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

There was no way around it; at that moment, Nalan Yanran was indeed... stunningly beautiful, leaving people somewhat mesmerized.

"Hey."

Sitting to the side, Su Baichen took in the entire exchange between the two, but sighed softly, shook his head, and muttered to himself, "The iconic scene is gone..."

There was a hint of regret in his tone, as if he had missed some long-awaited performance.

"What's wrong, senior?" Xiao Yan keenly caught the sigh and turned to look at Su Baichen.

This mysterious senior was sometimes unfathomable, and at other times he revealed this strange emotion that seemed to know everything yet could not be expressed, which made him very curious.

"It's nothing," Su Baichen waved his hand, putting away his melancholy, and changed the subject.

"Has anything unusual happened in your Xiao family recently?" he asked casually, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan pondered for a moment. Aside from preparing for the younger generation's training, there seemed to be no other disturbances within the family recently.

"Uh, no!" He finally shook his head firmly.

"Alright then." Su Baichen picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring his expression.

This answer basically confirmed to him that those "rats" lurking in the shadows had not yet made a move on the Xiao family, this seemingly insignificant "fat piece of meat".

He put down his teacup and asked a question in a calm tone: "Does your Xiao family possess an ancient jade heirloom?"

"Ancient jade?"

Xiao Yan was taken aback, and subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Yu, his eyes conveying a clear question: "Our family has something like this? How come I've never heard of it before?"

Xiao Yu received his signal with her eyes and glared back, raising an eyebrow slightly: "You're asking me? You're the clan leader's son! If you don't know, how am I supposed to?"

Xiao Yan chuckled awkwardly after being glared at, scratched the back of his head, and turned to Su Baichen, his tone uncertain: "Um, Senior Su, this... we really don't know. I'll ask my father when I get back; he should know the details."

"Hmm, I'm not in a hurry."

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen remained calm and almost indifferent, and then took another sip of tea.

"You guys don't need to rush."

These words, spoken lightly, stirred something within Xiao Yu. She instinctively assumed that Su Baichen was interested in the ancient jade, perhaps even wanting to possess it?

If it truly is what the senior needs, we should go back and find a way to obtain it from our family and present it to them. This would both repay their kindness and establish a good relationship… She was about to speak when Xiao Yan spoke first, his tone unusually solemn:

"Senior Su, is there something wrong with this jade pendant?"

Xiao Yan, having experienced two lifetimes, is far more mature and perceptive than his peers.

Behind Su Baichen's calm words, he heard not a demand, but a warning subtext—this jade was probably not a treasure, but a "bomb" that would bring about a terrible disaster!

"Heh, you recognized it?" Su Baichen looked up at Xiao Yan, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded solemnly, his brows furrowing slightly.

Seeing this, Xiao Yu belatedly realized that something was wrong. The witty banter between the two left her somewhat bewildered, yet instinctively uneasy.

"Alright, seeing that you're all fairly quick-witted, and since I'm in a good mood today, I'll give you a heads-up." Su Baichen stretched, as if he were just about to tell an ordinary story, but his next words carried immense weight:

"There is a huge secret hidden in the ancient jade that your Xiao family has inherited."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two who had momentarily held their breath, before slowly uttering a sentence powerful enough to shake the entire Dou Qi Continent:

"A secret that could drive all the top powers on the continent mad."

"hiss--"

Xiao Yan gasped, his pupils suddenly contracting to pinpoints, and his blood seemed to cool down in that instant.

A local proverb, carrying a chilling edge, suddenly struck his mind:

A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime!

The Xiao family... has been guarding something that could bring about their annihilation without even realizing it?

"Senior, so... our Xiao family might have been targeted long ago?!" Xiao Yu's voice trembled; even she, slow to grasp the gravity of the situation, understood the seriousness of the matter.

The secret that has driven the entire continent crazy!

The Xiao family is not even considered top-tier in the Jia Ma Empire. To possess such a treasure is like a child carrying gold in the marketplace!

"Hmm." Su Baichen nodded slightly, then shook his head and corrected, "However, you're wrong about one thing."

He put down his teacup, the crisp clinking sound particularly clear in the suddenly silent room.

"It's not 'maybe'."

"But your Xiao family has been 'watched' ever since you obtained that ancient jade."

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu's breathing completely stopped, and a chill ran up their spines to the top of their heads.

“Being constantly ‘watched’ by two… the strongest families on the Dou Qi Continent.” Su Baichen’s voice was calm and even, yet it struck the two men like a heavy hammer.

The strongest...? Or are there two?!

Xiao Yu's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and Xiao Yan's hands unconsciously gripped the armrests of the chair, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Faced with such absolute power, the Xiao family was as insignificant as dust.

"However!" Su Baichen changed the subject, giving them a brief respite.

“These two families are mortal enemies, and they are wary of and restrain each other, so neither of them has dared to openly attack your Xiao family. That’s why you have been able to live in peace and tranquility in this corner of the world.”

But this "calm" is so fragile, like walking on the edge of a precipice, where one could fall at any moment.

Chapter 223 Sending out the ancient jade!

Xiao Yan panicked a little, but he forced himself to calm down and quickly digested the shocking information. He looked at Su Baichen and asked a crucial question in a dry voice: "Senior... which of these two families are you from?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu suddenly looked up, staring at Su Baichen in horror, her body involuntarily leaning back slightly.

