The girl seemed not much older than eighteen or nineteen, slender and graceful, with a delicate face that appeared notably pale—almost as though she were unwell. Of course, what captured Xiao Yan's attention wasn't merely her appearance, but the circular emblem on her chest. He had first seen this emblem on the mysterious snow-white chariot-lion when he arrived in Shengdan City, and thus knew it to be the emblem of the Dan Clan, one of the five noble families of the Dan Domain. "You... are you all right?" The girl pushed herself up from the ground, glanced at Xiao Yan with a timid expression, and spoke softly. He only regained focus when he heard the girl’s voice, his gaze now filled with astonishment as he stared at her. The earlier scene of sheer panic had left his heart racing—during that moment, he had clearly sensed an odd, powerful suction emanating from within her body, one so strong that even his soul seemed on the verge of being drawn out. Gently rubbing his palms, Xiang Yan subtly stepped back. Though the girl appeared no more than seventeen or eighteen, there was an unmistakable strangeness about her. Moreover, she was one of the most reserved members of the Dan Clan—this fact alone made Xiang Yan unable to remain indifferent. "Never mind..." Seeing Xiao Yan shake his head, the girl finally exhaled in relief, yet her gaze on him remained slightly strange—almost astonished that, after touching him, he had remained unharmed. "Um... I'm sorry..." She quickly scanned his face, apologized to him, and then, without waiting for a response from Xiao Yan, turned and sprinted off, merging into the crowd and disappearing. Observing the girl's movements, which seemed oddly out of place, Xiao Yan couldn't help but furrow his brows, sensing that she might not be ordinary at all. "Xiao Yan, come with me," Leaf Zhong's voice suddenly broke through in Xiao Yan's ears. At once, Xiao Yan snapped back to attention, looking at Leaf Zhong who had now approached him, his brow slightly furrowed. "Shall we go?" "Um..." Ye nodded firmly, hesitated slightly, and said, "I've made some connections and can arrange for you to use the special testing lab. However, right now, it's already occupied by a few others. I think... perhaps we should come tomorrow?" Observing Ye's slightly subdued expression, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and asked, "From other families?" Upon hearing this, Ye blinked, then nodded with a wry smile, sighed, "In fact, members from Bai and Qiu families are also undergoing testing there. These two families have always been under pressure from Ye family in the past. Now that they've finally risen in status, they naturally feel proud and often take opportunities to mock us whenever they meet. My own face isn't much affected, but I'm afraid they'll find something unpleasant to say about you." Xiao Yan smiled, patted Ye's shoulder gently, and said, "We've come this far—can we really leave empty-handed?" Seeing this, Ye Zhong hesitated slightly before finally nodding and saying, "Alright, then whenever they speak, just ignore them..." As soon as he finished, Ye Zhong turned and walked toward a special passage, followed closely by Xiao Yan. The two of them smoothly made their way through the passage, passing through a slightly dimly lit corridor, when suddenly bright lights appeared ahead. Following the light, they soon found themselves in a spacious and exceptionally quiet room. The outside noise had completely faded in. Inside, nearly a dozen people stood, their eyes now fixed on Xiao Yan and Ye Zhong. "Hehe, Master Ye, I didn't expect it to be you again leading the delegation for this assessment. It seems everyone else has realized—this must be quite an awkward task..." As Xiao Yan and his companion just entered the room, a sharp, biting laugh cut through before either of them could speak. Xiao Yan maintained his composure, turning his gaze toward the source of the sound, where an elderly woman in gray robes was smiling with yellowed teeth, her eyes full of scorn, fixed upon them. Standing behind the gray-robed elder were three young men in white robes, two males and one female. All three were exceptionally well-dressed, and particularly the young woman in white—her figure graceful and statuesque, her curvaceous form exuding strong allure. The two men beside her kept their eyes fixed on various parts of her body, their gazes filled with warmth and desire. