A complete silence, as still as death! Every person in the arena stared in shock at the five bold characters inscribed on the stone tablet, their facial expressions vivid and dynamic. Moments later, hurried breaths began to rise like the sound of windmills across the training ground. "Crack!" On the elevated platform, Xiao Zhan's teacup was instantly crushed by a palm, the tea water mixing with the fragments and dripping steadily down his palm. "Seventh stage... Yan'er, you've truly done it!" Gazing at the black-robed youth beneath the black stone tablet, Xiao Zhan's eyes glistened with emotion. He knew well the immense effort the young man had made to reach this point. The three elders seated beside him were equally stunned—just a year ago, he had only reached the third stage of combat energy, now he had advanced to the seventh? Such a pace was astonishing! "Gurgle, heh... The foundation-boosting elixir purchased by the clan leader... well, it truly is impressive, heh." The second elder swallowed hard, the lingering contempt and dazed expression blending together in a particularly striking manner. He managed a dry laugh, stammering awkwardly. Xiao Zhan's excitement in his demeanor remained completely unmasked. He glanced sideways at the second elder, smiling gently, "Second Elder, do you truly believe that a second-rank class foundation elixir could produce such remarkable results?" The second elder paused, shaking his head in embarrassment. He wasn't stupid—indeed, the foundation elixir could accelerate cultivation progress—but to expect it to elevate one's combat energy by four stages within just one year? That seemed utterly impossible! ... By the black stone stele, the tester stared in silent amazement at the large characters inscribed upon it, his previously composed demeanor now completely replaced by awe. "Xiao Yan: Combat Energy, Seventh Stage, Advanced!" Taking a deep breath, as if trying to expel the lingering shock, the tester's voice, though striving to remain steady, still carried an unmistakable tremor. With the tester's announcement, the already quiet training ground grew utterly silent. "Gurgle," a sudden, abrupt sound of someone gulping down water echoed through the field. At the edge of the training ground, where he had just been preparing to watch Xiao Yan suffer ridicule, Xiao Ning was now stunned, staring blankly at the large characters inscribed on the stone tablet, murmuring in disbelief, "How is this possible?" “Hmph…” Standing on the dais, Xiao Zhan, beaming with confidence, rose to his feet and cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “The assessment is complete. Now, let us proceed to the next phase. Those who have not passed are entitled to one challenge against a qualified peer—only one opportunity!” Xiao Zhan smiled warmly. For a moment, the atmosphere in the arena felt odd. One by one, warm, intense glances swept over the qualified companions, each silently selecting the most manageable opponent. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, surprised to find that a significant portion of those glances were actually directed at himself. "Do I seem like a soft, ripe pear?" he asked, slightly astonished, a quiet smile forming in his heart. "Xiao Yan's consecutive four-level leaps in combat energy are indeed impressive, but precisely because of that impact, many people harbor a deep-seated skepticism—so naturally, they see him as the ideal challenger." Nearby, Xun'er offered a gentle smile. With a resigned shrug, Xiao Yan brushed off the dust from his clothes and smiled lightly, "So, because they don't believe, they choose to deceive themselves?" Xun'er nodded slightly, offering a soft smile. At last, after a brief lull, someone could no longer hold back and stepped forward. A sturdy youth walked swiftly toward Xiao Yan under the collective gaze, slightly bowed, and declared loudly, "Xiao Yan, please!" Though his face appeared respectful, his eyes often flashed with doubt whenever they met Xiao Yan's, and a quiet disdain lingered on his features—clearly, he had not yet fully shaken off the image of Xiao Yan as a once-ordinary, underachieving student.