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

In an instant, Qian Daoliu weighed all the pros and cons in his mind, as well as the weight of any promises that might be involved.

He thought of the angel's decree, the future of the Spirit Hall, and the unfathomable strength and transcendent calm of the person before him.

Finally, he raised his head, his gaze firm, and met Su Baichen's eyes. He solemnly said, "I understand. The Spirit Hall agrees to this. During Miss Bai Yue'er's training, the Spirit Hall will ensure her safety without interfering with her normal growth. This promise is witnessed in the name of the Angel God."

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint but knowing smile, and he nodded. He did indeed have some trust in Qian Daoliu's promise.

This man is a man of his word, almost to the point of being pedantic. This can be seen from the fact that, because of a promise he made to Tang Chen, he did not personally destroy the Haotian Sect even though his son was seriously injured.

That was not cowardice, but a deeply ingrained "knightly" creed belonging to the strong of his time.

When doing business with such a person, as long as the agreement is reached, there is no need to worry about the other party going back on their word.

"Very good." Su Baichen finished the remaining tea in his cup.

…………

Meanwhile, in the heart of Wuhun City, inside the magnificent Wuhun Hall library, a completely different scene unfolded.

The library's interior space is extremely spacious, with towering bookshelves arranged in rows, like a silent forest of knowledge, and the air is filled with the unique smell of old paper mixed with a faint scent of ink.

Sunlight streamed in through the tall, arched windows, casting long, bright streaks of light across the polished floor, with tiny dust particles floating slowly within the beams of light.

Bai Yue'er, dressed in an elegant dress, sat quietly at a long table by the window.

She held a thick scroll in her hand, a book about understanding martial spirits.

Arriving at this place with its vast collection of books, she only wanted to seize the time to learn more about the world and broaden her horizons.

Thanks to the token with the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum pattern given to her by Chrysanthemum Douluo before her teacher left, the library's steward elder was very respectful and even made an exception to allow her direct access to the inner reading room, which was usually only open to high-level Soul Masters or specific contributors, saving her a lot of unnecessary questioning and procedures.

She was engrossed in reading, her slender fingers occasionally brushing over the slightly obscure ancient characters on the pages, her brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing, completely immersed in her own world.

The light from the window outlined her gentle, focused profile, blending seamlessly with the solemn and tranquil surroundings.

However, this tranquility did not last long.

A series of slightly deliberate footsteps approached and stopped beside her desk. Bai Yue'er seemed to sense something and looked up from her book.

Standing in front of the table was a man who looked to be about ten years old. He was wearing a long robe made of fine materials but with a slightly old-fashioned style. His hair was neatly combed, his chin was slightly raised, and his face had a mixture of strong confidence and a deliberately cultivated refined demeanor.

Seeing Bai Yue'er look up, the man immediately puffed out his chest, a self-satisfied smile playing on his lips. His voice was deliberately slow, carrying a certain affected tone:

"This young lady, I am Yu Xiaogang. Seeing you engrossed in reading here, you possess an extraordinary air about you. You must also be a fellow enthusiast of martial spirit theory research."

"I have some knowledge of martial spirits and would like to discuss this with you, young lady, to explore the true meaning of the path of a soul master together."

His words flowed smoothly, as if he had rehearsed them many times. His eyes were fixed intently on Bai Yue'er, hoping to see surprise, admiration, or curiosity on her face.

Bai Yue'er stared at him quietly for two seconds. In her clear eyes, there was neither the fluctuation he had expected nor the slightest displeasure at being disturbed. There was only a calm... understanding, and a barely perceptible ripple, as if she had seen something somewhat discordant.

Chapter 201 The Clown and the Love-Obsessed!

Yu Xiaogang's voice echoed in the Spirit Hall's library, each word carrying his unique, slow, and confident rhythm.

He deliberately wove his scattered knowledge about martial spirits into a seemingly profound system, his eyes occasionally glancing at the white-clad girl sitting on the bench.

"The relationship between the lifespan of a spirit ring and the spirit master's endurance is one of the core aspects of spirit research."

Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back and slightly raised his chin.

"I call it the 'Spirit Ring Adaptation Law'. It occupies a crucial position in my theory of 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul'."

He paused for a moment, anticipating the look of amazement in the other person's eyes.

However, Bai Yue'er simply lowered her eyes to look at the "Complete Book of Martial Souls" in her hand, her slender fingers turning a page, without even her eyelashes trembling.

Yu Xiaogang's confident expression froze for a moment.

He remembered clearly that when he explained these views to Bibi Dong at the Spirit Academy, the light in the saintess's eyes almost overwhelmed him.

He then learned that knowledgeable and cultured men were more popular with girls.

The crowd gathered in the library began to whisper among themselves.

"It's that 'theoretical' master again." A middle-aged Soul Master sneered, "He just flocks to anyone with good talent."

"That's right. Last time I tried to show off my knowledge, but I got kicked out."

"He's really messed up this time. Do you think they'll even acknowledge him?"

The whispers were like fine needles, pricking Yu Xiaogang's pride. He shifted his feet, trying to block the light from the book in Bai Yue'er's hands, forcing her to look up.

"And there's the ninth core, concerning the recessive inheritance patterns of mutated martial souls—"

"Get out of the way."

A cold voice interrupted his rambling. Yu Xiaogang froze, his prepared long speech stuck in his throat.

Bai Yue'er finally raised her eyes. In those light golden pupils, there was no worship or curiosity as he had imagined, only a frozen lake.

