Chapter 146 Extraordinary Potential

Swish!

The numerous soldiers surrounding Xu Que, including several battalion commanders as well as Qin Wurong and others, clearly paused in their actions of charging toward the ferocious beasts. A hint of physical stiffness gripped them, and their brains almost failed to process the situation.

"Sister Tong, save me?!"

So after all that aggressive posturing, claiming that a mere Void Tribulation-stage beast king was manageable, it turned out your big move was just screaming for someone to save you?

Wait... hang on!

Sister Tong?

General Chu is back?!

Before long, everyone snapped to reality. Xu Zhe was actually calling General Chu to rescue him, which meant General Chu must be nearby!

The crowd immediately looked around in all directions, sweeping their divine senses outward.

However, apart from the terrifying pressure emanating from the Void Tribulation-stage beast king, there was not a trace of another Void Tribulation-stage powerhouse's aura to be felt.

The Tiger-Headed Beast King itself was also somewhat startled, halting abruptly in mid-air.

Upon hearing just the name "Sister Tong," it instantly associated it with that terrifyingly powerful Valkyrie—Chu Xiaotong—whose mere mention always made the demon race's scalps tingle with dread!

If she had returned, didn't that mean the only surviving ancestor of their clan had also fallen in battle?

Originally, the southern demon race had over fifty ancestors, all terrifying existences at the late Void Tribulation stage, who had remained in deep slumber.

Yet ever since the rise of the Vermilion Bird Army, the two sides had fought for thousands of years, forcing these ancestors to awaken and enter the world one after another. Alas, no matter who it was, within less than a dozen years of awakening, they would fall in battle—and without exception, every single one of them died at the hands of that Valkyrie.

To this day, their southern demon tribe was left with only this very last beast ancestor.

If this one died too, the demon race would truly be done for!

However, the Tiger-Headed Beast King quickly let out a silent sigh of relief.

It sensed that Chu Xiaotong's aura was completely absent from the surrounding area; that terrifying woman had not returned yet.

"Scoundrel, how dare you deceive this lord!"

The Tiger-Headed Beast King widened its fierce tiger eyes, glared angrily at Xu Zhe, and charged forward once more.

"Eh? I didn't deceive you."

Xu Zhe blinked in surprise, patted the Vermilion Bird Token tightly clenched in his hand, and then realization dawned on him. "Oh, my apologies! I was so busy shouting the slogan that I forgot to channel spiritual qi into it!"

Whoosh!

As his voice fell, a vast amount of spiritual qi surged from Xu Zhe's palm, pouring directly into the Vermilion Bird Token.

"Sister Tong, save me!"

He shouted the slogan once again, resonant and powerful, exuding an extraordinary momentum akin to a heavenly deity descending to the mortal realm, incomparably majestic.

Everyone present was dumbfounded, almost thinking this wasn't a call for reinforcements, but merely some bizarre slogan Xu Zhe chanted while executing a powerful spell.

Of course, "almost thinking" was just that.

Even a fool could see at that moment that the Vermilion Bird Token in Xu Zhe's hand was glowing, and a towering momentum was rapidly gathering.

This fellow was genuinely summoning reinforcements; he was truly calling for help.

"Beast King, you see? I wasn't lying to you, right?"

Xu Zhe shook the Vermilion Bird Token in his hand, flashing a benevolent smile at the Tiger-Headed Beast King.

"Wait, stop... You—you shameless wretch!"

The Tiger-Headed Beast King was utterly dumbfounded on the spot, simultaneously frantic and furious.

It had clearly sensed Chu Xiaotong's aura manifesting, and panic gripped its heart.

Early Void Tribulation stage—how could anyone fight against the late Void Tribulation stage?

Moreover, she was the strongest among the late Void Tribulation stage practitioners.

"I'm shameless?"

Hearing the Tiger-Headed Beast King's angry curse from afar, Xu Zhe was stunned for a moment.

Throughout my life, I, Xu Zhe, have acted in an upright, open, and incorruptible manner. Is there anyone within a radius of fifty miles who doesn't know that I am a decent person?

What gives you the right to call me shameless?

"Yo!"

Just as Xu Zhe was about to properly question the Tiger-Headed Beast King, a flippant voice rang out.

A wisp of red light darted out from the Vermilion Bird Token, landing beside him and rapidly transforming into a tall figure—none other than Chu Xiaotong.

"General Chu!"

"General Chu has arrived!"

"Brilliant, we're going to win!"

The human soldiers all around immediately erupted with joy, shouting in pleasant surprise.

Only Qin Wurong and the several battalion commanders wore looks of astonishment.

They could all tell that this General Chu seemed somewhat different. Although her aura was formidable, it lacked the absolute oppressive force of her true self, feeling somewhat ethereal and illusory instead.

Clearly, this looked much more like an avatar, or a Dao incarnation!

"Little Zhe, you've got quite some nerve, don't you? I told you not to come to the battlefield, yet you insisted on it, and now you've even picked a fight with a beast king-level monster. Feeling pretty capable, are you?"

