Chapter 332 Arrival at Yecheng
Xiao Ling was concentrating on observing every move of the Heavenly Demon Puppet, but suddenly he felt a gentle touch on his face, which made him a little confused.
He lowered his head, trying to figure out this sudden feeling, but at that moment, a thin and somewhat charming face appeared in his sight.
Then, Xiao Ling felt something soft covering his lips, and at the same time, a faint scent of a girl's body lingered around his nose.
It all happened too fast and too suddenly. Xiao Ling didn't pay any attention to Cao Ying at all, so even Xiao Ling was caught off guard.
When he was stunned for a moment, he came to his senses and their lips had already gently parted.
Before Xiao Ling could speak first, Cao Ying had already stood up from his arms lightly. She stood in front of Xiao Ling, stretched out a slender finger and gently pressed it against his lips.
"Don't get me wrong," Cao Ying looked at Xiao Ling's slightly confused eyes and tried to make her voice sound calm, even though she was not as calm as she appeared.
"You helped me refine an eighth-grade elixir. That kiss is my reward to you. It has no other meaning." She said as she looked away, with an imperceptible tremor in her voice.
She was always so calm and confident in front of others, but at this moment, that calmness seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
"Well, thank you very much. I like this reward very much." Xiao Ling did not want to embarrass Cao Ying anymore and continued with what she said.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little subtle, and both of them fell silent for a while, not knowing what to say.
At this moment, the Sky Demon Puppet successfully dealt with the two-colored Dan Lei in the sky. Its figure flashed a golden light in the air and landed steadily beside Xiao Ling.
The commotion caused by this just broke the awkwardness between the two of them.
Upon seeing this, Cao Ying quickly regained his composure and realized that the eighth-grade elixir he had just concentrated on refining was still floating in the air.
Then, Cao Ying waved her hand lightly, and the eighth-grade pill that had just been refined was summoned in front of her.
The elixir was quietly suspended, emitting a strong elixir fragrance, surrounded by a faint spiritual mist, almost condensing into substance.
Although the seventh-grade and eighth-grade elixirs are similar in appearance, even people who know nothing about alchemy can see the significant difference between them at a glance. This difference lies in the spirituality of the elixir.
Although the seventh-grade elixir is full of energy, it lacks vitality, just like a lifeless stone. The eighth-grade elixir is completely different. It already has its own unique spirituality, as if it has been given life. Such elixir can be called a living elixir, or a magical elixir.
In front of Cao Ying, the faint spiritual mist around the eighth-grade elixir slowly swirled. Surprisingly, the mist gradually condensed into the image of a fox.
Looking at the little fox that was transformed from the elixir in front of her, Cao Ying's eyes were full of surprise and love. She stretched out her fair hand and gently stroked the little fox's head.
The little fox seemed to feel Cao Ying's kindness, or knew that it was refined by Cao Ying, so it did not dodge. Instead, it felt very comfortable under her touch and squinted its eyes, as if enjoying the tenderness of the moment.
After looking at the little fox for a while, Cao Ying put it away. Then, she turned her head and looked at Xiao Ling who had been looking at her, and a blush appeared on her face.
But soon, she regained her usual calmness, although it might have seemed a little forced.
"I'm leaving first. Refining an eighth-grade elixir is a big deal for me. I have to report to my teacher." Cao Ying said with a hint of excitement in her tone.
"Okay, go ahead. Your teacher will definitely be pleased to hear that you have refined an eighth-grade elixir." Xiao Ling responded with a smile.
Cao Ying nodded and said nothing more. She was so excited about refining the eighth-grade elixir that her brain was a little short-circuited, so her actions just now were a little impulsive, and she actually took the initiative to kiss Xiao Ling.
Thinking back to her behavior just now, Cao Ying felt that she was really ridiculous. Thinking of this, would Xiao Ling think that she was too casual? If she wanted to kiss, it should be Xiao Ling who took the initiative to kiss her.
The more Cao Ying thought about this matter, the more she felt that her actions just now were a bit reckless.
She decided not to hesitate any more, so she hurriedly said hello to Xiao Ling and left quickly. In a flash, she disappeared from Xiao Ling's sight.
Watching Cao Ying leave in a hurry, Xiao Ling couldn't help but stroke his lips, as if he was still savoring the tenderness of the kiss just now. He whispered to himself with a hint of playful smile:
"This little devil, he talks so powerfully, but I didn't expect that he would be so shy at the critical moment..."
At this moment, a strong smell of heat suddenly surged out of a room in the courtyard, like the heat wave before a volcanic eruption, but soon the smell was cleverly restrained.
Xiao Ling noticed this scene and thought to himself: "It seems that Venerable Skyfire has completed his training. This aura may have recovered to the realm of five-star Dou Zun. It's time to go to the Ye family and condense a poison pill for Xian'er." His eyes were cast towards the room where the aura came from. That was the place where Venerable Skyfire practiced.
