The Nine Dragon Thunder罡 Fire ranks twelfth on the List of Unusual Fires. Its potency is nearly universally known among those present. Combined with Tang Zhen’s deeply profound strength, ordinary souls would likely be scorched and reduced to nothing upon mere contact with the flame. Though all here possess strong soul abilities, they may still find it difficult to withstand such a test. After Tang Zhen finished speaking, the hall fell into a quiet stillness. The earlier confident master pharmacists now hunched slightly, hesitating to speak. The two guest senior elders from the Dan Tower paused thoughtfully before slowly stating, "We are well aware of the Nine Dragon Thunder罡 Fire’s power. Within this fire, the might of dragons is concentrated, producing a profound effect that震慑s the soul. It is likely that only a few among those present can sustain their soul abilities within it." "Heard this, Tang Zhen smiled and said, 'Master Huan, please rest assured—on this matter, I shall handle it with care, ensuring no one will be injured. As long as one can endure the Nine Dragon Thunder罡 Fire for ten minutes, they will have successfully passed the trial. After all, anyone assisting me must possess the strength to withstand this fiery onslaught; otherwise, they would only suffer harm themselves.' Upon finishing, Tang Zhen swept his gaze across the hall and added, 'Since I have invited all of you here, I certainly won't let you leave empty-handed. Even if no one manages to endure the Nine Dragon Thunder罡 Fire, Fengyan Valley will surely present each of you with a generous gift.' Hearing this, several of the guests in the hall were slightly more convinced. They had no personal grievances with Tang Zhen, and given his stature, there was no reason for him to play any games with them." By the side of Tang Zhen, the red-robed woman observed the hesitant herbalists in the hall with an air of superiority, her lips curling slightly. How could these people be so afraid of the Nine-Drake Thunder罡 Fire? It seemed as though they feared Tang Zhen’s father would quietly dispose of them. Her gaze shifted suddenly to a corner of the hall, where she spotted Xiao Yan calmly holding a teacup. She was momentarily taken aback—this man appeared remarkably composed. But she wasn’t sure whether it was genuine or merely an act. A silvery flame burned gently, nine slender dragons of fire weaving through it, as if endowed with intelligence. A subtle aura of dragon power radiated from within, subtly pressing upon the vitality of the souls of those present. "Shall we see who starts first?" Tang Zhen smiled. The moment the words fell, a brief silence settled in the hall, followed by an elderly man in a white robe rising to his feet and bowing slightly to Tang Zhen. "Since no one has begun, I shall take the lead," he said. "I've long heard of the Nine Dragon Thunder-Blaze Fire of Fenyan Valley. To experience its true power today is no small achievement, and I believe it will make this journey worthwhile." "Ah, Master Huachen," Tang Zhen chuckled. "Please." "This elder is named Huachen, a master pharmacist at the peak of the sixth rank, known in the Central Region." At Tang Zhen's side, the elder of the Crimson Flame, sensing that Tang Zhen was unfamiliar with these individuals, quietly introduced him. Xiao Yan nodded gratefully toward the elder with the crimson fire, then turned his gaze to the elder named Huachen, equally curious about the power of the Nine-Drake Thunder Gale Fire. Within the hall, Huachen grasped his hands, and a deep red flame rose from them. Simultaneously, a surge of spiritual energy surged from the center of his forehead and flowed into the flame, causing it to ripple and take on the form of a flame figure about the size of a palm. The flame figure was entirely formed from Huachen’s spiritual energy, though he had added a protective layer of flame around it. “Huachen’s flame should be a beast-fire, but it seems vastly different from the Nine-Drake Thunder Gale Fire—likely it won’t be able to withstand the pressure,” Xiao Yan murmured to himself, glancing at the red flame layer. And as he murmured to himself, the dust-shaped figure, with a simple flick of his fingers, sent forth a flame figure the size of a palm, which then swiftly darted into the silver flame floating in midair—right into the midst of the onlookers' gaze! "Roar!" As the flame figure plunged into the silver flame, a deep, yet barely audible dragon's roar erupted suddenly. At the very instant the roar rang out, nine fiery dragons surged forth from within the silver flame and struck the flame figure with tremendous force, their massive mouths tearing through it—seemingly devouring the outer layer of red flame encasing the figure. "Hmph!" As the deep red flame vanished, the soul energy of Hua Chen was instantly extinguished under the terrifying heat of the Nine Dragon Thunder Gale Flame. His body shuddered violently, his steps wavered, and he staggered back several paces, his face slightly pale. "Indeed, it is no ordinary fire—my victory