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

"These clothes are ones I wore a long time ago, but I haven't worn them much lately."

She explained hastily, her voice growing softer as she spoke: "It wasn't 'borrowed' from my sister!"

After saying that, Cai Lin glared at Su Baichen angrily, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears, it was hard to tell whether it was from anger or shyness. The blush on her face grew even more vivid, spreading all the way down to her slender neck.

"Europe--!"

Su Baichen deliberately dragged out his words, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze rippling across a lake: "So our invincible Medusa Queen once had such a youthful and lively side."

His gaze lingered tenderly on her, as if through the unfamiliar dress he could glimpse that youthful and vibrant time he had missed.

"You, you, you!"

Cai Lin felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, her fingertips even burning slightly. She stammered for a long time but couldn't think of a more powerful retort. In the end, she could only let out a heavy "humph" and abruptly turn her head away, leaving him with only an angry profile and slightly undulating shoulder lines.

That taut back revealed a hint of barely perceptible grievance.

Seeing her rare, almost "adorable" appearance, Su Baichen's smile deepened, but it also carried a hint of knowing tenderness.

He knew the jokes should stop; if he continued, the ever-proud Queen would likely be truly humiliated and indignant.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." His voice softened, carrying a reassuring tone.

Before he finished speaking, Su Baichen naturally reached out and gently pulled Cai Lin into his arms again. Cai Lin's body stiffened, and she instinctively tried to struggle, but Su Baichen's arms tightened around her even more, the force gentle yet leaving no room for refusal.

"Don't move," he whispered, his breath brushing against her hair.

Then, strangely enough, Cai Lin's tense body gradually relaxed in response to his words. She stopped resisting and didn't even make a sound, but simply nestled quietly in his arms, like a cat that had finally put away its claws.

Su Baichen gently rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling the person in his arms gradually soften, before saying in an unprecedentedly serious tone, "Don't wear other clothes anymore, wear your own clothes again."

Cai Lin trembled slightly, as if she had been electrocuted.

He continued, his voice low and gentle: "I still prefer the old you, the radiant, confident, and proud Medusa Queen."

He patted her back gently: "Don't force yourself to change for my sake, it's really unnecessary."

"Butterflies have their own lively and agile nature."

His voice carried a clear smile and unwavering certainty: "And you, you possess your unique kingly demeanor."

"No matter which side you're on, it's the most authentic you."

"But in front of me, you just need to be yourself."

"Did you remember?"

These words were like a warm current, instantly shattering the last trace of awkwardness and persistence in Cai Lin's heart.

Her tense body completely relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and she leaned into this warm and reassuring embrace.

She buried her burning cheeks deep in the crook of his shoulder, and after a long while, she responded softly, almost inaudibly, yet with utter submissive obedience:

"Well, I see."

Chapter 47 The Queen's Pride

Time slips away like sand through your fingers, and several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the past few days, Queen Medusa Cailin has abandoned all other affairs and devoted herself entirely to cultivation and consolidating her foundation, making thorough preparations for that crucial evolution.

That day, when she resolutely chose the second method—to temper herself with a different kind of fire and undergo the most thorough and dangerous evolution—Su Baichen stood quietly to the side without offering any words of dissuasion.

He simply gazed deeply into her bewitching purple eyes and saw within them an unwavering resolve and an innate pride.

He understood her better than he understood himself. This pride stemmed from her identity as Queen Medusa, from her strong will to refuse to be second to anyone, and even more so from the stubbornness deep within her that refused to be completely dependent on him.

She was absolutely unwilling to accept a mediocre future, and even less willing to be seen as a mere decorative vase clinging to the powerful.

What she wanted was to stand by his side, upright and honorable, relying on her own strength, to become an indispensable assistant on his journey, and to fight alongside him when he needed her, rather than being sheltered under his wings.

However, the extent to which external forces can interfere with this kind of evolution that involves the very origin of bloodline is extremely limited. Su Baichen knew that if he relied too much on external things such as pills, although it might increase the chances of successful evolution, the bloodline would not be able to be tempered and sublimated in the most thorough way, and would ultimately fall behind and be unable to reach the most perfect state.

