As Xiao Yan stood up from his seat, four figures also rose slowly from the seats of the other four families, drawing the entire audience's attention to the five of them at once. Dan, the representative from the Cao family, was no surprise to Ye Zhong—indeed, it was Cao Xiu and Dan Xuan. The Bai family sent their most outstanding young talent, a man named Bai Ying. As for the Qiu family, a slightly shorter man was sent, though Xiao Yan didn't personally know him; still, being chosen to represent Qiu family surely meant he was no ordinary person. Senior Sheng slowly scanned over the five figures, pausing briefly on Xiao Yan. While he had once maintained some connections with the Ye family, their ties had grown increasingly distant over the years as the Ye family declined and visited Saint Dan City less and less. Nevertheless, Senior Sheng harbored sympathy for their current situation and had previously spoken in their favor, helping to preserve the Ye family's last chance of survival. "Those representing their families, please come forward..." Hearing the calm words from Senior Sheng, Xiao Yan and the others slowly descended under the collective gaze of the audience, each maintaining a guarded distance and standing at the plaza. "Dan Family, Dan Xuan, bowing to Senior Sheng," Dan Xuan stood straight, bowed slightly, and respectfully said. "Chao Family, Chao Xiu..." "Bai Family, Bai Ying..." "Qiu Family, Qiu Ji..." Following Dan Xuan, Chao Xiu and the others also bowed in greeting. Senior Sheng was one of the Eight Elders of the Dan Tower, a status far beyond that of ordinary elders—thus, even the Five Great Families had to treat him with courtesy. "Representative of the Ye Family, Xiao Yan, bowing to Senior Sheng..." Though this formality may seem unnecessary, it was essential. Xiao Yan, no longer a young novice, naturally did not omit it in order to appear haughty. As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, numerous astonished glances from the hall turned toward him. Though everyone present was well-informed, they had a vague sense of the connection between Xiao Yan and the Ye family, so they didn't find it particularly surprising—after all, such a selection process did not strictly limit the five major families from seeking outside support. As Xiao Yan finished speaking, the Bai Eagle standing beside him sneered. Unperturbed by the Eagle's scorn, Xiao Yan merely offered a calm smile, neither disputing nor reacting, his fingers crossed and resting calmly before him, as though he had not heard a word of the challenge. Seeing this, the Bai Eagle exchanged a cold glance. He had long known that Xiao Yan was also a mid-tier Rank Seven alchemist, yet this alone did not make him feel intimidated—mid-tier Rank Seven, after all, was still a tier with distinctions in strength and quality. The Eagle himself had reached that level a year prior, while Xiao Yan had only recently earned his mid-tier Rank Seven insignia just a few days ago. Regarding the strained atmosphere between the two, Sheng Elder remained uninvolved. Such tensions were common and nothing unusual; as long as the assessment process remained undisturbed, he allowed them to continue their exchanges. "Since everything seems fine, let us begin our assessment today..." Senior Sheng slowly stepped back. Behind him, a structure previously covered by a black cloth now revealed itself—he gently pulled the cloth aside to reveal a stone monument towering over a zhang in height. While it is called a stone monument, the description is not entirely accurate, as the stone is remarkably transparent, appearing almost like crystal. "Our assessment consists of three components, and the first of these is the Soul Test." "It is well known that the soul is the most fundamental aspect for a potion master; only with a sufficiently strong soul can one possess adequate soul perception and soul manipulation." Senior Sheng pointed to the central section of the stone tablet, where a circular, smooth mirror disc was placed. "Each of you should channel your soul energy into this disc, and the disc will measure your soul strength—this value is known as the 'soul rating' within the Dan Tower." "A soul rating of 400 or above is considered passing. Over the years, during the soul rating assessments conducted by the five noble families, the highest recorded score has belonged to Cao Ying. When she was tested, her soul rating reached 976, a record that has never been surpassed." As he spoke, Senior Sheng's gaze turned toward the Cao family's first representative. There, Cao Ying, dressed in a black gown, rested her jade-hand on her cheek, while the other hand gently played with a smooth jade bead, appearing completely relaxed and undisturbed by the attention of those around her. "Hehe, since everyone knows the rules, let's begin—whom shall we start with?" Sheng Elder turned