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

Around the stone chamber, dense poisonous gas churned and writhed like living creatures. The poisonous mist was so terrifying that even an ordinary low-level Dou Sheng expert who dared to approach it would be instantly corroded, his flesh and bones dissolved, turning into a pool of pus and blood.

Inside the stone chamber, Little Fairy Doctor sat cross-legged in the void, her aura rising rapidly in a frenzied manner.

A month ago, she returned to her residence and was surprised to find that her master, Su Baichen, had left behind several precious treasures there.

Three precious-grade poison pills radiating a strange luster, a mass of Yellow Spring Demon Saint's essence blood containing boundless energy, a bewitching blood-red flower, and a sound-recording stone.

As battle qi was injected, Su Baichen's gentle voice, seemingly close to the ear, emanated from the sound-recording stone:

"Xian'er, these three poison pills and the essence blood of the Yellow Spring Demon Saint are an opportunity prepared for you by your master, enough to make your cultivation level soar and your strength greatly increase!"

"As for that crimson flower, it's called the 'Crimson Swan Kiss.' It has only one wonderful use: it can instantly amplify any poison it comes into contact with by hundreds or thousands of times!"

"Now that I have personally crafted it, it has been transformed into a magical artifact. It not only perfectly matches your afflicted poisonous body, but also allows you to control the degree of poison amplification at will, without any worry of backlash."

After hearing the message, Little Fairy Doctor no longer hesitated and immediately began to cultivate in seclusion.

Possessing the extraordinary body of Calamity Poison Body, her refining process can be described as progressing by leaps and bounds.

In just a few days, three precious pills entered her body, and the surging energy directly pushed her cultivation to the peak of the late stage of the four-star Dou Sheng.

At this moment, she was fully utilizing her cultivation technique to absorb all the pure energy from the Yellow Spring Demon Saint's essence blood, launching a final assault on the legendary Five-Star Dou Sheng realm!

Inside the stone chamber, the poisonous gas grew increasingly intense. Little Fairy Doctor's figure was completely engulfed by the churning blood-red poisonous mist. Only a clear, phoenix-like cry, like a dragon's roar, could be faintly heard. Clearly, her path to breakthrough had reached a critical moment.

Chapter 403 The Right Person

Meanwhile, in another room in the White Dust Realm, the atmosphere was so heavy that it seemed as if even the air itself had frozen.

Cai Lin and Xuan Yi sat in the main seats, their two beautiful eyes filled with astonishment as they stared blankly at Lei Dong, the young master of the Lei Clan, who was kneeling before them.

"What did you say!"

Cai Lin's teacup trembled slightly, almost slipping from her grasp. She and Xuan Yi exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

Lei Dong was no longer the imposing young master of the Lei Clan he always was. His forehead touched the ground, and his voice was choked with emotion and urgency: "I beg you two ladies to find Mr. Su and save my Lei Clan from this disaster, for the sake of our shared alliance!"

"If the two ladies agree, I am willing to hand over the Tuoshe Ancient Jade as a token of my gratitude!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lei Dong's fingertips trembled as he presented a piece of jade that exuded an ancient and desolate aura.

It was the very treasure that the Soul Clan had been dreaming of, the one that had stirred up the entire Dou Qi Continent: the Tuoshe Ancient Jade!

Cai Lin and Xuan Yi's gazes swept over the ancient jade, and their lips twitched involuntarily.

This is truly... exactly what I feared has come to pass.

Before leaving, Su Baichen had repeatedly warned them, as if signing a written agreement: the Tuoshe Ancient Jade is now the eye of the storm on the Dou Qi Continent, a hot potato that can burn people. Whoever gets involved will be unlucky, and whoever takes it will be caught in the trap.

If anyone dares to touch it privately, they'll see how he deals with them when he gets back.

Just in case, they privately gave instructions to others, so everyone usually avoided the ancient jade like the plague.

But who could have imagined that this enormous trouble would grow legs, come to them on its own initiative, and force itself upon them?

