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

What else could Su Baichen say? He could only nod with difficulty, but he dared not relax his vigilance in the slightest.

This senior's thoughts are even more unpredictable than the most complex Heavenly Rank combat techniques.

"Well, good boy."

Jiang Mingyue smiled with satisfaction, as if Su Baichen's compliance pleased her greatly.

Immediately, she suppressed her smile slightly and her expression became more serious.

"Little Chen."

Her voice softened, carrying a soothing tone.

"You've been so tense, are you... worried that I might lie to you, or that I might harm that little guy?"

She directly pointed out Su Baichen's biggest hidden worry.

Su Baichen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, then he calmly met Jiang Mingyue's gaze.

At this point, denial and cover-up are futile; the other party has clearly already seen through everything.

He took a deep breath, nodded heavily, and said in a low, clear voice, "Yes. I dare not hide it from you, Auntie; I do indeed have this concern."

He paused, then added, "To me, Xiao Jin is not a pet or a tool, but an important partner. I must ensure its safety."

His frankness, on the contrary, made Jiang Mingyue's eyes flash with a hint of admiration.

She wasn't annoyed by this "distrust," but instead sighed softly and shook her head.

"You don't really need to worry too much about this," Jiang Mingyue said calmly and confidently, with a wisdom that comes from years of experience.

“It’s not because I, your aunt, am so morally superior, or because of Yan’er—although those two points do exist.”

"It's because my aunt was also an auspicious beast in her lifetime, and she knew that harming auspicious beasts was a great taboo of heaven and earth, and would bring extremely terrible backlash."

She looked at Su Baichen's slightly widened eyes and continued to explain, her tone as if stating an ancient and certain truth: "We auspicious beasts are born in harmony with the fortune of heaven and earth, and are the embodiment of the world's creation."

"If anyone kills or forcibly plunders the essence of auspicious beasts for their own selfish reasons, they are going against the will of Heaven and desecrating the destiny."

"This act will surely be rejected by Heaven and Earth."

"The consequences..." Jiang Mingyue lowered her voice, carrying a chilling solemnity.

"It's not a simple tribulation of lightning or inner demons, but a true 'bad luck' that will entangle him."

"From now on, misfortune will be commonplace. The probability of chaotic battle qi and qi deviation during cultivation will greatly increase. Searching for rare and precious materials will often end in failure or even encounter misfortune. At critical moments, the cultivation technique will backfire, allies will betray... All sorts of inconceivable misfortunes will follow one after another, like a shadow, until the fortune completely declines and the body and soul perish."

"This is not a curse, but an automatic backlash from the rules of heaven and earth."

“The higher one’s cultivation level, the deeper one’s perception of the rules of heaven and earth, and the greater one’s awe of them. So…” She looked at Su Baichen, her gaze clear and frank.

“Even if I, your aunt, was once an auspicious beast and urgently need to recover, I would never make a move on this little auspicious beast. That’s not seeking an opportunity; that’s cutting off my future and courting death.”

"Your protection of it is both a matter of loyalty and wisdom. Don't worry, child."

Jiang Mingyue's words flowed like a clear spring, carrying an unquestionable authority and sincerity, slowly soothing Su Baichen's biggest doubts.

His tense shoulders and back finally relaxed almost imperceptibly.

"The people who attacked my uncle and aunt back then were actually mainly..."

A sudden thought flashed through Su Baichen's mind.

“Yes!” Jiang Mingyue nodded, affirming Su Baichen’s unfinished words, her tone carrying a hint of coldness and mockery.

"Those guys' main target is Zhukun, and they may also want to eliminate him completely by kidnapping or getting rid of Yan'er, who is still a dragon egg."

"As for me? They probably wanted to capture me alive to coerce me into killing me directly. They weren't that stupid. After all, the bad luck of killing a mythical beast is something that will bring misfortune to anyone for life."

She paused, rolled her eyes elegantly, and said with a tone full of disdain, "So in the end, it's all because Zhu Kun, that warmonger, was too much of a troublemaker back then, making enemies everywhere. That's why he got himself into trouble and dragged my daughter and me down with him!"

