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

Even Su Baichen himself, if he were in the other person's position, probably wouldn't be able to be as tactful and considerate as him.

Regarding the Second Elder's shrewd move, Su Baichen ultimately only gave it a two-word evaluation in his heart:

"shrewd!"

Thinking of this, Su Baichen revealed a meaningful smile. He nodded slightly and did not say anything more. Instead, he took out several warm jade bottles from his storage ring. The outlines of round pills could be vaguely seen inside the bottles, and the fragrance of the medicine was faint, indicating that they were not ordinary.

"Yes, I understand your intentions. These few bottles of pills will be helpful in improving your cultivation and stabilizing your foundation, so I'll give them to you."

Seeing this, the Second Elder's eyes flashed with a sharp light, but he quickly waved his hand, his attitude unusually firm: "No, no, no! Mr. Su, this is unacceptable! We gave you gold coins to express our sincere gratitude for your help, and we had no other intentions! How could I possibly accept such precious pills from you? Absolutely not!"

His tone was sincere, even tinged with a hint of fear: "Even without these, it would be an honor for us to serve you, Mr. Su. We would do our utmost and dare not slack off in the slightest!"

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen's lips curved upwards even further. He did not speak immediately, but instead gazed at the Second Elder with his eyes that seemed to see through people's hearts.

For a moment, the entire side hall fell into an eerie silence, with only a faint aroma of tea lingering in the air. The two remained silent, the atmosphere subtly tense.

Under Su Baichen's calm gaze, the Second Elder's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he was also a little nervous. He was waiting and gambling.

Finally, Su Baichen broke the silence. He withdrew his gaze, picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and his tone returned to its usual calm: "Alright, I truly understand your intentions. Go now. If anything comes up in the future, I will contact you."

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the Second Elder's ears.

For such a worldly and shrewd person, some things don't need to be explicitly stated; a hint is enough. He will naturally understand the deeper meaning behind the words.

As expected, upon hearing these words, the Second Elder below couldn't suppress a hint of joy flashed across his lowered eyes, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up in a slight smile.

He suppressed his excitement and bowed respectfully: "Yes! If Mr. Su has any requests, I will be at your service! I will take my leave."

After speaking, the Second Elder slowly withdrew from the side hall, his steps seeming lighter.

He has achieved his goal.

He knew that a powerful figure like Su Baichen and a high-level alchemist could not possibly stay in this remote place of the Snake-People for long.

Before Su Baichen left, this precious time was the greatest opportunity for the Snake-People. Normally, the high-level pills that Su Baichen refined might be given away as rewards for his missions, but that was ultimately a "transaction" with conditions.

The Second Elder's resolute refusal of the elixirs despite offering a large sum of money was intended to send a message: his gratitude and loyalty to Su Baichen were not based on immediate rewards. What he wanted was not a temporary gift of elixirs, but an opportunity to leave a good and sensible impression on Su Baichen.

Su Baichen's final words, "I'll contact you if anything happens," were the promise he had longed for.

This means that during his time with the snake people, Su Baichen will remember him if anything happens to him, and he may receive an opportunity in the future that is far more valuable than these millions of gold coins and a few bottles of pills.

In his view, this investment was simply the best deal imaginable.

Chapter 54 Evolution Begins

One month later, on an evening.

With all the medicinal herbs and array tools needed for the Rainbow Scale Flame refining process ready, the snake-people island chosen as the place of evolution was shrouded in a solemn and tense atmosphere.

The island was surrounded by multiple barriers, isolating it from all outside prying eyes and interference. Only the sound of the wind passing through the jagged rocks brought a mournful wail.

Su Baichen, Cai Lin, and Cai Die stood on a carefully leveled open space in the center of the island.

Besides them, only four white-haired, solemn-faced elders of the snake-people were present. They stood a little distance away, looking at their resolute queen with complicated expressions.

A month ago, when Cai Lin announced this decision, the elders knelt down and remonstrated, explaining the perilous nature of the ancient process of forging with different flames, and pleading with the Queen to prioritize the clan's interests.

However, Cai Lin's mind was made up, and the flames burning in her beautiful eyes were more intense and resolute than any strange fire they had ever seen.

She had even made a clear will in front of all the elders: in case of any unforeseen circumstances, her younger sister, Cai Die, would inherit the throne.