is assured." Stabilizing his stance, Hua Chen shook his head with a wry smile, exhaled deeply, and sat back with a somewhat bitter expression. The fire he had taken pride in, the beast's flame, offered no resistance whatsoever against the Nine-Drake Thunder Fire. Seeing that Hua Chen could not even sustain a minute, several of the seated herbalists exchanged glances, visibly surprised—how formidable was this Nine-Drake Thunder Fire? Following Hua Chen, one after another, other steadfast herbalists stepped forward, undaunted. Yet none of them managed to withstand the relentless tearing of the nine fire dragons. For the full ten minutes, not a single one of them held out—this included Master Mo, the elder who had previously mocked Xiao Yan. Although his face remained calm, Tang Zhen couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of disappointment as he watched one after another of the medicinal masters in the hall fail. It seemed now that he would have to rely on whether these two guest senior masters from Dantai could meet his expectations. After yet another medicinal master's failure, only the two guest senior masters from Dantai and Xiao Yan remained untouched. Of course, Xiao Yan was largely overlooked—almost all eyes were fixed upon these two, as only they were the true seventh-rank medicinal masters within the hall. "Nine Dragon Thunder罡Fire, Dragon Might Calming the Soul... This test truly isn't an easy one." The senior guest scholar of Dantai, Master Huan, first sighed softly, then glanced at his companion, who also slowly rose to his feet. A white flame rose from the palm of Master Huan's hand—slightly unusual, as the flame seemed to emit a chill even as it ascended. "A cold-flame from heaven? Master Huan's flame must have been drawn from the body of the Celestial Bone Serpent," he remarked. "It's said that this Celestial Bone Serpent appears only in regions where the Bone Spirit Cold Flame is present, and its internal flame shares certain similarities with that Bone Spirit Cold Flame." Upon seeing the white flame that shimmered with a chill, Tang Zhen also expressed mild surprise. Hearing this, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, eyes widening in surprise at the cold-flame in Master Huan's hands—unaware that it held even a faint connection to his teacher's Bone Spirit Cold Flame. "Ah, as for the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, I've never been fortunate enough to possess it myself. I merely happened to encounter the Celestial Bone Serpent by chance." The Master of Illusion smiled faintly, then allowed his spiritual energy to radiate outward from his brow and merge into the flame. As the flame stirred, it transformed into a white serpent, which in an instant darted into the silver flame. Immediately upon entering the silver flame, nine dragon flames surged forth and lunged at the white serpent. Yet this time, the white serpent proved capable, managing to firmly maintain its outer flame and prevent the dragons from consuming it entirely. As the white serpent and the nine dragons held their ground in a tense standoff, the Master of Illusion's expression grew increasingly serious. Though the cold flame of Tianhan shared some connection with the bone-spirit cold flame, it remained fundamentally distinct from the extraordinary fire of the Nine Dragon Thunder Wind, and thus could not truly withstand its power. Time swiftly passed within the silent hall. Just as the white serpent appeared on the verge of being completely engulfed by the nine dragons, the ten-minute mark finally arrived. The Master quickly raised a hand, and the serpent escaped, ultimately darting into his own body. "Indeed, it's no surprise that a fire ranked twelfth on the Unusual Fire List—well done, truly." After retrieving the fire serpent, Master Huan finally exhaled, a weary smile playing on his lips. "Congratulations, Master Huan—you've succeeded." Tang Zhen nodded and then turned his gaze to the other guest elder from Dan Tower, saying, "Master Xiao, it's your turn." Seeing the situation, Xiao Master could only sigh, shook his head at Tang Zhen, and then sat back down. This test was hardly a trial of spiritual strength—it was simply about who had the fiercer flame. When Xiao Master failed to persevere, Tang Zhen's eyes also flickered with disappointment. He sighed, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Currently, only Master Mo has passed the test. But what I truly need are two—two people." "Isn't there still another Master of Herbal Preparation?" As Tang Zhen spoke, the Master Mo who had previously mocked Xiao, suddenly snorted, his tone sharp. After failing the test, he had felt his dignity wounded—especially when he saw Xiao Lin's steady, warm smile throughout. That discomfort had only deepened, and his words now carried a subtle, slightly sarcastic edge. Upon hearing this, a wave of eyes turned toward the young man seated in a corner of the hall. Many of them bore a mixture of amusement and mild disdain, as if watching a scene of quiet suffering.