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

This completely overturned the understanding of the alchemy world in Zhongzhou! In the history of the Pill Tower, there has never been such a young eighth-grade alchemist!

Even the little girl who had been quietly staying by Xuan Kongzi's side couldn't help but widen her big, dark eyes, cover her lips with her little hand, and utter a childish but amazed voice: "So...so amazing!"

In those eyes, besides surprise, there was also a clear gleam of admiration.

Only then did Su Baichen and Xuan Yi turn their attention entirely to the little girl.

Su Baichen looked at Xuan Kongzi and asked in confusion, "Senior Xuan Kongzi, who is this?"

Xuan Kongzi finally snapped out of the shockwaves from Su Baichen and remembered another purpose of his trip.

He smiled and gently pushed the little girl in front of Su Baichen, introducing her: "Look, this girl is Cao Ying, the darling of the Cao family, the famous 'vixen'."

"He's been pestering me all day, insisting on becoming my disciple. And he's got very high standards, specifically asking to become your disciple, Su Baichen, and learn alchemy from you."

He patted Cao Ying's head and continued to say to Su Baichen, "Let me tell you, don't underestimate this girl. Her soul talent is innately powerful."

"I heard that when she was born, her soul power was too strong and uncontrollable, causing her mother a lot of suffering. She is a natural-born alchemy talent."

…………

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen understood. Cao Ying, a young alchemy prodigy nurtured by the Cao family of Zhongzhou, was the future "enchantress" of the Pill Tower, possessing extraordinary soul talent.

If she hadn't later met Xiao Yan, who was like a cheat code, she would definitely have been one of the most outstanding alchemists of her generation.

Looking at the little girl before him, her face tilted upwards, her eyes filled with expectation and stubbornness, a meaningful smile involuntarily curved his lips. From this moment on, the trajectory of fate seemed to have subtly shifted again.

Chapter 3 Taking Cao Ying as an Apprentice

Seeing that Su Baichen remained silent for a long time, Xuan Kongzi assumed that he was hesitant and became secretly anxious.

He subtly nudged Cao Ying, who was standing beside him, with his elbow and gave Su Baichen a wink.

Cao Ying was twisting the hem of her clothes with her head down when she was pushed like that, and she raised her small face in a daze.

Seeing Xuan Kongzi gesturing towards Su Baichen, she immediately understood as soon as her dark eyes darted around.

The little girl was quick-witted and instantly understood Xuan Kongzi's implication—he wanted her to strike while the iron was hot and make the matter of becoming his disciple a reality!

Without saying a word, she darted to Su Baichen in a few steps, her movements so swift that only a fragrant breeze remained behind.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, she knelt down solidly on the bluestone floor with a "plop," the sound clear and loud, making Xuan Kongzi's lips twitch involuntarily. He thought to himself that this girl was too honest.

"Disciple Cao Ying greets Master!"

Cao Ying tilted her little face up, her voice clear and bright, with the unique innocence of a child, yet her tone was unusually firm.

Su Baichen was indeed startled by this sudden and generous gift. When he came to his senses, he saw a beautiful little girl kneeling expectantly in front of him.

He had never liked such formalities, especially since the other party was just a child. He quickly bent down and reached out to help her arm: "Hey, get up quickly. You're so young, why are you kneeling? Get up, the ground is cold."

Cao Ying was very clever. Seeing that Su Baichen's tone was gentle and he showed no sign of disgust, she immediately seized the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

With Su Baichen's help, she stood up, a bright smile instantly blooming on her face, as if she had secretly eaten honey. She readily replied, "Disciple will obey Master's orders!"

After saying that, he even patted off non-existent dust from his knees, his smile growing increasingly smug.

Looking at her smug expression, Su Baichen couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly, feeling both amused and exasperated.

He cleared his throat, trying to get back on track: "Um, well... I haven't..."

Before he could even utter the word "agree," Cao Ying interrupted him repeatedly, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on. Her lips trembled, her eyes welled up with tears, and she made a move to kneel down again.

"No, no, no!"

Seeing this, Su Baichen was at his wits' end. He quickly reached out to stop her from kneeling down again: "Alright, alright, stand up straight!"

Once Cao Ying had regained her footing, she immediately raised her delicate, porcelain-doll-like face and stared intently at Su Baichen with her large, bright, and clear eyes.

His eyes were filled with affection, expectation, and a hint of cunning that left no room for refusal, as if silently asking, "Will you agree or not?"

Su Baichen could never stand this kind of pure yet slightly calculating gaze. It made his heart soften a little, and the excuse he had prepared just wouldn't come out.

