People fight and become emperors in advance

Chapter 225 Cao Ying completes her apprenticeship and meets the old Dragon Emperor's thoughts.

The refining of high-level pills cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness; even a small oversight could lead to the loss of all previous efforts, which is why it takes an extremely long time.

From the extraction and fusion of medicinal materials to the final pill, Cao Ying spent more than twenty days!

It was visibly pale on her once alluring face, but even so, the smile on her lips remained as captivating as ever.

Alchemy is Cao Ying's pride. The title of "demoness" is well-deserved. After years of arduous training in the Pill Tower, this pill is her perfect answer to her graduation!

"It's almost done. Once this pill is produced, Sister Cao Ying's reputation will probably become even more renowned. Even Dou Zun experts won't dare to underestimate her."

Zi Yan glanced at the dense crowd gathered in the square. Cao Ying hadn't deliberately concealed the news of her alchemy process, and as the pill was nearing completion, more and more people were drawn to it.

Among them are some young geniuses.

For example, Song Qing, whom Chen Xiao had met before.

For example, Dan Chen, who came all the way from the Dan family.

This genius of the alchemy family, due to the special nature of his soul, was somewhat timid, but in terms of alchemy, he was no less persistent than Cao Ying.

Unfortunately, after Cao Ying met Chen Xiao, the two, who were evenly matched, gradually drifted apart, and now the gap between them has widened considerably.

"In the field of alchemy, among the younger generation, Ying'er can be considered the most prominent figure in Zhongzhou."

Chen Xiao nodded slightly, looking at Cao Ying, who was the center of attention, with a smile of pride and a faint sense of satisfaction at nurturing her.

In some ways, the status of an eighth-grade alchemist is more valued than that of an ordinary Dou Zun.

And Cao Ying's rapid growth to this point is largely due to Chen Xiao's contributions, without any false modesty.

Leaving aside the future, just looking at the present, neither Dan Chen nor Xiao Yan are as good as Cao Ying.

As for people like Song Qing, they are even less deserving of respect.

"Great! From now on, our Zixiao Pavilion will have another living advertisement."

Amid Zi Yan's playful laughter, Cao Ying on the high platform also revealed a proud smile like that of a phoenix. Her jade-like hands suddenly formed a hand seal, and then she gave a soft shout: "Rise!"

"Oh!"

As the shout fell, a huge, dazzling beam of light shot out from the medicine cauldron in front of Cao Ying in that instant, and then shot straight into the sky!

The beam of light was dazzling, and the clouds in the sky quickly condensed. Then, before everyone's eyes, two colors suddenly appeared.

One green, one red!
"She actually managed to refine an eighth-grade pill!"

"She must have just entered the Spirit Realm. She can already refine an eighth-grade pill with two-colored pill lightning. The Cao family's demoness is terrifying!"

"That Pavilion Master of Zixiao Pavilion is truly blessed."

"If you can reach the Dou Zun level in your early twenties, you can also have such good fortune."

The entire square erupted in a frenzy at that moment. Pairs of bloodshot eyes gazed at the brilliantly colored thunderclouds in the sky, their hearts pounding with excitement, and they discussed the spectacle animatedly.

Dan Chen remained silent amidst the crowd, feeling immense pressure. She gritted her teeth inwardly, glanced at Cao Ying one last time, and quietly left with the Dan family members beside her.

Undeniably, Cao Ying is currently far ahead of her, but she still firmly believes that this is only temporary. One day, she will close the gap with Cao Ying, until they are equal, or even surpass each other!

Every genius should have this kind of spirit.

When it comes to alchemy, Dan Chen will not admit defeat.

On the other side of the crowd, Song Qing stared dumbfounded at the thunderclouds in the sky, a huge sense of frustration welling up in his heart.

He recalled how naively he had once thought of possessing such a monstrous talent, and felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped hard.

Taking a deep breath, Song Qing's complicated gaze shifted to the high platform not far from Cao Ying, locking onto the young man next to the voluptuous woman, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes...

And also, a sense of relief.

When the gap is too large, the thought of comparison simply disappears.

Those unrealistic ideas from the past have completely vanished at this moment.

Chen Xiao was unaware of the changes in other people's feelings, nor did he pay any special attention to them.

As the two-colored thunderclouds became increasingly solid, Chen Xiao took a step forward and arrived at Cao Ying's side.

"Ying'er, leave the rest to me."

Refining an eighth-grade pill with the strength of a Dou Huang has already taken a huge toll on Cao Ying. She has also taken many pills to restore her Dou Qi along the way, which is why she has been able to hold on until now.

Even so, this is her limit.

The pill lightning attracted by an eighth-grade pill is definitely not something a Dou Huang who has exhausted his resources can handle.

Fortunately, there is no saying in the Dou Qi Continent that alchemists must personally endure the pill lightning; otherwise, today's efforts would have been in vain.

