Inside the grand hall, Chen Xiao and Cai Lin's group casually took their seats. Zi Yan, meanwhile, paced the floor, animatedly recounting her experiences in the Ancient Ruins.
She described everything from entering the ruins, navigating the treacherous fiery path, easily suppressing a group of puppets with her own power, to frantically scavenging within the ruins' main hall, discovering medicinal beasts, then venturing into the ancient forest within, where she found an ocean of medicinal herbs, and deep inside, the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit...
Finally, she reached the hall where the Fortune Saint's remains were located, obtaining numerous Dou Skills and Cultivation Techniques.
Although she kept the details somewhat vague, Zi Yan's vivid storytelling lasted for a good half hour before she finished.
"And then, when we exited the ruins and returned the way we came, at the edge of the Beast Region, we ran into a Dou Zun from the Soul Hall. His name was Star-Picking Old Ghost. He was there, acting all high and mighty, bullying people. But the moment we showed up, that old guy ran faster than anyone!"
In front of the Grand Elder of Green Mountains and Hei Qing, Zi Yan had been trying her best to adapt to her identity as the Dragon Emperor, exercising restraint.
But now, with her family in the hall, Zi Yan was completely unrestrained, not hiding her true nature at all.
"So impressive."
"Truly formidable!"
"Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor, terrifying indeed!"
After listening to Zi Yan's boasting, except for Qing Lin who had experienced it with her, Little Fairy Doctor, Cai Lin, and Cao Ying all chimed in with agreement, indulging her.
Being praised like this, even Zi Yan felt a little embarrassed, letting out a silly laugh and saying, "I'm just average now. Once I fully digest the energy from the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, that's when I'll be truly powerful."
She was being modest, but not entirely, which made everyone in the hall stifle their laughter.
After staying at the Purple Firmament Pavilion for two hours, Zi Yan had her fill of talking and finally decided it was time to depart.
"Little Yao, Auntie has to go now. Remember to miss me. And Chen Xiao and sister Cai Lin, you all remember to visit me in the Northwest often. The old man said it might take me a very long time to digest the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit's power this time, so I'll be over there for a while."
Arriving at the plaza, Zi Yan said her goodbyes one by one, clearly reluctant.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons she had been so exceptionally lively today.
By saying more now, she could save her energy for when she might not have the time to speak later.
Chen Xiao and the few women, including Cai Lin, all nodded.
Zi Yan going to absorb the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit's energy was a good thing, and they could visit her anytime, so there was no need to be sad.
After the goodbyes concluded, the Grand Elder of Green Mountains, along with Hei Qing, also quietly appeared.
Without any further ado, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, they watched as Zi Yan tore open a spatial passage and departed.
Looking at the space that had returned to calm, Chen Xiao sighed, then sent a telepathic message to Hai Bo Dong and the Heavenly Flame Honored One, summoning them for a discussion.
While it was called a discussion, it was more akin to a resource allocation meeting.
Once everyone was settled, Chen Xiao took out a pile of storage rings from his sleeve.
"Old Hai, Heavenly Flame, these storage rings are filled with medicinal herbs and elixirs. Have your people take stock of them, then catalog them into the treasury. The elixirs should be sent to the Elixir Hall. These elixirs have been sealed for too long; their efficacy has diminished by over ninety percent. I had someone test them. While consuming them won't cause problems, the effects are very poor. However, to be safe, let the Elixir Hall review them before bulk processing."
"Understood!" The two responded, stepping forward to accept the storage rings.
Seeing that Chen Xiao had no further arrangements, they withdrew first.
After seeing them off, Chen Xiao turned to Cao Ying.
"Ying'er, how is the Spirit Nurturing Dust coming along?"
This matter had been handled by Cao Ying all along, and with so much time having passed, there should be results.
Seeing everyone looking at her, Cao Ying, who had been lounging comfortably in her seat, straightened up slightly, her expression becoming a bit more serious.
"The elixir formula is correct, but I have both good news and bad news."
"The good news is that with that Soul Infant Fruit, the Spirit Nurturing Dust has been successfully refined. Moreover, the refining of the Spirit Nurturing Dust is much simpler than a conventional eighth-grade elixir. It's less like refining and more like mixing. I finished it in just seven days, and it didn't even trigger an elixir tribulation."