He sighed helplessly, raised his hand to rub his temples, and said with a hint of resigned indulgence, "Oh well, I'm really defeated by you, little girl. From now on... you'll be my apprentice."

"Hehe, thank you, Master!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Ying's face immediately lit up with a smile, and she cheered. Her change of expression was as fast as turning the pages of a book. Her tearful appearance vanished instantly, leaving only the joy of her successful scheme.

Looking at the clever and quick-witted little girl in front of him, Su Baichen had to admit, despite his helplessness, that she was indeed exceptionally intelligent.

The entire conversation consisted of only a few words, yet every sentence solidified the master-disciple relationship, leaving the child with no way out. This wit and courage were beyond the reach of ordinary children.

Xuan Kongzi, who had been anxiously waiting, finally felt relieved when Su Baichen admitted it himself. He stroked his long beard, a satisfied and gratified smile on his face, and his gaze towards Cao Ying was full of admiration. This girl had indeed not disappointed him.

Xuan Yi, who had been standing quietly to the side, watched this "happy ending" scene, but her delicate eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

For some reason, she had a vague sense of unease, feeling that Su Baichen's acceptance of Cao Ying would likely cause a lot of trouble in the future.

But she couldn't quite put her finger on why. The atmosphere was just right, and she didn't want to spoil the mood, so she suppressed her doubts and smiled faintly at everyone.

I wonder if, someday in the future, she will regret the vague unease she felt today.

"White dust,"

Xuan Kongzi was in a great mood. He stroked his beard and smiled, his tone slightly teasing: "That little girl has already kowtowed and become a disciple. As her master, you should at least show some appreciation and give her a decent apprenticeship gift. You can't be stingy."

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen rolled his eyes at Xuan Kongzi, but his tone carried a hint of smugness: "Tch, do you even need to tell me that? Would you mistreat my disciple, Su Baichen's disciple?"

After saying that, he gently stroked his finger on the storage ring, and several crystal-clear jade bottles appeared in his hand.

The jade bottle has a warm, smooth texture, and one can vaguely see that it contains a viscous liquid that is colorful and shimmers with a faint ethereal light.

The instant the jade bottle appeared, Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi almost simultaneously gasped in shock, their faces filled with disbelief:

"Foundation Building Elixir!"

"Foundation Building Elixir!"

Although Cao Ying was young, she was quite knowledgeable. Seeing that even the two giants of the Pill Tower were so shocked by the medicinal liquid, she immediately realized that what her master had taken out was no ordinary item. Her big eyes immediately lit up as she stared at the jade bottles, full of curiosity and anticipation.

Xuan Kongzi stepped forward and carefully examined the jade bottle in Su Baichen's hand, his tone filled with strong doubt: "Baichen, how do you have Foundation Establishment Elixir?"

"If I remember correctly, this should be that old codger Yao Chen's unique pill formula. I begged and pleaded with him for a long time back then, but he refused to reveal even a bit of it. Where did you get it from?"

Mentioning this, Su Baichen's face immediately showed indignation, as if he had suffered a great injustice: "Hmph! It's all because of that bet we made on alchemy back then! We agreed to compete to see who could refine the pills of higher quality and purer medicinal properties, and the loser would have to present an exclusive pill formula."

He grew angrier as he spoke, his words quickening: "The final result is obvious; how could that old scoundrel possibly be a match for me?!"

"In the end, I won, and he lost."

"But that old scoundrel actually tried to cheat me! In the end, he did give me a so-called 'exclusive pill formula,' which is this Foundation Establishment Elixir! The effect is quite good, but it only works on little kids who are cultivating Battle Qi!"

"What use would I, a dignified seventh-grade alchemist, have for the formula of a second-grade pill? It would be utterly shameless!"

Every time Su Baichen recalls this incident, he feels a burning hatred, as if he has been thoroughly tricked by Yao Chen.

However, he paused, his tone softening slightly, as if he had remembered something to say next.

Perhaps because Yao Chen himself felt that what he had done was not very ethical, not long afterward, he took out the nameless cultivation technique that he had accidentally obtained from an ancient secret realm and which even he himself had not been able to fully comprehend, and discussed it with Su Baichen. This barely calmed Su Baichen's raging anger at the time.

Chapter 4 The Horror of the Soul Palace

"Well, with Yao Chen's eccentric personality, he really might do something like that."

Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi were taken aback when they heard Su Baichen's words. Then, the image of Yao Chen's face, which always carried a playful and cynical smile, appeared in their minds at the same time.

Imagining him flaunting this "useless" Foundation Establishment Elixir while casually giving it away, both of them wore helpless yet knowing smiles.

