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

Those big, violet eyes, inherited from Cai Lin, blinked brightly, seemingly innocent and pure, yet a hint of cunning flashed in their depths—the gleam unique to gossips.

Yun Yun was gazing absently at the morning light filtering through the window when she heard the sound, and her cheeks flushed instantly.

She hurriedly pulled up the brocade quilt and covered herself completely, head and face, with only a few strands of messy black hair peeking out from the edge of the quilt.

Cai Lin stepped forward slowly, gently stroking her daughter's hair with her slender hand, her voice filled with a helpless smile: "Ling'er, don't bully your mother, Yun Yun."

"Mother—" Su Ling'er deliberately dragged out the two words, making them long and soft, tilting her little head to one side, her bright purple eyes looking at the brocade quilt.

"So you should call her Yunyun Mother!"

The body under the brocade quilt visibly trembled.

"Oh—!" Su Ling'er clapped her hands as if suddenly realizing something, and said each word clearly and distinctly, "Yun, Yun, Mother, ah!"

"Pfft-"

Finally, the butterfly standing to the side couldn't help but cover its mouth and laugh out loud.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, and she waved her hand.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she said, waving her hand with a smile, "I just... couldn't help it."

Xun'er smiled, biting her lower lip lightly, trying to suppress her laughter.

But deep within those bright eyes gazing at the brocade quilt, envy spread quietly like vines, entwining and lingering, impossible to shake off.

[I'm so envious... Even Sister Yunyun... succeeded.]

Her fingertips unconsciously clenched her sleeve, her knuckles turning slightly white.

I have to wait until I'm eighteen...

[The clan rules are strict; one must wait until their bloodline has awakened before...]

[Enough, the road ahead is long and arduous. Xun'er, don't be discouraged, hope lies ahead.]

She silently repeated it to herself a few times, let out a long sigh, and the turmoil in her eyes gradually subsided.

But that faint sense of melancholy still lingers like the morning mist.

Just then, another little head peeked in through the doorway. Ziyan, rubbing her sleepy eyes, squeezed in with a bewildered look: "What are you laughing at?"

She looked left and right—Yun Yun with her head covered, Cai Die laughing in a ball, Xun'er with a subtle expression, and Su Ling'er with suspiciously bright eyes.

What's going on?

Why is Yunyun covering her head?

Why is everyone laughing so...strangely?

Did I miss something good?

Thinking of this, she immediately wrinkled her nose in annoyance and subconsciously rubbed a certain part of her back.

【It's all Su Baichen's fault! He hit me so hard, it still hurts! Otherwise, how could I have overslept and missed such a lively scene!】

She pursed her lips and moved closer to the bedside, mimicking Su Ling'er's manner, feigning concern: "Sister Yunyun, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Should I get you some medicine?"

A muffled reply came from under the quilt: "...I'm fine, thank you."

This attempt to cover up the obvious only drew another round of chuckles from the crowd.

Time flies, and a day passes quickly.

That day, Zi Yan was unusually well-behaved—she moved a small bamboo stool and sat obediently outside Su Baichen's door, resting her chin on her hands and gazing longingly at the tightly closed wooden door.

She arrived this morning and has been waiting until now. She tiptoed away for a moment and returned with a food box in her hand.

"Squeak-"

The door finally opened.

Su Baichen wore a plain white robe, his black hair unbound and casually draped over his shoulders.

He looked up and saw the small figure by the door—Zi Yan, grinning as she held up the food box in front of him like a treasure.

"Boss! You're awake!" Her voice was clear and crisp, with a distinctly ingratiating tone.

"This is the breakfast I prepared for you! I watched the kitchen make it, so I made sure it was hot!"

The food box was opened, and steam rose from it. Inside were a bowl of soft, sticky spirit rice porridge, several plates of refreshing side dishes, and two pieces of crystal-clear cake—all his usual favorite flavors.

Su Baichen glanced down at the food box, then looked up at Zi Yan. The little girl was looking up, her amethyst-like eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness.

Her cuffs were dusted with flour, and a strand of her hair was sticking up, clearly indicating that she had spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

He remained silent for a moment, then sighed almost inaudibly and took the food box.

"You want to know about your origins?" He scooped up a spoonful of porridge, his tone indifferent.

"Mmm-hmm!" Zi Yan's eyes lit up, and she nodded her head like a chick pecking at rice.

"Yes! I really want to!"

Su Baichen ate his porridge slowly, the morning light falling on his profile, outlining his handsome features. After a long while, he finally spoke:

"The Ancient Dragon of the Void".

