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

Yuan Yi, the leader of the Eight Doors, stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in black, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. Behind him stood two trusted elders, their faces pale and their legs trembling slightly.

"Sect Master...they...they're gone." The gray-robed elder on the left spoke in a hoarse voice.

“I saw it.” Yuan Yi took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Besides, they already discovered us a long time ago."

Recalling what had just happened, Yuan Yi still felt a chill run down her spine.

He was in seclusion, but upon hearing the news that three Royal Extreme Pills had appeared at the auction, he immediately broke out of seclusion.

After learning what had happened, he used the name of the Eight Doors to exchange a batch of precious medicinal herbs and a fragment of a low-level martial arts manual for a Royal Pill at the auction.

After obtaining the pill, Yuan Yi's curiosity grew even stronger. Having spent decades navigating the Black Corner Region, he knew the weight of the word "caution."

So he decided to secretly follow the mysterious buyer, thinking that if the other party encountered trouble, he might be able to lend a helping hand and make a good connection.

But what did he see?

When the woman in the purple dress stepped through the air, Yuan Yi was already greatly shocked—a Dou Zong! At least a Dou Zong expert!

This was enough for him to put away all his calculations and ulterior motives. However, the young man's casual slash next sent Yuan Yi plummeting into an icy abyss.

Tearing through space and stepping in with ease—this is a skill only a Dou Zun possesses!

"A Dou Zun... a Dou Zun has actually descended upon the Black Corner Region..." The elder on the right said in a trembling voice, "Sect Master, could it be that our spying just now offended that senior?"

Yuan Yi remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "If you really wanted to investigate, we would have been dead just now."

He looked in the direction where Su Baichen and the others had disappeared, his eyes filled with both lingering fear and deep doubt.

With one Dou Zun and two Dou Zong (he thought Cai Die was also a Dou Zong), such a lineup was enough to sweep across the entire Black Corner Region.

"Why are they here? Is it really just for that jade stone that might contain the essence of an ancient magical beast?"

"Pass down the order." Yuan Yi suddenly turned around and commanded in a resolute tone, "Everyone in the Eight Doors must keep silent about today's events. Especially the whereabouts of that Dou Zun senior; anyone who dares to divulge even a single word will be punished according to the sect rules!"

"Yes!" the two elders replied sternly.

Night fell completely, and the lights of Black Seal City began to twinkle. The streets remained bustling, and the gambling dens and brothels were at their liveliest time of day. But Yuan Yi knew that after today, something had quietly changed.

The secluded alley was quickly cleared away by the Eight Doors, as if nothing had happened. Only a very few observant people noticed that several small and medium-sized forces in Black Seal City, who were usually arrogant and domineering, had disappeared silently overnight.

All of this is merely a ripple before a much larger storm is brewing.

In a spatial passage thousands of miles away, Cai Die was playing with her newly acquired storage ring when she suddenly looked up and asked, "Brother-in-law, the person who was spying on us just now didn't seem to have any ill intentions?"

Su Baichen closed his eyes to rest, and smiled faintly: "Just a smart person. He knows what he should see and what he shouldn't see."

"When are we going to open that jade?" Cai Lin suddenly asked, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes. "I can't wait any longer."

A flash of light appeared in Su Baichen's hand, and the jade stone he had acquired for three Royal Extreme Pills appeared in his palm. The jade stone was warm and smooth, with faint blood-red patterns flowing inside, as if it were breathing.

"Don't rush, let me study it and see if I can refine it into a pill!"

"This will allow you to absorb the nutrients most efficiently."

Chapter 169 The Wronged Elder

The sun shines brightly in front of the majestic bronze gates of Canaan College.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the sky, and Su Baichen led everyone out from it. As his clothes fluttered, he didn't even make a sound.

Their arrival was like ink drops falling into a clear pond, silent yet impossible to ignore. The four guards at the entrance, all elites at the Dou Ling level, simultaneously took a half step back, their hands on their weapons, their bodies tense.

"Who goes there!"

The lead black-armored guard shouted sharply, his voice filled with barely concealed tension.

An existence capable of tearing space apart so easily must be at least a Dou Zun level expert, not to mention that the opponent's aura is as deep as an abyss, making it impossible to fathom its depths.

Dressed in pristine white, Su Baichen stepped forward, nodded slightly, and his gentle voice clearly reached everyone's ears: "I am Su Baichen, and I have important business to discuss with Elder Su Qian of the Inner Court. Please inform him of my presence."

