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

Chapter 57 The Heavenly Tribulation Descends

Looking at the sudden situation before them.

He trembled violently, almost thinking it was a hallucination caused by his grief. But he immediately held his breath, focusing all his spiritual awareness between his arms, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest!

It's not a hallucination!

The tremor, though faint, was unmistakably real! It was as if something deep within the charred remains, awakened by his heart-wrenching confession and scalding tears, was desperately trying to break free from the shackles of death!

Then, under Su Baichen's wide, hopeful eyes—

"Click..."

A very faint yet clearly audible cracking sound came from the charred surface of the snake's body!

A tiny crack, like the first line to break on ice in early spring, appeared on the charred remains!

The crack was not dark, but rather shone with a faint, yet incredibly pure, rosy light!

The light was soft and warm, containing an indescribable, boundless vitality, completely different from the life energy he had forcibly infused before.

It seems to originate from the depths of the soul, a rebirth after nirvana, a miracle of destruction and reconstruction!

Su Baichen was all too familiar with this light! It was the radiant glow of the Rainbow Scales' origin, yet it was purer and more dazzling than ever before!

"Colorful Scales!!!"

Su Baichen was overjoyed, and his tears flowed even more profusely, but this time, they were tears of joy! He carefully put down the cracked charcoal.

He was so excited he was almost incoherent, unable to contain his emotions: "Hold on! I knew it! You could do it!"

As if in response to his call, the first crack quickly spread and branched out, expanding like a spider web.

More and more colorful rays of light shone through the cracks, growing brighter and brighter, gradually illuminating the charred shell as if it were transparent glass.

"Click-click-click..."

The cracking sounds began to intensify, like a joyful melody.

Some of the charred outer shell began to peel off piece by piece, turning into ashes, and in those ashes, brand new scales, flowing with the radiance of colorful clouds, appeared and disappeared!

A powerful, sacred, and majestic aura began to slowly descend upon this world, like an ancient deity awakening.

Just as the presence within the coke was about to be revealed, along with the appearance of this aura, dark clouds began to gather in the sky, spreading rapidly like ink spilled on rice paper, obscuring the originally bright and clear sky.

The light suddenly dimmed, and a heavy, oppressive feeling enveloped the valley.

Silvery-white lightning weaved and gathered in the thick clouds, emitting a deep and majestic roar, as if the heavens were enraged.

The oppressive force was like a real mountain, pressing heavily on the hearts of every living being, and even the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Streaks of lightning flashed among the clouds, each flash turning the sky and earth a ghastly white, foreshadowing the destructive force that was about to be unleashed.

Upon seeing this, Su Baichen's handsome face became solemn.

He clearly sensed that the evolution of the colorful scales was complete, but what followed was the most severe test in the world—the tribulation of lightning.

He looked up at the tribulation clouds that were constantly accumulating power and whose lightning was growing thicker and thicker. His brows furrowed slightly, and he no longer hesitated.

With a flick of his sleeve, the array previously set up around the snake-shaped charcoal was activated once again. Gentle yet powerful life energy surged forth like a green tide, radiating a refreshing vitality.

Then, Su Baichen pointed his fingers like a sword, precisely guiding this vast life energy, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, continuously pouring it into the serpentine charcoal that exuded a terrifying aura.

At this juncture, external forces can only do so much. The greatest help he can offer is to use this life energy to repair the damage that Cai Lin may have suffered during her evolution and in the upcoming tribulation as quickly as possible, so that she can face the tempering of heaven and earth in the best possible condition.

The dark clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, as if they were about to fall.

Silver snakes danced wildly, the roar of thunder was deafening, and the power of heaven and earth chilled one to the bone. Nourished by that life energy, within the charred remains, a powerful aura was rapidly rising, like a sleeping dragon awakening. When this aura forcefully broke through a certain boundary, reaching the Dou Zong level—

"Boom!"

The first bolt of silver-white lightning, as thick as a child's arm, seemed to tear through the sky, and with the force of judging all things, it struck down fiercely!

The protective array that Su Baichen had previously set up was as fragile as paper in the face of the power of heaven and earth. It was instantly torn apart, shattered, and turned into specks of light that dissipated.