Xuan Yi took a deep breath, preparing to righteously refuse this hot potato of a gift. She had even thought of an excuse such as "My husband is not here, so I cannot comply." However, at that moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

A guard rushed into the hall, reporting frantically, "Your Excellencies, something terrible has happened! A Soul Clan Dou Sheng expert just came to deliver a message, saying that if the Thunder Clan wants to be safe, they must exchange the Tuoshe Ancient Jade for it! Otherwise... kill them without mercy!"

Hearing these words, Lei Dong, who was kneeling on the ground, turned ashen-faced.

A glint of light flashed in Cai Lin's eyes as she instantly caught the variable in the situation.

She shook her head gently at Xuan Yi without making a sound, indicating that she would take care of everything.

Cai Lin concealed the sharpness in her eyes, adopting a gentle yet rational expression as she looked at Lei Dong again: "Young Master Lei, please stand up and speak. Kneeling like this is making us feel ashamed."

“If the two ladies do not grant my request, I will kneel here forever!” Lei Dong gritted his teeth, his knees as if rooted to the spot.

The news brought by the guard had undoubtedly driven him to a dead end.

Cai Lin sighed helplessly and said softly, "Young Master Lei, to be honest, we don't know where our husband is right now. Perhaps he is still in seclusion in some secret realm."

"We are willing but unable to do so."

"Then... what should we do!" Lei Dong's initial flame of hope instantly dimmed, and he slumped down like a deflated balloon.

“However…” Cai Lin changed the subject, a meaningful smile curving her lips.

"It's not entirely impossible to save your father."

"What method?" Lei Dong suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming with surprise, as if a drowning person had grasped at the last straw.

Cai Lin picked up her teacup, gently blew on the floating leaves, and said casually, "Didn't the Void Devouring Flame want the Tuoshe Ancient Jade? Then let's give it to him."

"This...this is not allowed!" Lei Dong jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his face full of struggle and resistance.

"The Tuoshe Ancient Jade is a treasure that my Lei Clan has guarded for generations. It is a legacy left by our ancestors. How can we easily give it away!"

"Oh, you ancient races, you're so stubborn."

Cai Lin put down her teacup, making a crisp clinking sound, and looked at Lei Dong with a disappointed expression.

“Jade is inanimate, but people are alive! No matter how precious the Tuoshe Ancient Jade is, it is ultimately just a stone. But your father, Chief Lei, and the elders of the Lei clan are all living, breathing people!”

She stood up and slowly walked to Lei Dong, her tone extremely sincere: "Do they think a broken piece of jade is more important than their lives? Young Master Lei, you need to be clear-headed. The current situation is that if you don't hand over the ancient jade, the Soul Clan will kill you."

"What's the point of having the jade in your hands when the person dies?"

Lei Dong was speechless after hearing these words, and his eyes began to waver violently.

Seeing that the time was right, Cai Lin slowly added, "By the way, I'll tell you some information. Right now, the Soul Emperor is causing trouble in the Ancient Clan and is entangled with that old guy Gu Yuan. He definitely won't be back for a while."

"As for Void Devouring Flame, although he is powerful, your father is a peak expert at the late stage of the Eight-Star Dou Sheng realm. I think Void Devouring Flame can't do anything to him for the time being; at most, it can only trap him."

"So, you still have time to consider. It's up to you whether you want to use the ancient jade to witness your family's death, or to use the ancient jade to save your family's lives."

After saying that, Cai Lin stopped looking at Lei Dong and turned to Qing Lin beside her, instructing, "Qing Lin, take Young Master Lei to the guest room to rest and let him have a good discussion with the clansmen."

Lei Dong nodded, his steps unsteady as he followed Qing Lin outside.

Just as he was about to step out of the door, Cai Lin's voice came softly from behind him, carrying a bewitching magic:

"Young Master Lei, think it over carefully. That's just a piece of broken jade that could bring about the extermination of your clan. Don't let it cloud your judgment."

Lei Dong stopped abruptly halfway out of the room. He turned back and looked deeply at Cai Lin, then bowed solemnly to her before turning and leaving.

After the door closed, Xuan Yi could no longer hold back and covered her mouth with a light laugh, "You're really something. With just a few words, you've handed this hot potato back to the Lei Clan and even done them a favor. It's like killing two birds with one stone."

