Inside the laboratory, everyone watched the gray-robed elder, who could not even be parried by a single move from Xiao Yan, their foreheads glistening with cold sweat. Xiao Yan had suddenly intervened, and his attack had been neither softened nor restrained by the elder's status—such a move was indeed ruthless. Han Li was equally stunned, only after a moment did he shake his head with a wry smile, glancing at Xiao Yan. "He's not as gentle as he appears when he's determined." Now that he was seeing that smile again, no one in the room dared treat him as merely a lamb to be casually mocked or ridiculed—especially the three members of the Bai family, who had stepped back several paces with heightened alertness, fearing that Xu Feng might suddenly turn on them. After all, even the gray-robed elder wasn't a match for him, let alone these others. "Ah…" Han Li sighed, and after a moment, raised his hand, saying, "This situation does indeed have some elements of her own fault, though you were rather severe in your actions. Well, Bai Wei, take them away." Upon hearing this, the pale, elegant woman gently bit her silver teeth, her eyes filled with a touch of fear as she glanced at Xu Feng before finally leading the other two Bai family members to lift the gray-robed elder, who had been coughing up blood and now unconscious, and exit the testing chamber. The three from the Qiu family, too, decided not to linger any longer, exchanged uncertain glances at Xu Feng, and then stepped out as well. "You young lad... truly, you're ready to act whenever the moment comes. Though I'm quite pleased myself, I'm certain the Bai family won't rest easy after this..." Seeing the group retreat humbly, Ye Zhong couldn't help but shake his head and say. Xiao Yan smiled and replied, "No problem. If the Bai family wants to cause trouble, I'll simply accompany them." "Hmm, it seems the Ye family has a strong chance of passing the evaluation this time, Ye Zhong. Congratulations!" Han Li stepped forward, bowed gracefully, and smiled warmly. "Thank you for the kind words. However, once this incident is settled, I suspect the Bai family might send their true rising stars to the five great families' evaluation—perhaps even pushing us Ye family out of the top three." Ye Zhong chuckled slightly. "Hmm, that's very likely. The Bai family has long been dissatisfied with your family. If they can add to their difficulties, they certainly won't hesitate." Han Li also furrowed his brows slightly, nodding. "As far as I know, among the younger generation of Bai Family, the most outstanding is a young man named Bai Ying. He has already reached the mid-7th rank of alchemist at the age of under thirty, and has maintained this level for nearly three years. If Bai Family sends him out, it will likely be quite difficult for your Ye Family to secure a spot among the top three." "Bai Ying... I've heard of him. Indeed, he is exceptionally talented in alchemy—significantly more so than Cao Dan of the Cao Family." Ye Zhong's expression grew serious. If the Bai Family truly sends Bai Ying out, the outcome would surely be quite uncertain. Among the five great families, aside from the Ye family, the other four are far from passive—each boasts several prodigious alchemy talents comparable to Cao Dan. Even within the Alchemy Domain, these individuals command notable reputations. Though Ye family now has Xiao Yan as their ally, securing a top-three finish remains a significant challenge. Today’s encounter has strained relations with the Bai family, and earlier tensions with the Cao family have further compounded the situation. Thus, it is certain that both families have dispatched formidable contenders to pose obstacles for Ye. As for the Dan family, though they have traditionally remained understated, they consistently secure either first or second place in each assessment—rarely experiencing fluctuations, and never dropping to third. Therefore, the Dan family also emerges as a hidden competitor. With this, the top three spots are effectively claimed by the Cao, Dan, and Bai families, making it exceptionally difficult for the Ye family to break through. "Well, let's stop worrying now. By this point, there's really nothing more we can do but rely on fate..." Seeing Ye Zhong's troubled expression, Han Li offered a word of encouragement and then turned to Xiao Yan, smiling, "Moreover, the helper that your family has brought in this time isn't exactly a minor player. Perhaps even against the three families' prodigies, he could hold his own on equal footing." Upon hearing this, Ye Zhong smiled gently and sighed, "At this point, all our hopes truly