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

However, calming Xiao Cao Ying down was the most important thing right now. He quickly coughed twice, took over the conversation, and explained in a serious tone, "Ah, right! Cai Die is right! Yesterday, I had some inspiration and figured out a new body-training technique. On a whim, I practiced in my room all night and did sweat a lot. That's why your little nose is suffering before I've had a chance to get proper ventilation."

He tried to make his expression look sincere and innocent.

"Oh? So it's the smell of sweat? But..." Cao Ying blinked her big eyes, looking at her master with his "righteous" face, and then at Sister Cai Die beside her with her eyes slightly darting around. Her little face still had a look of doubt on it.

She felt that the smell was different from the usual smell of sweat, and the master and Sister Butterfly's reactions were also a bit strange.

She opened her mouth, wanting to continue asking questions, such as what kind of body-training technique could produce this kind of flavor? Why did Sister Caidie look at Master so strangely just now?

Seeing that this little darling was determined to get to the bottom of things, Su Baichen's alarm bells went off. Before she could speak again, he interrupted her with slightly exaggerated enthusiasm: "Alright, alright! It's just a little sweat, don't make a fuss! Tell me quickly, why did you rush to see your master so early in the morning? Is there some great news to report? Have you made another breakthrough in your cultivation?"

He successfully shifted the focus of the conversation, secretly praying that the little girl's attention would be diverted.

Sure enough, Cao Ying's attention was immediately drawn back when the purpose of their visit was mentioned. The doubts caused by the strange smell were temporarily put aside, replaced by a long-suppressed eagerness to show off and receive praise.

She immediately straightened her small body, put her hands on her hips, and held her head high, almost to the sky. Her fair and delicate chin was raised, and her face blossomed with a mixture of pride, smugness, and a little bit of eagerness to "praise me." In a deliberately crafted tone, both childish and trying to project an air of dominance, she announced:

"Hmph! Master, listen up! I—have—already—reached—the—peak—ninth-level of Battle Qi!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she held her breath, opened her bright eyes wide, and stared intently at Su Baichen, waiting for the expected exclamations, praises, and a flood of compliments.

She had even mentally rehearsed her master's possible reactions, such as excitedly picking her up and spinning her around, or patting her head and saying repeatedly, "You are truly my disciple."

Chapter 70 Versailles

However, an eerie silence instantly fell over the surroundings.

The expected enthusiastic response did not materialize. Su Baichen simply stood there, his expression completely unwavering, looking at her with a calm, almost indifferent gaze, as if what she had just announced was not a cultivation miracle that would shock the entire family, but merely an ordinary piece of news like "I had steamed buns for breakfast today."

The silence lasted for several seconds.

Su Baichen turned around, slowly walked to the mahogany round table in the center of the room, reached out and picked up a white jade teacup, picked up the purple clay teapot on the table, and slowly poured himself a cup of steaming tea.

He picked up the teacup, brought it to his lips, blew on it gently, and then took a small sip. The whole process was unhurried, as if Cao Ying didn't exist at all.

Only after swallowing the tea did he lift his eyelids and look at Cao Ying, who looked somewhat helpless and aggrieved from her disappointment. His voice was flat and without any inflection, even carrying a hint of deliberate indifference.

"Oh, what's wrong? You're just at the peak of the ninth level of Dou Qi."

The tone was so calm, as if they were discussing the weather outside the window.

"Oh?! Master! What... what's with your reaction?!" Cao Ying was completely flustered, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, and almost jumped up.

She rushed to Su Baichen, tilted her little face up, her cheeks flushed with excitement and confusion, and asked, "Master! Do you know what the words 'peak of the ninth level of Dou Qi at less than six years old' mean?"

"He's 'not even six years old'! And he's at the peak of the ninth level of Dou Qi!"

"This level of talent, this level of skill! If the elders in the clan knew, their jaws would drop in astonishment!"

