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

"Your choice this time has opened up new possibilities for the realm of gods."

"A new possibility?" The God-King of Life keenly grasped the deeper meaning in the words.

“That’s right.” The light from the orb brightened slightly.

"Not only has the divine realm fully recovered, but its world membrane has also undergone a transformation during the recent ascension. From this day forward, the divine realm can absorb chaotic energy on its own and transform it into its origin—given time, this realm may be able to achieve an overall leap forward."

"An overall leap forward?!" The two god-kings gasped in surprise.

They knew all too well what that meant.

Since its birth, the realm of gods has been looked up to by all living beings in the lower realms, but in the vast universe, it is nothing more than a small world.

If one can advance to a higher level, it is a true sublimation, a leap across the entire level of life.

The Heavenly Dao Orb remained silent for a moment, then glanced at the God of Life almost imperceptibly, before thinking of Su Baichen.

The aura of Heaven seemed to pause for a moment, then asked, "Life, in your opinion, what do you think of this Mr. Su...?"

The God of Life paused slightly, pondered for a moment, and the image of that calm yet unfathomable figure appeared in his mind. He replied softly, "He... is powerful and mysterious, as if shrouded in layers of mist, yet he possesses an attraction that makes one want to explore him."

"Alright." Heaven seemed to have made a decision. "Then, I have something to entrust to you."

One day in the divine realm is equivalent to one year in the mortal realm.

When Su Baichen returned to Douluo Star, the peach blossoms on Baichen Peak had bloomed and faded, and two springs and autumns had passed.

"System, how exactly is the flow of time calculated?" He stood on the mountaintop, gazing at the faint outline of the city below.

[Based on the host's current world. You are anchored to Douluo Star, so time will flow according to this system. In a place like the God Realm, one day is equivalent to a year on Earth.]

What is the relationship between the time flow in the God Realm and the time flow on Douluo Star?

Hearing the system's slightly teasing tone, Su Baichen shook his head and chuckled.

That's true. Having experienced time travel, what does a difference in the flow of time matter?

"Only one year left..." he sighed softly.

Having come into this world, I spend most of my time cultivating, scheming, and running around, seemingly never truly stopping to see what this world looks like.

The Douluo Continent is vast and boundless. Besides the familiar place names in the story, how many landscapes have we yet to explore?

Once the thought arose in my mind, I could no longer suppress it.

Su Baichen returned to the small courtyard on Baichen Peak, picked up his pen and wrote a short letter with only a few words: I'm leaving, don't worry about me.

Place the letter on the stone table and weigh it down with a crystal paperweight.

After doing all this, he took one last look at the courtyard, turned around and walked out of it, his figure transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the vast sea of ​​clouds.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the white clothes fluttered in the wind.

Su Baichen did not use spatial teleportation, but chose to walk instead.

Starting from Baichen Peak, he first headed east, passing through the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Soul beasts are scarce here; one might occasionally spot adventurer teams or herb gatherers. Su Baichen concealed his presence, blending in like an ordinary traveler, listening to the conversations of passersby to learn about the changes on the continent over the past two years.

The Spirit Hall seems to be more active, the relationship between the two great empires is delicate, and some small kingdoms are struggling to survive in the cracks. The Soul Master Competition is about to be held again, and academies across the country are actively preparing.

But these disputes are now far removed from him.

From then on, Su Baichen began his aimless travels.

He walked through the bustling commercial streets of the Star Luo Empire, traversed the vast ancient forests on the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, gazed up at the magnificent aurora in the far north, and listened to the ebb and flow of the tides at the seaside.

During his journey, by chance, or perhaps not by chance, he saw that emerald figure again by the shore of a lake of life shrouded in mist.

The God of Life smiled faintly, his eyes clear and bright: "We meet again, Mr. Su. I wonder if I would have the honor of traveling with you through this mortal realm?"

A gentle breeze swept across the lake, creating ripples.

Su Baichen looked at her and finally nodded slightly.

"Alright."

So the two figures walked together, through the seasons, through bustling crowds and quietude.

They rarely talked about power or mission; instead, they enjoyed the scenery and tea, occasionally chatting about interesting stories or the amusing but trivial things in each other's worlds.

Chapter 213 Departure and Return; Daughter Su Ling'er!

At the summit of Baichen Peak, clouds and mist swirl around, flowing slowly like a light veil, making the pavilions and towers in the mountains appear and disappear.

Su Baichen, dressed in white, stood quietly on the edge of the cliff upon his return. His gaze fell on Bai Yue'er, who had just returned from afar, and a barely perceptible gentleness flashed in his eyes.

The goddess of life slowly approached, her robes fluttering in the wind.

"What, are you leaving?" Her voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the mountains.

Su Baichen nodded slightly.

"Well, I don't have much time left, I should go."

When will you be back?

"We'll see, I'll come back when I have time."

After a brief exchange, there was a moment of silence, broken only by the faint sound of the wind passing through the clouds.