rest on him. Whether our family survives or not will depend entirely on this assessment." After spending some time in the divided tower, Xiao Yan and Ye Zhong bid farewell and strolled casually through the outskirts of the Sacred Dan City. Today, Saint Dan City is bustling with unprecedented crowds as the Dan Festival draws nearer. The noise is not only loud during the day, but even at night, the city resounds with constant chatter. With the growing influx of people, countless diverse figures from all walks of life mingle together, and various unusual traditions and curiosities emerge—some of which are truly precious, though only those with sharp eyes can spot them. Clearly, Xiao Yan's fortune hasn't been particularly favorable. After wandering through several trading districts in the Outer Realm all afternoon, he had only managed to identify a few rare herbs, and even those were only because he moved quickly enough to avoid being outpaced by others. It wasn't until the sky began to grow dark that Ye Zhong finally stopped and pulled Xiao Yan, who still seemed eager to continue. "Well, if you really want to shop at Taobao, you'll have to attend the Herbalist Exchange Fair scheduled for the day after tomorrow—that's where you'll truly open your eyes. The items there are mostly no ordinary ones. If your luck is good enough, you might even stumble upon some unexpected treasures..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded reluctantly. Back then, the Tianhuo Three Great Transformations had been discovered simply by browsing a trading area at random. Yet, unfortunately, it seemed he no longer enjoyed that same fortune. Seeing Xiao Yan settle down, Ye Zong then led him out of the trading area and back to the Ye residence... ... As night fell, it gradually spread, once again enveloping the Sacred Dan City. Brilliant stars twinkled in the void, shimmering with a splendid radiance. Within the quiet courtyard of Ye Yuan, Xiao Yan stood with arms folded, his body as still and sculpted as stone beneath the endless expanse of the starry sky. From the frost that had begun to form in his hair, it was clear he had been standing there for quite some time. This meditative stillness continued for another hour, and finally, after a while, the tightly closed eyes of Xiao Yan slowly opened, his brows furrowed in concentration. "This time, I simply can't reach the state I achieved last night. Ah, it seems I'll have to rely entirely on fortune after all..." Xiao Yan sighed. Originally, he had hoped that by entering this state several times, the spiritual qi within his soul would grow increasingly dense, and perhaps at some point, his soul itself would attain the so-called Spiritual Realm. At that stage, crafting seventh-grade premium pills would no longer pose a significant challenge for him—perhaps even at the peak of his state, he might dare to attempt eighth-grade pills! By then, even at the Dan Meeting, Xiao Yan would be confident enough to look down upon all the others. Yet unfortunately, this vision was too distant and elusive—last night's state was rare and hard to replicate. No matter how focused Xiao Yan tried to be, the starry expanse had grown as ordinary and unremarkable as any other place. … Over the course of the next day, Xiao Yan remained completely locked in his room, undisturbed by the others—indeed, from the intense heat radiating out of the room, they could already tell he was likely refining something once again. Xiao Yan's work in the room lasted through the entire night, and only when the first rays of morning light pierced through the darkness and touched the small courtyard did the tightly closed door finally begin to open. Stepping out, Xiao Yan took a deep breath of fresh air, touched his storage bracelet, and smiled gently. Though the time had been tight, he had fortunately accumulated some reserves before—after all, he could now be considered someone with a solid foundation. When Xiao Yan stepped out of the room, Ye Zhong, Xiao Yi Xian, Tian Huo Zhunzhe, and Xin Lan had already been standing at the courtyard entrance, smiling warmly at him. "Ah, ready?" Ye Zhong gazed at Xiao Yan's expression and couldn't help but smile. Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, then waved his hand broadly, saying, "Let's go! Let's see what makes the Holy Dan City's Alchemist Trade Fair so special!" With that, Xiao Yan hurried out of the courtyard and headed off in the direction Xiao Yan had mentioned the day before. The four young healers smiled lightly and followed at a steady, unhurried pace. As for the Alchemist Trade Fair itself, they too had a touch of interest.