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

It hovered silently in front of Xiao Yan, casting a faint emerald glow on the boy's shocked face.

"This is a wisp of the Flame of Life. When your cultivation is sufficient in the future, you can refine it, which will greatly benefit your cultivation and even your alchemy." Su Baichen's voice was gentle yet powerful.

"Make good use of it, don't let your teacher down, and don't let yourself down."

As Xiao Yan gazed at the cluster of wondrous treasures before him, his chest was filled with immense shock and gratitude.

He took a deep breath, stepped back two paces, lifted his robes, and knelt down properly, offering the most solemn salute to Su Baichen.

"Your kindness is like a second birth! I, Xiao Yan, hereby swear that I will do my utmost to cultivate diligently and never fail to live up to your kindness in nurturing me today, nor will I fail to live up to your teachings in the future!"

Every word was powerful and resounding.

Watching this scene, Xiao Yu's eyes involuntarily dimmed, and a wave of bitterness surged in her heart.

From the moment he stepped into the room, Xiao Yan's every response and every choice he made appeared so calm and composed, making my own panic and helplessness seem so insignificant in comparison.

She seemed to be able to foresee the future of her family; the previously vague thought in her mind had become incredibly clear and heavy.

[Grandpa... it seems unlikely that Xiao Ning will be able to compete for the position of young clan leader in the future.]

[My cousin Xiao Yan, standing before me, surpasses me far in temperament, opportunity, and courage. Even I am ashamed of my own inferiority... let alone Xiao Ning, who is not even as good as me.]

She lowered her head, subtly concealing the complex emotions in her eyes beneath the shadows of her eyelashes.

Chapter 224 Don't even think about hitting my daughter!

"Okay, now that you've finished telling me your story, it's time to talk about mine!"

Su Baichen, who had just been praising Xiao Yan's alchemy skills, suddenly turned serious.

The gentle smile on his face vanished like the tide, and a layer of frost settled in his deep eyes as his gaze fell squarely on Xiao Yan.

The air in the room seemed to be sucked out instantly, and the temperature plummeted.

"Senior, please speak!" Xiao Yan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his back was almost instantly soaked with cold sweat. That gaze was too sharp, as if it could pierce through the skin and go straight to the soul.

He felt as if he had returned to the moment when he first faced his furious father as a child, no, even more so—it was a tremor that stemmed from an absolute power imbalance and came from a life-or-death instinct.

Su Baichen did not speak immediately, but simply looked at him quietly, her fingertips gently tapping on the smooth rosewood table. The rhythmic "tap, tap" sound was particularly clear in the deathly silence, each sound like a tap on Xiao Yan's heart.

Xiao Yu also noticed the sudden change in atmosphere, suppressed her smile, and nervously held her breath.

"Stay away from my daughter." Finally, Su Baichen's voice rang out, not loud, but clear and distinct, carrying an undeniable coldness.

“Don’t even think about her. Otherwise…” He raised his voice slightly at the end, not finishing his sentence, but the implication was more chilling than any concrete threat.

He had personally witnessed the foolish things Xiao Yan was about to do to Xiao Xun'er back then. Although he was eventually stopped, Xiao Yan had still considered it.

My Ling'er is so intelligent and beautiful, I can't afford to make the slightest mistake.

Some problems must be nipped in the bud, even the soil must be completely burned.

"Pfft—" Xiao Yu was stunned at first, then couldn't help but laugh out loud, but immediately covered her mouth tightly, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

This turn of events was both abrupt and yet perfectly logical.

Xiao Yan's face flushed red instantly, then turned pale.

It's true... good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast! That old incident has become his biggest "stain" at this moment.

In the heart of this unfathomable senior, even the guard dogs of the Su family are probably more trustworthy than Xiao Yan in terms of character.

"No! Absolutely not! Senior, you are wise!" Xiao Yan practically squeezed the words out of his throat, bending even lower, his tone urgent and sincere, each word as if he were using all his strength to make a guarantee.

