Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

Xu Xingguang’s expression was murderous, "Zhang Zhiyi, harming innocent children, you truly deserve to die!"

"Do you want to kill me?" Zhang Zhiyi stared at the long sword in Xu Xingguang’s hand, reminding her, "I can use spiritual power to control metal weapons, your sword can’t hurt me."

Xu Xingguang sneered contemptuously and thrust her right hand forward, the iron-slicing sword turned into a haze, slashing toward Zhang Zhiyi’s right arm.

Zhang Zhiyi focused intently on the sword, using her spiritual power to manipulate it to break apart.

But the sword was unexpectedly beyond her control!

Thunk!

Bright red blood splattered on the walls of the ward and the white curtains, some even splashed onto Xu Xingguang’s face.

With blood staining her snow-white skin, she seemed almost demonic.

"Who said it was iron?" Xu Xingguang raised the sword again, this time, she chopped off Zhang Zhiyi’s left arm. She pressed the sword’s tip against Zhang Zhiyi’s forehead and softly said, "It isn’t ordinary metal. It’s forged from the bones of war gods and the fingertip blood of warriors, merged with special minerals."

"Ah!!"

Zhang Zhiyi’s screams echoed out of the ward, terrifying Zhang Yuyao and others in the corridor.

But Xiahou Xiong stood at the front, leaning on his cane, and no one dared to interfere.

"Xu Xingguang, if you dare, kill me! Go on, kill me!" Zhang Zhiyi said through gritted teeth, "Even if you kill me, it won’t change the fate of those little ones! Your grandfather spent decades trying to solve it and found no way. Just wait and watch them turn into beasts!"

Children are the hope of a world.

When billions of children become beasts, the continuation of life in this world will fracture.

At that time, if people from the Divine Martial Realm invade, the Mortal World would be left with only the sick, weak, and old. How could they possibly fight the Divine Martial Realm?

"I won’t kill you." Xu Xingguang smiled coldly, she said, "I’ll imprison you. I want you to watch your child born safely, and let him see for himself what kind of cruel and heartless beast his mother truly is!"

"Moreover, I will go to the Divine Martial Realm to expose the crimes you and those behind you have committed!"

Upon hearing this, a trace of fear flashed across Zhang Zhiyi’s eyes. "Expose my crimes?"

Zhang Zhiyi sneered, "Eradicating the Mortal World is a consensus in the Divine Martial Realm, to whom will you expose me?"

"Do I look like an idiot to you?" After cutting off Zhang Zhiyi’s two arms, Xu Xingguang regained her composure.

She sheathed her sword, calmly observing Zhang Zhiyi’s undisguised panic, pondering as she said, "In the eyes of the Divine Martial Realm, the Mortal World is a world full of suffering and tragedy. Only those who commit severe crimes are cast into the Mortal World."

"Zhang Zhiyi, you were a criminal from the start, can your words truly be trusted?"

Their understanding of the Divine Martial Realm came entirely from Zhang Zhiyi’s accounts. What the Divine Martial Realm is really like and what powers there are, whether every faction and person supports the eradication of the Mortal World, remained unclear to Xu Xingguang.

But she didn’t believe the claim that ’eradicating the Mortal World’ was a consensus in the Divine Martial Realm.

Zhang Zhiyi fell silent.

"Qu Yanling." Xu Xingguang rolled these three words over in her mouth, she said, "Once I reach the Divine Martial Realm, I will be sure to recount every detail of your deeds in the Mortal World to them."

"Commander Jin!" Xu Xingguang glanced at Huo Wen’an, and suddenly said to Jin Yunhai, "By order of the Lady Captain of the Huo Family, arrest Zhang Zhiyi, keep strict watch over her, ensure she neither escapes nor seeks a way out."

"Should she die or escape, you’ll share her fate."

Jin Yunhai, both startled and doubtful, looked towards Huo Wen’an.

Huo Wen’an chuckled lightly, "Since my Lady has commanded, then I’ll trouble Commander Jin to exercise utmost care."

"As Captain Huo commands." Jin Yunhai hurried over, personally apprehended Zhang Zhiyi, and as he led her away, heard the presidential order: "Confine her in Emperor Sea Cell No. 1!"

Emperor Sea Cell No. 1 is the most secretive prison under the Xia Country Alliance. Its exact location is known only to the president and the chief commander.

The prison guards working in Cell No. 1 have all signed death warrants, staying in the prison for five years. When five years are up, new guards would replace them.

Throughout, they are blindfolded, escorted all the way by the chief commander.

Imprisoning Zhang Zhiyi in Cell No. 1 illustrates just how wary the president is of her.

Watching as Zhang Zhiyi was taken away, Xiahou Shang’s taut emotions finally crumbled, "Zhiyi!"

"Zhang Zhiyi, how could you be so foolish!"

As Zhang Zhiyi was taken away, Xiahou Shang collapsed powerlessly onto the bed, saying nothing, but tears streamed down his face.

"Xiahou Shang, as the mayor of a city, you should pull yourself together, manage Yujiang City well, and protect your citizens, rather than lying here crying over a woman who has committed countless wrongs."

"You weep for your love, for your child, but who will cry for those children harmed by Zhang Zhiyi?"

After speaking, Xu Xingguang left with Huo Wen’an and the others.

When they arrived, Ye Mingluo was overjoyed, but on the way back, he was completely silent.

"Will those children all turn into beasts like your grandfather?" Ye Mingluo wanted to cry, he pursed his lips and asked, "Such young children, how could she bring herself to do it?"

Listening to Ye Mingluo’s choked sobs, Xu Xingguang also felt distressed.

"Huo Wen’an." Suddenly, Xu Xingguang asked Huo Wen’an, "You’ve told me before that the Huo Family chose to hide on Divine Concealment Island because it is said to hold an Emperor’s Tomb. Whoever finds the Emperor’s Tomb can find the most powerful weapon in the world."

"There is such a legend, but the Huo Family has long searched throughout Divine Concealment Island and found no so-called Emperor’s Tomb."

"Is this Emperor’s Tomb referring to the tomb of Divine Hidden Crane?"

Huo Wen’an replied, "I don’t know. In fact, until today, I hadn’t heard of Divine Hidden Crane’s name. You know, our current civilization has a gap, what the world was like over two thousand years ago, we simply don’t know."

Nodding, Xu Xingguang continued, "To enter the Divine Martial Realm, one must go through the Medicine King Tower. Besides that, there’s another group who can enter the Divine Martial Realm through other means."

Huo Wen’an was somewhat surprised, "What people?"

"The direct descendants blessed by Divine Hidden Crane." Staring at Huo Wen’an, Xu Xingguang pointed out, "Your father, he didn’t go through the Medicine King Tower, yet, he went to the Divine Martial Realm."

Huo Wen’an was a bit shocked, "Are you suggesting that our Huo Family is the direct descendants of Divine Hidden Crane?"

"Yes." Xu Xingguang indeed believed so, otherwise, how to explain Huo Canghai being hunted as a child, yet suddenly disappearing from the Divine Hidden Sea and going to the Divine Martial Realm?

The Huo Family is very likely the descendants of Divine Hidden Crane, and Huo Canghai is the only son of Huo Ziyin.

In ancient times, Huo Canghai would have been the Crown Prince suffering persecution.