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

"By the way, is big brother here today?" Xiao Xun'er asked Ling'er softly, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the main house.

Ling'er paused in her fiddling with the crystals, then blinked. "Father is refining pills, but he should be done soon. He said he's going to refine a special batch of pills today, and Sister Ningbing just went to get the last ingredient."

Just then, the door to the main house suddenly opened.

Su Baichen walked out slowly, her clothes fluttering, untouched by dust.

Chapter 221 The Great Changes in the Xiao Family!

Upon seeing Su Baichen, Su Ling'er lightly leaped down from Xiao Xun'er's arms, ran and jumped into Su Baichen's embrace, tilting her little face up with bright, sparkling black eyes: "Daddy, are you done refining the pills?"

As she spoke, she tiptoed and planted a soft kiss on her father's cheek.

As the warm touch spread, the fine lines at the corners of Su Baichen's eyes smoothed out.

He reached out and stroked his daughter's soft hair, his smile as warm as the early spring sun: "Yes, it's done."

With his palm facing upwards, a pure white pill slowly emerged, surrounded by a faint milky-white halo, with fine golden patterns faintly visible flowing within it.

The moment the elixir appeared, the spiritual energy in the entire courtyard seemed to fluctuate slightly.

"This was specially made for you." Su Baichen's voice was gentle, carrying the tenderness unique to a father.

"For me?" Su Ling'er's eyes suddenly lit up, and she reached out her small hand to carefully take the pill.

The pill felt slightly cool to the touch, yet it subtly exuded a reassuring aura.

Su Baichen leaned down slightly, his lips not moving, but his voice directly entered his daughter's mind: "The power contained within your body is too great, which is not good for your current body."

"This pill will temporarily seal some of your power. As your cultivation progresses, the seal will gradually be broken."

Only Su Ling'er could hear these words. She looked up at her father, nodded as if she understood, and then put the pill into her mouth without hesitation.

The pill melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm, gentle current that slowly sank into the dantian.

As everyone watched, after Su Ling'er took the pill, the energy fluctuations that had been faintly emanating from her body gradually subsided and eventually returned to calm.

The little girl's breathing became much gentler, and the golden glint that occasionally flashed in her eyes faded away.

"Greetings, Senior Su." Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu bowed in unison, their attitude respectful.

Xiao Xun'er stood there, her gaze fixed on Su Baichen, without saying a word.

Su Baichen patted his daughter's back and said gently, "Ling'er, go play with your sister Xun'er first."

He then turned to Xiao Xun'er, his gaze as calm as a deep well: "Miss Xun'er, I have some things I'd like to discuss with Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu alone. I'll catch up with you later."

"I'll do whatever you say, big brother." Xiao Xun'er came back to her senses, her cheeks slightly flushed, and bowed slightly in response.

Su Baichen nodded slightly, glanced at Xiao Yan and the other two, and then turned and left.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

After watching the three figures disappear, Xiao Xun'er looked away, only to find Su Ling'er circling around her, her big, dark eyes looking her up and down, her little face full of inquiry.

"Ling, Ling'er, what are you doing?" Xiao Xun'er felt a little guilty for some reason and subconsciously avoided the little girl's bright gaze.

Su Ling'er did not answer. She turned her head to look in the direction her father had left, then turned back to stare at Xiao Xun'er.

Suddenly, a sly smile appeared on her lips, and her eyes curved into crescents: "Sister Xun'er, are you...?"

Before she finished speaking, she deliberately dragged out her words, her eyes gleaming with a clever and mischievous light, as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret.

Inside a private room, Su Baichen sat in the main seat, calmly pouring himself a cup of tea.

The tea soup was emerald green, with wisps of steam rising gently.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu stood in front of the table, looking somewhat awkward.

Although they were familiar with Su Ling'er, they couldn't help but feel uneasy about speaking directly with this unfathomable senior.

"Sit down," Su Baichen said, pointing to the two wooden chairs opposite him in a calm tone.

"Tell me about what has happened to your Xiao family over the years?"

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu exchanged a glance, and without taking a seat, they stood side by side at the table.

Although they didn't understand why this senior would be interested in such an obscure family as their Xiao family, their intuition told them that honesty was the best option.

Xiao Yu took a deep breath and spoke first: "Reporting to Senior, since you left Wutan City, the Xiao family... has changed a lot."

Her voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet room, carrying a hint of reminiscence and a subtle pride.

“Less than a year after you left, we completely settled our scores with the Obama family,” Xiao Yan said, his voice steady.

"That battle lasted for three months, and in the end, the core strength of the Oba family collapsed, and the patriarch Obapa died in battle. The Xiao family then unified Wutan City and controlled 70% of the city's markets and medicinal herb business."

“Unifying Wutan City is just the beginning,” Xiao Yu continued, his eyes gleaming.

"After discussing with several elders, the clan leader decided that the Xiao family should return to Jiama Holy City and take back everything we have lost."

"That was six years ago."

At this moment, Xiao Yan said, "The journey from Wutan City to Jia Ma Holy City is long and the forces involved are complex. We were originally prepared for a tough battle, but unexpectedly..."

He paused, still seemingly finding it unbelievable: "The Ya family, the number one family in the Gama Empire, not only did not suppress us, but also secretly provided a lot of help."

"They opened up several key trade routes for us, and even when the Xiao family first arrived in the Holy City, they stepped in to deter several forces that wanted to take advantage of the situation."

Su Baichen picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and let the aroma of the tea spread in his mouth. His expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected everything.

