Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

The interior of the Awakening Hall was spacious, with dozens of children her age lined up neatly, the air filled with a tense yet expectant atmosphere.

The person in charge of the awakening was a middle-aged Soul Master, who was currently suspended in mid-air, his Soul Power surging around him, and a majestic beast Soul phantom appeared behind him.

He placed a huge awakening stone in the center, and the stone shone with light. He then began to guide the children one by one.

"Power Overlord, Martial Soul: Mighty Ox, Innate Soul Power Level 3!"

"Big Monkey, Martial Soul Skyrocket Monkey, Innate Soul Power Level 3!"

"Li Ergou, Martial Soul: Hoe, Innate Soul Power Level 1!"

"Er Ya..."

As each name was read out, the results became increasingly disappointing.

The Soul Master in charge of recording couldn't help but frown. Looking at the list in his hand, his heart was already filled with turmoil: [Heavens above, what's wrong with this generation of kids? Why isn't there even a single one with innate Soul Power Level 4? They're all freaks!]

He scratched his head in frustration, his mind screaming, "No way! At this rate, when will I ever get promoted?! If only a genius could come along!"

I would be willing to trade my son Su Yuntian's blindness for ten years, or even my grandson's blindness for five years, for it!

Finally, the procession reached Su Yuntian. The much-anticipated prodigy impatiently stepped onto the awakening array and urged his father—the Soul Master Su Liushui—"Hey, Father, it's time to awaken my Martial Soul!"

Su Liushui was startled from her reverie and gave a perfunctory reply: "Huh? Oh!"

He casually initiated the awakening ritual.

A flash of light appeared, and the phantom of a solitary gray wolf materialized. Su Liushui glanced at the test results and said calmly, "Su Yuntian, Martial Soul Lone Wolf, Innate Soul Power Level 5."

"Next!" This result was exactly what he had expected and did not stir up any ripples in his heart.

After all, he himself was a Lone Wolf Martial Soul with mediocre talent, and his wife was not much different. Being able to reach level five was already considered a stroke of good fortune.

When it was Bai Yue'er's turn, she walked steadily into the center of the formation.

Facing the curious or scrutinizing gazes around her, she did not flinch at all. Instead, she met the gaze of Su Liushui, who was sighing and groaning, with a bright and firm voice: "Uncle, I'm ready!"

That confidence and determination that emanated from his very bones actually made Su Liushui's eyes, which had become cloudy from long-term disappointment, light up slightly.

He then took a closer look at the girl in front of him and found that her clothes were made of fine material and had exquisite embroidery. They were definitely not the kind of clothes that people in the slums could afford. She was obviously a pampered young lady from some wealthy family.

[Hmph, probably just some rich businessman from the neighborhood sending this child to curry favor with the powerful.]

Su Liushui sneered inwardly, but then she thought that if this rich girl had some talent, it might not be a bad opportunity for her to climb the social ladder.

I hope it's a good martial soul. As long as it's not a useless one, maybe it can save me from this misery.

The Awakening Stone activated once more, and a surge of immense energy flowed into Bai Yue'er's body. She felt a scorching current rise from her dantian, frantically converging towards her right hand.

That was a long-dormant power awakening! She slowly opened her palm, and in an instant, a silver-white longsword, crystal clear and exuding a chilling aura, appeared out of thin air. Mysterious runes flowed faintly on the blade, like stars adorning it.

"Hmm?" Su Liushui's originally lazy expression froze instantly, then turned into undisguised ecstasy.

"Good! Good! Good! It's actually a sword spirit! And a rare mutated sword spirit at that!"

Before he could recover from his shock, he eagerly handed over a transparent crystal ball of soul power: "Child, quick! Test your innate soul power!"

Bai Yue'er did as she was told and placed her little hand on the crystal ball.

Om-!

Without any hesitation, the crystal ball instantly burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling and intense light!

The light was so dazzling that it illuminated most of the dimly lit hall, forcing the children around to cover their eyes and exclaim in surprise.

"My God! That's...that's the light that only someone with innate full soul power can have!"

