People fight and become emperors in advance

Chapter 165 Arrival in Saint Pill City, Reunion with the Demoness
The moment Chen Xiao and his two companions stepped into the spatial wormhole, darkness engulfed them like a tidal wave, and a strong sense of weightlessness suddenly struck them, only to vanish in the blink of an eye.

Immediately afterwards, a strange spatial domain slowly unfolded before the three of them.

This is a mysterious spatial passage that seems to extend endlessly, with no end in sight. On both sides float translucent, pale silver spatial barriers, hazy as gauze, gleaming faintly in the darkness.

The barrier enclosed a passage about ten feet wide, at the end of which lay a thick, inky darkness, as did the top and bottom. The profound darkness inspired awe and fear.

Intense spatial fluctuations occasionally surged within, chilling the air. The entire passage was eerily quiet; apart from the three people's breathing, there was not a sound at all, as if even time had stood still.

Inside this spatial passage, both Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor felt a sense of oppression.

Zi Yan, on the other hand, seemed quite enthusiastic and unaffected, appearing completely at ease and comfortable, as if she were in her element.

brush~
Chen Xiao flipped his hand, and a spaceship shimmering with silver light appeared.

Inside this spatial wormhole, the palm-sized spaceship swelled with the wind and, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a luxurious ship over ten zhang long.

"This should be the place to channel energy; it seems we need someone to steer it from here."

Upon boarding the spaceship, Little Fairy Doctor stepped to the bow, where there stood a metal pillar over a meter tall, covered with intricate patterns, and a palm print-shaped groove at the top.

“That’s right, but the energy required to maintain the spaceship isn’t much. We can take turns. The lowest level for a spaceship is level one, and the highest is level nine. As far as I know, it takes about twenty days for a level four spaceship to reach Zhongzhou. We’re a level six spaceship, so we should be able to arrive within half a month,” Chen Xiao nodded.

Traveling through wormholes also carries some risks.

However, the risk is very low; unless you are extremely unlucky, nothing will usually happen.

Chen Xiao chose the highest-grade spaceship in Tianya City to save time. In this way, the shorter the time spent in the space wormhole, the lower the probability of encountering accidents.

Little Fairy Doctor nodded gently and said with a gentle smile, "You and Ziyan should rest first. I'll take care of things."

Little Fairy Doctor had just taken a step when Zi Yan pulled her back.

"Sister Xian'er, let me do it. You don't need to do this kind of hard work yourself."

As she spoke, Zi Yan quickly arrived at the energy input point, circulated her battle qi, broke through the blood seal in her body, and poured energy into it.

In an instant, a faint silver light appeared around the spaceship, enveloping its hull, and it sped off like a streak of light toward that unfathomable and unpredictable end.

"Let's set off on the west wind!"

Seeing this, Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor exchanged a glance and couldn't help but chuckle and shake their heads.

They could easily see that Zi Yan's interest was just a passing fancy, and that once the novelty wore off, she probably wouldn't even want to be in charge.

This girl has grown up, but she's not fully grown up yet.

Inside the space tunnel, the spaceship's speed was beyond imagination; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was chasing stars and the moon.

Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor stood side by side at the bow of the ship. They saw the silver spatial barriers on both sides rushing backward like streaks of light, leaving afterimages. It was a spectacle they had never seen before.

Unfortunately, the spectacle was too monotonous and boring, and the two lost interest after only half an hour of watching.

Zi Yan, who was at the helm, had lost her initial enthusiasm. While maintaining the energy required for the spaceship, she also stole glances at the two people not far behind.

She's already thinking of finding someone to take over, but she's already made those bold promises, making her a little embarrassed to ask.

Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but chuckle and wanted to go over and take over, but Chen Xiao stopped her.

This scene made Zi Yan's eyebrows furrow and her teeth clench, making her look like an enraged little beast, wishing she could pounce on Chen Xiao and bite him hard.

Chen Xiao ignored them completely, took out a clean blanket and spread it on the ground, then led Little Fairy Doctor to sit down together.

The space passage is not suitable for cultivation, let alone breaking through to the Dou Zong realm. Instead, it's a good opportunity to think about your plans after arriving in Zhongzhou.

Or, they could chat and get to know each other better.

...

Twenty days later.

One after another, spaceships swarmed into the silver halo ahead, like fish entering the sea.

The spaceship carrying Chen Xiao and his two companions was swept up in the surging waves of the fleet, forging ahead amidst the turbulent spatial fluctuations, and finally rushed into the circle of light, their figures disappearing instantly.

