicinal alchemist and an ordinary combatant lies in soul energy. A sixth-rank alchemist's soul energy can rival that of a true Daoist cultivator! Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was first taken aback, then his expression quickly grew strange—soul energy? With a graceful gesture of his sleeve, Zen Xiu stepped back, hands folded, his gaze calmly fixed upon Xiao Yan, exuding the full presence of a master. "Go ahead," Xiao Yan murmured, then sighed softly. Under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers, he slowly raised his hand and, with a gentle motion, swept it toward Zen Xiu. As his palm descended, a vast and powerful surge of soul energy erupted, sweeping across the sky like a storm! At that very moment, the always composed Chì Huǒ Elder's face suddenly turned pale.