Su Liushui was stunned, then burst into a deafening laugh, jumping up and down twice, her face flushed with excitement: "Hahaha! Innate full soul power! My God! Heaven has eyes! This is the day Su Liushui turns her life around! This is the starting point of my meteoric rise!"

In that instant, all the "oaths" he had previously sworn to curse his son and grandson in his heart were long forgotten.

Overwhelmed by joy, he grabbed Bai Yue'er's arm, his voice brimming with fervor: "Child! You are a once-in-a-millennium genius of the Sword Martial Soul! A peerless prodigy with innate full soul power! Such talent is being wasted here! You must join the Spirit Hall! There you will find the best resources, the strongest mentors, and the future Title Douluo will be yours alone!"

However, faced with this overwhelming wealth and glory, Bai Yue'er simply shook her head calmly. She turned to look at the gate, her gaze passing over the faces of the crowd, and fixed on that familiar figure at the entrance of the hall.

"Uncle, thank you for your appreciation." Her voice remained steady, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

“But I will not leave here. I want to stay with my master.”

Chapter 197 Su Baichen's Strength!

As Su Baichen, Xuanhuo, and Bai Yue'er were about to leave, Su Liushui felt extremely unwilling. He was unwilling to easily give up such a golden opportunity.

He rushed out of the Awakening Hall and caught up with Su Baichen and the other two, who had not gone far, with an almost ingratiating smile on his face.

"Brother, please wait and let me say something!" He blocked Su Baichen's way, his tone urgent.

"This child is a once-in-a-century... no, a once-in-a-millennium genius! Innate full soul power, plus a top-tier sword spirit, he's a gift from heaven! Joining the Spirit Hall is the only right path!"

He counted on his fingers, listing the benefits as if they were his most treasured possessions: "The Spirit Hall has the most complete Spirit Master training system, the richest cultivation resources, and the most powerful Spirit Master mentors on the entire continent! As long as she nods, she can immediately obtain the treatment of a core disciple, and in the future, there is even a great chance that she will receive personal guidance from a Title Douluo-level powerhouse!"

"Staying in a small place like ours would only be a waste of this unparalleled talent!"

Su Baichen stopped and listened to the dutiful Soul Master's endless persuasion, a helpless smile appearing on his face.

He turned his head, his gaze briefly meeting that of the Xuanhuo behind him.

Xuan Huo immediately understood. Without a word, a vast, majestic, and terrifying aura that sent shivers down one's spine suddenly erupted from his body!

A blazing red light shot into the sky, and a huge and eerie phantom of a fiery red plant unfolded behind him, its petals burning like flames and its roots wrapped in destructive energy—it was his top-tier plant-type martial soul, Fiery Apricot Blossom!

Then, a scene unfolded that nearly froze the blood of everyone present.

Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black, red!

Nine spirit rings, like nine suns of different colors, rose layer by layer from Xuanhuo's feet and circled around his body!

Especially that last spirit ring, a vivid, blood-red color, exuding a suffocating pressure, as if a primordial beast roared within it!

"Alright, Yue'er, let's go. It's time to find a suitable first spirit ring for you."

Su Baichen acted as if he had only done a trivial thing, without even glancing at the stunned Su Liushui. He took Bai Yue'er's small hand and continued walking forward with a composed gait.

Xuanhuo had concealed most of his aura, but the phantom of the nine soul rings was still terrifying.

He glanced at Su Liushui indifferently, his gaze calm and unwavering, yet Su Liushui felt as if she were being pressed down by an invisible mountain, not daring to even breathe.

Then, Xuanhuo turned around and followed Su Baichen at a leisurely pace.

Only after the three figures disappeared at the end of the street did the crowd that had been watching the commotion erupt in a frenzy!

"Nine, nine spirit rings! He's a Title Douluo! A living Title Douluo!"

"My God! Am I seeing things? That ninth ring... it's red!"

"One hundred thousand years! That's a legendary one hundred thousand year spirit ring! Only the most elite Title Douluos have a chance to possess it!"

"My God! Such a being has actually descended upon our small town! Just who is that girl's master? He actually has a Title Douluo accompanying and protecting her!"

