Without delving into the source of the message or asking too many questions, Zi Yan hesitated for a long time before speaking in a muffled voice.
"Let me think about it for a while."
Her nature was always straightforward and carefree, rarely getting bogged down in indecision.
When she was with the Cao Family, Zi Yan felt a touch of envy witnessing the warmth between Cao Ying and her parents. However, now that she truly knew she could meet the old Dragon Emperor, her heart felt a little uneasy.
"Alright, then we'll finish up our tasks and make a decision."
Chen Xiao reached out, intending to ruffle her head as he might have when she was younger to comfort her. But after raising his hand, he lowered it and instead patted her shoulder.
Zi Yan's decision wasn't entirely unexpected.
Chen Xiao had brought up the matter today partly because the timing was right, allowing him to go with the flow, and partly because he wanted Zi Yan to be mentally prepared, to avoid her being too taken aback when she eventually met the old Dragon Emperor.
"Okay!"
Zi Yan nodded, perking up, and appeared to have already put the matter out of her mind.
...
Qifeng Mountain.
After returning from Holy Pill City, Chen Xiao and Zi Yan, in addition to their daily fixed cultivation, poured all their free time into opening spatial wormholes.
For Dou Zun experts, opening spatial wormholes wasn't difficult, but it was extremely draining.
This was because it wasn't something that could be completed in just a day or two.
Chen Xiao had initially thought that Zi Yan, with her impatient nature, would be able to persist for three to five days at most. He never expected that for a full half a month, Zi Yan wouldn't falter.
At times, this girl was even more proactive than Chen Xiao, which significantly sped up the process of opening the spatial wormhole, making it much faster than anticipated.
This state of affairs continued for a full month, until one day, when Cao Ying arrived with the Cao Family's expert, Honored One Kuyi, Zi Yan finally returned to her usual lively self.
Watching Zi Yan enthusiastically directing the expansion of Qifeng Mountain with the few remaining members of the Han Family and Purple Firmament Pavilion, Chen Xiao felt a sense of relief.
It seemed Zi Yan had come to terms with it!
"Opening spatial wormholes is time-consuming and labor-intensive. After Clan Leader heard about it, he asked me to bring Honored One Kuyi to help. With an extra pair of hands, the speed can be increased a bit."
"This storage ring contains elixirs. Half of that batch of medicinal ingredients has already been refined. The rest will be delivered once the clan finishes refining them," Cao Ying said softly, standing beside Chen Xiao.
As for Honored One Kuyi, after a brief greeting, he had already taken over from Zi Yan and begun working on opening the spatial wormhole.
"Thank you for your hard work, Ying'er."
Putting away the storage ring, Chen Xiao took Cao Ying's hand.
It had been nearly two months since Cao Ying had informed the Cao Family. The alchemists of the Cao Family had been busy refining elixirs, and they still weren't finished. This showed the sheer scale of the workload.
It was fortunate they were allies; otherwise, the cost of hiring so many alchemists would have been an astronomical sum.
Cao Ying shook her head slightly, her gaze curiously taking in Qifeng Mountain.
She didn't yet know that this was just a temporary stop, believing that from now on, this would be their new home.
"Sister Cao Ying, let me show you to your living quarters."
Zi Yan appeared from the other side, intimately taking Cao Ying's hand.
Due to her personality, she got along very well with everyone around Chen Xiao.
Relatively speaking, Xun Er and Qing Lin had less contact with her, but they had met.
Zi Yan had also put in a great deal of effort in remodeling Qifeng Mountain, personally directing many aspects of the construction.
For instance, six small courtyards were specially built in the back, each with its own unique characteristics.
The courtyard prepared for Little Fairy Doctor, with her gentle and graceful nature, was more elegant.
Cai Lin, who was currently with Yao Yao, had a more spacious and cozy courtyard prepared by Zi Yan.
The courtyards for Cao Ying, Qing Lin, and Xun Er were also arranged by Zi Yan based on her understanding of them.
Finally, there was her own residence, which was designed purely for her own convenience.
As for Chen Xiao, the male master of the house, Zi Yan hadn't prepared anything for him.
In Zi Yan's vision, there was absolutely no need for such a thing!
Pulled along by Zi Yan, Cao Ying couldn't refuse. After saying goodbye to Chen Xiao, she gracefully floated towards the back.
Left 'neglected,' Chen Xiao sighed softly before heading over to help with the spatial wormhole.
Late at night.
Zi Yan watched Chen Xiao enter Cao Ying's courtyard and then disappear inside.
Feeling bored, she suddenly sensed something and abruptly turned her head to look behind her.
She saw that in the moonlight, the space rippled like the surface of water. Moments later, a tall figure stepped out from the distortion.
"Zi Yan? Why are you sitting here?"
"Hehe, Sister Qing Lin, you're back!" Zi Yan glanced at the courtyard enveloped by a barrier nearby, offered no explanation, and greeted her with a cheerful smile.
