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

"How old are you? You still have such a petty temper!"

"I won't care if you get angry and ruin your life!"

After saying that, he casually pointed to the chessboard and flashed a bright smile: "Senior, I'm sorry, you lost!"

"Hurry up and do as the bet says. Here are three mid-level Dou Sheng-level energy bodies!"

"You despicable brat! You've gone too far!"

Xiao Xuan looked at the chess game that was beyond saving and almost lost his composure.

"Do you think I didn't notice? You were the one who secretly moved the chess piece just now!"

"Hey old man, don't make false accusations!" Su Baichen instantly switched to Oscar-winning actor mode, patting his chest with an upright expression.

"I, Su Baichen, have roamed the Dou Qi Continent for decades, always upright and honorable. How could I possibly do something as despicable and shameless as being a pawn?"

"Watch out, or I'll sue you for defamation! I'll sue you for slandering me!"

Seeing Su Baichen's confident and utterly shameless demeanor, Xiao Xuan felt a wave of dizziness and almost choked.

"You rude brat! How dare you deceive this old man like this!"

Xiao Xuan was so angry that his hair and beard stood on end.

"Am I no longer capable, or have I been dead for so many years that you think I can no longer lift a knife!"

"Today I'll teach you what it means to respect the elderly and care for the young!"

After saying that, the former patriarch of the Xiao clan swung his fist, which was as big as a sand pot, and charged towards Su Baichen with his soul power surging.

"Damn it! Xiao Xuan, you old devil, have you no shame? You resort to violence just because you can't win a game of chess?"

Su Baichen let out a strange cry, his figure moving as nimbly as a ghost.

"I, Su Baichen, have roamed the Dou Qi Continent for decades. Do you think I'd be afraid of an old ghost like you who's been dead for who knows how many years?"

"Behold my ultimate martial arts technique, the Child-Severing Kick!"

Su Baichen lowered his body and delivered a cunning sweeping kick straight at Xiao Xuan's lower body.

"You little brat! How dare you resort to such underhanded tricks!"

Xiao Xuan was clearly not prepared for Su Baichen's unconventional fighting style, and hurriedly dodged in a flustered manner, roaring angrily.

"Tch, what's with all this underhanded tactics? When it comes to fighting, as long as it works!"

Su Baichen pressed his advantage relentlessly.

"Xiao Xuan, you old ghost, take another strike from my ultimate martial arts technique, the Thousand-Year Kill!"

"I'll hit you!"

With a loud, strange cry, Su Baichen appeared behind Xiao Xuan as if by teleportation.

"Holy shit!" Xiao Xuan only had time to utter a single exclamation before he froze on the spot, his face filled with humiliation and despair.

(PS: Xiao Xuan's remnant soul in the Heavenly Tomb can be touched, but only in terms of the soul!)

The two were so deeply in love that they even used their soul power!

…………

An hour passes in the blink of an eye.

When Xun'er, Xiao Yixian, Cao Ying, and the others finally arrived at this area after overcoming numerous hardships, they were greeted by this eerie scene:

Su Baichen was sitting with his legs crossed, playing with three energy balls that emitted terrifying fluctuations in his hands, a bright smile on his face that said, "I'm the winner, I'm the proudest," as if he had just struck it rich.

Opposite him, Xiao Xuan, the once mighty patriarch of the Xiao clan, was facing away from everyone, his shoulders shrugging, his back looking incredibly desolate. His taut back of his head seemed to be silently shouting two words—frustration!

If everyone saw Xiao Xuan's face, they would definitely notice that his expression looked like he was constipated!

I have this feeling that I just want to die!

Chapter 344 The Soul of the Heavenly Tomb!

"Xiao Yu, come here, let me introduce you to this senior!"

Su Baichen's voice carried a hint of solemnity, mixed with a subtle smile, as he waved to Xiao Yu in the distance.

"Hmm." Xiao Yu's expression was cold as she glanced at the figure beside Su Baichen. For some reason, he gave Xiao Yu an unusually close feeling, as if he were a long-lost relative.

"This is your Xiao clan's ancestor—Xiao Xuan!"

Su Baichen turned to the side, gently guiding Xiao Yu forward, his fingertip pointing towards the figure exuding an ancient and desolate aura.

"In his lifetime... he was a powerful late-stage nine-star Dou Sheng, standing at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent!"

He deliberately slowed down his speech for the last few words, as if he wanted each syllable to strike deep into the eardrums of everyone present.

"Wh...what!?"

After a brief silence, gasps of shock rose and fell.

Even the three members of the ancient clan were filled with disbelief and shock at this moment.

Late-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng! That's the known pinnacle of cultivation on the Dou Qi Continent right now!

It is a truly terrifying existence capable of dominating the world and destroying entire groups and clans!

The Xiao clan once possessed such a terrifying foundation? And this remnant soul before us is actually their clan's ancestor?

“A four-star Dou Zun…” Xiao Xuan’s gaze did not linger on the shock of the crowd, but fell on Xiao Yu. A trace of undisguised sorrow and disappointment flashed in his illusory eyes, which then turned into an extremely heavy sigh.

"Has the Xiao clan really fallen so low?!"

His gaze slowly shifted, finally settling on the three members of the ancient clan: Gu Xun'er, Gu Qingyang, and Gu Zhen.

His gaze was no longer calm, but carried a chilling coldness that had been accumulated over thousands of years. He said, word by word, "It seems that the ancient clan's 'care' for my Xiao clan is truly thoughtful and touching!"

