Battle Through the Heavens: Obtaining the Extraction System at the Start 31

After making arrangements for the medicinal ingredients, Jia Xing Tian spoke again. "For escorting the Xiao Family members, assign a High-Level Dou Ling to lead some soldiers to pick them up from the Xiao Family. Within the Jia Ma Empire, no one should dare lay a hand on imperial guards."

As if recalling something, he added, "That girl Yue'er has nothing important to do lately. Have her accompany the escort team to the Xiao Family in Wutan City. It will show how seriously the imperial family takes this matter and help strengthen our relationship with the Xiao Family."

After speaking, he drained the tea in his cup. Without waiting for Yao Ye's response, he spread his Dou Qi Wings and left.

Yao Ye gazed in the direction Jia Xing Tian had departed, her expression unreadable. After standing there for a moment, she turned and went to carry out his orders.

With Void Dragon flying at an unhurried pace, half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

The setting sun slowly dipped below the horizon, painting the sky orange-red.

In the distant sky, a long, slender black figure streaked past, leaving a Remnant Shadow in the air.

On the dragon's head, Xiao Ling sat cross-legged, staring intently at the Medicine Cauldron before him.

Inside the Medicine Cauldron, a rough, uneven pill embryo was being continuously roasted by the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Under Xiao Ling's precise control, the flames nurtured the pill embryo at just the right temperature. Its irregular surface gradually became smoother and rounder.

As time passed, the energy fluctuations emitted by the pill within the cauldron grew increasingly intense. At a certain moment, a fragrant pill aroma spread from the Medicine Cauldron, accompanied by a burst of energy fluctuations. However, after being blocked by the cauldron, Xiao Ling casually dispersed them.

Zi Yan and Yue Mei, seated behind Xiao Ling, noticed the commotion and both turned their gazes toward him.

Xiao Ling was drawing the pill into his palm and examining it carefully.

After inspecting the Dou Ling Pill, Xiao Ling muttered, "The quality of this pill is quite good. There were no mistakes despite the rushed refining time."

Sensing Zi Yan and Yue Mei watching from behind him, Xiao Ling turned around and saw Zi Yan wiping away a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth. Her wide eyes seemed to speak, as though saying, I want it!

Xiao Ling stepped over and patted Zi Yan's little head. Smiling, he said, "This isn't for you. I'll refine a few pills for you later."

Hearing that Xiao Ling would refine pills for her later, Zi Yan calmed down a little. She grabbed his hand and shook it. "Then hurry up and refine pills for me to eat."

Xiao Ling shook his head and turned his gaze toward Yue Mei. Seeing her looking at him expectantly, he knew she could hardly wait to receive the pill.

With a wave of his hand, the Dou Ling Pill floated before Yue Mei. She caught it in her hand and inspected it curiously.

With the perception of a Dou Wang, she could tell that this pill was absolutely among the finest quality.

At first, she had worried that the short refining time would result in mediocre quality. She had even thought the refining might fail and waste an entire batch of medicinal ingredients.

Now that she had seen this exceptional pill, all those concerns vanished.

She took out a Porcelain Bottle, placed the pill inside, and stored it in her Ring.

Yue Mei said in admiration, "Master Xiao Ling's skill as an Alchemist truly is extraordinary. A Fifth-grade Pill that would normally take days to refine was completed in half a day, and its quality is so exceptional. Such skill is truly admirable."

Facing Yue Mei's praise, Xiao Ling waved his hand and replied, "It's only practice making perfect. Without my elders' guidance, I wouldn't have come this far."

Taking out a map from his Ring, Xiao Ling lowered his head to examine it. His right hand pointed at the location marked Charming Snake Tribe as he said to Yue Mei beside him, "Commander Yue Mei, we're about to reach your Charming Snake Tribe. Let's part ways here."

Yue Mei nodded and looked ahead. With her flying speed as a Dou Wang, she would reach the Charming Snake Tribe in around ten minutes.

Before leaving, Yue Mei blinked her alluring eyes and smiled charmingly at Xiao Ling. "Master Xiao Ling, if you visit the Charming Snake Tribe again, this humble woman will personally entertain you."

After leaving those words behind, Yue Mei spread her Dou Qi Wings and flew toward the Charming Snake Tribe.

Once Yue Mei had flown some distance away, Xiao Ling stood atop Void Dragon's head and pointed toward Hai Bodong's Map Shop. "A Kong, fly at full speed in that direction."

