As the brilliant and warm sunlight pierced through the thick clouds and illuminated the summit, a gentle, ancient chime of the bell slowly resonated throughout the space. At the moment the chime began, the summit space subtly warped, and seven elderly figures appeared unexpectedly upon a stone platform in the plaza. Upon seeing these seven elders, many people in the plaza bowed respectfully and said, "Seven Elders have arrived!" In the Xiaodan Tower, the Grand Elder's Court holds the highest decision-making authority, and these elders naturally command great prestige. Most of them were selected from within the Xiaodan Tower and are regarded as highly respected and virtuous figures. Thus, people in the Xiaodan Tower hold their words in high esteem. Xiao Yan moved among the crowd, his gaze fixed on the seven elders. His eyes slowly swept across them, finally settling on the four seated in the center. Among these seven, the four stood out in strength—particularly the elderly man in a simple cotton robe, whose composed demeanor commanded Xiao Yan's attention. "Two Mid-Level Half-Emperors, one High-Level Half-Emperor, and one who has likely reached the early stage of the Two-Star Peak Emperor... This, then, is indeed the true strength of Dan Tower. It is no wonder they can rival the Huan Palace." Xiao Yan's eyes remained on the elder in the cotton robe, his mind quietly murmuring a sigh. The longevity and enduring legacy of these factions in the Central Region spoke volumes—how could one possibly comprehend such profound, hidden strengths unless their power had reached a certain level? "The elderly man in the robe is the Grand Elder of Xiao Dan Tower—he is the most senior figure in the tower besides the Elder Sage, and even I have to bow to him as a junior." The Herbal Elder spoke softly beside Xiao Yan. Hearing this, Xiao Yan silently admired the depth of the elder's standing; even the Herbal Elder had to show him respect as a junior. The Grand Elder's seniority was truly impressive. As Xiao Yan observed the man in the robe, the latter seemed to sense it as well, his deep, starry eyes fixed upon him. A subtle ripple of recognition passed through those eyes, clearly revealing Xiao Yan's true strength. "A powerful soul pressure..." When the senior elder's gaze came his way, Xiao Yan's brow slightly furrowed. He could sense an invisible force pressing down upon the surrounding space—a pressure others couldn't perceive, only he, as the one directly experiencing it, could clearly feel. Fortunately, he had grown significantly since then. Though the senior elder's soul pressure brought him some strain, it failed to cause any harm. His expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of disturbance. Seeing Xiao Yan's composed expression, the senior abbot subtly moved his chin before shifting his gaze, his voice calm and weathered resonating clearly in the ears of every person present: "Today is a particularly lively day for our Small Dan Tower. The senior monk selection isn't something we've experienced for the first time—everyone knows the procedures, and I won't go into further detail. The herbs scattered throughout the mountain are freely available to each participant. Whoever produces the highest-rank medicine at the end will be declared the winner." "If there are no further questions, then those who have qualified for the selection may now step forward." Though the abbot was very elderly, he was remarkably efficient and to the point, speaking with quiet authority as he gestured toward the square ahead. "Yes!" Hearing his words, a few respectful responses echoed through the gathering. One after another, figures stepped out, eventually settling into open spaces on the square. "Then I'll also go out." Seeing the actions of these people, Xiao Yan also smiled. "Good luck, don't let down your teacher's reputation," said Xuan Yi. Xiao Yan nodded and then pushed through the crowd, finding an open space amidst a series of astonished glances. Xiao Yan's emergence naturally drew many eyes, as most of the elders here were people who rarely left their homes, thus not fully understanding why a young candidate like this had been included in the selection this time. "This young man is Xiao Yan, a disciple of Yao Chen, and also this year's champion of the Dan Festival. By regulation, he is eligible to participate in the Elder Selection," said the Senior Elder, glancing around the gathering. "Ah, so that's it..." "I didn't know Yao Chen had taken another disciple." "But the Elder Selection isn't just a casual event—does Yao Chen perhaps deliberately want this young man to gain some experience?" As the elder's words fell, a murmur spread across the plaza. The title of Dan Conference Champion, though significant, still seemed somewhat modest when it came to challenging the other senior elders for the position. Many thus believed that this was merely a deliberate arrangement by Yao Chen to allow Xiao Yan to gain firsthand experience and insights. Undeterred by these perceptions, Xiao Yan simply closed his eyes, settled into meditation. As the final group of elderly figures appeared on the open plaza, the others gradually moved to the edges. Only then did the elder speak once