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

Dressed in a simple white dress, with a cool and aloof demeanor like the moon, she nodded slightly and said, "I am Xuan Yi, wife of Su Baichen."

Cai Lin, dressed in a seven-colored robe, possessed an air of domineering authority, and spoke in a clear, melodious voice: "I am Cai Lin, wife of Su Baichen."

Gu Nanhai secretly circulated his battle qi to investigate briefly, and then he made a plan in his mind.

Xuan Yi's cultivation was slightly inferior to his, around the level of a two-star Dou Sheng; while Cai Lin's aura was as deep as the ocean, subtly suppressing him, probably already at the level of a five-star Dou Sheng.

With such strength, one could easily hold sway over any faction.

"To be honest, I have come here on the orders of the clan leader to discuss the alliance between the two realms with Lord Bai Chen," Gu Nanhai said directly and sincerely.

"Now that the Soul Clan is making frequent moves, and the Spirit Clan and Stone Clan have suffered one after another, the situation in the Central Continent is turbulent. If the Ancient Clan and the White Dust Realm can join forces, they will surely be able to stabilize the overall situation."

Xuan Yi and Cai Lin exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of embarrassment in each other's eyes.

Xuan Yi carefully considered her words and said softly, "Elder Gu, it's not that we're unwilling to inform you, but it's just that my husband is not currently in the White Dust Realm."

Gu Nanhai was taken aback upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "Madam is joking. I personally witnessed Lord Bai Chen soaring away through the void outside the Demon Flame Space that day."

"Furthermore, according to reports from our clan's spies, Your Excellency has already returned to the White Dust Realm for quite some time. This matter is of great importance, and we hope that you will not refuse and will grant me an audience with Your Excellency Bai Chen."

Although his tone was gentle, his words carried an undeniable certainty.

Cai Lin frowned slightly, about to speak again, but Xuan Yi frankly told her: "Elder Gu, you may not know, but what has returned is only a puppet clone of my husband, not his true body. We do not know where my husband's true body is."

"This..." Gu Nanhai was speechless for a moment, his brows furrowed. He carefully examined the two goddesses' expressions and saw that their eyes were clear and did not seem to be fake. He couldn't help but believe it to some extent.

After a moment's hesitation, Gu Nanhai offered a compromise: "In that case, I wonder if the two ladies could make the decision on our behalf? The alliance is urgent, and the Soul Clan is eyeing us covetously. Every day of delay adds another layer of uncertainty."

Xuan Yi and Cai Lin exchanged glances again. Although they were Su Baichen's wife, they dared not make such an important decision on their own, especially given the rumors circulating outside…

Just as the two were hesitating—

"boom!"

The door to the reception room was suddenly pushed open, and a figure rushed in—it was Lei Zhen, the second elder of the Lei Clan.

"Ladies, you must not agree to this!" Lei Zhen said urgently, ignoring Gu Nanhai, and bowed deeply to Xuan Yi and Cai Lin.

Cai Lin's eyes flashed: "Elder Lei Zhen, what makes you say that?"

Lei Zhen then turned around, facing Gu Nanhai's angry gaze, and said without fear, "Madams, you may not know this, but the Gu Clan, though seemingly upright, is actually despicable, shameless, and untrustworthy!"

Lei Zhen's voice suddenly turned somber as he asked, "When the Xiao Clan was destroyed, were the ancient clans truly entirely innocent?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Gu Nanhai suddenly stood up, his fighting spirit subtly fluctuating around him: "Lei Zhen! Don't you dare to make false accusations!"

Lei Zhen sneered and continued to say to the two women, "Madam, please hear me out. Back when the Xiao Clan was at its peak, it was also an ally of the Gu Clan."

"But when the Xiao Clan was in trouble, where were the ancient clans' reinforcements? Afterwards, how much territory and resources did the ancient clans take over from the Xiao Clan? Who in Zhongzhou doesn't know that? Now that the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan have been wiped out one after another, the Soul Clan is certainly suspicious, but are the ancient clans really innocent?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice booming like thunder: "It's not that I'm judging you with my own petty mind, but the lessons of the past are too painful! Madams, the White Dust Realm is currently at its zenith, and countless forces are secretly coveting it. To ally with the ancient clans is tantamount to seeking a tiger's skin!"