The lightning bolt continued its relentless advance, striking the serpentine charcoal with unparalleled precision.

Strangely, the outer shell of the coke was not destroyed. The power of the lightning seemed to have a life of its own, penetrating the surface of the coke and striking the new life that was transforming inside!

"Sister!" Upon witnessing this horrifying scene, Cai Die's heart leaped into her throat, and she cried out in alarm, instinctively rushing forward.

Her eyes were filled with anxiety and fear, and she wished she could take her place.

However, a steady and strong hand pressed down on her shoulder.

Su Baichen's gaze remained fixed on the center of the lightning tribulation, his voice low yet carrying an undeniable calmness: "Cai Die, no! This is a test of the laws of heaven and earth for Cai Lin, a tribulation unique to her."

"If you rashly intervene, not only will you not be able to help her, but you will also attract an even stronger tribulation of lightning, which would truly harm her!"

Upon hearing Su Baichen's explanation, Cai Die's delicate body trembled, as if she had just woken from a dream. She forcibly suppressed her impulsive thoughts, but her tightly clenched fists and slightly trembling body revealed her extreme unease.

She could only step aside, her beautiful eyes fixed on the charred remains floating in the lightning, silently praying that her sister would survive this ordeal.

Compared to Cai Die's tension, Su Baichen's worry gradually faded. Initially, he was indeed worried when the tribulation lightning descended, after all, the power of heaven and earth was unpredictable.

But with his extraordinary soul perception, after the initial bombardment of the first few bolts of lightning, he clearly sensed that the aura of the colorful scales within the charred remains was not weakened. Instead, it was cleansed of impurities by the lightning, becoming more refined and condensed, and even slowly but steadily increasing in strength!

This discovery put his mind at ease.

He understood that Cai Lin was not passively enduring the lightning tribulation at this moment, but had entered a mysterious state.

She was using the extremely powerful and masculine force of thunder to temper her newborn body and refine her evolved energy, turning this devastating calamity into an unparalleled opportunity for her own transformation.

Each strike of lightning felt like a thorough baptism and forging for her.

Thinking of this, Su Baichen's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, and his eyes revealed a hint of anticipation.

He stood silently, like a guardian, protecting this miracle of new life being born from destruction.

Chapter 58 Seven colors? No, eight colors!

The tribulation lightning came swiftly and left abruptly.

The dark clouds seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand. After striking down a few more times haphazardly, the lightning, like silver snakes dancing wildly, seemed to have confirmed the target's identity or realized that it could not harm the person undergoing tribulation. With a slight, lingering roar, it slowly dissipated, unwilling to give up.

The thick clouds quickly dissipated, and the newly revealed sunlight shone on the ravaged island. The air was filled with the scorching heat unique to thunder and the eerie stillness that followed a storm.

As the lightning tribulation dissipated, the enormous serpentine charcoal formation in the center of the island did not immediately come back to life.

The magnificent, ever-flowing clouds on its surface began to recede slowly like the tide. The new snake scales that had struggled to break free of the charred shell and still shone brightly in the lightning tribulation seemed to have lost their source of power and gradually became dull and lifeless, like gems covered in dust.

The colorful butterfly, who was standing nearby, took in the whole scene, and its heart sank to the bottom.

In her view, this was clearly a sign of life being cut off!

"Sister...Sister!"

Tears could no longer be held back, gushing from her eyes like a flood bursting its banks. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, her desperate cries echoing through the silent valley, filled with helplessness and desolation.

However, Su Baichen, whose soul power was incomparably strong, had a perception that was completely different from Cai Die's.

His keen spiritual power, like an invisible tentacle, clearly detected the life force within the charcoal that had not dissipated but had instead become more solid and powerful after the tribulation of lightning.

The receding of the colorful glow, the inner luster of the snake scales, the powerful, drum-like life force deep within the charred remains, coupled with the strange phenomenon of the colorful scales' aura increasing rather than decreasing during the previous tribulation... all these clues rapidly connected and analyzed in Su Baichen's mind, ultimately pointing to a clear conclusion—

Play dead!

This guy is clearly faking his death!

