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

"Tomorrow, go to the market and buy me a new sword sheath to replace it. It should be made of fine nanmu wood with copper trim. Remember that?"

"Oh... I understand," Xiao Ning replied dejectedly.

"Hmph!" Xiao Yu snorted again and pointed to her room.

"Go to your room and rest. Don't get in my way." With that, she turned and walked out of the courtyard, her back straight.

Only after Xiao Yu's figure completely disappeared outside the moon gate did Xiao Ning finally let out a long, thorough sigh of relief. His body went limp, and he almost collapsed back down, but the sharp pain in his buttocks made him immediately stand up straight, grimacing.

He glanced in the direction his sister had left, then rubbed his burning backside, muttering, "Xiao Yan... you just wait..."

Xiao Ning then limped toward his room.

Chapter 151 Trying it on!

One night, the moonlight shone through the thin gauze into the room, bathing Cai Lin's bedroom in a silvery glow.

Cai Lin stood in front of the dressing mirror, tidying her clothes, but her gaze kept drifting to the languid figure on the bed.

"Cai Die, I have to go out for a while. You take good care of the house, okay?" Cai Lin's voice held a barely perceptible worry.

On the bed, Cai Die lay on her side in her sister's soft brocade quilt, her fair arm draped over the pillow. Hearing this, she lazily turned over, and the silk quilt slipped down, revealing a slender waist.

She waved her hand listlessly, her tone sarcastic: "I know, I know, stop being so fussy. I don't know what the young master sees in you?"

Cai Lin shook her head helplessly. This younger sister had been spoiled since she was a child, and she always spoke so disrespectfully.

But remembering her cunning yet innocent eyes, he couldn't bring himself to scold her. After all, he was the one who got there first—even though his sister knew Su Baichen first, he was the one who ultimately succeeded.

"Just don't rummage through my things," Cai Lin said as she gave a final instruction, her gaze sweeping over the locked sandalwood wardrobe in the corner of the room.

Butterfly didn't turn around, only managing a muffled response from under the covers: "Mmm..."

Cai Lin sighed softly, checked the hairpins in her hair one last time, and quietly pushed open the door to leave. Her footsteps faded into the distance, eventually disappearing at the end of the corridor.

On the bed, the butterfly, which had been "sleeping" all along, suddenly opened its eyes.

Her eyes gleamed mischievously in the darkness, showing no sign of sleepiness. She sat up like a nimble cat, her bare feet touching the cold floor, and silently moved to the window.

She parted the crack with her fingertips, letting in a sliver of moonlight. The butterfly squinted, glancing left and right—the courtyard was quiet, the shadows of the flowers swaying. Confirming no one was around, a smug smile played on her lips.

With a clear goal in mind, I headed straight for my sister's wardrobe.

With a soft click, the carved cabinet door opened. Butterfly's eyes lit up instantly—a dazzling array of new clothes hung neatly, silk, brocade, and other fabrics gleaming softly in the moonlight.

A faint fragrance wafted through the air, a scent unique to my sister, a blend of lotus fragrance and a certain cool floral aroma.

"Sister bought a lot of new clothes again," Cai Die murmured, her fingertips gliding over a fiery red flowing dress. The silk was cool to the touch, smooth as flowing water.

She picked up another bright red long gown with a front opening, the cuffs embroidered with delicate butterfly and flower patterns in gold thread, the stitches so fine they were almost invisible.

"This material is really nice..." She pressed her cheek against it and rubbed it against the fabric; it was as soft as a cloud.

"This one is nice too..." She picked up another moon-white cloak, its edges adorned with tiny pearls, which shimmered with a hazy glow when she gently swayed it.

Like a child who has stumbled into a treasure trove, the butterfly excitedly caressed each new garment, imagining how her sister would look in them—surely as noble and aloof as ever, captivating the young master's gaze.

Why don't you try it on?

Thoughts grew silently like vines, entwining her reason. Butterfly bit her lower lip, her gaze lingering on the magnificent garments.

But soon, she shook her head vigorously and put the pale red silk dress back in its place.