"This junior has absolutely no improper thoughts towards Miss Ling'er! From now on... from now on I will definitely keep my distance and would never dare to offend her in the slightest!"

Driven by a strong will to survive, he even subconsciously felt a chill in a certain part of his body, fearing that the other party would "help" him solve the root of his troubles on the spot in order to eliminate future problems.

Or just kill him right now!

Su Baichen remained silent, but his cold eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan like a hawk, as if scrutinizing every bit of truth in his words and weighing the possibilities hidden deep within his soul.

The air seemed to solidify like a block of iron, pressing down on Xiao Yan's chest and making it hard for him to breathe.

Sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped onto the floor, the slightest sound amplified infinitely at that moment.

Xiao Yu panicked, her palms sweating. Although she often bickered with Xiao Yan, they were blood relatives and she understood Xiao Yan's significance to the future of the family. She was unwilling to see him perish.

Time seemed to stretch out countless times.

Just as Xiao Yan felt his spirit was about to break, Su Baichen suddenly raised his hand and gently patted his shoulder.

"Haha, look at you, why are you so nervous? I was just joking with you. Relax. Okay, it's alright, go on."

The previous coldness and murderous intent vanished like an illusion, and a warm smile returned to Su Baichen's face, as if everything that had just happened was truly just a harmless joke.

This abrupt change startled Xiao Yan, but his heart felt like it was plummeting from the peak of a rollercoaster, and the huge contrast brought a sense of exhaustion.

He dared not hesitate for a moment and immediately bowed deeply: "Yes, yes! Thank you, senior! This junior takes his leave!"

He almost involuntarily, with Xiao Yu's subconscious support, maintained stiff manners as he left the room.

Once he was completely out of the courtyard and could no longer feel the tangible gaze, Xiao Yan's body, which had been holding on, suddenly went limp, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"Cousin... help me up, my legs... my legs are a bit weak." His voice was shaky, trembling with the shock of surviving a close call.

"Oh, our Xiao family's genius, Third Young Master, has become such a coward?"

Xiao Yu teased him relentlessly, but quickly tried to support his slightly slumping body. She could feel that Xiao Yan's arms were cold and trembling slightly.

"How could I not be afraid..." Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, the curve of his lips even more unsightly than a cry.

"I was scared out of my wits. You haven't experienced that feeling firsthand..." He glanced back at the quiet courtyard with lingering fear, lowering his voice.

"It might be a joke to you, but to me... it's a sword hanging over my head! One wrong move and I could really be dead!"

He caught his breath and urged, "Hurry up, hurry up! What if the senior... suddenly feels the joke wasn't thorough enough and changes his mind..."

Upon hearing his words, Xiao Yu felt a chill run down her spine. She said no more, and helped the unsteady Xiao Yan, almost running away from the area, her back view showing a rather flustered state.

The aroma of tea still lingered in the room.

Not long after, a graceful figure quietly entered; it was Xiao Xun'er. Today, she was wearing a light blue dress, her temperament as elegant as a lotus.

Su Baichen smiled sincerely and pointed to the seat opposite him: "Sit down, it's my seat, no need to stand on ceremony."

As he spoke, he poured her a fresh cup of tea, steaming hot.

"Thank you, big brother." Xun'er sat down as instructed, took the warm teacup with both hands, felt the warmth on her fingertips, and smiled serenely.

"Shouldn't you be heading home soon?" Su Baichen asked gently, taking a sip of tea.

Mentioning this, Xun'er's bright eyes dimmed slightly. She looked down at the tea leaves floating in her cup and said softly, "Hmm... The clan sent a letter saying that they should come to fetch me in a few years."

There was a hint of reluctance in her voice. The years in Wutan City, the life in the courtyard, the people in front of her... all of these made her nostalgic.

“Xiao Yan should bring the ancient jade he has in a few days.” Su Baichen put down his teacup and looked calmly at Xun’er.

