Hearing that deep, resonant laugh, Xiao Yan also slightly raised his head, just in time to see the white-robed elder slowly turn around. His hair and beard were completely white, his face etched with deep wrinkles, and his eyes, compressed between the folds of the wrinkles, appeared fine and delicate. Yet within those deep, profound eyes, there shimmered a warm, gentle smile. "You're joking, aren't you?" Xiao Yan bowed respectfully. "Heh, this isn't at all a joke. To have reached the rank of senior seventh-level alchemist at your age—such a feat is truly rare across the continent. Few can match it." The elder's gaze swept over Xiao Yan with a steady, thoughtful appreciation. "My name is Xuan Kongzi. If you don't mind, you may call me Xuan-Old. I had a close friendship with your teacher, Yao Chen, back in the day. So, calling me Xuan-Old is quite fitting." "Then, I shall gladly follow your lead." Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled and bowed in delight. Xuan Kongzi smiled, placing the scroll he was holding into the bookshelf, then returned to his desk and said, "Regarding the Xuanming Sect's affairs, you needn't worry—currently, the Sheng Dan City is in the most chaotic and tense state due to the Dan Assembly. If things go wrong, the Assembly might be delayed." Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "Last night, that person concealed his aura and appearance. Since I myself didn't go there, I don't know exactly which senior elder from the Hún Palace he is..." Xuan Kongzi said slowly. "It should be Master Mu Gu..." Xiao Yan hesitated before adding. "Oh?" Xuan Kongzi was momentarily surprised, yet didn't seem overly surprised, and nodded slowly, saying, "It makes sense that they'd come to you—after all, it's this old fellow. The Hún Palace people truly aren't easy to deal with." "Has Yao Chen also fallen into the hands of the Hún Palace?" Xuan Kongzi, with his dry hands gently rubbing the desk, suddenly asked. Xiao Yan pressed his lips slightly, then nodded. "Oh... this old man is naturally laid-back and never particularly fond of forming alliances or factions. If only he had listened to me back then and become one of the leading forces of Dantai, he wouldn't have been so constantly pursued by the Hun Palace now..." Xuan Kongzi sighed. "I'll make sure to keep a close eye on this matter. Should there be any news regarding Yao Chen, I'll certainly inform you." "Thank you, Master Xuan." Xiao Yan quickly expressed his gratitude. With Dantai's extensive presence throughout the Central Region, their assistance in searching for information would surely eliminate countless complications. Xuan Kongzi waved his hand. "The Hun Palace is also one of Dantai's hidden adversaries. Each year, they capture countless炼药师 souls—yet due to certain reasons, Dantai has been unable to formally declare war against them. This organization is far more formidable than you might imagine." Xiao Yan nodded silently. The Hun Palace's enduring presence in the Central Region over the years was certainly no mere coincidence—it required genuine strength. What he hadn't anticipated, however, was that even Dantai, a power of such stature, held such deep apprehension toward this enigmatic force. "Creak…" As Xiao Yan pondered, the hall door suddenly opened gently, and then three figures stepped in slowly. The first one turned his head, his eyes instantly widening with surprise—those leading the way were none other than Cao Ying and the young woman named Dan Chen from the Dan family. Behind Cao Ying and Dan Chen was a man dressed in black, with a particularly handsome appearance. He had been softly chatting with the two women as he entered the hall, and on his chest, a badge gleamed, bearing seven brilliant purple-gold stars. A seventh-rank senior alchemist! When Xiao Yan saw the two, Cao Ying and Dan Chen also noticed him, their faces briefly lighting up with surprise—clearly, they were taken aback by his presence here. "Master," Cao Ying stepped forward gently, bowing respectfully to Xuan Kongzi. "Xuan Kong Chairman..." "Hehe, you three have all come, haven't you?" Xuan Kong Zi lifted his head, smiled warmly at the three of them, then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, saying, "This is Xiao Yan, the champion of this year's five great families' evaluation. I'm sure you all have heard of him already..." "Ah, how could we not? Recently, Xiao Yan has been all over the Sacred Dan City, talked about nonstop!" Cao Ying掩ed her mouth