Chapter 330 The Ye Family Arrives

Chapter 330 The Ye Family Arrives
"Humph, this Xiao Ling really doesn't understand romance." Cao Ying muttered to herself, but then she couldn't help laughing, "But this is what makes it fun. I won't let you escape from my grasp."

She decided that she must find an opportunity to make Xiao Ling look at her with new eyes, not only in terms of alchemy skills, but also in other aspects.

The two walked and talked, and unknowingly they had reached the exit of Danta. The sunlight shone on them through the tall arch, adding a touch of warmth to this mysterious and solemn place.

"Okay, I'll take you here." Cao Ying stopped and said to Xiao Ling with a smile, "If you need any help, just come to me."

"Thank you, I will." Xiao Ling also responded with a smile, then turned and left Danta.

Cao Ying stood there, watching Xiao Ling's back gradually go away until he disappeared from the end of her sight.

A hint of mixed emotions flashed across her eyes, but was quickly replaced by her bright smile.

"Xiao Ling, you are such an interesting person." Cao Ying said to herself, then turned back to the interior of Danta...

……

As soon as he left Danta, Xiao Ling went straight back to the cozy courtyard he rented in Shengdan City.

Xiao Yixiang and Qinglin hadn't seen him for several days, so they naturally missed him very much.

As soon as Xiao Ling came back, he handed the eighth-grade Poria Green Pill that he had carefully refined in the Dan Tower to Venerable Tianhuo, and then took the two girls out, planning to have a good stroll in Shengdan City.

Moreover, Xiao Ling also felt that it was good to relax occasionally. After all, when it came to cultivation, one had to combine work and rest.

Night fell quietly, shrouding this bustling and noisy city in tranquility. Although it was late, the lights of Saint Dan were still bright, and the streets were still bustling with people.

Xiao Ling gently held Xiao Yixian's hand, and the two of them strolled leisurely on the street, while Qing Lin was like a lively elf, skipping and jumping in front of them, stopping at the roadside stalls from time to time, curiously picking out various gadgets.

The three of them strolled among the crowd, occasionally hearing the idle chatter of passers-by.

Today, almost everyone's conversation revolved around one topic, that is, the young man who successfully refined the eighth-grade four-color elixir today, the young monster named Xiao Ling.

The name that was once somewhat unfamiliar to many people is now deeply imprinted in everyone's mind.

They all knew that this name would soon spread throughout Zhongzhou and become a topic of conversation among people.

Xiao Ling, this young man, will surely become the most dazzling new star in Zhongzhou in the near future.

However, they could never have imagined that Xiao Ling, whom they were talking about so much, had just walked past them.

"Oh my, it seems that our peerless genius, the youngest eighth-grade alchemist, is really very impressive. From now on, I will have to rely on Master Xiao Ling to take care of me."

When Xiao Yixian heard passers-by talking about Xiao Ling, she couldn't help but tease him. She has always had a calm and elegant personality, but at this moment she showed her playful side.

"Xian'er, please stop joking with me. I feel a little embarrassed when so many people are talking about me." Xiao Ling touched his nose, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"The young master is so amazing. He will be the most dazzling genius in Zhongzhou." Qing Lin's eyes were full of admiration. Her heart was filled with pride and her admiration for Xiao Ling was beyond words.

"Haha, Qinglin, you are also great. When I was your age, my cultivation was not as high as yours." Xiao Ling rubbed Qinglin's little head, his tone full of pampering.

They walked and talked like this, with Xiao Yixiang's teasing and Qinglin's admiration intertwined together, making Xiao Ling feel a lot more relaxed.

The city of San Dan in the night is even more warm and lively because of their laughter...

……

In the meeting hall of the Ye family, one of the five major families in Danta, the atmosphere was solemn.

"Clan leader, our family failed to meet the standards in the last assessment. If we continue like this, and if our Ye family still cannot meet the standards in the third assessment two years later, I'm afraid our family will be removed from the list of the top five families." An elder of the Ye family said worriedly.

