A Flying Eagle, nearly two meters in size, soared across the sky, which was the color of a fish's belly.
On its back, a young girl in a black dress stood steadily.
Beside the Flying Eagle, a stern-faced middle-aged man walked through the air as if strolling in a courtyard.
Walking through the air is the most direct manifestation of ability after advancing to Dou Zong, and it can be considered a symbol of a Dou Zong powerhouse.
"Fourth Uncle, why are we slowing down?"
"Because this is already within the Jia Ma Empire. Although the empires on this Northwest Continent are not strong, the territory is quite vast. We are unfamiliar with the place, and searching on our own would be too time-consuming. We need to find someone to ask. Coincidentally, someone is coming from behind."
Although the stern man's strength was formidable, he patiently explained the black-dressed girl's confusion.
As his voice fell, he completely concealed his aura.
Along the way, Cao Xi had gained a very clear understanding of the strength situation on the Northwest Continent.
Dou Zong powerhouses were existences that countless people in this region could only look up to.
Therefore, if he didn't conceal his aura, very few people would dare to approach.
As expected, after he concealed his aura, he sensed that two more not-weak auras were sweeping out from the city they had just passed, coming at high speed.
Soon, even the girl standing on the Flying Eagle's back could see three figures appearing in their line of sight one after another when she turned back.
Flying at the very front was a handsome young man in a white robe.
He looked very young, but the pair of gorgeous and dazzling Ice-Blue Dou Qi Wings on his back indicated that this was a powerhouse above Dou Wang.
Behind him were two women, one large and one small, flying very close together, like a mother and daughter, or like a pair of sisters. Their relationship could not be determined for the time being.
These two women were also not weak in strength.
Soon, the three of them discovered them waiting in the distant sky with their auras concealed. After a slight hesitation, they cautiously approached.
On the other side, as the distance grew shorter, Chen Xiao could see the two people and one beast waiting more clearly.
The Dou Zong aura he had sensed earlier was indeed emanating from the middle-aged man. His specific strength was unknown.
Even the Medusa Queen, who followed closely behind, could not see through him.
On the back of the Flying Eagle stood a slender girl in a black dress. She was clearly not old, but her development was excellent, exuding a hint of cold arrogance. Her skin was like snow, and her black hair was casually draped over her shoulders.
Her cheeks were slightly thin, but exceptionally delicate, like porcelain, very eye-catching.
She stood on the back of the Flying Eagle, gazing slightly into the distance. In her narrow and slightly lazy eyes, there was a natural hint of charm and allure.
"Greetings, Senior."
After a glance, Chen Xiao and the other two bowed first.
Even the cold and arrogant Medusa Queen was no exception at this moment.
After all, although she had successfully evolved, she still hadn't shed her snake body yet and needed a little more time.
In other words, she was not yet a true Dou Zong powerhouse, so she naturally didn't dare to be rude.
"You don't need to be nervous. I just have something I want to ask you."
Cao Xi spoke slowly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
There was no need to say more about Chen Xiao and Zi Yan; their age and strength were already surprising enough.
As for the Medusa Queen, Cao Xi could sense that her state was very strange. It seemed she had crossed the Dou Zong barrier but hadn't fully entered Dou Zong.
However, it was certain that what she lacked was just a little time.
"I have come to the Jia Ma Empire to find someone named Chen Xiao in Wu Tan City. Have you heard of him?"
Listening to the middle-aged man's words, the Medusa Queen and Zi Yan both had strange expressions, not understanding what was going on.
Since he was looking for Chen Xiao, why didn't he recognize him?
Moreover, it was such a coincidence that he happened to find Chen Xiao to inquire. This was truly amusing.
Chen Xiao already had some guesses about the identities of these two people. Hearing this, he became even more certain.
"To answer Senior, Chen Xiao is my friend. I can contact him for Senior. May I ask who Senior is..."
"Central State, Cao Family... No, tell him this: Miss Qing Lin sent us." Cao Xi replied.
Hearing this, Chen Xiao no longer had any doubts.
Qing Lin alone, as of now, was not enough to make the Cao Family so respectful.