No, no, I've ruined so many of my sister's new clothes. The ribbons on that smoky-hued dress last time, the tassels on that purple silk dress the time before that...

A sense of guilt welled up inside her. Although her sister had never truly punished her, only scolding her with a stern face before reluctantly forgiving her in the end, those torn clothes were still a pity.

Let's go pick out some old clothes.

She walked to the smaller wardrobe on the other side of the room, but froze when she opened the door.

The wardrobe was pitifully empty—two plain nightgowns were neatly folded, three queenly formal suits hung majestically, and nothing else. It was so simple it didn't look like a woman's wardrobe, but more like the dwelling of an ascetic.

"Oh, how come there are only a few items?" Cai Die pouted in disappointment: "Two nightgowns and three queen outfits, are you kidding me?"

My sister is always frugal, but this is going too far. She rummaged through the clothes with dissatisfaction, when suddenly her fingertips touched a barely noticeable bulge on the side of the closet.

"what?"

Curiosity triumphed over disappointment. Butterfly bent down and carefully explored the inside of the wardrobe, finding a movable wooden board on the lower side.

With a gentle push, the hidden compartment quietly slid open—inside lay only a neatly folded garment.

The butterfly held its breath and carefully took it out.

The light purple silk flowed down her fingers like water, and when unfolded, it turned out to be... an extremely daring nightgown.

The straps were so thin they were almost invisible, the neckline was shockingly low, and the skirt hem only reached the thighs, with faint silver patterns embroidered along the edges. The entire dress was as light as a cicada's wing and almost transparent.

Cai Die's cheeks flushed red instantly.

[This...this definitely doesn't belong to my sister!]

She thought with certainty. Her sister, a person as aloof and reserved as her, who never even wore clothes that slightly revealed her collarbone, how could she possibly own such clothes?

Could it have been bought by the young master?

A thought flashed through her mind, and Cai Die's eyes widened slightly. Yes, it must have been secretly given to her sister by the young master; otherwise, why would her sister hide it in such a secret place?

"Hmm, it must have been bought by the young master. I didn't expect him to like this one..."

Imagining her usually aloof and cold sister wearing this dress, Cai Die's heart inexplicably raced.

She looked down at herself—the two sisters were of similar height, only the older sister was more voluptuous, especially in that area...

Um, my body type is similar to my sister's, so I should be able to wear the clothes she can wear too.

So, hehe...

Evil thoughts grew wildly like weeds. Butterfly, clutching her nightgown, slipped back to the window to check—the moon had already set, and the entire courtyard was asleep.

She took a deep breath and silently prayed, "Sister, please don't blame me. I'll only wear it for a little while. You definitely won't be angry with me."

Self-comfort seemed to work. Butterfly took off her outer garment and carefully put on the light purple nightgown.

The silk felt cool to the touch and was incredibly smooth. However... it seemed a little loose at the chest, and the belt was a bit too long. Butterfly looked down at herself, blinking in confusion.

"Hmm, it's a bit loose here..." She hooked her finger around the empty neckline.

[My sister's breasts have gotten bigger again? How did she get them so big?]

Completely baffled, she walked to the mirror and looked at the strange yet familiar reflection—a girl in the moonlight, draped in a thin veil, her skin faintly visible, was quite different from her usual lively and pretty self, instead possessing a hazy, alluring charm reminiscent of her older sister.

Her face turned even redder. Butterfly hurriedly looked away, but her heart was beating faster and faster.

Whether it was the allure of the night or the lingering, faint lotus scent of her sister on her nightgown, she suddenly felt drowsy. She tiptoed to her sister's bed and slipped into the still-warm covers.

The bedding was soft, and the scent of her sister's hair still lingered on the pillow. Cai Die nuzzled against the pillow, and her overly loose nightgown slipped down a little further with her movement, revealing her rounded shoulders.

Oh well, never mind, I'll just sleep for a bit and think about it later!

She mumbled incoherently, her eyelids growing heavier. Outside the window, the moon quietly disappeared behind the clouds, plunging the room into deeper darkness.

Butterfly's breathing gradually became even and long, with a triumphant smile still on her lips. She was completely unaware that the "borrowed" nightgown had already revealed her alluring figure.