Why is it pretending to be dead?

Nature stems from fear.

Fear of the Butterfly? No, the aura within this charred charcoal has now stabilized at the Dou Zong level, and is by no means a threat that the Butterfly, who has just entered the Dou Huang realm, can pose.

Therefore, the only object of its fear can be itself, and Su Baichen, whose depths it cannot fathom!

Why would Cai Lin be afraid of him?

Logically speaking, even if the evolved Rainbow Scale no longer possesses the queenly majesty it once did, it should not feel such pure fear towards him.

Unless... the one currently controlling this body is not the resilient Medusa Queen Cailin that he knew.

A clear answer emerged in Su Baichen's mind: the process of tempering the body with strange fire and evolving the bloodline is extremely dangerous, and the original soul may be exhausted and fall into a deep sleep during the struggle.

In this process of destruction and rebirth, a brand new instinctive soul, originating from ancient bloodlines, takes the opportunity to awaken and dominate this newly born body with even greater potential! The "Colorful Scale" before us is more like a "newborn" who possesses great power but whose mind is just beginning to develop, filled with instinctive fear of the unfamiliar world and powerful beings.

As for the situation Xiao Yan encountered in the original work, it can only be attributed to the fact that "Cai Lin" at that time sensed that Xiao Yan's strength (even with Yao Lao's blessing) was not enough to pose a fatal threat to the newborn soul, so she did not show such extreme fear.

After figuring all this out, Su Baichen couldn't help but smile, revealing a knowing yet amused curve to his lips.

He reached out and gently pulled up Cai Die, who was on the verge of collapse, and comforted her softly, "Hey, it's alright, it's alright, don't cry. Your sister is fine, she's perfectly alright!"

"Young Master? Young Master! Are you telling the truth?!" Cai Die seemed to have grasped at a straw, grabbing Su Baichen's sleeve with her hand and asking anxiously with teary eyes, "Sister... Sister is really not dead? You can't lie to me!"

Sensing Cai Die's excitement and disbelief, Su Baichen didn't explain much, but simply patted the back of her hand gently, signaling her to let go.

Then, he strode calmly toward the huge, serpentine charcoal.

As he drew closer, Su Baichen's soul perception became clearer—the little thing inside the coke trembled even more violently, a fear stemming from a life instinct against an insurmountable existence.

Arriving at the coke, Su Baichen stretched out his finger and gently tapped it in mid-air.

A gentle yet irresistible force seeped in and precisely "lifted" out the little creature inside, who was curled up in a ball, eyes tightly shut, trying to play dead to get away with it out of extreme fear.

With a slight flash of light, a small snake, about a foot long, with eight mesmerizing colors flowing through its body, appeared in Su Baichen's palm.

It was small and exquisite, a stark contrast to the huge coke from before, and even in its feigned dead state, its eight-colored scales faintly emitted an extraordinary and magnificent luster.

Su Baichen's gaze sharpened slightly, and he was also slightly startled.

This was not the expected seven-colored Sky-Swallowing Python; its bloodline aura was even stronger and more ancient—it was actually an eight-colored Sky-Swallowing Python with even greater potential! Compared to the original story, the potential of "Colorful Scales" at this moment was undoubtedly more astonishing.

Immediately afterwards, Su Baichen separated a wisp of his soul power and carefully probed it into the snake's body.

The investigation confirmed his guess: there were indeed two soul auras within this small body.

A deep, dark aura, as if in hibernation, was the original soul of Queen Medusa, Cai Lin. She had clearly expended a great deal of energy during her previous evolution and tribulation, and was now in a deep slumber to recover her strength.

The other soul, however, was full of newborn vitality, yet also carried a sense of bewilderment and intense fear. It was the little fellow who was currently dominating the body and trembling in his palm.

Seemingly realizing that it could no longer pretend, or perhaps because Su Baichen had not shown any malice, the eight-colored swallowing python in the palm of its hand cautiously and extremely slowly opened one eye. Its eyes, which were like colored gemstones, were filled with vigilance, fear, and a trace of... flattery.

At this moment, the colorful butterfly also hurried forward, curiously examining the incredibly beautiful eight-colored little snake.