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

"When you're out there making your way in the world, be more considerate of her!"

"And she's so stubborn! She clearly cares about people, but she always insists on being strong and arrogant."

"When she throws a tantrum, it's like she's going to tear the house down; even I have a headache..."

Zhu Kun talked on and on, revealing all of Zi Yan's "dark history" and shortcomings during this period, as if afraid that Cai Lin would not know how difficult this girl was.

Listening to this Dragon Emperor, who stood at the pinnacle of the continent, chattering away like an ordinary neighbor, Cai Lin felt a warm current surge in her heart.

She interrupted with a smile, saying, "Senior, you're overthinking it. Those so-called minor flaws of Sister Ziyan aren't actually flaws."

"That was the shell she used to protect herself and hide her inner softness."

"It is precisely because of these little temper tantrums and quirks that she is the vibrant little Ziyan we know."

“If she becomes slick and worldly, then she won’t be herself.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Kun was startled, then let out a long sigh of relief, and looked at the colorful scales in front of him again, feeling a mix of emotions.

【Oh, my daughter, if you had Cai Lin's composure and wisdom, even if it was only thirty percent, your father would feel at ease letting you compete for the position of empress.】

Even if they don't win the position of Empress, they can at least reach a high position like Xuan Yi, where no one dares to underestimate them.

From the moment they met until now, Cai Lin's demeanor has been impeccable, her words sincere, and her air of authority and magnanimity have left Zhu Kun with absolutely no faults.

Even the last vestige of pride he held as the Dragon Emperor had to yield when faced with Su Baichen's wife.

[So be it, this is for the best. With Cai Lin and that monster Su Baichen protecting her, my daughter will be worry-free for the rest of her life, and I have nothing to worry about anymore.]

Thinking of this, Zhu Kun patted his forehead and laughed, "Look at my memory, I was so busy talking about my silly daughter."

"You specifically stopped me, surely it wasn't just to chat about everyday things?"

Cai Lin's composure finally faded somewhat, replaced by barely concealed worry and urgency: "To be honest, I do have something to ask you."

"Does Senior know how my husband, Su Baichen, is doing now? What is his situation?"

After such a long time, Su Baichen hadn't sent back any news. How could his wife not be anxious?

Seeing Cai Lin's tense appearance, Zhu Kun couldn't help but burst into laughter, waving his hand irritably: "What else can you do? That kid is so comfortable he'd practically swallow his tongue! He's infuriating!"

"He tempered his body with the Nine Profound Golden Thunder in that Void Thunder Pool. The opportunity he obtained was so great that even I was green with envy! I was absolutely envious!"

"What? An opportunity that even you envy?" Cai Lin's pupils shrank, and she exclaimed in shock.

She knew very well what level Zhu Kun was—a late-stage peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng who had mastered top-level spatial laws, possessed an Emperor-level soul, and had an incomparably powerful physical body!

If even such a powerful person is envious, what kind of extraordinary opportunity must it be?

Seeing Cai Lin's shocked expression, Zhu Kun's sense of imbalance exploded, and he couldn't help but start complaining:

"That's right! Our Ancient Dragon Clan has guarded that Void Thunder Pool for countless millennia, and countless powerful individuals have entered it countless times, but what has been the result? They haven't gotten a single thing! The inheritance inside completely ignores our Ancient Dragon Clan!"

"But when it got to that kid, it practically delivered itself to his doorstep. It's just outrageous!"

Zhu Kun looked up at the sky and sighed, with a helpless expression that said, "Man is better than dragon, and dragon will be angry to death." He looked like a hot-tempered old man who had lost his toy, with no trace of the majesty of a dragon emperor.

Chapter 413 Speechless Xun'er

ancient world.

Xun'er slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with an ancient golden aura. Her aura was restrained, seemingly calm and undisturbed, yet every gesture exuded an overwhelming majesty.

"Daughter, how are you feeling?"

Gu Yuan had been staying by his side the whole time. When he saw his daughter wake up, he rushed over with concern.

Xun'er looked down at her hands, feeling the surging battle qi within her body, and an incredulous expression appeared on her face: "It feels great, Father."

"Not only has he broken through to the early stage of the five-star Dou Sheng, but his own strength is also incredibly powerful."

"If she goes all out, my daughter is confident she can defeat even a six-star Dou Sheng."

She paused, then continued, "Moreover, the Ancient Spirit Ancestor was extremely meticulous, and he specially created a small world of consciousness in the inheritance."

"The flow of time there is different from that outside. I cultivated there for a full six years."

"I have now mastered all the obscure classics and fighting techniques left by my ancestors."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his face full of satisfaction.

Although the ancestor Gu Lingyi disliked him, a descendant, for some reason and was even somewhat disappointed, he has now passed on his legacy to his daughter without reservation.

This feels like the ancestor, though disliking the father, gave all the family fortune to his daughter, which is no different from giving it to himself.

"Good! Good! She truly is my good daughter!" Gu Yuan's eyes reddened with excitement.

However, after the initial excitement, Xun'er looked around the empty ancestral hall and frowned slightly: "Father, where are the other elders? And where are the people from the Medicine Clan?"

Mentioning this, Gu Yuan's old face instantly fell, and he was so embarrassed that he almost dug his toes out of the three-bedroom apartment.

During the time Xun'er was receiving the inheritance, the ancient world was not a monolithic entity.

Yao Dan of the Yao Clan was a cunning old fox among old foxes. He keenly sensed that the ancient clan members were all harboring ulterior motives. Especially after seeing Gu Yuan's "I'm going to trick you" look, Yao Dan packed his bags overnight and, under the pretext that "the Yan Clan has already arranged accommodations," ran away with the Yao Clan without looking back.