She waved her little hands, trying to emphasize her point and help her seemingly suddenly "dull" master understand the earth-shattering nature of this matter: "Master, have you ever seen a person under six years old with a peak ninth-level Dou Qi? Tell me about it!"

She firmly believed that once her master thought about it carefully, he would realize how extraordinary her achievements were.

Su Baichen put down his teacup and shrugged gracefully, as if Cao Ying's excitement seemed childish and amusing to him.

He even had the leisure to raise his hand again, seemingly casually waving his wide sleeves. An invisible gust of wind swept by, completely dispelling the last trace of ambiguous atmosphere in the air.

After doing all this, he calmly looked at his apprentice, who was so anxious he was about to stomp his feet, his tone still maintaining that infuriating calmness.

"No," he answered crisply, a faint smile even playing at the corners of his lips, as if to say, "So what?"

"Then...then you have a disciple who reached the peak of the ninth level of Dou Qi before the age of six. Don't you feel proud?"

"Aren't you happy? Shouldn't you praise me lavishly?" Cao Ying bombarded Su Baichen with a barrage of questions, her face filled with disbelief.

Even the butterfly next to her was very puzzled. Xiao Caoying's talent was the best she had ever seen in her life. Even her older sister's cultivation speed was not as fast as Xiao Caoying's.

At this moment, Cao Ying was a little disappointed. She had been cultivating "hard" and "day and night," and was so happy when she broke through. She wanted to run to her master to share her joy, but... this is how it turned out?

Su Baichen was secretly delighted to see his disciple's "unconvinced" and indignant expression, but he still managed to suppress his laughter and maintain the image of a strict teacher.

He deliberately put on a stern face, scrutinizing Cao Ying from head to toe with a critical gaze, and slowly asked, his voice deep and magnetic, yet carrying a penetrating, soul-searching tone:

"So, just because of this achievement... you're very proud?"

"Shouldn't I be proud?" Cao Ying put her hands on her hips, tilted her head back, and her "praise me" expression almost overflowed from her face.

Su Baichen gently shook his head, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather: "Although I don't know the true value of a ninth-level Dou Qi at the age of six..."

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, watching his little apprentice's eyes grow brighter with anticipation, and calmly said, "But do you know what it means to go from having no cultivation to the ninth level of Dou Qi in half a year?"

Upon hearing her master Su Baichen's words, Cao Ying stopped in her tracks, her mouth about to open.

Su Baichen stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and the sunlight outlined a faint golden edge around him. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable power as he continued, "I only started cultivating at the age of eight, without any guidance from anyone; I learned entirely on my own. At eight and a half, I reached the Foundation Establishment stage and became a Dou Zhe."

With each word he spoke, Cao Ying's eyes widened a little more.

"At ten, a Dou Shi. At twelve, a Da Dou Shi... and at almost twenty-one, he became a Dou Zun." Su Baichen turned around, his gaze falling on Cao Ying's frozen face. He sighed softly and said slowly, "If I had had a master like me to guide me back then, perhaps I could have been even faster. Alas, what a pity."

“Self-sufficient…started cultivating at eight years old…foundation building in half a year…” Cao Ying murmured, repeating these words. With each word she uttered, the sound of her young worldview collapsing became clearer. While others’ cultivation slowed down, her master’s cultivation was getting faster and faster, and there was no sign of her foundation being suspended in mid-air.

Her initial disappointment had turned into shock. She had thought her talent was already amazing enough, but compared to her master's understated self-description, it was like a firefly compared to the bright moon.

Moreover, she knew that her master was not only exceptionally talented in cultivation, but also proficient in puppetry and alchemy. What terrifying cultivation speed, energy, and comprehension must that require?

The little girl opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, and after a long while, all her unspoken words finally coalesced into a startling exclamation: "Master, are you... are you even human?"

