Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

Today, the other party has personally led the elite of the Pill Tower to protect him, risking everything to fight against the internal strife of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.

This sentiment is far from ordinary.

It is easy to add icing on the cake, but it is difficult to send charcoal in the snow.

In human relationships, the most valuable quality is gratitude and repaying kindness.

Xuan Kongzi took the scroll with a hint of curiosity and gently swept his soul power into it.

The next moment, the casual look on his face vanished, replaced by utter focus and shock.

The scroll does not contain any specific elixir recipe, but rather Su Baichen's unique insights and techniques in the art of alchemy, as well as his extremely subtle understanding and application of the energy of heaven and earth and the spirituality of medicinal herbs.

Many of his ideas corroborate his lifelong learning, yet they also offer fresh perspectives, pointing directly to more profound principles of alchemy.

This is more than just a "small matter"! This is priceless!

Especially for someone like him who has already reached the peak of the eighth rank and is desperately seeking the opportunity to step into the realm of a ninth-rank alchemy grandmaster, these insights are like the sun breaking through the clouds, and their value is immeasurable.

He vaguely felt that if he could calmly comprehend and integrate his life's learning, the ninth-grade realm he had longed for might not be so far away after all!

"Haha, good, good! Young friend Su, I would be very grateful if I could accept this small token of my appreciation!"

Xuan Kongzi suddenly snapped out of his daze, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He patted Su Baichen's shoulder forcefully and laughed loudly, "What happened today was nothing to worry about! But I, on the other hand, owe you a huge favor!"

He was itching to go back and meditate to comprehend the secrets.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xuan Kongzi bowed to Su Baichen and the others, saying, "Now that this matter is settled, I have other things to attend to, so I won't bother you any longer."

Having said that, he rolled up his sleeves, his face beaming with joy, and he and Tian Leizi and the others transformed into streaks of light and left directly. Judging from the direction they were heading, they couldn't wait to return to the Pill Tower to study the alchemy secrets in the scroll.

A gentle breeze blew through the valley, and tranquility was finally restored.

Su Baichen smiled slightly as he looked in the direction where the Pill Tower members had left, then turned around and looked at another figure rapidly approaching.

When the figure solidified completely and stood gracefully before everyone, the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment.

She turned out to be a stunningly beautiful woman with cascading purple hair.

She was tall and slender with stunning curves, especially the contours of her voluptuous breasts beneath her well-fitting dress, which almost stole everyone's attention.

Her beauty was breathtaking, and her purple eyes, as they sparkled, retained both her former liveliness and cunning, while also exuding a breathtakingly mature charm.

"...Who are you?" Cai Die spoke first, her voice filled with disbelief and hesitation.

She already had a guess in her mind, but the change was too drastic to be certain for a moment.

The others, except for Su Baichen who remained calm, all stared in astonishment, their gazes sweeping over Zi Yan, trying to find a trace of the little girl from the past.

"Hahaha!"

A familiar, triumphant, crisp laugh broke the silence.

Zi Yan straightened her chest, making her stunning curves even more prominent, her chin slightly raised, her eyes brimming with undisguised pride.

"Are you stunned? Are you all shocked by my stunning beauty and perfect figure!"

That tone, that expression, that utter lack of modesty…

The last vestiges of doubt in everyone's hearts vanished instantly.

Yes, who else could it be but her?

"Wow—!" Cao Ying was the first to exclaim, her eyes wide open, filled with pure shock and...envy.

(?ω?)

Her gaze lingered for a moment on Zi Yan's impressive "peaks" before quickly falling back down, sweeping over her own still somewhat immature "hills," and a complex, indescribable emotion welled up within her.

[From a small plain to a towering mountain peak... This scale is almost comparable to that of several of the master's wives!]

"I... I think I can still grow taller, right?"

[Yes! It definitely can, there's definitely room for growth!]

She silently cheered herself up, her gaze discreetly sweeping over the other people in the room.

Helplessly, he discovered that only his junior sister seemed to share his plight.

But then I thought, that junior sister's waist is so slender, like a willow branch, barely a handful...

I don't have it myself.

Then, considering her junior sister's unfathomable strength, which far surpasses her own...

No, none at all.

Cao Ying suddenly felt a pang of sadness, and her self-encouragement seemed less than solid.

At this moment, the others also recovered from their initial shock, and curiosity instantly overwhelmed their other emotions.

Several figures swarmed around Zi Yan, bombarding her with questions one after another.

"Ziyan, Ziyan! Did those people just call you 'Your Highness'? They are all Ancient Dragons of the Void!" Cai Die caught the detail from earlier, her tone excited.

"Yes, yes!" Little Fairy Doctor nodded eagerly in agreement, her eyes shining as she stared at Zi Yan.

"Do you have some incredible hidden identity? Tell me!"

Surrounded by onlookers, the purple-haired girl basked in their surprised and curious gazes, her smugness growing even stronger, her smile so radiant it seemed to dispel all gloom.

Chapter 293 Little Gold Exposed!

A few days after everyone returned to the Pill Tower, Su Baichen pushed open the door to his residence.

He walked to the table, took out two celadon teacups, took some dark golden tea leaves from the jade jar, poured in hot water, and the tea leaves unfurled in the water, gleaming with an amber luster.