Looking at Chen Xiao, a tender smile appeared on Cao Ying's pale face. She gave a soft "hmm" without any reluctance, and then, under the gaze of many eyes, she hugged Chen Xiao's arm and leaned on his shoulder.

She had persevered for more than twenty days, and the exertion was too great. At this moment, she felt exhausted even just standing up.

Chen Xiao took out a pill and fed it into her mouth. Then he waved his hand slightly, and a light flashed from the storage ring on his fingertip. A Heavenly Demon Puppet immediately soared into the sky.

"boom!"

As if provoked, the long-brewing thunderbolt immediately tore through the clouds and struck down angrily.

Unfortunately, despite the great fanfare, it was difficult to cause any substantial damage.

The Heavenly Demon Puppet is like a bug. Unless the Pill Lightning can instantly pulverize it, as long as it can move, it will be like a piece of chewing gum, impossible to shake off. It will repeatedly receive the Pill Lightning and then absorb its power to rapidly strengthen itself!
And so, thunder roared in the sky, and the Heavenly Demon Puppet charged forward time and time again to meet the lightning.

On that high platform, where Chen Xiao and Cao Ying were, it was like a pure land, completely undisturbed, and they could even whisper and laugh.

Seeing this scene, the crowd in the square felt as if they had been force-fed a large naan bread.

Even the carefree Zi Yan felt a pang of envy at this moment, and secretly resolved to recreate today's scene in the future.

The turmoil of the two-colored thunderclouds lasted for nearly ten minutes before gradually subsiding.

In those ten minutes or so, nearly a hundred extremely powerful bolts of lightning streaked out from the thunderclouds, each one enough to move even a Dou Zong expert.

However, the result was that these lightning bolts not only failed to destroy the pill, but instead became the foundation for the Heavenly Demon Puppet's advancement, causing its body surface to be covered with a dazzling silver color, and even faintly showing a little bit of golden luster.

Clearly, this Heavenly Demon Puppet has already reached the Earth level and is progressing towards the Heaven level!

After the thunderclouds dissipated, Chen Xiao recalled the Heavenly Demon Puppet, but did not put it back into his storage ring.

"Ying'er, keep this Heavenly Demon Puppet. You can use it to withstand the pill lightning when refining medicine in the future, which will also give you the ability to protect yourself."

"Erase the soul imprint within," Chen Xiao said, looking at Cao Ying.

Cao Ying will no longer stay in the Pill Tower for arduous cultivation. After returning to the Purple Cloud Pavilion, although Chen Xiao and others will be there, she will not be in any danger. However, she will still possess some power, which is definitely not a mistake.

Most importantly, the Heavenly Demon Puppet is really suitable for Cao Ying.

She will inevitably refine medicine frequently in the future, and with the Heavenly Demon Puppet around, it will be even more convenient, and it can also help improve the overall strength of the Purple Cloud Pavilion.

It's a win-win situation, so why not do it?

With this in mind, Chen Xiao simply took out all the Heavenly Demon Puppets from his body and handed them over to Cao Ying.

Nine of them, enhanced by the formation, were already capable of displaying the strength of a one-star Dou Zun. However, this level of combat power was hardly of any real help to Chen Xiao at his current state.

Cao Ying smiled gently and did not refuse. After leaving her soul imprint, she raised her jade hand slightly and put all the puppets into her storage ring.

Now, they don't need to distinguish between themselves so clearly anymore.

After putting away the puppet, Cao Ying looked at the perfectly round pill in the dazzling pillar of light in mid-air. She could vaguely see a small, intelligent dragon coiled around the pill.

As Cao Yingyu gently raised her hand, the pillar of light immediately dissipated, and a rich fragrance of elixir spread out, filling the entire square.

"For eighth-grade pills, spirit is paramount. The richer the spirit, the better the quality. Ying'er, you've just entered the eighth grade and you're already able to refine an eighth-grade pill with two-colored pill lightning. That's very good. However, your battle qi strength should also be improved. Once you reach the Dou Zong level, refining eighth-grade pills will be much easier." An old voice suddenly rang out.

Their gazes shifted, and soon, they spotted Xuan Kongzi in a white robe high in the sky.

His appearance was so silent that even Chen Xiao and Zi Yan, the strongest people in the arena, did not notice him at all.

"Thank you, teacher. Ying'er understands."

Upon seeing Xuan Kongzi appear, Cao Ying quickly pulled away from Chen Xiao's shoulder, stood up straight, and bowed.

Xuan Kongzi nodded slightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a jade bottle shot out, carrying the Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill in mid-air, and landed in front of the two of them.

Immediately, he summoned the Heavenly Demon Puppet again and ordered it to return to Chen Xiao's side.

This Heavenly Demon Puppet is even more dazzling than the previous one. Its entire body has almost completely transformed into gold, with only a small area around its heart remaining uncovered.

He exuded a terrifying aura comparable to that of a Dou Zun expert, causing people to tremble with fear.

"Thank you, senior."

Chen Xiao clasped his hands in thanks, exchanged a glance with Cao Ying, and then put away the pills and the puppet respectively.