Su Baichen looked at the surging sea of ​​clouds in the distance and added, "By the way, please take care of them for me."

"I know, I will."

The Goddess of Life responded softly, paused for a moment, and then said as if casually, "By the way, I've given myself a new name—Liu Muxi."

As soon as he finished speaking, a door shimmering with pale golden light silently materialized before him.

Su Baichen did not turn around and walked straight ahead.

As Liu Muxi watched his retreating figure without stopping, the faint expectation in her eyes gradually dimmed, as if veiled by a thin mist.

Just as he was about to step into the portal, Su Baichen suddenly turned his head and his voice came clearly and steadily: "Hmm, very nice to hear."

Having said that, he disappeared into the doorway. A flash of light, and the doorway, along with his figure, vanished into thin air as if it had never existed.

Liu Muxi stood alone in the empty space, lost in thought for a long while.

After a long pause, she seemed to come to her senses, a gentle curve forming the corners of her lips, as she softly uttered two words:

"fool."

Battle Through the World, above Canaan Academy.

The once clear sky suddenly rippled like water, and a similar door of light quietly opened.

Su Baichen stepped out from among them, stood in mid-air, and calmly swept his gaze over the familiar academy buildings below.

"Let's go back and find Cai Lin and the others first."

With a slight thought, a vast and boundless spiritual power silently spread out, instantly covering the entire academy.

However, they did not detect that familiar, intense aura. Instead, they sensed the presence of a colorful butterfly in a quiet courtyard within the inner courtyard.

What bothered him even more was that there was a little girl, about four or five years old, next to Cai Die.

A clear and warm feeling of blood connection emanated from that child.

Su Baichen moved slightly, and in the next instant, he landed outside the small courtyard like a gentle breeze, concealing his figure and aura.

Inside the courtyard, under the shade of green trees.

The little girl was sitting on the butterfly's lap, her little feet swinging restlessly. She looked up and asked in her childish voice, "Auntie, it's been three days, when is my mother coming back?"

Cai Die affectionately pinched her rosy cheeks and smiled, "Ling'er, be good. Your mother has gone back to the clan to handle some important matters and is expected to be back tomorrow."

“Oh…” The little girl called Ling’er nodded, then seemed to remember something, and curiosity and a hint of timidity appeared in her large, clear eyes.

"Auntie, what kind of person is my father? I've never met him since I was born."

Her small hands unconsciously twisted the sash, and her voice lowered: "Will he...not like me?"

“How could that be!” Butterfly immediately hugged the little one tighter, her tone resolute.

"Your father loves children. You are his own daughter, so he will definitely dote on you!"

"Really?" Su Ling'er's eyes lit up for a moment, but then she remembered the "secret" that Sister Cao Ying had secretly told her, and her face immediately fell.

"But... Sister Cao Ying said that when she was little, her father always liked to spank her bottom, and it hurt so much. Father... would Father spank me like that too?"

Hidden in the shadows, Su Baichen heard his daughter's timid question, and a vein seemed to throb faintly on his forehead.

[You rebellious disciple, you've really done something good. I'll remember this debt.]

Inside the courtyard, Cai Die burst out laughing, and quickly comforted her, "Haha, that's because your sister Cao Ying was too naughty when she was little, always causing trouble. Your father was just disciplining her. Ling'er is so well-behaved, your father loves her too much to bear, how could he possibly hit you?"

"Really?" Su Ling'er was still skeptical, her little hand still clutching Cai Die's sleeve.

This time, before Cai Die could speak, a gentle and steady voice, with a clear smile, came from the direction of the courtyard gate:

"Of course it's true."

The moment the sound reached her ears, Cai Die trembled violently and abruptly looked up at the doorway.

There, a tall, slender white figure stood, seemingly out of nowhere.

Familiar features, gentle gaze—ten years had left no trace on him; he remained the same image she longed for day and night, deep in her memory.

"Bai... Bai Chen?" Cai Die's lips trembled slightly, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, as if she feared that what she saw before her was just a fleeting illusion.

Su Baichen walked into the courtyard step by step, his gaze always fixed on her face, his tone as gentle as if afraid of disturbing a dream that was easily broken: "Cai Die, I'm back."

These words were like a key, instantly unlocking the defenses that Cai Die had been suppressing for ten years.

She put down Su Ling'er from her arms, almost staggered, and rushed over to hug Su Baichen tightly, burying her face in his chest, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

"Waaaaah... You're finally back... I missed you so much..." Tears that had been building up for so long burst forth, soaking his clothes with their scalding heat. Her voice was choked and broken, filled with endless grievances and longing.

"Ten years... We've waited so long... Do you know that..."

Su Baichen felt the damp heat on her chest. He paused in mid-air with his raised hand before slowly lowering it, gently patting her back.

A thousand words surged in my heart, but in the end, they all turned into a deep sigh, which melted into the wind: "I know. You've all worked hard these past years."

The butterfly wept loudly in his arms, as if pouring out all the loneliness and bitterness of ten years of waiting.