.
After more than an hour of flight, Xiao Ling and his companions were getting closer to their destination. According to the map, they would soon reach the border of the Jiama Empire...
Time slipped away in the tedious flight. As the endlessly long journey once again crossed a majestic mountain range, the outline of a massive fortress suddenly appeared at the end of their sight.
Built into the mountainside, the fortress, like a ferocious tiger, guarded the main route leading out of the empire. Anyone wishing to leave the empire must pass through this massive fortress. This heavily fortified fortress has swallowed countless battlefield souls over the years, earning it a fearsome presence from the neighboring empires.
Hence, this fortress has a rather ominous name. "
Suppressing Ghosts Pass!
"...
As Xiao Ling watched, the outline of a massive fortress emerged into view. Even from the distance, it still exuded a sinister aura, clearly having been the site of numerous wars and countless lives lost.
As they gradually approached the massive fortress, the griffin's presence was noticed by the soldiers aboard.
Although it was at least several hundred meters above the ground, the soldiers below, looking up from this height, could only see the silhouette of a flying bird, not Xiao Ling and Zi Yan standing atop it. However, Xiao Ling's eyesight allowed him to clearly take in every movement on the ground.
The soldiers were already on full alert, ready to draw their bows and arrows and shoot the beast down from the sky if it approached.
Inside the commander's office at the Ghost Pass Fortress, a middle-aged man was attending to some tasks. This man was Mu Tie, the commander of the Ghost Pass. He hailed from the Mu family, one of the three great families of the Jia Ma Empire, and had reached the pinnacle of Dou Ling power.
Suddenly, an armored soldier entered, saluted, and then announced, "Commander, a fourth-tier flying magical beast has descended from the sky. It appears to be one of Canaan Academy's griffins."
Hearing the soldier's report, Mu Tie frowned, puzzled, and said, "Canaan Academy still hasn't started enrolling for over six months. Why are they here now? Let's go out and take a look first." He then stood up from his seat and headed outside.
By the time Mu Tie and his soldiers reached the fortress, the griffin had stopped and hovered in mid-air.
Two figures approached the griffin's head. The one in front was a young man, about fifteen or sixteen, with blue hair cascading over his shoulders. He was handsome, his fair skin masculine, his figure slender and upright, and his presence radiated a friendly demeanor. Behind him followed a little girl, perhaps eleven or twelve, wearing a white dress and her silky purple hair tied in twin ponytails. She looked incredibly adorable.
Under the stunned gazes of Mu Tie and the soldiers, the young man and the little girl behind him unfurled a pair of Dou Qi wings and slowly flew toward the fortress.
Seeing this, the soldiers on the fortress gasped and exclaimed,
"Hiss, Dou Wang masters!"
"Two Dou Wang masters appeared at once! What could have happened?"
"That little girl is also a Dou Wang master! How is that possible?"
Even Mu Tie, the strongest person there, was shocked, muttering to himself, "Such a young Dou Wang master! What force has nurtured this monstrous creature, and what brings them to the Jia Ma Empire?"
After Xiao Ling and Zi Yan disembarked from the griffin, it flew off in the direction they had come. Seeing this, Mu Tie was certain that these two were bound for the Jia Ma Empire, but he didn't know whether it would be a blessing or a curse. He quickly stepped forward and asked the two men, "I am Mu Tie, the Grand Commander of the Ghost Pass. What brings you here, or are you just visiting the Jiama Empire?"
Xiao Ling heard the other party introduce himself and inquire about his purpose, so he didn't keep the secret. "I am Xiao Ling, an elder from the Canaan Academy in the Black Horn Region, and a member of the Xiao family in Wutan City in the Jiama Empire. The person behind me is my companion. Rest assured, I have no ill will towards you or the Jiama Empire." Hearing the name
"Xiao Ling," Mu Tie paused, his mind recollecting a name that had spread throughout the imperial capital a few years ago: "Xiao Ling, the greatest genius in the Jiama Empire in a thousand years." According to reports gathered by various factions, this person had practiced Qi training at the age of four and a half, reached the Fighter level at the age of eight, and then went to Canaan Academy for further training, and no one heard from him again. At that time, the major factions and families in the Jiama Empire, having learned of Xiao Ling's existence, sought to invite him to join their forces, but they had long since lost him. According to the clan leader, the royal guardian wanted to marry the young princess to this man, hoping to bring him into the royal family. Once he grew up, there would be no need to worry about the guardian's passing, leaving the Yunlan Sect with no one to suppress its rise. However, no one could have imagined that in just seven years, the then-young Dou Zhe had become a Dou Wang powerhouse. Such talent truly lived up to the title of "the Jia Ma Empire's greatest genius in a thousand years."
Without dwelling on these things, Mu Tie hurried forward, grinning and saying, "Hahaha, it's Xiao Ling, the renowned genius of the Jia Ma Empire. I've long heard of your name, and seeing you today, you're truly a young talent. At such a young age, you're already a Dou Wang powerhouse, far more powerful than even an old man like me, who has cultivated for most of my life."
