Chapter 296 Ye Family Ye Xinlan
"Okay, let's go down and meet this girl and ask her why she came to see me." Xiao Ling said as he stood up, took Zi Yan's hand, and walked towards the square below.
Just as everyone was still marveling at the success of the pill refining, a space fluctuation suddenly came from the high platform. Then, Xiao Ling took Zi Yan's hand, and the two of them suddenly appeared on the stage.
Before the people around could react, a calm and clear voice rang out: "Your alchemy skills are already very proficient. The person who taught you alchemy must be an alchemist of a high rank. If you can work harder on your fire control skills, I believe you will be able to refine a fourth-grade pill in the near future."
This sudden voice and method startled everyone present. Their eyes immediately focused on them, curious to find out who these two mysterious visitors were.
The girl who had just finished refining the elixir looked at the two uninvited guests who suddenly appeared with a hint of curiosity and confusion.
The first person she saw was a tall and handsome man. The girl couldn't help but secretly admire in her heart: "What a handsome man."
However, when she realized that this man was not much older than her, but was evaluating her alchemy skills in the tone of a senior, she couldn't help but feel a little unhappy.
She felt a little uncomfortable being treated as a senior by her peers, but the more she looked at the man, the more she felt he looked familiar.
Just as the girl was about to say something, her eyes fell on the little girl behind the man, and her voice stopped abruptly.
The little girl's features were too obvious, and the girl immediately recognized her identity. She was one of the elders of the "Supreme Freedom Sect", the former number one on the inner courtyard's strong list, and senior sister Zi Yan, known as the "King of Brute Force".
It is said that Senior Sister Zi Yan's strength has already reached the Douhuang level. She was very surprised that such a person would follow behind a young man and let him hold her hand.
However, before the girl recovered from her surprise, the students next to her had already started a heated discussion and revealed the answer to her.
"Look, that's Senior Xiao Ling! The little girl next to him is Senior Wang Ziyan, the brute force."
"Senior Xiao Ling actually came to the Supreme Freedom Sect in person. This is a rare scene."
"Don't make a fuss. Senior Xiao Ling is one of the elders of our Supreme Freedom Sect. Isn't it normal for him to come here?"
"Have you heard? Senior Xiao Ling's alchemy skills have reached the seventh level. It's really admirable."
The surrounding female students cast envious glances at him. They looked at Xiao Ling with admiration in their eyes, and did not hide their admiration for him. Some girls even secretly hoped to replace Zi Yan and stand beside Xiao Ling.
As the discussions of the people around her gradually became clearer, the girl finally understood the identity of the man in front of her, the most dazzling genius student of Canaan College, Xiao Ling. This man not only had amazing talent in cultivation and had already reached the Dou Zong realm, but he was also a seventh-grade alchemist at the age of only 18.
She quickly came to her senses, a trace of respect appeared on her face, she cupped her fists slightly towards Xiao Ling, and said politely: "It turns out to be Senior Xiao Ling, Xin Lan is rude. Thank you for your guidance, I will work harder on my fire control skills."
Hearing Xin Lan's answer, Xiao Ling raised his eyebrows slightly, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes. He said gently: "Xin Lan, this name is very nice. I heard from Zi Yan that you have been asking about me in Canaan College. Is there anything special that you need my help with?"
In fact, when Xiao Ling heard the name "Xinlan", he had already vaguely guessed her identity. She should be the daughter of the Ye family, one of the five major families in Danta, the granddaughter of Ye Zhong, Ye Xinlan.
Facing Xiao Ling's question, Ye Xinlan quickly gathered her thoughts and her expression became serious. She answered seriously, "Xinlan has indeed been looking for you, because there are some things I want to discuss with you in private. If it's convenient for you, can we find a place where no one will disturb us to discuss in detail?"
Hearing Ye Xinlan's words, Xiao Ling's interest was aroused. He had a rough idea in his mind that Ye Xinlan's visit to him was probably related to the assessment of the five major families of Danta.
He smiled slightly and responded in a relaxed tone: "Okay, I happen to be free now, we can find a place to have a good chat."
After saying that, Xiao Ling took Zi Yan's hand and walked towards the main hall of the Supreme Freedom Sect. There was a room he had reserved for himself there, which was perfect for discussing things.
Seeing that Xiao Ling had already started to act, Ye Xinlan quickly came to her senses and quickly followed Xiao Ling's pace. She had already started thinking about how to convince Xiao Ling to help.
In fact, Xiao Ling's guess was indeed accurate. Ye Xinlan wanted to see him in order to ask him to help participate in the assessment of the younger generation of the five major families of Danta.
The Ye family is currently facing the dilemma of gradual decline, having failed to rank among the top three in the assessment of the five major families for two consecutive times.
If they fail to achieve good results next time, the Ye family’s position among the five major families of Danta will be lost, which will undoubtedly cause the already declining Ye family to decline further.
The reason why Ye Xinlan chose to come to Canaan College was actually because she learned that the elders in her family had a friendship with the college's great elder Su Qian.
More importantly, she was very dissatisfied with the marriage arranged between her family and the Cao family for her and Cao Dan of the Cao family.
