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

"Moon, don't come in!"

"Have you forgotten the lesson of almost setting the kitchen on fire last time?"

Bai Yue'er sheepishly withdrew her foot, pouting with a wronged expression: "That was so long ago..."

“Three months ago,” Ah Yin added without turning her head.

Bai Yue'er had no choice but to retreat dejectedly. Turning around, she looked at the two people playing chess by the stone table in the courtyard, and her eyes lit up: "I'm going to find my master to play chess!"

A chessboard sits on a stone table in the courtyard, with black and white pieces scattered about.

Su Baichen played black, and Bai Yue'er played white; the two were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

The two players went back and forth, and the situation on the chessboard became increasingly complex.

In another corner of the courtyard, Su Ling'er tilted her head, curiously examining the woman in green before her.

Liu Muxi wore a long emerald green dress, her long hair cascading down her back, and she exuded a faint aura of vitality.

She crouched down to be at eye level with Su Ling'er, her voice as gentle as the first breeze of spring brushing against new buds.

"Hello, little girl!"

Su Ling'er blinked. The aura made her feel very comfortable, like lying in a field where tender grass was just sprouting and basking in the sun.

She smiled sweetly, revealing two dimples: "Hello, beautiful big sister, I'm Su Ling'er, the daughter of that daddy!"

As she spoke, her little hand pointed to Su Baichen beside the stone table.

Liu Muxi looked in the direction she pointed, her gaze lingering on Su Baichen's profile for a moment before turning back. She pondered for a moment and said, "Um... my name is Liu Muxi, I'm your father's friend, you can call me..."

"Stepmother?" Su Ling'er's eyes darted around, and she answered with a grin.

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Beside the stone table, Su Baichen spat out the tea he had just taken a sip of, coughing repeatedly and causing the chessboard to shake.

Bai Yue'er was startled and quickly patted his back: "Master, are you alright?"

Su Baichen waved his hand, coughing as he looked at his daughter with a complicated expression.

【This girl, really...where did she learn that phrase from!】

Liu Muxi froze completely.

For the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared in her eyes, which were once brimming with boundless vitality. Her cheeks flushed red at a visible speed, and she opened her mouth, but could not utter a single word.

[Wait... this isn't right at the start!]

[Shouldn't things have progressed normally? I should have used my gentle and approachable demeanor, my extensive knowledge, and my perfectly timed care to win this little girl's admiration and affection, making her want to be close to me!]

Where did this 'stepmother' come from?!

The Goddess of Life, an ancient deity who has existed in the divine realm for countless years, was now at a loss for words because of a little girl's remark.

Her mind raced, but she couldn't come up with any suitable response—

Admit it? That's absurd.

Denying it? That would seem deliberate.

An explanation? That's even stranger.

A subtle silence fell over the room.

"Hehe!" Upon seeing this, Su Ling'er covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents, like a little fox who had successfully pulled off a prank.

When Liu Muxi saw the little girl's sly smile, she realized that she had been tricked, and she was both annoyed and amused.

She took a deep breath, trying her best to maintain the image of a gentle older sister, and said in a serious tone, "Well, you little brat, how dare you tease me? Let's see how I teach you a lesson!"

He stepped forward and pretended to pinch Su Ling'er's chubby cheeks.

Su Ling'er didn't dodge or flinch. Instead, she raised her small face and blinked her innocent big eyes: "Wait a minute! If you're going to discipline me, then by what right do you discipline me? Are you my father's friend, or my father's..."

Liu Muxi's cheeks, which had just calmed down a little, suddenly turned bright red again, this time even her ears turned pink.

She instinctively took a half step back, covered her burning face with her hands, stammered for a long time, and finally stomped her foot, turned around and ran into the house.

"I...I'll go help Ah Yin and the others!"

A flash of green, and the person had disappeared through the doorway.

Su Ling'er watched Liu Muxi's hasty retreat and sighed helplessly, shaking her head like a little adult.

Sigh, yet another of my dad's confidantes!

[Looks like having such an outstanding father isn't always a good thing; he's got way too much luck with women.]

[However, this older sister seems like an honest person, the kind who stays home all year round and doesn't interact with others. She's easily teased, and her IQ... well, probably not very high. She's easy to fool!]

Most importantly, the aura emanating from her is truly unique, a feeling of everything coming back to life, full of vitality...

Hmm, if it's her, I could reluctantly accept it!

The little girl rested her chin on her hand, analyzing the situation with a serious expression, completely unaware that her father was looking at her with a complicated and helpless gaze from across the stone table.

Su Baichen withdrew his gaze, his lips twitching slightly.

Who did this girl learn that from...?

[To have someone scare you away with just a few words, that's quite an ability...]

[Could it be a butterfly?]