The only thing he could do, and the only thing that could significantly improve safety and potentially enhance the evolutionary effect, was to provide her with the flames needed for evolution.

According to the original plan, she would have to rely on the raging and unruly Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame to endure the torment of being burned alive, only then could she gain a sliver of hope for survival.

Recalling the inhuman suffering Cai Lin endured in the original story, Su Baichen felt an indescribable pang of heartache. How could he bear to let her suffer like that again?

A wisp of azure flame flickered quietly between his fingers, pure and blazing, as if it contained the most brilliant light and the most restrained destructive power in the world—this was his natal fire, the Azure Heaven-Burning Fire.

This fire was obtained through his system check-in. The system description states that it is also a kind of heaven and earth flame, whose power is in no way inferior to any known strange fire, and even has unique features in terms of controllability and spirituality.

Most importantly, the Glazed Heavenly Flame was connected to his mind and spirit, as if it were his own arm.

With him personally controlling this fire to assist the evolution of the Rainbow Scales, the process will undoubtedly be much smoother and safer than facing an unclaimed strange fire.

He wanted to use this flame, which was completely under his control, to pave a relatively smooth path of evolution for her, minimizing the suffering she would have to endure.

……

Meanwhile, in another quiet courtyard of the castle, Cao Ying had just finished a day of arduous training, and her fighting spirit was slowly calming down.

She sat by the window, resting her chin on her hand, looking out at the path leading to the main hall. Her lips unconsciously pouted.

"Ugh--"

A long, drawn-out sigh echoed in the room: "Master has been out of seclusion for several days now, and we haven't seen a single person. Has he forgotten about his clever, adorable, and exceptionally talented disciple?"

She muttered to herself, then got up and walked briskly through the corridor, entering Butterfly's room with practiced ease.

Cai Die was tidying up some medicinal herbs when she saw Cao Ying come in. She smiled gently and said, "Little Cao Ying, are you done with your cultivation for today?"

"It's over already!"

Cao Ying plopped down on the embroidered stool next to Cai Die, rested her chin on her hands, and said with a worried look, "Sister Cai Die, what is Master so busy with? He doesn't even have time to come and see me."

Cai Die paused slightly, a fleeting, complex emotion flashing in her eyes, before smiling and soothingly saying, "Alright, our little Cao Ying, stop complaining. Young Master has been keeping your sister company these past few days..."

"To stay with Sister Lin?!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Ying sprang up from the embroidered stool like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her almond-shaped eyes wide with disbelief: "Master... he's really with Sister Lin? He's been there for several days?"

She had vaguely heard some rumors before, but she dismissed them as idle gossip from the servants and didn't take them seriously.

After all, in her opinion, although Sister Cailin was radiant and had a powerful aura, her master Su Baichen was always aloof and reserved, and seemed not to be enthusiastic about romantic relationships.

How did it develop into "always being there" in just a few days?

"correct."

Cai Die nodded, her tone carrying a hint of melancholy she herself was unaware of: "My sister needs to prepare quietly for her breakthrough to the Dou Zong realm, so it's only natural that you, young master, are there to protect her."

She tried to cover up the subtle bitterness in her heart with a reasonable explanation.

However, the news clearly hit Cao Ying even harder. She recalled the morning before she left the Pill Tower, when she excitedly went to find her master, only to see him coming out of his room, carrying a faint smell of alcohol and a familiar, elegant fragrance that belonged to her master's wife, Xuan Yi.

Considering that her master's wife in black robes hadn't shown up to see her off that day, the precocious girl had already guessed seven or eight parts of the story. Her own parents sometimes did this, so she was already used to it.

The little girl's eyes darted around, and a look of "I see" mixed with a little excitement appeared on her face. She clapped her hands and said, "Wow! Does that mean I'll soon have another master's wife? Sister Lin being my master's wife seems pretty good! She's both beautiful and powerful!"

She leaned closer to Cai Die, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of excitement as if sharing a secret, "Sister Cai Die, let me tell you, my first master's wife was really something. I heard that she got my master over just a pot of wine... hehe."

