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

She put down her pen, turned her head, and stroked her daughter's soft hair. The warm touch on her fingertips seemed to melt a corner of the ice in her heart. However, that sense of relief was quickly overshadowed by a heavier worry.

“Fei’er,” she sighed softly, pulling Ya Fei into her arms, but her gaze was fixed on the dark night outside the window: “What you see as smooth sailing is nothing more than a brief calm before the storm.”

"What Mother took back these past two days were the properties that were still guarded by the old managers who were loyal to the Ya family. They did it out of old friendship or out of fear of my high-level Dou Ling strength."

She paused, lowering her voice even further, as if afraid of disturbing any ears that might be outside the window: "The real tough nuts to crack are yet to come. Sixty percent of the Ya family's assets have long since changed hands—the Mittel family swallowed up thirty percent, the Mu family and the Nalan family each took one percent, and the remaining ten percent was completely divided up by those hyenas that swarmed in with the scent of blood."

“The Mittel family…” A faint shadow crossed Mittel Xue’s beautiful brows as she thought of the name.

That was not only the most prominent business tycoon in the capital, but also her maternal clan by blood. The clan leader, Mittel Tengshan, her uncle, was already a Dou Wang (Battle King) level expert.

The difference between a Battle King and a Battle Spirit, though only one rank, is like the difference between heaven and earth. It is a leap in the essence of power, the helplessness of mortals when facing mountains.

Yafei felt her mother's body stiffen instantly. She looked up and saw the unusual solemnity in her mother's eyes.

Although she was young, she was precocious from a young age due to the family's infighting, and vaguely understood what the words "Mitel Family" and "Battle King" meant. She reached out her small hand and gently smoothed her mother's slightly furrowed brow.

The warmth at her fingertips brought Mittelshe back to her senses. She took her daughter's small hand in her palm, and the soft touch instantly pulled her back from her cold, calculating state.

She looked into her daughter's clear eyes, where her own face was reflected, as well as the flickering candlelight, like two clusters of light that refused to go out.

"It's tough!" she sighed again, but this time, her sigh was tempered with an iron will: "But no matter how tough it is, we have to keep going."

She hugged Ya Fei tighter, resting her chin lightly on the top of her daughter's head, her voice gentle as a clear spring under the moon, yet firm as a rock: "For my Fei'er, Mother will definitely do it."

“That benefactor gave my mother and me a chance to start over. The task he left behind is the foundation upon which we will stand in the future. Mother will piece together the shattered business piece by piece; she will regain her footing in this cannibalistic capital city step by step. Mother will fight for you a truly free, stable, and bright future, a future where you don’t have to be subservient to others or be manipulated by them.”

This is not empty talk to comfort a child. Every word is imbued with the exhaustion of days of dealing with various situations, the thoughts she had while sitting alone late at night, the pressure she endured when facing a formidable enemy, and her unconditional love for her daughter from the depths of her heart.

This love quickly honed her sharp edges and unwavering will, transforming her from a woman who had only known how to cultivate herself under the protection of her family and remained indifferent to worldly affairs.

Ya Fei's tears could no longer be held back, and large drops rolled down her cheeks, soaking her mother's clothes.

She hugged her mother tightly, burying her face in the delicately fragrant embrace, and choked back tears, vowing in a still-childish but exceptionally earnest voice, "Yes! Mother will definitely succeed! Fei'er will also work hard, work hard to cultivate, work hard to grow up, and become very, very strong, strong enough to protect Mother, strong enough that no one can bully us anymore!"

The child's words, though innocent, carried a powerful weight. In the quiet night, this vow, like a seed brimming with life, quietly fell into the cold soil, awaiting the day it would sprout.

Mittelshe's eyes welled up with tears, and she was about to say something more, to paint a hopeful picture of tomorrow for her daughter—

"Ha ha……"

A low, husky laugh, without warning, like a venomous snake slithering across a cold stone surface, suddenly pierced the warm tranquility of the room.

The laughter came from outside the door, carrying naked malice and mockery, and instantly froze the air.

"future?"

The voice slowly repeated the two words, as if savoring something utterly ridiculous.

"you……"

The candlelight suddenly began to flicker violently, the light and shadow twisting wildly, tearing the figures of the mother and daughter embracing each other to shreds.

"...There is no future!"

Chapter 137 The Arrogant Mittelten Mountain

In the Ya family compound, the air was filled with the smell of dust and blood. Several of the Ya family's guards had all fallen a quarter of an hour ago, their blood flowing down the bluestone slabs like rivers of despair.

Inside the room, Mittelxue heard that voice so familiar it etched into her very bones. Her jade-like hands clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, blood seeping from between her fingers, staining the silver embroidery on her cuffs. She gritted her teeth, forcing out that name, word by word:

"Mi-ter-ten-shan!"