Upon hearing Xiao Ling's command, Void Dragon raised its head and let out a long roar. After drifting along leisurely for half a day, it could finally accelerate. Twisting its body, its speed abruptly increased, and before long, it vanished into the horizon!

Wutan City, Xiao Family.

On the bed, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. His hands formed an unusual seal before him, and his chest rose and fell gently. Each breath formed a perfect cycle. Between those cycles, faint white streams of air entered through his nose and mouth, nourishing his bones and flesh.

As the youth cultivated with his eyes closed, the black ancient ring on his finger suddenly flashed with an extremely faint, strange glimmer. The glimmer vanished in an instant, unnoticed by anyone...

"Phew..." Xiao Yan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and abruptly opened his eyes. A faint white gleam flashed through his dark pupils. It was the Dou Qi he had just absorbed but had not yet fully refined.

"The Dou Qi I worked so hard to cultivate is disappearing again... Damn it!" After focusing his senses on his body, Xiao Yan's face suddenly twisted with anger, and he cursed in a sharp voice.

It had been two and a half years since Xiao Yan's Dou Qi had first begun disappearing for no reason. During that time, he had endured endless mockery within the Xiao Family. Those who had once flattered him had long since vanished from sight.

After Xiao Yan's cultivation regressed, Xiao Zhan had spent a great deal of the family's resources in hopes of restoring his son's cultivation talent. He had even used a Pill Recipe Xiao Ling had mailed back from Jia Nan Academy and invited Mitchell, Vice President of the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Association, to examine Xiao Yan's body.

Yet no matter how many resources they used, Xiao Yan's cultivation talent could not be restored. The physicians and Alchemists who examined him all concluded that there was nothing wrong with his body.

Because Xiao Yan had consumed so many of the Xiao Family's resources without recovering his cultivation, some people had begun to resent Xiao Zhan and his son over the matter.

If his talent had been restored, then so be it—the resources would have been well spent. But after paying such a huge price, they could not even find the problem. Who would not have some objections?

The younger generation's family test was only half a year away. If he was still at the third stage of Dou Qi by then, he would certainly be ridiculed by the clan again.

Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly. After a long while, he shook his head with a bitter smile, climbed down from the bed in exhaustion, and stretched his slightly numb ankles and thighs. With only the third stage of Dou Qi, he did not have the ability to ignore such fatigue.

Xiao Yan casually moved about the room to loosen his body when an aged voice came from outside. "Third Young Master, the Clan Leader requests your presence in the hall!"

Xiao Yan was very familiar with that voice. It belonged to Steward Mo, who had cared for him since childhood. "Alright, I'll be right there." He answered casually, changed his clothes, then walked out of the room and smiled at the old man in green robes outside. "Let's go, Steward Mo."

Looking at the youth's immature face, the old man in green nodded kindly. The moment he turned around, however, an imperceptible trace of regret flashed through his cloudy eyes. With Third Young Master's former talent, even if he could not compare to Young Master Xiao Ling and Miss Xun Er, who left the Xiao Family at a young age, he should have become an outstanding Dou Zhe long ago. What a pity...

Following the old steward through the rear courtyard, Xiao Yan finally stopped outside the solemn Council Hall. After respectfully knocking on the door, he gently pushed it open and entered.

The hall was spacious and filled with many people. Seated at the very front were Xiao Zhan and three elderly men. They seemed to be the clan elders, whose authority was not inferior to that of the Clan Leader.

Below and to the left of the four sat several elders of the family who possessed both influence and strength. Beside them were some outstanding younger members of the clan.

However, the cold expressions that usually hung on the three elders' faces had disappeared. The faintly melancholy air Xiao Zhan had carried for years was also gone, and joy occasionally showed on his face.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan was somewhat puzzled. Could something tremendously joyous have happened in the family?

"Father, Elders!" He quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Xiao Zhan and the three elders.

"Hehe, Yan'er, you're here. Hurry and take a seat." Seeing Xiao Yan arrive, Xiao Zhan paused his cheerful conversation with the guests, nodded at him, and waved his hand.

With a smile and a nod, Xiao Yan glanced inadvertently toward the three elders, only to discover in astonishment that the three men who had once despised him were now looking at him with kind expressions.

Still, he needed to find a seat first. After sweeping his gaze over the younger generation's seating area, Xiao Yan found an empty spot with no one around it. He sat down alone and closed his eyes to rest.

A few minutes later, most of the family had arrived. Xiao Zhan, seated in the main seat, waved his large hand and announced in a clear voice, "Quiet down. I have an important matter to inform you of today."