He emphasized the word "take care of" so heavily that the sarcasm in it almost became tangible.

"This... senior, I..."

Upon hearing this, the three members of the ancient clan turned deathly pale. Gu Xun'er trembled slightly, her lips trembling as she tried to speak, but she found herself unable to refute the statement and could only bury her head even lower.

The decision made back then was made by the high-ranking members of the ancient clan, and it was also strongly advocated by her father, Gu Yuan. This debt has long been recorded in history and cannot be denied.

However, just as the atmosphere reached its lowest point, a slightly thin but exceptionally determined figure suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of Gu Xun'er.

It's Xiao Yu.

He faced Xiao Xuan's remnant soul's oppressive aura, which was enough to make the heavens and earth pale, and said in a deep voice: "Ancestor! I, Xiao Yu, although I do not know what deep hatred you have for the ancient clan, there is one thing I must tell you - I was able to come here and see you without the guidance and assistance of Xun'er and the two members of the ancient clan!"

He took a deep breath and bowed deeply, speaking earnestly: "This is not their fault. I beg the ancestors to forgive them this time, considering their past help to me!"

This sense of responsibility—standing up to protect his old friend despite the overwhelming disparity in power—slightly startled Xiao Xuan's remnant soul, which was shrouded in grief.

"Hmm... loyal and righteous, unyielding and unyielding, truly a worthy descendant of my Xiao clan!"

Xiao Xuan's expression softened slightly. He looked at Xiao Yu deeply and nodded: "Never mind, don't worry, I'm not going to bother with these juniors."

"The grudges of that year were ultimately decided by those few old fogies of the ancient clan."

These words were like a pardon, and the three members of the ancient clan breathed a sigh of relief as if they were almost exhausted.

Those who are family know their own affairs. What the ancient clan did to the Xiao clan back then was more than just "immoral"; they almost drained the Xiao clan dry.

Gu Xun'er, in particular, felt a mix of emotions and was secretly terrified.

[Dad, your "brilliant decision" back then almost killed your own daughter!]

She smiled bitterly to herself, her gaze towards Xiao Yu's retreating figure growing increasingly complex.

"Alright, alright!" Su Baichen waved his hand at the right moment, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

"These are all old, forgotten stories. Bringing them up now will only add to the frustration and change nothing."

"We've met as required, Elder Xiao. Shouldn't you fulfill your promise to me now?"

His words, though seemingly casual, were actually quite profound.

It was not only to turn the page, but also to subtly remind Xiao Xuan: the Xiao clan is now in decline, and even its descendant geniuses are only four-star Dou Zun. If they want to regain their glory, it is impossible for Xiao Yu to do it alone. External assistance is indispensable.

Xiao Xuan was no ordinary person; he instantly grasped the profound meaning behind it.

He glanced at Su Baichen, then looked at Xiao Yu, who, though down on his luck, stood tall not far away, and finally let out a long sigh, a sigh that contained both relief and helplessness.

"Rest assured, I, Xiao Xuan, will never go back on my word!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "agree," "definitely," and "go back on his word." Although his voice was soft, it seemed to carry the will of a Nine-Star Battle Saint, shaking the space and causing the three members of the ancient clan to feel a sudden tremor in their hearts, lowering their heads even further—this was a direct accusation that their ancient clan had broken their promise.

"Get away from me!"

Su Baichen said no more. With a flick of his wrist, the ancient Tianxuan Sword appeared in his hand. He pointed the sword tip lightly at the crowd and said in a deep voice, "The scene that is about to unfold is beyond your current level."

“He’s right.” Xiao Xuan’s gaze also turned to Xiao Yu, his tone unusually gentle and unquestionable, befitting an elder.

"Child, stay away from here for a while."

Xiao Yu gave Xiao Xuan a deep look, nodded emphatically, turned around and called to the others, and quickly retreated towards the edge of the third level of the Heavenly Tomb.

Once everyone had retreated to a safe distance, Su Baichen weighed the Heavenly Profound Sword in his hand, his Dou Qi quietly circulating within him. With the help of the Heavenly Profound Pearl, he firmly suppressed his aura at the Dou Zun level before raising his eyes to look at Xiao Xuan, a hint of fighting spirit curling at the corner of his mouth: "We can start at any time, Ancestor Xiao."

Xiao Xuan nodded, and the originally stable remnant soul aura suddenly erupted like a dormant volcano!

A vast surge of soul energy erupted into the sky, not as an attack, but with an incomparably domineering force, instantly sweeping across the entire third level of the Heavenly Tomb!

"Hahaha! It's Lord Xiao Xuan's aura! Lord Xiao Xuan is finally about to make his move!"

"After all these years, this day has finally come! We no longer have to devour each other!"

"Freedom! We want freedom!"

The countless undead who were frantically fighting and devouring each other's energy seemed to hear the horn of salvation. They stopped what they were doing and burst into a deafening cheer toward the center of the energy fluctuations—the direction where Xiao Xuan was.

The long-term devouring and killing rekindled hope in their already numb hearts at this moment.

However, the cheers lasted only a few breaths.

Rumble—!

Above the Heavenly Tomb, the endless void twisted violently, as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, emitting a deafening cracking sound due to the unbearable pressure.

Immediately afterwards, the vast and boundless soul energy converged like rivers flowing into the sea, eventually coalescing in the void into a gigantic face that blotted out the sky, cold, majestic, and devoid of any emotion, looking down upon everything below.