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

“We’re all family, so there’s no need to distinguish between yours and mine. Besides, this snake grass isn’t very useful to me, so it’s perfect for you.”

“But…” Qinglin held the warm herb, a surge of warmth welling up in her heart.

Over the past year, she has truly felt the kindness these people have shown her.

Sister Cao Ying always teases her, but she will secretly cover her with a blanket at night; Sister Little Doctor Fairy often shares knowledge about various pills and medicinal herbs; Sister Cai Die always takes her to see all kinds of novel things; even the seemingly aloof Mistress Cai Lin will give her guidance when she encounters a bottleneck in her cultivation.

In particular, Cai Lin brought her out of that dark and hopeless place and gave her a completely new life.

"I really don't want anything..." Qinglin said softly, but suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence.

Her eyes—in those turquoise pupils, three very faint green dots began to move slightly.

A strange sensation came from ahead, like some kind of deep call, resonating with her.

Qinglin unconsciously turned her head and looked at an inconspicuous corner stall at the end of the street.

Little Fairy Doctor keenly noticed Qinglin's unusual behavior and followed her gaze.

It was a stall selling monster eggs. A dozen eggs of different sizes and colors were placed on the stall, which was covered with soft hay. The stall owner was a bald, burly man with a face full of scars, who was dozing off while chewing on a blade of grass.

"The Jade Serpent's Three-Flower Pupil is reacting..." Little Fairy Doctor's heart stirred, and she immediately recalled Su Baichen's description of Qinglin's special physique.

Those strange eyes that can control and devour serpentine monsters are as rare as one's own Calamity Poison Body.

What's most enviable is that the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupil has almost no side effects, unlike the Calamity Poison Body, which is both a talent and a curse.

"Come on, let's go take a look!" Little Fairy Doctor took Qinglin's hand and quickly walked towards the stall.

Seeing this, Qinglin knew exactly what Xiaoyixian was up to and quickly stopped her, saying, "Hey, little fairy sister, I don't need it, I don't need it, you don't need to buy it for me."

"It's okay, I have money. Otherwise, you'll go back empty-handed if you don't buy anything. Come on, let's go." Little Fairy Doctor urged her while pulling her towards the stall.

Chapter 164 The Egg of the Jade Scale Serpent!

At the stall, Little Fairy Doctor pointed directly to the magical beast egg that had caught Qinglin's attention—it was a dark green egg with snake-scale-like patterns on its surface, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

The egg wasn't big, only about the size of two fists, but it inexplicably gave people a feeling of life pulsating within it.

"Boss, my sister wants that egg, how much?" Little Fairy Doctor asked bluntly.

The bald boss was woken up by the noise. He impatiently lifted his eyelids and saw that it was two young girls. He then showed a contemptuous expression.

"Go away, don't disturb my business." He waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.

"The monster eggs here are very valuable. The cheapest one costs a second-grade pill, and the most expensive one costs a fourth-grade pill! You can't afford them, so leave now!"

Little Fairy Doctor was not annoyed. Instead, she took out a small white jade bottle from her storage ring and tossed it gently in her hand.

"The third-grade pill, 'Qi Condensation Pill,' can help a Battle Master break through a minor bottleneck." Her tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable confidence.

"If it works, great; if not, we'll leave. We just bought it to play with anyway."

As she spoke, she actually uncorked the bottle, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance immediately filled the air. Several passersby couldn't help but sniff, their gazes towards the jade bottle becoming increasingly intense.

The bald boss instantly woke up from his drowsiness. He sat up straight, staring at the jade bottle in Little Fairy Doctor's hand, a shrewd, calculating glint in his eyes.

Grade-three pills are highly sought-after in their small streets, especially those that help with breakthroughs; they are often priceless and hard to find.

He looked again at the dark green egg—it had been sitting there for almost two months, untouched by anyone.

He bought it at a low price from a group of people, and he didn't even know what kind of monster egg it was.

"This..." the shopkeeper pretended to be hesitant, "This egg is a rare breed, it might even hatch into a fifth-tier magical beast! Aren't there a few grade three pills?"

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor immediately put the stopper on the bottle, took Qinglin's hand, and turned to leave.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" the shopkeeper shouted hurriedly, "Deal! Deal, okay?!"