Cai Die never offered any words of dissuasion. She knew her sister's character better than anyone else—that pride and desire for power deeply ingrained in her bones, once she set her mind on a path, she would never turn back.

She silently helped her sister prepare everything, suppressing her worries and fears deep in her heart.

The final moment had arrived. A gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs on Cai Die's forehead. Gazing at her sister's stunning profile, a thousand words choked in her chest, finally culminating in a trembling whisper: "Sister, you can do it!"

Cai Lin turned around, a gentle smile appearing on her stunningly beautiful face. She reached out and gently stroked her sister's cheek, her movements as tender as if she were handling a fragile treasure: "Hmm. If I fail, the Snake-People tribe... will be in your hands."

Her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable sense of entrustment.

After speaking, she turned her gaze to Su Baichen, who was standing silently to the side.

This human man, the one she loved, his handsome face didn't reveal much emotion at the moment, but his tightly pursed thin lips and slightly furrowed brows betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Cai Lin took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, and asked in as light a tone as possible the deepest expectation hidden in her heart: "If I succeed, can you accept my love?"

Su Baichen's body trembled almost imperceptibly as he looked up to meet Cai Lin's purple eyes, which were filled with expectation yet tinged with a hint of timidity.

He opened his mouth, but something seemed to block his throat, and in the end, silence remained. This emotion, which he himself hadn't fully grasped, prevented him from making any promises at this moment.

Seeing his reaction, a hint of sadness flashed across Cai Lin's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even more intense light.

She raised her chin, revealing her usual slightly stubborn smile: "Okay, I know. But I won't give up."

Her voice regained its firmness: "Once I succeed, I will temporarily hand over the affairs of the Snake People to the elders and travel this continent with you."

This is like a promise she makes to herself, and also an expectation for the future.

After speaking, Cai Lin no longer hesitated, resolutely turned around, and walked step by step to the center of the open space.

With her back to everyone, she slowly untied the sash of her gorgeous dress with her slender hands. As the silky fabric slipped down, it revealed the smooth, jade-like curve of her back, with her beautiful butterfly-shaped shoulder blades that looked as if they were about to take flight.

She raised her hand and pulled out the jade hairpin that bound her hair. In an instant, her long, black hair cascaded down, sweeping over her slender waist and hanging down to her pert buttocks.

The bright moonlight cast a faint glow on her flawless, snow-white skin, while her slightly raised snake tail swayed restlessly, revealing that her inner peace was far from what appeared to be.

This incredibly alluring scene is enough to make any man's blood boil.

But Su Baichen saw only solemnity and complexity. What he saw was not temptation, but a kind of heroic spirit that was willing to burn itself in order to transform, a kind of resolute determination to place life on the flames for tempering.

Immediately afterwards, a blinding purple light erupted from Cai Lin's body, completely engulfing her figure.

When the light faded, the stunningly beautiful woman was nowhere to be seen; in her place stood a giant snake, several dozen feet long, suspended in mid-air.

Its entire body was covered in mysterious purple scales, its snake eyes were a deep, dark purple, and it exuded a powerful and ancient aura—it was the true form of the Purple Flame Serpent that Cai Lin had appeared once before.

"Let's begin, I'm ready!"

The giant serpent spoke in human language. Although its voice was slightly low and hoarse due to the change in its form, its unwavering determination was clearly conveyed to everyone's heart.

Upon hearing this voice, Su Baichen's heart tightened, and that indescribable worry surged up again.

But he quickly suppressed his distracting thoughts, his gaze becoming sharp and focused. Now, he was a protector, a guide, and there was no room for hesitation.

He slowly raised his right hand, his robe sleeves fluttering without wind, and a surge of powerful soul energy erupted, instantly activating the arrays that had been set up throughout the island.

Amidst the buzzing sound, beams of light of various colors shot into the sky, intertwining to form a huge energy network that firmly protected the core area of ​​the entire island. This network not only gathered the energy of heaven and earth to aid in the tempering process but also prevented the energy from leaking out uncontrollably.

Then, Su Baichen opened his palm, and a purple flame, no bigger than a palm, quietly appeared, radiating a terrifying aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

At the center of the flame, there seemed to be a flowing, crystal-like radiance, which was his Crystal Heaven-Burning Flame!