Chapter 152 Strange Fire Creatures!

Hundreds of miles away from Wutan City, two figures hovered in the sky above the wasteland, their robes fluttering in the wind. Below them stretched endless wilderness, and in the distance, the outline of the Monster Mountain Range could be vaguely seen.

Su Baichen raised his hand, and a ball of emerald green flame slowly appeared in his palm.

The flames, like living jade, shimmered with a warm glow in the twilight, and there seemed to be tiny veins pulsating within them, like the heartbeat of a newborn baby.

"Yao Chen, come and see what's going on?" Su Baichen's voice was filled with rare confusion.

Yao Chen drifted closer, his silver hair fluttering in the wind. He intently observed the ball of life-giving flame, his brows gradually furrowing.

After a while, he stretched out his illusory finger and lightly touched the edge of the flame. The flame seemed to shyly retreat slightly, and then tentatively moved closer.

"Hmm...?" Yao Chen pondered for a long time, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "This flame seems to be nurturing sentience."

"It's about to develop sentience?!" Su Baichen's voice suddenly rose, almost cracking!

"How is this possible?"

He knew all too well what this meant. On this Dou Qi Continent, strange fires were the most violent energy crystals in the world, and strange fires that could give birth to independent consciousness were extremely rare.

He knew only a few: the legendary Emperor Flame that had already ascended to heaven, the Void Devouring Flame, the second-in-command of the Soul Clan, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame that was sealed in the Demon Flame Space by an ancient powerhouse, the Three Thousand Burning Flames that had been imprisoned in the Pill Tower for thousands of years, and the Fallen Heart Flame that was used for cultivation in the underground of Canaan Academy.

Each of these sentient flames has left an indelible mark on the continent's history. Some have unleashed devastating calamities, others have created unparalleled powerhouses, and still others have altered the balance of power.

For a strange fire to develop sentience, it requires not only a long period of accumulation but also unimaginable opportunities and luck—the probability of which is even more remote than finding a needle in a haystack.

But now, this almost impossible thing is happening in the flame of life in his palm.

“It is indeed surprising.” Yao Chen’s voice pulled Su Baichen back from his shock: “Look at the energy channels inside the flames. They have begun to form a simple circulation system, which is very similar to the state of the Three Thousand Burning Flames that the Pill Tower suppressed.”

He paused, his illusory finger drawing an arc in the air, a few strands of silver light drifting toward the Flame of Life: "However, its intelligence is still very immature, like a fetus in the womb that has not yet fully formed."

"Give it some more time, until its intelligence is fully developed, and a brand new life will be born here."

The Flame of Life seemed to sense Yao Chen's probing; its emerald green flames flickered slightly, and it even began to playfully chase after the silver threads of light. Its appearance was remarkably like that of a bewildered infant.

"This matter is truly strange." Yao Chen withdrew his finger, turned to look at Su Baichen, his eyes full of inquiry.

"When we found it in that valley, it already possessed some initial signs of sentience, but it was still a long way from true intelligence. How much time has passed? Just a short year..."

Yao Chen's gaze sharpened: "So, kid Chen, what exactly did you do to it?"

Su Baichen opened his mouth, but suddenly stopped speaking.

He seemed to remember something, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Could it be because of the Heavenly Profound Pearl?

Half a year ago, when Su Baichen finally refined the Heavenly Profound Pearl completely, the mysterious pearl revealed its last secret to him—a miniature space independent of the outside world.

The space was quite large, but the abundant energy of heaven and earth within it was so dense it was almost liquefied. A white mist-like spiritual aura lingered there all day long, and one could feel their cultivation slowly increasing with each breath.

Even more miraculously, this space resonated wonderfully with the nurturing properties of the Heavenly Profound Pearl itself.

Su Baichen once tried putting a seven-leaf lotus that had been picked for many years into it. In less than three days, the originally somewhat withered medicinal herb was revitalized, and its medicinal power was even three times more abundant than when it was first picked.

Later, he added a few more low-level medicinal herbs, and after a month or so, one of them successfully advanced to a higher level.