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

Su Baichen watched the two figures disappear into the crowd at the city gate and gently shook his head.

He turned and looked once more into the depths of the city—there, the fluctuations of the spatial wormhole were like undercurrents beneath a calm sea, subtle yet impossible to miss from his perception.

When he and Cao Ying first arrived here, the wormhole was on the verge of collapse, and he used his spatial power to forcibly stabilize it.

As a result, he unexpectedly encountered Luo Cheng, the city lord of Tianya City. After paying a considerable price, Su Baichen personally repaired the spatial wormhole.

Now, more than a decade later, he has returned to Tianya City, and the wormhole is functioning normally again.

Chapter 246 Cao Ying's Growth!

Inside the Luo family hall, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, yet it couldn't dispel the stagnant atmosphere.

Luo Cheng, the patriarch of the Luo family, stood to the side with his hands hanging down, a hint of sweat on his forehead.

Before him, the man in white sat calmly, slowly sipping his tea, his movements elegant and composed, as if he were just an ordinary visitor.

Luo Cheng knew that the calmer this jinx named Su Baichen appeared, the more dangerous the undercurrents beneath.

"Has Cao Ying been here before?"

Su Baichen put down his teacup, the sound of the porcelain bottom lightly tapping the table was not loud, but it made Luo Cheng's heart skip a beat.

He dared not be negligent and quickly bowed, replying, "Yes, sir. Miss Cao Ying recently visited Tianya City and sought me out, saying she needed to use the spatial wormhole to travel to Zhongzhou."

“So, she went to Zhongzhou from here.” Su Baichen raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Luo Cheng as if it were a physical object, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority.

Luo Cheng felt a chill run down his spine and inwardly groaned.

[Miss Cao Ying, oh Miss Cao Ying, you've really dug a huge pit for this old man!]

He dared not show it on his face, but bowed even lower, his voice filled with fear: "Your Excellency, please understand! This old man... this old man really knows nothing! Miss Cao Ying did not come alone that day; she was accompanied by a girl with a cool and aloof demeanor."

"The young lady only said that she was eager to go home and asked to pass through. I saw that the young lady had an extraordinary temperament and was traveling with Miss Cao Ying, so I assumed that it was a trip tacitly approved by you, sir. How could I dare to ask any more questions? So... I did so."

At this point, Luo Cheng's knees buckled, and he knelt down with a thud.

It wasn't all an act; he was genuinely filled with fear. He had witnessed firsthand the ruthlessness of Su Baichen before him.

That was more than a decade ago, when Su Baichen first arrived in Tianya City and sold several bottles of high-quality pills at a high price at the auction.

Several local bullies in the city, seeing that he was a stranger and seemed to be carrying valuable treasure, harbored evil intentions and pretended to invite him to "discuss" a deal.

No one witnessed the process of that "discussion," only that Su Baichen emerged leisurely from the secret room, his white robes spotless.

Those few guys who had been entrenched in Tianya City for many years and whose power was deeply rooted, along with all their businesses and cronies, were uprooted and wiped out in the blink of an eye.

His decisive and ruthless methods shocked the entire city. It was during that battle that some people vaguely glimpsed his Dou Zun strength, which made the entire Luo family tremble with fear.

Later, the Luo family's spatial wormhole fell into disrepair and malfunctioned, and they had to pay a great price to persuade this wicked star to lend a helping hand.

Luo Cheng had expected that repairing a wormhole would take at least several days, but Su Baichen's control over spatial power far surpassed that of ordinary Dou Zun. He could do it with ease, and in just a short while, the wormhole was back to normal. His unfathomable strength filled Luo Cheng with awe.

……

Luo Cheng was lost in the terrifying memories of the past when Su Baichen, sitting on the seat, suddenly spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.

"Where is the seventh-tier Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast Demon Core that I requested?" Su Baichen tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his eyes sharp as knives.

Is it still there?

He suddenly remembered that before leaving Tianya City, he had specifically instructed the Luo family to keep an eye out for this item.

At that time, the Luo family had no stock, so he used this as a condition of the transaction.

Now, Cao Ying and Little Fairy Doctor have actually slipped away from this place, and that demonic core...

