While in Battle Through the Heavens, one can pre-appoint oneself as an emperor.

Chapter 168 Heavenly Demon Phoenix

Inside the room, Cao the Demoness stared intently at the dried corpse of the demonic beast that Chen Xiao had taken out, examining it closely.

Because the mummy had been dead for so long, its skin and flesh were dry and curled up into a ball, making it impossible to discern its original appearance from its shape.

"What kind of monster is this?"

"Heavenly Demon Phoenix".

"So it was... what, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix!"

Upon hearing Chen Xiao's calm reply, Cao Ying was startled and stared at him with wide eyes, as if trying to discern from his expression whether he was joking.

People in the Northwest Continent might not know much about what the Heavenly Phoenix is, but Cao Ying, who comes from one of the five great families of the Pill Domain, knows some of the details.

In World of Warcraft, there are three major monster races: the Ancient Dragon, the Heavenly Phoenix, and the Nine Netherworld Python.

The Heavenly Phoenix Clan ranks second, only after the legendary Ancient Dragon of the Void.

The Heavenly Phoenix Clan is extremely powerful, in no way inferior to the so-called Two Sects and Three Valleys, and even the One Palace and One Tower dare not underestimate them.

In comparison, the Cao family seemed utterly insignificant.

More importantly, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan is notoriously vengeful. If a member of the clan dies and their body is left outside and targeted by others, it will be a fight to the death.

Now that Chen Xiao can identify the dried corpse as belonging to the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, he must be well aware of the clan's terrifying strength and vengeful nature. Yet, he insists on attacking the dried corpse; his audacity is truly astounding.

"Are we really going to deal with it?"

Good things should never be wasted.

Chen Xiao nodded in agreement, showing no intention of changing his mind.

With Zi Yan involved, Tian Yao Huang is destined to become his adversary; it's only a matter of time.

Therefore, there's no need to worry too much.

Cao Ying nodded slightly and said, "Generally, powerful magical beast races like these have methods to sense the bloodline of their members. They might even be able to sense the bloodline of a corpse. In the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, there is a disciple from the Heavenly Phoenix Clan. You should try to stay away from there in the future."

Seeing that Chen Xiao had made up his mind, Cao Ying did not ask any more questions, but only offered a few kind reminders.

She wasn't very clear about Chen Xiao's background, but judging from the reactions of his family, he must be extremely extraordinary, and perhaps he really wasn't afraid of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

"Don't worry, I know what to do."

"That's good. What should we do with this dried corpse? I've never dealt with monster carcasses before, and since you came all this way to watch over it, I suppose conventional methods won't work, right?"

Cao Ying looked at Chen Xiao, waiting for his instructions.

Chen Xiao stepped forward, held his breath, and with a raised hand, a sharp dagger materialized, gleaming with a chilling blue light.

Gripping the dagger tightly, Chen Xiao stabbed down at the point where the jade bone wings connected to the dried corpse of the demonic beast. He encountered no resistance whatsoever; the dried corpse's skin was extremely fragile, and the dagger pierced through it as easily as if it were soft tofu.

With a deft flick of his wrist and a rapid slicing motion, a square piece of pale white meat, about a foot in size, was cut off completely in a moment.

Strangely, even though Chen Xiao did not use ice to treat it, not a single drop of blood seeped from the cut. The dried corpse was like a withered tree that had long lost all vitality.

"Wait a minute, let me dismember the body first."

Upon hearing Chen Xiao's order, Cao Ying did not obey. She held her breath and stepped forward, a long sword appearing in her jade hand. With a thought, a burst of emerald green flames surged out, completely enveloping the sword. The intense heat caused the steel sword to emit fine white mist.

"Let's do it together. Although I am an alchemist and passionate about alchemy, I am not incapable of doing other things. It's always good to learn more."

Chen Xiao glanced at the enchantress with some surprise, then immediately stopped being coy and nodded with a smile: "Okay."

The two men wielded their knives swiftly, and in just a few minutes, all the chunks of flesh on the dried corpse were stripped away, piling up like a mountain. Without the support of flesh and blood, the dried corpse was left with only a skeletal frame and a relatively intact outer skin.

In an instant, a pungent, sour, putrid odor gushed out from the cut of the dried corpse, the sour smell turning into wisps of blue smoke that rose upwards.

The moment the wisp of smoke touched the ceiling, a hissing, corrosive sound echoed throughout the room.

Immediately, to Chen Xiao and Cao Ying's astonishment, a huge hole was corroded in the ceiling above them, and moonlight poured down through the hole, illuminating the crescent moon in the night sky.

And a familiar face hanging at the entrance of the cave, grinning slyly.

"Hehehe, Chen Xiao, Sister Cao Ying."

Zi Yan waved her little hand in greeting, trying to get away with being cute.

No one knew when she arrived or how long she had been hiding in the shadows. This was the core area of ​​the Pill Tower, so Chen Xiao and Cao Ying hadn't considered the possibility of danger and therefore hadn't taken any precautions.