In order to escape this unwilling marriage, Ye Xinlan insisted on coming to Canaan College to study alone, hoping to keep a distance from Cao Dan and avoid unnecessary contact.
As a result, not long after Ye Xinlan arrived at Canaan College, she heard about Xiao Ling's deeds from other students and Elder Su Qian.
It is said that Xiao Ling is only 18 years old, but he is already a Dou Zong-level warrior and a seventh-grade alchemist. At first, Ye Xinlan couldn't believe it. How could such an outstanding genius appear in such a remote place in the Northwest Continent?
When she left the Ye family, she still clearly remembered Cao Ying, the so-called "witch woman" of the Cao family. At the age of eighteen, she was already not far from becoming a seventh-grade alchemist. Compared with Cao Ying, Xiao Ling's talent in alchemy seemed to be even better.
If they could invite someone like Xiao Ling to assist the Ye family in participating in the assessment of the five major families of Danta, then for the Ye family, which is on a downward trend, it would be absolutely easy to consolidate its position among the five major families of Danta.
When Ye Xinlan asked Elder Su Qian about Xiao Ling's news, she learned that Xiao Ling would go to Zhongzhou once he came out of retreat. This news made her realize that she must not miss this rare opportunity.
In her opinion, although Xiao Ling was born in the Northwest Continent and the most powerful support behind him was only Canaan College, even if the Ye family was experiencing decline, they should still be able to provide some substantial help when Xiao Ling first arrived in Zhongzhou.
Ye Xinlan believed that if the Ye family could lend a helping hand and make friends with Xiao Ling before he emerged, then in the future cooperation between the two parties, the Ye family would also be able to get corresponding rewards. Such mutual assistance is undoubtedly a win-win situation for the Ye family and Xiao Ling.
……
As soon as they entered the quiet room, Zi Yan and Xiao Ling found a place to sit down, and Ye Xinlan sat opposite them.
After a short and relaxing chat, Ye Xinlan didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
Her voice was filled with a hint of respect and eagerness: "Senior Xiao Ling, your talent is amazing. You can refine seventh-grade elixirs at such a young age. Such alchemy skills are extremely rare even in Zhongzhou." "Our family is currently facing an important assessment, and we very much hope to get your help. As for the reward, as long as our family can provide it, please feel free to ask."
After a detailed explanation, Ye Xinlan once again elaborated on her identity, the challenges currently faced by the Ye family, and the strict rules and assessment system among the five major families of Danta.
After a slight pause, Ye Xinlan took out a scroll emitting a faint hot breath from her storage ring and gently placed it on the table.
She began to introduce the contents of the scroll: "This scroll records a fighting skill called "Spiritual Flame Pill Furnace Art", which is of the middle level of the Earth Rank and is one of the secret fighting skills of our Ye family. The caster can use his own flame power to condense a pill furnace out of thin air. The size of this pill furnace can be controlled according to the user's wishes. In battle, it can be used to trap the opponent unexpectedly and achieve a powerful control effect."
Ye Xinlan continued, "For alchemists, the value of this fighting skill is far more than that. When alchemists don't have an alchemy furnace, they can use this fighting skill to condense an alchemy furnace to make alchemy, which is very convenient. Moreover, the higher the quality of the flame used, the more powerful this fighting skill will be. If it is performed with strange fire, its effect can even be comparable to that of high-level earth-level fighting skills."
"I think this fighting skill will be helpful to you, senior. Whether you are willing to agree to Xin Lan's previous request or not, please accept this gift as a gift for our meeting."
After Ye Xinlan finished speaking, her eyes were fixed on Xiao Ling, her eyes full of anticipation.
She knew that the "Spiritual Flame Pill Furnace Art" was one of the most precious fighting skills of the Ye family, and usually only the elites of the family were qualified to practice it. If she was not the eldest daughter of the Ye family, she would not have been able to master the secret manual of this fighting skill so easily.
Although she felt a little uneasy about using such a family secret skill, Ye Xinlan felt that this was a necessary step in order to establish a good relationship with Xiao Ling. She believed that even if her grandfather knew about it, he would understand and support her decision.
After all, it is undoubtedly a wise move to establish a good relationship with such a talented alchemist before he has even made his mark. It will only bring benefits and no harm.
If Ye Xinlan doesn't know how to seize the opportunity to establish a good relationship in advance when facing such a genius whose talent is visible to the naked eye, then all the social etiquette she has learned in the Ye family over the years will be in vain.
Facing Ye Xinlan's expectant eyes, Xiao Ling pondered for a moment, then said easily: "You mentioned before that the assessment still has some time, so we don't have to rush to decide now. As for your suggestion to invite me to settle down in the Ye family, I am very grateful, but I already have my own plans."
"During my travels in Zhongzhou, if I have the chance, I will visit the Ye family when I pass through Danyu, and then we can sit down and discuss the cooperation in detail. As for the details of the cooperation and the remuneration, your elders and I can discuss it together at that time. I am also very interested in that fighting skill, so thank you for your kindness."
Xiao Ling had no objection to helping the Ye family cope with the assessment of the five major families. After all, the Ye family was a good friend of Elder Su Qian, so it was reasonable for him to help.