As he spoke, he lightly raised his right hand, and an ancient, deep purple token flew out, tracing a gentle arc before landing steadily in the black-armored guard's hand.

The token was warm to the touch, and its front was engraved with an ancient ruler-shaped pattern of lightning—it was the token of Mang Tianchi, the founder of Canaan Academy.

The guard looked down at the token, his pupils shrinking sharply. He had served at Canaan Academy for twenty years and had never seen this token before, but the aura of authority it exuded was identical to a certain fluctuation within the academy's core forbidden area. This was definitely not a forgery.

"Please wait a moment, senior, I will inform you immediately!" The black-armored guard dared not delay. After bowing respectfully, he turned and transformed into a streak of light, rushing towards the inner courtyard at an unprecedented speed.

Meanwhile, deep within the inner courtyard, the office of the First Elder, Su Qian, was filled with the rich aroma of tea and a sense of melancholy.

Su Qian, with his graying hair and beard, was staring at two reports on the table, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

On the left is Elder Hao's tearful accusation regarding the medicinal herb storehouse—that purple-haired girl has "robbed" the storehouse of precious medicinal herbs for the third time this month, and this time she even took away three 500-year-old Dragon Blood Lingzhi mushrooms. Elder Hao has already drawn a little figure crying and fainting at the end of the report.

On the right is an urgent secret letter sent by the two elders, concerning the assessment of the core seal of the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.

The arrays personally set up by the Dean have developed minute cracks under the repeated impacts of the Fallen Heart Flame, and can only be maintained for a little over ten years at most. Once the strange fire breaks free, the entire inner courtyard will be turned into a sea of ​​fire.

"Dean, Dean..." Su Qian rubbed her temples and sighed at the portrait of Mang Tianchi on the wall.

"You, sir, travel the world with such ease, leaving behind this mess. If the Fallen Heart Flame were to erupt, my old bones wouldn't be able to hold it back."

In the portrait, Mang Tianchi laughs wildly, as if mocking his predicament.

Su Qian recalled how, many years ago, the dean, who always acted unpredictably, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Su Qian, I trust you with the academy! Once I find a way to appease it, I'll come back and help you!"

This wait lasted for decades.

Su Qian was immersed in her sad memories when there was a sudden, urgent knocking on the door.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Who?" Su Qian quickly composed himself and regained his usual dignified demeanor.

"Old Su, it's me, Hu Qian! Something terrible has happened!"

Hu Qian, the vice dean of the outer academy, pushed open the door and entered, his usually composed face now filled with solemnity. He closed the door behind him and said in a low voice, "The guards have an urgent report: several mysterious powerful figures have arrived at the academy gate. The leader claims to be Su Baichen and says he wants to see you. Moreover..."

Hu Qian paused, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "The guard said that Su Baichen might be a Dou Zun."

"puff--"

Su Qian spat out all the spiritual tea she had just taken a sip of; the tea, amplified by her battle qi, actually created tiny holes in the bookshelf opposite her.

He stood up abruptly, his wide sleeves spilling over a teacup: "What did you say? A Dou Zun? Looking for me?"

“Absolutely true.” Hu Qian said with a wry smile, “The guards said the other party’s aura was unfathomable, and the space rippled when he descended. Moreover, that person possessed a purple token with images of lightning and a ruler on it—”

"The Dean's token!" Su Qian exclaimed, his expression changing instantly.

In just a few breaths, countless thoughts flashed through Su Qian's mind.

A Dou Zun expert has arrived in person, holding the Dean's token, and specifically requesting to see him... Could it be that Mang Tianchi has caused a huge trouble outside, bringing the disaster to the academy? Or does the Dean owe someone a favor and want the other party to come to the academy to "receive" something as a reward?

Either way, it's not good news for Canaan College.

The two elders, who are the strongest in the academy on the surface, are only at the peak of the Dou Zong level, a world apart from a true Dou Zun. If the other side harbors ill intentions, even if the entire academy were to go out in force, it might not be able to withstand them.

Su Qian's face was a little pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He felt a sense of despair and cursed inwardly, "Dean, you old bastard, you actually caused such a big problem. Are you even human?"

Standing aside, Hu Qian watched as his usually composed old friend went through a complete emotional cycle of shock, confusion, fear, and finally despair in just a few seconds, and his heart couldn't help but feel heavy.