Cai Lin waved her hand, leaned back lazily in her chair, and her eyes gleamed with cunning: "That's not enough. If we want him to make a firm decision to exchange the ancient jade for the person, it won't work if we just try to persuade him. It would seem too opportunistic."

"Oh? In your opinion, who should we ask to persuade them?" Xuan Yi asked curiously.

"We need to find someone who is neither a member of the Thunder Clan nor one of our White Dust Realm, but who shares the same plight as the Thunder Clan and has a similar experience."

Cai Lin tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her smile deepening: "Only those who have experienced the pain of losing a loved one and know that the general trend cannot be defied can speak with the most weight."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi's beautiful eyes lit up slightly, and an excellent candidate instantly appeared in her mind!

Chapter 404 Lei Dong's Decision!

The atmosphere inside one of the guest rooms was so heavy it seemed like it could drip water.

Several elders of the Lei family and Lei Dong's sworn brothers all stared intently at Lei Dong, who had just pushed open the door, as if he were clutching the last straw in his hand.

"How is it, Dong'er? Has Mr. Su relented?" an elderly man with white hair asked in a trembling voice, his voice filled with hope.

"Yeah, Brother Dong, tell me what's going on!"

"Is there any hope for my father and the others?"

The group bombarded Lei Dong with questions, almost drowning him out.

Lei Dong took a deep breath, staggered to the table, grabbed the teapot and gulped down a mouthful of cold tea. He then wiped his mouth, shook his head with a complicated expression, and then nodded heavily.

"Brother Dong, what do you mean by shaking your head and nodding like that?" Lei Ming, one of Lei Dong's younger brothers, couldn't contain himself and stepped forward anxiously, his eyes reddening.

"Can he be saved or not? Say something!"

Lei Dong put down the teapot, his voice hoarse and weak: "Mr. Su... is indeed not in the White Dust Realm. According to Madam Cailin, he is probably in some unknown ruins right now, and he won't be able to return in a short time."

"It's probably hopeless to rely on him to rescue my father and the others."

"It's over...it's all over..."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, instantly shattering the last remaining hope in everyone's hearts.

The air in the room seemed to freeze at that moment, then turned into a deathly silence of despair.

"I knew it! What White Dust Realm, what 'not at home'? It's probably just a facade!" A sharp voice broke the silence, tinged with bitterness and resentment.

"Maybe they've got their eyes on our Tuoshe Ancient Jade, and they're deliberately making up this excuse about it not being in the territory, hoping to reap the benefits once our clan leader dies!"

Another elder chimed in, "Indeed, you can't see into someone's heart. The White Dust Realm operates in a secretive manner, and compared to the ancient clans of yesteryear, they may not be as upright..."

Seeing that everyone was not only panicking, but even starting to slander him without any basis, Lei Dong's face suddenly darkened, and his eyes flashed with cold light.

"Shut up!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap, shook the windowpanes.

Lei Dong slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his fighting spirit surging, causing the teacups on the table to bounce.

"Without any evidence, do not make baseless accusations and slander Mr. Su!"

He scanned the entire room, his gaze sharp as a knife: "If Mr. Su truly harbors ill intentions and covets the Tuoshe Ancient Jade, why not just rob us right now!"

"We can't hold out anyway!"

Seeing that everyone was stunned into silence, the person who had just led the questioning still stubbornly retorted, "You... how can you say that? What if he really had that in mind? What if..."

"What if what!" Lei Dong interrupted him, his voice as cold as if he had been pulled out of an ice cellar.

"Since you're all full of conspiracy theories, let me tell you—Lady Cailin just told me personally that we should use the Tuoshe Ancient Jade to exchange for people!"

These words shocked everyone in the room.

Lei Dong looked around and continued, enunciating each word clearly, "They don't care about that stone at all! What they care about is my father's life!"

"We are now living under someone else's roof, but the entire White Dust Realm has not only not treated us poorly, but has also done its best to help us."

"Compared to how the ancient clans took advantage of the Xiao clan's misfortune back then, Lady Cailin's actions are a thousand times more virtuous!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority: "Therefore, from this moment on, I do not wish to hear another word that is detrimental to the unity between the Thunder Clan and the White Dust Realm! Anyone who dares to speak ill of our benefactor, don't blame me, Lei Dong, for turning ruthless!"