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

That escape teleportation array, reinforced by generations of Dou Di of the ancient clan and indestructible to anyone but a Dou Di, was the only thing that allowed Soul Emperor to venture alone into the heart of the ancient clan and escape unscathed!

"Reporting to the clan leader, I have been fused with this body for a long time and have already completely mastered the ancient clan's exclusive battle qi imprint, so I can fully activate the teleportation array!"

Gu Yang answered respectfully, and then the hand seals in his hands changed, and a hidden array of light quietly lit up deep within the ancestral hall.

"Very good, you did a good job."

The Soul Emperor patted Gu Yang on the shoulder and led a group of Soul Clan experts toward the lit teleportation array.

Just before the teleportation light was about to engulf them, the Soul Emperor seemed to sense something, turned his head to take one last look at the unconscious Xun'er, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes, and sneered, "Divine-grade bloodline, it's a pity she's not one of my Soul Clan. Keeping her around will only bring trouble, so..."

However, his words came to an abrupt halt, for a furious roar accompanied by a terrifying semi-emperor's pressure had already descended upon him!

"Soul Emperor, stay here before me!"

Gu Lingyi, the remnant soul of the Dou Di of the ancient clan, finally arrived at the last moment!

The Soul Emperor's expression remained unchanged. The moment he was locked onto by the oppressive aura, he actually revealed a strange smile to Gu Lingyi and changed his words, saying, "Senior Gu Lingyi, farewell, no need to trouble you to see me off!"

"Damn it! Don't even think about leaving!" Gu Ling roared in fury, unleashing a torrent of battle qi in an attempt to stop the teleportation array from operating.

But it was too late. The teleportation array's light surged, completely engulfing Soul Emperor, Gu Yang, and a group of Soul Clan powerhouses. The spatial fluctuations vanished in an instant, leaving only Gu Lingyi's angry roar and a scene of utter devastation.

Gazing at the spot where Soul Emperor and the others had vanished, Gu Ling's face was so dark it could drip water, but in the end, he suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, his laughter filled with absurdity and mockery:

"Hahaha! Ancient clan, oh ancient clan, who would have thought that only a thousand years have passed and you would become like this... You have truly made the ancient clan famous for all time!"

Gu Lingyi's voice was filled with sorrow and despair.

Chapter 408 The Joke of the Ancient Clan!

Just as Gu Ling was filled with despair and was about to perish from anger and return to nothingness, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Gu Xun'er, who was unconscious beside him, out of the corner of his eye.

At that moment, a glint of light suddenly appeared in his dim pupils.

He drew up a mouthful of vital energy, raised his index finger slightly, and a wisp of pure battle qi flowed out like a gentle stream, flowing into Xun'er's body with gentle yet firm force.

This is not just simple healing, but also sorting out her disordered fighting spirit meridians and nourishing her damaged foundation.

Under Gu Lingyi's careful treatment, Xun'er's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she soon woke up.

"Senior, who are you...?" Xun'er, who had just opened her eyes, was still a little blurry-eyed, and could only see a face with a kind smile.

The sense of closeness emanating from the other person, stemming from the depths of their blood, instantly relaxed her tense nerves, giving rise to a strange sense of peace.

"No need for formalities. My name is Gu Lingyi, and I am your ancestor." Gu Lingyi's voice had lost the domineering tone he used when facing the Soul Emperor, and was now as gentle as a spring breeze.

"Ancestors, please forgive me! It's all Xun'er's fault for being incompetent and failing to protect the Tuoshe Ancient Jade..."

Upon learning the other party's identity, Xun'er was terrified. She struggled to her feet, bowed respectfully, and spoke with regret and self-reproach.

Looking at this outstanding junior who, despite being seriously injured, still exuded a refined and composed air, Gu Lingyi shook her head helplessly and said in a doting tone, "Silly child, what does this have to do with you? With your abilities, you shouldn't be the guardian elder of this place, right?"

So, who is your identity?

"Yes, Xun'er's father is Gu Yuan, the current patriarch of the ancient clan." Xun'er nodded obediently and revealed her identity.