"Uh...this..." Upon hearing this, Luo Cheng's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, his words caught in his throat, and he stammered, his eyes darting around, unable to look directly at Su Baichen.

Seeing his expression, Su Baichen already understood.

He waved his hand, his expression unreadable: "Fine. Prepare a quiet room for me; I'll be staying here for a day."

"Yes, yes! I'll arrange it right away!" Luo Cheng replied hastily, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon.

As he stood up, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly took out a letter sealed with sealing wax from his bosom. He presented it respectfully with both hands, saying, "My lord, before Miss Cao Ying left, she specifically asked me to deliver this letter to you. I dare not fail to do so."

After saying that, he dared not linger for a moment longer and hurriedly left to make arrangements, leaving Su Baichen alone in the hall.

Su Baichen picked up the letter. The envelope was plain white, without any extra decorations.

He unwrapped the sealing wax, pulled out the letter, and unfolded it. The handwriting was delicate yet slightly unconventional; it was indeed Cao Ying's own.

[To my esteemed master: Greetings.]

[By the time you read this letter, your most clever, adorable, and understanding disciple will have already made a grand escape—no, I mean, embarked on your journey home! Surprised? Unexpected, aren't you?]

I know you'll definitely come to Tianya City and ask about the magic core. So, please don't get angry yet (although you might already be), let your disciple explain slowly.

Here's what happened. My junior sister, Little Fairy Doctor, and I were traveling (really just traveling!), and we learned about an ancient sealing technique from Senior Medicine Dust.

This method is quite ingenious. If successful, it can not only temporarily suppress the outbreak of poison, but also guide and control some of the poison's power, buying more time for my junior sister and paving the way for completely resolving the hidden dangers of the poison.

"Master, as you know, such a heaven-defying method requires extremely rare and demanding materials. One of the core auxiliary materials is the magic core of a seventh-tier Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast, which must be of pure attributes and abundant energy. Isn't that a coincidence? The Luo family just happened to receive one that meets these requirements."

I know those were things you ordered. But in this emergency, while your previous methods have temporarily stabilized my junior sister's situation, it's not a long-term solution.

The method described by Senior Yaochen is the most promising path we have encountered so far. However, the opportunity is fleeting, and the materials are rare and hard to come by.

Therefore... I, your disciple, have taken the liberty of acting first and informing you later, and have 'accepted' this material on your behalf.

[And Master, don't worry, my junior sister and I are both fine.]

Once we have settled down and achieved some success, we will send you another message. Do not worry.

Sure enough, at the end of the letter was a simple smiley face, with curved eyebrows and eyes, revealing a hint of cunning and ingratiation—Cao Ying's usual signature.

"That brat..." Su Baichen looked at the smiling face, shook his head helplessly, but a slight curve appeared on the corner of his mouth.

While there were concerns, knowing that they weren't running around blindly, but rather had a clear goal and were guided by Yao Chen, put my mind at ease.

However, this act of acting first and then informing others, and taking away the reserved materials, really deserves a good lesson.

However, Su Baichen did not immediately put the letter away. He slowly ran his fingertips over the words on the letter, his gaze calm, as if he were sensing something.

Cao Ying is a clever and shrewd girl with a meticulous mind; she would never leave behind only these superficial pieces of information.

He had taught her that important messages should be conveyed in a more discreet way, especially when facing the power of the soul that might be spying on them. Directly marking with soul power would only make them an easy target.

He followed a special rule that he had taught Cao Ying in the past—to recombine and spell out certain characters in the letter in a specific order based on her personal handwriting habits or slight distortions.

A moment later, a hidden message clearly emerged in his mind:

[Master, there is another urgent matter to report. During my travels through the Northwest Region these past few months, I discovered and secretly cleared out three outposts surrounding branch halls, all of which were set up by the Soul Hall.]

Although it was done discreetly, the Soul Palace has many eyes and ears and uses unpredictable methods. It's hard to guarantee they won't notice something amiss and follow the clues.

They seem to have been watching you for a while. My junior sister and I went to Zhongzhou this time partly to divert some of their attention.