"Oh ho! You unfilial disciple, how dare you curse your master! You deserve a beating!" Su Baichen couldn't help but chuckle, flicking his finger to release an extremely gentle burst of fighting spirit, which precisely tapped Cao Ying's forehead. The force was perfectly controlled, ensuring she felt no pain while still conveying the message of punishment.

"Ouch, Master, you hit me again!" Cao Ying, clutching her forehead which didn't hurt at all, immediately squatted down, angrily drawing circles on the ground, and "viciously" "cursing" her unscrupulous master, who had undermined her confidence, wishing him "a long and healthy life"!

Su Baichen naturally didn't care about his little disciple's childish behavior. With a flick of his wrist, a warm jade bottle appeared in his palm, inside which a round pill emitted an alluring energy fluctuation.

"I have already prepared the fourth-grade Qi Gathering Pill for you."

Chapter 71 The Village Filled with Poison Gas

He looked at the small figure squatting on the ground, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"You'd better work hard. It's because I started cultivating too late that my future achievements will be limited. I'll be counting on you to take care of me in my old age."

Hearing her master's pretentious yet feigned regretful words, Cao Ying's face puffed up like a bun in anger. She turned her head sharply to the side, showing Su Baichen with her back to him, indicating with her actions that she didn't want to talk to this mean master who was so disheartening and likened him to Versailles!

Seeing his little apprentice's sullen expression, Su Baichen's smile deepened. He sighed helplessly, "Sigh, I was originally planning to pass on the 'Divine Journey Fire Refining Technique' to you after you successfully advance to the Dou Zhe level. It can double one's cultivation speed and has no side effects. But now, judging from your expression, it seems you don't really want it anymore?"

"A technique to quickly become stronger? Really?" Cao Ying, who had been facing away from him with the back of her head, turned around instantly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She rushed to Su Baichen at a speed that was difficult to detect with the naked eye. Her big eyes were shining with an incomparably bright light. Her previous frustration and anger had long been forgotten.

"Of course it's true." Su Baichen watched with amusement as her expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book.

"No aftereffects?!" Cao Ying asked eagerly, her face flushed with excitement.

“There will definitely be no aftereffects.” Su Baichen nodded firmly.

"Then hurry up and give it to me!" Cao Ying was so excited she almost jumped up.

Su Baichen deliberately put on a stern face and teased, "I was just seeing how arrogant you were just now, with your little head held so high, as if you looked down on my skills."

"How could that be! Master!" Cao Ying's tone softened instantly, becoming so sweet it could melt honey.

She stretched out her little hand, pitifully tugged at Su Baichen's sleeve, and gently shook it, her voice soft and sweet: "I want it, I really want it! Master, please give it to me~ The best, kindest, and most doting master in the world, please, give it to me~"

As she finished speaking, the drawn-out tone carried the unique charm of a little girl, making one's bones feel weak. Even someone as strong as Su Baichen couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart.

At this moment, Su Baichen's state of mind can only be described with one word: exhilarating! Watching his exceptionally talented little apprentice go from being arrogant and unconvinced to being defeated, and then to now begging softly for the cultivation technique, the unique sense of accomplishment he felt as a teacher was truly wonderful and indescribable.

"Alright, alright, stop looking at your teacher like that, your gaze is a bit too bright." Su Baichen pretended to look away in disgust, but the upturned corners of his mouth betrayed his good mood.

"Then why don't you hurry up and give it to your cutest, most adorable, and most obedient apprentice!" Cao Ying pressed her advantage, showering him with compliments.

"Alright, alright, here you go." Su Baichen knew when to stop. With a flash of light at his fingertips, a scroll that was dark red, neither gold nor jade, appeared in his hand.

On the surface of the scroll, the five ancient characters "Divine Journey Fire Refining Technique" seem to have flames flowing faintly, exuding a mysterious and powerful aura.

Cao Ying eagerly took the scroll with both hands. The moment her fingertips touched the scroll, it was as if a warm current flowed quietly into her body through her meridians, invigorating her spirit.

