Inside the room, Xiao Yan stared at the space where fluctuations had previously occurred, his eyes blazing with intense interest, his face displaying unmistakable shock and exhilaration. When he had first entered his state of cultivation, he had clearly sensed the presence of celestial qi all around him! Qi is a highly mysterious form of energy, lacking the sheer power of combat energy, yet it is an immense nourishment for the soul. However, Qi is as chaotic as primordial essence, making it extremely difficult to perceive. In ancient times, alchemists were able to sense and absorb Qi thanks to certain unique soul techniques. But in today's era, those once-mysterious soul techniques have long since vanished, and few alchemists now know how to sense Qi or absorb it effectively. The astonishment on his face gradually subsided. Xiao Yan calmed the fluctuating emotions within him, then once again slowly focused his mind, murmuring continuously the incantation he had extracted from the prenatal spirit dust. With his eyes closed, Xiao Yan maintained this state for about thirty minutes. Finally, the previously serene space within the room stirred once more with a subtle ripple... This time, Xiao Yan did not react with surprise. In his perception, within this otherwise empty realm teeming with celestial and terrestrial energies, delicate, faint streams of airflow—resembling the primordial chaos—had suddenly emerged. These streams were deeply concealed, masked by the dense ambient energies. Had it not been for the incantation, Xiao Yan would have been unable to detect them at all. "These are indeed the spiritual energies..." Xiang Yan focused his mind on these extremely subtle streams of energy. After a moment of contemplation, he gained a clearer understanding—these energies were so faint and delicate that even when occasionally drawn into the body, they would easily be crushed and dispersed by the surrounding natural energies as soon as any movement was made. It was therefore no wonder that so few people could sense their presence. The first time he had sensed spiritual energies under normal cultivation conditions, he felt a deep sense of delight. As long as he successfully absorbed these energies, and as they gradually filled his soul, his soul would eventually reach the so-called Spiritual Realm. At that point, his skill in preparing medicinal concoctions would undoubtedly reach the level of an Eighth-Rank Master. Seventh rank is for a Master, Eighth rank for a Master! Though only one rank apart, this small difference perfectly illustrated the significant gap between these two levels. As long as Xiao Yan successfully reaches the rank of Eighth-Level Alchemist, even the supreme强者 at the Battle Sovereign level will treat him with courtesy. With this status firmly established, Xiao Yan knew that within the ancient family of Xun'er, he would certainly receive no less than fair treatment. After all, an Eighth-Level Alchemist is a rare presence even across the entire Continent of Qi. To secure just one Eighth-Level pill, battle sovereign-level强者 would undoubtedly be willing to bow low and serve as mere assistants—this is certain. As these prospects of status and benefits unfolded in his mind, Xiao Yan felt a surge of warmth. Then, he quickly stabilized his focus—only to suddenly pause. The reason for this pause was that Xiao Yan realized, with a start, that he had no method at all for absorbing Qi! While the unnamed technique granted him the ability to sense Qi, it had not provided him with any means of drawing or absorbing it. Spirit energy is not as freely absorbable as the fundamental energies of heaven and earth. It is extremely delicate—only a slight pressure causes it to dissipate. Without a special method to draw it out from among the myriad energies of heaven and earth, it is simply impossible to successfully absorb it. Xiao Yan stood there, as if stunned, feeling utterly helpless, as though he had discovered a treasure vault filled with gold, only to find that upon arriving, the vault was locked tightly, allowing him only to gaze at it from afar, unable to carry any of its riches into his own pack. Exhaling a long breath, Xiao Yan stood in quiet contemplation for a moment, then gritted his teeth firmly. After all, beginnings were always difficult—how could he doubt that he had already weathered the most challenging start, only to now struggle with the subsequent matters? If there was no method to absorb spiritual energy, then he would simply resort to the most straightforward, albeit most basic, approach: sheer consumption! Refining the celestial and terrestrial energies absorbed into his body into Qi and integrating them within, Xiao Yan once again drew in a surge of celestial and terrestrial energies. This time, as the energy first entered his body, he instantly sliced it with a lightning-fast motion, separating it from a strand of spiritual