[It has to be her! No one else could have raised such a quirky and audacious character!]

The more Su Baichen thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Cai Die was relatively restrained in front of him, but she completely let loose in front of Ling'er, daring to say anything and teach anything.

[It seems I can't let Ling'er spend too much time with Cai Die anymore, otherwise my precious daughter will really be led astray by her, what will become of her in the future?]

Thinking of this, Su Baichen nodded in deep agreement and decided to have a good "talk" with Cai Die when he got back this time.

At the same time, the colorful butterfly in the Dou Qi world suddenly sneezed and inexplicably felt a chill: "Who's talking about me?"

"Master, it's your turn." Bai Yue'er's voice pulled Su Baichen back to reality.

He composed himself and placed a piece.

Bai Yue'er looked at the chessboard, hesitated for a moment, and asked softly, "Master, how long will you stay here this time?"

Her voice was filled with cautious anticipation, and her eyes were fixed on Su Baichen without blinking.

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen thought for a moment and said gently, "I'll stay for at least two or three years. I was just bored this time, so I brought Ling'er out for a walk and to see you all."

Bai Yue'er's eyes lit up instantly, a bright smile bloomed on her face, and even her movements when placing a piece became a little lighter.

Two or three years! Or at least!

[Great! I still have at least two or three years to spend with my master!]

Cherish these days, learn more from your master, play chess and drink tea with him, and so on...

She was making plans in her mind, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

The outcome of the game seems no longer important; what matters is that my master will be here for the next two or three years.

The courtyard was warmly lit, and the sounds of spatulas clattering and women chatting came from the kitchen, while black and white pieces continued to move across the chessboard.

Inside the room, Liu Muxi leaned against the door, her cheeks still flushed.

She gazed through the window at the heartwarming scene in the courtyard, her eyes lingering on Su Baichen's smiling profile for a long time before she gently bit her lip.

That kid... really.

[But...she's actually quite cute.]

She looked down at her hands, as if she could still feel the soft touch she had anticipated when she wanted to pinch the little girl's cheek.

Liu Muxi took a deep breath, composed herself, and then turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"Ah Yin, Xin Yao, do you need my help?"

"Sister Muxi, you've come at the right time. Please take that dish out for me. Dinner will be served soon."

Chapter 302 The Tragedy of the Blue Silver Emperor!

For the next few days, Su Baichen lived a leisurely and carefree life, like a retired old man living in seclusion in the mountains.

Every morning, I brew a pot of tea and sit in the courtyard watching the clouds and mist swirl around me; in the afternoon, I stroll along the mountain path with a birdcage in hand, listening to the clear chirping of the birds; in the evening, I leisurely walk down the mountain, mingle in the town below, and buy some novelties.

Bai Yue'er was always by his side, as if he had returned to his childhood.

She no longer maintained the aloof demeanor of a peerless sword immortal, but instead reverted to her lively, girlish self, following Su Baichen wherever he went.

Sometimes Su Baichen would deliberately quicken his pace to shake her off, but she would always catch up with a smile, take his arm, and call out "Master" in a crisp voice.

As for Su Ling'er—this girl now spends all her time going to the Goddess of Life, saying she wants to ask that goddess for the profound mysteries of the laws of life.

But Su Baichen knew in his heart that the Goddess of Life had mastered the laws of life in the divine realm, and every move she made exuded an indescribable life aura. His daughter was probably bewitched.

On several occasions, Su Baichen made a special trip to the temple to "visit" Su Ling'er, and each time he saw her chatting and teasing the Goddess of Life.

"Girls really are hard to keep at home once they grow up," Su Baichen would sigh and shake his head each time.

That afternoon, Su Baichen sat at the stone table in the courtyard, holding the intelligence presented by A Yin.

Sunlight filtered through the ancient tree branches, casting dappled shadows, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air. It should have been a leisurely and pleasant time, but Su Baichen's expression grew increasingly strange.

After reading the last intelligence report, he raised his head and looked at Ah Yin, who was standing to the side, with a complicated expression in his eyes.

Ah Yin felt uncomfortable under his gaze and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Master, is the information wrong?"

"The intelligence is correct." Su Baichen put down the jade slip, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"But this story... is truly fascinating."

Several years ago, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji, personally led a team to besiege Tang Hao and the Blue Silver Emperor.

At that time, the Blue Silver Emperor had just given birth to an offspring, and his vitality was greatly damaged, with his strength less than 30% of his peak.

Although Tang Hao is a genius of his time, with his soul power reaching the level of a quasi-titled Douluo at level ninety, he still faced numerous dangers when besieged by the elite forces of the Spirit Hall.

In a desperate situation, the Blue Silver Emperor chose to sacrifice himself.