Moreover, this would not take up too much of his time. Anyway, he would definitely go to Shengdan City in advance before attending the Alchemy Conference, and help deal with the assessment matters of the five major families at that time, which would not cause him too much trouble.
As soon as they met, Ye Xinlan sincerely took out a high-quality fighting skill as a gift. This sincerity really made Xiao Ling feel a little good about it.
Xiao Ling knew clearly that if he turned a blind eye to the Ye family's predicament, the Ye family might be forced to let Ye Xinlan fulfill her engagement with Cao Dan in order to maintain their status.
Xiao Ling felt really bad when he thought that such a smart and energetic schoolmate might fall into an unfavorable situation and be eaten by Cao Dan.
Of course, it was unrealistic for Xiao Ling to promise to fully support the Ye family right now. His own reputation had not yet been fully established, and although it seemed like a good deal to let him take action once in exchange for an intermediate earth-level fighting skill, Xiao Ling was full of confidence in his future.
He believed that when he went to Zhongzhou, he would be able to make a name for himself. By then, the Ye family would definitely offer more attractive conditions in order to get his help.
When the time is right, it will be more than just a matter of borrowing the Ancient Yang Fire Altar. If Xiao Ling can fully demonstrate his strength and potential, perhaps even the entire Ye family will be willing to submit to him.
Ye Xinlan was somewhat disappointed when she heard that Xiao Ling did not give a positive answer immediately. She silently thought to herself: "To be able to achieve such success at such a young age, Senior Xiao Ling is indeed not an ordinary person. He has a deep mind, and it is not easy to win his promise."
"However, from what he said, I can tell that he didn't directly refuse, which means there is still hope. I have to write a letter to the family to let them know about Senior Xiao Ling's situation. The family should establish a good relationship with him as soon as possible."
Although she felt a little disappointed, Ye Xinlan still had a warm smile on her face. She said in a gentle tone, "It seems that I didn't think it through. Since you already have your own plans, we shouldn't disturb you. However, if there is a chance in the future, you must come to our Ye family as a guest. We welcome you at any time."
Xiao Ling's eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and even the fleeting subtle changes on Ye Xinlan's face did not escape his attention.
He raised the corner of his mouth slightly, with a hint of playfulness in his tone: "Xinlan, I won't take your fighting skills for nothing. This is my alchemist's notebook, which records my experience in alchemy over the years, and may be inspiring to you. I will leave for Tianya City tomorrow, so why not learn alchemy with me today. If you have any questions, you can ask me at any time."
As he spoke, Xiao Ling's fingers lightly put the fighting scroll that Ye Xinlan had placed on the table into his storage ring, and then he took out a book with a slightly mottled cover from his storage ring.
The edges of the book were a little worn, and it was obvious that it had been read frequently. This was Xiao Ling's Alchemist's Notes, which not only recorded his profound insights into the seventh-grade and lower alchemy techniques, but was also a priceless treasure for any alchemist.
Hearing Xiao Ling's words, Ye Xinlan's mouth corners unconsciously rose, and her eyes flashed with excitement. Although the Ye family is not short of the notes of the seventh-grade alchemists, the experience and insights of each alchemist are unique.
Learning from others' strengths and making up for one's own weaknesses is the only way to improve one's medicine refining skills. Other people's experience is always valuable, especially for a young and promising pharmacist like Xiao Ling. His experience may not be as rich as that of the older generation of pharmacists, but it is definitely unique.
Ye Xinlan thought to herself that Xiao Ling’s experience in alchemy might contain some secrets that could give her inspiration.
Ye Xinlan took the Alchemist's Notebook from Xiao Ling with a hint of shyness. She smiled with gratitude: "Thank you, Senior Xiao Ling. I will cherish this gift. Next, please give me more guidance."
Xiao Ling looked at Ye Xinlan's slightly shy appearance, and couldn't help but reach out his hand and gently rub her head, with a hint of pampering in his tone: "Haha, don't be so polite, we are all students of Canaan College, there is no need to be so distant, relax."
Xiao Ling's sudden intimate gesture made Ye Xinlan's cheeks and ears blush. For a person like her who is usually calm, this is her first time to have such close contact with the opposite sex except for her father and grandfather.
Xiao Ling noticed Ye Xinlan's embarrassment and immediately realized that his actions might be too intimate. He quickly retracted his hand and coughed lightly, trying to break the slightly awkward atmosphere: "Okay, let's not stand here. Come with me to my courtyard, and I will teach you the art of alchemy in person."
Then Xiao Ling turned around and said to Zi Yan, "Zi Yan, please take her with you. It's a bit inconvenient for me here."
Zi Yan glanced at Ye Xinlan. Although she was reluctant, she nodded slightly and accepted Xiao Ling's request.
Then, Xiao Ling gently pushed open the door, and his figure flashed, and he quickly disappeared in the room like a gust of wind.
Zi Yan did not give Ye Xinlan much time to react. She quickly grabbed Ye Xinlan's wrist and chased in the direction Xiao Ling left without hesitation.
……
(End of this chapter)