Chapter 198 Farewell Hai Bodong
After a period of practice, Xiao Ling finally slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, gently exhaled a breath, and a light flashed in his eyes.
"This "Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire" has a really unique method of cultivation." Xiao Ling secretly sighed in his heart, "It is worthy of being created by Xiao Xuan, who is at the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng. His amazing talent is amazing. It's a pity that the source of Dou Qi Continent has long been exhausted. Even if the Dou Emperor bloodline of the entire clan is burned, it is difficult to break through to the Dou Emperor realm."
Xiao Ling shook his head slightly, feeling helpless.
While digesting that stream of information, he had roughly examined the cultivation method of "Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire", the subtlety of which was indeed elusive.
Compared with the high-level earth-level fighting skill "Emperor Seal Secret" given by Xiao Xun'er, "Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire" is even more mysterious. If "Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire" is to be graded, Xiao Ling believes that it is at least the starting point of the heaven-level fighting skill.
The moment Xiao Ling opened his eyes, everyone's eyes were focused on him. Yao Lao smiled and nodded slightly, with a bit of expectation in his tone: "Xiao Ling, how is your training going? Are you satisfied?"
Xiao Ling nodded slightly, with a faint smile on his face: "Well, this "Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire" is indeed extraordinary and will be of great benefit to me."
However, Xiao Ling then added: "But I just took a quick look and found that this 'Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire' does have three levels of changes. Unfortunately, the jade piece only records the first level. As for the remaining two levels, there is not even a clue."
"Oh? Only one level is recorded?" Yao Lao frowned slightly. After a moment of silence, he shook his head helplessly. "This may be intentional by the Burning Flame Valley. Even if the secret method falls into the hands of others, it will be difficult to practice it to perfection."
The three women around couldn't help but show disappointment on their faces when they heard this. They originally thought that they had obtained the complete inheritance of "Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire", which was a great opportunity, but they didn't expect to find out now that what they got was just a part of it.
Xiao Ling seemed quite open-minded, after all, he had known about this situation for a long time.
He spread his hands and said in a relaxed tone: "It doesn't matter. With my current strength, I am more than capable of handling all kinds of challenges in the Northwest Continent."
Yao Lao nodded and said softly, "Then let's start practicing from the first level. After we go to Zhongzhou, we will try to obtain the remaining skills from the Burning Flame Valley."
Xiao Ling smiled slightly, with a gleam in his eyes: "I will definitely work hard to practice and live up to the miraculous effect of this "Three Mysterious Changes of Heavenly Fire"."
Yao Lao smiled with satisfaction: "You have ambition. I am optimistic about you."
The three girls also smiled encouragingly, and the atmosphere became warm and harmonious at this moment.
……
Half a month passed quietly.
On the streets of the holy city of Jama, the sunlight shines through the towering buildings, dappling onto the cobblestone roads, covering this ancient city with a golden coat.
A luxurious carriage slowly drove by, its exquisite carriage shining brightly in the sun, like a flowing work of art.
The curtain of the carriage was embroidered with the Mittel family's emblem. The golden emblem swayed gently in the breeze, appearing particularly eye-catching and noble.
After seeing the Mittel family's carriage, some passers-by stopped and looked at it with curiosity and awe.
In the imperial capital, big families have many rules. In order to demonstrate their strength and status, they pay attention to every detail, whether it is clothing, shoes, or the carriages they ride.
Residents living in the imperial capital have long developed a life skill. Through the decorations and emblems on the carriages, they can easily identify the identity and status of the passengers. This is not only a wisdom to avoid trouble, but also a respect for the power structure.
With just one glance, they recognized that this was the highest-level carriage of the Mittel Family. They were filled with doubts, "Who in the Mittel Family could be sitting in it, and what kind of force was visiting?"
"Look, that's the Mittel family's carriage!" A passerby whispered to his companion next to him, with a hint of excitement in his tone that was difficult to conceal.
"Yeah, it's really rare. I wonder what big moves they are making today?" another passerby responded, with curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
While everyone was discussing, their doubts did not last long. The carriage drove slowly and finally stopped at the gate of the Xiao family's mansion.
The door opened, and an old man with gray hair stepped down from the carriage with steady steps. He glanced at the gate of the Xiao family's mansion with energy.
The man was wearing a blue robe with a slightly open collar, revealing his strong chest.
His long silver-white hair cascaded down his shoulders, exuding an unruly temperament. His deep eyes seemed to contain the accumulation of years and countless untold stories, making them unfathomable.
