Chapter 332 Arrival at Yecheng

Xiao Ling was concentrating on observing every move of the Heavenly Demon Puppet, but suddenly felt a gentle touch on his face, which made him a little confused.

He lowered his head and was about to figure out this sudden feeling, but at that moment, a thin and charming face appeared in his sight.

Then, Xiao Ling felt a soft cover on his lips, and at the same time, a faint girl's body fragrance lingered on the tip of his nose.

All this happened too fast and too suddenly. Xiao Ling did not pay attention to Cao Ying at all, so that even Xiao Ling was a little unprepared.

When he was slightly stunned, he came back to his senses and their lips had been gently separated.

Before Xiao Ling could speak first, Cao Ying had already stood up from his arms lightly. She stood in front of Xiao Ling and stretched out a slender finger to gently press on his lips.

"Don't get me wrong," Cao Ying looked at Xiao Ling's slightly confused eyes, trying to make her voice sound calm, although her heart was not as calm as it seemed.

"You helped me refine the eighth-grade elixir, and that kiss is my reward to you, nothing else." As she spoke, she looked away, with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.

She was always so calm and confident in front of people, but at this moment, that calmness seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

"Well, thank you very much, I like this reward very much." Xiao Ling did not embarrass Cao Ying anymore, so he continued with her words.

The atmosphere suddenly became a little subtle, and the two of them fell into silence for a while, not knowing what to say.

At this moment, the Heavenly Demon Puppet successfully solved the two-color elixir thunder in the sky, and its figure passed a golden light in the air and landed steadily beside Xiao Ling.

The movement caused by this just broke the embarrassment between the two.

Seeing this, Cao Ying quickly regained her mind and realized that the eighth-grade pill she had just refined with all her concentration was still floating in the air.

Then, Cao Ying gently waved her hand, and the eighth-grade pill that had just been refined was summoned in front of her.

The pill was quietly suspended, exuding a strong pill fragrance, surrounded by a faint spiritual mist, almost condensing into substance.

Although the seventh-grade and eighth-grade pills are similar in appearance, even people who know nothing about alchemy can see the significant difference between them at a glance. This difference lies in the spirituality of the pill.

Although the seventh-grade pill is full of energy, it lacks vitality, like a lifeless stone. The eighth-grade pill is completely different. It already has its own unique spirituality, as if it has been given life. Such a pill can be called a living pill, or a spiritual pill.

In front of Cao Ying, the faint spiritual mist around the eighth-grade pill slowly lingered. Surprisingly, the mist gradually condensed into the image of a fox.

Looking at the little fox transformed from the elixir in front of her, Cao Ying's eyes were full of surprise and love. She stretched out her white hand and gently stroked the little fox's head.

The little fox seemed to feel Cao Ying's kindness, or knew that it was made by Cao Ying, so it did not avoid it. Instead, it felt very comfortable under her touch and squinted its eyes, as if enjoying the tenderness of this moment.

After looking at the little fox for a while, Cao Ying put it away. Then, she turned her head and looked at Xiao Ling who had been looking at her, and a blush appeared on her face.

But soon, she returned to her usual calm appearance, although it might seem a bit forced.

"I'll go first. It's a big deal for me to refine an eighth-grade elixir. I have to report to the teacher." Cao Ying said with a hint of excitement in her tone.

"Okay, go. Your teacher will definitely be very pleased to hear that you have refined an eighth-grade elixir." Xiao Ling responded with a smile.

Cao Ying nodded and said nothing more. Because she had refined the eighth-grade elixir herself, she was too excited and her brain was a little short-circuited, so her actions just now were a little impulsive, and she actually took the initiative to kiss Xiao Ling.

Recalling her behavior just now, Cao Ying felt that she was really ridiculous. Thinking of this, would Xiao Ling think that she was too casual? If there was a kiss, it should be Xiao Ling who took the initiative to kiss her.

The more Cao Ying thought about this matter, the more she felt that her actions just now were a bit reckless.

She decided not to dwell on it anymore, so she hurriedly said hello to Xiao Ling, and quickly left. Her figure flashed and disappeared from Xiao Ling's sight.

Watching Cao Ying leave in a hurry, Xiao Ling couldn't help but stroke his lips gently, as if he was still savoring the tenderness of the kiss just now. He whispered to himself with a playful smile:

"This little goblin, he talks so powerful, but I didn't expect that he would be so shy at the critical moment..."

Just then, a strong burning breath suddenly surged out of a room in the courtyard, like the heat wave before a volcanic eruption, but soon the breath was cleverly restrained.

Xiao Ling noticed this scene and thought: "It seems that the Skyfire Venerable has completed his training. This momentum may have recovered to the realm of Dou Zun five stars. It's time to go to the Ye family and condense the poison pill for Xian'er." His eyes were cast towards the room where the momentum came from, which was the place where the Skyfire Venerable practiced.

As Xiao Ling expected, a moment later, the door slowly opened, and a man in a red robe walked out with a happy face.

