The moment Chen Xiao and the two women stepped into the Spatial Wormhole, darkness swallowed them like a tide. A strong sense of weightlessness hit them suddenly, but vanished in the blink of an eye.
Immediately after, a bizarre spatial domain slowly unfolded before their eyes.
This was a mysterious and unpredictable spatial passage. It seemed to stretch endlessly, with no end in sight. On either side, translucent, pale silver spatial barriers floated, hazy like gauze, faintly glowing in the darkness.
The barriers enclosed a passage about ten zhang wide. At the end of the passage was a darkness as thick as ink, and the same was true for the top and bottom. That deep darkness was awe-inspiring.
Intense spatial fluctuations surged within it from time to time, sending shivers down their spines. The entire passage was terrifyingly silent. Besides the sound of their breathing, there was no other sound, as if even time had stopped here.
Within this spatial passage, both Chen Xiao and the Little Fairy Doctor felt a sense of oppression.
Zi Yan, on the other hand, looked full of excitement. Not only was she unaffected in the slightest, but she was completely at ease, like a fish in water.
Swish~
Chen Xiao flipped his palm, and the silver-glowing Spatial Ship appeared.
Inside this Spatial Wormhole, the palm-sized Spatial Ship grew rapidly against the wind, instantly transforming into a luxurious large ship about ten zhang long.
"This should be where the energy is infused. It seems we need someone to steer here."
Stepping onto the Spatial Ship, the Little Fairy Doctor walked to the bow. There was a metal pillar over a meter tall with complex patterns on it, and a palm-shaped groove at the top.
"That's right. However, the energy required to maintain the Spatial Ship isn't much. We can take turns. Spatial Ships are rated from level one, the lowest, to level nine, the highest. As far as I know, a level four Spatial Ship takes about twenty days to reach Central State. Ours is level six, so we should be able to arrive within half a month," Chen Xiao nodded and said.
Traveling through a Spatial Wormhole also carried some risks.
However, the risk was very low. Unless their luck was extremely bad, nothing would usually happen.
Chen Xiao chose the highest-grade Spatial Ship in Horizon City to save time. This way, the less time they spent in the Spatial Wormhole, the lower the probability of encountering an accident.
The Little Fairy Doctor nodded gently and smiled gently, "You and Zi Yan rest first. I can maintain it."
Just as the Little Fairy Doctor took a step forward, she was pulled back by Zi Yan.
"Sister Xian'er, let me do it. Why would you need to do such a chore yourself?"
Saying this, Zi Yan quickly went to the energy input point, circulated her Dou Qi, broke through the Blood Seal in her body, and infused energy into it.
In an instant, a faint silver glow appeared around the Spatial Ship, enveloping the hull and speeding towards the unpredictable and unknowable end like a streak of light.
"Sailing with the west wind, let's go!"
Seeing this, Chen Xiao and the Little Fairy Doctor exchanged glances and couldn't help but chuckle and shake their heads.
How could they not see that Zi Yan was acting on a whim? Once this novelty wore off, she probably wouldn't even want to steer.
This girl had grown up, but not completely.
In the spatial passage, the speed of the Spatial Ship was beyond imagination. It was no exaggeration to say it was chasing stars and pursuing the moon.
Chen Xiao and the Little Fairy Doctor stood side by side at the bow. They saw the silver spatial barriers on both sides rapidly receding like streams of light, leaving behind continuous afterimages. This was a spectacle they had never seen before.
Unfortunately, this spectacle was a bit too monotonous and boring. The two of them only watched for half an hour before losing interest.
Zi Yan, who was steering, also lost her initial enthusiasm. While maintaining the energy required for the Spatial Ship, she kept glancing at the two people not far behind her.
She already wanted to find someone to take over, but she had already made grand pronouncements, which made it difficult for her to speak up.
The Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but laugh and wanted to go over and take over, but Chen Xiao pulled her back.
This scene fell into Zi Yan's eyes, and her eyebrows immediately shot up. Her teeth gnashed together, sounding like a provoked little beast, wishing she could pounce on Chen Xiao and bite him fiercely.
Chen Xiao completely ignored her, took out a clean blanket, spread it on the ground, and led the Little Fairy Doctor to sit down with him.
It wasn't suitable for cultivation in the spatial passage, and even less suitable for breaking through to Dou Zong. However, they could use this opportunity to think more about their plans after arriving in Central State.
Or, they could chat idly and deepen their relationship.
...
Twenty days later.
Spatial Ships, like fish entering the sea, swarmed into the silver light circle ahead.
The Spatial Ship carrying Chen Xiao and the two women was swept up in the surging wave of ships, moving forward relentlessly amidst the churning spatial fluctuations. Finally, it rushed into the light circle, and their figures instantly disappeared.