Following her gaze, Qing Lin felt a bit curious. Her soul perception immediately probed outwards, and upon sensing the familiar power of the rune seal, Qing Lin quickly withdrew her soul perception.
She was certain that this was a method laid down by Chen Xiao.
Back in Tagor, this kind of barrier frequently enveloped the Medusa Shrine.
Therefore, after a moment of thought, she could guess what kind of heated scene would unfold inside.
Realizing that Zi Yan was eavesdropping, and that she had almost joined in the fun, Qing Lin's cheeks immediately flushed, making her look even more charming.
"Stop eavesdropping, you can't hear anything anyway. When I first returned, I checked the spatial wormhole. It's very, very close to the spatial nodes I left with Sister Xian'er in the Black-Corner Region and the Tagor Desert. I'm going to finish it and test if it can be put into use. Do you want to come along?"
Quickly calming herself down, Qing Lin extended the invitation.
Compared to Zi Yan's lazy nature, Qing Lin was more inclined to be decisive.
As soon as she returned from her travels and found that the spatial wormhole was only missing a little, she wanted to get to work that very night.
"That's fine, you take care of the Black-Corner Region, and I'll handle the Tagor side!"
Zi Yan stood up, not refusing.
After returning from Dragon Island, she hadn't seen Cai Lin and her daughter yet, and she was already impatient.
If she hadn't known that opening the spatial wormhole would allow them to meet, she wouldn't have been able to wait until today.
Qing Lin's suggestion at this moment piqued her interest. Once the spatial wormhole was connected to Tagor, she could jump out immediately and give Cai Lin a surprise!
The two reached an agreement and were about to set off.
But just then, Chen Xiao and Cao Ying appeared before them, fully dressed.
"Qing Lin, don't rush. Go tomorrow morning. You just got back, so rest more."
Without giving them a chance to refuse, Chen Xiao spoke and led them towards the main hall.
Chen Xiao didn't pay much attention when only Zi Yan was outside; he was used to it.
Zi Yan had even appeared when he was in the middle of a fierce battle before. Compared to that, eavesdropping was nothing.
But with Qing Lin present, even Chen Xiao, with his thick skin, felt embarrassed to continue.
Upon arriving at the main hall, Chen Xiao introduced Qing Lin and Cao Ying to each other, then his gaze fell on Qing Lin.
After a brief sensing, he discovered that her strength had improved significantly. Although she hadn't directly broken through her realm, she had already reached the peak of an eight-star Dou Zun!
"Qing Lin, how was your journey this time?"
What he cared about most was the mutated remnant soul of the Ancient Heavenly Serpent.
This was Qing Lin's opportunity in the original timeline. Although it didn't play a huge role later on, it was best not to miss it.
Hearing Chen Xiao's question, Qing Lin hid nothing.
She stated directly, "I gained quite a lot. In an ancient mountain range near the Beast Region, I accidentally encountered the skeleton of an Ancient Heavenly Serpent. Out of curiosity, I used my Azure Snake Three-Flower Pupils, and unexpectedly, I summoned a soul body from the skeleton."
"This thing is unruly and extremely fierce. Fortunately, I have some strength, and after a lot of effort, I managed to control it. Otherwise, I might have been controlled by it in reverse!"
When mentioning the Ancient Heavenly Serpent, Qing Lin's tone became more serious, and she looked as if she still had lingering fear.
If her strength had been any less back then, controlling the remnant soul of the Ancient Heavenly Serpent would have left some hidden dangers.
"It's good that there were no problems. If that remnant soul of the Ancient Heavenly Serpent shows any disobedient behavior, you can tell me anytime, and I'll figure something out," Chen Xiao nodded.
"Don't worry, Young Master. As the control time increases, this thing now has almost no resistance."
"That's good!"
...
Qing Lin's return provided Chen Xiao with more manpower.
After all, Qing Lin couldn't be simply regarded as an ordinary Dou Zun. Within the space of her Three-Flower Pupils, there were several Dou Zun powerhouses.
With the addition of this manpower, the spatial wormhole connecting the Purple Firmament Pavilion to Tagor and the Black-Corner Region was officially opened the next day!
Of course, whether it could be officially put into use still required some testing.
"Don't worry, this is a spatial wormhole that I personally opened, so there shouldn't be any problems. Moreover, when other forces open spatial wormholes, having three or four Dou Zuns construct it together is already quite good. With so many of us working together, if there are problems, we can line up and self-detonate," Zi Yan said confidently on the teleportation plaza a month later.
The best way to test a spatial wormhole was to have someone travel through it personally.
To save time, Chen Xiao even brought out the Level 6 spatial ship to use as a testing tool.
Just as Zi Yan finished speaking, everyone saw two figures, one fat and one thin, stride out of the spatial wormhole.
Seeing them, everyone on the plaza showed smiles of anticipation.