"You're blocking the light."

The four words were spoken clearly and calmly, yet they stirred ripples in the silent library. After a brief silence, a wave of laughter surged forth.

"Did you hear that? You're blocking the light!"

"After talking for so long about the ten core principles, the biggest contribution is actually just acting as a sunshade for others!"

Yu Xiaogang's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and his trembling fingers pointed around him: "You, you mediocre people! You don't understand the value of theory at all!"

Just then, a purple figure strode out from the Spirit Hall. The crowd parted automatically, and the murmurs ceased abruptly.

Bibi Dong, dressed in the purple gown of the Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, asked with concern on her delicate face, "Xiao Gang, what happened?"

Upon seeing the person, Yu Xiaogang, as if a drowning man had grabbed onto a piece of driftwood, practically lunged forward: "Dong'er! She...she insulted my theory! She said my research was worthless!"

He omitted the part about how he initiated the conversation and the ridicule from those around him, focusing his criticism solely on the ever-calm girl in white.

Bai Yue'er gently closed the book and took out a golden token from her bosom, placing it on the table.

The token is engraved with delicate chrysanthemum patterns and gleams with a warm luster in the sunlight—it is a token given by Chrysanthemum Douluo and has special significance within the Spirit Hall.

But Bibi Dong didn't even glance at the token. Her gaze was fixed on Bai Yue'er, a cold flame burning in her eyes.

"You dare to underestimate Xiaogang's theory?"

“I did not underestimate you.” Bai Yue’er stood up. She was about the same height as Bibi Dong, and the two looked at each other from three steps apart.

"I'm just pointing out a fact—his so-called 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls' is nothing more than rearranging and rewriting the generally accepted knowledge in the Soul Master world."

"What he said included: the rules of spirit ring age matching are a basic course in every spirit master academy; as for knowledge of mutated martial spirits, I have read seventeen research papers on it."

Her voice remained calm, but every word was like a precise scalpel:

"To package public knowledge as personal insights is theft. Those who steal the wisdom of their ancestors—"

Bai Yue'er turned to look at Yu Xiaogang, her pale face reflected in her light golden pupils:

"They're called academic thieves."

"You're talking nonsense!" Yu Xiaogang screamed, completely losing his previous refined demeanor.

"Dong'er! She's slandering me! Do you know how much effort I've put into these theories!"

Bibi Dong grasped Yu Xiaogang's trembling hand, and when she turned to look at Bai Yue'er, her eyes were as cold as ice: "Apologize! Now, immediately."

Bai Yue'er shook her head, put away her books and token, and turned to leave.

"I'll make you apologize!"

A purplish-black soul power surged from Bibi Dong's body, and the pressure of a Soul King level enveloped the library.

The crowd retreated in fear, and several Soul Masters with lower cultivation levels even turned pale.

But at the center of the oppressive aura, Bai Yue'er simply stopped in her tracks.

She slowly turned around, her robes remaining perfectly still amidst the surging soul power. When she looked up again, something ancient seemed to awaken deep within her pale golden pupils.

"I noticed that the people around you treat you with great respect, so you must be someone of status."

"Are you sure you want to take action against someone holding an elder's token in the Spirit Hall library just because of a plagiarist?"

Bai Yue'er's voice was very soft, yet it strangely pierced through the fluctuations of soul power.

Bibi Dong's pupils suddenly contracted. She finally saw the token on the table—Chrysanthemum Douluo's exclusive token, seeing the token was like seeing the person.

The atmosphere was tense, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Yu Xiaogang looked at Bibi Dong, then at Bai Yue'er, and suddenly realized that he might have offended someone he shouldn't have.

He tugged at Bibi Dong's sleeve, his voice lowering, "Dong... Dong'er, how about we forget about it..."

"never mind?"

"You say Xiaogang is a thief, where's the evidence?"

Bibi Dong stared at Bai Yue'er, her soul power slowly receding from her palm.

"The evidence can be found in his so-called 'original theory' and in the Spirit Hall's library!"

Bai Yue'er said, word by word, "Do you need me to fetch it now and compare it page by page?"

You could hear a pin drop in the library.

Yu Xiaogang's face completely drained of color. He knew about those books—those precious classics he had "borrowed" but hadn't returned.

The air froze!

Bibi Dong's fingertips were swirling with purplish-black soul power, the light flickering erratically, reflecting the surging anger and struggle in her eyes.

The saint's pride was like a heavy suit of armor, firmly locking her in a position of confrontation—even though a corner of her heart had begun to waver.

"You really want to fight?"

Bai Yue'er's voice was eerily calm. It wasn't a provocation, but rather a confirmation of a fact, as calm as if she were asking about today's weather.

"Are you scared?" Bibi Dong raised her chin, trying to maintain a superior posture, but the barely perceptible tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Bai Yue'er slowly swept her gaze over the towering bookshelves around her. Sleeping within those wooden frames lay the accumulation of a thousand years of Soul Master civilization—handwritten rare books, faded scrolls, research notes from scholars of past generations, each page carrying countless wisdom and the weight of time.

“This is a treasure trove for scholars.” Bai Yue’er withdrew her gaze and looked at Bibi Dong again, her tone unusually warm.

"This knowledge is invaluable. Once it's broken, it can never be recovered."

She paused, then added, "Besides, your teacher wouldn't want to see the Spirit Hall's library area turn into a battlefield."