more, "If all of you are ready, then let us begin." Upon hearing this, the atmosphere on the plaza tightened immediately, and everyone's expressions grew serious. "Ding!" In the tense atmosphere, a clear, sharp sound of metal clashing suddenly rang out, soon merging into a continuous stream. One after another, magnificent-looking medicine cauldrons were removed from the disciples' storage seals and placed firmly before them. "Set the flames!" As the cauldrons touched the ground, the command echoed instantly, and from each, flames of varying hues rose—subtle, restrained in tone—quickly warming the air and raising the temperature of the entire space. Observing the numerous cauldrons surrounding him, Xiao Yan's expression gradually grew serious. Yet he did not reach for any of them. Instead, he slowly extended his right palm and then clenched it tightly, and a flame of deep purple-brown, tinged with a hint of pale silver, surged upward. "Boom!" As the flame first emerged, it rapidly expanded, swelling within moments into a vast cloud of fire that swirled around Xiao Yan's head. Then, the cloud condensed swiftly, forming in the midst of the astonished onlookers a magnificent medicine cauldron entirely composed of flame, its body a rich, deep purple-brown. "This... the Strange Fire?" "How strong the young man's command over fire is! Yet, doesn't he find it difficult to manage the flames when preparing the elixirs, especially when using a flame-based cauldron?" Xiao Yan's demonstration immediately drew a wave of astonishment, with murmurs rising one after another. The flame cauldron floated steadily before him, its remarkably solid form causing several senior alchemists to grow serious—how could one control the Strange Fire with such mastery? It required not only exceptional skill but also profound spiritual strength. The elder seated nearby, who had been observing quietly, turned his attention to the scene, his brows furrowing slightly before he scoffed, "All these elaborate, showy things—what's new about that? The younger generation is always the younger generation." Focusing on the now-formed flame cauldron before him, Xiao Yan lightly tapped his fingers. Instantly, flames surged within the cauldron, and with a soft *puff*, they coalesced into a dragon that spiraled gracefully within the vessel. Condensing the essence into the cauldron, Xiao Yan did not continue with the alchemy process, but instead slowly closed his eyes... Seeing this unusual gesture, the people around were momentarily stunned. Yet, having witnessed Xiao Yan's earlier demonstration, no one now doubted the potential of this seemingly young prodigy. "Uncertain what kind of pill Xiao Yan intends to prepare this time," murmured Xuan Kongzi, gazing at him thoughtfully. "What I know, Xiao Yan has essentially mastered. In the past, I could not produce ninth-rank pills—my own repertoire of such pills was limited to only two or so. At this level, the importance of the prescription becomes paramount. Without a ninth-rank prescription, producing pills would be nothing short of impossible. Yet, the rarity of ninth-rank prescriptions is no less than that of celestial-tier techniques or combat arts. Even I, having collected them for so many years, possess only two such prescriptions—both being the most basic of the ninth-rank, namely the ninth-rank precious pills." As the elderly pharmacist's words had just finished, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, pressed his fingers together, and there, between them, appeared a jade-green orb. "A Bodhi seed? He intends to prepare a Bodhi Pill?" Upon seeing the jade-green orb, the seasoned pharmacists immediately recognized Xiao Yan's intent. "The highest tier of Bodhi Pill requires only the summoning of nine-colored pill lightning. To defeat Master Hou, however, this seems quite challenging indeed..." With a slightly furrowed brow, Xuan Yi remarked, noting that relying solely on the Bodhi Pill might not be enough. Xuan Kongzi and Tian Lei Zi also frowned, having learned from the pharmacist that Xiao Yan was now a powerful Battle Saint. Though Xiao Yan had not explicitly mentioned his soul realm, it was clearly evident that he had reached the Heavenly Realm—thus qualifying him to craft ninth-grade pills. Yet what remained puzzling to them was why Xiao Yan had chosen to pursue the Bodhi Pill instead. "He should have his own plans..." The old pharmacist hesitated, trusting Xuanyin's judgment and not believing that he would approach the situation with any sense of underestimation toward his opponents. When he retrieved the Bodhi seeds, Xuanyin had glanced briefly toward the position of the pharmacist and his companions. Noticing their slightly furrowed brows, he offered a quiet smile. While others believed that in terms of pharmaceutical expertise, Xuanyin fell short of the elder masters like the pharmacist, it was true that, by conventional standards, his experience was indeed less than that of those who had cultivated for hundreds of years. Yet, he had once meditated beneath the Bodhi tree, gaining profound insights across countless lifetimes—benefits that had enriched him greatly. Among these was an exceptional mastery of pharmaceutical techniques!