Xiao Yan, the Sixth-Tier Alchemist!

However, Xiao Yan didn't get the shocked expression he expected; instead, he got a slap!

A giant hand of Dou Qi appeared out of thin air behind him, grabbed him, and instantly pinned him to the ground.

"Quiet!" Huo Yuhao and Yao Chen stared intently at Xiao Yi Xian's medicine cauldron, and said to Xiao Yan without turning their heads.

With a sudden change of hand seals, the flames inside the medicine Xiao Yi Xian vanished!

Bite-!

A clear, melodious sound emanated from within the cauldron! Immediately afterwards, a medicinal fragrance, slightly fainter than before, filled the air.

The lid of the medicine cauldron popped open automatically, and a round, full pill radiating a pale purple glow flew out and landed steadily in Xiao Yi Xian's outstretched palm.

Xiao Yi Xian opened her eyes, a hint of triumphant joy in her clear gaze. She gently wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead, walked straight to Huo Yuhao, and handed him the still-warm pill. "Brother Huo Yuhao, this is for you!"

Huo Yuhao took the pill with some surprise and asked curiously, "Xian'er, what kind of pill is this?"

Two blushes instantly rose on Xiao Yi Xian's fair cheeks, her eyes darting around slightly. "It's... it's a Fifth Grade Beauty-Nourishing Pill."

"Huh?" Huo Yuhao didn't react for a moment.

"Pfft--Hahaha! Huo Yuhao, did you hear that? Xiao Yi Xian thinks you're ugly! She's going to give you a makeover!"

Xiao Yan burst into laughter, while Yao Chen fell to the ground and started pounding the floor, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

"Hahaha-uh!"

Xiao Yan and Yao Chen's laughter stopped abruptly!

Huo Yuhao raised his hand expressionlessly. In an instant, a bone-chilling cold air filled the air! Xiao Yan and Yao Chen instantly turned into two crystal-clear, comically shaped humanoid ice sculptures.

"Xian'er!" Huo Yuhao turned his head, his tone tinged with helplessness and frustration.

Xiao Yi Xian covered her burning cheeks with her hands, peeking out with a maternal smile, "Hehe! I just think—if Brother Huo Yuhao's skin were just a little bit smoother and more delicate—he could be my best friend!"

After a friendly exchange, Yao Chen and Xiao Yan were released by Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao looked at Xiao Yan, who was rubbing his frozen arm, and asked the question that had been bothering him, "How did you do that?"

He became Sixth Grade alchemist overnight?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's face immediately lit up again, and he proudly waved the gray pill in his hand. "Hehe! I want to—"

You know, it all started with the <Spirit Condensation Formula> you taught me! Back when you first passed this technique on to me—"

"Stop!" Yao Chen interrupted him impatiently, his illusory finger almost poking Xiao Yan's nose. "Why don't you start from when you first left? Get to the point!"

Xiao Yan pursed his lips, but still said excitedly, "The key point is that I've discovered that mental power and Soul Power don't actually need to be so clearly distinguished! Huo Yuhao, didn't you say before that the relationship between mental power and Soul Power is like that between Dou Qi and physical strength?"

Xiao Yan paused, his eyes gleaming with an air of "I'm so amazing!": "So I suddenly had a brilliant idea! Since Dou Qi can be circulated and cultivated within the meridians, why can't spiritual power be circulated and cultivated within the soul 'this body'?"

"So I tried to manipulate my mental energy, like circulating Dou Qi qi, to perform a specific cycle within the Soul Origin! And guess what happened?"

Xiao Yan proudly raised his chin. "After this transformation, the spiritual power perfectly combines the advantages of spiritual power and Soul Power! Its strength has been greatly increased, while its control remains exquisite!"

"What used to seem like a difficult task—refining Fifth-grade Pill —is now a breeze! So—" Xiao Yan waved the pill in his hand, "This time I tried my hand at Sixth Grade, and succeeded on my first try! From now on, please call me the genius alchemist Xiao Yan!"

