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

Even when Xiao Chen, a four-star Dou Sheng, returned to the Xiao family and the Xiao family's status rose accordingly, their respect for Yao Chen never changed in the slightest.

His humble pursuit of knowledge during alchemy, his respectful conduct as a disciple during cultivation, and his meticulous care in daily life... this disciple has never disappointed him.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Seeing that Yao Chen's expression had improved, Xiao Yan quickly changed the subject with a smile and looked at Cao Ying:

"Sister Cao Ying, did you come to the pharmaceutical industry this time specifically to attend the Pharmacopoeia?"

Cao Ying nodded, a bright smile curving her red lips: "Exactly! The Medicine Clan's Hundred-Year-Old Pharmacopoeia brings together alchemists from all over the world. How could we miss such a grand event?"

"I came here this time hoping to get a good ranking and take some treasures back to report to my master."

She looked at Yao Chen with a sly smile: "And you? You wouldn't happen to be here just to join in the fun, would you?"

Yao Chen stroked his long, silvery-white beard and chuckled, "As for me, I certainly intend to participate in the Pharmacopoeia. These past few years, I've been working behind closed doors in Zhongzhou, and I'd like to see if these old fogies of the Medicine Clan have come up with anything new. And by the way—"

He patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder: "Bring this kid here to broaden his horizons and see if we can get him some good stuff."

"Yan'er is now a low-level eighth-grade alchemist, and is just lacking some rare pill formulas and medicinal herbs to hone her skills."

Cao Ying's beautiful eyes lit up, and a burning fighting spirit ignited in them: "Oh! Then we'll be rivals in the pharmacopoeia."

"Senior, please don't blame me for not showing any mercy later."

Yao Chen laughed loudly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Hahaha! Bring it on! Although I admire you two, there are no young or old on the alchemy platform, and I will not show mercy just because you are Bai Chen's disciple!"

“Of course.” Cao Ying raised her chin, full of confidence.

"My alchemy skills were personally taught by my master, so I will certainly not disappoint you, senior."

"Good! Good! Good!" Yao Chen said three times, his laughter echoing through the medicinal herb field.

The four of them had a very pleasant conversation.

Meanwhile, in the Medicine Clan's main hall.

Yao Ling stood respectfully in the hall and reported everything that had happened in the square to Yao Dan, the patriarch of the Yao clan, including Yao Chen's current cultivation level, his conflict with Yao Wangui, and the matter of Yao Chen's parents' remains.

Yao Dan sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a plain white robe, with a thin face and a sharp glint in his eyes.

This current patriarch of the Medicine Clan is a top-tier ninth-grade alchemy master on the continent.

However, upon hearing that "Yao Chen is already a late-stage three-star Dou Sheng," Yao Dan revealed a complex, bitter smile.

“Late stage of a three-star Dou Sheng…” he repeated in a low voice, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of his seat.

"How many years has it been? When he was expelled from the medicine world, he was only at the Dou Zong realm..."

The main hall was completely silent!

The elders standing on both sides also had complicated expressions. Some of them had participated in the trial back then, some had tacitly approved of that injustice, and some had secretly spoken out for Yao Chen but were powerless to do anything about it.

"It's fate, it's destiny," Yao Dan sighed, his voice filled with bitterness.

If they could have withstood the pressure and handled that matter fairly back then... if they could have protected Yao Chen back then... the Yao Clan today might have one more alchemy master no less capable than him, and one more Dou Sheng powerhouse with unlimited potential.

But in this world, there are no "what ifs"!

"Clan leader, what... should we do?" Yao Ling raised her head, her eyes asking.

After a long silence, Yao Dan slowly got up and walked to the window.

"In the end, it was the Medicine Clan that failed him." Yao Dan's voice was low and weary:

"Issue my order: immediately send people to retrieve the remains of Yao Chen's parents, and rebury them in the clan cemetery with the respect due to elders. Erect a monument in front of their graves to record their life and restore their good name."

Yao Ling nodded emphatically: "Yes."

"As for Yao Chen himself..." Yao Dan turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall:

"If he wishes to return to his clan, the Medicine Clan will welcome him with open arms, grant him the position of elder, and bestow upon him the highest honors. If he does not wish to..."

He paused, then smiled bitterly, "Let him be. I only hope that, for the sake of our shared lineage, he won't hold a grudge against the entire Medicine Clan, and won't become an enemy of the Medicine Clan in the future."

The hall fell silent. The elders looked at each other, all seeing the same helplessness in each other's eyes.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Medicine Clan harbored deep hatred for what they did to Yao Chen back then.

They would rob him of his future, ruin his reputation, expel him from the clan, and even humiliate his parents after their deaths.

Could Yao Chen let go of such hatred? Could he stop holding a grudge?

"Clan leader..." An elder with white hair and beard hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Yao Dan waved his hand, looking exhausted: "I know what you want to say, but things have come to this, what more can we ask for?"

"It's already fortunate that he didn't actively antagonize the Medicine Clan; as for letting him return to the Medicine Clan..."

He shook his head, his voice barely audible: "That's wishful thinking."

The atmosphere in the main hall was so heavy it was almost stagnant.

"Alright, you can go now." Yao Dan looked at Yao Ling and forced a smile as he instructed her:

"Take good care of Cao Ying and Little Fairy Doctor. They are Su Baichen's personal disciples, so do not neglect them. The Pharmacopoeia is coming soon, so let's not cause any more trouble."

"I understand, Yao Ling." Yao Ling bowed and slowly withdrew from the main hall.