"Gu Yuan?" Gu Ling stroked his beard and chuckled, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"That bastard actually managed to give birth to such a bright and intelligent daughter. It seems that his wife is quite capable!"

Just then, Gu Yuan led a large group of powerful members from the Ancient Clan and the Medicine Clan and stormed in, just in time to hear Gu Lingyi's slightly disdainful comment.

Then came Gu Lingyi's roar: "You bastard, get over here right now!"

The usually imposing Gu Yuan now resembled a schoolboy who had made a mistake before Gu Lingyi, bowing his head and quickly stepping forward: "Ancestor!"

He looked around but found no trace of the Soul Emperor and the others. He understood what was going on and his face immediately turned extremely ugly.

"Do you know how those Soul Clan bastards managed to slip away from our ancient clan?"

Gu Lingyi snorted coldly, and the void around her seemed to freeze for a moment, clearly her anger had not subsided.

"This...this disciple is dull-witted and has not yet ascertained the truth."

Gu Yuan's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and his voice was somewhat hoarse.

Gu Lingyi suppressed the urge to slap this unfilial descendant to death, and angrily pointed at his nose and cursed, "They escaped using the 'Void Escape Array' left by the ancient ancestors!"

"That was a secret technique known only to the clan leaders and high-ranking elders throughout history! Now it has become a weapon to aid the enemy!"

"Gu Yuan! Tell me, isn't the ancient clan now completely infiltrated?"

"Even a high-ranking and powerful position like Elder Protector of Jade has allowed a Soul Clan spy to remain in that position for so long!"

"What kind of chieftain are you? They're digging mines and planting bombs right under your nose, and you're just standing there helping them by handing them shovels!"

This furious outburst silenced everyone present.

The young prodigies of the ancient clans stared wide-eyed, as if their worldviews had collapsed—[Our mortal enemy actually used our own teleportation array to escape?!]

The high-ranking members of the ancient clans were so ashamed they wanted to disappear into the ground: [Disgraceful! An utter disgrace! A thousand-year-old spy, and we were completely unaware! The ancient clan has utterly lost face!]

Gu Yuan stood rooted to the spot, his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms, blood dripping from between his fingers. As the clan leader, this responsibility ultimately fell to him.

The Medicine Clan Chief, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, frowned deeply. He exchanged a glance with the elder beside him, both seeing the apprehension and disappointment in each other's eyes—[The Soul Clan's infiltration is terrifyingly powerful, and Gu Yuan's incompetence is beyond imagination. Following such an ally, we're likely to be dragged down and buried with them at any moment...]

"Look at your daughter again!"

Gu Lingyi grew angrier as she spoke, pulling Xun'er in front of her and pointing at her as she roared at Gu Yuan, "Everyone knows that the Soul Clan is after the Tuoshe Jade, so they're going straight to the enemy's target and guarding it!"

"His vision and intelligence are more than a hundred times better than yours, his father!"

Upon hearing this, everyone cast admiring glances at him.

Looking back to when the Soul Clan first invaded, it was indeed only Xun'er who remained calm in the most critical moment and was not blinded by anger.

Gu Lingyi took a deep breath to calm her turbulent emotions. When her gaze fell on Xun'er again, it had returned to its previous gentleness and solemnity: "Child, the ancient clan has no successor. Are you willing to inherit my legacy?"

These words shocked the entire audience!

However, faced with the Dou Di inheritance that countless people dream of, Xun'er remained silent for a moment.

A struggle flashed in her clear eyes, but she ultimately made a decision that surprised everyone—she gently shook her head and refused.

“Ancestor, Xun’er is too young to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.” Xun’er’s voice was clear and firm.

"Please, ancestors, bestow the legacy upon my father! As the patriarch of the ancient clan, he is the strongest among them. If he receives the blessing of the ancestors' legacy, he will surely be able to contend with the Soul Clan and lead the ancient clan to rebuild its former glory!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan trembled, his eyes instantly reddened, and a great warmth surged in his heart.