"You...you dare to slander the Ancient Clan like this!" Gu Nanhai was so angry that his hair stood on end, but he was speechless for a moment. The Ancient Clan had indeed mishandled the Xiao Clan's affairs back then, and this had always been a thorn in Gu Yuan's side.

Lei Zhen didn't back down at all, and sneered: "Slander? Elder Gu might as well go to Zhongzhou and ask anyone you meet, and see if the people of the world believe me, Lei Zhen, or your Gu clan's empty words!"

Gu Nanhai blushed, but had no way to refute it. He could only turn to Xuan Yi and Cai Lin and said with a wry smile, "Ladies, the Gu Clan has indeed wronged the Xiao Clan, but our clan swears to the heavens that the matters concerning the Ling Clan and the Shi Clan were absolutely not done by the Gu Clan! In the current critical situation of the world, if the various forces continue to distrust each other, it will only give the Hun Clan an opportunity to take advantage of us!"

Xuan Yi and Cai Lin looked at each other without saying a word, and the hall remained silent for a long time.

Finally, Xuan Yi sighed softly and said gently, "Elder Gu, it's not that we don't trust you, but with our husbands away, we sisters really dare not make decisions on such an important matter as the alliance. Perhaps... we can discuss it again when our husbands return?"

Although these words did not explicitly refuse, everyone present understood the deeper meaning behind them.

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhen breathed a long sigh of relief, and his tense expression finally relaxed.

Gu Nanhai's face turned ashen, and deep disappointment and bitterness flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth, wanting to persuade her again, but seeing the two goddesses' firm expressions, he knew that it was futile. He could only cup his hands and smile bitterly, "Since that's the case... I was being presumptuous. I have important matters to attend to in the clan, so I'll take my leave now."

As he turned to leave, his back appeared somewhat hunched, as if he had aged considerably in an instant.

After Gu Nanhai had gone far away, Lei Zhen remembered the second purpose of his trip and asked seriously, "Ladies, please forgive my intrusion. It is rumored that Lord Bai Chen has advanced to the Eight-Star Dou Sheng realm. May I ask..."

Cai Lin and Xuan Yi exchanged a smile. Cai Lin said, "My husband's strength is indeed comparable to an eight-star Dou Sheng. As for the others..."

She shook her head slightly and said, "Even we don't know much about it."

"That's enough! That's enough!" Lei Zhen clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes gleaming.

"Having the strength to rival an eight-star Dou Sheng is enough to deter villains!"

He hadn't been idle during this time; he had already found out the general relationship between Su Baichen and the current Dragon Emperor's family.

If things really come to a critical moment, Zhu Kun will definitely stand on the side of Bai Chen Jie. In this sense, this force is enough to confront the Soul Clan head-on.

With this thought in mind, Lei Zhen felt much more at ease. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he gladly took his leave.

Ancient Realm, Council Hall.

Gu Nanhai stood with his head bowed below the palace, and reported in detail about his trip to the White Dust Realm.

When he mentioned that Lei Zhen had publicly exposed the ancient clan's old wounds, several elders in the hall showed anger on their faces, but Gu Yuan, who was seated, remained silent.

"Clan leader, Lei Zhen is really going too far!" a red-faced elder said angrily.

Gu Yuan slowly raised his hand to stop the discussion. He held his forehead and, after a long while, let out a barely audible sigh.

"South China Sea, tell me... is my ancient clan really so untrustworthy in the eyes of these forces?" Gu Yuan's voice was filled with deep weariness.

Gu Nanhai's throat bobbed, wanting to say something comforting, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The main hall fell into a long silence.

Meanwhile, deep within the Soul Realm.

The Soul Emperor, dressed in a black robe, toyed with a blood-red jade slip in his hand. The jade slip contained a detailed account of Gu Nanhai's defeat in the White Dust Realm.

"Interesting." The Soul Emperor's lips curled into a playful smile.

"A puppet clone? Gu Yuan actually believed that?"

The Void Devouring Flame, surrounded by black flames, sneered upon hearing this, "The ancient clans have long since ruined their reputation. If it were me, I wouldn't reveal the truth either."

"Yes." The Soul Emperor casually tossed the jade slip aside, his eyes deep and profound.

"But that's fine too. The more they distrust each other, the more advantageous it is for our plans."

He slowly rose, walked to the palace window, and looked into the distant void: "Send the order down, the plan will proceed as scheduled. Also... we can secretly add fuel to the fire and make the relationship between these families even more tense."