"What should we do..." Another elder frowned, his tone revealing anxiety.

“If we are kicked out of the five major families and lose the protection of Danta, our Ye family will be really finished.” The patriarch’s voice was heavy and his eyes were full of worry.

"It seems that we can only seek external assistance. However, it is not easy to find young people with excellent qualifications..." An elder sighed, with helplessness in his words.

"I heard that a very powerful young man has appeared in Shengdan City recently, and according to the letter that Xinlan sent back not long ago, the young man seems to be Xinlan's senior. Perhaps we can try to contact him." Another elder proposed a possible solution.

"Great Elder, what do you think?" The clan leader turned to the Great Elder of the Ye Family, Ye Chong, who was sitting in a corner of the hall, and asked for his opinion.

"I think it's worth a try. Tomorrow I will pay a visit with generous gifts. Although I don't know whether the other party will agree, for the future of the family, I have to give it a try even if it means losing face." The Great Elder's voice was firm, and his eyes flashed with determination.

After the decision was made, the atmosphere in the meeting hall became a little more relaxed, and family members began to discuss specific plans, hoping to bring a turnaround for the Ye family through this foreign aid.

……

The early morning sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains, gently brushing Xiao Ling's face, waking him up from his sleep.

He opened his eyes and found that Xiao Yixian's bed was empty, with the bedding neatly folded aside.

Xiao Ling stretched, sat up from the bed, simply tidied his clothes, and then walked out of the room with a hint of curiosity.

In the yard, Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin were sitting at the stone table, sipping tea and chatting leisurely.

The little medical fairy was wearing a simple and elegant long dress with her long hair gently draped over her shoulders, looking particularly fresh and refined.

Qinglin was wearing her favorite green dress, looking lively and smart. Their laughter and conversation echoed in the early morning air, adding a touch of warmth to this quiet morning.

Xiao Ling walked between them, sat down naturally, reached out and picked up a cup of brewed tea, blew it gently, and then took a small sip. The fragrance of tea spread on the tip of his tongue. He squinted his eyes in satisfaction and joined the chat between the two.

"By the way, young master, someone came to look for you just now, but since I saw you were still sleeping, I asked them to go back first. But he seems to still be waiting outside." Qinglin suddenly thought of something and said to Xiao Ling.

"Oh? Someone is looking for me?" Xiao Ling pinched Qing Lin's smooth face and asked with a smile, "Do you know why they are looking for me?"

"Looking at the clothes they are wearing, they should be from the Ye family, one of the five major families in Danta." Little Medical Fairy added.

"People from the Ye family, I can probably guess why they are looking for me." Xiao Ling touched his chin, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Xian'er, go and see if they are still there. If they are, please invite them in. I still need their help to help you condense the poison pill."

The Little Medical Fairy nodded, stood up, and walked lightly towards the gate. Xiao Ling continued to sip tea, chat with Qing Lin, and wait for the Ye family's visitor.

It was indeed as Qinglin said, the people from the Ye family did not leave. They had been waiting patiently outside the door.

After receiving a summons from the Little Medical Immortal, they were led into the courtyard. In the bright hall, Xiao Ling sat in the main seat, his eyes fell on an old man in green clothes below, his face was a little strange.

"I am Ye Chong, the eldest elder of the Ye family. I have come to meet Master Xiao Ling. My granddaughter Ye Xinlan is studying at Canaan College thanks to the care of Master Xiao Ling." Ye Chong greeted politely and introduced himself while trying to narrow the distance between them through Ye Xinlan's relationship.

"So it's Elder Ye Zhong. I've heard of the reputation of the five major families of Danta. Please take a seat." Xiao Ling smiled lightly after hearing this, and his tone was relaxed. "As for junior sister Xin Lan, I just gave her some advice, and she also gave me corresponding rewards."

Ye Chong sat down as he was told, secretly feeling relieved. He knew that many geniuses tended to think highly of themselves and were difficult to approach. Before coming, he was prepared to be turned away, but Xiao Ling's approachability surprised him.

