Chapter Forty-Eight: Thanks to the Warning

Boom!

With a thunderous roar, Zhu Chongli suddenly grew an extra pair of ears beneath his own. All four ears twitched in unison, summoning a formidable hurricane that surged forward, sweeping directly toward Xu Zhe. At its very center, the eye of the storm enveloped Xu Zhe completely.

“Changyou bloodline?”

Xu Zhe was momentarily taken aback.

Tiny black beads, dense as a rainstorm, now appeared before his eyes, pouring down in torrents.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The black beads collided with the hurricane, each one bursting instantly into searing flames. The hurricane, battered by the explosions, quickly unraveled, leaving the remaining beads to shoot straight toward Xu Zhe.

“Get down!” Zhu Chongli bellowed, his face twisted with fury as he charged forward in a frenzy.

But Xu Zhe only smiled faintly and took a single step forward.

Boom!

All the black beads struck Xu Zhe at once, exploding into a massive wave of fire that engulfed him entirely.

The resulting shockwave scattered the surrounding crowd, and the blast’s force swept through the area.

“Squad leader!” Zhu Chongli arrived, his face an alarming mixture of fear and rage. His four ears quivered as he prepared to plunge into the inferno to save Xu Zhe, hurricane energy swirling around him.

“Sir, you mustn’t!” A nearby guard rushed to block his path. “Those are Black Devouring Flame Pearls. Before the fire forms, one can intervene, but now, any wind will only make the blaze fiercer.”

“Out of my way!” Zhu Chongli shook him off, retrieved a jade vial from his storage ring, and poured out a drop of translucent azure-and-white liquid.

“Sir, Xu the Prodigy can’t possibly have survived. Why waste the Jade Nectar bestowed by the Four Continents Council?” The guard’s face was bitter, but he stepped aside.

Ignoring him, Zhu Chongli prepared to flick the Jade Nectar into the flames.

“Old Zhu, he’s right. Don’t waste it.”

From within the sea of fire, Xu Zhe’s calm laughter suddenly echoed.

Zhu Chongli was so startled he nearly dropped the precious liquid.

“Squad… Squad leader, you’re… unharmed?” He could hardly believe it.

Whoosh!

With a sudden sound of wind, the inferno shrank rapidly, visibly contracting as if sucked away by some invisible force.

In the blink of an eye, the fire vanished completely.

“I’m fine. It was nothing more than a minor trick,” Xu Zhe replied, standing unscathed at the heart of where the fire had raged. Not a single thread of his clothing was singed, and a faint smile played upon his lips—though a wisp of black flame lingered at the corner of his mouth.

He inhaled lightly, and the black flame disappeared.

…

Zhu Chongli and the assembled guards, including the Enforcers from the Wind Pursuit Hall, stood frozen with shock.

Their minds rang with disbelief.

Had this man just swallowed the sea of fire whole?

Everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost.

“Eighteen different flames forged into a composite fire—not bad at all. I can put this to use for now,” Xu Zhe mused with a slight smile, extending a slender finger.

A black flame danced at his fingertip, quickly transforming under a shroud of spiritual energy into a lotus blossom no larger than a fingernail, still radiating a chill.

Abruptly, he turned and flicked his finger.

“Returning it to you.”

The tiny black lotus shot through the air toward the upper floor of a nearby inn.

Whoosh!

Several black-clad figures leapt from the rooftop in response.

The black lotus vanished in a flash and appeared among them.

It rotated slowly, its sinister petals unfurling.

Boom!

With a terror-laden aura of destruction, the black fire erupted, filling half the sky.

The assassins were instantly consumed, their bodies torn asunder and reduced to ashes before a scream could escape their lips.

Instantly, the entire scene fell dead silent.

Those cultivators who had been watching in anticipation now felt their scalps tingle and a chill run down their spines.

Zhu Chongli and his men stood agape, their mouths dry.

Wasn’t it said that this fellow had only cultivated his physical body?

How could he wield such terrifying techniques, and even devour flames?

Wasn’t this the same as the Vermilion Bird bloodline talent that Chu the Martial God possessed?