"Take it with you. When you return to your clan, it will be a way of explaining things to your ancestors and will not put you in a difficult position."

"Yes, Xun'er understands. Thank you for your thoughtful arrangements, big brother." Xun'er nodded obediently.

She knew that this ancient jade was of great importance, and Su Baichen's actions not only protected the Xiao family but also took care of her situation.

"Also, let me remind your father," Su Baichen paused, his expression becoming slightly solemn.

"It would be best to keep the two ancient jade pieces separate and safe. The Soul Clan has been making undercurrents and engaging in constant petty actions in recent years. I have a premonition... that a storm that will sweep across the continent will probably occur within a few decades. We must be on guard."

However, the expected solemn nod of Xun'er did not occur.

She kept her head down, her slender fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth surface of the cup, remaining silent.

"What's wrong?" Su Baichen sensed something was amiss and asked softly.

Xun'er suddenly raised her head, her usually clear and bright eyes now filled with complex and indescribable emotions, her eyes slightly red, and she stared intently at Su Baichen: "Big brother... besides these things related to my family and the ancient jade, do you... have nothing else to say to me? About... myself."

The girl's gaze was persistent and direct, carrying a hint of grievance, a hint of expectation, and emotions that had been suppressed for a long time.

Chapter 225 Gu Yuan: I have a bad feeling!

Looking at the girl with eyes full of love, Su Baichen understood and sighed softly, "Ah... Xun'er, I understand your feelings."

"But have you ever carefully considered whether this feeling stems from gratitude and dependence that arose from me accidentally saving you back then, or..."

"It's love!" Xun'er interrupted him, her voice not loud, but unusually firm, with a do-or-die courage.

"I like you, big brother. I've liked you for a long time."

"If it were just gratitude, ten years would be enough for it to settle or fade away. But my longing for you has not diminished; on the contrary, it is like a vine, growing tighter and longer in my heart."

She stood up, walked to Su Baichen, tilted her head back to prevent the tears in her eyes from welling up and falling.

Looking at the graceful, stubborn yet fragile girl before him, Su Baichen sighed again, his tone becoming increasingly helpless: "Xun'er, but... I already have a wife, and Ling'er is already so grown up."

"I don't care!" Xun'er said quickly, her eyes unwavering.

"My sisters are wonderful, and I love Ling'er very much too. I can wait, or... I can just stay by your side." The last sentence was spoken in a lower voice, yet it remained clear.

Looking at the undisguised fervor and sincerity in the girl's eyes, Su Baichen knew that any excuses or pretexts would seem pale and cruel at this moment.

She has already lowered her stance so much, almost giving away her feelings for free. If we were to refuse her outright, wouldn't that be too cold-hearted?

He remained silent for a long time, and finally, as if he had made a decision, he raised his hand and gently ruffled Xun'er's hair. The gesture was gentle like that of an elder, but also carried a hint of compromise.

“Okay…” His voice was a little hoarse.

"When you turn eighteen. If by then your heart is still as firm as it is today, and has not changed... then I will agree to your request."

"Really?" Xun'er's eyes instantly lit up with a dazzling light, like stars suddenly shining in the night sky.

“But!” Su Baichen changed the subject, his face showing rare embarrassment and apology.

"Because of your special identity, with an ancient clan behind you... I may... be unable to give you..."

Su Baichen couldn't bring himself to say these words; even he felt it was a bit excessive, as if he were taking advantage of the other person's deep affection.

However, Xun'er seemed completely unconcerned about those worldly constraints.

She took a sudden step forward and threw herself into Su Baichen's arms without hesitation, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face in his chest, her voice muffled but full of joy and contentment: "It's okay, big brother! As long as I'm by your side, anything is fine!"

"I'll marry you... I'll follow you, and then I'll be a member of the Su family. And... and I'll bring a huge dowry! I won't make things difficult for my older brother!"

Feeling the girl's slightly trembling body and her unreserved dependence in his arms, Su Baichen's last trace of hesitation melted away.