Chapter 430: Ancient Porcelain

After the inside story of this year's five major family assessment was leaked, it caused a huge stir and was widely circulated in Shengdan City. Originally, everyone thought that the Ye family would definitely decline, but unexpectedly, it became a huge upset.

According to rumors, the Ye family paid an unknown amount of money to invite Master Xiao Ling, who was already recognized as the eighth-grade alchemy master in Zhongzhou and the chief alchemist of Xingyun Pavilion.

Master Xiao Ling participated in the assessment as a representative of the Ye family, and eventually won the first place in the assessment, thus retaining the title of one of the five major families of the Ye family.

Not only that, during this assessment, Danta geniuses Cao Ying and Dan Chen also came out to participate in the battle.

However, even though the two of them joined forces to deal with Xiao Ling, in the end, they were still defeated by Xiao Ling.

This result not only made people deeply aware of Xiao Ling's powerful strength, but also made people know that Cao Ying and Dan Chen were by no means weak.

Xiao Ling, Cao Ying and Dan Chen became famous overnight. People were discussing which of these three people who were recognized as the favorites to win the championship was most likely to win the championship...

……

The Ghost Mountain Range is located in the northwest of Zhongzhou. It is a well-known dangerous place in Zhongzhou. It is said that many wars broke out here a long time ago, and countless skeletons are buried under the soil of the mountain range.

Moreover, due to the extremely strong natural cold here, the cold fog covers the mountains all year round. Being in this cold fog will affect the perception of the soul. If some reckless people break in, they may be trapped and killed in the mountains.

In a deep valley in the deepest part of the Ghost Mountains, a huge black palace lies quietly there, like a sleeping ancient beast, emitting terrifying energy fluctuations that make people's heart frightened.

"puff!"

Suddenly, without any warning, a gloomy wind blew up in the huge palace, as if some mysterious omen had quietly arrived. In a flash, black fog like a tide surged out of the huge palace and quickly spread.

After a while, the black mist began to condense and gradually transformed into many black figures. These figures stood quietly in the sky, faintly emitting a strong and extremely cold aura, which quickly swept across the world.

"Welcome to Venerable Mu Gu!"

Many black shadows appeared like ghosts, and then they all knelt down in the sky. The respectful voices echoed in the sky for a long time.

As these shadowy figures knelt down, the space slowly twisted, as if being gently stirred by an invisible giant hand.

After a moment, the void was like a calm lake with a stone thrown into it, causing subtle and mysterious ripples to appear.

Soon, a figure quietly emerged, like a ghost, and silently, it slowly stepped into the void.

This man was wearing a blue robe, which fluttered slightly in the cold wind that whistled through the hall. His body exuded a faint and strange aura that was mysterious and unpredictable. His eyes were as calm as water as he slowly scanned the kneeling black shadows around him and the huge and majestic black hall.

At this moment, a figure slowly raised his head from a stone pillar in the hall.

The figure cast his gaze towards the Venerable Mu Gu who had just appeared, and said in a hoarse voice, "Hehe, Mu Gu, you are finally here. I have been waiting for you here for a long time."

Hearing this voice, Venerable Mu Gu quickly retracted his gaze and cast his eyes in the direction where the voice came from. After seeing the face of the person who spoke clearly, he immediately explained,

"I went to see the Lord Palace Master earlier. In order to smoothly carry out this plan, I was fortunate enough to receive some rewards from the Lord Palace Master. Hehe, with this thing in hand, my Soul Palace will naturally win the championship of this alchemy competition."

As he spoke, a strange black flame suddenly flashed in the eyes of Master Mu Gu. The flame was like the devil's flame from the netherworld, as if it could devour all things in the world, emitting a domineering and extremely strange hot breath.

"Since you are ready, let's set off. The alchemy conference will begin soon, so don't waste time." As the old ghost Zhaixing spoke, he waved his sleeves and floated down from the stone pillar and came in front of Venerable Mugu.

Venerable Mu Gu came back to his senses, and immediately turned to the old ghost Zhai Xing and asked, "Since you are leaving here, who will guard this branch hall in the future?"

"Don't worry, I have already informed the higher-ups about this operation. Later, the Black and White Lords will come to guard this branch hall. We just need to do our own thing." The old ghost Zhaixing said. Immediately, as he said this, he stepped slightly in the air, his body trembled, and then slowly disappeared.
Seeing this, Venerable Mu Gu did not say anything more. He waved his sleeves, rolled up several Soul Palace Heaven-level guardians in the hall, and turned into a beam of light. In a flash, he quickly caught up with the figure of Zhaixing Old Ghost...

……

While the Soul Palace was taking action, on the other side, Xiao Ling and Cao Ying were strolling leisurely in Shengdan City.

Cao Ying walked on the right, with a graceful figure and charming expressions. Xiao Ling walked on the left, with a dignified demeanor and a calm look.