Xuan Kongzi stroked his beard, shook his head, and laughed, "Haha, just like him! Only he could hoard second-grade pills like they're trifles."

Seeing that they understood, Su Baichen continued to explain, his tone tinged with reminiscence: "That's right. In my younger days, I was curious about all sorts of unorthodox elixirs, and when I was bored, I refined a few bottles of this Foundation Establishment Elixir."

"Later I felt that it was no longer of much use to my cultivation, so I left it idle in a corner of my storage ring and almost forgot about it."

He turned his gaze to Cao Ying, who was standing obediently to the side, and said with a touch of gentleness: "I am happy to accept a disciple today. I just remembered that this item is very suitable for solidifying the foundation of the Dou Qi stage and promoting cultivation. It is a coincidence that I am giving it to Cao Ying to help her get started."

After speaking, Su Baichen turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on his newly accepted disciple. His voice softened, carrying a questioning concern: "Disciple, if I'm not mistaken, you should be at the fifth level of Dou Qi cultivation now, right?"

Upon hearing her master's question, Cao Ying immediately raised her small face, her large, clear eyes filled with seriousness. She nodded vigorously and answered truthfully in a clear voice, "Yes! Master has discerning eyes. This disciple recently broke through to the fifth level of Dou Qi."

Having received confirmation, Su Baichen said no more. With a flick of his wrist, the small jade bottle containing the Foundation Establishment Elixir appeared in his palm.

He handed it to Cao Ying, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable solemnity: "This item is called Foundation Building Elixir, a second-grade product. It can accelerate the condensation and refinement of battle qi, which will greatly benefit you at your current stage. I am giving it to you today as a gift from your master to you as you become my disciple."

He paused briefly and added the instructions: "It's simple to use. Just add a few drops to a wooden bucket filled with clean water, then meditate in the bucket. The medicinal power will naturally seep into your body through your pores."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ying quickly reached out her hands and carefully took the warm, smooth jade bottle, as if she were holding some rare treasure.

She felt the lingering coolness of the jade bottle, and a warm feeling welled up inside her. She carefully placed the jade bottle into her rather simple storage ring, then tilted her head back, a sweet smile blooming on her face, and said in a soft voice, "Thank you, Master! This disciple will definitely cultivate diligently and will never let Master down!"

After she finished speaking, Cao Ying's bright, sparkling eyes couldn't help but linger on Su Baichen.

The master before me not only possessed unparalleled talent in alchemy within the Pill Tower and was already a Dou Zun expert at a young age, but more importantly, he had a handsome face and an otherworldly temperament, making him the most dashing and extraordinary among all the elders of the Pill Tower.

As Cao Ying watched, she became somewhat lost in thought, one thought after another popping into her mind: "Wow... Master is really amazing, so young... Although he's not the most skilled alchemist in the Pill Tower, he's definitely the most talented!"

"And... and Master is truly the most handsome person I've ever seen, even more handsome than those in paintings. Just looking at him is so pleasing to the eye..."

A faint blush rose to her small face.

While Cao Ying was lost in her own thoughts, staring intently at her master, she was completely unaware of what was happening.

Another gaze, carrying a hint of inquiry and subtle emotions, quietly fell upon her.

Xuan Yi, standing to the side, keenly noticed the way Cao Ying looked at Su Baichen.

His eyes were clear and bright, yet they seemed to possess an indescribable focus and radiance that surpassed the reverence that ordinary disciples held for their masters.

Xuan Yi frowned slightly, a strange feeling stirring in her heart: "This girl... the way she looks at Bai Chen, something feels off?"

"It didn't seem like a simple disciple's respect and gratitude towards his master; the way his eyes shone... it was more like... a young girl's infatuation?"

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Xuan Yi was startled: "No, no!"

She immediately dismissed it in her mind: "I must be thinking nonsense!"

"Cao Ying is only a little girl, barely a teenager. She may not even be experiencing romantic feelings yet. How could she possibly have those kinds of thoughts about her master?"

"It must be because I've been spending too much time and energy concocting medicine lately, and I've confused myself!"

Xuan Yi quickly shook her head gently, as if trying to shake off all the inappropriate and even absurd speculations in her mind and refocus her attention on the conversation in front of her.

At this moment, Xuan Kongzi seemed to suddenly remember something important. The relaxed smile on his face faded slightly. He turned to look at Su Baichen, and his tone became more serious: "By the way, Baichen, you have now successfully broken through to the Dou Zun realm. According to the usual practice and your plan, you are planning to travel around to find opportunities to advance further, right?"