He then took out plates of exquisite pastries from his storage ring and arranged them neatly on a jade plate.

"Come in, Ziyan." Su Baichen picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and didn't look towards the door.

There was a moment of silence outside the door, then the door was pushed open, and Zi Yan's figure appeared in the doorway.

Today she wore a purple-gold long dress with dragon patterns embroidered on the hem. Her long hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin. The girlishness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a more majestic air belonging to the ancient dragon royal family of Taixu.

But at this moment, she pouted, her expression showing a hint of resentment.

"Tch, I'm just as strong as you now, how come you still noticed me!" Zi Yan walked in and closed the door behind her.

Su Baichen looked up at her, a faint smile curving his lips: "Heh, all you have is your cultivation level, but without the experience of a Dou Sheng, it's just a castle in the air."

He put down his teacup, his voice calm yet cutting to the chase.

"If I can't even detect this, then my cultivation of the Dou Sheng realm has been in vain."

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan snorted coldly but did not refute it.

She walked to the table, sat down opposite Su Baichen without any hesitation, picked up a piece of osmanthus pastry and stuffed it into her mouth, then picked up her teacup and took a big gulp.

The pastries were crispy and sweet, and the tea was warm and refreshing. She let out a satisfied sigh, leaned back in her chair, and looked languid.

"Comfortable!"

Su Baichen looked at the now-adult Zi Yan before him—tall and slender with delicate features, her brows hinting at the majesty of a dragon emperor. Yet, the way she slumped in her chair eating snacks clearly showed that she was still the little girl who used to snatch medicinal herbs at Canaan Academy.

He shook his head slightly, a barely perceptible smile flashing across his eyes.

"So, what do you want from me? I don't believe you're here for just a few pastries." Su Baichen picked up his teacup again, his tone indifferent.

Zi Yan sat up straight, her lazy expression vanishing, replaced by a serious one.

She placed her hands on the table, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of the teacup.

"Hehe, I came to you to resurrect my mother." She looked up at Su Baichen, her eyes sparkling.

“I heard from Sister Caidie and the others about your resurrection of Senior Yaochen.”

Su Baichen paused slightly and put down his teacup: "Yes, that's true. But resurrection requires at least a complete skeleton at the Dou Zong level to refine the body."

He pondered for a moment and said, "The best material we have right now is the golden skeleton we retrieved from the Dou Sheng Ruins. Its strength is enough to withstand the soul of a Dou Sheng."

"If your mother agrees, I can begin refining the necessary elixirs now, and the resurrection can be carried out tomorrow."

Zi Yan picked up another piece of Poria cocos cake and waved her hand, "No need, no need, I've already prepared a better body."

After she finished speaking, she flipped her palm over, and a deep purple storage ring appeared.

This storage ring is different from ordinary storage rings. Its surface is covered with fine dragon scale patterns, with a faint dark golden light flowing around it, exuding an ancient and profound dragon aura.

She handed the storage ring to Su Baichen.

Su Baichen accepted the storage ring, and his soul power quietly seeped into it.

The storage ring had a vast interior space, and a massive dragon body floated silently in the void—its scales were dark purple, each one forged from fine steel, shimmering with a metallic luster, and its horns snaked towards the sky, radiating a chilling aura.

Even though it was already inanimate, the immense power of blood and qi contained within its body was still as vast as an abyss. The strength of its aura even made Su Baichen, a Dou Sheng, tremble.

Seeing the change in Su Baichen's expression, Zi Yan explained directly, "This is the Northern Dragon King, who was killed by my mother. The strength of this dragon body should be sufficient."

Su Baichen withdrew his soul power, placed the storage ring on the table, and pondered, "The dragon body of a five-star Dou Sheng... is indeed excellent. If I refine and temper it with my strange fire, its strength can be increased by about 30%. Moreover—"

He looked up at Zi Yan and continued, "There should still be a lot of essence blood remaining inside this dragon body. It can be extracted and is a treasure, whether for alchemy or cultivation. As for the demon core..."

At this point, Su Baichen paused, his gaze falling on Zi Yan's face.

Zi Yan waved her hand, her expression calm: "Keep the magic core; consider it part of the reward. Anyway, my mother won't need it after her resurrection, so it will be more useful for you to keep it."

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen nodded and did not refuse.

The value of a five-star Dou Sheng level Taixu Ancient Dragon Demon Core is enough to drive the entire Central Continent's forces crazy, but there's no need for such polite words between the two.

Just then, Zi Yan suddenly paused, as if she remembered something, and her expression gradually became complicated.

She pursed her lips, her fingers unconsciously twisting her sleeves, her gaze lowered as she stared at the tea leaves floating in the teacup, hesitant to speak.

Su Baichen frowned slightly as he looked at her expression: "What's wrong? Is there anything else?"

Zi Yan raised her head, her eyes slightly evasive, and her voice lowered: "Back then... when I discussed the matter of resurrection with my mother, she specifically instructed me to add a drop of... golden blood to both the body and the elixir when I asked you to refine them."

Su Baichen's body trembled violently.

His fingers tightened suddenly around the teacup, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He didn't look up, but stared at the tea swirling in the cup, the amber liquid reflecting his instantly pale face.

The room fell into a deathly silence, with only the faint sound of the wind coming from outside the window and the soft rustling of the tea.