She hurriedly and carefully unrolled the scroll, her eyes greedily scanning the ancient characters that seemed to leap like flames.

Just from reading the opening outline, Cao Ying's bright eyes widened instantly, and her mouth opened into an "O" shape again. The shock she felt was even greater than when she heard about her master's cultivation experience!

Because this "Divine Journey Fire Refining Technique" is actually... a cultivation technique that can continuously evolve!

The scroll clearly states that this technique is not static; it can transform and evolve by absorbing and fusing various strange flames of heaven and earth. With each evolution, the technique's grade and power will undergo a qualitative leap, with near-limitless potential!

This completely overturned Cao Ying's understanding of martial arts techniques—could there really be such miraculous techniques in the world?

Seeing his apprentice's adorable expression of shock, almost petrified, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Su Baichen's eyes.

He gently patted Cao Ying's head, his voice returning to its usual gentle and steady tone: "Girl, you have a lot of talent, don't be complacent because of a moment of success."

"This continent is vast, and your future path is long. This scroll, 'The Divine Journey Fire Refining Technique,' is the first true gift I've given you. I hope you can study it carefully and not let it down, nor should you waste your own talent."

Cao Ying hugged the warm scroll tightly, for the first time putting away all her playfulness and coquettishness. She raised her small face, her gaze incredibly firm and serious as she looked at Su Baichen, and nodded solemnly: "Master, don't worry! Your disciple will definitely not let you down!"

At this moment, the seed of strength that Cao Ying had planted in her heart truly began to take root and sprout.

She wants to become stronger, the strongest, so strong that no one can defeat her, and then she can suppress her master.

.........

A small village on the edge of the Monster Mountain Range was shrouded in an eerie purple poisonous fog. The fog was so thick it seemed almost tangible, weighing heavily on the low thatched roofs, and the air was filled with a nauseatingly sweet and fishy stench.

The village was deathly silent, not a sound could be heard, only the ominous purple hue flowed silently. The villagers' corpses lay scattered on the ground, all with bluish-purple faces, foaming at the mouth, and wide-open eyes, as if they had witnessed the ultimate terror in their final moments.

"Where did this village get such a deadly poison?"

A woman dressed in a plain white doctor's robe stood outside the village, her brow furrowed. She looked travel-worn, clearly having journeyed far and wide.

Witnessing this horrific scene, a flicker of grief and shock crossed her eyes. Without hesitation, she quickly put down her medicine box and, using whatever materials she had with her and any herbs she could find nearby, skillfully began to prepare the antidote.

A moment later, she put a pill that emitted a cool scent into her mouth, then covered her mouth and nose with a cloth soaked in the medicine before carefully stepping into that death zone.

The further she went into the village, the more potent the poisonous gas became. Even with the antidote protecting her, she could still feel the burning heat trying to penetrate her defenses, irritating her skin and respiratory tract.

"What a potent poison... Anyone below the Dou Shi level would likely die instantly without an antidote." She felt a chill run down her spine and became even more cautious.

"Moreover, the scope was so vast that it completely swallowed up the entire village... This is definitely not an ordinary poison leak."

The horrific scene before her eyes, and the terrifying power and scale of the poisonous fog, ignited an uncontrollable rage within her.

She crouched down and examined the condition of several corpses, which gave her a preliminary assessment.

“Those lunatics from the Izumo Empire who are obsessed with poison all day long! Could it be that they are conducting those inhumane poison experiments on this innocent village on the border of the Gama Empire?” She gritted her teeth, her voice trembling slightly with anger as she said, “To treat human life so lightly, aren’t they afraid of provoking the wrath of the Gama Empire and stirring up a conflict between the two countries!”

In her view, there are very few forces in the Northwest Continent that are skilled in using poison and can create such a spectacle, and the closest one to this place is the Izumo Empire, which is famous for its poison masters.