with a graceful, charming smile, her elegance and grace casting a subtle warmth in the eyes of the black-robed man beside her. Xiao Yan didn't mind Cao Ying's words, merely offering a polite smile to the three of them. "Song Qing... I've heard a great deal about Xiao Yan's performance in the five great families' evaluation. To meet him in person today, he truly lives up to the reputation!" The black-robed man stepped forward, extended his hand to Xiao Yan, and smiled warmly. "Too kind of you to say so." Xiao Yan smiled slightly. Though the black-robed man had masked his demeanor well, Xiao Yan could detect a faint sense of hostility in his eyes—one that seemed to stem from Cao Ying herself. "This female demon truly is a source of trouble," Xiao Yan murmured, only able to shake his head with a quiet sigh. He said nothing, yet somehow found himself unexpectedly met with resistance, which left him somewhat bewildered. "Mr. Xiao Yan, Song Qing is a disciple of the Grand Elder of Dan Tower, and in fact, one of the youngest elders in the tower. Who knows—he might even become the youngest among the Eight Grand Elders in Dan Tower's history. His abilities are certainly no less than yours." Cao Ying's eyes sparkled as she smiled gracefully. Though Song Qing's face remained composed, a subtle sense of pride gleamed in his eyes—indeed, with his accomplishments, such confidence was well-earned. "Indeed, a true prodigy of a renowned master." Xiao Yan smiled slightly, saying little. Cao Ying, this female spirit-being, was notoriously unpredictable—should one be careless, she could easily keep one off balance. And Xiao Yan himself wasn’t exactly the type who enjoyed revolving around women, even if Cao Ying weren’t an ordinary woman. "Indeed, due to its long-term imprisonment—spanning three thousand years of intense flame—the Flame of Three Thousand焱 has grown deeply resentful toward the Dan Tower. Should it be released, it will inevitably launch retaliatory attacks upon the Dan Realm, resulting in substantial losses," said Xuan Kongzi, sighing. "Over the centuries, this Flame has developed considerable intelligence, coupled with its wild and untamable nature. Despite our best efforts, we have never managed to make it submit. Moreover, as it gradually absorbs the power of the stars, our seals are beginning to feel increasingly constrained—thus, we must resolve this matter swiftly." "Indeed, it is precisely for this reason that we have summoned you. I hope you will prevent the Spirit Pavilion from obtaining the Three Thousand Yan Fire Flames." Observing the serious expression on Xuan Kongzi's face, the hall fell into a quiet stillness. After a moment, Cao Ying furrowed her brows and said, "Master, if you are so concerned about the Spirit Pavilion, why not simply prohibit their participation?" "First, we do not yet know which of the participating alchemists are actually from the Spirit Pavilion. Even if we did, we could not disqualify them for any reason, since this is a longstanding tradition of the Dan Tower—any alchemist who meets the qualification criteria is automatically eligible, regardless of whether they are rivals to the Tower. Even if they are direct adversaries, their participation cannot be canceled. While this rule may be cumbersome, it is precisely because of the Tower's inclusive spirit that it has grown into the position it holds today. Therefore, some traditions must remain untouched." Xuan Kongzi said, with a touch of resignation. Hearing this, the group slowly nodded in unison. Xiao Yan himself had long been at odds with the Spirit Palace, and the Three Thousand Flame of Fire was something he absolutely required—thus, he naturally had no objections to such matters. "There are still seven days until the start of the Dan Conclave selection. During this time, you should try to remain within the Dan Tower. The Spirit Palace may secretly employ strategies in order to secure the championship spot; therefore, you must remain vigilant..." Xuan Kungzi advised. The group nodded again. "Well, that's about all there is. Now all you need to do is simply wait for the start of the Dan Festival..." Xuan Kongsi smiled warmly, his gaze gently directed toward Xiao Yan. He casually picked up a scroll from the table and tossed it toward him. "I hear you've been particularly interested in Ying'er's Spirit Seal. Take it and study it carefully. Though this Spirit Seal isn't exceptionally advanced among Spirit Techniques, it's quite rare outside the realm."