The Skyfire Venerable obviously also felt Xiao Ling's gaze. He turned his head and his eyes met Xiao Ling's. Then, he moved his body, and the air around him twisted slightly. The next moment, he appeared beside Xiao Ling, and the smile on his face could not hide his inner excitement.

"Haha, Senior Skyfire, it seems that you have recovered to your peak state. Congratulations." Xiao Ling said with a smile.

"Haha, that Fuling Qingdan is really magical. It directly restored my cultivation to the peak state of the five-star Dou Zun. I have to thank you for this." The Skyfire Venerable was in a good mood, with a generous tone, "What are your plans next? I will listen to your arrangements next."

"Since Senior Skyfire has come out of retreat, we will not stay in Shengdan City any longer. Xian'er should be out of retreat soon. After she finishes her cultivation, we will go directly to the Ye family to help Xian'er condense the poison pill." Xiao Ling nodded, revealing a hint of expectation in his tone.

It has been more than a year since the last time the poison in Xiao Yixian's body broke out. Now it is time to solve the side effects of her poisonous body as soon as possible...

...

Two days later, Xiao Yixian finally ended her retreat.

After taking the rare poison that Xiao Ling carefully prepared for her, her cultivation surged like a spring, and she finally successfully broke through to the realm of Nine-Star Dou Zong.

Although she could continue to practice with the help of those poisons, it would only be a matter of time before she broke through to Dou Zun, but at the moment, condensing the poison pill is obviously more urgent.

Therefore, Xiao Yixian did not choose to continue her retreat, but prepared to eat the poison pill condensed for herself first.

Then, Xiao Ling summoned Xiao Yixian and other companions, and the group directly set foot on the space wormhole to Yecheng.

...

During Xiao Ling's journey to Yecheng, his name quietly appeared on the must-kill list of some people in the Soul Palace.

It was a huge black palace, its scale was daunting, and the overall black and gray tones exuded a depressing atmosphere.

Inside the hall, there stood many black stone pillars more than ten feet high. Each stone pillar was engraved with strange runes. These runes occasionally flickered in the dim light, as if countless eyes were peeping in the dark, giving people a gloomy and serious feeling.

Many chains were wrapped around these stone pillars, and at the end of each chain was connected a light ball. A closer look revealed that those light balls actually contained souls with their eyes closed.

The chains tightly bound the necks of these souls, and it seemed that some kind of power was being extracted from their bodies along the chains. The whole scene was filled with a mysterious and terrifying atmosphere.

The space suddenly fluctuated, and three figures appeared silently on the three stone pillars.

"Hehe, Star-Picking Heavenly Venerable, what do you want to do by summoning us?" A figure in a black robe asked.

The old man in the lead, dressed in gray and white clothes, waved his hand casually, and two pieces of paper flew to the other two.

The two took the paper and saw a very handsome man on it, with two big characters written next to it - Xiao Ling.

"His whereabouts and information are on the back. The mission is to bring him back to the Soul Palace. If necessary, life or death." The voice of the old ghost Zhaixing was emotionless.

One of them looked at the information on the back and frowned slightly: "According to it, this kid named Xiao Ling is only a Dou Zong, although he has outstanding talent, it's not enough for us two elders to take action, right?"

The people in the Soul Palace are no strangers to bullying the weak and the majority, but it seems unnecessary to send two elders to deal with a young man at the Dou Zong level.

After all, each of them has their own tasks and affairs to deal with. In their opinion, it is more than enough to send out one elder to deal with such a young man who has not yet broken through the Dou Zun level.

"Hmph! This is an order from above. To ensure that there is no risk, this is the safest plan. If I hadn't had other important matters to attend to, I would have gone there in person. Stop talking nonsense. If you fail to complete the mission, you know the consequences!" The old man who picked the stars snorted coldly, his tone tough.

The two exchanged glances, then put away their previous carelessness and nodded seriously.

"Hehe, it's a good pleasure to be able to deal with such a peerless genius." One of them laughed with a hint of gloom.

"The soul of an eighth-grade alchemist is a big gain." The other person also echoed.

The two people looked very confident, as if they had already regarded the upcoming mission as something that could be easily accomplished.

...

This is a wide stone platform, which is made of snow-white rocks, giving people a solemn and extraordinary feeling.

The space here is completely different from other places and seems extremely disordered.

On this stone platform, the space was distorted, as if being pulled by some invisible force. In some places, some dark cracks could be seen spreading, revealing a mysterious and dangerous atmosphere.

Xiao Ling and his companions landed on the stone platform. They exchanged glances and then looked at the distant sky together.

There, a huge city loomed on the horizon. It was covered with a layer of dark green vegetation, like a green giant sleeping on the earth.

"This should be Yecheng. It looks quite impressive. Although it is not as good as Shengdan City, it looks much more prosperous than other cities in Zhongzhou." Xiao Yixian looked at the city in front of her, with a hint of expectation in her tone.