The moment the Spatial Ship crashed into the silver light circle, a violent spatial force surged like a raging tsunami. The entire ship trembled violently and shook non-stop. Fortunately, this heart-stopping turbulence only lasted for a short ten seconds before gradually subsiding.
After a while, the silver light suddenly erupted, and dazzling strong light shone down from the sky, causing the three of them to instinctively squint their eyes.
After a long time, they slowly opened their eyes after gradually adapting to the strong light.
In an instant, a huge square built of crimson rock came into view. It was vast and boundless, estimated to be at least several thousand meters long. Standing in it, the three of them were as small as ants.
At this moment, the square was teeming with people. The noise was deafening, reaching straight into the sky.
"Is this Holy Pill City? What terrifying crowd flow."
Looking at the sea of people in the square and listening to the clamor that reached the sky, the Little Fairy Doctor exclaimed softly.
Previously, the three of them had spent fourteen days to reach Xian City in Central State, and then spent six days transferring along the way. Only now had they finally arrived at this renowned Holy Pill City in Central State.
Compared to the cities they transferred through along the way, the square where the Spatial Wormhole was located in Holy Pill City was at least ten times larger, showing its prosperity.
"This is just one transfer point. Holy Pill City has a total of eight such transfer points!"
Chen Xiao said with a light smile, also feeling somewhat shocked in his heart.
Looking around now, he had already spotted dozens of Dou Wangs, and the number of Dou Huang experts also exceeded ten.
These experts, who could dominate a region in the Northwest Continent, truly seemed like roadside trash here in Holy Pill City.
As for Dou Zong experts, after scanning around, he didn't see a single one, which was fitting for the watershed of continental powerhouses.
"This journey has been so smooth. I saw many biographies in Old Man Su's study, and the people in them always ran into trouble when they arrived at new places. We haven't had any accidents at all."
Zi Yan grumbled, seemingly quite dissatisfied with this.
Seeing her like this, Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but chuckle.
Arriving at a strange place would naturally make it easy to attract some unexpected trouble.
However, for Chen Xiao, this wasn't an issue.
He had never been to Central State, but he understood it extremely well and knew what things were likely to cause trouble. By being a little careful, he could naturally avoid most problems.
"Let's go. Holy Pill City is one of the few super cities in Central State. Let's go see the world and inquire about the situation while we're at it."
Chen Xiao chuckled lightly and strode towards the city.
Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan quickly followed, one on each side.
A quarter of an hour later, the three of them ascended to an elegant tea house and found an empty table near the window to sit down.
Figures bustled back and forth under the eaves, and the sounds of laughter and discussion rose and fell within the tea house, entering their ears.
Filtering out the useless chatter, the three of them quickly heard valuable news.
"Recently, because of the Five Great Clans' assessment, this Holy Pill City is really lively. You can see some Alchemists of sixth grade or even higher from time to time."
"Thinking about it, today seems to be the day of their assessment, right? I really want to go join the fun, but unfortunately, it's hard for us to even enter the inner region, let alone go and watch in person."
"Whether you watch or not doesn't really matter. Everyone can guess the outcome anyway. The other four families will definitely pass the assessment smoothly. It's the Ye Family that's in a precarious situation. If they still don't pass this assessment, then the Ye Family will only have one chance left. They might lose their Elder seat in the next term."
"In recent years, the Ye Family's legacy has been difficult to continue. Compared to the other four families, they are indeed no longer on the same level."
"Indeed, the current Five Great Clans can actually be divided into four tiers. The Cao Family produced that Enchantress, who is undoubtedly the most prominent. She was noticed by the Pill Tower at the age of fourteen and was exceptionally accepted as a core disciple of the Pill Tower. She was even taken as a disciple by the giant Xuan Kongzi. It is said that she was already a sixth-grade Alchemist at that time. Two years have passed now, and I'm afraid she has already advanced to the seventh grade!"
"Below the Cao Family, the Dan Family produced a Dan Chen, second only to that Enchantress, with boundless prospects. After that are the Bai Family and the Qiu Family. Although they don't have such a monstrous talent, it's not difficult for them to maintain their current status. As for the Ye Family, hehe, they can barely protect themselves."
"..."
After sitting in the tea house for a quarter of an hour, Chen Xiao led Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan away and headed straight for the inner region.
Holy Pill City was vast in scale, divided into inner and outer regions.
Ordinary people could only stay in the outer region. Without relevant background or status, entering the inner region would face many restrictions.
"Chen Xiao, is Sister Cao Ying here?"