"I wonder what the Ye family, as one of the five major families in Danta, wants from me? It can't be as simple as asking me to refine pills?" Seeing Ye Chong sitting down, Xiao Ling went straight to the point with a hint of amusement in his tone.

Ye Zhong laughed dryly and waved his hand: "Haha, Master Xiao Ling, you are joking. I have other important matters to discuss with you."

"Oh? Then why not tell me about it..." Xiao Ling's tone was relaxed, motioning Ye Chong to continue.

"Master Xiao Ling knows the five major families, so he should know that these five major families have been passed down a long time ago. The patriarchs who founded these five major families at that time were all core members of Danta. And according to the conditions, as long as the five major families can meet certain conditions in the future, they can all occupy a seat in the elders' seat of Danta." Ye Zhong began to explain with a hint of pride in his voice.

“The five major families all have a significant influence in Dan Domain. With the powerful backing of Dan Tower, they can do almost whatever they want in Dan Domain. Even big forces like Sangu Sifang Pavilion have to show courtesy to the five major families... However, our Ye family is no longer in this group.” At this point, Ye Zhong’s face became a little gloomy.

"Oh? I guess you're looking for me because of this matter." Xiao Ling raised his eyebrows slightly and asked knowingly.

“That’s right. Danta will assess the five major families every once in a while. Only the families that pass the assessment can continue to retain their seats on the elders’ bench.” Ye Zhong’s voice revealed a sense of urgency.

"Danta attaches great importance to the training of the younger generation, so the assessment is naturally aimed at the younger generation. But unfortunately, the talents of the younger generation in our Ye family are becoming increasingly scarce, and each generation is inferior to the previous one. They failed to meet the standards in the last assessment." Ye Zhong sighed, with helplessness in his tone.

"For the next assessment, I think..." Ye Zhong paused, as if he was considering his words, "I would like to ask Master Xiao Ling to represent our Ye family in the assessment. Please rest assured that we will provide you with a satisfactory reward. As one of the five major families, our Ye family has accumulated a lot of resources over the years. Whether it is an eighth-grade pill formula or other treasures, we can provide them."

Ye Zhong spoke faster and faster, obviously worried that Xiao Ling would refuse, so he hurriedly put forward his conditions.

The conditions he proposed were indeed tempting. Although Xiao Ling already had some eighth-grade pill recipes, this did not mean that the value of eighth-grade pills was not high. An ordinary eighth-grade alchemist could not collect many eighth-grade pill recipes.

"The conditions sound really attractive..." Xiao Ling narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly.

"But why don't you find other alchemists to take the assessment instead? Such conditions should be able to attract many young alchemists." After a little thought, Xiao Ling raised his question.

Ye Zhong sighed and explained, "Master Xiao Ling, you don't know that the minimum qualification for this kind of assessment requires alchemists to be at least rank six, and to pass the assessment, one must be at least rank seven alchemists. Most of those talented alchemists who have reached this level at a young age have powerful alchemy families behind them. Those families are eager to see the Ye family fall so that they can replace it, so how could they possibly help us?"

Having said this, Ye Zhong shook his head helplessly again.

Xiao Ling nodded to show his understanding, and then said, "In that case, Elder Ye Zhong, I agree to your request."

"Really?" Ye Chong was overjoyed and immediately stood up, wanting to express his gratitude to Xiao Ling.

"Master Xiao Ling, this matter..." He was so excited that he could hardly speak.

"Don't be impatient, I have two more requests." Xiao Ling interrupted him.

Ye Zhong was stunned for a moment, then said, "Please tell me, I will do my best to meet your requirements."

"Don't worry, Elder Ye Chong. The Ye family can do what I ask for. First, I need to use your Ye family's Ancient Yang Fire Pond." Xiao Ling said.

