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

Ling Yuhan did not answer, but slowly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, concealing the deep pain hidden in her eyes.

Isn't she the same?

Su Baichen saved her from that desperate situation back then.

At that moment, that figure was deeply imprinted on the depths of her soul.

Even after entering the White Dust Realm, he never paid any special attention to her, and they rarely even talked. However, her admiration and feelings for him did not diminish in the slightest. On the contrary, they fermented and deepened with each passing day of looking up to him.

"Perhaps, this is fate." Ling Yuhan sighed softly, her voice as light as a feather falling to the ground.

Just then, a slow, steady knock came from outside the door.

"Boom boom boom!"

A maid's voice rang out respectfully: "Miss Ling Yuhan, Miss Ling Xi, Madam Cailin requests your presence."

Inside the room, the two women exchanged a glance, both seeing complex emotions in each other's eyes.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse, they could only get up, tidy themselves up, and leave with their maids.

……

On the other side, at the Thunder Clan's base.

Lei Ying looked at Lei Xue, who was somewhat flustered but whose heroic spirit was undeniable, and asked in a gentle tone, "Xue'er, there is a joyous occasion in the White Dust Realm. I have a question for you—do you have feelings for Mr. Su?"

Lei Xue's cheeks flushed instantly, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, stammering and unsure how to answer.

Seeing this, Lei Ying couldn't help but laugh and comforted him, "Silly child, don't be nervous, just tell the truth."

Encouraged by her grandfather, Lei Xue mustered her courage and nodded gently, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz but firm: "Yes... Lei Xue likes Mr. Su and has been in love with him for many years."

Upon hearing this, Lei Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Lei Xue was willing, there was hope for the marriage.

However, before he could say anything more, the knocking on the door rang out again.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Miss Lei Xue, Madam Xuanyi requests your presence!"

……

Almost simultaneously, the Medicine Clan's temporary base, the Flame Clan's base...

Yao Ling looked at the maid who came to deliver the message, a hint of surprise flashing across her beautiful face, which then turned into a bitter smile. She said softly, "I know, I'll go right away."

The Flame Clan's Fire Child raised an eyebrow, a bitter smile flashing in his eyes, before regaining his composure and following the maid's footsteps.

For a moment, the girls who received the invitation were all in a state of shock and disbelief.

Why did Cai Lin and Lady Xuan Yi summon them at this time?

Is it a warning, or... something else entirely?

The women entered a room with trepidation.

Chapter 443 Su Baichen's Power

Inside the room, the two most important figures in Su Baichen's harem gathered.

Cai Lin lightly tapped the rosewood table with her fingertips, the golden bell on her wrist ringing crisply, which made Xuan Yi's brows furrow even more.

She finally couldn't help but speak, her voice muffled as if soaked with water: "Do we really have to do this? It was one thing before, but now there are so many people in the family..."

Cai Lin set down the teacup, the porcelain lightly touching the stone surface, producing a crisp "ding".

She raised her eyes, a cold light flashing in her snake-like pupils, and a half-smile curled at the corner of her lips: "Otherwise what? You think I want to meddle in these trivial matters?"

Xuan Yi was speechless. Cai Lin, however, didn't give her a chance to catch her breath, continuing her tirade, tapping her fingertips on the table with each sentence, as if trying to hammer all the "blood and tears" accumulated over the years into Xuan Yi's heart:

"Back when my husband was still a Battle Saint, when the few of us joined forces, we were always routed in just two hours!"

"His stamina seems inexhaustible. We barely catch our breath before he's standing there again as if nothing happened."

"Normally, only Cai Die and I can hold out for a little longer—who can blame us for having the bodies of magical beasts?"

"Even so, I couldn't stop him from pestering me every day!"

As Cai Lin spoke, she rolled her eyes dramatically.

“And you? You all fall so quickly. The worst thing was last time, you actually conspired to sell me and Cai Die, telling him, ‘The sisters are tired, husband, go find the older sisters’—how could you say such a thing?”

"You know, when Cai Die and I were already weak and powerless, we were almost scared out of our wits when we saw Su Baichen walking towards us!"

"You guys are really ripping us off."

Xuan Yi's face flushed red, and she almost crushed the teacup with her fingertips.

Every word Cai Lin said was true, without the slightest exaggeration.

Su Baichen's all-around improvement made his physique so strong that even strange fire could hardly burn him, and his sexual needs were directly proportional to his strength.

At first, the women found it novel, but after a while they complained endlessly and had to take turns, "giving way" to each other.

As members of the snake-people race, Cai Lin and Cai Die possessed physical attributes far exceeding those of ordinary people, naturally becoming the "main force" in the fight against Su Baichen, though the two suffered greatly.

So what! Better to die than to die myself.

We're tired and need to rest anyway, so what about you guys? We don't care.

"But things are different now!"

