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

“That Nightmare Mist is unpredictable; I’m really afraid you’ll be trapped inside.”

Xiao Yu let out a long sigh, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and said with a wry smile, "It was indeed thrilling. There were many illusions, and it was hard to distinguish between reality and illusion. If it weren't for Sister Cao Ying's protection, I'm afraid I would have already fallen into despair."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Cao Ying beside her, her eyes filled with gratitude.

Upon hearing this, Xun'er looked at Cao Ying, only to see that she had not relaxed at all. Instead, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her bright eyes, like cold stars, swept around her surroundings. Her slender fingers quietly gripped the jade belt at her waist.

"Sister Cao Ying, have you noticed anything amiss?"

Cao Ying gently rubbed her temples with her fingertips, shook her head and smiled faintly: "It's nothing. Perhaps I was too mentally exhausted when I broke through the fog. I feel a little tired and short of breath. I'll take a pill and regulate my breathing for a while and I'll be fine."

After saying that, he took out a pale purple pill the size of a longan from his storage ring and swallowed it.

Just now, a complete crafting method for a talisman called "Nightmare-Breaking Talisman" suddenly appeared in the depths of my consciousness, like a brand.

The runes were intricate and profound, flowing with the ancient Daoist rhythm of dispelling illusion.

However, considering that her master had not sent a warning message, she did not suspect anything.

But then, a sudden change occurred!

boom--!

The space around the square shattered like glass, with seven or eight jagged, dark cracks appearing!

Deep within the rift, dark red flames surged like a tide, and countless figures silently stepped out.

Their eyes flickered with eerie flames, and their movements were perfectly synchronized, forming an encirclement in an instant.

"Fire slaves! Fire slaves made from the Pure Lotus Demon Flame!" Gu Nanhai's old eyes narrowed suddenly, his aged body stiffened abruptly, and his vast battle aura surged like a tide to protect everyone's sides.

"Don't stay here for long!"

"Break into the main hall ahead!" Xun'er reacted quickly, her jade hand pointing straight to the end of the plaza.

A dark red stone door, ten feet high, was tightly shut like a coffin, its ancient patterns flickering in the firelight.

Without a word, the five suddenly sprang into action!

Gu Nanhai thrust his palms horizontally, unleashing a surge of azure battle qi that tore a gap in the Fire Slave Tide.

Xun'er formed a hand seal with her slender fingers, and golden flames transformed into blooming lotus flowers, turning all the fire slaves to ashes wherever they passed.

Gu Qingyang's spear moved like a dragon, its cold light flashing, each strike piercing through several fiery shadows.

Xiao Yu's longsword rang out clearly, its sword energy crisscrossing like a net, shredding the fire slaves that pounced at his side.

Cao Ying extinguished the flames and instead condensed her soul power into invisible soul needles, aiming them at the core soul fire of the fire slave.

They fought while advancing, retreating and advancing simultaneously.

Although the fire slaves lacked intelligence, they followed one after another, unafraid of extinction.

Dark red flames and various colored battle qi intertwined and splashed across the plaza, blasting countless cracks into the crystal ground. The short distance of a hundred feet seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

"break!"

Finally reaching the stone gate, the five of them shouted in unison, their fighting spirits surging forth and crashing into it!

The stone gate trembled violently, countless cracks spread like a spider web, and finally shattered into dust amidst a deafening roar.

The five figures shot in like lightning, followed by a tidal wave of fire slaves, but they were all blocked by the ancient light membrane that suddenly lit up at the entrance of the hall.

Before I could catch my breath, my heart sank again—the scene inside the hall was exactly the same as that in the square.

Dozens of fire slaves stood silently in the shadows, their eyes vacant, while deep within the hall, another identical stone door stood menacingly.

“This…” Xiao Yu’s hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

"Charge!" Gu Qingyang gritted his teeth and shouted, the tip of his spear already flashing with a cold light.

The battle erupted once again.

The fire slaves seemed inexhaustible, and the stone gates were broken one after another.

Each hall was a replica, with the same dark red crystal walls, the same fire golems, and the same imposing stone gates.

Their fighting spirit was rapidly depleted in each battle, bottles of pills were emptied, and everyone sustained new injuries.

They couldn't remember how many fire slaves they had killed, nor how many doors they had broken through; they only knew how to mechanically squander their power, teetering on the brink of collapse in a cycle of despair.

Until they joined forces again, they blasted an exceptionally thick stone gate into dust.

When the smoke cleared, no more fire slaves emerged.

The hall was deathly silent, with only the heavy breathing of the five people echoing in the empty space.

This hall was even more expansive than any of the previous ones, with its dome hanging high like the night sky, and the dark red crystals embedded in the four walls emitting a faint bloody light, making the entire space look like a blood pool in purgatory.

"Is it... over?" Cao Ying leaned against the wall, her face as pale as paper.

Before the words were even finished, a suffocating sense of oppression spread from the center of the hall.

There, a gaunt figure had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

He had his back to everyone, his body hunched over like a rotten tree, but his right hand held a dark red giant axe that was almost as tall as him.

