Cao Ying

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Cao Ying (曹颖)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Pill Tower; Cao Family, one of the Pill Tower's Five Great Clans 22 25
Occupation/Role	Fifth-grade Alchemist; personal disciple of Xuan Kongzi 21 22
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 21

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dou Ling	31	Had only recently broken through to Dou Ling while exploring the Pill Realm; remained below the Dou King realm. 31

Background / History

Cao Ying is Xuan Kongzi's disciple and a member of the Cao Family, one of the Pill Tower's Five Great Clans. Her master regards her fondly despite calling her “useless,” while Ling You immediately recognizes her formidable Soul Power. 21

When Ling Xi arrives at the Pill Tower, Xuan Kongzi assigns Cao Ying to show him around. Her inability to discern Ling Xi's Soul Power becomes an immediate source of curiosity, and she probes his alchemist rank and background. 21

She later guides Ling Xi through Sacred Pill City and the Alchemist Trading Fair, offering to cover his expenses. At the fair, she introduces him to Dan Xuan and Dan Chen, whom she considers among the Pill Tower's outstanding younger generation. 24 25

During the Pill Realm expedition, Cao Ying seeks the Mysterious Yellow Quenching Spirit Milk guarded by a Seventh-tier Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle. Unable to locate her fellow Cao Family participants, she forms a temporary team with the Dan siblings and devises a plan involving Soul-Bewildering Saliva. 31

After Ling Xi saves the group and defeats the beast, Cao Ying repeatedly negotiates with him over treasure shares, Blood Lotus Pill materials, and the secret of the flame he intends to refine. She ultimately loses possession of the Blood Lotus Essence and Fourth-Order Ice Attribute Magic Core after Ling Xi acquires the Purple Abyss Cauldron and decides to refine the pill himself. 32 33 34 36

Appearance

Cao Ying appears to be fifteen or sixteen years old. She wears a black dress that emphasizes a cold, striking presence, though her manner can shift quickly from innocent-looking to sly or flirtatious. 21

• Slightly slender face with delicate features. 21
• Narrow, long phoenix eyes described as carrying a sly quality. 21
• Black hair; a strand falls across her forehead after Ling Xi shuts his door on her. 22
• Her expression and eyes are often compared to a fox's when bargaining or scheming. 33

Personality

Cao Ying is confident in her talent and status as a Pill Tower Giant's disciple. Ling Xi's concealed Soul Power interests her precisely because she is accustomed to looking down on no one in that field; she continues investigating him even after he refuses to explain himself. 21 22

She is competitive, especially where alchemy is concerned. She considers Dan Chen her only true rival among the Pill Tower's younger generation, and she openly anticipates testing Dan Chen's level. 25

Cao Ying is clever, transactional, and willing to exploit circumstances to secure an advantage. She delegates the dangerous task of drugging the Dragon Turtle to Dan Xuan, bargains aggressively over the cave's rewards, and attempts to gain access to the Purple Abyss Cauldron. 31 33 36 She can nevertheless honor an explicit promise, insisting that she will refine the Blood Lotus Pill once she has given her word. 33

Abilities & Skills

Alchemy

Cao Ying is a Fifth-grade Alchemist with strong innate Soul Power and the potential to reach the sixth or seventh grade with sufficient experience. 22

• Can identify the purpose of a Blood Lotus Pill and infer that Ling Xi is preparing to refine a flame. 33
• Is capable of refining a fifth-grade Blood Lotus Pill. 32 33
• Recognizes the value of high-level flames and divine cauldrons to an alchemist. 33 36

Soul Power

Her Soul Power is strong enough for Ling You to praise Xuan Kongzi's discernment in accepting her as a disciple. 21

• Detects that Ling Xi's Soul Power is unusual despite being unable to sense its true depth. 21 22
• Senses violent energy fluctuations from Ling Xi's room during the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon. 42
• Her Soul Power is an important basis for her standing as an alchemist, though it does not allow her to penetrate the protection around Ling Xi's soul origin. 21 22

Combat Techniques

Despite being an alchemist, Cao Ying participates directly in the battle against the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle. 32

• Blood Flame Burning Heaven — Her strongest displayed Dou Technique; used alongside the Dan siblings' attacks to delay the Dragon Turtle's energy blast. 32
• Her Dou Ling cultivation and strongest technique are insufficient to defeat a Seventh-tier Magical Beast equivalent to a Dou Zong. 31 32

Planning and Negotiation

Cao Ying is adept at identifying valuable opportunities and organizing short-term alliances. 31

• Prepared Soul-Bewildering Saliva as part of a plan to incapacitate the Dragon Turtle. 31
• Uses bargaining and alchemical trade customs to demand compensation for her services. 33
• Leverages Song Qing's admiration for her in an effort to cause trouble for Ling Xi over the Purple Abyss Cauldron. 41 42

Items

• Soul-Bewildering Saliva — Drug prepared to incapacitate the Mysterious Armored Dragon Turtle; it fails after the beast awakens its Bloodline Power. 31
• Blood Lotus Essence — One of the materials she provides to Ling Xi for the Blood Lotus Pill. 32 36
• Fourth-Order Ice Attribute Magic Core — The second Blood Lotus Pill material provided to Ling Xi. 32 36

Relationships

• Xuan Kongzi — Her master and a Pill Tower Giant. He entrusts Ling Xi's initial care to her and is openly protective of her. 21
• Ling Xi — Initially a subject of curiosity due to his hidden Soul Power. She acts as his guide in Sacred Pill City and accompanies him in the Pill Realm, though their exchanges are marked by teasing, bargaining, and mutual attempts to outmaneuver one another. 21 24 32 36
• Dan Chen — Her principal alchemy rival among the Pill Tower's younger generation. 25
• Dan Xuan — Temporary Pill Realm ally. Cao Ying assigns him the dangerous task of administering Soul-Bewildering Saliva to the Dragon Turtle. 31
• Song Qing — A senior disciple who admires her; Cao Ying exploits this interest to encourage conflict with Ling Xi over the Purple Abyss Cauldron. 41 42
• Aunt Lin — Cao Family guardian responsible for Cao Ying's safety outside the Pill Tower. 24

Story Role / Major Arcs

Pill Tower Arrival

Cao Ying meets Ling Xi when he arrives with Ling You at the Pill Tower. She is assigned to lead him to his quarters and becomes intrigued by the Soul Power even Xuan Kongzi cannot perceive. 21 22

Sacred Pill City and Trading Fair

She brings Ling Xi to the Alchemist Trading Fair, offers to pay for his purchases, and introduces him to the Dan siblings. Ling Xi's sudden display of Soul Power while claiming a jade pendant further confirms her suspicions that he is extraordinary. 24 25

Pill Realm Expedition

Cao Ying leads the effort to obtain Mysterious Yellow Quenching Spirit Milk from the Dragon Turtle's cave. Following the failure of her initial plan, Ling Xi's intervention saves the group; she then joins the negotiations over the treasure and agrees to refine his Blood Lotus Pill. 31 32 33 34

Purple Abyss Dispute

Cao Ying resents Ling Xi's acquisition of the Purple Abyss Cauldron and attempts to persuade him to let her use it, intending to leave a soul imprint on the artifact. Later, she draws Song Qing to Ling Xi's room in hopes of stirring further trouble over the cauldron. 36 41 42

Notable Quotes

“I'm a woman of my word—if I say I'll refine the pill unconditionally, I mean it.” 33

“What, Senior Brother Song Qing, are you interested in the Purple Abyss Cauldron too?” 41