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

"I see it! The three-colored pill lightning! It really is the three-colored pill lightning!"

"Eighth grade...that's an eighth grade pill! I've lived for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever seen one with my own eyes!"

"You didn't just see it, did you see how Elder Su subdued it? What method was that? Spatial confinement? Or something even more sophisticated..."

"His alchemy skills are unfathomable, his array formations are masterful, and even his subjugation of pill spirits is so effortless... Elder Su... just who is he...?"

A deafening roar of exclamations, praises, and incredulous discussions erupted, like a volcano that had been accumulating energy for a long time finally erupting.

Everyone's face was flushed with excitement, their eyes burning with fervor as they focused on the center of the square, on the figure holding the elixir, who looked like a god descending to earth.

Shock, admiration, envy, pride, and almost fanatical worship... all sorts of emotions surged wildly among the crowd.

What we see today is no longer ordinary alchemy, but a magnificent performance of skill and power, enough to be imprinted deep in their memories for a lifetime.

Almost everyone's eyes were fixed on Su Baichen.

Almost everyone.

At the edge of the square, in the shade of an ancient tree, a small figure stood out starkly from the bustling scene.

That's Zi Yan.

The purple-haired girl, known as the "Little Tyrant" in the inner courtyard, showed none of her usual arrogance and wildness at this moment.

She slightly opened her small mouth, revealing a set of fine white teeth, her eyes wide open, staring intently and firmly at—not Su Baichen himself, but the three-colored pill in his palm that had already tamed.

The intensely rich medicinal aroma, like a tangible hook, pierced through the noisy crowd, precisely entering her nasal cavity and rushing straight to her mind.

For her, an ancient dragon of the Void with an extraordinary perception and desire for energy treasures, the allure of this Rank 8 pill was akin to a traveler who had trekked through the desert for three days and three nights suddenly spotting a clear, sweet spring.

"Gudong..."

A clear sound of her swallowing came from her throat.

Immediately afterwards, glistening threads of silk uncontrollably trickled down from the corner of her mouth, without her even noticing.

Her delicate nostrils twitched rapidly, and her whole body trembled slightly in the alluring aroma—a primal desire and restlessness emanating from the depths of her blood.

"It smells so good..." she murmured unconsciously, her voice as soft as a dream, yet carrying an almost painful longing.

"How can it smell so good... It's a hundred times, a thousand times more fragrant than all the herbs in the entire medicine storehouse combined..."

"I really want to eat it..." The amber pupils reflected the three colors of light, nothing else.

Elder Su's authority, the preciousness and terror of the eighth-grade pills—all were swept away by his overwhelming appetite.

She felt as if tiny hands were scratching at her stomach, her heart was itching unbearably, and every cell in her body was screaming and urging her: Get it! Swallow it!

On the field, Su Baichen seemed to be fully aware of the commotion and the almost tangible, burning gaze from the corner.

His expression remained calm. With a flick of his hand, the three-colored pill that had driven the entire audience wild and made Zi Yan drool disappeared into the storage device.

Then, his gaze calmly swept across the entire area, pausing briefly in a certain direction—where Cao Ying and the others were—and finally, almost imperceptibly, he glanced towards the direction of the tree shadow where Zi Yan was hiding.

That glance was extremely faint and swift, so swift that it seemed like an illusion.

The next moment, subtle ripples appeared in the space, and Su Baichen's figure had disappeared from the center of the square, leaving only the lingering fragrance of medicine and countless amazed gazes.

Chapter 178 She set her sights on it; fishing!

Seeing this, Elder Su Qian stepped forward at the opportune moment, channeling his battle qi, and his voice resounded throughout the entire venue: "Alright! Today, Elder Su is refining pills, and you are all fortunate enough to witness this, which is an immense opportunity! How much you can comprehend and learn depends entirely on your individual comprehension. You may all disperse now, go back and carefully contemplate this opportunity, and do not waste it!"