If this mysterious and powerful senior is also one of those two major forces... then is what they know today a blessing or a curse?

Seeing the two of them looking extremely nervous, Su Baichen suddenly smiled, a smile with an unfathomable meaning.

"Me?" he said slowly, "I'm neither."

Upon hearing this, the two felt a slight relaxation in their tense nerves, as if the boulder weighing on their chests had been loosened a little.

It's good news that they're not the enemy...

However, Su Baichen's next words completely crushed this glimmer of hope that had just arisen.

“After all…” His tone remained calm, even tinged with self-deprecation.

"With my current strength, I'm afraid I'm not enough in the eyes of the true powerhouses of those two families."

After saying that, he fell silent, picked up his teacup again, and calmly began to sip his tea, as if he had only been discussing the weather.

Inside the private room, the aroma of tea still lingered.

But Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their whole bodies were cold, their hands and feet were icy, and their inner clothes were almost instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The two exchanged a glance and both saw the undisguised shock and bitterness in each other's eyes.

A (trivial) piece of good news: this enigmatic senior is not affiliated with either of those two terrorist forces.

A devastating piece of bad news: the senior's strength is still "not enough" in the eyes of those two families!

So, what is the Xiao family compared to such a behemoth?

Does that ancient jade bring the hope of inheritance, or is it a blade of destruction that has been hanging over our heads for a long time and could fall at any moment?

A massive shadow, accompanied by Su Baichen's casual words, had already descended, so heavy that they could hardly breathe.

"Senior, please save my Xiao family! I am willing to serve you as your slave for the rest of my life, with no other intentions whatsoever!"

Xiao Yu suddenly knelt down, her skirt spreading out on the floor tiles like withered petals. She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice filled with the despair of someone who had nowhere else to turn.

Su Baichen lowered his eyes to look at the once proud jewel of the Xiao family, and finally just slowly shook his head, his sigh filled with the helplessness of someone who had seen through the ways of the world.

"It's not that I'm unwilling, but that I can't. The ancient jade, the root of the Xiao family's troubles, is indeed a treasure, but it's also the hottest potato. Without absolute strength, possessing such a treasure is a crime, and it's a path to death."

As he finished speaking, the air in the room seemed to freeze. The light in Xiao Yu's eyes dimmed little by little, and her fingertips dug deeply into her palms.

"Senior, since the ancient jade cannot be preserved, could you please show us a way to survive? We do not seek to fight back, we only ask that... our family be able to continue." Xiao Yan, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of Xiao Yu, his voice steady and clear.

He changed his approach, no longer seeking "salvation," but instead seeking "the law."

Su Baichen's gaze fell on the boy's still immature yet resilient face, and a hint of barely perceptible approval flashed in his eyes.

"Well... there is one way."

He paused, looking at the sudden brightness in their eyes, and slowly said, "Since we can't hold on to it, why not hand it over voluntarily? Choose one family to hand over, shift the blame eastward, and the Xiao family might be able to find a way out, or even exchange it for some good things."

“But we…we don’t even know who to hand it over to or how to hand it over! I’m afraid that before we can even give it over, we’ll be wiped out.” Xiao Yu said anxiously, her face full of confusion and bitterness.

Xiao Yan fell silent at this moment. His brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze drifted to the window, as if he could see through the door and walls and catch a glimpse of a young girl.

Su Baichen took in his expression and a knowing smile appeared on her lips: "It seems you already have someone in mind."

Xiao Yan came to his senses and nodded solemnly: "Yes. There is indeed someone in my heart... Perhaps, only by entrusting her to her can the Xiao family have a glimmer of hope."

He didn't say his name, but the trust and complex emotions he conveyed were subtly expressed in his words.

"Okay, okay." Su Baichen said twice, his eyes showing the satisfaction of an elder.

"It is a blessing for the Xiao family to have such a wise and insightful descendant as you. Knowing how to assess the situation, advance and retreat, and make choices is far wiser than simply stubbornly persisting."

"Senior is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise." Xiao Yan bowed deeply, his posture respectful.

"Fine. I heard that old fellow Yao Chen finally relented and accepted you?" Su Baichen changed the subject, his tone becoming more casual.

A hint of sadness flashed across Xiao Yan's face: "I am only a nominal disciple... This junior is foolish and has not yet been able to formally become a disciple."

"Don't be discouraged." Su Baichen approached and gently patted his shoulder, the force carrying a reassuring calmness.

“That old fellow has been betrayed repeatedly by his closest confidant, and his heart is deeply wounded, so it’s no wonder he has so many concerns. But you are kind-hearted and loyal. As long as you always treat him with sincerity and persevere, you will surely be able to melt the ice and learn his true teachings one day.”

"This junior understands." Xiao Yan's eyes hardened again, and he bowed deeply once more.

"I must also thank you for speaking well of me to my teacher. If it weren't for your recommendation, I, with my meager abilities, would never have been able to catch my teacher's eye."

"Gold will always shine. It would be a pity if it were buried." Su Baichen smiled slightly, then suddenly raised his hand, and a wisp of green light leaped out from his fingertip.

The green light unfurled in the air, transforming into a delicate and translucent flame.

The center of the flame swirled with a vibrant emerald green, while the outer layer pulsated with a warm and lively halo, like the first new leaf sprouting in early spring, exuding a pure and boundless life force.