Zi Yan was also interested this time, and out of caution against Cao Ying, she followed Xiao Ling out.

She held Xiao Ling's hand tightly, and her bright big eyes looked left and right curiously. Her lively and smart look complemented her childish appearance.

Xiao Ling naturally had no reason to refuse Zi Yan's joining. After all, Zi Yan was innocent and cute, and having her around made things more fun.

Moreover, Zi Yan has the blood of the ancient Taixu dragon clan in her body, and she also has a talent for treasure hunting. Maybe she can find some surprising good things while strolling around this Shengdan City.

Just as I said before, Cao Ying was indeed the guide for Xiao Ling and Zi Yan this time. After all, this was Xiao Ling's second time in Shengdan City. Although he was familiar with it before, he was naturally not as good as Cao Ying, who often stayed in Shengdan City.

"In Shengdan City, alchemists are the least valuable, but also the most valuable. There are at least 8,000 alchemists gathered here all year round. It's not an exaggeration to say that they are a handful."

"Especially now, when the Alchemy Conference is about to begin, the number of alchemists has increased many times compared to normal times."

Cao Ying acted as a temporary guide and introduced the characteristics of Shengdan City to Xiao Ling and Zi Yan.

"But correspondingly, as long as your level is high enough and reaches above the sixth rank, you will receive more distinguished treatment here."

"Haha, I've already felt it." Xiao Ling just nodded slightly. Along the way, countless eyes were cast towards him and Cao Ying beside him.

The two of them seemed to have a strong magnetic force, firmly attracting the attention of the people around them. As they walked along, the strange looks from the people around them never left.

Some people of some status even took the initiative to come forward and greet them, but their attitudes were extremely polite and their words were full of respect.

Xiao Ling had naturally experienced such special treatments in other places, but in Shengdan City, this treatment was particularly obvious and prominent.

The people here seem to have an even stronger respect for alchemists. When Xiao Ling and Cao Ying walk on the road, they can clearly feel the respectful gazes following them closely.

This respect is not only because of their identities, but also because of the awe and yearning for the alchemy they represent.

Cao Ying smiled at a Danta elder who was passing by, then retracted her gaze and continued, "Although people should not be divided into different levels, this is the most obvious in Shengdan City."

"Ordinary alchemists are in the first tier, and people from the five major families are in the next tier. Above them, there are Danta disciples and Danta core disciples. Basically, from their identities, we can roughly judge a person's alchemy level..."

The two chatted along the way. However, Cao Ying was mostly introducing things about Shengdan City to Xiao Ling, while Xiao Ling listened quietly. Zi Yan would occasionally interject, and occasionally run out to wander around some roadside stalls. Her lively and playful appearance made many stall owners take the initiative to give her some small gifts.

However, if those people knew that Zi Yan was the princess of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, I don’t know what they would think. They would probably be so surprised that their mouths would be unable to close...

When you reach the junction of the outer and inner areas of Shengdan City, a grand trade fair covering an extremely vast area comes into view.

Also at the entrance of the trade fair, two men in fifth-grade alchemist robes seemed to be arguing over a herb. They were so angry that their faces turned red and spit flew everywhere, and they even flipped through each other's family tree.

But even so, they still tried to restrain themselves.

If this scene happened in the Black Horn Region, it would be an unimaginable scene. In the Black Horn Region, if they encountered such a situation, those desperate criminals would have already started a fight, and the noise would have been very loud.

However, when Xiao Ling and Cao Ying arrived here, the people around them immediately recognized these two famous figures in Shengdan City.

They stopped talking very respectfully, lowered their voices, bowed slightly to the two men, and then went about their own business.

The two fifth-grade alchemists who were arguing fiercely also noticed the movement here. They instantly became extremely restrained and stopped arguing, as if the argument just now had never happened.

"This is the largest alchemist trading place in Shengdan City, which is somewhat similar to those auction houses. A larger-scale trade fair is held every month. If you want to find a bargain here, this is undoubtedly the best time. However, the items traded today are not expected to be too outstanding. In addition, there are certain requirements to enter."

Cao Ying nodded slightly to the people around her, and it was obvious that she was already accustomed to such scenes. Then, she led Xiao Ling and Zi Yan slowly towards the interior of the trading area, introducing the situation here to them as they walked.

"Haha, what other requirements do you have that can stump us? Can't we, two eighth-grade alchemists, get in?" Xiao Ling smiled and teased.

Cao Ying also had a bright smile on her face, and said softly: "Of course, with your and my identities, within this Shengdan City, as long as we don't enter the core areas of the Dan Tower, we can pass through other places without any obstacles just by scanning our faces..."

Following behind Cao Ying, Xiao Ling, Cao Ying and Zi Yan walked forward steadily. They did not stop at the first or second floor, but went straight to the top floor with a clear goal.

