Inside the room, the atmosphere had grown unusually quiet following Xiang Yin's previous statement. A series of eyes stared at him in astonishment, and only after a moment did the surprise fade, gradually giving way to some murmurs of derision. "Here, we can't afford any jokes—you're certain you want to assess a mid-level sixth-rank alchemist's badge?" The white-haired elder stared at Xiao Yan with growing astonishment, then spoke seriously. As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Ye Zhong standing beside Xiao Yan. However, upon seeing the faint smiles on Ye Zhong's face, the elder's astonishment deepened. Could it be true? Was this young man truly capable of such a feat? A sixth-rank mid-level alchemist of such youth—this was truly remarkable! "Yes," Xiao Yan nodded in response to the elder's serious tone, then bowed slightly. "Thank you, Elder Han. Could you please let me know what steps are required for assessing a mid-level sixth-rank alchemist?" "Seeing Xiao Yan still persisting, the white-haired elder's expression grew increasingly serious. In such a setting, if the former weren't a fool, he wouldn't have chosen to embarrass himself this way. Yet, despite that, the elder still found it hard to believe... "Very well," he said, slowly nodding, "since you insist, I'll go with it. I hope you're not jesting. Also, please call me Han, the title of Elder—well, I don't feel worthy of it yet." "Hmph," Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, while a scoff echoed from the side. He glanced over and noticed the cold, elegant woman from Bai Family, her lips curled with a mocking smile—clearly, she found Xiao Yan's actions deeply disappointing. Originally, under normal circumstances, her evaluation rating should have been the highest, and she would naturally have become the most outstanding figure within this specialized testing laboratory. However, now this prominent status has been disrupted by Xiao Yan's persistent meddling and obstinacy. Naturally, she finds it unsatisfactory, and in her mind, the claim of a seventh-rank intermediate badge has always seemed like mere showmanship. How could such a prodigy—comparable only to the Bai family—emerge from a family that has already declined to such an extent as the Ye family? "Since the decisions have been made, let us begin..." Han Li waved his hand and pointed to the four grand doors behind him, each bearing an ancient, elegant character: "Heaven, Earth, Supreme, and Yellow." "Those being evaluated at the sixth rank, mid-level, shall enter the Supreme-level rooms; those at the higher level shall enter the Earth-level rooms." As he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Xiao Yan and said, "You shall wait until the evaluations are complete, and then I will personally guide you into the Heaven-level room to conduct your assessment." Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "Everyone else, please enter your respective rooms," Han Li added, after seeing no objections. Upon hearing this, the five young men and women from the Baiqiu families, excluding Xiao Yan, entered the rooms representing their respective levels in batches. The white-clad, elegant woman, however, moved with the grace of a proud swan, entering the Earth-level room alone, while the other four entered the Supreme-level rooms. As the five individuals entered their respective rooms, the atmosphere gradually grew still. Xiao Yan stood at ease, gently scanning the surroundings before slowly closing his eyes to meditate. The older Qiu family member furrowed his brows. Though he too held some disdain for the increasingly waning Ye family, he didn't quite go so far as to act callously now—after all, no family ever stays unchanged; who could be certain that the Ye family wouldn't rise again? "Silent and dull, the Bai family people—both the younger and the elders lack grace!" The gray-robed elder's sharp outburst had left Ye Zhong's expression gloomy. Yet before he could speak, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, coldly glancing at her, and said calmly. "Little upstart, what are you? Daring to speak to me like this!" Xiao Yan's words immediately chilled the gray-robed elder. While Ye Zhong was slightly stronger in power, she could tolerate his cold demeanor; but in her eyes, Xiao Yan was merely a junior member. As soon as the words fell, the gray-robed elder moved with lightning speed, her sharp fingernails slicing across Xiao Yan's throat like a blade, leaving no mercy. Gazing at the figure who had darted past, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, slowly tightening his hands in his sleeves, and at that moment, the qi within him began to surge and flow. He wasn't minded to leave this quiet old lady with a lasting impression. Staring at Han Li standing in front of Xiao Yan, the gray-robed elder's expression grew slightly tense. She then moved back two steps, her gaze sharp and piercing as she fixed it on Xiao Yan, saying, "Little brat, don't let me encounter you alone again. Otherwise, I won't mind if the Ye family loses one of its younger members..." As she spoke, her cold gaze shifted toward Ye Zhong, who had remained motionless beside her all along. Ye Zhong, however, wore a strange, amused smile. If this elder knew that even the celestial serpent of Binghe Valley had been severely injured by Xiao Yan, would she still have the courage to say such things? Xiao Yan glanced at the gray-robed elder with a calm, almost indifferent expression. His hand, resting in his sleeve, slowly unfolded. If Han Li hadn't suddenly intervened, this irritable old lady would have been completely silenced by now—there was no doubt about it. Xiao Yan's quiet, almost dismissive gaze stirred a strong urge to twitch at the corners of the elder's eyes. Though this young man spoke little, every gesture radiated an unspoken arrogance. That alone made her deeply uncomfortable. The elder from the Qiu family also paused his gaze on Xiao Yan for a moment, then shook his head, silently lamenting that the younger generation of the Ye family truly wasn't holding up anymore—disrespecting a strong contender from the Bai family in such a setting was far from rational. After Han Li stepped in, the atmosphere within the room had calmed considerably, though the elderly gray-robed woman’s gaze upon Xiao Yan had grown increasingly stern, making the presence feel rather chilling. Six purple-gold stars—upon close inspection, one can notice that the sixth star is slightly dimmer than the first five, which is a mark of mid-level. In lower levels, the dimness would be even more pronounced, whereas in higher levels, the star would shine as brightly as the others. "Sixth-rank mid-level assessment complete: two from the Qiu family pass, one from the Bai family." Han Li glanced at the four individuals and spoke slowly. Upon hearing this, the elder from the Qiu family smiled gently, while the gray-robed elder furrowed her brows and then sharply glared at the man who had failed the examination. Not long after Han Li finished speaking, the door of the ground-level chamber slowly opened, and the elegant, composed woman in white stepped out with her proud demeanor. A badge shimmered on her full chest, bearing six brilliantly radiant purple-gold stars. Sixth-rank high-level assessment complete—Bai family, all pass. Hearing Han Li's announcement, the cold and elegant woman's proud smile widened instantly, her sense of vanity greatly satisfied by the waves of admiration pouring in. Stepping forward with poised grace, she approached the gray-robed elder and then fixed her gaze with keen interest on Xiao Yan, eager to see how the latter would handle his self-centered performance. "Next comes the mid-level seventh-rank assessment," she said, "I'll be conducting it personally. Follow me..." Han Li glanced at Xiao Yan, who remained utterly unmoved, shook his head with a touch of resignation, and turned toward the heavenly-level examination room. Xiao Yan, in turn, showed no hesitation, simply followed him, and the two gradually faded into the stream of eyes and attention within the room. Though the gray-robed elder and others had completed their assessments, they did not immediately depart. Instead, they watched Ye Zhong with a look of scorn, chuckling with a dry, mocking tone. "Haha, I'm actually going to stay and watch. Once that youngster fails his examination, I'll see if his sharp tongue still remains as piercing as before. Ye Zong, today it seems you're going to have to face another embarrassment!"