Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

Xun Er suspected Xiao Bai had acquired some extraordinary inheritance, a thought that thrilled her. Even if his future cultivation remained modest, she was prepared to shield him from any storm. But what woman wouldn't wish for her future husband to be a renowned powerhouse, shaking the heavens?

She'd never share these suspicions, though. If Brother Xiao Bai truly bore an upper realm's legacy, its exposure would endanger him beyond her ability to protect.

"Enough, Ling Lao. You may leave. I don't want to hear another word against Xiao Bai gege," Xun Er said, her voice edged with frost.

"Yes, Young Miss. Ling Ying takes his leave." Ling Ying exhaled in relief, silently vowing to turn a blind eye to Xiao Bai's actions unless they went too far.

Once he departed, Xun Er's gaze fell to the rice paper on her desk. Her fingers traced the elegant characters, and she murmured softly, "Xiao Bai gege…"

But a sudden thought sparked a glint in her eyes, followed by a wry chuckle. "Hmph, four heroines, was it? Xun Er's curious to see who these other three are."

When Xiao Bai told his story, mentioning the female leads, she'd caught the subtle way he gauged her reaction. Did he think she didn't notice? She was playing dumb, not actually clueless.

"Fire Spirit's childhood bond, Yun Xi's quiet devotion, Yue Chan and Qing Yi's talent—Xun Er has all that and more. Isn't Xun Er enough? Or does he want to mimic those imperial emperors with their harems?"

Xun Er rubbed her temple, sighing. What a fickle, naughty brother.

___

Xiao Bai awoke the next morning, sunlight streaming through the window, casting golden flecks across the floor. Stretching lazily, he felt refreshed. Resolving his inner turmoil had granted him the most restful sleep in his ten years since transmigrating.

After washing up, he brewed a pot of tea and settled at the table, pondering his cultivation path, when a knock sounded at the courtyard gate.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Xiao Bai gege, are you up?"

Recognizing the crisp voice, Xiao Bai smiled. Why's this girl here so early? Eager for the rest of yesterday's story? With Xun Er's temperament, she wouldn't usually be this impatient, even for a tale.

Opening the gate, he found her standing there, radiant and lively, waving with a bright smile. "Morning, Xiao Bai gege! Xun Er's not disturbing you, is she?"

His gaze softened. "Never a disturbance when it's you, Xun Er. Come in."

Her eyes curved happily as she followed him inside.

They sat at the table, and Xiao Bai poured her a cup of freshly brewed tea, teasing, "Here so early—couldn't wait to hear the rest of the story?"

Xun Er didn't reply, only flashing a mysterious smile. With a gentle wave of her hand, a scroll appeared on the table.

The scroll was black, its edges faintly adorned with intricate silver patterns, clearly no ordinary item.

Xiao Bai eyed it thoughtfully. Is she giving me a cultivation technique? Though he suspected as much, he feigned confusion. "Xun Er, what's this?"

"It's a low-tier Di Class technique, Thunder Spirit Art. You've just broken through to Dou Zhe, and need a technique to continue cultivating. You're lightning-attributed, and the Xiao Clan lacks standout lightning techniques. Lucky for you, Xun Er happens to have one. Quite the coincidence, right?" Her tone was light, her expression playfully innocent.

Xiao Bai inwardly chuckled, rolling his eyes. Sure, and you've got a technique for every attribute—gold, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and dark—'just in case,' huh? If he didn't know her Gu Clan identity, he might've fallen for it.

He picked up the scroll and unrolled it—not to practice it, but to gauge his own Nine Firmaments Divine Thunder Canon against it. In the Xiao Clan, only those confirmed as Dou Zhe could enter the technique hall. The combat skill hall was open anytime, and he'd gotten a low-tier Huang Class body-refining technique there—likely too basic for the technique hall's standards.

Strictly speaking, this was his first encounter with a proper cultivation technique since arriving in this world.

Carefully studying Thunder Spirit Art, Xiao Bai sank into thought, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously. Comparing it to his Nine Firmaments Divine Thunder Canon, he was certain his technique far surpassed this low-tier Di Class one—so vastly they weren't even in the same league.

Thunder Spirit Art was quintessentially Dou Qi Continent, focused on amassing Dou Qi and offering unique lightning control. Nine Firmaments Divine Thunder Canon, however, resembled the Daoist techniques of his past life, harmonizing essence, qi, and spirit. Though it currently aligned with the Dou Qi Continent's progression, Xiao Bai suspected the talisman decree had tailored it to this world's rules, nerfing it significantly. Without such adjustments, it couldn't be cultivated here, requiring a higher energy—spiritual qi.

It was like Burning Art. Without the Dou Qi Continent's heavenly flames, it'd be a mere low-tier Huang Class technique, incapable of evolving. Heavenly flames likely contained traces of fire's law origins, while Dou Qi was a diluted form of the continent's law origins, several tiers weaker. Thus, Burning Art could only evolve by devouring law origins, not Dou Qi.

By this logic, Xiao Bai's Nine Firmaments Divine Thunder Canon—though its tier was unclear—rivaled or exceeded Xiao Yan's original Burning Art, especially with the talisman decree's backing. Of course, the decree's "possession" episodes were another matter, akin to inviting a deity—unreliable at best.

Closing the scroll, he handed it back to Xun Er.

"Not satisfied with the technique, Xiao Bai gege?" she asked softly, seeing him return it after a brief read.

He shook his head, winking. "It's great, but I've got something better suited. Don't overthink it, little miss."

A knowing look flashed in her eyes. As she'd suspected, Brother Xiao Bai had his own fortune. She didn't press further, quietly tucking the scroll away.

"What about combat skills? Xun Er has a few scrolls here. Want to take a look?" she asked, feigning a sudden thought, her finger grazing her lip with a playful smile.

Xiao Bai watched her performance, stifling a laugh but warmed by her sincerity. In this strange yet familiar world, only this girl was genuinely good to him.

Ruffling her hair, its silky strands soft under his fingers, he grinned. "I don't have any good combat skills yet, so I'll thank you for that, Xun Er!"