On the way, Zi Yan asked expectantly, her eyes sparkling.
She had also heard the conversations of those people in the tea house.
Zi Yan had an excellent impression of Cao Ying.
After all, for a long time, Cao Ying had been her feeder.
Moreover, after Cao Ying left, she had even brought her some Elixirs as snacks.
This alone was enough for the Little Dragon Person to keep her in mind.
"There should be no mistake." Chen Xiao nodded slightly.
In the original trajectory, that Enchantress entered the Pill Tower at the age of fifteen and was taken as a disciple by Xuan Kongzi. After that, she cultivated diligently in the Pill Tower for three years.
From the information he had just heard, the current Enchantress had entered the Pill Tower a year earlier and had undergone significant changes. It was highly likely that she was currently studying in depth within the Pill Tower.
"I remember when she left, she was only a fifth-grade Alchemist. Two years later, she has actually reached the seventh grade. Sister Cao Ying's talent in alchemy is terrifying."
Little Fairy Doctor sighed softly, deeply feeling that the title of Enchantress was well-deserved.
Chen Xiao nodded slightly: "In this regard, there are indeed not many people in Central State who can openly compare with her. However, whether she has reached the seventh grade is still uncertain. After all, it is just subjective speculation from others and does not represent objective fact. Furthermore, the eighth grade of Alchemist is a watershed. It's understandable that the improvement before the eighth grade is faster."
While chatting, the three of them had already arrived at the boundary between the inner and outer regions.
Here, there were teams of Pill Tower Guards strictly guarding the area. Every person entering the inner region had to possess at least one of identity or strength to be qualified to reside permanently in the inner region.
Meeting the Guards' questioning gazes, Chen Xiao was not offended and took out an identity token representing the Cao Family from his Storage Ring.
In an instant, the Guards' expressions changed slightly, their bodies stood straight, and their respect was evident.
Chen Xiao chuckled lightly and led the two girls into the inner region.
Immediately, without even needing to inquire, they could learn where the place they wanted to go was from the passersby coming and going.
The assessment location of the Five Great Clans was located in a special hall within the inner region of Holy Pill City.
This was the exclusive place for the assessment throughout generations, established by the Pill Tower, showing the importance the Pill Tower placed on the Five Great Clans' assessment.
Unlike a secretive closed-door trial, the Five Great Clans' assessment had always been semi-public. As long as one had some identity background or decent strength, they could enter and observe.
When Chen Xiao and the other two arrived at the magnificent and vast assessment hall, they saw a dense crowd blocking the area completely. From time to time, people who seemed to have extraordinary status entered the hall after being checked by the Guards.
With the token in hand, Chen Xiao and the other two were not stopped at all along the way.
Stepping into the hall, a soft glow fell. As soon as Chen Xiao entered, he felt gazes of inquiry and scrutiny coming from all directions.
He raised his gaze and scanned the area, seeing that the inner hall's circular seating was already full, with many people standing around. Without exception, these individuals had restrained and profound auras, clearly belonging mostly to forces and families with deep foundations, exuding a pressure that couldn't be underestimated.
At the very front of this vast hall, the seats of the Five Great Clans were arranged on a high platform like stars surrounding the moon, showcasing their extraordinary status and authority.
In the exact center of the hall, a white-haired elder stood with his hands behind his back. His eyes were sharp as torches, and his voice boomed like a bell as he methodically presided over this highly anticipated assessment.
"Next, Cao Ying of the Cao Family."
The elder's voice echoed through the hall, each word clear.
As soon as he finished speaking, the slightly noisy hall instantly fell silent, followed by a wave of hushed whispers. Chen Xiao keenly noticed countless curious and probing gazes turning towards the center of the hall.
Clearly, the name of this Cao Clan Enchantress had already stirred waves in everyone's hearts.
"It's Sister Cao Ying!"
Beside Chen Xiao, Zi Yan excitedly tugged at his sleeve and stood on her tiptoes, trying her best to see what was happening in the hall. But frustrated by her height, her little face turned bright red.
Finally, she nimbly jumped onto Chen Xiao's back and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. Only then could she take in the scene in the hall, her little face full of excitement and anticipation, waving her small hand to call out to the center.
Seeing this, the Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but smile gently. She reached out and lightly patted Zi Yan, soothing her softly, "Don't rush, wait until she finishes the test before going over."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, from the seats of the Five Great Clans, a graceful woman in a black dress slowly rose.
Her posture was elegant, her movements unhurried, as if she was born with a magical charm that made people unable to look away.
When she took her first step, emerging from the shadows and slowly walking into the bright light, the atmosphere of the entire hall instantly solidified. Everyone's breath seemed to stop at that moment.
