Chapter 157: Huo Ling’er’s Antics! Su Ying! Upheaval!
Chen Xuan felt utterly speechless as he watched the orange flames rushing toward him.
With a mere thought, the power of heaven and earth answered his call.
The raging inferno abruptly lost its momentum. As though it had never existed, the flames rapidly scattered into countless sparks before vanishing altogether.
Within moments, not a trace remained, and the scorching temperature returned to normal.
However, the sudden barrage of attacks didn’t end there.
The next moment, a fist shot toward Chen Xuan with enough force to shatter mountains.
He remained perfectly calm.
Casually raising a hand, he placed his palm in front of the incoming punch and closed his fingers around the fist.
Instantly, the overwhelming momentum vanished.
The terrifying force capable of leveling peaks dispersed without the slightest ripple.
From beginning to end, Chen Xuan’s hand didn’t budge in the slightest, much less the rest of his body.
On the contrary, the owner of the punch nearly stumbled forward, only remaining upright because Chen Xuan still held her wrist.
Despite this, Chen Xuan made no move to retaliate.
Instead, he lowered his head and looked at the attacker.
Flowing crimson hair. Fiery red eyes. A body that naturally radiated warmth as though she were a Phoenix.
Who else could it be besides Huo Ling’er?
Compared to the last time he had seen her, her aura had grown considerably stronger. Yet this reunion was nothing like the touching scene between Master and disciple that Chen Xuan had imagined.
His own disciple had ambushed him. Chen Xuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"What exactly do you think you’re doing?" he finally asked.
"Why are you hiding outside the formation, as if waiting to ambush someone?"
Hearing his voice—and, more importantly, seeing the stern expression on his face—Huo Ling’er instinctively shrank back.
She obviously couldn’t admit that she had been lying in wait for Chi Yao.
Recalling the punishment she had received the last time she tried something similar, Huo Ling’er immediately searched for another excuse.
"Erm... I thought a beast had slipped through the formation."
She nodded repeatedly, as though enough confidence would somehow make the lie become reality.
Unfortunately, Chen Xuan’s expression remained completely unchanged.
Seeing that her excuse had failed, Huo Ling’er’s eyes darted around before suddenly brightening.
Without the slightest hesitation, she decisively abandoned the topic altogether.
Almost instantly, tears welled up in her eyes.
Her clenched fist slipped free from Chen Xuan’s grasp as she threw herself toward him.
Stretching out both hands as though intending to cling to his robes, she cried loudly.
"Master! I almost thought you’d abandoned me! You have no idea how miserable your disciple has been while you were gone!"
"Everyone bullies me! They all bully me! Even the beasts keep chasing me around!"
"You even took Junior Sister with you and left me behind! I... I thought you didn’t want me anymore!"
By the end, her voice had already become somewhat choked.
Her body turned into a streak of red light as she closed the distance.
However, just as she was about to grab Chen Xuan’s robes, he calmly took half a step to the side and extended his hand.
His palm landed squarely against her forehead.
Immediately, Huo Ling’er’s charge came to an abrupt stop.
Although she waved her arms frantically and desperately tried to move closer, she remained frozen in place, unable to advance even a single inch.
Looking at her ridiculous struggle and seeing no signs that she intended to stop anytime soon, Chen Xuan clicked his tongue.
His hand relaxed. Then he lightly flicked her forehead.
A small tremor spread through Huo Ling’er’s body.
The force wasn’t enough to injure her, but it was more than enough to make her lose her balance.
With a loud bang, she landed on the ground.
This only made her feel even more wronged.
As she imagined Chi Yao happily accompanying Chen Xuan while she had been left behind alone, her grievances surged even further.
"Master... you... you’ve really abandoned me..."
Her voice gradually spread, making her truly pitiful.
However, as Chen Xuan lowered his head, he noticed that Huo Ling’er was secretly peeking at him through the gaps between her fingers.
Every few moments, she would quietly widen the gap a little more, seemingly checking whether he had softened at all.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan didn’t know what to say.
--
In the end, Huo Ling’er’s performance failed to achieve its intended effect.
To her disappointment, Chen Xuan remained completely unmoved.
Not only did he refrain from comforting her, but halfway through her crying, he even seemed to grow tired of her antics.
Grabbing her by the back of the neck like a mischievous kitten, Chen Xuan’s figure blurred as they left the underground cavern.
A single breath later, they had returned to the Spirit Stone mine. More specifically, Chen Xuan’s residence.
Someone was already waiting there. Su Ying.
Chen Xuan had contacted her immediately after returning. Combined with Huo Ling’er’s lengthy outburst, there had been more than enough time for her to arrive.
The moment she saw him, Su Ying’s eyes lit up.
"Senior Brother Chen, you’re finally back."
Chen Xuan smiled and nodded in greeting.
Casually tossing the still-aggrieved Huo Ling’er into a corner of the room, he sat down on his futon.
"It’s been a while."
He gestured for Su Ying to come closer.
"Come, tell me what happened while I was away."
In truth, the quickest way to learn everything would have been to check the transmission talismans in his possession.
However, perhaps out of habit—or perhaps simply because he wished to speak with Su Ying in person—Chen Xuan chose to ask her instead.
Hearing his question, Su Ying’s expression gradually became solemn.
The joy of seeing him safely return quickly faded, replaced by a thoughtful look.
After organizing her thoughts, she slowly began her report.
"Reporting to Peak Master, nothing major has happened at the Spirit Stone mine during your absence."
"Perhaps because word of your previous breakthrough spread, the demonic faction has yet to launch another large-scale assault."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"If I have to say, the biggest news is the recent upheaval within the Sword Forging Sect..."
Hearing those words, Chen Xuan’s eyes narrowed.
Although Su Ying didn’t know it, Tang Yuechen had already informed him that the Sword Forging Sect was likely the demonic faction’s next target.
More importantly, it was also where several Sect Masters, including Qian Lingxue, had gathered only a few days ago.
Now, hearing that something had happened there was expected, but not something he really wanted to hear.
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