The profound spiritual power surged forth like an endless tide, sweeping across the heavens, instantly giving rise to an exceptionally terrifying pressure that surged like lightning toward the elderly man in purple robes, rippling through the space along its path and gradually spreading black fissures. Though spiritual energy is intangible and colorless, those of sufficient strength could sense this pervasive, overwhelming pressure emanating from their very souls—so intense it made people tremble. At this very moment, the murmurs of the spectators outside abruptly ceased; even those who had previously dismissed Xiao Yan's earlier actions now had their expressions frozen in place, appearing remarkably comical. Since ascending to the status of a Battle Sect Master, Xiao Yan's pharmaceutical expertise likely now ranks at the seventh level. Combined with his already exceptional spiritual prowess, he would surely be on par with, if not surpassing, genuine seventh-level master pharmacists. Such a terrifying soul power, once unleashed, naturally carried an exceptionally formidable force. Even if this former cultivator had only reached the sixth rank of pharmacist, let alone the seventh—should he face off against Xiao Yan in battle, it would be anyone's guess who would prevail! The Red-Fire Elder stared in open astonishment at the vast, surging power sweeping across the heavens. After a moment, he took a deep breath, his eyes filled with shock, and turned toward Xiao Yan, a hoarse voice, laced with disbelief, slowly emerging from his throat: "A seventh-rank pharmacist?" And this is precisely why Elder Cihuo, upon sensing the spiritual power emanating from Xiao Yan, was able to immediately identify his rank as a Pharmaceutical Alchemist. Indeed, within Elder Cihuo's mind, a storm of astonishment had erupted—he could never have imagined that Xiao Yan not only genuinely held the rank of a Battle Sovereign, but also possessed such profound mastery in the art of alchemy. A seventh-rank alchemist—such a status is truly significant, even within the Central Region. Indeed, within the Hall of Pills, while not necessarily at the pinnacle, such alchemists certainly rank among the very elite. What struck Elder Cihuo most profoundly, however, was Xiao Yan's age. A seventh-rank alchemist of such youth—something he had never witnessed in his long experience—was nothing short of extraordinary in both his innate prowess in battle energy and alchemical skill, truly bordering on the divine. "Zeng Xiu, that old man—this time, he truly seems to be in for it. He dares to act so confident despite it all..." With a soft sigh, the elder Ci-Huo couldn't help but smile with a touch of envy and satisfaction. He found the former's pride rather irksome, though he had to maintain a certain level of courtesy due to his status. As the elder Ci-Huo sighed in admiration, the depth of regret swirling within Zeng Xiu's heart was even more profound—tenfold, perhaps more. Of course, no matter who faced that overwhelming surge of soul power, they would hardly remain composed. Zeng Xiu's face was now nearly pale, his gaze subtly呆st and filled with fear. As a pharmacist, he was especially sensitive to the presence of spiritual energy. The overwhelming force rushing toward him evoked in him the sensation of standing before an endless ocean—a feeling he had only encountered in some of the senior monks of the Dan Tower, all of whom were renowned figures in the Central Region. Yet this time, the one who had summoned such a sensation was not a senior monk of the Dan Tower, but a young man who looked no more than in his twenties. "A seventh-rank pharmacist? Impossible!" His body trembled slightly, and after a moment, a fierce, determined intensity surged into his eyes. He simply could not believe that this young man—so much like a fresh-faced apprentice—could have achieved the seventh rank, a level that had always remained beyond his reach and one he had only ever admired from afar. A surge of vibrant energy erupted, and Ceng Xiu swiftly retreated several steps. By now, he no longer cared about his earlier boasts. With a low roar, a mighty surge of soul power surged forth from within him and rapidly coalesced into an invisible barrier of soul energy before him! "Boy, don't pretend to be some kind of mystic before me!" Ceng Xiu fixed his gaze on Xiao Yan, his voice cold and commanding. At the sound of his command, Xiao Yan lifted his eyes slightly, a mocking smile playing on his lips. A sixth-rank alchemist? Indeed, he was making a show of his soul power right before him—quite a self-imposed embarrassment. With a gentle flick of his fingers, Xiao Yan said softly, "Go!" As the single word fell, the vast soul energy sweeping across the heavens instantly condensed. Amidst countless stunned gazes, it swiftly solidified into a tangible, hammer-like form of soul energy, which then descended with lightning speed and struck hard against the thick soul barrier! "Boom!" The two collided with a resounding crash, instantly generating a powerful ripple that spread outward like ripples across water, causing the entire plaza to tremble subtly. Cracks began to form and spread across the ground. As the crack spread, the soul barrier that had already been trembling and frail could no longer withstand the likely surge of soul-force impact, shattering with a loud 'boom' into countless fragments, bursting open! "Whoa!" The soul barrier ruptured, and Chen Xiu, connected to it, instantly paled, then spat out a thick stream of blood. His body, struck heavily, reeled backward and crashed to the ground, leaving a trail of nearly one hundred meters before he finally came to a stop. The entire arena fell silent. Countless pairs of eyes stared blankly at the fallen Zeng Xiu, unconscious and seemingly lifeless on the ground. For a moment, no one spoke—after just one round, a sixth-rank alchemist had been defeated, not merely defeated, but in a most devastating manner. And yet, the one responsible was merely a young man in his twenties. "Countless people had their throats stiffen, their expressions nearly vacant. A seventh-rank alchemy master—this wasn't just a significant achievement. Such a master was truly among the absolute elite, even when placed within the Burned-Inn Valley or the Dan Tower! Cheng Yao and the other members of the Cheng family stared in utter astonishment at Zeng Xiu, lying far off, seemingly unconscious. After a long pause, they finally managed to swallow hard. A seventh-rank alchemy master? As soon as they thought of it, a shiver ran through them. Such a presence could easily extinguish the Cheng family with just a single word. Countless super-strong figures would willingly step in at his call—there was no doubt about the influence and appeal of a seventh-rank master. 'When did the Liu family first encounter someone of this caliber? And why have they never received any word about it?'" Cheng Yao's face was clouded with uncertainty, his thoughts racing. A seventh-rank alchemy master—someone no longer within the reach of families like theirs—had been summoned by the Li family. He simply couldn't understand why. Standing not far from Cheng Yao and the others, Li Qinggeng and Li Fei were also gaping at Zeng Xiu, who had barely managed to hold his own against Xiao Yan. To them, it seemed utterly absurd—after all, Zeng Xiu was a sixth-rank alchemy master. Hearing the disbelief in the two elders' voices, Liu Qing couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. Though these two were esteemed elders of the clan, they had long harbored reservations about his appointment as clan head. Today, with the presence of Xiao Yan, he had successfully tempered their confidence. Though pleased within, Liu Qing maintained a composed demeanor, calmly stating, "If it weren't for my friend, wouldn't you have thought anyone else would have stepped in?" He promptly turned his gaze away from the unyielding Zeng Xiu far off, his weathered face breaking into a rare smile, and nodded.