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

A barely perceptible ripple spread out, and soon after, the door was gently pushed open, and a graceful figure slowly entered.

The newcomer wore a light blue dress, had a slender figure and a beautiful face; it was Yun Yun. She walked three steps behind Su Baichen and respectfully bowed: "Master, what are your orders?"

Su Baichen didn't turn around, still gazing out the window: "Yunyun, you've been with me for a while now."

Yun Yun was slightly taken aback, then gratitude welled up in her eyes: "Yes, I have been with my master for more than two years. If it weren't for my master saving me, I would have died in the snake-people's dungeon long ago."

“But I also placed a restriction on you at the same time.” Su Baichen turned around and looked at her calmly.

Yun Yun met his gaze calmly: "This is normal. No one will easily trust a newcomer of unknown origin. I understand Master's considerations and have never complained."

"Are you really not upset?" Su Baichen pressed, his eyes scrutinizing her.

Yun Yun gently shook her head: "At first, I may have been a little unaccustomed to it, but in the past two years, my master has treated me extremely well. Not only did he help me recover from my injuries, but he also guided me in cultivation and gave me elixirs. Now, I feel only gratitude in my heart."

She was telling the truth. In the past two years, although she was nominally Su Baichen's maid, she had received far more treatment than usual.

Su Baichen never mistreated her; on the contrary, he often guided her through her cultivation difficulties and was never stingy with the pills he gave her.

What's even more remarkable is that there's no infighting or hypocritical socializing here, only a simple and peaceful life.

She spent her days doing light tasks like serving tea and water, and in her spare time, she would tease the two lively maids, Cao Ying and Little Fairy Doctor, or chat with Cai Die, exchanging cultivation insights. This kind of life was a tranquility she had never experienced when she was the young sect leader of the Yunlan Sect.

"Hmm." Su Baichen nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

He suddenly raised his hand and gently pointed in Yun Yun's direction.

Yun Yun felt a slight relaxation somewhere inside her body, as if some kind of restraint had been released. She immediately realized that the restriction her master had placed inside her body had been lifted.

However, this did not make her happy; instead, she felt a tightness in her heart and a strange unease welled up inside her.

Su Baichen looked at her and said calmly, "Pack your things, we're going to Wutan City in a bit..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yun Yun collapsed to her knees with a thud, her face turning deathly pale.

"Master!" Her voice was filled with barely concealed panic.

"Is there something I did wrong? Tell me, and I'll change right now! Please don't send me away!"

Yun Yun was truly panicked. Lifting the restrictions and sending her to Wutan City—to her, this was clearly a prelude to marginalizing her, or even driving her away.

But she had already grown accustomed to life here and grown fond of everyone. Cao Ying, though sometimes mischievous, was kind-hearted; Little Fairy Doctor was gentle and considerate, often helping her with her worries; Cai Die was loyal and devoted, a true friend. And her master, Su Baichen…

Yun Yun raised her head, gazing at that handsome face, a complex mix of emotions welling up within her. Over the past two years, she had witnessed his meticulous guidance of his disciples, his magnanimity towards others, and his decisive ruthlessness towards enemies. Unconsciously, she had long since come to regard this place as her home.

"Please, Master, don't send me away." Yun Yun's voice choked with sobs, and tears were already glistening in her eyes.

"This servant is willing to serve my master forever, and will do anything, just please don't let me leave."

Chapter 88 May the Three Pure Ones bless you!

"Forehead--"

Looking at Yun Yun kneeling before him, her eyes slightly red, Su Baichen was momentarily speechless. He understood that this girl had misunderstood again.

"Who said I was going to kick you out?"

Upon hearing this, Yunyun timidly raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears, like a butterfly drenched in rain.

"You're sending me to Utan City...aren't you trying to marginalize me, or even...drive me away?"

"Sigh." Su Baichen sighed softly, his tone unconsciously softening.

“Ying’er and Xian’er have completed their training here, and their next stop is Wutan City. Sending you ahead is to pave the way for me.”

"Really?" A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Yun Yun's eyes, and the slight unease she felt was instantly dispelled by hope.

“Of course it’s true.” Su Baichen nodded slightly and continued to explain, “I want you to observe a family closely, which is now called the Xiao family.”

"The Xiao family?"

"Hmm, there's something about that family that interests me."

"Yes, Yunyun understands. I'll go prepare right away." Having received a definite answer, Yunyun seemed to come back to life. She quickly got up and respectfully left the room.

For her, where they went or what they did was unimportant; what mattered was Su Baichen's attitude. As long as he was still willing to give her instructions and explain things to her, that was enough.

As for what her master is interested in, that's not her business.

Looking at the empty room, Su Baichen felt a bit bored. Remembering that he still had some gold coins left, he had an idea and connected to the system.

"System, give me nine blind boxes!"

【Ding! 】

[Congratulations, host, on purchasing nine blind boxes.]

[Do you want to enable it with one click?]

"No." Su Baichen rubbed his hands together, a gambler's excitement flashing in his eyes.