Chen Xiao nodded slightly, not overly surprised.
Many elixir formulas recorded in texts are not for traditional elixirs.
Take Yao Chen's Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, or Blood Burning, for example.
The Spirit Nurturing Dust was the same.
"What's the bad news?"
"The bad news is that the quantity of Spirit Nurturing Dust refined is not large, only eighteen pills."
As she spoke, Cao Ying's jade-like hand moved, and nine jade bottles appeared.
It could be seen that within each jade bottle, there were two pale yellow light spots, as small as dust particles, floating within like two fireflies.
"Eighteen pills... that's enough. Spirit Nurturing Dust should not be used lightly; each one must be thoroughly understood. Also, I obtained another Soul Infant Fruit in the Ancient Ruins this time. Ying'er, try again later and see if the quantity fluctuates."
Saying this, Chen Xiao took out a crate containing a branch with a Soul Infant Fruit and made it float towards Cao Ying. He also collected all the Spirit Nurturing Dust into his storage ring.
He needed to carefully consider how to use these Spirit Nurturing Dust pills.
"Oh, and these Heavenly Demon Puppets, I'll hand them over to you as well."
As soon as Cao Ying put away the Soul Infant Fruit, she saw over a dozen Heavenly Demon Puppets appear in the hall, prompting her to roll her eyes at Chen Xiao.
Currently, in the Elixir Hall, she was the only alchemist in the Central State who could be considered outstanding. Many of the previous batch of puppets had not even absorbed an elixir tribulation, and now there were so many more. If she wanted to elevate them all to the level of Heavenly Rank Heavenly Demon Puppets, when would that ever happen?
She hadn't even considered that if all these puppets reached the Heavenly Demon Puppet level, the puppets alone would possess combat power close to thirty Dou Zuns. This was not an easy task by any means.
Without further refusal, Cao Ying controlled them one by one, storing them in her storage ring, and then rested her forehead on her hand, lost in thought.
Perhaps they could call some people from the Cao Family for help; after all, one can never have too many alchemists.
Also, they could find a way to trick Dan Chen from the Dan Family into joining the Alchemy Hall. That shouldn't be too difficult.
She and Dan Chen used to be evenly matched rivals, and in each other's hearts, their positions held a special significance.
No one knew what mischievous ideas Cao Ying was hatching, but Chen Xiao was already distributing other items.
The adorable Demonic Beasts were given to Cai Lin to keep Yao Yao company.
The poison scriptures obtained in the Ancient Ruins were handed over to the Little Fairy Doctor.
Studying medical and poison scriptures had always been her hobby.
As for Qing Lin, her strength was the greatest, and there were very few useful items for her in the Ancient Ruins.
Furthermore, Chen Xiao had already let her choose first within the ruins, so there was no need to elaborate further now.
...
After sleeping soundly at Cai Lin's place, the next morning, Cai Lin watched Yao Yao chase the Little Heaven Swallowing Python in the courtyard, while Chen Xiao ascended to the highest floor of the Lightning Pagoda.
After his usual meditation, Chen Xiao raised his palm, and the skeletal remains of the Fortune Saint appeared.
In the Ancient Ruins, the numerous gains were comparable to the foundation of a major power, but what Chen Xiao valued most was definitely this Dou Sheng skeleton!
Or, to be precise, the Dou Sheng Marrow contained within the skeleton!
Dou Sheng, experts of this caliber, possessed immense power capable of destroying heaven and earth. A mere stomp of their foot could turn a mountain peak into annihilation. Such powerful beings, with their profound cultivation, every part of their body was something ordinary people dreamed of obtaining. Even a small amount could be said to allow one to transform into a dragon and ascend to heaven.
For instance, this Dou Sheng Marrow, if used to feed an infant or a child under five years old, would, even if the child was previously a cripple, transform them into a genius after its use, through marrow cleansing and bone reshaping. While this effect was hard to believe, it was the truth.
Chen Xiao surveyed the complete skeleton, his gaze finally settling on three of its ribs.
At first glance, it was hard to discern, but upon closer inspection, one could see that these three ribs were covered in densely packed, peculiar characters.
