Chapter Fifty-Six: How Terrified Did You Make the Child?

Xu Zhe?

Suspended in midair, several dozen cultivators at the Golden Core stage were all stunned.

What was happening?

Wasn’t this guy already slain by the assassin from the “Godshock” organization?

How was he still alive and well—and upon arrival, immediately killed five of our Golden Core companions?

Damn it...

“Qu Hongxiu, since you still acknowledge me as your uncle, hurry down here. These assassins are not someone you can face!” Xu Zhe continued to look up at Qu Hongxiu, his face stern as he scolded her.

“Ah? No, I... Wait, Uncle Xu, you should run! I...”

Qu Hongxiu was still confused. Xu Zhe’s “resurrection” left her little bird brain spinning. As soon as she recovered, she became anxious again. Uncle Xu not being dead was wonderful, but coming here to die was certainly not.

“Run? What for? Get down here, who told you to fly so high?”

Xu Zhe’s expression was strict, his tone as if reprimanding a child.

Qu Hongxiu was dumbfounded, bewildered.

Xu Zhe’s gaze swept over the dozens of Golden Core cultivators hovering in the air, finally locking onto the Nascent Soul powerhouse among them.

“I thought your ‘Godshock’ organization was honorable, with professional ethics, but... I’m terribly disappointed!”

Xu Zhe’s voice rang out, shaking his head repeatedly: “So many people bullying a child—do you have any moral fiber at all? If you have the guts, come at me! Don’t just pick on the weak.”

Qu Hongxiu: “???”

Me, weak?

I’m not weak at all!

“Uncle Xu, they’re not from ‘Godshock.’ They’re all impostors, and they’re here for me. There’s a Nascent Soul expert from the Sacred Pool Sanctuary. You must run! Let my master avenge me!”

Qu Hongxiu transmitted her voice to Xu Zhe.

Then, the flaming wings on her back unfurled, stirring up a whirlwind, and she turned to attack the group of Golden Core cultivators.

“Qu Hongxiu, get down here! Are you ignoring your uncle’s words now?”

Seeing this, Xu Zhe was instantly infuriated. With a sweeping gesture, a surge of spiritual energy and divine sense erupted, forming a giant hand in the air that grabbed Qu Hongxiu and dragged her down.

“Eh?”

Qu Hongxiu’s eyes widened in shock, her mind blank.

She watched helplessly as the handsome Uncle Xu approached, his face stern, poking her forehead repeatedly with a beautiful finger.

“What’s going on in your head? How can you be even more reckless than your master?”

“Look at these people—do they look like good folk to you?”

---

“You’re so injured, yet you still want to fight. Didn’t your master teach you to run if you can’t win?”

“You’re not young anymore—aren’t you almost a thousand years old? In our homeland, someone your age would have long since... no, not dead, but their descendants would be countless. Yet you still worry us so much.”

“Crying? What good does crying do? You need to recognize your mistakes... Hey, why are your tears all flames?”

“Oh, right, you have the bloodline of the Sunbird. When angered, you... Hah! Your uncle says a few words and you’re upset? Are you angry with your uncle?”

The more Xu Zhe spoke, the more frustrated he became, standing there, scolding Qu Hongxiu as if she were a child.

Qu Hongxiu felt both angry and wronged.

How embarrassing!

She hated Uncle Xu—he had pulled her down so easily in front of so many people, and scolded her like this!

Wait, Uncle Xu, since when were you so powerful?

The flames on her body, her innate fire, didn’t hurt him at all?

And after poking her, he put his finger in his mouth—what did that mean?

Qu Hongxiu stared in disbelief. Her flames clung to Xu Zhe’s finger, yet he was unscathed. He then put the flame-covered finger in his mouth and sucked.

He ate it!!!

He ate it!!!

Qu Hongxiu was utterly shocked, unable to believe her eyes.

“Little Qu, your innate flame isn’t very effective. Sigh, I’ll give you some techniques later. Work on improving the power of your innate fire.”

Xu Zhe smacked his lips, shook his head, and frowned.

Qu Hongxiu was completely dumbfounded, her mind a jumble of “Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?”

In midair, all the Golden Core cultivators were equally stupefied.

After exchanging glances, everyone looked to the leading Nascent Soul expert, questioning with their eyes—should we act?

The Nascent Soul cultivator’s eyes were filled with shock.

She knew well how terrifying Qu Hongxiu’s flames were. Even as a Nascent Soul sword cultivator, she dared not approach Qu Hongxiu for fear of being burned and seriously injured.

But now, Xu Zhe had eaten a wisp of flame right in front of everyone!

Was he really just at the Foundation Establishment stage?

“Wait, wait for the others to regroup before making a move!”

The Nascent Soul cultivator immediately transmitted to all the Golden Core cultivators, her tone grave, with a hint of nervousness.

“Little Qu, little Qu...”

At this moment, Xu Zhe’s expression changed, noticing something off about Qu Hongxiu.

Her gaze was vacant, her eyes unfocused.

This...

“Outrageous! Look what you’ve done—scared the child out of her wits!” Xu Zhe flew into a rage, glaring at the crowd in midair and issuing a soul-searching rebuke.

---

Bang!

With a dull thud, he shattered the ground with a kick and shot up like a cannonball, charging directly at the group of Golden Core cultivators.

The Golden Core experts were nearly cursing in frustration—what did this have to do with us?

“If I don’t deal with you today, I won’t know how to explain to Chu Xiaotong when I return.”

Xu Zhe was furious and regretful. Having promised Chu Xiaotong he’d look after Qu Hongxiu, how could he have allowed himself to linger at the site to temper his body because of some fire poison mist?

Had he arrived a moment later, wouldn’t Qu Hongxiu have been killed by these people?

The thought made Xu Zhe feel as if sitting on needles, his back prickling, nearly breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Form the array!”

At the same time, the Nascent Soul cultivator shouted, urging her sword once more.

The Golden Core cultivators quickly reformed their formation, filling the gaps left by their slain companions, and a vast golden radiance coalesced.

“What a lousy formation.”

Xu Zhe soared into the air, his black hair streaming in the wind. Facing dozens of Golden Core experts, he unleashed a fist—a Strike of Divine Ruin!

Body refined to the Golden Body realm, spiritual energy more condensed, and a divine sense even more powerful than the Golden Core cultivators.

All three combined, forming a single punch!

Its terrifying momentum, like the force of world-breaking destruction, erupted in a wild wave of energy.

Bang!

A dozen Golden Core cultivators bore the brunt, tossed by the blast, flipping through the air, scattering in all directions.

Blood sprayed from their mouths, flooding like rain.

Within moments, they fell like broken kites, crashing hard into the ground, shattering the scorched earth. Flames burst from below, engulfing them instantly.

In an instant, silence reigned.

Qu Hongxiu, already dazed, now seemed even more ill.

“This... How can this be?”

Suspended in midair, the remaining Golden Core cultivators were frozen, shaken to their cores, trembling with fear.

What kind of monstrous destructive power was this?

With just one exchange, half of us are gone?

How are we supposed to fight this?

...

[PS: Attended a friend’s wedding last night and got home very late. Early this morning, around seven, the upstairs started renovations, drilling so much that I barely slept before crawling out of bed. Groggy, I sat at my computer all day, scrapped thousands of words, and finally finished the second chapter. I guess many readers are already asleep, but I’ll keep asking for recommendations and monthly votes!]