But Qing Lin had always been with Xun Er, so her identity was different. Even the Cao Family, one of the five great families in the Central State Pill Domain, was still insignificant in front of the Ancient Clan.
The gap between them was like that between the Xiao Family in Wu Tan City and the Yun Lan Sect.
It was even more exaggerated than that.
Therefore, Cao Xi's current attitude was very easy to understand.
The girl beside Cao Xi also felt a slight stir in her heart at this moment.
She only knew that some distinguished guests had arrived within the Cao Family a while ago, which made the entire family extremely important, but she didn't know what those distinguished guests had discussed with the Cao Family higher-ups.
It was only the next day after that, that she was told good news: in the distant Northwest Continent, there was an ownerless Heavenly Flame, and the family would send someone to bring her to collect it.
The preciousness of Heavenly Flame needs no elaboration. Spending a few months for it is absolutely worth it, because even for high-level beast fires, finding a suitable one can sometimes take more than a few months.
Compared to that, acquiring Heavenly Flame seems even more cost-effective.
Just like that, under Cao Xi's escort, she came to the Northwest Continent together.
Along the way, Cao Xi repeatedly warned that the person they were looking for this time had a special identity. For this reason, he even made a special trip to Jia Nan Academy to inquire, and this level of seriousness made the young girl extremely curious.
Now, she finally understood a little more.
Among the distinguished guests who came to the Cao Family, one of them seemed to be named Qing Lin.
"Does senior have proof?"
"I have a personal letter from Miss Qing Lin."
Cao Xi took out a letter from his Storage Ring and gestured, but his gaze remained on Chen Xiao, making him even more suspicious of his identity.
With his extraordinary eyesight, Chen Xiao could confirm that the handwriting on the letter was not Qing Lin's, but Xun Er's.
Immediately, he smiled slightly and cupped his hands again.
"Senior, actually, I am Chen Xiao."
After confirming that the other party was guided by Xun Er and Qing Lin, Chen Xiao no longer concealed his identity.
A slightly serious smile appeared on Cao Xi's stern face.
"Haha, I guessed it. The first time I saw young friend Chen Xiao, I had my suspicions. Because before coming to the Jia Ma Empire, I went to Jia Nan Academy. A young man from my Cao Family is cultivating there, and young friend Chen Xiao should be very familiar with him. From him, we learned a bit more about young friend Chen Xiao."
Cao Xi's attitude was friendly, addressing him as "young friend," without any pretense of being a Dou Zong expert.
Under this premise, the initial contact between the two sides was quite harmonious.
Chen Xiao nodded slightly and looked at the letter in his hand.
Cao Xi didn't hesitate, controlling it with Dou Qi and sending it to Chen Xiao.
While Chen Xiao was reading the letter, Cao Xi introduced himself.
"My name is Cao Xi, and I am ranked fourth in the Cao Family. Young friend Chen Xiao and the two of you can just call me Fourth Elder from now on. This is Cao Ying, a junior in the family, with decent talent."
Cao Ying smiled and nodded, bowing slightly.
Everyone present, except for her, was above the Dou Wang level.
Moreover, their identities were very unusual, related to those distinguished guests. Under this premise, it was only natural for her to lower her stance.
Chen Xiao had finished reading the letter, put it away, and nodded slightly in response.
Cao Ying, the Cao Family demoness...
This person's talent cannot be described as merely "decent." Breaking through to Dou Zhe at the age of seven and becoming an Alchemist, this alone is enough to make countless people feel ashamed, not to mention her terrifying alchemy talent.
Suddenly, Chen Xiao remembered some stories he had told Medusa Queen a few years ago. After thinking carefully, he confirmed that he hadn't mentioned any names at that time, which put his mind at ease.
Beside him, Zi Yan smiled and waved back.
After confirming that these two were not enemies and were related to Chen Xiao, she was not nervous at all.
Medusa Queen nodded gently. What she valued was Cao Xi, the Dou Zong. As for Cao Ying...
