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

Hun Miesheng's body turned to ashes from the feet upwards, and even his soul was not spared, completely dissipating without leaving a trace in the world.

The old man with the Soul Demon's pupils suddenly contracted as he watched this scene.

Su Baichen's movements were too fast just now; from the start to the end, it only took a few breaths.

The movements were fluid and graceful, as if they had been practiced countless times, precise and deadly.

What terrified him even more was that he could clearly sense that his soul had perished, that he was utterly and completely dead, with no possibility of resurrection, and that not even a single fragment of his soul remained.

"it's your turn."

Just then, the old man of the Soul Demon suddenly shivered, for he discovered that Su Baichen was staring at him. That gaze was calm, yet it made him feel an unprecedented sense of danger.

"Your Excellency, I..." The old man of the Soul Demon tried to explain, wanting to say that Soul Extinction's actions did not represent him, and that there might be a possibility of reconciliation between the Soul Clan and Su Baichen.

But Su Baichen clearly didn't have the patience to listen to his nonsense.

"You talk too much nonsense!"

Another slap landed on the old man's body. Before he could even make any defensive move, he felt an irresistible force strike him.

His protective fighting spirit shattered like paper, his bones groaned under the unbearable strain, and his life force was instantly severed by more than half.

The killing power was triggered again, and the Soul Demon Elder's body turned to ashes in a terrified expression, completely extinguishing his life force.

Su Baichen didn't even turn around. He swung his palm again, turning Hun Feng, who was struggling to get up, and the low-level Soul Clan Battle Saint in the distance who was already terrified into ashes.

The whole process was clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.

After finishing all this, Su Baichen stretched, his bones making a series of crisp sounds, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"Hmm, that feels much better!"

He turned to look at the Pure Lotus Demon Saint in the distance. At this moment, the former Dou Sheng powerhouse was "teaching" the disobedient Pure Lotus Demon Flame, a scene that resembled a father disciplining a naughty child.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this poor kid is really pitiful." Su Baichen shook his head and chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude.

Just then, three voices rang out simultaneously, filled with concern and joy:

"Brother Bai Chen!"

"master!"

"Son!"

Xun'er, Cao Ying, and Xiao Yu flew over from a distance and landed beside Su Baichen.

Their eyes were filled with admiration for Su Baichen.

Chapter 369 The Passing Away of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint!

Inside the Demon Flame Space.

"Master, please spare me! Please spare me! I'll never dare to do it again!"

The Pure Lotus Demon Flame knelt on the ground, its body trembling violently with fear. The once blazing white flames that could burn the heavens and boil the seas now flickered like a candle in the wind, filled with sorrow.

The Pure Lotus Demon Saint gazed quietly at her "old friend" who had been with her for thousands of years, a complex emotion flashing across her eyes, but ultimately returning to silence.

“Little demon, it’s not that I don’t cherish our past friendship… it’s just that you have become intelligent, your obsession is too deep, and you are inherently violent. I simply cannot leave in peace.”

He sighed and raised his hand. The Refining Heaven Ancient Array suddenly appeared from the void. Ancient runes wrapped around it like chains, transforming into a dazzling cocoon of light that completely enveloped the demonic fire.

"The Ancient Refining Array, stripping away spiritual intelligence!"

"No—! You can't do this—!!"

The demonic fire's screams suddenly rose in pitch, then broke off midway as if torn apart. Its form gradually became transparent and dissipated within the formation, like snow meeting the blazing sun, ultimately turning into nothingness.

In the distance, Su Baichen slowly rose, his white robes brushing past the remaining sparks in the air. He turned to the group of people still lingering in the Demon Flame Space behind him and unleashed an aura of an eight-star Dou Sheng level, causing the space to tremble slightly.

"Have you had enough of the show?" His voice was calm, but every word was like a hammer blow.

"It's time to go!"

The crowd's expressions shifted, but ultimately no one dared to speak. The Soul Clan's long-dead corpses lay not far away, and no one wanted to be next.

After the last person left, the entrance to the Demon Flame Space slowly closed.

Su Baichen raised his hand to form a seal, and spatial runes were imprinted on the edge of the entrance, completely reinforcing the seal. Then he turned around, and his figure gradually faded away.

…………

The space within the demonic fire was silent for a moment.

Only Cao Ying, Xiao Yu, and—Xun'er, who stood there smiling.

Cao Ying sighed and asked helplessly, "Sister Xun'er, why aren't you leaving yet?"

Xun'er blinked, her dimples appearing slightly: "Sister Cao Ying, Brother Bai Chen can fool others, but he can't fool me."

She suddenly turned to an open space and called out in a clear voice, "Brother Bai Chen, don't hide anymore, I know you're still here!"

[As expected, this girl saw right through me...]

A soft laugh rang out, and ripples spread through the space not far away. Su Baichen's figure solidified again, and he shook his head and smiled, "Xun'er is getting smarter and smarter."

“Of course,” Xun’er crossed her arms, her eyes sparkling with shrewdness.

"I've been fooled by your clone so many times already, if I fall for it again, I'll really be a little fool."