His face is resolute, with clear contours, and every line reveals a calmness and composure that comes from experiencing many vicissitudes of life.
A black leather belt was tightly tied around his waist, inlaid with a golden dragon pattern, highlighting his noble status and extraordinary demeanor.
He wore a pair of black leather gloves embroidered with delicate gold patterns. They were practical yet elegant, complementing his overall outfit and adding a touch of mystery and majesty.
As soon as this person appeared, the air around him suddenly became quiet, and the previous speculations disappeared.
The old man first glanced around indifferently, then very kindly introduced his name to the guard, and was then respectfully invited in.
As soon as the old man entered the door, a heated discussion broke out outside. "Am I seeing this right? That's the Grand Elder of the Miter Family, the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong!" A middle-aged man looked at the door with a look of shock.
Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, this name is known to everyone in the imperial capital.
He is a powerful figure who became famous decades ago. Although he has disappeared for decades, the Mittel family has been thriving since his strong return two years ago.
During this period, he even had exchanges with many powerful people, which restored his reputation to its former level.
After a little thought, everyone could guess the answer to the question that could make Hai Bodong, the supreme elder of the Mitel family, come to visit in person. That person was naturally the pillar of the Xiao family, Master Xiao Ling, who was known as the "No. 1 Alchemist of the Jia Ma Empire."
"Master Xiao Ling really lives up to his reputation. Even a powerful and arrogant figure like the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong came to visit him in person." An onlooker exclaimed, his tone full of admiration.
"That's right, as the 'First Alchemist of the Jia Ma Empire', his status is naturally extraordinary, which is really enviable..." Another passerby echoed, with a hint of yearning in his eyes.
……
At this time, in Xiao Ling's courtyard, the sunlight shone through the green leaves, sprinkling on the ground in patches.
Xiao Ling had just finished teaching Xiao Yan alchemy skills. The two of them stood beside the medicine furnace, with the aroma of medicine filling the air.
Xiao Ling turned around and looked at Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, the way of refining medicine is not a one-day job, and it requires great care. What I taught you today is just the tip of the iceberg. You must remember that the temperature control, the combination of medicinal materials, and the concentration of the mind are all indispensable when refining medicine."
Xiao Yan nodded seriously, his eyes gleaming with a gleam of curiosity: "Cousin, I understand. I will work harder and live up to your and teacher's expectations."
Xiao Ling smiled slightly and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder gently, his tone full of praise: "Very good, the way of alchemy not only requires superb skills, but also relies on personal understanding. You can refine a fourth-grade pill at this age, which is enough to prove your extraordinary talent. You are talented, I have full confidence in you."
Hearing Xiao Ling's praise, Xiao Yan's mouth twitched slightly. If others praised his talent for becoming a fourth-grade alchemist at the age of seventeen, he might be secretly proud of himself.
However, facing Xiao Ling, a prodigy who could refine fourth-grade elixirs at the age of ten, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.
However, Xiao Yan quickly adjusted his mentality and asked Xiao Ling a question: "Cousin, with my current strength, do I have a chance to win the Alchemist Conference?"
Xiao Ling gently touched his chin, pondered for a moment, and gave an answer: "If everything goes well, with your current level of alchemy, you should be able to win the championship of this conference. But you can't be too confident. After all, there may be opponents who can threaten you in this competition."
But Xiao Ling remembered that there was a vice president from the Izumo Empire Alchemist Guild at this Alchemist Conference, and he disguised himself to participate in the competition.
In the original novel, Xiao Yan was lucky enough to refine the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill and finally won the championship.
However, Xiao Yan's current medicine refining skills have surpassed the level of his peers in the original novel. Refining the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill is no longer a difficult task for him.
If Xiao Yan's cultivation could break through to the Dou Ling realm and settle down for a while, refining a fifth-grade elixir would be just around the corner.
After hearing Xiao Ling's reminder, Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, but no alchemist under the age of 30 in the Jia Ma Empire who could surpass himself emerged in his mind.
However, he thought that Xiao Ling might be talking about alchemists from other countries, so he nodded seriously: "Cousin, I understand. I will do my best to ensure that our Xiao family's reputation will not be damaged."
Seeing this, Xiao Ling nodded with satisfaction. He admired Xiao Yan's humble and uncomplacent character. If a person becomes arrogant after achieving a little success, then his future achievements will inevitably be limited.
However, recalling the scene in the original novel where the alchemy furnace exploded when Xiao Yan was refining the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill, Xiao Ling decided to give Xiao Yan a new alchemy cauldron for safety reasons.