These characters were not the common script of the continent; they were exceptionally profound and gave a feeling of obscurity. Even if one memorized them all, they still couldn't decipher them.
Chen Xiao smiled slightly and extended his Soul Power from between his brows. However, upon touching the three ribs, it was directly repelled.
"As the Grand Elder said, there's a seal on them."
He muttered softly, then clenched his palm, and a cold white flame rose from his palm. Under his mental control, it coiled around the three bone-like ribs, which resembled white jade, and then gradually heated up. The terrifying temperature quickly made the air on the top floor of the Lightning Pagoda dry.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame fiercely roasted the bones, but the latter remained motionless, their color unchanged in the slightest.
Chen Xiao was not surprised by this.
A seal set by a Dou Sheng expert would be too childish if it could be broken so easily, right?
His state of mind was calm, neither rushed nor impatient. He let the Bone Spirit Cold Flame continue to roast the three ribs, and he slowly closed his eyes, entering a state of cultivation.
The cold white flames blazed, and as time passed, a faint light began to flicker on the three ribs.
In this state, half a day quickly passed.
The three jade-white ribs, enveloped by the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, had turned a deep, dark golden color. Golden light was hidden within, and a strange fluctuation quietly spread out.
"Chih!"
Suddenly, in the quiet space, the peculiar sound of liquid flowing was heard, and Chen Xiao's tightly closed eyes snapped open at this moment.
Looking intently, he saw that in the rib cage area of the skeleton, the three ribs wrapped by the flames had disappeared. In their place was a mass of strange, dark golden liquid.
This liquid flowed slowly within the flames, as if it possessed its own intelligence. Occasionally, it would condense into various strange shapes.
Its appearance reminded Chen Xiao of the Bodhi Transformation Saliva; that thing was also like this.
"Skills are never a burden. Come on, Great Heaven Creation Palm!"
A sharp glint flashed in Chen Xiao's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he extended his palm, reaching directly into the flames and plunging it into the mass of dark golden liquid!
"Chichichi..."
The moment Chen Xiao's fingers inserted, a sudden change occurred. The liquid began to writhe violently, coiling around Chen Xiao's fingers as if following a snake's path, instantly enveloping his entire palm.
"Hiss..."
Thanks to the significant improvement in his physical body's strength, Chen Xiao did not feel intense pain, only a sensation similar to the itchiness when a wound scabs over. This sudden feeling made Chen Xiao involuntarily twitch the corner of his mouth.
Quickly calming his mind, Chen Xiao was astonished to see that under the embrace of the dark golden liquid, his palm began to deform. Faintly, the sound of bones squeezing could be heard, and the itchiness intensified, like countless ants crawling on his body.
Fortunately, this state did not last long. The unbearable sensation abruptly stopped, and the dark golden liquid, like a receding tide, seeped into Chen Xiao's palm and quickly disappeared.
Before he could marvel at it, Chen Xiao felt a sudden shock in his mind. Streams of unfamiliar information poured in, causing his pupils to faintly glow with a dark golden light.
His consciousness quickly sank into it, and Chen Xiao found himself in a strange space.
This space was not very large, yet it was empty and devoid of any life.
Chen Xiao looked around and soon discovered that in the void above the space, a figure stood with his hands behind his back!
His face was blurred, and his aura was extremely ordinary, making it impossible to detect any trace of his internal energy or Dou Qi.
"Fragmented memories of the Fortune Saint..."
Chen Xiao calmly observed the figure in the void.
On the Dou Qi Continent, many Dou Techniques left behind by powerful experts were in this form.
The stronger the power, the more common it is.
The Soul Profound Seal Palm that Cao Ying once gifted him was also in this form.
As Chen Xiao had expected, as his consciousness entered this space, the figure in the sky transmitted a voice as calm as water.
"Great Heaven Creation Palm, a low-tier Heaven rank Dou Skill!"
"This was created by me pouring my life's effort into fusing hundreds of Dou Skills. It emphasizes the concept of creation, using the palm to break the heavens and strength to shatter all things."
