All eyes in the hall were focused on Xiao Yan, slowly walking toward the stone stele. While the earlier tests had drawn attention, everyone was most eagerly anticipating Xiao Yan's performance—because his success would represent the Ye family, and his first test would determine the family's future. Whether the Ye family could retain its prestigious status as one of the Five Great Families hinged entirely on Xiao Yan's performance in this very test. Cao Dan stared fiercely at Xiao Yan's back, a mocking smile playing on his lips. For the Ye family to pass the evaluation, they would need to secure a top-three finish in every test. Currently, the top three spots in the spirit-value assessment were already claimed by Dan Xuan, Cao Xiu, and Bai Ying—three formidable competitors. Cao Dan simply didn't believe Xiao Yan could achieve such a feat. Under the collective gaze of the audience, Xiao Yan halted before the stele and raised his hand, gently touching it. The stele was extremely cold, like a block of ice; when the fingers touched it, a subtle stinging sensation arose—a feeling that seemed to penetrate the soul, making the person feel rather uncomfortable. "Xiao Yan, if the Ye family is to pass this assessment, they must rank among the top three. Currently, Bai Ying holds third place with a spirit value of 785. You must surpass him for the Ye family to have any chance at survival..." The Sheng elder, standing beside the stele, gazed steadily at Xiao Yan, his voice low and serious. Should the Ye family fail once again, no matter how many words of justification were offered, they would likely be eliminated from the Five Great Families. Xiao Yan nodded slowly. He knew better than anyone that, at this very moment, he held the fate of every single member of the Ye family in his hands. Gently closing his eyes, Xiao Yan seemed to sink completely into stillness—his breath grew ever more faint. At the very moment when the spiritual storm emerged, Sheng, the elder closest to Xiao Yan, also suddenly turned pale, retreating swiftly while intently fixing his gaze upon the blurred figure within the distorted space. Though he had witnessed such phenomena before—when Cao Ying's spiritual assessment triggered similar disturbances—he found that Xiao Yan's spiritual storm seemed, in comparison, even more remarkable. Indeed, it appeared to be more intense than Cao Ying's had been back then. The four elders—Dan Xuan, Cao Xiu, Bai Ying—standing before the stone stele also experienced a subtle shift in their expressions, stepping back by several paces, all of them gazing in astonishment at the figure. Particularly Bai Ying, whose face bore an especially stunned expression—he could never have imagined that Xiao Yan would achieve such an extraordinary level. At the Cao family's seat, the smooth jade bead that Cao Yingyu had been rotating in her hands came to a sudden stop at that very moment. Her eyes, previously glowing with an ethereal aura, now fixed on the indistinct figure before the stone stele, revealing a look of astonishment. This time, she had truly missed it—she hadn't expected the young man named Xiao Yan to be so deeply concealed. Silence persisted within the hall for a moment, until it was finally broken by a series of sharp inhalations of breath. Numerous eyes, filled with unmistakable awe, were fixed upon the slightly slender figure standing before the stone stele. 1395! This figure surpassed Gao Ying's previous record by over three hundred! The Cao Ying of that time had first earned the title of "Mysterious Lady" when she broke her own records. Yet now, Xiao Yan was not only surpassing her previous achievements but had far outpaced them—such a feat was nothing short of astonishing. Upon seeing the blood-red figure, Cao Ying's eyes widened slightly, then she turned to Xiao Yan with a keen, interested gaze, chuckling lightly, "Interesting... The Central Plains truly harbor outstanding talents. I never realized before that there were individuals of such caliber. This Dan Conference is going to be most engaging." At the Ye family's seat, Ye Zhong and Xin Lan, who had been holding their breath throughout, finally exhaled in relief at this moment. Xiao Yan's achievements were truly outstanding—so dazzling, in fact, that they seemed almost dreamlike. While they had never doubted Xiao Yan's capabilities, they had never imagined that he would surpass the record set by the Cao family's young female prodigy in the very first test. "The Ye family is saved!" Ye Zhong's hands, once so excited, now trembled slightly. After all the worries he'd carried through these days, everything finally fell into place at this very moment. He believed, with Xiao Yan's extraordinary talent, securing the top three in the remaining two categories would surely be within reach. Of course, Elder Sheng would not consider Xiao Yan truly on par with Cao Ying merely based on that record—after all, that record was established two or three years ago by Cao Ying herself, and by now, she must have reached an even more formidable level. Given their similar ages, a direct comparison would likely still favor Cao Ying. By conventional standards, this makes perfect sense. Yet how could Xiao Yan know that the current figure truly reflected his full potential? It was always his habit to leave room for maneuver—maintain some flexibility—especially since this very outcome had not been anticipated by him at all. Nevertheless, though unanticipated, he clearly understood that the exceptionally high soul value stemmed directly from the spiritual qi within his soul. Though the spiritual qi may not possess the same overwhelming power as combat energy, it is still capable of fundamentally transforming the soul. Among peers of equal rank in the art of alchemy, if one possesses spiritual qi within their soul while the other does not, the results of their evaluation will undoubtedly differ vastly. When the soul storm occurred earlier, Xiao Yan had quietly restrained himself, preventing his soul's strength from fully manifesting. He always believed that by reserving his reserves, he could ensure the greatest security for himself. "The Soul Test has now come to an end, and naturally, Xiao Yan, representing the Ye family, has secured the top position. Moreover, it is a record worth celebrating—this achievement is likely to remain unbroken for a very long time in future evaluations..." Hearing the voice of Senior Sheng, the audience in the hall quietly chuckled. Indeed, the Ye family, a resilient entity even at its twilight, had managed to summon such a formidable ally at this very critical moment. From his outstanding performance, it was evident that he would surely rank among the top three in the next two tests. Should he pass this assessment, the Ye family would once again possess a solid foundation for survival. "There remain two final evaluations to go. Once these are completed, the final outcomes of this year's Five Family Assessment will be revealed." Senior Sheng smiled warmly at Xiao Yan—his expression now brimming with enthusiasm and kindness, a marked contrast to the earlier calm and composed demeanor. In response to the elder Cao's warmth, Xiao Yan smiled and stepped back—only to suddenly feel a gaze that stirred something deep within his soul, causing him to turn his head and meet the eyes of the black-robed woman, the head of the Cao family. As Xiao Yan's gaze settled upon her, Cao Ying's lips curled into a subtle, alluring curve, her ethereal aura radiating like a fairy descending from the celestial realm. Yet, in the face of this uninhibited, enchanting allure, Xiao Yan quietly felt a growing sense of alertness. This woman—she could not be allowed to be casually touched!