Even Xiao Yixian couldn't help but feel a little excited when she thought about completely solving the side effects of the evil poison body.

"After all, the Ye family is one of the five major families in Danta. Although it has gradually declined over the years, the family's prestige is still there. Yecheng, which is managed by the Ye family, naturally has its own unique features."

Xiao Ling smiled slightly, with a hint of smile in his voice.

After a few casual chats, Xiao Ling and his friends didn't stay here for long and flew towards Yecheng.

The departure of the four people naturally caused a surprise from everyone beside the space wormhole.

Except for the Skyfire Venerable, everyone else looked young, especially Xiao Ling, Qinglin and Xiao Yixian, who had reached the Dou Zong realm at a young age and had unlimited potential in the future.

Xiao Ling and his friends were not affected by the surrounding discussions, but just focused on moving towards Yecheng.

Yecheng is located on an open plain, surrounded by lush forests.

Wide roads extend from the forest, like veins, extending to the end of the sight.

The ruler of this city is the Ye family, which was once famous in Danyu.

Although the Ye family is not as glorious as it used to be, as the saying goes, "a lean camel is bigger than a horse", in Yecheng, no force dares to challenge the authority of the Ye family.

The Ye family is entrenched in the most central area of ​​the city, where the Ye family's manor is within a kilometer range.

On weekdays, ordinary people are prohibited from entering, and the defense measures are also particularly strict.

Of course, this strictness may not be a big deal for strong people like Xiao Ling.

However, Xiao Ling did not come to Yecheng this time to cause trouble. Now he is also a well-known figure in Zhongzhou, so he naturally knows how to be polite.

Xiao Ling and his companions did not stop and came directly to the center of Yecheng, that is, in front of the door of the magnificent mansion of the Ye family.

In front of the door of the Ye family, there were several guards standing. They were wearing uniform uniforms and looked around vigilantly.

These guards were carefully selected by the Ye family. They are not only strong, but also quick to react and ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

However, when Xiao Ling and his four companions suddenly appeared in front of the door, the guards were immediately alarmed. They quickly entered a state of alert and prepared to deal with possible threats.

But when they saw Xiao Ling's face clearly, all their vigilance and tension disappeared instantly. Instead, they were replaced by a respectful look.

The guards immediately saluted respectfully and said in unison: "Master Xiao Ling!"

"It seems that you know me?" Xiao Ling raised his eyebrows slightly and asked with a playful smile.

"Master Xiao Ling, you are too modest. Now you are the youngest eighth-grade alchemist in Zhongzhou, and your reputation is well-known. Everyone in the major forces knows you. The elder of our Ye family also specifically instructed that if you come, we must treat you with courtesy." A man who looked like the captain of the guards came forward and said respectfully.

"In that case, please take me to see your elder. I have something urgent to ask him." Xiao Ling nodded and didn't ask any more questions. This kind of situation of being recognized suddenly outside was still quite new to him.

He thought to himself that it seemed that his reputation had spread in Zhongzhou, and he had to pay attention to his image outside in the future.

"Okay, everyone please follow me." The guard nodded, made a gesture of invitation, and then led Xiao Ling and the others to the inside of the Ye family.

After Xiao Ling and the other four left with the Ye family's guards, the remaining guards gathered together and began to discuss in a low voice.

"That young man is the Master Xiao Ling in the rumors, right? I heard that he is not yet 20 years old. He is really young and promising."

"He is really handsome. I have seen many handsome men in my life, and he is the most outstanding one among them."

"Hey, pay attention. Don't look at his young age. He is a real eighth-grade alchemist. It is not something that we small characters can talk about casually."

"I wonder what Master Xiao Ling came to our Ye family for? Is there any big deal with the high-level members of the clan?"

"Alas, the Ye family has been getting worse and worse in recent years. I really don't know what to do next..."

The news of Xiao Ling's arrival was soon passed on to the ears of the high-level members of the Ye family, which made the Ye family lively.

The elders and direct disciples of the Ye family gathered together to show their respect for Xiao Ling.

In the reception room of the Ye family.

The hall is decorated with elegance and grandeur. Exquisite crystal chandeliers are hung on the high ceiling. Soft lights are sprinkled in every corner, reflecting the exquisite murals and antiques hanging on the walls.

Each painting tells the history and glory of the Ye family, and each antique exudes the precipitation of years.

In the hall, the elders and disciples of the Ye family stood or sat. They were well-dressed, well-behaved, and talked in low voices, but their eyes were cast towards the entrance of the hall from time to time, waiting for the arrival of the protagonist.

The air was filled with a faint sandalwood scent, intertwined with the fragrance of tea, creating a quiet and solemn atmosphere.

On the high platform in the hall, sat an old figure. He was Ye Zhong, the eldest elder of the Ye family. However, his face, which was usually very calm, also showed a little expectation at this time.

Under the expectant and curious gaze of everyone, suddenly, with a slight creaking sound, the door of the hall was slowly pushed open, breaking the tranquility in the room.