Little Fairy Doctor stopped, but did not turn around immediately. Instead, she turned her head and said, "Add three more snake saliva grasses."

The boss's face fell: "Young lady, that's not very kind of you..."

"Never mind then." Little Fairy Doctor was about to leave again.

"Add! Add!" The shopkeeper almost gritted his teeth as he agreed, groping under the stall to pull out three dark purple stalks of grass, which he then wrapped up together with the dark green egg.

The transaction was complete, and Little Fairy Doctor carefully handed the egg to Qinglin. Qinglin held the still warm egg, her emerald eyes gleaming with a strange light.

She could sense that something inside the egg was subtly resonating with her Azure Serpent Three-Flower Eyes, as if it were a long-lost friend.

The two women, one in front of the other, carrying the egg that gleamed with a faint blue light, jogged back to Su Baichen, who was standing quietly to the side.

Qinglin carefully held the egg as if it were a rare treasure, her face flushed with excitement from running.

"Young master, look at this egg." Her voice was clear and crisp, filled with curiosity and anticipation.

"We just found this person, do you recognize them?"

Upon hearing this, Su Baichen turned his gaze from the distance and placed it on the egg that Qinglin was holding in her arms.

He leaned down slightly, his eyes focused, and examined the eggshell carefully. The eggshell was not a solid color, but rather it shimmered with a light like clear water, interspersed with extremely fine, almost imperceptible scale-like patterns.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible look of surprise crossed his deep eyes.

He didn't speak immediately, but his lips moved slightly, and a voice transmission that only Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin could hear rang out directly in her mind, steady and clear:

"Qinglin, take good care of it and don't make a fuss."

Qinglin immediately held her breath, only to hear Su Baichen continue to transmit his voice:

"If I am not mistaken, this should be the egg of the 'Azure Scale Serpent'. This serpent is extremely rare, born in extremely dangerous and secluded places, naturally possessing the ability to control deadly poison, and moving like a streak of azure light. Ordinary people rarely see it."

He paused briefly, his tone carrying a hint of warning and regret:

"However, the way of Heaven is balanced. Although the Azure Scale Serpent is exceptionally gifted, it is bound by an extremely short lifespan. Therefore, even if they cultivate with all their might, the vast majority of them can only reach the eighth level in their lifetime, and very few can break through this constraint."

At this point, Su Baichen shifted his gaze from the egg to Qinglin's still somewhat childish yet already showing signs of intelligence. A gentle and meaningful smile appeared in his eyes, and his telepathic message suddenly changed, taking on a guiding tone:

"unless……"

"It can encounter people who possess the 'Azure Serpent Three-Flower Eyes'."

Qinglin's heart skipped a beat.

Su Baichen's voice continued to echo in her mind, like a beacon dispelling the fog:

"Only by forming a contract with the owner of the Azure Serpent's Three-Flower Pupil can the Azure Serpent's life essence be fundamentally replenished, and its lifespan greatly extended. At that time, not only will its cultivation speed far surpass that of its kind, but its future potential will also be limitless. Even reaching the legendary ninth-order realm will not be entirely hopeless."

His gaze returned to the egg shimmering with a ghostly light, and finally, he gave Qinglin a long, lingering look:

"And you, as the contractor, will receive its wholehearted support and blessing, which will greatly benefit your cultivation progress. This is a rare and precious opportunity, and also its only chance for survival. Qinglin, take good care of it."

After transmitting his voice, Su Baichen straightened up, his expression returning to normal, as if he had never uttered those words that were enough to cause a stir in the cultivation world.

The little fairy doctor next to her also looked at the egg in Qinglin's arms with a surprised expression. She really didn't expect that she would buy an egg and end up bringing back a green scale snake with the potential of the ninth rank for Qinglin!

At this moment, Qinglin felt the snake egg in his arms, which seemed to have warmed up a little. His heart was filled with turbulent waves, and a strange, heavy sense of expectation and responsibility also arose.

She unconsciously hugged the egg tighter, her fingertips gently brushing against the cool and mysterious shell.

Looking at Su Baichen, Qinglin nodded emphatically, holding the egg tightly in her arms as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

Su Baichen led the two women back to meet up with Cai Lin and the other two.