"Hmph! It's all Father's fault!" Zi Yan immediately puffed out her cheeks and angrily echoed, temporarily transferring her anger towards the murderer from back then onto her own father.

"Yes!" Jiang Mingyue nodded vigorously, looking completely convinced.

"It's all your father's fault!"

Su Baichen: "..."

He looked at the mother and daughter who had quickly reached a consensus and were united against a common enemy (Zhu Kun) with a strange expression, feeling that something was not quite right.

The image of Jiang Mingyue's description of Zhu Kun's "clumsy" methods of pursuing her—[hunting down a powerful magical beast and delivering its most precious blood essence...]—uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.

Su Baichen's lips twitched slightly.

He seemed to understand somewhat why His Majesty Zhukun had "made too many enemies".

The blood essence of those "powerful magical beasts"... probably all have rather "touching" origins.

(Some ancient monster ancestors from thousands of years ago are crying: Waaaaah, that old bastard Zhukun almost plucked all the outstanding descendants of our clan bald in his pursuit of his wife!)

"Xiao Chen." Jiang Mingyue pulled her wandering thoughts back and looked at Su Baichen again, her beautiful eyes filled with undisguised hope and pleading.

“Boss…” Zi Yan also looked over expectantly, her eyes still red from crying, like a pitiful little animal, filled with anticipation and pleading.

Two equally beautiful eyes, each filled with different emotions, were focused on him, and Su Baichen suddenly felt immense pressure.

He raised his hand and rubbed his temples, ultimately softening his heart.

"Sigh!" he sighed helplessly.

With a slight thought, a gentle golden light once again emanated from his body.

This time, he was more careful, and a wisp of his soul power quietly wrapped around Xiao Jin, ready to be drawn back into his body at any time.

The golden light detached from Su Baichen and landed on the ground to the side. The light faded, revealing a fluffy golden lion cub named Little Jin, who was scratching its ears with its front paws and looking bewildered as if asking, "Why did you call me out?"

Chapter 296 Auspicious Beast Gifts Essence Blood!

"Aww—!"

A long, lazy yawn escaped from Little Golden's mouth. It slowly stretched, its golden fur bristling and spreading out in a soft halo in the light.

It rubbed its sleepy eyes with its front paws. Its amber eyes were still covered with a thin layer of mist, clearly having just been forcibly awakened from a deep sleep. Its brows were filled with an intense weariness and dissatisfaction.

"Xiao Chen..."

Xiao Jin's voice trailed off, carrying a hint of resentment at being disturbed from her sweet dream.

"What do you want? I was dreaming about gnawing on a ninth-grade elixir, and I was just about to take a bite—and now, it's all gone!"

It puffed out its cheeks, glared angrily at Su Baichen, and swished its tail behind it, making a soft "whooshing" sound as it flapped the air.

Su Baichen looked at its childlike appearance, a barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes, but his face remained calm and expressionless.

He stepped aside, raised his hand to Jiang Mingyue beside him, and introduced her in a calm tone: "Xiao Jin, this is Zi Yan's mother."

"Ziyan's...mother?" Xiao Jin blinked, the lingering sleepiness receding like a tide.

It perked up its ears, raised its front slightly, and curiously examined the woman in front of it, who had a gentle temperament and whose features bore a resemblance to Zi Yan.

After his gaze lingered on Jiang Mingyue for a moment, Xiao Jin's nose twitched slightly, as if he had caught a very familiar scent.

A rare hint of seriousness gradually surfaced in its usually nonchalant golden eyes.

"Are you the fallen auspicious beast?" Xiao Jin's voice became clearer, the slurred speech from sleepiness gone.

Jiang Mingyue met Xiao Jin's gaze and nodded slightly: "Mm."

Their eyes met, and no further words were needed.

Although their physical forms are different, the pure and auspicious energy flowing deep within their souls, unique to the mythical beasts of heaven and earth, resonates and echoes each other as if they were perfectly blended.