“But Old Su,” Hu Qian added, remembering something, “the guards said the other party was quite polite, requesting an audience out of courtesy rather than forcing their way in. And since they possess the Dean’s token, perhaps… they aren’t an enemy?”

Su Qian was taken aback upon hearing this. Indeed, if they were truly enemies rather than friends, they could simply break through space and enter the inner courtyard with the power of a Dou Zun. Why would they need to wait for notification at the gate? Thinking of this, he felt slightly relieved, but his vigilance remained undiminished.

"Let's go and meet this senior." Su Qian took a deep breath and straightened his robes. "Give the order to activate the outer perimeter of the academy's security formation, but under no circumstances should they show any hostility. Have Elders Qian and Bai keep watch in secret, and if things go wrong, prioritize escorting the students to safety."

"I'll arrange it right away." Hu Qian nodded and quickly left the room.

Su Qian stood alone by the window, gazing in the direction of the academy gate.

The old man, who had devoted half his life to Canaan College, was in turmoil. He was worried about the safety of the college, but he also had a vague premonition that the fate of Canaan College might take an unexpected turn after today.

He took one last look at the portrait of Mang Tianchi on the wall and muttered to himself, "Dean, what kind of being have you attracted for me this time?"

In the portrait, Mang Tianchi still smiles carefree, as if responding: the surprise will be revealed soon.

Su Qian shook her head and pushed open the office door. At the end of the corridor, Hu Qian had already returned after making the arrangements. The two exchanged a glance and flew together towards the academy gate.

At this moment, Su Baichen stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the academy, looking up at the four ancient characters "Canaan Academy" on the towering gate tower, a look of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

Many years ago, the generous and magnanimous old man said to him here, "Little Bai Chen, I have an academy. If you have time, go there and help out. This token can prove that I appointed you as a guest elder!"

As time goes by, old friends wander away, but today he has come here not only to fulfill his promise from back then, but also for the cultivation of those around him.

Chapter 170 Heavenly Flame Refining Tower!

Deep within Canaan Academy, the air was filled with the sweet scent of sandalwood in a quiet room. After settling Su Baichen and his group there, Su Qian remained on edge. He dismissed everyone except a few core elders of the academy before solemnly taking out a purple-gold token from his robes.

The token is covered with lightning patterns, and in the center is an ancient character “邙” – it is the token of Dean Mang Tianchi.

“Mr. Su.” Su Qian’s voice was filled with barely concealed nervousness as he handed the token back with both hands.

"I wonder what your relationship is with our Dean? This token... he hasn't shown it to anyone for many years."

How could he not be nervous? His own dean was always unconventional in his actions, and after leaving without a word last time, he had been out of contact for more than ten years.

When someone suddenly showed up at his door with his token, Su Qian's first reaction was not joy, but vigilance—could it be that the dean had gotten into some trouble outside and they had come looking for him?

Su Baichen took in Su Qian's anxiety and couldn't help but smile.

This Grand Elder of Canaan Academy is indeed loyal, but his paranoid demeanor makes it seem as if Senior Mang Tianchi is usually quite unreliable.

"Elder, there's no need to worry." Su Baichen took the token, his fingertips lightly tracing the lightning patterns on it, his tone as gentle as a spring breeze.

"I met Senior Mang in Zhongzhou. When I was traveling in Zhongzhou, I was ambushed and killed. Fortunately, Senior Mang saved my life. He was also the one who took care of me for the next three months."

At this point, Su Baichen's eyes filled with reminiscence: "During those three months, Senior Mang used the Thunder Clan's secret techniques to help me temper my body and also guided me in the application of battle qi."

“I will always remember this kindness. Before we parted, he gave me this token, saying that if I ever passed through the Black Corner Region, I could come to Canaan Academy as a guest elder, as a way of looking after him for a while.”

He paused, then took a sip of the clear tea. The tea was "Qingling Tea," a specialty of Canaan Academy, slightly astringent at first, but with a lingering sweet aftertaste.

"So Elder, you can rest assured." Su Baichen put down his teacup and smiled frankly: "I have come here with no ill intentions."

"I see! I see!"

Su Qian let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders finally relaxing. The elders behind him exchanged smiles, and the heavy atmosphere in the meeting room instantly dissipated.

For a guest elder at the Dou Zun level to take the initiative to visit, this is like sending charcoal in snowy weather for Canaan Academy.