He waved his hand lightly, and a medicine cauldron emitting a faint red light slowly fell in front of the two of them.
This medicine cauldron has a simple shape, with delicate flame patterns carved on its surface, exuding a calm and fiery aura.
Seeing the surprise in Xiao Yan's eyes, Xiao Ling smiled and explained: "This cauldron is called 'Liuhe Lingyan Cauldron'. It is a medicine cauldron with six furnace mouths. I have used it to refine countless rare elixirs with extraordinary effects. With your current soul power, it shouldn't be a big problem to control it."
"I believe that with the help of this medicine cauldron, you will be more confident in winning the championship."
Xiao Yan stared at the 'Liuhe Lingyan Ding', a determined light flashed in his eyes: "Cousin, this gift is too precious, I will cherish it and will definitely live up to your expectations."
Xiao Ling smiled slightly, feeling gratified by Xiao Yan's determination and ambition: "I believe in you, Xiao Yan, keep it well..."
At this time, a maid with a graceful figure walked into this quiet place lightly like catkins in the breeze.
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps approaching from afar, it instantly attracted the attention of Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan.
Seeing the two men looking at her, the maid's gaze lingered on Xiao Ling's handsome face for a moment, and a faint blush appeared on her face involuntarily.
I whispered to myself, "Master Xiao Ling seems to have become more attractive than he was two years ago."
However, she quickly collected herself and regained her composure.
Bowing slightly towards Xiao Ling, she reported to Xiao Ling softly: "Master Xiao Ling, the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong of the Miter family is here to visit and hopes to have a chat with you."
Hearing the name, Xiao Ling was slightly stunned, but then a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.
He thought to himself: "It seems that Hai Bodong has already prepared the medicinal materials for refining the Huangji Pill, and he came here to ask me to refine the medicine."
Since the second day after returning to the Holy City of Gama, Xiao Ling has sent an envoy to deliver a letter to the Mitel family.
The letter mentioned that if he could gather all the herbs needed to refine the Huangji Pill, he would be willing to refine it himself.
Two years ago, when Xiao Ling left the Jia Ma Empire, he and Hai Bodong made an agreement: if Hai Bodong could take good care of the Xiao family, Xiao Ling would give him a generous reward. During Xiao Ling's absence, Hai Bodong did keep his promise and took good care of the Xiao family.
Now, Xiao Ling naturally has to fulfill his promise and help refine an Imperial Pill. This is exactly the reward he promised.
Then, Xiao Ling turned to Xiao Yan and said, "I have some important matters to take care of, so I'll go first. During this time, remember to practice refining pills more often."
Then, he turned to the maid and said in a calm tone, "Xue'er, take me there."
The maid nodded slightly, turned around and led Xiao Ling across the courtyard towards the reception room.
Xiao Ling followed closely behind, walking at a steady pace. His figure cast a long shadow in the sunlight, making him look particularly slender.
……
Xiao Ling walked into the reception room and sat down at the main seat.
His eyes turned to the opposite side, and Hai Bodong's face was filled with excitement that was difficult to conceal.
Xiao Ling smiled slightly and said in a relaxed tone: "Mr. Hai, long time no see. Judging from your complexion, you seem to be more energetic."
While Xiao Ling was speaking, the maid walked lightly forward and poured fragrant tea for the two of them.
Then she walked over to Xiao Ling and gently massaged his shoulders with delicate and professional movements.
When Hai Bodong heard Xiao Ling's words, a helpless and self-deprecating smile appeared on his face. He laughed out loud: "Haha, in just two short years, how much improvement can I make? My cultivation is still at the level of a six-star Douhuang, and I haven't made any greater breakthroughs. However, I see that your aura is now more restrained and deep, and even I can hardly see its full picture. Obviously, your cultivation has made great progress..."
As he spoke, Hai Bodong took out an exquisite storage ring from his arms and gently placed it on the table.
"The reason I came to visit you today is about the Huangji Pill. I have collected all the materials needed to refine the Huangji Pill that you mentioned before, and put them all in this storage ring. I wonder when Master Xiao Ling can refine it for me?" At this point, Hai Bodong's face was full of anticipation, and his hands were rubbed unconsciously, revealing his inner eagerness.
Seeing Hai Bodong's impatient look, Xiao Ling smiled gently, "Since Mr. Hai is so anxious, let's not delay any longer. I will start to refine the Huangji Pill for you."
(End of this chapter)