[Furthermore, the people of the Soul Palace might guess that you returned to Zhongzhou from Tianya City, and thus set up an ambush.]

Therefore, we hope the master will be extra careful!

Upon reading this hidden information, the gentleness in Su Baichen's eyes vanished, replaced by a deep chill.

He gently closed the letter, a wisp of pale white flame flashed from his fingertip, and the letter instantly turned to ashes and vanished without a trace.

Outside the quiet room window, the sky was gradually darkening.

Su Baichen stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the lights of Tianya City gradually lighting up, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Cao Ying, this girl, may seem silly, but she is actually quite shrewd and has even considered this step.

【The little girl has grown up!】

"It seems that Tianya City isn't so peaceful after all," he murmured to himself, his voice fading into the deepening twilight.

Chapter 247 Taking in the Luo Family; Luo Tian's Complexity!

By evening, the Luo residence was brightly lit, with the faint sounds of music filling the air.

Cai Die and Zi Yan arrived at the Luo family home early to meet up with Su Baichen.

Inside the main hall, wine glasses clinked and delicacies were laid out, a family banquet to welcome distinguished guests was in full swing.

The patriarch, Luo Cheng, raised his glass again, his face flushed, his words filled with undisguised gratitude and respect: "Mr. Su, I'd like to offer you another toast!"

"If it weren't for your skillful repair of that spatial wormhole back then, how could the trade route between my Luo family and Zhongzhou have been restored, let alone the modest prosperity we enjoy today? The entire Luo family will forever remember this kindness!"

Su Baichen simply nodded slightly and gave a calm "hmm," his fingertips lightly stroking the rim of the warm teacup, his gaze calm, and he said nothing more.

His dignified demeanor caused the lively banquet atmosphere to automatically subside around him, as if separated by an invisible barrier.

Beside him, Cai Die sat upright, her chopsticks held with an almost rigid elegance. She ate the dishes in small bites, but her eyes occasionally wandered, trying her best to imitate a certain "dignified" demeanor.

However, the way they tried so hard to maintain their appearance seemed rather endearing to those in the know.

On the other hand, Zi Yan presented a completely different picture.

She practically buried her face in the bowl, her chopsticks flying across the table, her cheeks bulging, her eyes red-rimmed. Between wolfing down her food, she mumbled indistinctly, "Waaah... my little money... it's all gone... I need to eat more, to get it back... I have to get it back!"

His heartbroken yet indignant expression, which he channeled into his appetite, made even the occasional glimpse of the servants cause them to chuckle.

Su Baichen looked at Zi Yan's appearance and shook his head almost imperceptibly, a hint of helpless indulgence flashing in his eyes.

He put down his teacup, and with a flick of his wrist, two translucent white jade bottles appeared out of thin air in his palm. The bottles shimmered with a warm luster and emitted a faint, yet refreshing, fragrance.

"Patriarch Luo." Su Baichen's calm voice rang out, interrupting Luo Cheng's attempt to offer another toast.

"Over the years, I'm grateful for your hard work in searching for the magic core of the seventh-tier Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast. These two bottles of pills are my way of thanking you."

As he spoke, he casually waved his hand, and the two jade bottles flew steadily toward Luo Cheng.

"In this bottle are three 'Restoration Pills'; in the other bottle is one 'Breakthrough Pill'."

Upon hearing the words "Rejuvenation Pill," Luo Cheng's hand trembled as he caught the jade bottle!

As a Dou Zong powerhouse, he knew all too well the value of this pill—a top-grade sixth-rank healing elixir with mild and mellow medicinal properties. As long as he had a breath left, it was enough to pull a severely injured Dou Zong back from the brink of death, essentially giving him an extra life!

As for the "Breaking the Sect Pill"... Luo Cheng's breathing became rapid involuntarily, and his gaze almost instantly swept towards his son Luo Tian, ​​who was sitting with him below.

He himself had already broken through to the Dou Zong level, so this pill was useless to him. However, Luo Tian was stuck at the peak of the Dou Huang level and was desperately seeking an opportunity!

When Mr. Su handed over the pills, his seemingly casual glance toward Luo Tian made his meaning crystal clear.