Huo Yuhao and Yao Chen exchanged a glance, both seeing utter shock in each other's eyes.

The next moment, the two of them moved closer to Xiao Yan at the same time, one on the left and one on the right, and began to grope him as if he were some rare treasure! They kept circling around Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, their eyes so sharp that it seemed they wanted to dissect him.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Xiao Yan felt a chill run down his spine from their stares and struggled to get away.

Yao Chen clicked his tongue in amazement, his illusory face filled with disbelief. "How strange! How incredibly strange! Are you still the Xiao Yan I know? Could you have been possessed? You can't possibly be this smart!"

"Old geezer! Let go!" Xiao Yan struggled to break free from their clutches.

Huo Yuhao released him, and without saying a word, he closed his eyes on the spot and began to try the method Xiao Yan had mentioned.

Not only him, but Yao Chen and Xiao Yi Xian also immediately sat down cross-legged, closed their eyes and concentrated, clearly attracted by this novel idea and eager to verify it.

For a moment, only the rustling of the wind through the grass could be heard on the hill.

The first to open her eyes was Xiao Yi Xian. Her eyes sparkled with a bright light, as if stars were flowing within them. Next was Yao Chen, whose previously somewhat ethereal soul had now visibly solidified.

"It's definitely feasible!" Xiao Yi Xian's voice carried a hint of surprise.

Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan with a sense of satisfaction, but muttered, "I must say, even a fool's thousand thoughts may have one stroke of genius!"

After a moment, Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. However, his expression did not show much joy.

"How are you?" Yao Chen and Xiao Yi Xian looked at him with concern.

Huo Yuhao sighed softly, "This method requires the quality of mental energy to be lower than the strength of the soul. And my divine sense—"

Huo Yuhao paused, "It far exceeds my soul strength; this method is currently useless against me."

"Hey--" Just then, a voice, childlike yet trying to sound authoritative, suddenly rang out.

Hai Bodong flew leisurely from the direction of the capital and landed on the hill.

He stood with his hands on his hips, trying to look old and sophisticated, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Yao Chen: "With all that commotion just now, was Yao Lao secretly refining medicine again?"

Xiao Yan immediately puffed out his chest, cleared his throat, and said proudly, "Ahem! Hai Bodong, you've guessed wrong this time! That was Grandmaster refining Sixth-Grade Pill!"

Hai Bodong's small face showed undisguised suspicion as he looked Xiao Yan up and down. "You? Refine Sixth-Grade Pill?"

"Hey! What kind of look is that?!" Xiao Yan instantly bristled.

Hai Bodong's eyes darted around, and the doubt on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an extremely "sincere" smile, "Oh! I believe you! Of course I believe you! Congratulations to Grandmaster Xiao Yan on becoming Sixth Grade alchemist! A cause for celebration! Truly a blessing for our Jia Ma Empire!"

While offering compliments, Hai Bodong deftly pulled out a Storage Ring and stuffed it into Xiao Yan's hand. "Here, here, a small gift, nothing more!"

Xiao Yan was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm and gift, but then beamed with joy. "That's so kind of you! Then I won't stand on ceremony! Let me see what this wonderful thing is—"

However, when Xiao Yan saw the neatly arranged medicinal herbs in his Storage Ring, the smile on his face instantly froze.

Those medicinal herbs are the complete set needed to refine the Sixth-Grade Pill, the Spirit Restoration Purple Pill!

Hai Bodong rubbed his little hands together, tilted his head back, and revealed an innocent yet expectant smile, "Grandmaster Xiao Yan, look, you're a Sixth Grade alchemist now, so shouldn't you arrange the promised Spirit Restoration Purple Pill?"

Xiao Yan's lips twitched a few times. "Uh... well, there are many kinds of Sixth-Grade Pill. The Spirit Restoration Purple Pill is one of the more difficult ones to refine. I think... I might need to practice a bit more..."