As they were chatting and laughing, the weak and listless Pure Lotus Demon Saint walked slowly over. At this moment, his remnant soul was as faint as a thin mist, as if it would be blown away by the wind at any moment.

"Young friend Bai Chen... my time has come." He handed out an ancient scroll and a pure, milky-white flame, his voice ethereal.

"This contains the Ancient Refining Heaven Formation and all that I have learned in my life... I also entrust the origin of this demonic fire to you."

Su Baichen solemnly accepted the scroll. It felt warm to the touch, and the source of the demonic fire burned quietly in his palm, containing a vast and boundless energy.

"Farewell, senior," he whispered.

The Pure Lotus Demon Saint smiled slightly, her figure transforming into specks of light from bottom to top and dissipating, her last words lingering in the air:

"Goodbye... young friend Su."

The point of light was completely annihilated into the void.

Su Baichen stood quietly for a long time before finally putting away the scroll and the source of the demonic fire.

"Master, can't you really save Senior Jinglian?" Cao Ying asked softly, knowing that her master possessed some kind of heaven-defying resurrection technique.

Su Baichen shook his head and said, "His soul has long been worn away over the years. He has been able to hold on until now only because of his obsession with the demonic fire."

"Once the obsession dissipates, the soul vanishes. There are some things in this world that even I... am powerless to change."

As he said this, a deep sadness flashed in his eyes, as if he were recalling something from the distant past.

"Okay, let's not talk about this." Su Baichen turned to Xun'er and habitually ruffled her hair.

"Since you've stayed, let's help Ying'er refine the essence of the demonic fire together. The Pure Lotus Demonic Fire ranks third on the list of strange fires. Even without its intelligence, it's not easy to subdue."

Xun'er nodded obediently, but a barely perceptible glint flashed in her eyes.

Seeing the three women sitting cross-legged on the Myriad Fire Green Lotus, which can harmonize all fires and suppress backlashes, Su Baichen felt much more at ease.

Cao Ying sat on the lotus heart, while Xiao Yu and Xun'er sat on the lotus petals on either side. The three auras merged and slowly poured into the demonic fire source suspended in the center.

Su Baichen sat down ten feet away and unfurled the scroll left behind by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint.

As one's mind immerses itself in it, it is as if one is in a world of fire. Countless insights about flames, techniques of fire control, and the mysteries of the ancient Heaven-Refining Array flood into one's sea of ​​consciousness like a tide.

"So that's how it is... Using one's body as an array, fire as a medium, refining heaven and earth..." He murmured to himself, completely immersed in the lifelong insights of this senior Battle Saint.

Time slips away quietly.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a suppressed groan startled him awake.

"Master...I...I feel so bad..."

It was Cao Ying's voice, trembling abnormally.

Su Baichen suddenly opened his eyes and saw that the three women on the green lotus had chaotic auras. The originally docile demonic fire source was now pulsating violently, emitting a violent heat wave.

Cao Ying and Xiao Yu's faces were flushed, their eyes were bloodshot, and a faint white light emanated from their meridians—a sign of the backlash from the strange fire!

"not good!"

Su Baichen teleported to the side of the green lotus, formed hand seals, and was about to forcefully suppress the rampaging demonic fire.

However, at that very moment, Cao Ying suddenly opened her eyes, and a glint of clarity and cunning flashed in those eyes that should have been consumed by the backlash against her reason.

She and Xiao Yu exchanged a glance.

The two women reached out at the same time, not to resist the strange fire, but to grab Su Baichen's wrists from the left and right!

“You guys…?!” Su Baichen was taken aback.

Immediately afterwards, a supple yet irresistible force came from the two women's hands, pulling him into the center of the lotus. The lotus petals suddenly closed, forming a sealed light shield.

"I'm sorry, Master." Cao Ying's voice was filled with a triumphant smile, showing no trace of pain.

"This time, we can't let you run away again."

Xiao Yu smiled slightly, her fingertips gently brushing against Su Baichen's clothes: "Young Master always treats us like children... Today, it's time for Young Master to know that we are no longer the little girls who needed your protection back then."

Su Baichen then realized that there was no backlash from the strange fire; it was clearly a prank by these two girls to deceive him!

"Nonsense!"

He was both amused and exasperated, saying, "The essence of the demonic fire hasn't been fully refined yet, and you're doing this—"

Before I could finish speaking, I felt a gentle touch behind me.

Xun'er had appeared behind him without him noticing. Her green robe had been replaced by a thin gauze, and her skin was faintly visible beneath it. She gently pressed against Su Baichen's back, her warm breath brushing against his ear.

"Brother Baichen, do you know why I insist on staying?" Her voice was soft and sweet, filled with endless tenderness.

Su Baichen's body stiffened slightly.

Xun'er's fingertips gently traced circles on his heart, her breath sweet as orchids: "Because... this is the moment I've been waiting for."

Cao Ying and Xiao Yu exchanged a smile and moved closer together.

The temperature inside the light shield rose sharply, but it wasn't the heat of demonic fire; rather, it was the scorching heat and aura of youth.

The three women surrounded Su Baichen, their eyes showing no sign of being attacked, only an intense affection and a hint of triumphant playfulness.