He flicked his finger, and the purple flame floated lightly toward the Purple Flame Serpent in the air. Several feet away from the serpent's head, it suddenly expanded, transforming into a huge purple fireball with a diameter of more than three meters, burning quietly. The surrounding air was distorted by the scorching heat.

The terrifying heat emanating from the fireball caused a stinging sensation on the skin of the distant butterfly, even through the array, filling it with dread.

"Go for it, Cai Lin! I'm waiting for you to come back!" Looking at the resolute snake shadow, Su Baichen finally couldn't help but shout out his heartfelt wish with all his might.

The colorful scales, transformed into a purple flame serpent, paused slightly in mid-air. She didn't turn back to look at Su Baichen, fearing that even a glance would shake her resolve to die.

She let out a low, resolute hiss, then suddenly swung her body, like an arrow released from a bow, and charged headlong into the crystal-clear fireball that was powerful enough to incinerate everything!

"laugh--!"

Just as the massive, colorful snake body was completely submerged in the fireball, a series of teeth-grinding, burning sounds rang out.

Her incredibly hard purple snake scales, under the terrifying high temperature of the strange fire, rapidly curled, charred, and then peeled off piece by piece at a speed visible to the naked eye. Before they even hit the ground, they were burned to nothingness in the flames.

From inside the fireball came Cai Lin's suppressed, extremely shrill screams, filled with unimaginable pain, as if her soul was being torn apart and burned.

The scream pierced through the flames and struck the array's light barrier, where it was weakened by most of its volume, but the remaining sound still sent chills down the spines of those who heard it.

The butterfly in the distance was already in tears. She covered her mouth tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, drawing blood, but she didn't even notice, and she didn't make a sound.

She knew that her sister was going through hellish torment, and any external interference could cause her to lose all her efforts or even die instantly.

She could only watch helplessly as the purple flames that had devoured her sister churned violently in the air, praying again and again for a miracle to happen.

Chapter 55 Evolution Failed!

At this moment, Su Baichen listened to the increasingly shrill screams coming from the surging, azure-colored fireball, and felt as if every inch of his nerves was being pierced by invisible needles.

His hands, which were manipulating the flames, paused for a moment, as an indescribable reluctance, like a poisonous vine, coiled around his heart.

But this reluctance lasted only a moment.

The next moment, Su Baichen's eyes became as deep and resolute as a cold pool.

He knew better than anyone that once the ceremony began, it would be like an arrow shot from a bow, with no turning back.

There are only two paths before Cai Lin: either she undergoes a rebirth and evolution through the extreme tempering of the strange fire, transforming into a stronger being; or she is annihilated, her soul destroyed, and burned to death by the Glazed Heaven-Burning Fire.

There are no safe shortcuts in this world.

The process of being tempered and evolved by different flames is inherently a process of facing death to be born again.

A third way? It doesn't exist.

All he could do, and all he had to do, was to elevate his control over the strange fire to an unprecedented level, exhausting all his knowledge to ensure that the agonizing ritual process was as stable as possible, and to firmly grasp that sliver of hope in his hands!

Su Baichen took a deep breath and then immediately shut down his hearing.

He needs absolute focus and cannot tolerate the slightest distraction.

Holding his breath and concentrating, he swiftly formed complex and profound hand seals in front of him, devoting himself entirely to the precise control of the strange fire.

Those deep eyes were fixed intently on the violently churning, azure-colored fireball in front of them, not daring to relax for a moment.

Even when he was refining a high-grade seventh-rank pill that was powerful enough to trigger pill lightning, he had never felt as nervous as he was now.

This time, what struggled in the flames was not cold medicinal herbs, but a living, breathing, colorful scale intertwined with his destiny.

This life-or-death evolution has only just begun, its cruel prelude unfolding. Every second is like dancing on a knife's edge, a struggle against death for the future.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely, and for the butterfly, each second felt like an eternity.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, oblivious to the blood seeping out, her eyes fixed on the flame, filled with undisguised fear and prayer.

Amidst the flames, the scene grew increasingly horrific.

Under the terrifying high temperature of the Glazed Sky-Burning Fire, Cai Lin's dazzling seven-colored scales were peeling off and curling one by one, eventually turning into wisps of green smoke and completely dissipating.