Zi Yan held her breath.

"The leader of the three major magical beast races on the Dou Qi Continent. Born in the void, raised in the void, they are the darlings of space by nature, with fragments of the laws of space imprinted in their bloodline."

"Adult ancient dragons can freely traverse the void, tearing through spatial barriers with a single claw, and their wings can cover a thousand miles in an instant."

His tone was calm, yet every word struck Zi Yan's heart like a hammer blow.

"Your talent for treasure hunting that you showed in your childhood, your keen perception of spatial fluctuations, and your perpetually hungry stomach—all of these are due to your bloodline."

Zi Yan stood there blankly, her pupils slightly dilated.

Taixu Ancient Dragon.

These four words exploded in her mind, stirring up layers of echoes.

Those fragments buried deep in the fog of memory—the tactile sensation of touching the folds of space in childhood ignorance, the instinctive thirst for the energy of heaven and earth when hungry, and even the enormous and majestic shadows that occasionally flitted by in dreams—suddenly all found a home.

"I am... the Ancient Dragon of the Void?" she murmured, her voice trembling.

"good."

"Boss!" Zi Yan suddenly snapped back to reality, darted behind Su Baichen, clenched her fists, and eagerly massaged his shoulders.

"Then...can you take me to them? To my people!"

The force of the back massage was neither too light nor too heavy, but rather quite skillful.

Su Baichen chuckled. This girl really used every trick in the book to achieve her goal.

He put down his bowl of porridge and gently shook his head: "I can't find it."

The hand that was patting his back stopped.

"Huh?" Zi Yan walked around to his front, her face falling.

"Why? Boss, you're so amazing..."

"Whether someone is capable or not is one thing, and whether they can be found is another."

Su Baichen raised his eyes and looked at the gradually brightening morning light in the courtyard, his gaze distant.

"The Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void hides their dwelling place behind layers of void. They are proficient in the Dao of Space, and through generations of management, the spatial maze outside their territory has been layered countless times, forming a mysterious little world of its own."

He paused, his voice taking on a rare seriousness:

"Although I have had some opportunities, my understanding of spatial power is ultimately unorthodox and too short-lived."

"Compared to this ancient race with a history of tens of thousands of years—their clan protection formation is the culmination of the efforts of countless ancestors, and every spatial rune has been refined through countless trials."

"A hasty exploration will not only be fruitless, but may also trigger restrictions and bring unpredictable disasters."

Zi Yan listened blankly, the hopeful light in her eyes gradually dimming.

Su Baichen glanced at her and continued, "The waters of this continent are far deeper than they appear. Which of those ancient families and sects that have endured to this day doesn't have a few trump cards up their sleeves?"

"Which ancestor hasn't produced a brilliant and insightful individual who has glimpsed the secrets of heaven? I've only cultivated for a little over ten years. Even if I've had some fortuitous encounters, how dare I underestimate the accumulation of thousands of years of experience?"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan understood that Su Baichen was powerless to help at this moment.

A mere decade or so of arduous cultivation cannot compare to the accumulated foundation built up over countless generations.

Chapter 230 Strangers to Parents!

Just as the light in Zi Yan's eyes was about to dim completely, and she slumped her shoulders, preparing to turn and leave—

Su Baichen's voice rang out softly, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake: "However, I may have found your parents."

Zi Yan's steps suddenly froze on the spot.

The wind swirled in the courtyard, swirling up a few fallen leaves before they quietly drifted down.

parents.

This word, so familiar and warm to all living beings, now felt like a cold needle, piercing the softest yet most desolate corner of Zi Yan's heart unexpectedly.

A mix of emotions—unfamiliarity, bitterness, grievance, confusion—surged up like a tide, choking her and leaving her speechless for a moment.

Which child hasn't seen their parents' faces? Which child hasn't taken their first steps and babbled their first words under their parents' wings?

But what about her?

My earliest memory is of that cold, damp cave.

Water droplets condensed on the stone wall, dripping and ticking, which was the only way she kept time when she was a child.

Beneath her lay some dry weeds, and beside her were a few unknown exotic fruits and some pieces of fresh meat with traces of blood—that was everything she saw when she hatched.

The food was clearly left there intentionally.

Besides parents, who else could it be?

They left behind food and this place that could barely be called a "nest," but they left behind nothing.

After finishing the fruit, they gnawed on all the meat.

Hunger drove the still-young dragon out of the cave and staggered into the perilous forest.