"It only feels good when you shoot one shot at a time."

The first blind box was opened, and a faint glow appeared.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained one Little Dragon Essence!]

"Holy crap, I got gold!" Su Baichen's spirits lifted, and his confidence swelled instantly.

"A great start! Let's keep it up!"

The second blind box opened immediately.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have received a smelly sock!]

Su Baichen's smile froze.

"...Holy crap, there are smelly socks here? System, are you kidding me?"

[Ding! The host may doubt their own character, but should not doubt the impartiality of this system!]

"You motherfucker..." Su Baichen was speechless, choked by the words.

[Does the host wish to continue opening blind boxes?]

"Open! Why not open?" He gritted his teeth: "Misfortune can't stay with me forever!"

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained a frying pan!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained...]

The next few blind boxes seemed to be designed to test his "bad luck," as they yielded either smelly socks or snacks from his past life, which were utterly useless for his cultivation.

"System?" Su Baichen's voice was filled with suspicion as he questioned, "Are you sure you didn't tamper with anything in between?"

[Ding! Nothing. It was just bad luck, host. You can't blame anyone else.]

"Sigh, when you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems, and even farting can make your heels ache." He sighed dejectedly, his gaze falling on the last blind box.

"No, this is the last one, we have to think of something..."

He paced back and forth for a few steps, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered the most primitive and "devout" method.

He rummaged through boxes and cabinets, found some clay and miscellaneous materials, and, relying on his vague memories of his previous life in the Taoist temple, sculpted three familiar clay statues. He then found a wooden plaque and engraved its name on it.

He set up the incense burner, inserted several fine incense sticks, and finally found a prayer mat, where he knelt down with a thud.

"May the Three Pure Ones protect this disciple!" Su Baichen clasped his hands together and chanted incantations.

"May this last blind box of yours bring you good fortune and yield something decent."

He rolled his eyes and added, "This junior is willing to offer up the hundred-year lifespan of the Soul Clan Chief, Soul Emperor, in exchange for the shipment of this blind box!"

After saying that, he respectfully kowtowed.

Meanwhile, deep within the Soul Realm, in a magnificent palace shrouded in cold, deathly silence.

Soul Emperor, the patriarch of the Soul Clan, who was in seclusion in his quiet room, suddenly felt a sudden, inexplicable palpitation, and the powerful battle aura flowing around his body paused slightly.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his deep gaze.

"What's going on?" The Soul Emperor frowned, raising his hand to his chest. Having cultivated to such a level, he was already immune to heat and cold, and impervious to all evil. This inexplicable tremor without warning was definitely not ordinary.

"Could it be... that something went wrong with my cultivation?"

"No, that's not right." He quickly dismissed the idea; the circulation of his internal fighting spirit was smooth and unimpeded, with no abnormalities whatsoever.

It was a more elusive and unsettling premonition—as if something extremely terrible had somehow, in some incomprehensible way, affected me.

"Someone... is plotting against me?" A cold glint flashed in the Soul Emperor's eyes, and his chilling aura caused the temperature in the quiet room to drop sharply.

His first thought was of the other major Dou Di families.

"The Spirit Clan? The Thunder Clan? Or... an Ancient Clan?"

The Soul Emperor did not underestimate any potential threat, especially such a sudden, impulsive feeling, which often foreshadowed extremely unusual changes. He pondered for a moment, then flicked his finger, and a stream of dark light silently disappeared into the void.

"Someone come here."

A deep voice echoed in the empty, quiet room, and a dark figure seemed to emerge from the wall, kneeling respectfully on the ground.

"Pass down the order: get all the 'eyes' of the various races moving and carefully investigate whether the Spirit, Thunder, Flame, Medicine, Stone, and Ancient races have made any unusual moves recently, especially any major actions against my Soul race. Report back to me immediately, no matter how small the matter!"

"As ordered!"

The shadowy figure obeyed the order and vanished in an instant.

The Soul Clan's hidden network and efficiency were terrifying. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, several secret reports pierced through numerous spatial barriers and were presented to the Soul Emperor.

He examined it word by word, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

"The Eldar are holding their borders firmly, with no unusual troop movements..."

"The Thunder Realm seems to be preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony of its younger generation, and there are no signs of it expanding outwards..."

"The Flame Clan, the Medicine Clan, and the Stone Clan are all operating as usual..."

“Ancient clans…” The Soul Emperor’s gaze lingered on the last piece of information the longest.

"That good-for-nothing Gu Yuan, his daughter seems to have left the Ancient Realm to train, and her whereabouts are unknown?"

The whereabouts of a mere little girl was of no concern to the Soul Emperor. As for Gu Yuan, the patriarch of the ancient clan who was at the same level as him, the Soul Emperor actually held him in rather contempt.

The strongest member of the clan, the dignified leader, failed to grasp all the power of the clan in his own hands. Instead, he was constantly hampered by several old elders in the clan. In the eyes of the Soul Emperor, he was already incompetent.

What he despised even more was Gu Yuan's character and his "righteousness."