The elders also spoke up to help maintain order and began to gently disperse the crowd that was still immersed in shock.

Although the students were reluctant to leave, they knew that what the elder said made sense. They had seen too much information today and needed to calm down and digest it. So they began to disperse in twos and threes, discussing among themselves.

The elders' gazes, however, all turned to the little girl under the ancient tree, who was still staring blankly in the direction Su Baichen had left, her lips glistening.

"Elder!"

An elder who was quite familiar with Zi Yan couldn't help but lower his voice and say to Su Qian, "Look at that girl Zi Yan... her eyes are practically glued to the direction Elder Su left in. No, they're glued to Elder Su's pill!"

“Yes, Elder,” another elder said with a wry smile and a shake of his head.

"Don't you know what kind of temper this little princess has? She dares to 'visit' the academy's medicine storehouse every few days, let alone something like this... an eighth-grade spiritual pill that is fatally attractive to her? Elder Su seemed to have noticed something just now, that glance... I'm afraid this little girl is too arrogant and will really go and mess things up."

"Elder Su is unfathomable. If Zi Yan really dares to steal... she'll probably come out on bad terms. First Elder, shouldn't you go and give that girl a word of advice? Otherwise, she might cause trouble, suffer losses herself, and offend Elder Su." Another elder advised.

They had mixed feelings about this gifted yet mischievous and troublesome little tyrant. They loved her purity and potential, but were also often at their wits' end with the trouble she caused, and were now worried.

Su Qian stroked his long beard, looking at Zi Yan's absent-minded and drooling appearance. Instead of being anxious, he smiled meaningfully.

"It's alright." Su Qian's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible laughter, as well as a certain "happy to see it happen" expectation.

"Let her go."

"Huh?" The elders were all taken aback.

"This girl is talented, but she's been spoiled and has become arrogant and reckless, acting too arbitrarily and lacking respect," Su Qian said slowly, his gaze distant.

"In the academy, including you all, you spoil her too much and are always reluctant to discipline her severely. This is not a good thing in the long run. Now that Elder Su has arrived... hehe."

He paused, then his smile widened slightly: "Perfect, let her hit a wall, suffer setbacks, and learn a real lesson. Elder Su knows what he's doing. If she really dares to act recklessly, having Elder Su temper her wildness might be more effective than us patiently persuading her for ten years."

The elders looked at each other, seeing helplessness, realization, and a hint of... sympathy for the "ordeal" that Zi Yan might face.

They shook their heads and smiled wryly. Although the elder's words were somewhat gloating, upon closer examination, they were not without reason.

Zi Yan, this wild horse, may really need a "tamer" who can properly restrain and guide her.

only……

The elders' gazes once again drifted towards the shade of the tree.

Zi Yan was completely unaware that she had become the focus of the elders' discussion, and even less aware that she had been "entrusted with high hopes" by the Grand Elder and pushed to the front line of "adversity education".

She finally raised her small hand and wiped her wet chin haphazardly, but her eyes were still surprisingly bright as she stared in the direction of Su Baichen, Cao Ying, and the others' courtyard, her tongue unconsciously licking her lips.

The fragrance of the elixir seemed to have permeated her entire being, lingering and entwining deep within her soul.

A resolute, foolish, and drool-worthy idea resounded in her mind:

"It smells so good... I have to... find a way to have a bite!"

Inside Su Baichen's courtyard.

The colorful butterfly practically leaped in, stepping on the light and shadow, its skirt billowing in a gentle breeze.

"Brother-in-law—my pills!" Her eyes lit up, like a fledgling bird pouncing on its prey, she lunged straight at Su Baichen, tightly hugging his arm and shaking it incessantly.

"I want to eat now! I can't wait a second longer!"

She tilted her head back, her eyes gleaming: "I want to evolve my bloodline! I want to become even stronger than my sister! Then we'll see if she still dares to hit me on the head so easily!"

Before she could finish speaking, her collar was gently pulled back. Cai Lin had somehow appeared behind her, curled her fingers, and lightly tapped her sister's forehead.

