"No need to act with me." Seeing Cao Ying playing dumb, Feng Qing Er hugged her budding chest tightly, her gaze arrogant as she slightly raised her chin. "You received the message and rushed to see me because you guessed I have one too."
"What are you talking about?" Cao Ying looked completely bewildered. "You are the sect leader's disciple of the Wind Lightning Pavilion and a member of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe—one of the three great magical beast families."
"When someone of your status comes to visit me, of course I have to warmly receive you on behalf of the Cao family."
Feng Qing Er looked at Cao Ying's expression, a trace of mockery appearing at the corner of her lips. "I never said I was from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe."
"It wouldn't be hard for my Cao family to find out that the young pavilion master of the Wind Lightning Pavilion is from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe," Cao Ying said, her baby-fat face showing no change in expression.
"Heh." Feng Qing Er's eyes turned contemptuous. "If the Little Pill Tower knew my identity, I wouldn't doubt it. But does your Cao family have that ability?"
"What's the point of putting on this act with me? If you don't want to be friends, then forget it."
With those words, Feng Qing Er acted decisively and stood up to leave.
Looking at her back, Cao Ying puffed her little mouth. "I do have the same thing as you. What is your purpose in coming to find me?"
Precisely because the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe was so powerful—with many Dou Saints—it was something the Cao family couldn't compare to. That was why she hadn't wanted to tell the truth.
What if Feng Qing Er ordered a powerhouse to kill her?
Unless a Pill Tower ancestor intervened, the Pill Tower couldn't stop the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
But refusing to meet would seem too suspicious, like a guilty conscience. So she could only meet.
"You finally admit it."
Feng Qing Er stopped, turned around, and casually tossed out a colorful feather. It transformed into a special crystal that enveloped the surroundings.
"This barrier can isolate sound. Unless a Heavenly State soul expert or a Dou Saint acts, no one can eavesdrop by force."
Feng Qing Er walked back and sat down opposite Cao Ying, tapping the table with her finger.
"I came to find you because I want to cooperate with you."
"Cooperate?" Cao Ying blinked in confusion.
What could she and Feng Qing Er possibly cooperate on?
"Correct, cooperate." Feng Qing Er's expression was arrogant, her tone lofty. "People like you and me—I call us the Enlightened Ones."
Cao Ying: What a silly name. "Enlightened Ones" sounds worse than "Awakened Ones."
But Cao Ying didn't complain. She simply watched quietly as Feng Qing Er continued her performance.
"We know how vast the world is. We know the truth of the Battle Qi Continent. We know that Dou God is not far away. We know what lies beyond the plane."
"We know Xiao Yan is the Child of Fate, and we know even more that Xiao Ting is the powerful World Observer of the Child of Fate."
"Although you are still young, I believe you won't remain indifferent."
Cao Ying subconsciously puffed out her chest.
Calling me small—I don't think I'm that much smaller than you. In a few more years, when lying down, I'd be the "older sister."
Feng Qing Er spoke passionately while Cao Ying, with her pure and adorable face, inwardly roasted her.
When Feng Qing Er finished, a trace of admiration appeared on Cao Ying's face. "Sister, you're too amazing. You actually thought of so much."
"Unlike me, your little sister. I'm so stupid. After getting this Journal—uh, observation book—I've been uneasy the whole time."
"I don't know what to do in the future. It's great that you came, sister."
"What arrangements do you have, sister?"
Feng Qing Er tried hard to suppress the upward curve of her lips, feeling extremely pleased inside.
Cao Ying really was an inexperienced little girl without much backbone. She wasn't as clever, mature, or scheming as her.
Encountering such a rare opportunity and still panicking—no wonder she had used such a clumsy acting method to face her. In the end, it was just self-protection.
"Just listen to me," Feng Qing Er thought. Considering Cao Ying would become an eighth-tier alchemist at twenty-three and had hopes of becoming a ninth-tier alchemist before thirty, she didn't look down on her. "The most urgent task is for us to meet Xiao Ting in a reasonable and natural way, get to know him, resolve any issues, and become friends."
"Sister Qing Er, what should this little sister do then?" A gleam flashed in Cao Ying's eyes.
Her status in the Cao family was high, but she was still only a thirteen-year-old fourth-tier alchemist with limited manpower she could mobilize.
She also couldn't explain why she would suddenly go to the northwest continent's Jia Ma Empire to find someone named Xiao Ting.
Feng Qing Er coming to her was like delivering a pillow when she was drowsy.
"We'll use a two-pronged approach." Feng Qing Er already had a plan. Seeing Cao Ying playing along, she immediately continued, "On my side, I'm having the clan search for inheritances or information about fallen clansmen related to the northwest continent and the Black-Corner Region. That way, I can go there naturally."
"As for you, you can have the Cao family go to the northwest continent or the Black-Corner Region to recruit some talented alchemists for training. The excuse can be that you want a medicine boy. The Cao family won't refuse."
"Then, you can naturally propose to go and examine them personally. Wouldn't that work?"
Hearing this, Cao Ying felt Feng Qing Er was being delusional.
If she herself was a major character in Battle Through the Heavens, Xiao Ting would definitely know whether she had a medicine boy or not.
Going to the northwest continent and Black-Corner Region to find talented alchemists as medicine boys would simply be exposing herself.
And the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe inheritance—would Xiao Ting not know about that?
"Alright, I'll do as sister asks." Cao Ying agreed with eyes full of admiration.
After a short interaction, she had confirmed that Feng Qing Er had a domineering and conceited personality.
With this kind of woman, reasoning directly was useless. She had to go along with her or overpower her completely.
To avoid exposing herself, she would have to rack her brains to persuade her.
How did I get entangled with this kind of woman?
"Sister, you're really smart…"
"Sister, how can you think of so much…"
"So this is the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe? I want to learn more from sister…"
"Sister, from now on I'll follow you. You have to take care of your little sister…"
"As for that Xiao Yan or Xiao Ting, they're just lucky. How can they compare to sister? Now that sister has the observation book, you will definitely step on them to rise."
"Sister will be the first Dou God in ten thousand years—and a female god at that."
Feng Qing Er lost herself in Cao Ying's stream of "sister" praises. Her vanity was greatly satisfied.
The two words "female god" made her body tremble with excitement, almost wanting to shake her leg.
"Little Sister Ying Er, if I become a Dou God in the future, I will definitely protect you and help you reach that height too."
…
As for Cao Ying's behavior of coaxing Feng Qing Er into a placenta, Xiao Ting knew nothing about it.
At this moment, he was using his still-unfamiliar flying Dou Technique and had just arrived at the Amethyst Winged Lion's cave.
Perhaps because the powerhouse who had slain the lion king was a Dou Ancestor and had sealed the space, no commotion had leaked out. Surprisingly, no magical beasts had gathered nearby.
Xiao Ting smoothly entered the depths of the cave and stopped in front of a wall.
With Purple Crystal Wings activated, he passed through the wall without any obstruction.
Ling Ying: ?
A few dozen breaths later, Xiao Ting walked back out through the wall.
"Senior Ling Ying, I've obtained the items. Let's head back."
He cupped his fists toward empty air, then walked straight toward the cave entrance and activated his flying Dou Technique once more to leave.
"Once I become a Dou Grandmaster, I can take a trip to the Tager Desert."
"Since some things have already been changed by me, I'll just fetch the Green Lotus Core Flame for Brother Yan myself."
"Together with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and a Heavenly Flame, it'll be perfect for me to refine the Three Lines Green Spirit Pill!"
….