essence. Then, with careful precision, akin to drawing silk from a cocoon, he gently and methodically separated the surrounding energies, dividing them strand by strand around the spiritual essence. This was an exceptionally demanding task, even for Xiao Yan's refined control—success came only after nearly twenty failed attempts, gradually managing to separate a thin strand of barely finger-sized spiritual energy from the dense energy mass. Gazing at this delicate strand of spiritual energy, which had finally been secured after nearly an hour of painstaking effort, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief. Fortunately, thanks to the unnamed technique, he could sense the energy's precise location—otherwise, this meticulous, step-by-step extraction method would have been entirely unworkable. Though even with this advantage, the time consumed was indeed excessive. Still, Xiao Yan understood that with practice, efficiency would improve. While it still couldn't match the efficiency of traditional methods, it would steadily enrich the spiritual energy within his soul, eventually enabling him to reach the spiritual realm and advance to the rank of Eighth-Level Alchemist—something that would only take time. Xiao Yan carefully controlled this delicate thread of spiritual energy, gradually guiding it upward and then penetrating into the center of his brow. As the energy sank deep into the center of his brow, he immediately felt a subtle coolness spreading through his mind. A wave of surprise filled his heart—he realized this was a phenomenon that occurred only when the spiritual energy within his soul increased. Though his method was clumsy, it clearly yielded some results. No matter how modest, it was certainly better than achieving nothing at all. "There truly is no established method for cultivating soul techniques—so difficult, indeed..." As he integrated this thread of spiritual energy into his soul, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle softly. Simply removing this single strand had consumed him an entire hour—such a disproportionate investment of effort relative to the gain. Yet at this moment, he had no other choice. After all, even the smallest mosquito is flesh. Should any other seventh-rank senior alchemical master learn that he could absorb such a subtle spiritual thread, they'd surely be envious, their eyes blazing with jealousy. After offering himself a quiet internal reassurance, Xiao Yan sighed, once again focused his mind and entered his cultivation state, continuing with this exceptionally arduous task of removing the spiritual energy. Time swiftly passed as Xiao Yan devoted himself tirelessly to his practice. When the first rays of morning light filtered into the room, Xiao Yan, seated on the bed, slowly opened his eyes—his dark gaze now especially bright and lively. With just one night's effort, Xiao Yan successfully absorbed eight strands of spiritual energy—though it took him increasing proficiency and time reductions to achieve this. Having absorbed these eight strands, the spiritual energy within his soul grew richer and more abundant. As a result, after the night's sustained effort, Xiao Yan felt neither tired nor drained, but rather an exceptional sense of freshness and clarity—comparable to the state he would achieve after a full night of cultivation. "Ah…" He exhaled deeply, stepping down from the bed. Though the results of this single night fell short of what he achieved when fully immersed in his state, they were nonetheless satisfying in their consistency and sustainability. With this pace, Xiao Yan could absorb spiritual energy at any time he chose, and reaching the rank of an Eighth-Prestige Alchemist would be merely a matter of time. After giving his clothes a slight adjustment, Xiao Yan stepped out of the room with a clear mind and refreshed spirit. As he stepped out, he noticed that Ye Zhong, Xiao Yi Xian, and the others had already been standing in the courtyard. As soon as the door opened, Ye Zhong promptly raised his head, only to exhale in relief upon seeing Xiao Yan in excellent condition. Xiao Yan smiled warmly at the group. He naturally understood Ye Zhong's anxiety—today marked the five great families' evaluation, and the outcome of this assessment would determine the future of the Ye family. Indeed, all of this rested entirely on Xiao Yan's shoulders. In fact, the very lives and fates of every member of the Ye family now lay in his hands. "Mr. Xiao Yan, have you prepared yourself?" Ye Zhong bowed formally, knowing how crucial this day was for the future of the Ye family. Gazing at Ye Zhong's weathered face, Xiao Yan slowly nodded, took a deep breath, and then stepped forward first toward the outer courtyard. His hearty laughter eased the tension in the former's shoulders. "Then let's go. Today, I'll find out just what capabilities this so-called Five Great Families truly possess."