Chen Xiao rolled his eyes at the little dragon who jumped down from the roof.

He's here tonight to do serious business, but Little Dragon Man doesn't seem to trust him that much.

Cao Ying raised her hand to pat Zi Yan's head, but then, noticing the smell on her hand, she withdrew it halfway and laughed, "Zi Yan, stand back a bit. This dried corpse stinks!"

Upon hearing this, the little dragon obediently stood aside, openly supervising the work.

Chen Xiao dropped the dagger in his hand and stepped aside.

"Witch, Ziyan will teach you how to handle the rest. Find her something to do."

Chen Xiao only remembered how to dispose of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix's corpse, relying on his memories.

In contrast, Zi Yan seems to have been born with the skill and is less likely to make mistakes.

Upon hearing Chen Xiao's words, Cao Ying looked at Zi Yan.

The little dragon nodded vigorously and stepped forward without any modesty. His pair of gem-like eyes slowly swept over the skeleton of the dried corpse and the pile of flesh, and a faint purple light slowly swirled around it.

Surrounded by purple light, Zi Yan took the longsword from Cao Ying's hand and, to the astonishment of the demoness, cut off the ten pale claws of the dried-up demonic corpse, carefully placing them on the table.

"This is mine. Sister Cao Ying will help me burn it with her strange fire later. I'll get a pair of gauntlets, and that will be my weapon."

Cao Ying nodded with a smile.

Zi Yan swaggered over and kicked the pile of meat chunks, saying, "Just burn these chunks."

Cao Ying, puzzled, glanced at Chen Xiao.

Just listen to her.

Having received permission, Cao Ying immediately stopped hesitating.

She curled her fingers into a claw, and a powerful suction force suddenly erupted from her palm. The largest chunk of meat instantly detached from the pile of meat and hovered in front of her. Then, a cluster of emerald green flames shot out from her palm and coiled around the meat like a living thing, completely enveloping it.

The emerald flames, like a greedy beast, tightly enveloped the chunk of meat. In an instant, scorching heat surged and overflowed, penetrating the very flesh. Visibly, the pale white meat hissed and popped in the high temperature, as if struggling in pain. As the flames scorched it, the meat continued to shrink and deform in the blazing heat.

A few minutes later, the pale white chunk of flesh had shrunk to the size of a head. Amazingly, the pale white color had completely faded, replaced by a mix of blue and red, with a glossy sheen on the surface, as if it had been given a new life.

Cao Ying controlled the fire temperature and continued to roast the meat.

Before long, a drop of bluish-red blood gradually condensed on the piece of flesh, teetering on the verge of falling.

Chen Xiao reacted quickly, standing up and taking out a jade bottle to catch it.

After this drop of blue-red blood was refined, the chunks of meat in the flames instantly turned into nothingness, leaving not even ashes behind.

"continue."

Cao Ying nodded. With the experience from the first time, she became much more adept at the subsequent refining process.

Half an hour later, Chen Xiao looked at the five drops of Heavenly Demon Phoenix essence blood in the jade bottle and nodded in satisfaction.

Zi Yan leaned closer and took a sniff, her jewel-like eyes flashing with passion.

She had no appetite for the dried corpses of magical beasts, but she could sense the essence blood in it, and if she could consume it, it would be of great benefit to her.

However, judging from Chen Xiao's expression, she could tell that his essence blood was also quite valuable, so she refrained from saying anything more.

Chen Xiao chuckled and tossed the jade bottle to her.

"Take them all."

"Really?!"

"This was originally prepared for you. These few drops of the essence blood of a seventh-tier peak Heavenly Demon Phoenix should be enough to help you advance to the next tier."

Chen Xiao chuckled.

This essence blood is indeed very precious, but Chen Xiao wouldn't be stingy with it if he gave it to Zi Yan.

After all, his essence and blood are useless; they cannot play their due role in a short period of time.

The Ancient Dragon of the Void once fed on the Heavenly Demon Phoenix, so Chen Xiao doesn't need to worry that Zi Yan will be overwhelmed by that violent energy.

"hey-hey."

Holding the jade bottle, Zi Yan grinned foolishly with delight.

She took a deep sniff before forcefully suppressing the urge to swallow it whole.

Cao Ying watched the whole thing, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.

Although she and Chen Xiao now have a close relationship, it all started with a transaction, which is how their relationship gradually developed to its current state.

Therefore, there is still a long way to go before they can achieve the same close relationship as Chen Xiao and Zi Yan.

"Sister Cao Ying, the next piece of skin will be the same; just use flames to heat it."

Having received the benefit, the little dragon was full of energy and quickly peeled off the withered skin, saying to Cao Ying.

Cao Ying nodded slightly, raised her jade hand, and a gentle breeze blew the huge monster hide into the air. Then she flicked her finger, and a burst of emerald green flames shot out from her fingertip, eventually turning into a raging fire that burned beneath the hide.

However, after being roasted by the strange fire for a full quarter of an hour, the withered skin did not change at all except for shrinking into a ball.