"Hehe, since you've figured it out, I won't hide it anymore." As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud "boom," and the heavy pear wood door shattered into pieces, with wood chips flying like rain.

A figure slowly stepped in, the moonlight illuminating the broad shoulders and a familiar yet unfamiliar face—Mittel Tengshan, the current patriarch of the Mittel family, a three-star Dou Wang powerhouse, and also Mittel Xue's maternal uncle by blood.

He wore a dark purple brocade robe, embroidered with the Mittel family crest—three crossed swords—in gold thread, symbolizing the family's dominance in commerce, intelligence, and military power.

His face was as calm as an ancient well, his eyes devoid of any ripples, as if the person in front of him was not his niece whom he had watched grow up, but some obstacle that needed to be removed.

Looking at the clan chief who had destroyed all her happiness, Mittelxue's eyes were bloodshot, with blood vessels like spider webs covering the whites of her eyes.

"Why did you do this? Why were you the masterminds behind it all!" Her voice trembled with anger, each word seeming to be torn from the depths of her chest.

"My—mother—tribe!"

Mittelxue questioned, each word dripping with tears and blood, "Why! Why did you betray us! What did the Ya family do wrong? What did I do wrong?!"

Mittel Tengshan's gaze finally flickered for a moment. He slowly raised his right hand, and a ball of pale blue battle aura energy condensed in his palm. The energy swirled and emitted a low hum, like the whisper of death.

"It's all for the Mittel family." His voice was eerily calm, as if stating a simple fact.

"The rise of the Ya family has threatened our plans in the capital. You have acquired too many resources and too much influence that you should not have."

“And your husband, Yatian, actually refused my invitations several times and even tried to join forces with the royal family to weaken the family’s power—this is betrayal and must be eliminated.”

These words were like the last straw, crushing any remaining hope in Mittelshee's heart. She staggered back a step, bumping into her daughter, Yafei, behind her.

The ten-year-old girl clung tightly to her mother's clothes, her face as pale as paper, but she bit her lower lip and stubbornly refused to cry out.

"So now you're trying to wipe us out completely?" Mittel Xue's expression vanished, her face, once hailed as "the most beautiful woman in the capital," now as cold as ice.

She gently pulled Yafei behind her, shielding her daughter with her body, her tone so cold it could freeze the air.

Sensing the chill in the other party's tone, Mittel Tengshan raised an eyebrow slightly. With his strength as a three-star Dou Wang, crushing Mittel Xue, who was only at the Dou Ling realm, was as easy as squeezing an ant.

But surprisingly, he did not act immediately. Instead, he patiently gave a more detailed answer—this was his last bit of mercy as the clan chief, or rather, his last bit of guilt towards this once-good niece.

“Yes, this time even the child cannot be spared.” His gaze passed over Mittel Snow and landed on Ya Fei: “She already knows too much. Originally, Mittel Feng promised to spare her life because she was unaware of the truth and too young to be easily manipulated. But now it’s different.”

Ya Fei trembled; her mother's warm back was her only support at that moment. She could feel her mother's body trembling slightly, not from fear, but from extreme anger and helplessness.

She recalled the night a month ago when her father, Yatian, was attacked and killed by a group of men in black; she recalled a few days ago when her mother took her to hide and was eventually rescued by a mysterious person.

Just moments ago, her mother finally revealed the whole truth to her—the mastermind behind all of this was none other than her mother's maternal clan, the Mittel family, which was known as the head of the three major commercial families in the Gama Empire.

"Our benefactor will never let you get away with this!" Ya Fei, emboldened by some unknown source, peeked out from behind her mother, her voice young yet exceptionally firm: "He saved us, and he will protect us to the very end!"

"Benefactor?!" Upon hearing these two words, a sharp glint flashed in Mittel Tengshan's eyes.

He had previously suspected that someone had secretly intervened and rescued the mother and daughter who were supposed to have disappeared on the night the Ya family was massacred.

Therefore, before revealing himself, he had thoroughly explored every inch of space within a three-mile radius with his soul power—aside from the few guards from the Ya family who were already terrified, he did not detect the aura of any powerful individuals.

This discovery secretly relieved him.

If the other party were truly a powerful figure from some force, it's impossible that they wouldn't have set up protective measures around the mother and daughter.

The only explanation is that the people who rescued them were either not very capable or simply didn't care about their lives; they were just doing it as a side effect to cause trouble for the Mittel family so they could take advantage of the chaos.

"Heh, the benefactor you mentioned." Mittel Tengshan walked forward slowly, the ground trembling slightly with each step. "I scouted the area before I appeared, and there wasn't a soul in sight. I'm afraid your so-called 'benefactor' has already given up."