"Another master's wife?!"

Cai Die was so shocked by the information in those words that she dropped the medicinal herbs she was holding onto the table. She grabbed Cao Ying's shoulders abruptly, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and anxiety. "Little Ying'er, what did you just say? Young Master... he already has... has a woman?"

"That's right! My first master's wife was Xuan Yi, one of the three giants of the Pill Tower."

Cao Ying was startled by Cai Die's reaction, but then she understood. She patted Cai Die's hand and comforted her in a mature manner, "Sister Cai Die, why are you so surprised? Master is so outstanding, handsome, and highly skilled. He can also refine pills and weapons. There must be many, many girls who like him! What's so strange about that?"

"My father was the same way. He only had one wife, my mother, but countless female cultivators secretly admired him!"

She paused, looking at Cai Die's somewhat lost expression, and continued earnestly, "So, you have to take it easy. Someone like Master will definitely have more than one confidante by his side in the future."

"You need to step up your game! Look at Sister Lin, she probably met Master even later than you, and she's already taken the initiative. What about you?"

Cao Ying looked Cai Die up and down, shook her head, and sighed in an old-fashioned tone, "You're still busy with these herbs and chores all day long, without making any progress at all. You're so disappointing! I really think you're the perfect candidate to be my master's wife!"

Chapter 48 The Butterfly's Heart

"What...what nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly like you, young master?"

Cai Die's voice unconsciously rose, her fingers twisting her sleeves tightly, as if she were grasping at a straw.

"How...how could I be qualified?" She was stunned for a moment when she uttered those words, and her voice immediately lowered as if all her strength had been drained away.

What was hidden inside wasn't a question, but a soft sigh: "I...I...I..."

At first, when she heard Cao Ying's words, she was eager to refute them, but every word was like a pebble thrown into a lake, and the ripples that spread out gradually dismantled her pretense.

The voice grew softer and softer until finally, only slightly parted lips and a silent stillness remained.

She lowered her head, staring at her crystal shoes, unable to utter another word.

"Hey, look, you can't deceive yourself anymore either," Cao Ying said, her tone softening as she looked at her. "My master is so outstanding, it's normal for me to like him. And you shouldn't feel any guilt."

She took a step closer, her voice light and confident: "My master never cares about such superficial things as status. If he likes something, he likes it, and it has nothing to do with status."

"Alright, alright, stop talking!" Cai Die suddenly raised her hand to cover her burning cheeks, her ears turning bright red, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

The secret she had carefully hidden was laid bare in the sunlight, making her feel both flustered and strangely... relieved.

Seeing this, Cao Ying shook her head, both amused and helpless, but deliberately dragged out her words before delivering the most fatal blow: "Alright, stop dodging! And—I also know that you secretly drew a portrait of your master and hid it under your pillow, taking it out to look at it every night before you can fall asleep, right?"

With a "boom," Cai Die felt all the blood rush to her head, as if she had been thrown into a steamer and cooked through!

This secret, which she kept buried deep in her heart and was even afraid to utter in her dreams, was revealed so casually by Cao Ying!

"You, you stop talking! Go cultivate now! Right now!" Cai Die was so embarrassed she almost jumped up. She pushed Cao Ying out incoherently, not caring about her manners. She practically half-carried and half-dragged the "little devil" out of the room, then slammed the door shut and quickly bolted it.

Leaning against the cold door, she breathed heavily, her heart pounding like a drum.

Once she calmed down a bit, she immediately pounced on the bedside like a startled fawn, buried herself in the soft quilt, and wrapped herself up tightly, not even letting a single hair of her hair show.

The world was finally isolated.

The room fell into a deathly silence, with only her own thunderous heartbeat and disordered breathing echoing in the closed bed.

Cao Ying's previous words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up a thousand waves in Cai Die's heart.

In the darkness, the young master's handsome features, gentle smile, and the portrait she had secretly sketched countless times under her pillow uncontrollably appeared before her eyes, so clear that her heart trembled.

She blushed and hid under the covers, her mind filled with the words "Master's wife in black robes," "another master's wife," and "keep up the good work."