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to another area where three figures stood. Leading them was an elderly man dressed in yellow robes, followed by a man and a woman. The man was handsome, the woman graceful—clearly a striking match. Though they said nothing to mock or criticize, merely a glance was enough to draw their eyes away, conveying a clear sense of disdain that only deepened the frustration. While Leaf Zhong hadn't introduced them, Xiao Yan knew instinctively that these three must be the representatives from the Qiu family. "Ah, what's the point in being formal between us..." The elder, known as Han Li, sighed, saying. "Alright, Ye Zhong, stop fussing. I don't want to waste time because of you two. This young man is the one your family sent, isn't he? Yet he hasn't even received a rank badge. Has he never been to the Dan Tower before?" The gray-robed elder waved her hand impatiently, then glanced coldly at Xiao Yan. "I've never actually received a badge from the Dan Tower before. This is the first time I've come here," Xiao Yan replied honestly, calmly accepting her scorn. "Hmph... Indeed." The gray-robed elder's lips curled into a sharp smile. The cold, elegant white-robed woman beside her also glanced at Xiao Yan with a touch of disdain, speaking with a flat tone, "This special examination room only admits candidates who have earned rank badges at the fifth rank or above. Surely, Elder Ye Zhong is aware of this?" "Take care of yourself. The decorum of the Bai family these days is truly getting worse!" Ye Zhong's face darkened, and he finally snapped, speaking coldly. Hearing Ye Zhong's sharp tone, the white-robed woman's cheeks flushed slightly, then gave a cold sniff. "Heh, it's been several years since we last saw each other, and you've certainly grown more temperamental, Ye Zhong. But if your family doesn't make it into the top three in this assessment, you'll have to automatically step down from one of the Five Great Families." The gray-robed elder chuckled dryly. "Alright, this is the Sacred Dan City—no longer your own territory! If you have any complaints, go test elsewhere!" The white-haired elder now furrowed his brows, speaking firmly. With the white-haired elder speaking, the room grew noticeably quieter. "According to arrival order, the Qiu family will go first. You three—those who have remained silent throughout—please proceed." The white-haired elder turned his gaze toward the three members of the Qiu family, who had never joined the conversation, and spoke calmly. Hearing this, a man and a woman standing behind the old Qiu family elder quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the white-haired elder. "Which level of badge are you two preparing to qualify for?" the white-haired elder glanced at them casually. "Sixth rank, mid-level." Upon hearing this, the white-haired elder raised an eyebrow, glanced at the two with some surprise. To achieve sixth-rank mid-level at their age was already quite impressive—clearly, the Qiu family had been cultivating some promising talent over the years. "Wait a moment," he said, pointing to the second of the four large doors behind him, on the left side. "Once you enter the Xuan Gate, someone will personally assess you." The two well-dressed man and woman nodded in unison, stepped back slightly, exchanged a glance, and looked at each other with a sense of pride. The white-haired elder's surprise had only enhanced their satisfaction. "The Bai family..." As the white-haired elder turned his gaze their way, the two men standing behind the gray-robed elder stepped forward and declared in unison, "Sixth rank, mid-level!" Their voices were strong, immediately causing the man and woman from the Qiu family to visibly shift in their seats, their faces subtly tightening with a low hum of disapproval. Following them, the elegant white-clad woman advanced slowly and stated, "Sixth rank, high-level." Upon hearing this, the elder from the Qiu family slightly frowned, while the gray-robed elder beamed with satisfaction. "Indeed..." The white-haired elder nodded slowly. What a talented group the Bai family had—comparable even to the Ye family... Reflecting on this, he sighed inwardly, then turned his gaze toward Ye Zong, saying, "Ye Zong... it's now your turn." As soon as he finished speaking, all the eyes in the room instantly turned toward Xiao Yan. Each gaze carried a subtle sense of disdain—Leaf Family had suffered its fair share of setbacks over the years. Amidst this crowd, Xiao Yan stepped forward steadily, glanced at the white-haired elder, and asked, "Is there any limit to the highest test rank here?"