The moment the spaceship crashed into the silver light circle, a violent spatial force surged forth like a raging tsunami, causing the entire ship to tremble and shake violently. Fortunately, this terrifying turbulence only lasted for about ten seconds before gradually subsiding.

After a while, a burst of silver light suddenly erupted, and a blinding beam of light shot down from the sky, causing the three of them to instinctively squint.

After a long while, as my eyes gradually adjusted to the bright light, I slowly opened them.

In an instant, a huge plaza built of red rock came into view. It was vast and boundless, stretching for at least several thousand meters. The three of them stood in it, looking as tiny as ants.

At this moment, the square was teeming with people, and the noise was deafening, reaching straight into the sky.

"Is this the Holy Pill City? The crowds are terrifying."

Looking at the sea of ​​people in the square and listening to the deafening noise, Little Fairy Doctor sighed softly.

Previously, the three of them spent fourteen days to reach Xiancheng in Zhongzhou, and another six days traveling by transfers, until they finally arrived at Shengdan City, which is renowned in Zhongzhou.

Compared to the cities we passed through along the way, the plaza where the space wormhole in Saint Dan City was located was more than ten times larger, demonstrating its immense prosperity.

"This is just one teleportation point; there are eight such teleportation points in Saint Pill City!"

Chen Xiao chuckled, feeling equally shocked.

At this moment, he had already spotted dozens of Dou Wangs and more than two Dou Huangs within his sight.

These powerful figures, who could dominate a region in the Northwest Continent, were truly like roadside figures in this Holy Pill City.

However, among the Dou Zong level experts, there wasn't a single one after scanning around, truly deserving of the title of the watershed among the continent's strong.

"The journey has been so smooth. I saw that there are many biographies of people in Old Man Su's study. They all have bad luck when they go to new places, but we haven't had any accidents at all."

Zi Yan muttered to herself, seemingly quite dissatisfied.

Seeing her like this, Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but chuckle.

Arriving in an unfamiliar place can easily lead to unexpected trouble.

However, this is not a problem for Chen Xiao.

He had never been to Zhongzhou, but he knew it very well and knew what things could easily cause trouble. With just a little care, he could avoid most of the problems.

"Let's go. Saint Pill City is one of the few super cities in Central Continent. Let's go and see what it's like, and also find out some information."

Chen Xiao chuckled and strode into the city.

Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan followed quickly, one on the left and one on the right.

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them went up to an elegant teahouse and found an empty table near the window to sit down.

People moved about under the eaves like a woven tapestry, while inside the teahouse, laughter and chatter rose and fell, filling the air with their voices.

Filtering out the useless chatter, the three of them soon heard some valuable information.

"Recently, because of the assessment of the five major families, Saint Pill City has been really lively. You can see some alchemists of the sixth rank or even above from time to time."

"Come to think of it, today should be the day of their assessment. I really want to go and join in the fun, but unfortunately, it's difficult for us to even enter the inner domain, let alone go and watch in person."

"Whether we watch it or not doesn't really matter. Everyone can guess the outcome anyway. The other four families will definitely pass the test smoothly. But the Ye family is in a precarious situation. If they still fail this time, the Ye family will only have one more chance. They may lose their elder seat in the next round."

"In recent years, the Ye family has struggled to continue its lineage, and compared to the other four families, they are indeed no longer in the same league."

"Indeed, the five major families can actually be divided into four tiers. The Cao family, which produced that enchantress, is undoubtedly the most prominent. She was noticed by the Pill Tower at the age of fourteen and became a core disciple of the Pill Tower. She was even taken in as a disciple by the giant Xuan Kongzi. It is said that she was already a sixth-grade alchemist at that time. Now, two years later, she has probably advanced to the seventh grade!"

"Below the Cao family, the Dan family produced Dan Chen, second only to that demoness, with a promising future. After that are the Bai and Qiu families. Although they don't have such a prodigy, it's not difficult for them to maintain their current status. As for the Ye family, hehe, they can hardly protect themselves."

"..."

After sitting in the teahouse for a quarter of an hour, Chen Xiao led Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan away, heading straight for the inner region.

Saint Dan City is vast, divided into inner and outer domains.

Ordinary people can only stay in the outer realms. Without relevant background or identity, they will face many restrictions if they want to enter the inner realms.

"Chen Xiao, is Sister Cao Ying here?"