"Impossible!" Ya Fei retorted urgently, her little hands gripping her mother's sleeve tightly. "Our benefactor promised to protect us! He will definitely come!"

Mittel felt a chill in her heart. She understood the cruelty of reality better than her daughter.

When the mysterious young man rescued them, he did hint that he would "keep you safe for now," but he also implied that "whether you survive depends on your own fate."

The man's tone was indifferent, and his eyes were devoid of any warmth, as if they were merely two chess pieces on a chessboard that could be discarded at any time.

"So what if that person still cares about you?" Mittel Tengshan had already walked to within three steps of the mother and daughter, and the powerful pressure made the air thick.

“In the Gama Empire, how many people dare to oppose the Mittel family? Even the royal family gives us some leeway, let alone a cowardly rat hiding his head and tail.”

He raised his right hand, and azure battle qi condensed into the shape of a longsword, its tip pointing directly at Mittelxue's throat: "If he dares to come, I'll kill him, kill him right in front of you! I'll make you all give up completely, and understand that the only consequence of betraying the family is—"

Before the words were finished, an icy voice suddenly came from behind Mitteltenshan. The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through all other noise, like the biting wind of the far north, whipping against everyone's eardrums:

"Who do you want to kill?"

Chapter 138 Yunshan Takes the Blame (1)

"Who do you want to kill?"

The voice came from the doorway, cold and piercing, each word as if carved from an ancient ice cave, carrying a tangible chill that climbed up the spine, making one involuntarily feel a chill throughout the body.

Mittel Tengshan suddenly turned his head, his pupils contracting sharply.

Moonlight streamed in through the open door, and at the boundary between light and shadow stood a tall, slender figure.

He wore a pristine white robe, its silver-embroidered cloud patterns gleaming coldly in the moonlight. His long, flowing black hair was loosely tied back with a simple jade hairpin, a few stray strands brushing against his cheeks, yet unable to conceal the frozen killing intent in his eyes.

What's even more unsettling is the aura surrounding her—not deliberately released, but naturally flowing, yet it already slightly distorts the space, a sign that her battle qi has been refined to its extreme.

“Yun…Yun Yun?” Mittel Tengshan’s voice was dry, like sandpaper being rubbed.

Her mind went blank for a moment before racing. The young sect leader of the Yunlan Sect, the proud young lady who should have died four years ago in the territory of the Snake-People.

When the Jiama Empire exchanged prisoners with the Snake People, the list was jointly confirmed by the three major families and the royal family, so there could be no mistake—Yun Yun's name was not on it.

Everyone thought she was dead, that she had died in that despairing place where her mentor, Yunshan, had abandoned her.

But now, she stands here alive, not only alive, but her cultivation is also unfathomable.

Mittel Tengshan forced himself to calm down, but cold sweat had already soaked his back.

He recalled the time four years ago when he followed Hai Bodong to the Yunlan Sect. At that time, Yun Yun was only a five-star Dou Wang. Although she had outstanding talent, she was still a junior.

The person before him possessed an aura as deep and boundless as the ocean, clearly indicating that he had already entered the Douhuang realm.

"Young Master Yun, it's been a long time." Mittel Tengshan forced a stiff smile, trying to probe with his words.

"Sect Leader Yunshan has kept you hidden for a long time, keeping us all in the dark. Wasn't it Yunshan who secretly redeemed you back then?"

He quickly pieced together a logic: Yunshan's secret redemption of his beloved disciple and his subsequent hidden cultivation must have a purpose. Yun Yun's appearance tonight must be to silence her and cover up the truth that she is still alive. And Yunshan's ultimate target is probably the entire Mittel family—the wealthiest commercial empire in the Gama Empire.

Yun Yun neither confirmed nor denied it. She took a step forward, the moonlight flowing with her movement, as if paving a silver path for her. Those eyes remained fixed on Mittel Tengshan, the repeated words growing colder than before:

"Who do you want to kill?"

The killing intent materialized at that moment.

Mittel Tengshan's heart pounded wildly. He could feel the air condensing, and his own battle qi circulation began to stagnate. Yun Yun had not only broken through to the Dou Huang realm, but her battle qi was also of extremely high quality.

"What, does Young Master Yun want to kill me to silence me?" Mittel Tengshan tried to remain calm, but his voice betrayed his fear.

"Don't forget, this is the capital of the Gama Empire! The royal family's Dou Huang level experts monitor the entire city at all times. If you make a move here, you will definitely not escape their detection!"

He attempted to exert pressure through the royal family while secretly gathering his fighting spirit, preparing for a desperate gamble. If he could create a large enough commotion to attract the royal family's attention, perhaps there would still be a glimmer of hope.

Yun Yun's lips curved into a very faint smile.

That wasn't laughter, but something much colder, like a crack opening in a glacier, revealing the essence of millennia-old ice beneath.