Just as Cao Ying said before, their noble status as eighth-grade alchemists was the best proof in this place.

When they appeared at the entrance to the top floor, the guards guarding the door immediately showed awe in their eyes when they saw Xiao Ling and Cao Ying coming with Zi Yan.

The guards did not dare to step forward to check. They just greeted them respectfully and then quickly stepped aside to make a clear path for them.

The twenty-meter-long staircase was not very long, but Xiao Ling was keenly aware of several hidden gazes quietly coming from some hidden corners, silently sizing him up.

Although these gazes were obscure, Xiao Ling could clearly sense their presence. However, after a brief perception, he did not detect any malicious intent from them, so he did not pay too much attention to them.

Compared with the two floors below, the interior space of the top floor is not spacious. However, its decoration is very attentive. The ground is covered with light green warm jade, showing luxury in a low-key way. When the soles of the feet step on it, a light warm and cool feeling instantly flows into the soles of the feet, making the whole body extremely comfortable, as if all the fatigue is quietly dispelled at this moment.

There were very few people on the top floor. At a glance, there were only a handful of 20 or 30 people. However, it was certain that if these 20 or 30 people were outside, they would definitely be truly powerful or alchemy masters who could cause some sensation. They were either majestic or calm, and they exuded a unique temperament.

The appearance of Xiao Ling and Cao Ying naturally attracted the attention of some people on the top floor. At that moment, many eyes turned to them, with curiosity, scrutiny or slight surprise.

Those who were looking at them ignored Zi Yan and looked at Xiao Ling and Cao Ying. When everyone saw their faces clearly, their pupils couldn't help but shrink slightly, revealing surprise.

Immediately, kind smiles appeared on those old faces, and they all walked towards Xiao Ling and Cao Ying to greet them.

The two of them smiled and responded calmly. Those who could come here were basically well-known figures.

Looking at the alchemist badges on their chests, the lowest one was of the seventh rank. In the outside world, they were all well-known figures.

Xiao Ling and Cao Ying did not delay at all and walked steadily towards the trading area. Zi Yan was extremely excited at this moment, and her eyes, like purple gemstones, were shining.

As soon as she stepped into the highest level, she could feel the aura of many treasures that she had never experienced before. If she had not been with Xiao Ling and had seen many rare treasures, she would have been unable to hold back and rushed there like an arrow.

The items that can be traded on this rooftop are all extremely valuable. Xiao Ling and Cao Ying walked around for a while and saw almost nothing below level six.

The magic cores and medicinal herbs are all top-grade products rarely seen in the outside world.

In addition to these things, there are also many ambiguous items whose value even these alchemy masters themselves are unsure of. And these items are the best targets for picking up bargains.

For example, the stall in front of Xiao Ling and Cao Ying. On this jade table, wisps of cold air continued to diffuse from the table, and then spread out, causing the temperature here to drop a lot.

On the jade table, there were scattered medicinal materials, pill recipes, magic cores, and even pills, etc. Moreover, just from the appearance, it was clear that they were not ordinary things.

Many figures gathered around the stall. It was obvious that everyone had a strong interest in the things on the stall. His sight passed over the jade platform and finally stopped at the gray-haired old man behind the jade platform.

The old man was in tattered clothes and had a lazy look on his face. He was lying on the jade platform, completely ignoring the onlookers around him, and was picking his ears as if no one was around.

But the seventh-grade alchemist badge he wore on his chest emitted a dazzling light, showing his identity as a seventh-grade senior alchemist, making people dare not look down on him.

"What's going on? Have you taken a fancy to something?" Seeing Xiao Ling stop and look, Cao Ying came up to him and asked curiously.

Before this, when Xiao Ling and the other two were strolling in the hall, Xiao Ling found some spiritual medicines and medicinal materials that he had never collected before, and exchanged them for himself regardless of the price.

Zi Yan also became very interested in some of the treasures she sensed, so Xiao Ling accompanied her to select and exchange quite a few, and the harvest was quite good.

However, it was the first time for Cao Ying to see Xiao Ling showing such interest.

"Barely so."

Xiao Ling raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, and responded softly.

The sloppy old man saw Xiao Ling and Cao Ying walking slowly towards him and obviously recognized their identities.

The originally lazy expression moved slightly, and a hint of imperceptible surprise flashed in his eyes.

Afterwards, he unconsciously sat up a little straighter, and the laziness on his face faded a lot, but his casual posture remained the same as before, without any change.

"Hey, isn't this Master Xiao Ling and Master Cao Ying, the disciple of President Xuan Kongzi? What have you two taken a fancy to on my stall? If you are interested, just ask me. They are all good things at affordable prices." The old man smiled and said to Xiao Ling and the others. (End of this chapter)