This enchantress had a tall and slender figure. A well-fitted black dress outlined her curves, and every movement exuded a hint of cold arrogance, keeping others at a distance.
Her skin was as white as congealed fat, reflecting a warm luster under the light. Three thousand strands of dark hair cascaded casually over her fragrant shoulders like a waterfall, adding a touch of laziness and casualness to her.
Her slightly thin face had smooth and beautiful lines, and her features were as exquisite as a finely carved work of art. Every part was just right, making people unable to resist examining her closely.
Under everyone's gaze, the enchantress slowly walked to the empty center of the hall and stood with her hands clasped.
She slightly raised her head, her narrow and slightly lazy eyes gently scanning her surroundings. With the flow of her eyes, a hint of captivating charm and an innate seductive aura rushed forth.
While many in the hall were mesmerized and lost in thought by her charm, a faint curve slowly appeared at the corners of the enchantress's slender lips. In this instant, that thin and charming face became even more enchanting.
"It's true that names can be wrong, but nicknames aren't. Her aura is even more enchanting than Cai Lin's."
Observing the highly anticipated enchantress in the hall, the Little Fairy Doctor commented with a light chuckle.
Chen Xiao nodded slightly.
Cai Lin and this enchantress had similarities, but the differences were actually quite significant.
Cai Lin was bold. Although she often said one thing and meant another, and was a bit tsundere, she dared to love and hate.
As for this enchantress, she looked impressive on the surface, but in reality, she was just a little pushover.
Just as the two were quietly conversing, the assessment in the hall had already begun.
Above the ceiling of the hall, with a series of clicking sounds, dense black holes appeared.
A moment later, dense black iron beads poured down like a torrential rain!
Swish swish!
Seeing the Soul Measuring Orbs pouring down like a downpour, the enchantress instinctively flashed away. Vast Soul Power surged out from between her eyebrows.
She condensed her Soul Power into an invisible large hand and lightning-fast snatched at the dense black Soul Measuring Orbs in mid-air, one after another. There was no sign of effort on her delicate face.
Time passed second by second, until she had continuously caught a full hundred Soul Measuring Orbs. Only then did she withdraw the large Soul hand and slowly stop.
The white-haired elder walked into the hall, quickly tallied the results, and announced loudly.
"Excellent, exactly one hundred orbs. In this final assessment, Cao Ying still maintains first place, Dan Xuan is second... Ye Fan is fifth."
Hearing the elder's announcement in the hall, the onlookers had varied expressions. Some couldn't hide their smiles, while others were worried.
Many young talents in the hall looked at the black-dressed woman standing beside the white-haired elder. Their eyes were involuntarily drawn to her, ripples appearing in their depths. Their expressions revealed uncontrollable admiration and longing. Their slightly tense bodies and unconsciously held breath silently spoke of their inner stirrings.
Cao Ying could keenly feel those burning gazes like thorns in her back. Her delicate eyebrows subconsciously furrowed, as if covered by a thin layer of frost.
In fact, this situation was already considered good. Before she entered the Pill Tower, many gazes were even more blatant.
Suppressing the faint disgust rising in her heart, she casually scanned the entire hall.
Suddenly, her gaze froze, fixing on a spot deep within the crowd.
There, a young man was carrying a little girl in a white dress on his back. Beside him, a beautiful white-haired woman stood gracefully.
Meeting her gaze, all three smiled. The little girl even happily waved her small hand, full of energy.
In an instant, everyone in the hall saw that this Cao Family enchantress, who had always been as proud as a black swan, actually relaxed her brows and eyes, and a bright smile they had never seen before appeared at the corners of her lips.
Under the astonished gazes focused on her, the enchantress completely shed her previous arrogance. With her skirt fluttering, she reached the three in just a few steps.
Her eyes flowed with a smile, and she raised her hand to rub Zi Yan's head.
"Zi Yan! Why are you still like this?"
After greeting Zi Yan warmly, Cao Ying also nodded kindly to the Little Fairy Doctor.
Only then, finally, did she meet Chen Xiao's gaze and gave him a subtle eye roll.
Chen Xiao was amused. More than two years had passed, could this enchantress still be holding onto what happened back then?
Seeing Chen Xiao's reaction, the enchantress widened her eyes at him.
But in a flash, a hint of slyness flickered in her eyes. She leaned into Chen Xiao's ear and whispered a few words.
Hearing this, Chen Xiao glanced at the curious and jealous gazes in the hall and nodded slightly in agreement.
Only then did the enchantress nod in satisfaction. She took Zi Yan off his back and intimately hooked her arm through Chen Xiao's, walking together towards the outside of the hall.
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