Just as Xiao Ling expected, a moment later, the door slowly opened and a man in a red robe walked out with a happy look on his face.
Apparently, Skyfire Venerable also felt Xiao Ling's gaze. He turned his head and his eyes met Xiao Ling's. Then, he moved, and the air around him twisted slightly. The next moment, he appeared beside Xiao Ling, and the smile on his face could not hide his inner excitement.
"Haha, Senior Tianhuo, it seems that you have recovered to your peak condition. Congratulations." Xiao Ling said with a smile.
"Haha, that Fuling Qingdan is indeed magical. It has restored my cultivation to the peak state of a five-star Dou Zun. I have to thank you very much." Skyfire Venerable was in a good mood, and his tone was generous. "What are your plans next? I will follow your arrangements from now on."
"Since Senior Tianhuo has come out of retreat, we will not stay in Shengdan City any longer. Xian'er should also be coming out soon. After she finishes her training, we will go directly to the Ye family to help Xian'er condense the poison pill." Xiao Ling nodded, with a hint of anticipation in his tone.
It has been more than a year since the last time the poison in Xiao Yixian's body erupted. Now it is time to solve the side effects of her poisonous body as soon as possible...
……
Two days later, Xiao Yixian finally ended her retreat.
After taking the rare poison that Xiao Ling had carefully prepared for her, her cultivation surged like a spring, and she eventually successfully broke through to the Nine-Star Dou Zong realm.
Although she could have continued to practice with the help of those poisons, breaking through to the Dou Zun level was only a matter of time, but at the moment, condensing the poison pill was obviously more urgent.
Therefore, Xiao Yixian did not choose to continue her retreat, but instead prepared to eat the poison pill condensed for herself.
Immediately, Xiao Ling summoned Xiao Yixian and other companions, and the group set foot directly on the space wormhole heading towards Yecheng.
……
During Xiao Ling's journey to Yecheng, his name quietly appeared on the kill list of some people in the Soul Palace.
It was a huge, pitch-black palace, its size was intimidating, and the overall black and gray tones exuded a depressing atmosphere.
Inside the hall, there stood many black stone pillars more than ten feet high. Each pillar was engraved with strange runes. These runes occasionally flickered in the dim light, as if countless eyes were peeping in the dark, giving people a gloomy and solemn feeling.
There were many chains wrapped around these stone pillars, and at the end of each chain was a ball of light. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the balls of light contained souls with their eyes closed.
The chains tightly bound the necks of these souls, and it seemed that some kind of power was being extracted from their bodies along the chains. The whole scene was filled with a mysterious and terrifying atmosphere.
The space suddenly fluctuated, and three figures appeared silently on the three stone pillars.
"Hehehe, Star-Picking Lord, what can you do for us?" asked a figure in a black robe.
The old man in the lead was wearing grey and white clothes. He waved his hand and two pieces of paper flew towards the other two.
The two took the piece of paper and saw a picture of an extremely handsome man on it, with two big words written next to it - Xiao Ling.
"His whereabouts and information are all on the back. The mission is to bring him back to the Soul Palace, regardless of life or death if necessary." The old ghost Zhaixing's voice was without a trace of emotion.
One of them looked at the information on the back and frowned slightly: "According to what is written here, this kid named Xiao Ling is only a Dou Zong, right? Although he has outstanding talent, it shouldn't be enough for the two of us elders to take action, right?"
The people of the Soul Palace were no strangers to the strong bullying the weak and the majority bullying the minority, but it seemed unnecessary to send two elders to deal with a Dou Zong-level young man. After all, each of them had their own tasks and affairs to deal with. In their opinion, sending out one elder was more than enough to deal with such a young man who had not yet broken through the Dou Zun level.
"Hmph! This is an order from above. In order to ensure that everything goes well, this is the safest plan. If I didn't have other important matters to attend to, I would go there in person. Stop talking nonsense. You know the consequences if you fail to complete the mission!" The old man who picked the stars snorted coldly, his tone firm.
The two exchanged glances, then put away their previous carelessness and nodded seriously.
"Hehe, it's quite fun to be able to deal with such a peerless genius." There was a hint of sinisterness in the laughter of one of them.
"The soul body of an eighth-grade alchemist is a considerable gain." Another person echoed.
The two men looked very confident, as if they had already regarded the upcoming task as an easy task.
……
Here is a broad stone platform, which is made of snow-white rocks, giving people a solemn and extraordinary feeling.
The space here is completely different from other places and seems extremely chaotic.
On this stone platform, the space was severely distorted, as if being pulled by some invisible force. In some places, one could even see dark cracks spreading, revealing a mysterious and dangerous atmosphere.
Xiao Ling and others landed on the stone platform. They exchanged glances with each other and then looked towards the distant horizon together.
There, a huge city loomed on the horizon, covered with a layer of dark green vegetation, like a green behemoth sleeping on the earth.
"This should be Yecheng, it looks quite grand. Although it is not as good as Shengdan City, it looks much more prosperous than other cities in Zhongzhou." The Little Medical Fairy looked at the city in front of her with a hint of anticipation in her tone.