The very moment Chu Xiaotong appeared, she didn't pay the slightest attention to the Tiger-Headed Beast King. Instead, she stared coldly at Xu Zhe, ready to settle accounts.

Xu Zhe could also tell that Chu Xiaotong clearly wore an expression itching to rough him up.

You mustn't, you really mustn't!

With a powerful enemy right before us, a Dao incarnation like you doesn't possess the strength of your true body. How can you let your attention be diverted by me?

What if some clueless subordinates of yours think you've been bewitched, actually cozying up with a vixen like me right in front of the enemy... Wait?

What vixen?

Are you out of your mind? What about your persona?!

"Let's not mess around right now. This beast king is somewhat tricky; let's join forces and eliminate it first," Xu Zhe said with a solemn expression and a serious tone.

"Are you the one messing around? I gave you that incarnation token to save your life, and look at you—you used it before it even warmed up?" Chu Xiaotong rolled her eyes at Xu Zhe, grumbling, though she finally cast her gaze toward mid-air at the Tiger-Headed Beast King.

The instant Chu Xiaotong's aura had appeared, the Tiger-Headed Beast King had already lost all courage to approach.

It knew very well how formidable the Valkyrie Chu Xiaotong was. Trying to snatch a target from right under her nose was impossible; it would likely cost the beast its life!

However, that higher-up had issued strict orders to capture Xu Zhe alive at all costs.

Coupled with the fact that it could now sense that the Valkyrie before it was not her true body, but merely a Dao incarnation whose overall power was stable at the early Void Tribulation stage—roughly matching its own level—the Tiger-Headed Beast King hesitated.

Could this fight be won?

"Hurry up and attack, don't let it run away. Its beast bones are immensely useful."

Suddenly, a voice echoed.

Right after, Xu Zhe was seen rocketing straight up into the sky, electric arcs weaving across his hands to form a purple orb of lightning.

The Tiger-Headed Beast King instantly coughed up a mouthful of old blood in fury.

I was still debating whether to take a calculated risk and capture you alive.

And yet you, a punk, couldn't even wait and charged in first? You're even coveting my bones?!

Damn it, a mere Yuan Ying-stage human being—truly audacious and completely lawless!

A beast king's dignity brooks no insult!

"Audacious!"

The Tiger-Headed Beast King shouted in a deep voice, thrusting out a palm that shook the void and condensed tens of thousands of crystal-clear threads—thousands of tiger whiskers—which whipped toward Xu Zhe.

"Screech!"

A wisp of scorching red flame suddenly slashed through the air like a razor-sharp blade edge, instantly shattering the thousands of tiger whiskers.

Chu Xiaotong's figure had already materialized right in front of Xu Zhe.

"Are you out of your mind? You dared to charge at that?" She glared at Xu Zhe in astonishment.

"It's fine, I know what I'm doing," Xu Zhe replied calmly.

The numerous soldiers engaged in fierce combat with the demon army all around, along with Qin Wurong and the others, all twitched the corners of their mouths at that moment.

Prideful cultivator Xu... is really putting on quite an act!

If you knew what you were doing, would you have needed to call for reinforcements?

Who was it that was just yelling "Sister Tong, save me"?

"Hurry back, leave this to me."

Chu Xiaotong couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense. She waved her hand to signal Xu Zhe to retreat, casually asking over her shoulder, "You just need the bones, right?"

"If it's convenient, I'll take the blood too!" Xu Zhe replied.

Boom!

Without another word, Chu Xiaotong acted decisively. Her figure shot out like a cannonball, the ferocious force triggering a thunderous explosion in the firmament.

"Good grief, that potential is truly extraordinary."

Xu Zhe felt a surge of inner amazement.

He had rarely witnessed Chu Xiaotong's true form in battle, but now, seeing a Dao incarnation whose realm was desynchronized exhibit such explosive power, he could well imagine what formidable combat talent Chu Xiaotong possessed.

She truly lived up to her reputation as that woman!

"Bang!"

Before long, the two clashed high in the firmament, sending forth rolling shockwaves as spells and flames blanketed a major portion of the sky.

Xu Zhe watched for a few moments and could basically confirm that Chu Xiaotong would undoubtedly win.

Though the Tiger-Headed Beast King possessed immensely tough physical resilience, its raw power fell far short of Chu Xiaotong's. If the battle continued at this pace, Chu Xiaotong's Dao incarnation would soon suppress and slay the beast king.

"Boom!"

Right at that moment, another commotion erupted from the rear of the demon army.

Rings of formless shockwaves surged forth once more.

The enemy seemed unwilling to waste any more time, directly unleashing three intermediate battle formations all at once.

"Are they getting serious now?"

Xu Zhe's eyes narrowed slightly, and a brilliant sheen lit up the storage ring on his finger.

......

[Taking a soft approach today; I'll try my best to update more for everyone tomorrow.]