(Yao Dan's inner monologue: If we don't run away now, the Yao Clan will probably be swindled to death in the Ancient Realm by those heartless Gu Clan members!)

After the Medicine Clan left, Gu Yuan summoned the elders to discuss the matter. The old fogies conferred and concluded that the Soul Clan must be vulnerable at this time. They decided to leave Gu Yuan behind while all the other Dou Sheng experts went out to the Soul Clan's territory to test their strength.

"They... they've all left." Gu Yuan awkwardly touched his nose.

Seeing her father's grim expression, Xun'er instantly understood and sighed helplessly, "Father, did you send them out to get themselves killed again?"

"Uh..." Gu Yuan was speechless for a moment after his daughter pointed out his flaws.

He then forcibly suppressed his panic, stiffened his neck, and argued forcefully, "How can you make such a assertion!"

"In case... uh, saying this is useless."

Let's change the subject!

"We are in a very passive position right now. We must track down their whereabouts before the Soul Emperor finds the Ancient Emperor's Cave, or everything will be over!"

Seeing her father's stubbornness and complete loss of his usual patriarchal authority, Xun'er felt a throbbing pain in her forehead and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.

She looked at Gu Yuan, her heart already filled with unspoken emotions.

[Father, oh Father, your brain...aren't you usually quite shrewd when handling clan affairs? How come it short-circuits when it comes to the Soul Emperor? How did you manage to inherit the ancestral bloodline and hold the position of clan leader for over a thousand years with such low intelligence?!]

[Don't you even use your brain? Even if those elders were incredibly lucky and actually found the Soul Emperor in the Soul Realm, so what?]

Have you forgotten the terrifying devouring power of the Void Devouring Flame, or have you forgotten the unfathomable methods of the Soul Emperor?

[As the strongest warrior of the ancient clan and one of the top experts on the continent, if you don't go, how can those few old fogies possibly fight against the Soul Emperor and his group?]

What mortal grudge do they have against you that you would harm them like this!

[Are they going to deliver their souls to the Soul Emperor, or are they being nourished by the Void Devouring Flame?]

Just then, a soft hum rang out, and a beam of white light flew from the void, landing in Gu Yuan's palm. This was the ancient clan's secret communication technique; a phantom projection appeared, and the trembling voice of an ancient clan elder echoed:

"Chieftain! Chieftain! When we arrived at the border of the Soul Clan, we discovered that the Flame Clan and the Medicine Clan, who had left earlier, were both there!"

"After our various forces met and discussed the matter, we felt this was an opportunity, so we joined forces to attack the Soul Clan. But strangely, neither the Soul Emperor nor the Void Devouring Flame appeared from beginning to end!"

"I dare to guess that the Soul Emperor did not return to the Soul Clan, but instead took the Void Devouring Flame to some extremely important place!"

After hearing the report, Gu Yuan was so angry that his beard was trembling.

Are you kidding me?!

When I was around, you Medicine Clan members all hid farther than anyone else, afraid of getting into trouble; but now that I'm gone, you actually dared to join forces with the Flame Clan to attack the Soul Clan?

[How little do they trust me, Gu Yuan!]

[Besides, didn't those old devils vote in favor of the initial decision to hold back? How come it's all my fault?]

Gu Yuan harbored a deep-seated double standard, shifting all the blame onto others.

But after the initial anger subsided, cold sweat instantly soaked his back. The Soul Emperor wasn't in the Soul Clan… so where could he be?

[It seems he went to the Ancient Emperor's Cave alone with the Void Devouring Flame!]

【It's over, it's all over now!】

Gu Yuan's face was pale, as if he could see the hopeless future of the Soul Emperor stepping into the Dou Di realm and the Soul Clan ruling the continent.

Seeing her father's distraught state, Xun'er's heart sank. Just then, the communication jade pendant at her waist suddenly began to flash intensely.

"Hmm?" Gu Yuan's gaze sharpened.

"Oh, Father, don't worry. This was a gift from Senior Sister Cao Ying when I left the White Dust Realm," Xun'er explained, quickly channeling her battle qi to connect.

The moment the jade pendant was connected, Cao Ying's unique scream, tinged with excitement and lingering fear, came from the other end:

"Xun'er! My God! You have no idea how exciting it was just now! Two of the world's top experts were face to face! The scene was so intense it practically ripped the sky apart!"

Two of the world's strongest figures?

Xun'er and Gu Yuan exchanged a glance, and a terrifying thought instantly flashed through their minds.

It can't be...

Cao Ying's voice came again, confirming their guess:

"It's the old Dragon Emperor Zhukun! He's facing off against the Soul Emperor!"

"I knew those Thunder Clan people were up to no good! They actually used fake jade to trick the Soul Clan's spy, and as a result, the Soul Emperor came straight to their doorstep! Right outside the White Dust Realm!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan could no longer contain himself. He snatched the jade pendant and roared into the void, "What? Is the Thunder Clan's Tuoshe Ancient Jade still there? Did the Soul Emperor obtain it?"

There was a sudden silence on the other end, clearly startled by the unfamiliar roar.

Cao Ying's voice carried a hint of confusion: "Hello? Hello? Why is there no sound? Is something broken? Xun'er, wait for me!"

Immediately afterwards, the communication jade pendant fell into a deathly silence. No matter how Gu Yuan tried to activate it, there was no sound coming from the other end.

Chapter 414 The Location of the Cave!

Inside the ancestral hall of the ancient clan.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the communication jade pendant emitting a faint light in the deathly silence.

"Oh...daughter, I suddenly remembered that there's still water boiling on the stove. It'll be terrible if it gets overcooked!"