In her eyes, Cao Ying's talent was indeed quite good. She looked like she was in her teens, but she was already a Da Dou Shi. She was the most talented person she had seen, besides Chen Xiao.
However, no matter what, this was just a junior.
Moreover, she had also heard Chen Xiao mention that there was an even more monstrous demoness in the Central State with even more heaven-defying aptitude.
Therefore, her reaction was very calm.
"Young friend Chen Xiao, you should now know our purpose. How about we find a place to sit down and talk?"
"That is only right. Fourth Elder, please wait a moment."
Chen Xiao nodded in agreement, then looked at Medusa Queen beside him.
He transmitted his voice, "A long time ago, I considered how to deal with the Green Lotus Core Flame. After thinking about it, I chose two forces. For some reasons, I am more than 90% sure that they will not try to snatch it and will not endanger your Snake-People Race. Therefore, to make it easier to deal with the Heavenly Flame later, I want to bring them into the Holy City. What does Your Majesty think?"
Medusa glanced at Chen Xiao, "What if?"
What if...
Chen Xiao shook his head.
That possibility was infinitely close to zero.
The Cao Family was wealthy and powerful. They could openly exchange for the Heavenly Flame by paying a small price. Why would they risk the destruction of their entire clan by using force?
"You decide for yourself. It has nothing to do with this King."
Without transmitting any more voices, Medusa Queen left a sentence and, in a flash of light, slowly shrunk, turning back into a seven-colored little snake. With a speed that Cao Xi couldn't even see clearly, she darted into Chen Xiao's sleeve.
She had successfully evolved and was now at a critical period for advancing to Dou Zong. If she hadn't sensed the appearance of a Dou Zong expert and worried about potential changes, she wouldn't have shown herself.
Watching Medusa Queen's actions, Chen Xiao was speechless.
Today's Medusa was a bit off.
However, thinking about how he had seen and even accidentally touched her, Chen Xiao somewhat understood.
The Medusa Queen of the Snake-People Race, each generation has one thing in common: they either live out their lives alone, or once they fall in love with a man, they remain devoted until death.
Given his purely cooperative relationship with the Medusa Queen, these two transgressions, if not for her many reservations, she would have likely already been unable to resist attacking him.
Sighing inwardly, Chen Xiao came back to his senses.
"Fourth Elder, Miss Cao Ying, please follow me. Let's find another place to talk in detail."
Returning to the Holy City, Chen Xiao initially thought that the elders of the Snake-People Race would be wary and try every means to inquire.
However, somewhat unexpectedly, from beginning to end, those elders never appeared again. Instead, Hua She'er came out to greet them and arranged accommodation for Cao Xi and Cao Ying. He didn't know if she had received a reminder from the Medusa Queen.
A quarter of an hour later.
With the miscellaneous matters arranged, the four gathered in the small building where Chen Xiao was temporarily staying.
After they were seated, Cao Xi waved his hand, and a barrier isolated them from outside sight and sound.
Immediately, without any beating around the bush, he directly took out four fragrant sandalwood boxes from his storage ring and opened them one by one. In an instant, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the room.
"Little friend Chen Xiao, when Miss Qing Lin and the others found my Cao Family, they said that with your cultivation speed, by the time Cao Ying and I met you, you would likely have already broken through to the Dou Wang level. Therefore, based on this information, before Cao Ying and I came to the Northwest, the family prepared four pills in advance that little friend might use in the future."
"They are the Dou Ling Pill, Royal Extreme Pill, Sect Breaking Pill, and Sect Origin Pill. This is the sincerity of my Cao Family!"
"Of course, this is not all. We know how much a Heavenly Flame helps an Alchemist. Besides this, little friend can also propose some conditions, and we can discuss them slowly. We will definitely give little friend a satisfactory result."
Look, they both wanted to exchange for a Heavenly Flame. In the original trajectory, Gu He only verbally presented his offer to the Medusa Queen, while this Cao Family directly laid out the pills.
It was like a card for ten million gold coins versus ten million gold coins actually piled in front of you. The two sensations were completely different.
He had to admit, looking at the four pills on the table, Chen Xiao was inevitably greatly moved.
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