Ye Zhong's joy and excitement on Xie Cong's face gradually subsided after a while. Having witnessed the events that unfolded during this period, no one within the Ye family now dared to question Xiao Lin. "Mr. Xiao Lin, actually, entering the Senior Council of Dan Tower isn't particularly difficult—well, relatively speaking. At least, with my current Ye family, we haven't yet reached that level," Ye Zhong rubbed his hands and then sighed. "Within Dan Domain, there are five major families, whose origins trace back to a long time ago. The founders of these five families were all core members of Dan Tower. According to the criteria, as long as these five families meet certain conditions in the future, each of them will be entitled to a seat on the Senior Council of Dan Tower." "The Five Great Families each command formidable influence across the Dan Realm, and bolstered by the prestigious reputation of the Dan Tower, they essentially dominate the region—even when meeting the Ice River Valley's power, they must remain quite respectful. Of course, my family, the Ye Clan, is not currently among that tier." At this, Ye Zhong looked somewhat subdued. "The Dan Tower conducts assessments of the Five Great Families at regular intervals, and only those who pass these evaluations retain their seats on the Council." "How exactly is the assessment carried out?" Xue Yan narrowed his eyes, speaking softly. "The Dan Tower places strong emphasis on cultivating the younger generation, and thus, the assessments naturally target that younger cohort." Ye Zhong glanced at Xinlan beside him, sighed lightly. The descendants of the Ye family seemed to be falling short with each generation—those innate talents for alchemy were gradually being worn down, even surpassing some external alchemists. Among the younger generation of this current cohort, Xinlan’s talent was already quite good, yet she had only just reached the level of a Fifth-Rank Alchemist. Seeing Ye Zhong’s gaze, Xinlan’s delicate face flushed with humility. "Each time, one of the younger members from the Five Great Families must be sent to undergo the Dan Tower's assessment. If successful, the seat is retained; if not, it becomes perilous..." Ye Zhong sighed. "Our Ye family has already failed twice. Should we fail once more, not only will we lose our eligibility to join the Dan Tower's senior council, but we will also be pushed out of the Five Great Families." "The Five Great Families serve as a swift pathway to the Dan Tower's upper echelons, so countless eyes are constantly watching this arena. As soon as our family is excluded, those eager rivals will immediately move in to take our place." "The assessment criteria are quite rigorous, aren't they?" Xiao Yan asked softly. Ye nodded solemnly, sighed, "The minimum qualification to participate in such an examination is that a pharmacist must reach at least Sixth Rank. However, to actually pass, one must attain the level of Seventh Rank—perhaps even higher." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded slightly and said slowly, "Seventh Rank? Not too difficult." "But after all these years of cultivation, my own body has only reached this level. Xiao Yan's exceptional talent certainly poses no obstacle. Yet among the younger generation of my family, who else could possibly achieve such a level?" Ye chuckled bitterly, adding, "And the worst part is that our family has failed twice before. This time, to pass, we must rank within the top three among the designated quota candidates." "Top three?" Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback. "Oh well, the other four great families are growing ever more powerful, with a constant stream of brilliant young talents emerging. Though perhaps they won't send their very finest young prodigies for this evaluation, even if our Ye family truly has a young seventh-rank alchemical specialist, I doubt we could manage to secure a top-three finish..." Ye Zhong sighed. Seeing Ye Zhong’s pitiful expression, Xiao Yan didn’t want to further wound the delicate heart, and thus murmured thoughtfully. “Not yet…” Ye Zhong shook his head, then quickly added, “However, there is a way to make it work—though it may require a little compromise from Xiao Yan, sir.” Xiao Yan blinked, furrowed his brows, asking, “What do you mean?” Ye Zhong glanced at Xinlan beside him, hesitated slightly, and said, “When recommending you to Dan Tower, I might refer to you as my family’s de facto son-in-law.” Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan’s face immediately turned pale, and he said firmly, “Isn’t that a bit ridiculous? I’m a man, so it’s not a big deal for me—but how will your lady be able to face people afterward?” “Xiao Yan, please don’t worry,” Ye Zhong sighed, “This is merely a formal title—it won’t place any responsibility on you at all!” “Our family is now at a point of life and death,” he continued, “Every member of the Ye family is preparing for our final stand. Some sacrifices—we must bear.” Xiao Yan frowned, and after a moment, said, "Then this will allow me to step in and represent your Ye family in that so-called assessment?" Ye Zong nodded earnestly. "As long as we pass this assessment, the Ye family will be able to retain its seat. Only then will we have sufficient time to develop. Once we pass, Xiao Yan will have no further connection with the Ye family at all!" Gazing at Ye Zong's earnest, pleading face, Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. This old man truly seemed to be at the end of his road. If he now decided to leave, the Ye family would indeed likely collapse completely, dwindling into just another ordinary family. Without the protection of the Dan Tower, their past rivals would no longer hesitate to challenge them. At that point, the Ye family would truly be in ruins... "Brother Xiao Yan, please help us once. As long as the Ye family is secure, Xinlan will serve you faithfully, doing whatever it takes!" As Xiao Yan pondered, Xinlan suddenly knelt down, her voice solemn and mournful. The moment Xinlan knelt, Xiao Yan's head immediately seemed to grow larger. With a sweep of his sleeves, he exerted a gentle force to lift her up, but just as her body was straightened, she immediately inclined to kneel again. Seeing this, the young physician beside her shook her head in resignation, extending her jade hands to steady her. "Xiao Yan's nature you've known well—once he promises something, he won't let go. Your constant kneeling only makes him impatient..." The young physician softly remarked, noting the flushed gaze of Xinlan. Xiao Yan sighed, his eyes shifting to Ye Zhong, who looked earnest and pleading. He spoke firmly, "Alright, let it be. But first, I must make this clear—don't even think of using the tactics of a daughter-in-law to keep me at your family's doorstep. If you try any subtle schemes, don't be surprised if I don't show you the same courtesy!" "Mr. Xiao Yan, please don't worry—Ye Zhong isn't someone so unprincipled!" Upon seeing Xiao Yan relax, Ye Zhong instantly beamed with joy, his heart pounding with the thrill of being saved from the brink. The young physician by his side also breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, however, she noticed Xin Lan's face slightly flushed and looked puzzled, asking, "He mentioned the bride—does that mean it's you?" At these words, Xiao Yan stiffened, then turned in surprise, gazing at Xin Lan, whose cheeks were now bright red. A bit embarrassed, he offered a wry smile, "Is this old man really that bad?" Xinlan smiled faintly, her voice soft, "Xiao Yan brother, please don't worry. Grandfather has already said that this is merely a formality. Xiao Yan brother will surely become one of the foremost figures on the Continent. I'm not someone who thinks too highly of myself." As she spoke, the young physician by her side clearly noticed that Xinlan's eyes had grown red with emotion. Without hesitation, she gave Xiao Yan a gentle glance—his words, quite frankly, were rather hurtful. Xiao Yan also felt somewhat embarrassed. Had it not been for Xin Lan informing him of the news about the Three Thousand焱Inferno Flames, he would still be wandering around aimlessly. Since arriving in the Dan Realm, others had been constantly attending to him, offering help without a single complaint—yet all these gestures had earned Xiao Yan's genuine regard for her. Otherwise, who would care about that so-called Ye Family? Ye Zhong smiled bitterly and nodded, not having to be so humble with a junior disciple—though that junior’s alchemy skills were no less than his own. “Well, two months it shall be,” Xiao Yan finally agreed, nodding. Indeed, he had always been curious about the Dan Tower, after all—it was nearly a holy ground in the hearts of every alchemist across the continent. Seeing Xiao Yan unconcerned, Ye Zhong exhaled in relief, exchanged a few more words with him about the Dan Festival, and then led the eyes-red, delighted Xin Lan out of the pavilion. Standing outside the stone pavilion, Xiao Yan watched Ye Zhong’s retreating figure, a quiet anticipation flickering in his dark eyes. What would the sacred city of the Dan Tower be like—so renowned in legend?