Xuan Kongzi took a step forward and landed on the high platform.

"Given your relationship with Ying'er, you don't need to be too formal with me. Just call me teacher or president, like Ying'er does."

Chen Xiao nodded in agreement.

Xuan Kongzi watched with a smile, his gaze finally settling on Cao Ying.

“Ying’er, what I told you before was not a lie. Now, I have nothing more to teach you. You don’t have to stay in the Pill Tower. You can go back to the Cao family or go to the Purple Cloud Pavilion with Chen Xiao, either way is fine.”

Cao Ying is still very serious in front of her elders.

"Teacher, Ying'er will come back to visit you often."

"Hehe, go ahead. The Pill Tower is right here. You can come back whenever you want. Besides, the Pill Gathering is not far away. I hope that I can refine another Bodhi Foundation Establishment Pill before the Pill Gathering."

Cao Ying was stunned for a moment, then, thinking of the effects of the Bodhi Foundation Building Pill, she realized what was happening. She glanced at Chen Xiao beside her and blushed slightly.

Chen Xiao was speechless, but he was quite certain that Xuan Kongzi's little wish was likely to be dashed.

After all, sowing seeds is easy, but the Bodhi seeds are truly gone now.

Even if it's an advance payment, directly paying for the Bodhi Foundation Building Pill is more cost-effective!
After saying goodbye to Xuan Kongzi, the three returned to Cao Ying's courtyard.

“Sister Cao Ying, why don’t you come back to Zixiao Pavilion with us? Qifeng Mountain has been so deserted lately. I can’t find anyone to talk to except Chen Xiao. Besides, you two are inseparable now, so you definitely don’t want to be apart, right, Chen Xiao?”

Hearing Da Ziyan's mutterings, Chen Xiao and Cao Ying couldn't help but chuckle.

However, I'm too lazy to correct it.

As long as the meaning is conveyed, that's fine.

"Ziyan is right, Ying'er, what do you think?"

Chen Xiao certainly couldn't undermine her, even though he knew in his heart that the probability of Cao Ying returning to Zixiao Pavilion together was actually not high.

Sure enough, under their gazes, Cao Ying shook her head slightly.

“I also want to visit the Purple Cloud Pavilion, but not now. I’ve been cultivating in the Pill Tower for the past few years and have rarely been home. I want to go back to my family and bring all the pills with me when they are finished.”

This time, Cao Ying's refining of an eighth-grade pill attracted many people to watch, including members of the Dan family, but not a single member of the Cao family was seen.

This was certainly not because the Cao family did not value Cao Ying; on the contrary, it was because the Cao family was extremely busy after receiving the medicinal herbs that Cao Ying had sent back.

Cao Ying wanted to return to her family, partly to visit them and partly to help out.

Chen Xiao didn't insist and nodded, saying, "Then I'll take you back in a couple of days."

"it is good."

Two more days?

Cao Ying looked at Chen Xiao suspiciously, her gaze settling on his kidneys.

...

Five days later, in Hanhai City, at the Cao family residence.

With the Cao family's high-ranking officials watching them go, Chen Xiao and Zi Yan were finally able to escape.

This time, the Cao family members were several times more enthusiastic than last time when they came to Hanhai City, and even held a grand celebration.

Cao Ying's mother, in particular, would talk to Chen Xiao for a long time every day, smiling from ear to ear.

The reason she was so happy was that Cao Ying had officially become an eighth-grade alchemist.

Furthermore, the progress made by the two young people delighted them.

Previously, things were uncertain, and I was always worried. But now it's different. The die is cast, and our relationship has truly become inseparable.

Thanks to the Cao family's warm hospitality, Chen Xiao's return was repeatedly postponed until today, when he was finally able to leave.

However, when Chen Xiao tore open the spatial passage and stepped inside, he keenly noticed that Zi Yan beside him was unusually quiet today, looking sullen and seemingly in a bad mood.

"Don't worry, it's just that your aunt has been so hospitable these past few days, and it's really a bit hard to get used to leaving now."

Noticing Chen Xiao's concerned gaze, Zi Yan explained.

But based on Chen Xiao's understanding of her, this is probably not the real reason.

After a moment's thought, Chen Xiao had a guess in his mind.

"Ziyan, how about I take you to meet your father when we go back this time?"

"My father?" Zi Yan stared blankly at her, wondering if she had misheard.

The word "father" has never existed for her since she can remember.

After transforming into human form, he had no clansmen, no family, and no friends.

This situation only gradually changed after Su Qian brought him back to the inner courtyard.

Now, she has found her community, has many close sisters and cousins, and has Chen Xiao, but the only thing missing is her parents.

While on Dragon Island, she seemingly casually inquired about the situation with her people, only to be told that the old Dragon Emperor had been missing for thousands of years and his fate was unknown. Even the current state of Dragon Island was caused by the old Dragon Emperor's disappearance.

"Yes, your father, the old Dragon Emperor!"

(End of this chapter)