"A Heaven rank Dou Skill, transcending the mundane to reach sainthood. To obtain the secret I've hidden within my bones means you are fated. Since you have obtained the bones, your palm should have already been tempered by the Golden Spirit Saliva. Remember, the Great Heaven Creation Palm must be performed with a tempered palm, otherwise, you will suffer a backlash!"
As the self-narrating voice fell, the figure suddenly erupted with a faint glow, and its body actually became transparent, revealing the extremely clear meridian routes within.
It could be seen that within those meridians, a wisp of dark golden energy swiftly traversed, outlining a rather strange yet profound meridian route.
"This is the meridian route for cultivating the Great Heaven Creation Palm!"
The meridian's light gradually faded, and the glow around the figure also receded, only for the dark golden light at his palm to suddenly surge. He fiercely unleashed a palm strike, heavily slamming it towards the void.
"Bang!"
The moment the palm wind descended, a terrifying energy swept out like a storm. Beneath the palm, a massive black light ring instantly formed.
As soon as the light ring took shape, it expanded like lightning. The surrounding space seemed like shattered glass, instantly cracking and disintegrating!
Gazing at the black light ring rapidly expanding in his sight, Chen Xiao's eyes lit up.
This Dou Skill was far more spectacular than he had imagined!
In the name of the world, conjuring a black hole with his bare hands, the mere thought of it was hard to resist.
"Fated one, remember my name, Fortune Saint!"
The clear voice suddenly exploded in Chen Xiao's mind, like the thunder of awakening striking through chaos. And the figure, within the pitch-black light circle, became increasingly ethereal, finally turning into specks of faint light and completely vanishing without a trace.
The last remnant of a Dou Sheng expert left in the world, thus dissipated into nothingness!
Chen Xiao silently bowed to bid him farewell, a gesture of respect for the past strong practitioner.
Immediately after, he allowed the pitch-black light circle to surge forward, completely tearing his body apart.
The highest level of the Lightning Tower.
Chen Xiao's tightly shut eyes suddenly snapped open, and a mouthful of turbid air was slowly exhaled from his throat.
Surveying his right hand, which had been strengthened once again, Chen Xiao suppressed the urge to try it out immediately. After a brief moment of calm, he then shifted his gaze to the ivory-white skeleton before him, which was missing three ribs.
A moment later, he opened his palm, and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame spewed out once more, enveloping the entire skeleton and keeping it in a state of extreme heat. The terrifying temperature immediately permeated the surroundings.
Given the strength of a Dou Sheng skeleton, ordinary flames would find it difficult to inflict damage. Only a Heavenly Flame could extract the Dou Sheng marrow contained within in the shortest amount of time.
Of course, this "shortest amount of time" was relative.
Chen Xiao knew the power of a single Bone Spirit Cold Flame, so he was not surprised to see the bone, which remained as hard as a rock under the scorching flames. He had already prepared himself mentally and did not show any impatience. He steadily increased the temperature, slowly tempering the skeleton.
Maintaining this state, five days passed in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, it was clearly visible that at the cut left by Grand Elder Qing Shan, a drop of milky white, gel-like substance, about the size of a thumb, slowly condensed!
Its surface had a gelatinous layer. Looking through this layer, one could see the slowly flowing liquid within. An astonishing, peculiar energy quietly permeated from it, causing Chen Xiao's eyes to gleam with undisguised fervor.
"Good stuff!"
With a soft exclamation, Chen Xiao quickly took out a jade bottle from his storage ring and carefully collected it.
As the first 'capsule' of Dou Sheng marrow condensed, more than ten minutes later, the second one followed.
Then, the third, the fourth...
After eighteen capsules had condensed consecutively, Chen Xiao waited for half an hour, but no new 'capsules' appeared. Only then did Chen Xiao retract the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.
Looking at the skeleton, which had lost some of its translucence and its color had become slightly darker, Chen Xiao pointed a finger at it. The skeleton remained unshaken.
Hard, extremely hard!
Chen Xiao smiled in satisfaction and didn't bother to put it away.
His soul perception searched within the Purple Firmament Pavilion and soon found Heavenly Flame Honored One, who was busy in the treasure vault.
"Heavenly Flame, come to the Lightning Tower to see me. Bring your skeleton too."
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