"Ouch!" Cai Die cried out in pain, releasing her hand to cover her forehead, pouting and grumbling, "Sister! Why did you hit me again! Are you afraid that I'll really surpass you after taking the pill?"

Cai Lin crossed her arms, the snake-woman queen's authority inadvertently revealed: "Stand still, and speak properly. How old are you? Still so impetuous and unruly all the time."

"Hmph!" Cai Die turned her head and hid behind Su Baichen, only peeking out half of her head and sticking her tongue out at her sister.

╭ (╯ ^ ╰) ╮

"You're already looking down on your sister now that you have a husband? I think you're just jealous that I'll be better off than you in the future!"

Cai Lin was amused by her and raised her hand as if to hit her again. Cai Die let out a "Ya!" and shrank behind Su Baichen, leaving only her cunning eyes blinking.

"Alright, alright." Su Baichen reached out at the right moment, standing between the two like separating two fussy kittens, his voice filled with laughter and helplessness.

"You two, stop fooling around."

He turned to the side, looking at Cai Die who was hiding behind him, and softened his tone: "Cai Die, I really can't give you the pill right now."

"What?!" Butterfly's eyes widened instantly, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

She emerged from behind Su Baichen, her finger trembling as she pointed at him, then at Cai Lin beside her, her face filled with betrayal: "Brother-in-law...you, you're going to bully me with my sister too?"

She pouted, her acting instincts kicking in: "Fine...you two are in cahoots, ganging up on me to make fun of me, huh? All you do is bully me...Waaah, I'm just a pitiful little cabbage that nobody cares about..."

As she spoke, she actually turned around and threw herself onto the bed in the inner room, hugged a soft pillow, and kicked her legs while pretending to cry: "There's no love left! My heart aches so much! I've lost my body and my feelings, I'm the most pitiful one!"

Watching her exaggerated performance, Su Baichen couldn't help but put his hand to his forehead, shaking his head and chuckling. Even Cai Lin, standing to the side, turned her face away, her shoulders twitching slightly.

"I really didn't mean to bully you." Su Baichen walked to the bedside, reached out and ruffled Cai Die's long, disheveled hair, as if soothing a sulking little animal.

"I have another use for this elixir."

"Use?" Cai Lin grasped the key point, turned around, and frowned slightly.

"What's it for?"

Cai Die immediately stopped "crying," lifted her face from the soft pillow, and her eyelashes still had a little bit of moisture that she had forced out: "What's the use? Brother-in-law, what do you want to do with it?"

A mysterious smile curved Su Baichen's lips, a sly glint in his eyes. He lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret known only to them:

"fishing!"

"Hehe... I caught a... a really big, fat fish that's especially greedy." He paused deliberately, keeping everyone in suspense.

"I reckon it'll be unable to resist and swim over tonight."

"Tonight?" Cai Die suddenly sat up, her face no longer showing any grievance, but only curiosity and excitement.

Su Baichen said no more, but simply put his hands behind his back, looked at the gradually slanting sunlight outside the window, and his smile contained a hint of firm expectation.

"You'll find out by tonight."

Chapter 179 Zi Yan's Stealing of the Elixir (1)

Just after dinner, Su Baichen led all the disciples of the academy toward the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.

The courtyard fell silent immediately.

Not far from the courtyard wall, the grass rustled, and a small head with purple hair quietly peeked out.

Zi Yan's bright eyes first scanned her surroundings warily, and once she confirmed that the person had gone far away, a smug smile immediately appeared on her lips.

"Hehe, they're finally gone. Now it's my turn to make my move!"

She crept to the courtyard gate, only to find a conspicuous wooden sign beside it, with several large characters engraved on it in a flamboyant style: "No Entry for Outsiders! Consequences Will Be borne by Those Who Violate the Rules!"

Zi Yan put her hands on her hips, proudly raised her chin, and let out a soft snort.