Upon hearing Xiao Zhan speak from the raised platform, the previously noisy Council Hall quickly fell silent.

Hearing his father speak, Xiao Yan opened his eyes and stared at Xiao Zhan curiously.

He was also very curious what sort of matter could cause such a change in his father and the three elders.

Once everyone had turned their attention to him, Xiao Zhan nodded and said with a smile, "I have good news for everyone. The Xiao Family's gifted son, Xiao Ling, who left to cultivate at the age of eight, has now returned to the Jia Ma Empire."

The crowd below was somewhat surprised. The younger disciples immediately began whispering among themselves.

"Is Cousin Xiao Ling coming back to the Xiao Family?"

"I haven't seen Cousin Xiao Ling in so long. I wonder if he's become more handsome!"

"Where is Cousin Xiao Ling now? Hasn't he returned to the Xiao Family? Why haven't we seen him here?"

Because Xiao Ling had left the Xiao Family fairly early and often spent entire days cultivating, few people in the family had seen much of him or knew him well.

However, Xiao Ling was humble and treated his clansmen kindly. After entering Jia Nan Academy, he had often sent Cultivation Techniques and Combat Skills, Gold Coins, and medicinal pills back to the family. Many clansmen had benefited from Xiao Ling in one way or another. Thus, he was greatly respected within the Xiao Family.

Xiao Yan was also somewhat surprised by the news. He had not expected Xiao Ling to have already returned to the Jia Ma Empire.

He remembered how he had often sought Xiao Ling out for sparring matches in the past. Although he lost every time, Xiao Ling had never mocked him. Instead, he would point out Xiao Yan's shortcomings and guide him.

At the time, Xiao Yan had only thought Xiao Ling was putting on an act. He had been deeply unconvinced and had not treated Xiao Ling well.

It was not until Xiao Ling left the Xiao Family, having remained friendly toward all the clansmen until the very end, that Xiao Yan realized he had misunderstood him. Yet at that time, Xiao Yan still possessed his talent and could not bring himself to mend their relationship.

He wondered what Xiao Ling would think upon returning to the Xiao Family and seeing him in such a state.

Seeing the atmosphere about to grow noisy again, Xiao Zhan released the aura of a peak Da Dou Shi, and the crowd finally stopped talking.

After sweeping his eyes across the Xiao Family members, Xiao Zhan spoke seriously. "Xiao Ling is now a Sixth-grade Alchemist, and his cultivation has reached the Dou Wang realm. He intends to have our family move back to the Imperial Capital. He is currently handling some matters and cannot return to the Xiao Family for the time being, but he has arranged for members of the imperial family to escort us. In the coming days, all of you should pack your belongings. Once the people sent by the imperial family arrive at the Xiao Family, we will depart for the Imperial Capital."

As soon as his words fell, the Council Hall, which had only just quieted down, erupted into commotion again.

"A Dou Wang expert? Doesn't that mean he can form Dou Qi Wings and fly directly?"

"Young Master Xiao Ling is truly extraordinarily gifted. His cultivation has actually reached the realm the old Clan Leader once possessed."

"A Sixth-grade Alchemist! It seems the Jia Ma Empire only has one Sixth-grade Alchemist, Gu He, the Guest Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect. Our Xiao Family is going to prosper!"

Xiao Yan was also stunned by the news. He shook his head helplessly. Back then, he had thought the gap between himself and Xiao Ling was not that great. Yet after only a few short years, they had become people on entirely different levels.

Inside the Bone Flame Ring, Yao Chen, who had been idling leisurely, was also surprised upon hearing the news. He could not help muttering inwardly, To break through to Dou Wang at fifteen and reach the Sixth-grade realm in alchemy as well... I never expected such a golden phoenix to emerge from this remote Northwest Continent.

Looking at the noisy crowd below, Xiao Zhan had no intention of stopping them. When he first received that letter, even he had found it hard to believe.

However, that Dou Ling expert had produced the Grand Commander's military badge and solemnly sworn that he had witnessed everything personally. Only after quite some time did Xiao Zhan recover from his surprise and delight.

The First Elder sitting beside Xiao Zhan stroked his beard and spoke with emotion. "To be able to return to the Imperial Capital and live there again in my lifetime is truly a great blessing."

The Second Elder on the other side added, "Our Xiao Family is truly fortunate to have produced such a gifted son as Xiao Ling."

Hearing the elders' conversation, Xiao Zhan also grew somewhat melancholy. "If Father knew about the Xiao Family's current circumstances, he would surely be happy as well."