The axe's body was dark in color, as if it were cast from layers of dried blood, and a chilling dark light flowed from its blade.

The moment he turned around—

boom!

The terrifying pressure of a four-star Dou Sheng erupted like a volcano, sweeping through the hall!

The air seemed to solidify, the crystals on the ground cracked and sputtered, and the five people groaned in unison, their bodies momentarily frozen by the oppressive aura.

“Four-star…Battle Saint…” Gu Qingyang squeezed out the four words through his teeth, his knuckles gripping the gun already turning white.

Despair seeped into their bodies and minds like ice water, and in their current state, it would be extremely difficult for them to defeat their opponent.

Chapter 364 Xiao Clan's Xiao Chen!

"Grandpa Hai..." Xun'er looked at the ancient South Sea, her usually calm eyes revealing panic for the first time. She had very few pills left in her storage ring. Although the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame was powerful, the previous consumption was too great.

Cao Ying and Gu Qingyang also looked over at the same time. All three of them focused their gazes on Gu Nanhai, the elder of the Gu clan, who was a veteran Dou Sheng and was now their only hope.

Gu Nanhai's face was ashen as he stared intently at the blood-red giant axe, lost in thought.

In the dead silence, Xiao Yu's body suddenly trembled violently.

The Dou Di bloodline that had been dormant within her body for so long suddenly began to boil without warning!

A deep sorrow and yearning, originating from the very depths of her blood, surged through her mind like a tidal wave.

She abruptly looked up, her gaze piercing through the suffocating pressure, locking onto the forehead of the gaunt figure—

There, a pale golden, mysterious rune was faintly visible beneath the skin, flowing with an ancient and familiar rhythm.

"That, that is... my Xiao clan's... clan mark?!" Xiao Yu's pupils shrank sharply, and her voice was distorted and changed due to extreme shock.

"what?!"

Xun'er, Cao Ying, and Gu Qingyang turned their heads in shock, their three gazes fixed on Huo Nu's forehead.

The runes were intricate and exquisite. Although their light was dim, they exuded an indescribable nobility and vicissitude, which was completely out of place with the violent aura of the surrounding demonic fire space.

"The Xiao clan... clan crest?"

Gu Qingyang exclaimed, "How is this possible! Didn't the Xiao clan already..."

"I won't mistake you!" Xiao Yu stepped forward, her fingertips trembling violently with excitement, her eyes already brimming with tears.

“I saw this clan crest with my own eyes back in my ancestor Xiao Xuan’s place! It was exactly the same! Every line, every flow… there was no mistake!”

Her voice choked with emotion, yet every word was resolute. The resonance in her blood burned like a raging fire, telling her this was no illusion.

An even deeper silence fell over the hall!

Only the dark light flowing from the crimson giant axe and the blood flames leaping in the eyes of the gaunt figure flickered uncertainly in the eerie blood-red glow.

After a long while, the ancient South China Sea finally let out a long and heavy sigh, a sigh that carried the vicissitudes of a thousand years and a deep sense of sorrow.

"He...is indeed a member of the Xiao clan."

His name is Xiao Chen.

"Xiao Xuan's...cousin."

Gu Nanhai's voice completely confirmed the identity of the fire slave ahead!

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.

"Senior Gu, with your vast experience, do you know of any method that can help him regain his sanity?"

Xiao Yu's voice trembled slightly, a mixture of barely concealed excitement and deep anxiety.

She stared intently at Gu Nanhai, her gaze shifting back and forth between the dim tribal markings on the Huo Nu's forehead and his empty eyes.

If she could avoid fighting, she would never want to turn against each other—not only because of the disparity in strength, but also because the withered figure before her might be a former Dou Sheng powerhouse of the Xiao clan.

Awakening him would be a godsend for the Xiao clan, whose bloodline is dwindling.

Gu Nanhai slowly shook his head, every wrinkle on his aged face filled with solemnity and helplessness.

"He has been corrupted by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame for thousands of years, and his soul has long been entangled with the flame's origin. His mind... unless the demon flame itself severs its control, or a powerful force to purify and break through illusions is found, even a peak Dou Sheng would likely be..."

His unfinished words turned into a sigh, which fell heavily in the oppressive hall.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's heart sank, and her last glimmer of hope was extinguished like a candle flickering in the wind.

Must we really face off against this last remaining predecessor in this desperate situation?

Right now—

"Perhaps... let me give it a try."

Cao Ying, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

All eyes turned to her, and her gaze swept over everyone, locking onto Xiao Chen.

"Sister Cao Ying, what did you say? You have a way?" Xiao Yu suddenly grabbed her arm, hope rekindling in her eyes.

Cao Ying gently patted Xiao Yu's hand, signaling her to calm down. She then turned her gaze to Gu Nanhai, who also looked surprised and doubtful, and slowly nodded: "This junior does have a method to try, but it requires getting close to him, and the spell must not be disturbed during the performance. I need you all to protect me and buy me some time."

She spoke with certainty, but did not elaborate on the reason.