"After the Xiao family gained a foothold, my grandfather personally prepared generous gifts and went to the Ya family to express his gratitude."

Xiao Yu continued, "At that time, the Ya family patriarch, Lady Yafei, personally received her, and she only said one sentence—"

Xiao Yan repeated in a deep voice the words that changed the fate of the Xiao family: "The benefactor of the Ya family has some connection with your Xiao family."

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence.

Xiao Yu said softly, "The clan leader and elders thought of you almost instantly. Although we don't know what your connection is with the Ya family, the Xiao family will always remember this kindness."

Su Baichen put down his teacup, the porcelain cup making a soft tapping sound as it touched the wooden table. He looked at Xiao Yan: "And then?"

"After that, the Xiao family began to settle accounts with those forces that had participated in the murder of my grandfather." Xiao Yan's voice suddenly turned cold, his eyes sharp as knives.

"More than a decade has passed, and those blood debts must be repaid."

The process of revenge was not easy. Those families were deeply entrenched and powerful within the Gama Empire.

To the Xiao family's surprise, they were not fighting alone in this purge.

"The Ya family has once again stepped in to help."

Xiao Yu continued, "They provided some crucial intelligence, and even at certain critical moments, they exerted pressure as the First Family, preventing the powerful backers behind those forces from making any rash moves."

“The Nalan family has also stepped forward,” Xiao Yan added, his tone complex.

"Clan Chief Nalan Su publicly expressed his support for the Xiao family, and several of the Nalan family's Dou Ling experts even personally participated in actions against several enemies."

The Xiao family naturally expressed their gratitude. The Ya family accepted some symbolic gifts, behaving humbly. However, the Nalan family's response caught the entire Xiao family off guard.

"Clan Chief Nalan Su said..." Xiao Yan took a deep breath, "They're all in-laws, it's only right."

"In-laws?" Su Baichen repeated the word, a hint of interest finally flashing in his eyes.

Xiao Yan smiled bitterly and said, "My father suddenly remembered that my grandfather had arranged a marriage for me before he passed away. The person I was betrothed to was Nalan Yanran, the eldest daughter of the Nalan family."

"But later, my grandfather was murdered, and the Xiao family moved to Wutan City. My father felt that this marriage was impossible, so he never mentioned it again."

Chapter 222 Xiao Yan: Our Clan Has Been Targeted by a Powerful Person!

Back then, the Xiao family was just a down-on-their-luck family that had fled to a small border town in a sorry state.

The Nalan family, on the other hand, is a renowned top family in the Jia Ma Empire, and Nalan Jie is one of the empire's top ten strongest individuals, with a formidable reputation.

In the eyes of the world, such a marriage agreement was nothing more than a worthless piece of paper that the Xiao family could not possibly afford.

"Life is unpredictable."

Xiao Yan sighed softly, his tone filled with a sense of the cruel twist of fate: "In just over a decade, everything has changed."

The Xiao family is thriving, and the younger generation is showing their talents thanks to the nourishment of the Foundation Establishment Elixir.

The fact that Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Ning were all vying to break through to the Dou Shi level shocked the entire Jia Ma Holy City. Furthermore, with the Ya family as their powerful backer, the rise of the Xiao family was a foregone conclusion.

In contrast, the Nalan family suffered a devastating blow when Nalan Jie died in battle at the Yunlan Sect ten years ago. Although Nalan Su later tried his best to maintain the family's strength, it was no longer what it used to be.

"Shortly after the Xiao family established themselves in the Holy City, Nalan Yanran personally paid a visit with generous gifts."

As Xiao Yu said this, he looked at Xiao Yan with a mischievous smile.

"She explicitly stated her willingness to fulfill the marriage agreement and, as the future patriarch of the Nalan family, pledged to form an alliance with the Xiao family."

Xiao Zhan remained silent for a long time.

He knew that when the Xiao family was in trouble, Nalan Jie had helped them many times. It could be said that without Nalan Jie, there would be no Xiao family today. The Xiao family had never forgotten those kindnesses.

"Father finally accepted the marriage agreement," Xiao Yan said calmly, but a hint of emotion, barely perceptible to others, flashed in his eyes.

He said that the Xiao family should repay the kindness of Senior Nalan Jie. Since the Nalan family is willing to fulfill the marriage agreement, the Xiao family has no reason to refuse.

Su Baichen listened quietly, his fingers slowly tracing the rim of his teacup. After a long while, he looked up at Xiao Yan, his gaze as deep as the night sky:

"The engagement is settled, but what about Nalan Yanran?"

Xiao Yan was stunned.

That beautiful fiancée, that agreement that began with his grandfather's generation, that marriage contract mixed with family favors and interests.

"It's alright, I guess!"

Xiao Yan spoke lightly, but his gaze unconsciously drifted into the distance, as if he could see the bright and dazzling figure of the girl in the hall that day.

"Ah!"

Xiao Yu scoffed without any politeness and rolled her eyes at him.

She could see it clearly at the time: Nalan Yanran was dressed in a light blue dress, with an elegant jade hairpin in her hair. Her bright eyes and white teeth made her look radiant. She had dressed up specially, and even she, as a woman, couldn't help but take a second look. How much more so Xiao Yan, that kid?

His eyes were practically glued to the screen at the time, but now he's pretending to be calm.

Xiao Yan was brought back to his senses by the sneer, and when he looked at Xiao Yu's all-knowing and playful eyes, he understood what she meant.

He immediately felt embarrassed and could only raise his hand to touch the tip of his nose, revealing a somewhat awkward and helpless smile.