Chapter 45-Fight For Survival

Qi trembled, the world burned as the ground was hot and dry, and the sky seemed to be cracked. The world seemed to be trembling as huge tremors could be felt at times. The roars of forgotten ancient beings could be heard, all belonging to different powerful beasts, but all of them had one thing in common...they were roars of despair.

And now, within this environment, a flame lit up in an unknown corner. The flame kept burning for a few more seconds before it disappeared, leaving behind two children in the world of the unknown and death. For a moment, the flame seemed to be protecting them as they adjusted to the world they were brought to.

Soon, Xiao's eyes opened, and as he did, his body felt heavy. He lunged down a bit, trying to adjust to the gravity of the place he was in. At the same time, he felt like his body was burning up and repulsion built up within him. It was as if the Qi in the world was so disgusting that his body naturally rejected it.

It took a few moments for him to adjust, but even then, he felt like his body was burning. It was as if his body was submerged deep within a liquid. He shook his body to regain focus and surveyed his surroundings. His face became serious, as the surroundings alone were enough for him to understand the situation. He turned back and saw Yun Yurou lying on the ground.

"Yurou!"

With wide-open eyes, he rushed to her and checked on her. His hand moved to her forehead but recoiled from the heat radiating from her body. Steam rose from her body, and a frown filled her face. Xiao gritted his teeth in anger, understanding what was happening to her.

She was awakening, her latent talent coming to the surface. Not only that, her Phoenix side seemed to be dominating her human side, trying to make her whole. Plus, Xiao could tell that The Realm Burning Phoenix's power seemed to be rampaging through her. Right now, she needed to gain its recognition to become whole.

"Damn it! The situation isn't good at all."

Xiao cursed The Realm Burning Phoenix in his heart. He knew this was a trial. In the martial world, the greater the danger, the greater the reward. It was an equal exchange. Only those with a hardened heart and a true martial spirit could move forward. The danger was imperative, and right now, Xiao's instincts were screaming danger.

Xiao looked at Yun Yurou's frowning face as he rubbed her face. His hand started to burn, but he didn't mind it as he touched her face with a fond smile. This time, it would be his chance to protect her, and anyone who stood in their path would meet one ending.....death.

Xiao's eyes turned serious as he lifted Yun Yurou in a princess carry. He held her tightly as his body started to heat up. Xiao had a natural resistance to fire, yet the heat from Yun Yurou was something else. Resisting the heat, Xiao scanned his surroundings with cold eyes for any significant threats.

But all he could feel from this place was death and destruction. He didn't wait in his location but started running with Yun Yurou in his arms. He looked around at the dying place, broken ground and red sands filling the land. Heat rose from the ground as Xiao continued running until he spotted a small cave. His eyes lit up, and he ran towards it.

He made sure no one else was close before he placed Yun Yurou safely on the ground. He accessed his storage ring and ensured Yun Yurou was completely comfortable. Controlling his Qi was a bit difficult, but after some practice, it improved. He smiled, seeing that she was all right. The fight for her bloodline could only be fought by her. There was nothing he could do to help her in that regard. But for others...

Thinking up to this point, Xiao's eyes turned cold and dark. He made a final check that everything was right for Yun Yurou before he walked out of the cave. Unbeknownst to him, Yun Yurou's eyes trembled and her hands moved subtly, too minuscule for Xiao to notice.

Soon, he set up everything necessary to keep Yun Yurou safe. His worried mother had given him many treasures to ensure his safety. Thankfully, his storage ring seemed to work well even in this world, or wherever he is. He placed his head on the boulder covering the cave opening as he spoke.

"Stay safe, and I will be back."

With that, he turned back, where he saw creatures running towards their location from a distance. It seemed they had located them and were hunting them. Xiao had never seen these creatures before, each one vastly different from the others.

Some were tentacled, while others had large mouths and floated towards him. Xiao even noticed one with two heads and four hands running towards him, seemingly devoid of sentience. All of them had irregular shapes but shared an insatiable hunger in their eyes as they ran toward him.

Moreover, Xiao keenly felt that their target was Yun Yurou. It was as if the fire and power within her had attracted these abominations. Xiao took a deep breath to control himself. He couldn't sense their cultivation, but he had the feeling they weren't much more powerful than him. It seemed they were in a low-level area.

Currently, Xiao is in the Qi refinement realm, the first stage. The speed at which he progressed was noteworthy. Xiao took another deep breath, calming himself. He shut his eyes for a few seconds before opening them. Calmness enveloped his face as he summoned a sword in his right hand. But it didn't end there—another sword appeared in his left hand.

Xiao was a dual sword wielder, a fact even his mother didn't know. Xiao always used his right hand to fight, but truthfully, he was left-handed, a fact even his mother had never gotten to witness. The temperature around Xiao rose as his eyes focused on his enemies.

Unknown to him, a deep black flame, surrounded by ten other flames, shone briefly within him before settling back down.