【My good daughter! I thought you only had eyes for that Su Baichen, but I didn't expect you still cared about your father! I'm so gratified!】

Gu Yuan felt his blood surging in his chest, and he almost burst into tears.

However, Gu Lingyi poured cold water on the idea without any mercy.

He glanced at Gu Yuan, who was deeply moved, and the more he looked at him, the more he felt that this kid was hopeless. He sneered, "I understand what you mean, but I never pass on my legacy to fools."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan's face burned with embarrassment. He could only awkwardly scratch his head, too embarrassed to utter a word.

"But our ancestors..." Xun'er wanted to argue her point.

"No buts!" Gu Ling interrupted her, her tone stern, but her eyes were full of love as she looked at Xun'er.

"Your mind is more insightful than your father's, and your talent is no less. Your future achievements will far exceed what a mere clan leader of an ancient clan can accomplish!"

At this point, Gu Lingyi silently added, "[Moreover, the high grade of those broken magical artifacts you possess is astonishing even to me.]"

Behind this little girl, there is likely a top-tier, unfathomable weapon refiner.

Compared to your reckless father, Xun'er, with her top-tier connections and resources, is the true pillar of the ancient clan's future!

Chapter 409 Unparalleled Temptation!

“Alright, since she is valued by our ancestors, Xun’er is willing to accept the inheritance!”

Xun'er finally stopped refusing and nodded solemnly.

"Excellent! Truly worthy of being children of my ancient clan!"

Gu Ling smiled even more brightly, and with a flick of his finger, a dazzling stream of light burst forth from his fingertip and instantly entered Xun'er's brow.

In an instant, Xun'er's delicate body trembled slightly, as if thousands of stars had exploded in her mind. Transcendent-level inherited fighting techniques, cultivation methods, and combat experience surged in like a river bursting its banks.

At the moment of completely handing over the inheritance, Gu Lingyi's already illusory figure began to become increasingly transparent, as if it would be scattered by the wind at any moment.

"Ancestor, what's wrong with you..." Upon seeing this, Gu Yuan and the others panicked and tried to step forward to help him up.

Gu Ling waved her hand, signaling everyone not to panic.

A relieved smile appeared on his transparent face: "It's alright. I was just a remnant soul to begin with. Now that I have fulfilled my wish and passed on my inheritance, I can say that I have done right by my ancestors."

His gaze swept over the crowd, looking into the distance, his tone becoming extremely solemn: "The future of the ancient clan is entrusted to you."

"Remember, you must stop Soul Emperor from advancing to Dou Di! The difference between Dou Sheng and Dou Di may seem to be only one level, but in reality, there is an insurmountable chasm between them!"

"In the face of a true Dou Di, the number of Dou Sheng will become meaningless."

"If you don't become an emperor, you'll always be an ant!"

Before he finished speaking, Gu Lingyi completely turned into specks of light and vanished into the world.

At the same time, the great protective formation that had guarded the ancient clan for thousands of years also let out its last mournful cry and collapsed with a crash as the ancestors departed!

…………

Meanwhile, deep within the void, in the center of the Thunder Pool filled with Nine Profound Golden Thunder, terrifying lightning surged like ten thousand dragons, each arc of electricity enough to blast a Dou Sheng into ashes.

Su Baichen sat cross-legged, his pores opening as the destructive Nine Profound Golden Lightning washed over his limbs and bones.

Under his control, the originally violent and rampant golden lightning now flowed gently through his meridians like a docile stream, eventually converging into his dantian, tempering his body until it was as clear as glass, exuding a terrifying aura of destruction.

Seeing this scene, the phantom formed from the essence of purple-gold lightning trembled slightly and let out a hearty laugh.

"Excellent, excellent! Truly a genius!" The Thunder Emperor's illusory figure's eyes were practically overflowing with praise.

"In such a short time, he was able to completely refine the Nine Profound Golden Lightning and even use it to nourish his physical body."

"Your control over power is something I couldn't even begin to match back then."

Just then, the light surrounding Su Baichen gradually subsided, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were completely clear, like a mirror, yet they seemed to contain a small, collapsing world within them.