"If Master Xiao Ling wants to borrow the Yanghuo Ancient Pond of our Ye family, that's no problem, I agree to this condition." Ye Zhong responded immediately. Although the Yanghuo Ancient Pond is an important forbidden area of ​​the Ye family, Xiao Ling only wants to borrow it, not to take it away, so this is not a big problem for the Ye family.

"Second, I hope to read the Ye family's books on alchemy, as well as the various notes left by ancestors of past generations." Xiao Ling nodded and put forward his second condition.

Although the Ye family is gradually declining now, as one of the five major families when Danta was first founded, their ancestors once had a glorious history and they must have collected a lot of rare information on alchemy. Xiao Ling is naturally very interested in this information.

"Well... Master Xiao Ling, these are all secrets of our Ye family. I really can't make the decision alone." After hearing this request, Ye Zhong's face became a little embarrassed.

"Elder Ye Chong, we are all wise people, and you know how many people are coveting the Ye family now." Xiao Ling smiled slightly, his tone relaxed.

Ye Zhong hesitated for a while, and finally gritted his teeth and agreed: "Okay, I agree to this matter, but I have a request, Master Xiao Ling, please accept my granddaughter Ye Xinlan as your disciple."

If it was the heyday of the Ye family, they would not agree to such a request, but the Ye family was in a difficult situation now. Ye Zhong knew that this was the best way, and even if he was unwilling, he had to agree.

As for letting Ye Xinlan become Xiao Ling's disciple, it can also make the relationship between the two sides closer.

"There is not much difference in age between me and Junior Sister Xinlan, so it is not suitable for me to take a disciple, and I don't have any plans to do so. But I can promise you that if there is a chance, I can give her some guidance." Xiao Ling said.

"Okay, that's fine." Although he felt a little regretful that Xiao Ling couldn't accept Ye Xinlan as his disciple, Ye Zhong couldn't say anything more.

If Xiao Ling is made unhappy, then the last chance to resolve the Ye family’s current predicament may be ruined.

"Since your Ye family has agreed to my conditions, then leave the next assessment to me. Passing the assessment should not be a difficult task. When I need to use the Yanghuo Ancient Pond, I will visit the Ye family in person. It will probably be a matter of a few days." Xiao Ling's tone revealed confidence.

"With Master Xiao Ling here, everything will be foolproof." Ye Zhong responded with a smile, thinking to himself that for an eighth-rank alchemist, passing that kind of assessment would be a piece of cake, and even getting first place would be a matter of course.

After the two chatted for a few more sentences, Ye Zhong stood up and said goodbye. He needed to go back as soon as possible to report the results of the negotiation to the family.

Not long after Ye Zhong left, visitors began to arrive at Xiao Ling's courtyard. Most of them came to make friends, and some came to ask for alchemy.

As for those who wanted to make friends with him, Xiao Ling cleverly dismissed them with just a few words. He didn't have much time to waste now.

As for those who asked for pills, Xiao Ling patiently talked to them for a while, mainly discussing the issues of remuneration and refining time.

Those who come to Xiao Ling, an eighth-grade alchemist, to ask for pills are basically powerful people with strong financial resources or people who have the support of powerful forces behind them. The rewards they offer are naturally considerable.

Xiao Ling could also make use of the time when Venerable Tianhuo was in seclusion to earn some extra money and pass the time, while also honing his alchemy skills.

Ever since Xiao Ling took out those rare poisons from the Dan Tower, the Little Medical Immortal was overjoyed and immediately began to use these newly acquired poisons to prepare new poisons.

She confidently stated that with the help of these poisons, she would be able to break through to the Dou Zun realm by secluding herself for three months.

Qinglin knew that she needed to work harder to keep up with Xiao Yixian and Xiao Ling, so she devoted herself to hard training every day.

Since coming to Zhongzhou, Xiao Ling has helped her capture several sixth-level monsters, but she has not encountered a seventh-level snake monster yet.

Xiao Ling already had a plan in mind. When he had time, he would take Qinglin to the Beast Domain to find and tame some high-level snake monsters.

(End of this chapter)