During the journey, Zi Yan asked expectantly, her eyes shining brightly.

She also overheard the conversation among the people in the teahouse.

Zi Yan had a very good impression of Cao Ying. After all, Cao Ying had been her caretaker for a long time.

Moreover, after Cao Ying left, he even brought her some pills as snacks.

That alone was enough for Little Dragon to take her to heart.

"There shouldn't be any mistake." Chen Xiao nodded slightly.

In the original timeline, the demoness entered the Pill Tower at the age of fifteen and was accepted as a disciple by Xuan Kongzi. She then spent three years cultivating diligently in the Pill Tower.

Judging from the information I just heard, the demoness entered the Pill Tower a year earlier and has changed quite a bit. It is very likely that she is currently pursuing further studies in the Pill Tower.

"I remember when she left, she was only a fifth-grade alchemist. More than two years have passed, and she has already reached the seventh grade. Sister Cao Ying's talent in alchemy is terrifying."

Little Fairy Doctor sighed softly, deeply feeling that the title of "demon woman" was truly well-deserved.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly: "In this respect, there are indeed not many people in Zhongzhou who can compare with her on the surface. However, it is still uncertain whether she has reached the seventh rank. After all, it is just other people's subjective conjecture and does not represent objective facts. In addition, the eighth rank of alchemist is a watershed. It is understandable that she can improve faster before the eighth rank."

While chatting, the three of them arrived at the border between the inner and outer realms.

Here, squads of Dan Tower guards stand watch, and everyone who enters the inner region must possess at least one of these qualities to be eligible to reside permanently in the inner region.

Meeting the guard's questioning gaze, Chen Xiao remained unperturbed and took out a token representing the Cao family's identity from his storage ring.

In an instant, the guard's expression changed slightly, and he stood up straight, his respect evident in his eyes.

Chen Xiao chuckled and led the two women into the inner domain.

Soon enough, without even asking around, one could find out where the desired destination was from the conversations of passersby.

The assessment location for the five major families is located in a special hall in the inner area of ​​​​Shengdan City.

This is the exclusive site for the annual assessments, established by the Pill Tower, demonstrating the importance the Pill Tower places on the assessments of these five major families.

Unlike the secretive closed-door trials, the assessments of the five major families have always been semi-public. Anyone with a certain status or background, or decent strength, can enter to observe.

When Chen Xiao and his two companions arrived at the magnificent and vast examination hall, they found that a huge crowd had already surrounded the place, and people who seemed to be of extraordinary status were allowed to enter the hall after being checked by the guards.

With the token in their hands, Chen Xiao and his two companions encountered no obstacles along the way.

As Chen Xiao stepped into the main hall, a soft halo of light descended, and he immediately noticed scrutinizing gazes coming from all directions.

He looked up and scanned the room. The hall was already full of people sitting around the table, and there were many more standing around. Without exception, these people all had a deep and restrained aura. They were obviously from powerful and influential families with profound backgrounds, and they exuded a powerful aura that could not be underestimated.

At the very front of this vast hall, the seats of the five major families were situated on a high platform, like stars surrounding the moon, demonstrating their extraordinary status and prestige.

In the very center of the hall, an elderly man with white hair stood with his hands behind his back. His eyes were sharp and his voice was booming as he methodically presided over this highly anticipated assessment.

"Next up is Cao Ying from the Cao family."

The old man's voice echoed in the hall, each word clear and distinct.

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously noisy hall fell silent instantly, followed by a chorus of whispers. Chen Xiao keenly noticed that countless curious and inquisitive gazes were turning towards the hall.

Clearly, the name of this witch from the Cao family had already stirred up waves in everyone's hearts.

"It's Sister Cao Ying!"

Beside Chen Xiao, Zi Yan excitedly tugged at his sleeve and stood on tiptoe, trying to see the scene clearly, but unfortunately, she was too short and her face turned red with anxiety.

Finally, she nimbly jumped onto Chen Xiao's back, hugged his neck tightly, and finally got a full view of the scene. Her little face was full of excitement and anticipation, and she waved her little hands to greet the scene.

Seeing this, Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but smile, gently patted Zi Yan, and said soothingly, "Don't rush, wait until she finishes the test before going over."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a woman in a black dress with a graceful figure rose from the seats of the five major families.

She was graceful and moved slowly and deliberately, as if she possessed a natural charm that made it impossible to look away.