A black light flashed in Void Devouring Flame's eyes: "You mean..."

"Since they are unwilling to join forces, then we will lend them a hand." The Soul Emperor turned around, his smile gentle, but his eyes were devoid of any warmth.

"Let's stir this water up even more; the muddier the water, the better it will be for us."

Void Devouring Flame laughed, "Alright, I'll make the arrangements right away!"

With a flash of black flame, the figure of Void Devouring Flame disappeared from the hall.

The Soul Emperor stood alone by the window for a long time, then murmured to himself, "Su Baichen... whether you are in seclusion or have other plans, in this grand game, no one can escape unscathed."

Chapter 372 The Soul Clan Sows Discord; Emerging from Seclusion

Several days later, the Central Plains were shaken once again.

The corpse of a powerful member of the Stone Clan was discovered on the edge of the ancient realm. The wounds were bizarre, and the death was gruesome.

The news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching all major factions.

Even more bizarrely, when they went to investigate again the next day, the body had vanished without a trace, and even the rogue cultivator who had initially discovered the body had died in the wilderness.

"Kill him to silence him, then destroy the evidence!"

"The ancient clan has been exposed and is now enraged!"

Various factions were abuzz with discussion. Although no one dared to explicitly point the finger at the ancient clan as the murderer, suspicion and fear had formed an invisible wall, completely isolating the ancient clan.

The former subordinate forces of the ancient clans have now quietly withdrawn their envoys, fearing they might get involved in trouble.

In the realm of white dust, at the Purple Bamboo Grove Pavilion.

Xuan Yi and Cai Lin were discussing something.

The woman in black held a teapot and poured tea into the cup. As the tea soup rippled, she sighed softly, "The ancient clan is truly unable to defend themselves this time. They are really taking the blame for this."

Cai Lin leaned against the bamboo railing, her red dress as fiery as fire, a half-smile curving her lips: "If it weren't for the two girls my husband brought back from the Spirit Clan, who informed us of the Soul Clan's Soul Devouring Secret Technique beforehand, we probably would have been kept in the dark."

Mentioning "those two girls," Xuan Yi's expression hardened slightly, and he lowered his voice: "Are they well hidden? The Soul Clan is currently watching us from the shadows. If they discover that the remnants of the Spirit Clan are here, the White Dust Realm will surely become the target of everyone's attacks."

A shrewd glint flashed in Cai Lin's eyes as she said, "Don't worry, I've had Qing Lin take care of them. They're usually cultivating, but..."

She paused, shook her head and chuckled, saying, "These two young ladies have ulterior motives. Besides cultivating, they spend their days asking what their husband likes to eat, what he likes to wear, and what his daily preferences are. It's as if they've come to learn from a master, or perhaps..."

"Is it like they're here to find a backer (someone to rely on)?" Xuan Yi interjected, and the two looked at each other, both giving a helpless smile.

Cai Lin picked up her teacup, her tone more playful, and said, "They are indeed diligent, and their cultivation is progressing quite quickly. They must have something on their mind. Oh well, let them be, as long as they don't cause any trouble."

A year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Within the Demon Flame Space, the Myriad Flames Azure Lotus shone brightly, and milky white flames surged like tides, illuminating the entire space as if it were the core of a furnace.

The enormous lotus slowly bloomed, each petal unfurling and creating ripples of heat.

At the heart of the lotus, a fiery cocoon covered with mysterious patterns floats silently.

At this moment, cracks spread across the surface of the fire cocoon, making a series of soft "crack" sounds, and finally dissipated into countless points of light, revealing four figures within.

Su Baichen sat in the center, his aura as harmonious and profound as a deep pool.

Cao Ying, Xun'er, and Xiao Yu surrounded her, all with their eyes closed and focused, their skin glowing with a jade-like luster, clearly having gained immense benefits from the tempering of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Three crisp chestnuts landed, and Su Baichen glanced at the three women with annoyance: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get dressed!"

Cao Ying was the first to open her eyes, a sly glint in them, before she immediately adopted a weak and helpless demeanor, her voice soft and sweet: "Master, I feel so weak, please help me up~"

Xun'er followed Xiao Yu's example, blinking at him with her eyes brimming with a pitiful look.

Su Baichen sighed and rubbed his forehead, but still reached out and helped the three of them up one by one.