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

The three women standing behind Su Baichen each had their own thoughts, their gazes shifting between different people, and an indescribable tension filled the air.

A rare hint of confusion appeared on Yun Yun's usually aloof face. She quietly gazed at her master Su Baichen's tall and straight back, thinking to herself, "My master has always had discerning eyes, yet today he has personally come to accept a strange girl as his disciple. This girl seems ordinary, so what is so special about her?"

Her slender fingers unconsciously stroked the hilt of her sword, a small gesture she often made when deep in thought. As Su Baichen's maid, she knew her master never did anything without a reason, and this time there must be a deeper meaning, though she couldn't quite grasp it at the moment.

Cai Die, standing beside Yun Yun, had a completely different mindset. Her charming eyes were fixed on Su Baichen's profile, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"The young master is actually interested in a child? Could it be that he likes children?" This thought brought a blush to her face, and she daydreamed, "Should I have a few children for him in the future? How many would be best? Ideally, two, one boy like him, and one girl like me..."

Thinking about this, she could almost picture herself holding the baby, and even started thinking about the child's name, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere on the scene.

The youngest, Cao Ying, reacted most directly. Her bright eyes darted around, her mind racing, and a thought flashed through her mind like lightning—"Master is going to take on a disciple! I'm going to have a junior sister!"

This realization almost made her jump for joy, but she suppressed her excitement, though the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

She secretly observed the girl in plain clothes, already planning how to get along with this junior sister in the future.

"Finally, I'm not the youngest and weakest here anymore! Most importantly, I can finally experience being a senior sister and take good care of my junior sister!"

Thinking of this, a series of ways to deal with her junior sister came to mind: patting her head, pinching her cheeks, tapping her forehead... She could even imagine her junior sister puffing up in anger after being teased by her, which made her smile even wider.

The three of them had their own thoughts, but Su Baichen, who was involved, was completely unaware of them.

From the moment he stepped into the courtyard, his attention was completely focused on the petite girl.

He stood there seemingly casually, but in reality, he had already released his soul power, meticulously probing the hidden power within the girl's body.

In his perception, a powerful and eerie toxic energy lay dormant within the girl's body, like a lurking venomous snake, ready to awaken at any moment.

Although this power has not yet fully awakened, it has already formed a faint barrier of poisonous gas around the little girl, which even a Dou Huang could not detect.

"As expected of the Calamity Poison Body, and it's already this powerful even before it's awakened." Su Baichen thought to himself, a barely perceptible hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

He knew how rare and powerful this physique was, and that if properly guided, Little Fairy Doctor's growth rate would far exceed that of ordinary people.

What ordinary cultivators take years or even decades to reach, she could easily break through by simply consuming the right poison.

More importantly, the value of the Calamity Poison Body in group battles is immeasurable—with a wave of the hand, poisonous mist spreads, enough to instantly incapacitate hundreds or thousands of enemies.

In the most dire circumstances, the primordial toxin released by the self-destruction of a Poison Body user can become the ultimate weapon to change the course of the battle.

Those stronger than the Calamity Poison Body don't want to fight it; it's too disadvantageous.

Dr. Liu shielded the little girl behind her. Although facing a stranger with such a powerful aura as Su Baichen made her uneasy, her sense of responsibility as a doctor and her compassion for the girl gave her the courage to speak: "Senior, this child's whole family is gone, and she is all alone. Although I don't know why you are interested in her, please don't take her away."

As she spoke, her rough hands unconsciously shielded the trembling girl behind her, a subtle gesture that betrayed her inner tension.

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile. He could tell that Doctor Liu genuinely cared about the child, so his tone softened: "Doctor Liu misunderstands. I am not a bad person, nor will I harm her. It's just that this child has a special constitution—the Calamity Poison Body. If she is not properly guided, she will surely harm herself and others in the future. My intention to take her as my disciple is precisely to teach her to control this talent."

His voice was clear and pleasant, like a mountain stream, which quietly eased the tense atmosphere in the courtyard.

"Special constitution - Calamity-inducing poison body?" Doctor Liu repeated the term in confusion, her brows furrowing slightly. She had practiced medicine for many years and had seen all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases, but she had never heard of any special constitution.

For her, the term "Calamity Poison Body" was completely beyond her comprehension. She could only rely on her intuition to judge whether Su Baichen was trustworthy, and those deep yet innocent eyes gave her a slight sense of reassurance.

Yun Yun and Cao Ying, who were standing to the side, immediately became interested when they heard the words "special physique".

Cao Ying was particularly curious. She knew that she was able to become Su Baichen's disciple entirely due to her top-notch talent in soul power, coupled with the introduction of a middleman. But this seemingly ordinary village girl could actually have her master personally come to accept her as a disciple. Just how powerful must her special physique be? She couldn't help but cast a gaze of envy and curiosity at the little girl.