Xuan Yi still clung to a sliver of hope, trying to struggle: "There are so many more people, and Zi Yan is still an Ancient Void Dragon! Her physical strength is top-tier in the world of magical beasts, surely she can't subdue him?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Lin shook her head helplessly, her laughter tinged with a bitter resignation: "Winning rate? Almost zero."

She stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the distant clouds. Her voice deepened: "Do you think he's still the same Dou Sheng he was back then?"

"He's a Dou Di now! What does a Dou Di-level physique mean? Can you and I even imagine it? What's more—"

She paused, turned back to look at Xuan Yi, and her expression became strange.

"I also overheard him say in private that he had already mastered the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Body he obtained from the Thunder Emperor's inheritance."

"The physical body tempered by that technique far surpasses that of an ordinary Dou Di, and can even undergo all sorts of incredible changes... Although Zi Yan is strong, she can only last a little longer than me and Cai Die... After that..."

At this point, Cai Lin glanced meaningfully at Xuan Yi: "It's your turn now."

Xuan Yi remained silent.

She recalled the appearance of Su Baichen when he returned from his physical training not long ago—just standing there, the oppressive aura emanating from him made her heart tremble.

If it really came to that... she shuddered and dared not think about it anymore.

"Isn't there any other way?" she asked persistently, her voice carrying a last glimmer of hope.

Cai Lin turned around, sat down again, and slowly poured herself a cup of tea.

Amidst the rising steam, she revealed a smile that could only be described as "kind": "Well, there is a solution."

Xuan Yi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he leaned forward: "What's the plan? Tell me quickly!"

"The solution is for you to start body training right now."

Cai Lin took a sip of tea, her tone as relaxed as if she were saying the weather was nice: "When we can't hold on any longer, you'll step in."

"Remember—no matter what happens, never come looking for us."

"Just pretend we don't exist."

The joy on Xuan Yi's face froze instantly, and the corners of his mouth twitched twice.

She is an alchemist, specializing in soul power and alchemy, while her physical body has always been her weakness.

If she were to actually start training her body... she didn't even dare to imagine what that would look like.

If I could refine it, would I have waited until now...?

She wailed inwardly, but seeing Cai Lin's unwavering gaze, she finally gritted her teeth and agreed: "...Okay, I agree."

Cai Lin nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject and began assigning tasks: "In that case, Lei Xue of the Lei Clan, and Ling Yuhan and Ling Xi of the Ling Clan are entrusted to you."

"As for the Medicine Clan's Medicine Spirit and the Flame Clan's Fire Child—I'll deal with them."

Upon hearing these two names, their eyes simultaneously turned cold.

They later learned the truth about the Ancient Emperor's Cave from Xiao Yu: Yao Ling and Huo Zhi knew they had entered the cave, but deliberately concealed it from Su Baichen. If Ling Yuhan hadn't been quick-witted and reminded Su Baichen, they would probably have already lost their lives at the hands of the Soul Emperor.

Even though the situation has now been settled, this resentment has not disappeared.

"Too many thoughts, too deep a scheme." Xuan Yi sneered.

“This isn’t the way to like your husband.”

Cai Lin's fingertips traced the surface of the table. Suddenly remembering something, a meaningful smile curved her lips: "By the way, I have another candidate here. What do you think?"

With a flick of her sleeve, a jade slip landed on the table. The man in black picked it up with a puzzled expression, scanning it with his spiritual power. The handwriting on the jade slip was delicate yet powerfully penetrating the paper:

[Ya Fei, a six-star Dou Zun. Currently serving as the head of the Northwest Continent General Chamber of Commerce in the White Dust Realm, she controls a trade network spanning the Northwest region. She possesses exceptional resource allocation capabilities and is particularly adept at business management and strategic planning. She once tripled the profits from auctions and the production of elixirs in the Northwest Continent within three years. She navigates the complexities of dealing with various powerful forces with ease, handling matters with a tactful yet sharp edge...]

Xuan Yi raised her eyes and met Cai Lin's eyes, which were flashing with calculation.

"Well, not bad. Good business acumen. Most of the people here are cultivators..."

Xuan Yi murmured, then suddenly understood something, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into an arc exactly like Cai Lin's.

Cai Lin picked up her teacup, concealing the glint in her eyes, and chuckled softly, "How is it? Isn't this 'firepower' a bit easier than body tempering?"

"I heard that her husband once saved her and her mother."

Xuan Yi did not answer, but carefully put the jade slip into her sleeve. When her fingertips brushed over the two words "Ya Fei" on it, her movements were as gentle as if she were touching a rare treasure.

The room fell silent again!

Chapter 444 The System Never Disappeared!

As night deepened and the moonlight shone like water, it couldn't penetrate the inexplicable heat and restlessness in Jin Xue'er's room.

"You big bad guy! You big bad guy! Why am I not on the list of wives?!"

"Those people are just talking behind closed doors, treating me like I don't exist, huh!"

Jin Xueer lay on the bed, clutching a soft pillow tightly in her arms, pounding it against the bedpost in a fit of rage, as if the pillow were something she both loved and hated, something she wanted to bite.