Cai Die and Cao Ying indeed bought a lot of strange and unusual trinkets, and were chattering away, sharing their experiences of the day.

Back at her lodgings, Qinglin carefully placed the monster egg in a padded basket and put it on the bedside table. She sat on the edge of the bed, quietly gazing at the deep green egg, her emerald eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light.

Inside the eggshell, a faint heartbeat came through her fingertips, gradually synchronizing with her own heartbeat.

In that unknown corner, a wonderful destiny is quietly budding.

Chapter 165 Black Seal City Auction House

The auction house in Black Seal City is located in the most bustling area of ​​the city center. On either side of the towering gate stand four guards with steady auras, all of whom are powerful experts at the Dou Ling level. Ordinary people would unconsciously slow their pace when passing by.

When Su Baichen led everyone to the entrance of the auction house, they attracted everyone's attention almost instantly.

He wore a moon-white robe, his long, ink-black hair tied up with a simple jade hairpin, exuding an aloof and otherworldly air. Most striking were his eyes—deep as the night sky, occasionally flashing with a glimmer of purple-gold light, as if they could pierce through the heart.

The two women beside him were even more captivating.

Two sisters, dressed similarly but with different temperaments: one is lively and active, looking around curiously; the other has a cool and aloof demeanor, exuding an air of dominance.

"Who is that person?"

"Never seen before, when did such a person arrive in Black Seal City?"

"Judging from his demeanor, he's at least an elder-level figure from some major sect..."

"Those two women... wow, even the most outstanding talents from the top forces in Zhongzhou are probably no better than them?"

Whispers spread through the crowd, and many people's eyes were fixed on Su Baichen and his group, unable to look away for a long time.

As for Cao Ying, Xiao Yixian, and another girl in green robes following behind, they were selectively ignored by most people. Although the three girls had exquisite appearances and different temperaments, they were obviously not yet fully grown up. Compared with the two dazzling sisters in front, they were like stars next to the bright moon, beautiful but temporarily overshadowed by the light.

Cao Ying sensed the difference in treatment from those gazes, her lips pursed slightly, and she muttered softly, "When I grow up..."

Little Fairy Doctor didn't care at all. She curiously looked at the magnificent building, her clear eyes full of wonder.

A voluptuous maid in a well-tailored cheongsam strode forward. She was clearly well-trained; though initially intimidated by the aura of Su Baichen and his companions, she quickly regained her professional demeanor and bowed respectfully: "Distinguished guests, welcome to the Black Seal City Auction House. May I ask if you wish to have your treasures appraised, or would you like to participate directly in the auction?"

"Appraisal of treasures." Su Baichen's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable rhythm.

"Please follow me." The maid stepped aside to lead the way, her steps light and graceful.

After passing through the magnificent front hall, Su Baichen and the others arrived at the appraisal room, led by a maid.

The appraisal room is located on the east side of the auction house; it is a quiet and elegant room.

A rosewood shelf displayed various appraisal tools, from magnifying glasses to energy-measuring crystals. An elderly man with white hair was studying an ancient book at the table when he heard footsteps and looked up.

When his gaze fell on Su Baichen, his cloudy old eyes suddenly narrowed.

Years of experience appraising antiques had honed his discerning eye; the young man before him possessed a demeanor far beyond that of an ordinary scion of a wealthy family. It was a composure ingrained in his very being, as if he held the world at his fingertips.

Looking at the two women again, the jade pendant hanging from the waist of the woman on the left had runes flowing around it, clearly a defensive treasure; the snake-shaped hairpin in the hair of the woman on the right exuded a faint sharpness, definitely not an ordinary item.

As for the three little girls behind them... the faintly visible cinnabar pattern pendant around Cao Ying's neck, the simple jade bracelet on Xiao Yixian's wrist, and the seemingly ordinary wooden hairpin in the green-robed girl's hair that subtly exudes spatial fluctuations... each one is extraordinary.

"I am so sorry for not greeting you properly, but you have a distinguished guest!" The old man quickly stood up, his wrinkles smoothing out as he revealed the most respectful smile.

"My surname is Mo, and I am the chief appraiser here. Is there anything I can do for you?"