his gaze back, smiling warmly at the five members of Xiao Yan's group. As soon as he finished speaking, the five fell into silence. After a moment, the man from the Qiu family, named Qiu Ji, stepped forward first. He gently pressed his palm against the stone tablet, closed his eyes, and allowed his spiritual energy to surge through his arm and into the tablet. Xiao Yan, standing beside him, found himself pondering the figure. He could sense that Qiu Ji possessed solid spiritual strength, yet the final number—only 707—was surprisingly modest. Gazing at the scene, he could already sense the formidable nature of Cao Ying. Indeed, two or three years ago, she had already surpassed this figure. He wondered now just how far she had progressed. Gazing at the numbers on the stone tablet, murmurs began to rise throughout the hall. The members of the Bai family seated at their table looked particularly pleased, with the pale, composed woman who had impressed Xiao Yan during the tower division assessment now displaying admiration as she watched Bai Ying's performance. Senior Sheng glanced at the readings on the display and slowly nodded—this result was indeed outstanding, confirming that the Bai family's reputation as the strongest among its younger generation was well earned. With a gentle press of his palm, the murmurs in the hall settled. Turning his gaze to Xiao Yan, Dan Xuan, and Cao Xiu, Senior Sheng smiled and said, "It's your turn now..." Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances. Cao Xiu offered a calm smile and said, "Since both of you have chosen to act last, I shall begin by stepping up." "Having said that, he stepped steadily forward, walking slowly toward the stone stele, placing his palm upon it. His eyes snapped open, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted from within him, flowing out like a mountain flood. "Drip... drip... drip!" As the spiritual energy surged within Cao Xiu's body, the blood-red digits on the mirror panel rapidly climbed, surging past eight hundred and finally settling steadily at 846. Gazing at the spiritual value displayed on the stele's mirror panel, murmurs of admiration rose throughout the hall—this figure was already quite impressive among the mid-tier seventh-rank cultivators. "Now it's your turn," Cao Xiu said, slowly retreating and then turning his gaze toward Dan Xuan and Xiao Yan. Upon hearing this, Dan Xuan nodded slightly, offered a warm smile to Xiao Yan beside him, and then stepped forward. Dan Xuan's emergence undoubtedly drew countless eyes toward the hall, even catching the usually carefree Cao Ying, who now fixed her gaze upon him. Dan Xuan, the renowned prodigy of the Dan family, was widely known—many believed he would one day become the leader of the family, both in strength and temperament. Under the steady gaze of all present, Dan Xuan halted before the stone stele, gently placing his palm upon it, his face showing no trace of tension. As his hand made contact, he slowly closed his eyes, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy began to radiate forth from within him, subtly distorting the space around him—enough to draw a look of surprise from Sheng Elder beside him. This surge poured into the stele, and once again, the steady, rhythmic tapping resumed, the blood-red numbers on the mirror panel now rising rapidly, as if accelerating the pulse of every onlooker. The figures surged rapidly, surpassing seven hundred in a breath, then crossing eight hundred the very next instant. Only then did the pace begin to slow, yet the numbers continued to climb steadily. Finally, as the crowd exhaled in quiet awe, they reached and stabilized at 903—breaking past the eight-hundred mark. At Cao's seat, Cao Ying's eyes also flickered with a touch of astonishment, then a gentle smile curled at her lips—indeed, Dan Xuan was no weakling. Though still slightly falling short, he stood out remarkably among his peers of the same generation. The waves of admiration in the hall gradually subsided, and all eyes eventually converged on the final figure—this was Ye Family's last chance. If Xiao Yan's final score failed to surpass Bai Ying and secure a spot among the top three, then the Ye Family would be truly finished. Ye Zhong and the others were now intensely focused on Xiao Yan. Should he fail to make it into the top three in this very first assessment, then the subsequent evaluations would likely be rendered meaningless. Cao Ying lifted her gaze slightly, her vibrant, ethereal eyes full of interest, watching Xiao Yan closely. She was eager to find out whether this well-known figure truly possessed the ability to rescue the Ye Family—or if he was merely playing it cool. Under the steady gaze of the entire arena, Xiao Yan slowly inhaled, his expression calm and composed, then advanced steadily, placing his palm gently upon the stone tablet!