As she took her first step out of the shadows and slowly stepped into the bright lights, the atmosphere in the entire hall froze instantly, and everyone's breath seemed to stop for a moment.

This enchantress was tall and slender, her figure accentuated by a well-tailored black dress. Her every move exuded a cold and aloof air, making her unapproachable.

Her skin was as white as jade, glowing with a warm luster under the lamplight. Her long, black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, adding to her languid and carefree demeanor.

Her slightly thin face had smooth and beautiful lines, and her eyebrows and eyes were as exquisite as a finely crafted work of art. Every feature was just right, making people want to examine her closely.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the demoness slowly walked to the center of the empty hall and stood with her arms clasped.

She slightly raised her head, her long, languid eyes gently scanning her surroundings. Her gaze, as it moved, revealed a captivating allure, her innate charm emanating from her.

Many people in the hall were captivated by her allure. At that moment, a faint smile slowly curved the corners of the enchantress's slender lips, making her delicate and charming face even more bewitching.

"It's true that there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names. Her temperament is even more enchanting than Cai Lin's."

Looking at the enchantress who was attracting so much attention in the arena, Little Fairy Doctor chuckled and commented.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly.

Cai Lin and this demoness have similarities, but the differences are actually quite significant.

Cai Lin is bold, though she often says one thing and means another, and is a little arrogant, but she dares to love and hate.

This enchantress may seem powerful on the surface, but she's actually just a pushover.

Just as the two were exchanging whispers, the assessment in the arena had already begun.

With a series of cracking sounds, countless dark holes appeared in the ceiling above the main hall.

A moment later, countless jet-black iron beads poured down like a torrential rain!

Swish!

As she watched the Soul Testing Beads pour down like a torrential rain, the demoness almost instinctively dodged, and a surge of immense soul power erupted from between her brows.

She used her soul power to condense an invisible hand, and with lightning speed, she picked up the densely packed, pitch-black soul-testing beads in mid-air, one after another, without showing any sign of strain on her delicate face.

Time passed second by second until the soul-testing beads were caught in succession, at which point the soul-controlling hand retracted and slowly came to a stop.

The white-haired old man walked into the arena, quickly tallied the results, and then announced in a loud voice.

"That's right, exactly one hundred. In this last assessment, Cao Ying is still in first place, Dan Xuan is in second, and Ye Fan is in fifth."

Upon hearing the elder's announcement, the onlookers displayed a variety of expressions; some could not hide their smiles, while others were filled with worry.

Inside the hall, many young talents gazed at the woman in the black dress standing beside the white-haired old man. Their eyes were involuntarily drawn to her, and ripples of emotion welled up in their eyes. Their expressions revealed an uncontrollable admiration and longing, and their slightly tense bodies and unconsciously held breaths silently spoke of the throbbing in their hearts.

Cao Ying could keenly sense the burning gazes that felt like thorns in her back, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly as if covered with a thin layer of frost.

In fact, this situation was already considered good; before she entered the Pill Tower, many eyes were even more blatant.

Suppressing the faint disgust rising in her heart, she casually glanced around the room.

Suddenly, her gaze froze, fixed on the depths of the crowd.

There, a young man carried a little girl in a white dress on his back, and beside him stood a beautiful white-haired woman, graceful and elegant.

Meeting her gaze, all three smiled, and the little girl waved her hands happily, full of energy.

In an instant, everyone in the arena saw that Cao family enchantress, who was usually as proud as a black swan, actually relaxed her brows and eyes, and a bright smile that they had never seen before appeared on her lips.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, the enchantress completely shed her previous arrogance, and with a few swift steps, her skirts fluttering, she arrived before the three of them.

Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled warmly as she reached out and ruffled Zi Yan's hair.

"Zi Yan! Why do you still look like this?"

After warmly greeting Zi Yan, Cao Ying nodded kindly to Xiao Yi Xian.

Only at the very end did she meet Chen Xiao's gaze and give him a subtle eye roll.

Chen Xiao chuckled. More than two years have passed. Could this vixen still remember what happened back then?
Seeing Chen Xiao's reaction, the demoness glared at him.

But in an instant, a sly glint flashed in her eyes, and she leaned close to Chen Xiao's ear and whispered a few words.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao glanced at the curious and envious gazes in the room and nodded slightly in agreement.

The demoness nodded in satisfaction, took Zi Yan off his back, and intimately embraced Chen Xiao's arm as they headed out of the main hall.

(End of this chapter)