"Pavilion Master, Gan Hou and I went to the Purple Firmament Pavilion in the Black-Corner Region and also to the Tagor Desert. We met Madam and Miss. On the way back and forth, we didn't find any hidden dangers," Gan Hou reported truthfully as he handed the spatial ship to Chen Xiao.
Only Dou Zong level or above experts had a chance of survival when encountering spatial storms. Therefore, after the opening of spatial wormholes, those with the means would usually have Dou Zong experts test them.
"Well done, go and rest."
After dismissing the two, Chen Xiao was about to make arrangements when Zi Yan took the spatial ship from his hand.
"I'll take care of picking up Cai Lin," Zi Yan said.
"Alright, if you want to go, then go. I'll feel more at ease," Chen Xiao replied helplessly.
Zi Yan chuckled and, without any delay, stepped into the spatial wormhole.
After watching Zi Yan leave, Chen Xiao turned his gaze to Cao Ying beside him.
"We'll definitely be traveling to Vast Sea City frequently from now on. Once Qing Lin returns, we won't be short on manpower. Let's open up a spatial wormhole for that as well."
"Whatever you decide," Cao Ying replied with a smile.
Managing an additional spatial wormhole was definitely a great thing. Even for the powerful Cao Family, there was no reason to refuse.
Night fell.
Cao Ying had already fallen into a deep sleep. Chen Xiao, leaning against the headboard, was examining the pre-payment information in his mind.
After pondering for a while, Chen Xiao made up his mind and no longer hesitated.
"Pre-pay for the Spirit Nurturing Dust Elixir recipe."
As soon as the thought arose, a yellowed elixir recipe appeared in Chen Xiao's hand.
He picked it up and glanced at it before taking out a wooden box and carefully storing it away.
Before entering the False Heaven, Chen Xiao had already considered pre-paying for the Spirit Nurturing Dust Elixir recipe.
However, at that time, he had just broken through to Dou Zong and his self-preservation abilities were limited.
Furthermore, back then, there wasn't an alchemist he could absolutely trust and who possessed the ability to refine the Spirit Nurturing Dust.
Even Cao Ying was only a seventh-grade alchemist at that time.
But things were different now. Cao Ying had not only advanced to the Spirit Realm and gained the ability to refine eighth-grade elixirs, but their relationship had also become inseparable. The Spirit Nurturing Dust Elixir recipe could finally be pre-paid and put to use.
Of course, it would only be used by those around him whom he could absolutely trust.
Feeling the smoothness in his hand, the pre-payment information surfaced in Chen Xiao's mind.
[Currently available for pre-payment—
Magical Techniques: (1/1)
Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures: (1/1)
General: (0/1)]
[Follow-up for pre-paying the Spirit Nurturing Dust Elixir recipe: Obtain it by entering the Heavenly North Ruins.]
"Heavenly North Ruins..."
A flicker of excitement ignited in Chen Xiao's heart. With the minor matters basically settled, he could now allocate some of his energy.
"False Heaven allowed me to advance from Dou Zong to Dou Zun. I hope the Heavenly North Ruins won't disappoint me either."
For the next month, Chen Xiao was exceptionally idle.
With the Dou Zun powerhouses controlled by Qing Lin, the spatial wormhole leading to Vast Sea City required no intervention from Chen Xiao.
As for daily affairs, Qing Lin and Heavenly Flame Honored One were sufficient to handle them.
Even Cao Ying had shifted her focus back, dedicating her energy to studying the elixir recipe Chen Xiao had given her.
As for Chen Xiao himself, in between his cultivation, he often went out to search in the Heavenly North region, much like when he first arrived in the Central State, trying to find any clues related to the Heavenly North Ruins.
Unfortunately, no matter how meticulous he was, after a month, he still had no success.
"I can only count on Zi Yan now."
With a slight sigh, Chen Xiao didn't linger any longer and headed directly towards Qifeng Mountain.
Considering the time, Zi Yan should be back by now after picking up Cai Lin and her mother.
At sunset, Chen Xiao, with a touch of concern, returned to the Purple Firmament Pavilion.
However, the moment he appeared, Chen Xiao was stunned.
The teleportation plaza was bustling with people, and familiar faces entered his sight.
The Four Great Elders of the Snake-People Race, Hua She'er, Hai Bo Dong...
In front of these crowds, there was a small circle that was exceptionally conspicuous.
Cai Lin, holding Yao Yao, Zi Yan giggling foolishly, Qing Lin, who seemed a bit aloof, Cao Ying, whose gaze was completely captivated by Yao Yao.
And the one wearing a purple and white long dress, Little Fairy Doctor, whom he hadn't seen in a long time!
Little Fairy Doctor had also returned today!
Gazing at the scene from afar, Chen Xiao couldn't help but think of Xun Er.
With Xun Er being the only one missing, it would be a true reunion!
-----------
Machine Translation by: beta.randomtranslator.com
Read 1400+ original & fanfic translations and Translate for Free at: www.randomtranslator.com