Seeing this, Zi Yan wrinkled her nose slightly and reluctantly took out the jade bottle she had just put away, carefully pouring a drop onto the withered skin.

The moment the blue and red blood dripped onto the withered skin, it was quickly absorbed, like sweet rain seeping into parched land.

The next moment, the originally lifeless gray-white withered skin seemed to be injected with life, twisting and writhing like a serpent, and the blue and red colors spread rapidly like wildfire from the spot where the blood fell.

In just a few breaths, the entire piece of withered skin was completely transformed.

At this moment, the withered skin, grayish-white, has been replaced by an eerie bluish-red color, and its texture has changed from dry and cracked to oily and supple.

Even more chillingly, as the colors changed, the long-dormant withered bark suddenly erupted with intense energy fluctuations, causing the air to tremble, as if an ancient ferocious beast was about to awaken.

"Sister Cao Ying, let's raise the temperature a bit."

Cao Ying nodded and did as she was told, quietly becoming a dutiful tool.

As the temperature rose, wisps of mist gradually seeped from the blue-red monster's skin, containing terrifying energy.

The emerald flames burned ever brighter, and the bluish-red mist grew thicker and thicker, almost transforming into a bluish-red cloud that enveloped the entire room.

As the mist surged, the invisible pressure intensified, and a strange, low roar echoed, causing the three to slightly change their expressions.

Upon hearing the roar, Zi Yan seemed to be provoked, and a burst of purple light instantly emanated from her body, breaking through the blood seal. Under Cao Ying's dumbfounded gaze, it gradually grew larger, its eyes gleaming with a noble purple light, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

"laugh!"

A soft sound broke the silence.

Chen Xiao and Cao Ying looked in the direction of the sound and saw that under the scorching of the strange fire, the withered skin of the demonic beast had completely turned into ashes, which fell and covered the ground with a gray carpet.

As the last wisp of blue-red mist dissipated, a vortex suddenly appeared in the center of the clouds and began to spin rapidly. Vast energy surged into the vortex like rivers flowing into the sea, and the blue-red clouds quickly contracted.

Until a certain moment, the vortex suddenly stopped, and a blinding blue-red light burst out from it.

The intense light caused the three of them to instinctively close their eyes. When the light subsided, they all looked up.

In the air above the room, a slightly irregularly shaped crystal, blue and red in color, floated without any support. As it slowly rotated, it emitted subtle blue and red rays of light. These leaked energy rays alone caused the surrounding space to distort slightly.

"Is this the demon core of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix? Such terrifying energy! The second largest race in the magical beast world truly lives up to its reputation."

Cao Ying looked amazed. She had seen seventh-order magic cores before, but the energy they contained was incomparable to that of the one in front of her.

The second-ranked Heavenly Phoenix Demon Core is already this powerful. She cannot imagine how mysterious the Demon Core of the Ancient Void Dragon, which is revered as the supreme demon beast, must be.

"A reputation is well-deserved, and the same goes for magical beasts. These are good things for Bone Wing and Zi Yan's chosen henchmen."

Chen Xiao waved his hand to put away the demon core, and with an ice blade, he removed the wings from the skeleton, placing them together with the ten claws that Zi Yan had picked out, waiting for the demoness to deal with them.

Cao Ying rolled her eyes at him and continued working diligently.

About fifteen minutes later, the ten pale claws turned into pure blue-red threads under the scorching heat of the strange fire, revealing their sharpness.

The bone wings were also scorched until they looked like they were cast from jade, and there seemed to be faint sounds of wind and thunder surging within them.

Watching the two, one big and one small, each put away what they wanted, the one who had completed the task breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let me rest for a bit. I've looked at the method for crafting the Heavenly Demon Puppet. Crafting a Heavenly Demon Puppet is no easy feat."

"Thank you, Sister Cao Ying," Zi Yan said with a sweet smile.

Chen Xiao didn't urge him, and took out a medicine cauldron that had been gathering dust in a corner from his storage ring.

"Witch, let me show you something else. It's better for it to be in your hands than to gather dust in my storage ring."

With a loud clang, the massive, crimson-red Ten Thousand Beasts Cauldron crashed to the ground.

The moment the Myriad Beasts Cauldron appeared, Cao Ying's eyes narrowed sharply, and her breathing became slightly rapid, like a greedy hunter eyeing its most precious prey.

For Chen Xiao, this thing was useless; he could only exchange it for something of value.

But for alchemists like Cao Ying, a good medicine cauldron is of great help!

"The Heavenly Cauldron Ranking is number thirteen, the Myriad Beasts Cauldron! Is it really for me?"

With difficulty, Cao Ying looked away and gazed at Chen Xiao, even the tips of her ears flushing with excitement.

Chen Xiao nodded: "I don't need it, and I'm reluctant to put it up for auction, so I'll lend it to you."

Although it was called a loan, Chen Xiao did not mention any time limit, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Upon hearing this, Cao Ying's smile first spread from her eyes, then climbed to the corners of her lips, forming a dazzling arc.

(End of this chapter)