Chapter 380 The Grandmaster of Alchemy Arrives!

Above the suspended plaza atop Medicine Mountain in the Medicine Realm.

Clouds and mist entwine the towering mountain peaks like flowing gauze, while ancient stone pillars shaped like medicine cauldrons surround the square, carved with patterns of various herbs.

The air was filled with the fragrance of hundreds of herbs, which intertwined to form a faint, colorful mist above the square, which drifted slowly with the breeze.

Cao Ying's gaze swept over the bustling crowd in the square: "Junior sister, it seems that most of the alchemy masters on the Dou Qi Continent have gathered here today."

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor nodded.

Yao Ling led them through the crowd, and wherever they went, many people cast curious and inquisitive glances their way.

"Who is that? Who could possibly have the Medicine Spirit personally guide them?"

"Judging from their aura... they don't seem to be from the Medicine Clan."

"Wait, the direction they're heading... is towards seats of the same rank as the Elders' Seats!"

Whispers spread like ripples.

When Cao Ying and Little Fairy Doctor took their seats at the same level as the elders of the Medicine Clan, the noise in the entire square suddenly stopped, and then an even louder discussion broke out.

An elder of the Medicine Clan who was nearby frowned slightly and said to Medicine Spirit, "Medicine Spirit, isn't this seating arrangement a bit inappropriate? After all, they aren't..."

Yao Ling remained calm, but her voice was clearly audible: "These two are Mr. Su's personal disciples. Although Mr. Su is not here in person, his representatives should rightfully sit here."

The moment the words "Mr. Su" were uttered, the elders, who had previously expressed some reservations, immediately fell silent.

A complex expression flashed across the frowning elder's face, but he finally nodded slowly and said no more.

Cao Ying and Little Fairy Doctor exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding in each other's eyes.

They knew that this position did not represent themselves, but rather the unfathomable master behind them.

Little Fairy Doctor gently adjusted her sleeves, while Cao Ying straightened her back slightly—since she had taken this position, she couldn't disgrace her master.

Suddenly, the clouds in the sky began to swirl.

A vast, ocean-like pressure descended from the sky, and all the medicine cauldrons on the square simultaneously emitted a low hum, as if welcoming their king.

A figure in cyan descended slowly from the clouds; the newcomer was none other than Yao Dan, the patriarch of the Medicine Clan.

He wore a simple blue robe, with only the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir embroidered on the cuffs faintly shimmering with golden light.

"Welcome, Clan Chief!"

Amidst the thunderous cheers of homage, Yao Dan gently raised his hand, and the entire square fell silent.

"Today's pharmacopoeia serves both as a platform for exchanging alchemy techniques and for selecting the most talented individuals in the world." Yao Dan's voice was gentle yet highly penetrating, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"I hope that everyone will give full play to their abilities and live up to their skills in alchemy."

As soon as he finished speaking, a strange fragrance suddenly drifted in from the horizon.

This fragrance is unlike any other medicinal scent in the square; it seems to be a condensation of the essence of hundreds of herbs and trees, and it seems to be alive, wandering in the air.

Anyone who smells this fragrance will feel refreshed.

"Hahaha, medicine pill, here I come!"

Laughter echoed like the long tolling of an ancient bell, and an old man dressed in coarse linen clothes stepped through the air.

"Shennong the Elder! It's Shennong the Elder!"

"My God, this grandmaster of alchemy has actually come out of seclusion!"

"It's said that his alchemy skills have already reached the ninth rank, and he can refine Xuan Dan!"

A genuine smile flashed in Yao Dan's eyes: "Old friend, I didn't expect you to come too."

"Tch, I'm not dead, why wouldn't I come?" Shennong the Elder curled his lip, his gaze sweeping across the square before finally settling on Cao Ying and Little Fairy Doctor. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by understanding.

"It seems there are quite a few interesting people in this year's pharmacopoeia."

Yao Dan followed his gaze, smiled and nodded, gesturing for the attendant to lead the old man Shennong to a seat.

The moment the Shennong elder sat down, the light in the square suddenly dimmed for a moment.

A chilling, eerie aura, as if seeping from the depths of the netherworld, quietly spread out.

The scent carried a peculiar medicinal fragrance—sweet and alluring, yet chilling to the bone, as if one were smelling a forbidden drug concocted at the cost of life.

Yaodan and Shennong the Elder both looked up at almost the same time, gazing at a void in the southeast.

That space began to twist and writhe, like dough being kneaded by an invisible hand.

Gradually, a black figure "seeped" out from within, as if he had always been there, only now willing to be seen.

The newcomer wore a long, jet-black robe embroidered with eerie dark red patterns that seemed to flow slowly, as if they were alive.

His face was pale, and his features were not those of a real person, except for his eyes, which were so deep that they seemed to devour all light.

"Soul Void Child!" Shennong the Elder suddenly stood up, a jade-green medicinal staff now in his hand. The staff emitted a soft yet firm light, forcing the cold aura back several feet.

Yao Dan raised his hand and gestured for Shennong to calm down, but his gaze was like a sharp sword piercing the man in black: "Hun Xuzi, it seems that my Yao Clan's pharmacopoeia did not invite anyone from the Soul Clan."

Hun Xuzi chuckled, his laughter like a venomous snake slithering through withered leaves: "Patriarch Yaodan, you are mistaken. The Pharmacopoeia is a grand event in the alchemy world of the Dou Qi Continent. I, Hun Xuzi, am not talented, but I believe I have made some achievements in alchemy. Why can't I come?"