By this time, the two had landed on the city wall. Xiao Ling waved his hand and said, "I won't waste any more pleasantries. I need to find someone first. Please deliver a letter to the Xiao family in Wutan City. Then, have the royal family escort my family members to the imperial capital and arrange a place for the Xiao family to live there. Once this is accomplished, as long as the royal family can gather the ingredients for three Po Zong Dan (Breaking Sect Pills), I will help Jia Lao refine one. If you can accomplish this, I believe the royal family will recognize your contribution." After saying this, Xiao Ling withdrew an alchemist badge from his ring.
As a certified sixth-grade alchemist from Canaan Academy, Xiao Ling also possessed his own alchemist badge.
However, Xiao Ling generally kept a low profile and rarely wore it.
Due to the immense influence of the Dan Tower, alchemist badges on the Dou Qi Continent differed in appearance, but all were different in color. On the Northwest Continent, it was a medicine cauldron with silver ripples.
As a high-ranking alchemist, his medicine cauldron would have several silver ripples.
The alchemist badge Xiao Ling had just retrieved from his storage ring had six flowing ripples on it, a truly spiritual sight.
This type of alchemist badge is extremely difficult to forge, and even those who could do so rarely attempt it.
Counterfeiting badges is not only deeply dishonorable, but also easily offends the alchemist if discovered. On the Douqi Continent, alchemists are a proud and proud group.
After hearing Xiao Ling's words, Mu Tie cast his gaze towards the alchemist badge in Xiao Ling's hand and began counting the ripples.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, he is actually a sixth-grade alchemist."
This scared Mu Tie a lot. He didn't expect that Xiao Ling's talent in cultivation was not only unbelievable, but also his alchemy skills were no less impressive. You must know that in all these years, the Jiama Empire had only one sixth-grade alchemist, Master Guhe, a guest elder of the Yunlan Sect. And judging from Xiao Ling's tone, he was a sixth-grade alchemist who could refine the Sect Breaking Pill. Master Guhe couldn't even refine the Huangji Pill, but he could refine the Sect Breaking Pill which was more difficult than the Huangji Pill. That meant that Xiao Ling's alchemy skills were unmatched in the Jiama Empire. He spent only seven years to surpass Master Guhe's half-life efforts. Hiss... this talent was really terrifying.
Emitting a faint wisp of the Golden Emperor's Burning Heaven Flame's heat, Xiao Ling waved his hand and said, "It's just luck. I obtained a Strange Fire,
which is why my alchemy skills have improved so rapidly." Xiao Ling had spread the news of the Strange Fire, hoping that the Nalan family would come to him and ask him to remove Nalan Jie's poison, so that he could obtain the Seven Illusions Azure Spirit Saliva. Xiao Ling didn't want to rush over to help them. Furthermore, no one in the Jiama Empire could snatch the Strange Fire from him. Even if Jie Jie wanted to capture him, with the speed of the Split Sky Zone, it would be easy to escape.
Feeling the terrifying, heart-pounding heat, Mu Tie was shocked again. He was actually an alchemist who possessed a Strange Fire. Master Gu He had searched for most of his life without success, yet this person possessed a Strange Fire at such a young age. Such luck was truly enviable.
Mu Tie hurriedly bowed and said in a more respectful tone than before: "I was a little rude before. I didn't expect that Master Xiao Ling is actually a sixth-grade alchemist. I apologize to you first."
Waving his hand, he put the alchemist badge into the storage ring, took out a letter, and handed it to Mu Tie. Xiao Ling instructed: "There is no need for this. If this matter is done, you will need to refine the Dou Ling Dan when you break through to the Dou Wang level in the future. As long as the medicinal materials are ready, I can help you refine one when I am free."
Hearing this, Mu Tie was delighted. Now he was only one step away from the Dou Wang. After breaking through to the Dou Wang level, he would definitely use the Dou Ling Dan. By then, maybe he would be able to have his own place among the top ten strongest people in the empire. He would have to start collecting some medicinal materials for the Dou Ling Dan in the future.
After receiving the letter, Mu Tie said solemnly: "Mu Tie will definitely live up to your trust. Master Xiao Ling, you can go and find someone without worry."
Nodding, Xiao Ling took Zi Yan's hand and began to fly towards the Tagor Desert. After a while, they disappeared from Mu Tie's sight.
After seeing that the two had left, Mu Tie quickly handed the letter to his personal guard and asked him to take it to the Xiao family in Wutan City. He also quickly took action and went to report the matter to the royal family.
Flying in the air, Xiao Ling couldn't help but look forward to the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong. When he was reading novels in his previous life, Xiao Ling liked the character of Hai Bodong very much. Now he is about to meet him in person. It is really a wonderful feeling.
(End of this chapter)