Yun Yun seemed lost in thought. She was well-read and had some knowledge of the various special constitutions on the continent. When she heard the words "Calamity Poison Body" come from Su Baichen's mouth, she couldn't help but tremble. A record from an ancient book in her memory instantly surfaced in her mind.

She glanced instinctively at the small, thin figure, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—surprise, pity, and wariness.

Su Baichen keenly noticed Yun Yun's reaction and looked at her with interest: "Yun Yun, you seem to know about the Calamity Poison Body? Why don't you explain it to everyone?"

He intended to take this opportunity to let everyone understand the characteristics of this physique, and at the same time test Yun Yun's knowledge.

Yun Yun nodded slightly, her clear, cold voice echoing in the courtyard: "I once read about the Calamity Poison Body in an ancient book. This constitution is extremely rare, appearing only once every thousand years. Before its awakening, the possessor will unconsciously emit poisonous gas, and those close to it will often slowly die from the poison, and there may also be a brief outbreak."

She paused deliberately at this point, glancing at Dr. Liu and noticing that the doctor's face had turned pale, clearly indicating that she had made a connection to something.

“And once awakened,” Yun Yun continued, “the possessor of the Calamity Poison Body can increase their strength by consuming poisons, without needing to cultivate diligently like ordinary cultivators. Theoretically, as long as there are enough poisons, their strength can increase without limit…” She described in detail, her voice steady but carrying a hint of barely perceptible solemnity.

She mentioned, "Although the cultivation speed of the Calamity Poison Body is astonishing, the more poison one consumes, the more toxins accumulate in the body, eventually leading to a backlash and death."

These words echoed in the quiet courtyard, each one striking a heavy blow to everyone's hearts.

Chapter 79 The Truth

As Yun Yun recounted her story, the little girl hiding behind Doctor Liu trembled even more violently.

Although she couldn't fully understand the terminology, she knew that something terrible lurked within her—something that had caused her to lose her family and brought misfortune upon everyone who came near her. Large tears slid down her cheeks, but she stubbornly refused to cry out.

Su Baichen noticed this detail, which strengthened his resolve to take her as his disciple—a child with such a resilient spirit would surely shine brightly if properly guided.

Dr. Liu was now deathly pale. She finally understood why the girl had guilt in her eyes and why she had been feeling unwell lately.

She instinctively loosened her grip on the girl, but then felt ashamed of her reaction and pulled the girl back behind her. This subtle movement did not escape Su Baichen's notice, and he felt a surge of respect for this ordinary doctor.

Feeling Doctor Liu's protective gesture, Little Fairy Doctor's heart warmed, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She knew better than anyone that Dr. Liu knew that getting close to her was like getting close to a source of poison that could erupt at any moment, yet he still stood firmly in front of her, wanting to protect her.

This unconditional protection, like a warm current, broke down the last barrier of hesitation in her heart.

Little Fairy Doctor took a deep breath, stepped out from behind Doctor Liu, and stood where everyone's eyes met.

Her voice trembled slightly, yet she revealed with exceptional clarity the truth that had been buried deep within her heart and tormented her day and night, laying it bare before everyone.

"That poisonous fog that swallowed the village... was brought by me."

She recalled that afternoon that changed everything. She found a small, coarse cloth bag by the mountain roadside, containing some purple powder she had never seen before.

The moment she saw the powder, an unprecedented, almost instinctive, intense desire surged within her, like a thirsty traveler finding a spring.

This unfamiliar impulse terrified her, yet the desire grew stronger and stronger, almost scorching her reason.

A thought popped into my head: surely my own body wouldn't harm me?

In the end, she couldn't resist and carefully dipped her finger in it, then put it in her mouth.

However, this was not liberation, but the beginning of a deeper nightmare. That little bit of powder not only failed to quell the desire, but was like a spark falling into an oily sea, igniting an even more intense craving.

In a dazed and confused state, she involuntarily swallowed the entire packet of powder.

Then, a terrifying backlash struck. Her body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably, as if an invisible hand were gripping and tearing at her internal organs, sending waves of excruciating pain crashing over her. Even more terrifying, dense purple gas uncontrollably poured out of every pore on her body, quickly filling her vision with an eerie purple glow. In the extreme agony, she finally lost consciousness.

But her unconsciousness was just the beginning of the disaster. The deadly purple gas did not stop; it continued to emanate from her unresponsive body, spreading silently like the tentacles of death, slowly enveloping the entire peaceful village.

When she awoke from the excruciating pain, she was met with a deathly silence.

She struggled to run home, pushed open the door, and saw her family lying on the ground, their faces as peaceful as if they were asleep. No matter how much she cried and pushed, there was no response.