Even the Little Medical Fairy couldn't help feeling a little excited when she thought about completely solving the side effects of the evil poison body.
"After all, the Ye family is one of the five major families in Danta. Although it has gradually declined over the years, the family's prestige is still there. Ye City, which is managed by the Ye family, naturally has its own unique features."
Xiao Ling smiled slightly, with a hint of smile in his voice.
After a few casual chats, Xiao Ling and his companions did not stay here for long and flew towards Yecheng.
The departure of the four people naturally caused exclamations from everyone near the space wormhole.
Except for the Venerable Skyfire, everyone else looks young, especially Xiao Ling, Qing Lin and Little Medical Fairy. They have reached the realm of Dou Zong at a young age and have unlimited potential in the future.
Xiao Ling and the others were not affected by the discussions around them, but just concentrated on moving towards Yecheng.
Yecheng is located on an open plain, surrounded by lush forests.
Wide roads extend from the forest like veins, stretching to the end of the sight.
The ruler of this city is the Ye family, which was once famous in the Dan domain.
Although the Ye family is not as glorious as it used to be, as the saying goes, "a lean camel is bigger than a horse", there is still no force in Yecheng that dares to challenge the authority of the Ye family.
The Ye family is entrenched in the most central area of the city, and all of their manors are within a kilometer radius.
On weekdays, ordinary people are prohibited from entering, and the defense measures are extremely strict.
Of course, this kind of strictness may not be a big deal for strong people like Xiao Ling.
However, Xiao Ling did not come to Yecheng to cause trouble. Now he is a well-known figure in Zhongzhou, so he naturally knows how to be polite.
Xiao Ling and his companions did not stop and went straight to the center of Ye City, which was the gate of the Ye family's magnificent mansion.
In front of the Ye family's door stood several guards, wearing uniform uniforms and looking around vigilantly.
These guards were carefully selected by the Ye family. They are not only strong but also quick-witted and ready to deal with any emergency at any time.
However, when Xiao Ling and his four companions suddenly appeared in front of the door, the guards were immediately alarmed. They quickly went on alert, ready to deal with possible threats.
But when they saw Xiao Ling's face clearly, all their vigilance and tension disappeared instantly, replaced by a respectful look.
The guards immediately saluted respectfully and said in unison: "Master Xiao Ling!"
"It seems you know me?" Xiao Ling raised his eyebrows slightly and asked with a playful smile.
"Master Xiao Ling, you are too modest. You are now the youngest eighth-grade alchemist in Zhongzhou, and your reputation has spread far and wide, and everyone in all major forces knows you. The great elder of our Ye family has also specifically instructed that if you come, we must treat you with courtesy." A man who looked like the captain of the guard came forward and said respectfully.
"In that case, please take me to see your great elder. I have something urgent to discuss with him." Xiao Ling nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Being recognized outside was quite new to him.
He thought to himself that it seemed that his reputation had spread throughout Zhongzhou, and he had to pay attention to his image when he was outside in the future.
"Okay, please follow me." The guard nodded, made a gesture of invitation, and then led Xiao Ling and the others into the Ye family.
After Xiao Ling and the other three left with the Ye family guards, the remaining guards gathered together and began to discuss in a low voice.
"That young man must be the legendary Master Xiao Ling, right? I heard that he is not even twenty years old yet. He is really young and promising."
"He is really handsome. I have seen many handsome men in my life, and he is one of the most outstanding ones."
"Hey, be careful. Don't be fooled by his young age. He is a true eighth-grade alchemist. We small characters can't just talk about him casually."
"I wonder why Master Xiao Ling came to our Ye family? Is there any big deal with the higher-ups in the clan?"
"Alas, the Ye family has indeed been getting worse and worse over the years. I really don't know what to do next..."
The news of Xiao Ling and his companions' arrival soon reached the ears of the Ye family's top leaders, which made the Ye family lively.
The family elders and direct disciples of the Ye family gathered together to show their respect for Xiao Ling.
In the Ye family's reception room.
The hall is decorated in an elegant and grand style, with exquisite crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. Soft lights are sprinkled in every corner, reflecting the exquisite murals and antiques hanging on the walls.
Every painting tells the history and glory of the Ye family, and every antique exudes the accumulation of years.
In the hall, the elders and disciples of the Ye family were either standing or sitting. They were well-dressed, well-mannered, and talking in low voices, but their eyes would occasionally look towards the entrance of the hall, waiting for the arrival of the protagonist.
The air is filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, intertwined with the fragrance of tea, creating a tranquil and solemn atmosphere.
Sitting on the high platform in the hall was an old man. He was Ye Zhong, the eldest elder of the Ye family. However, his normally calm face now showed a hint of anticipation.
Under the expectant and curious gazes of the crowd, suddenly, with a slight creaking sound, the door of the hall was slowly pushed open, breaking the silence in the room.
(End of this chapter)