“Yet again, assassins from Mindshatter—and this time, only a few at the Golden Core stage sent to kill me?” Xu Zhe watched the ashes drift away, shaking his head. Most likely, these killers had acted on a whim.

“Old Zhu, why are you standing there? I happen to have a matter that might require your help,” Xu Zhe waved him over.

Zhu Chongli finally snapped out of his daze, trotting over with a peculiar look. He lowered his voice, “Squad leader, do you and Chu the Martial God perhaps…?”

He patted his own leg as he spoke, frantically hinting at a possible romantic entanglement.

“What? Chu Xiaotong and I are sworn brothers, the closest of friends,” Xu Zhe replied, baffled by Zhu Chongli’s suspicion.

“But this ability of yours—devouring and wielding fire—if it’s not the Vermilion Bird bloodline, is it some circus trick? Five Golden Core assassins, wiped out in a single stroke?” Zhu Chongli’s gaze grew more suspicious as he looked Xu Zhe up and down. At last, he frowned, “You’re not cheating, are you?”

Cheating?

Xu Zhe paused for a moment.

It took him a second to recall the meaning of the word—a term he hadn’t heard or used in ten thousand years, nearly forgotten.

But… this wasn’t cheating, was it?

They were only Golden Core killers, their cultivation shallow and unstable. Such people, in the Celestial Domain, would be outclassed by eighty percent of the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“No cheating. It’s simply a technique I just learned, though I admit its power surprised me,” Xu Zhe replied honestly. He’d only glanced at the method in the roast chicken shop earlier and had mastered it in an instant.

Zhu Chongli could only smile wryly.

Just learned?

You’ve only been awakened for six days, haven’t you? Even if you started training immediately, mastering such a terrifying technique in six days—while also refining your body—you still insist you’re not cheating?

“Old Zhu, I think you’re the one cheating. Changyou bloodline, four ears and long arms—no wonder you noticed the assassins before I did. Was that wind shield also a bloodline talent?” Xu Zhe asked curiously.

“That’s nothing. Changyou is just an ordinary monkey, not even as good as Qi Ming’s Zhu Yan bloodline, let alone others—Vermilion Bird, Taotie, Suan Ni…” Zhu Chongli shook his head, smiling helplessly.

“Bloodline isn’t everything. Don’t belittle yourself. I’ll give you a few sets of techniques…” Xu Zhe patted him on the shoulder.

Zhu Chongli immediately waved his hands. “I wouldn’t dare accept. I know you’re strong, but have you considered—now that this battle has been witnessed, more and more people will set their sights on you.”

He frowned. “Squad leader, I still think you’re drawing too much attention too soon. You always say that the stream does not compete to be first, but seeks to flow endlessly. Yet now…”

“I’m drawing attention? When?” Xu Zhe was genuinely startled.

Haven’t I always been underestimated?

Hasn’t everyone said my mortal bloodline is ordinary, my five spiritual roots are mixed and unfocused? In short, Xu Zhe is nothing remarkable.

Why would Old Zhu suddenly say I’m in the spotlight?

Could it be… because of my face?

Xu Zhe reached up to touch his cheek, a sudden realization dawning on him.

“Old Zhu, I understand now. Thank you for the reminder,” Xu Zhe nodded seriously.

…

Zhu Chongli’s brow twitched.

Hadn’t he already warned him before?

Now that his strength had been revealed, surely the entire spiritual web would soon be filled with images of his battle.

With a sigh, Zhu Chongli prepared to advise Xu Zhe to seek help.

But Xu Zhe suddenly asked, “By the way, Old Zhu, does your Supreme Harmony Sect have any extra slots for the Stoneflame Secret Realm?”

“Stoneflame Secret Realm?” Zhu Chongli was stunned. “You want to go there?”

“That’s right,” Xu Zhe replied with a smile and a nod.

Zhu Chongli nearly burst into tears. Was his old squad leader mad?

He’d just survived two assassination attempts and made himself the center of attention, and now he wanted to enter the Stoneflame Secret Realm?

That was a place for Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators. What business did a Foundation Establishment cultivator have there?

Defeating Golden Core assassins was impressive, but that didn’t mean he could contend with Nascent Souls.

The gap between the two was like heaven and earth!

…