"No wonder that girl refused to join the Spirit Hall... With such a powerful mentor, why would she need to go to the Spirit Hall..."

Exclamations, whispers, and gasps of shock rose and fell; everyone was utterly stunned by the fleeting glimpse of the scene.

Su Liushui, who was at the center of the incident, was still frozen in place, her face turning red and white, and her forehead covered in cold sweat.

[He's actually a Title Douluo! And his accompanying guards are Title Douluos too! I just... I just managed to persuade a disciple to join the Spirit Hall in front of someone who's at least a Super Douluo, maybe even a Peak Douluo?!]

He recalled his earnest advice and felt a burning pain on his face, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

After standing there in a daze for a full fifteen minutes, Su Liushui finally managed to regain her composure.

He slapped his cheeks hard, forcing himself to calm down.

"Never mind!" He gritted his teeth, his eyes regaining their shrewdness.

"Anyway, I personally awakened a sword spirit genius with innate full soul power, that's an undeniable fact! As long as I report this news verbatim, it will be a great achievement! As for that Title Douluo and that mysterious powerhouse... they are beyond my comprehension, let the big shots above deal with that!"

With that thought in mind, he no longer hesitated and immediately turned around and rushed back to the Awakening Hall. He wanted to write the most detailed report as quickly as possible.

On the way back, Bai Yue'er could no longer contain her excitement, and her eyebrows curved into crescent moons.

She would sometimes hop and skip, sometimes circle around Su Baichen, her silvery laughter echoing all the way.

"So happy?" Su Baichen looked at her with a smile, his gaze gentle.

"Yes! I'm super happy!" Bai Yue'er nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.

"Master, I have innate full soul power! And it's a sword spirit with super strong attack power! I will definitely become very, very powerful in the future, and then protect you, Master!"

Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she stopped abruptly, turned around, and stared straight at Su Baichen with her clear, big eyes, her small face filled with the expression of "I've discovered a secret."

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at your teacher like that all of a sudden?" Su Baichen feigned a puzzled expression.

"Master!" Bai Yue'er looked at Su Baichen with an expression that said, "Don't try to hide it from me."

"Tell me honestly, did you already know I could awaken a sword spirit? Otherwise, why have you only taught me swordsmanship these past two years, and never anything else? You wouldn't even let me learn Brother Xuanhuo's fire control!"

Faced with his apprentice's "aggressive" questioning, Su Baichen simply smiled, reached out, and gently ruffled her hair.

That smile carried a hint of mystery, a hint of understanding, and a sense of "heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

He neither admitted nor denied it, but simply gave Bai Yue'er a "guess" look before walking forward first.

Bai Yue'er pouted, but she knew that if her master didn't want to talk about something, asking wouldn't make a difference.

However, this slight "dissatisfaction" was quickly replaced by anticipation for future adventures. She hurried to catch up and chattered about spirit rings and spirit beasts.

Time flies, spring comes and autumn goes, and another two years have passed.

In the past two years, under Su Baichen's careful guidance, Bai Yue'er's strength has improved by leaps and bounds.

Her swordsmanship also became increasingly refined, and she began to develop her own unique style.

As for Su Baichen himself, with the subtle nourishment of the Heavenly Profound Pearl, the favor of the auspicious beast's fortune, and the assistance of the jade pendant that constantly compressed soul power, his cultivation level increased by leaps and bounds every day.

Now, he has quietly entered the realm of "Fourth Stage of Dou Zun".

This level of power, even if Su Baichen's casual strike were placed in the higher-level God Realm, would be enough to crush 90% of the gods!

Only if the five great god-kings of the God Realm Council joined forces, and with the support of the entire God Realm's primal power, could they unleash a fusion divine technique and pose even the slightest threat to him.

However, this threat is contingent on him having to stand still and withstand it, without being able to use his extraordinary spatial abilities to evade it.

On this day, Su Baichen brought Bai Yue'er to the sacred place in the hearts of the soul masters of the continent—Wuhun City.

The towering city walls and majestic palaces, the pedestrians on the streets, and the powerful soul energy fluctuations permeated the air.