An ominous premonition drove her to run frantically throughout the village, only to find the same horrific sight—neighbors, playmates, and familiar fellow villagers, all lying on the ground without exception.

She was the only one left standing in the entire village.

This realization, like the sharpest icicle, pierced her young heart in an instant, shattering her last shred of hope and chance.

Overwhelmed by immense fear and overwhelming guilt, she was like an empty shell devoid of her soul. She wandered aimlessly to a haystack at the corner of the village, where she finally broke down and cried out loud.

Until Dr. Liu, who had heard the news, discovered it.

By this point in her story, Little Fairy Doctor was already in tears. Every day after being saved by Doctor Liu, she lived in endless torment and self-blame.

"It was me...it was me who killed my parents, who killed everyone..." These words used up her last bit of strength. Her thin shoulders heaved violently from sobbing, and the heavy sense of guilt almost crushed her.

Seeing the girl crying, overwhelmed with guilt, Su Baichen picked up the conversation, his gaze falling on the little girl again, and said, "That's why I'm here. The Calamity Poison Body is indeed dangerous, but it's not incurable. I have a way to help you suppress the toxins in your body."

He deliberately slowed his speech, making his voice carry a calming power, and continued, "Even temporarily seal it away until you can truly master it."

These words made the little girl raise her head, and through her teary eyes, she looked at Su Baichen seriously for the first time. His deep eyes didn't hold the fear and disgust that most people would show her; instead, they held a calm understanding, as if she weren't a monster, but just an ordinary child. At that moment, a crack quietly appeared in the high wall she had built in her heart.

"Little girl, would you like to become my disciple?" Su Baichen took a step forward, stopping at just the edge of the toxic gas's influence, neither getting too close and creating a sense of oppression, nor failing to express sufficient sincerity.

"I can teach you to control the power within you, so that you will no longer harm innocent people and can use this power to help others." His voice was gentle yet firm, like the warm sun melting ice and snow, quietly dissolving the girl's fear and resistance.

All eyes in the courtyard were fixed on the little girl, awaiting her response. The wind had stopped sometime earlier, and the shadows of the trees stretched long, as if the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for an important decision.

Cao Ying could no longer contain her excitement and wished the girl would agree quickly; Yun Yun's eyes flashed with understanding, and she finally understood her master's deep meaning; Cai Die also came back to her senses from her reverie and began to seriously examine the girl who might become the young master's apprentice.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the little girl timidly peeked out from behind Doctor Liu and asked in a soft but clear voice, "Really... really, can we stop hurting innocent people?"

Only she herself knows how much bitterness and loneliness lies behind this question.

This was precisely the opportunity Su Baichen had been waiting for—the beginning of redemption, the prelude to a legend.

"Of course, I discovered your situation and came here specifically to take you as my apprentice, so are you willing to become my apprentice?"

Su Baichen's eyes and tone were very sincere.

Looking at Su Baichen, Little Fairy Doctor wiped away her tears and nodded heavily.

"I am willing."

"Disciple Little Fairy Doctor greets Master."

Chapter 80 Cao Ying: I've Turned the Tables!

That evening, Su Baichen left with Yun Yun.

Little Fairy Doctor gazed in the direction where Su Baichen and Yun Yun had left, her small hands clenching secretly beneath her sleeves. Only when the two figures had completely disappeared into the night did she turn her gaze away under Doctor Liu's gentle gaze.

Cao Ying approached her at some point, patted her shoulder, and smiled with her eyes crinkling: "Junior Sister, from now on we're family. Come find me tonight, I have something to tell you."

Cai Die smiled and nodded, her gaze falling on Cao Ying's eager face, a knowing smile flashing in her eyes.

As night deepened, Little Fairy Doctor found Cao Ying and came up behind her.

Cao Ying turned around and looked at her, as if she were examining some rare treasure.

Little Fairy Doctor's heart tightened, and she subconsciously straightened her back.

She grew up in the village, where the village teachers loved to tell stories about the outside world in their spare time. In those stories, newly initiated junior sisters often couldn't escape the senior sisters' harassment—either being ordered to do rough work, or having their cultivation deliberately suppressed, or even being used as targets to establish authority.

Thinking of the tearful, helpless figures of her junior sisters in those stories, Little Fairy Doctor's voice trembled slightly: "Senior Sister, is there something you need from me?"

Cao Ying walked in with light steps, circled around Little Fairy Doctor twice, her eyes darting around.

"Well, she's about my height, and can be considered fairly well-proportioned."

She muttered to herself, gestured with her hands to compare their heights, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"As for cultivation, he hasn't even condensed his battle qi yet, which is far inferior to mine as a Dou Zhe."