It is a mark originating from the same heaven and earth's grace, an unspoken understanding between the embodiment of blessings and peace.

Jiang Mingyue sensed the vigorous and pure auspicious beast essence within Xiao Jin's body. It was a healthy, complete, and carefully nurtured life force, which contrasted sharply with her own current weak state as a remnant soul.

She sighed inwardly, but her expression remained gentle as she explained her request: "Your Excellency, I apologize for disturbing you, but I have a favor to ask."

"I wish to borrow two drops of your blood for the final step of my resurrection, hoping to regain some of my former strength more quickly."

She paused slightly, her eyes darting around as she looked at Su Baichen, who remained silent to the side. Her tone carried a hint of helpless amusement: "However, even though I have explained the auspicious beast to him... Xiao Chen still seems somewhat unwilling to fully believe me."

Su Baichen felt Jiang Mingyue's gaze, his face remained expressionless, but his fingers unconsciously curled up at his side.

This little action did not escape the eyes of Xiao Jin, who was watching him closely.

Xiao Jin immediately scoffed, turned its head, and raised one of its front paws towards Su Baichen, as if to poke his forehead from a distance: "Did you hear me! Did you hear me! Last time—the time you asked me for blood! What did I tell you?"

"I told you that we auspicious beasts have special constitutions, I'll be fine, I'll be fine!"

"Good heavens, you just wouldn't believe me! After it was all over, you locked me up for 'quiet recuperation,' I was so bored I almost grew mushrooms! Now, Ziyan's mother, another once-proper auspicious beast, should believe what she says, right? What else do you have to say!"

It grew angrier and angrier, its tail swishing wildly and its golden mane trembling, making it look like a big cat with its fur standing on end. Its golden eyes were filled with "disappointment" and "you better admit your mistake right now."

Su Baichen tilted his head, annoyed by its clamor, and muttered under his breath, "Tch, I'm only doing this for your own good... What if what you said isn't entirely right? Although you are my auspicious beast, and I know you to some extent, sometimes you..."

"Sometimes what?" Little Jin pricked up his ears.

"Sometimes it's silly and easily swayed by emotions." Su Baichen glanced at it quickly, then looked away, lowering her voice even further.

"Better safe than sorry, it's always good to be cautious."

"You—!" Little Jin was so choked by his undisguised "slander" that he almost couldn't catch his breath. He scratched at the air a few times before angrily putting his hand down.

It realized that reasoning with this guy, who was as stubborn as a rock in some ways, was often a waste of breath.

A sullen divine thought, audible only to Su Baichen, shot directly into his mind: "[I am your natal auspicious beast! Heaven and earth bear witness, our contract is binding! What could I possibly lie to you about? What benefit would I gain from lying to you?]"

Su Baichen looked down at his nose, then at his heart: "Your simple-mindedness and loyalty are good, but they can also make you impulsive and prone to misjudgment. Is it wrong for me to worry about you?"

【Me, naive? Me, stupid? You're the stupid one! Your whole family is stupid!】

Xiao Jin was so angry that he "roared" in his mind, but the content of his roar was not very harmful.

It paused, its tone suddenly softening, tinged with a hint of grievance and expectation: "Couldn't you...couldn't you just say 'I care about you, I'm afraid something might happen to you' properly? Why did you have to beat around the bush like that, making it so infuriating!"

Su Baichen didn't speak, and looked up at the ceiling!

[Such a tsundere! A silent type! A complete idiot!]

Xiao Jin mentally labeled Su Baichen with a series of tags, then angrily ended the pointless "private chat".

It took a deep breath, trying to calm the emotions surging within it from someone's anger.

Turning around to face Jiang Mingyue again, he adopted a "let's ignore that guy" expression, and even waved his paw with feigned maturity: "Ahem, let's leave him alone! He's encountered far too many traps, betrayals, and unpleasant things when he was adventuring on his own. He's only alive now because of his paranoia..."