Li Xingze's Ice Emperor Uncle!

"Shouldn't we hide with them?" Xin Xia said softly.

Li Xingze rubbed Xin Xia's little head and said firmly, "As long as I'm here, no demon beast can hurt you."

"Mm!" Hearing that promise filled with concern, Xin Xia immediately felt much more at ease.

At that moment, the Goldflame Dragon Lion came racing over with the Cyclops Demon Wolf's head in its jaws, then tossed it in front of the wheelchair as though seeking praise.

The bloody wolf head and the blood spilling all over the ground gave Xin Xia a fright, and she tightly clutched Li Xingze's arm.

Li Xingze's face darkened. He truly didn't know what to say about this Goldflame Dragon Lion anymore. Why was it becoming more and more like a dog?

Seeing that Xin Xia was uncomfortable, Li Xingze hurriedly turned the wheelchair in another direction, then kicked the head far away.

The Goldflame Dragon Lion lowered its head in confusion. That was its trophy!

"Little Gold, remember that you're a dragon lion—and a Commander-Level Demon Beast at that. Against a little wolf, you only need to swat it to death."

Li Xingze placed Xin Xia on the Goldflame Dragon Lion's back, then sat behind her.

With the Goldflame Dragon Lion as their ride, it would not take long to reach the barrier.

"Roar~" The Goldflame Dragon Lion sounded somewhat aggrieved.

Li Xingze patted its mane and continued, "If you perform well today, I won't shortchange you."

Hearing that, the Goldflame Dragon Lion picked up its speed again, racing through the streets like a streak of flame.

Not long after the two left the square, the rain grew heavier and heavier, while the number of demon wolves along the way also increased.

But with the Commander-Level Goldflame Dragon Lion there, those demon wolves were nothing more than kindergarten brats, utterly crushed by the grown-up Little Gold.

"Xin Xia, I'll get you to the barrier first."

Li Xingze wrapped an arm around Xin Xia's slender waist. Even through two layers of clothing, he could still feel how soft and smooth she was.

"Mm~" Xin Xia replied sweetly, her rosy little face like a ripe red apple that made people want to take a bite.

Li Xingze really wanted to suppress his arousal, but Xin Xia kept squirming around in front of him. There was simply no way to keep it down!

Was Xin Xia doing this on purpose? She kept rubbing against it.

Inside the barrier.

"A Commander-Level Demon Beast is charging over here!"

A Military Mage standing guard spotted the Goldflame Dragon Lion racing toward them and could not help crying out.

The moment they heard "Commander-Level," all the Military Mages immediately turned their attention toward it.

The barrier was Bo City's only hope. They absolutely could not let a demon beast damage it.

Although they did not think a Commander-Level Demon Beast could destroy the barrier, there was no harm in being cautious.

At that moment, another Military Mage wearing a badge stepped forward. He recognized at once that it was not a demon beast.

"Nonsense. That's clearly Li Xingze's Summoned Beast. I was fortunate enough to see it once before."

"What? That's actually a Summoned Beast? Really?"

"A Commander-Level Summoned Beast? This mage named Li Xingze is far too terrifying, isn't he?"

The Military Mages, who had originally been on high alert, now broke into commotion.

Looking at the Light Barrier before him, Li Xingze chose to carry Xin Xia down from the Goldflame Dragon Lion's back in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, then directly sent it back to the Summoning Plane.

Just as Li Xingze and Xin Xia entered the barrier, a tall, skinny Military Mage approached them.

"Li Xingze, the chief wants to see you."

Though he was shocked by Li Xingze's strength, the Military Mage had not forgotten his task.

"See me?" Li Xingze froze for a moment. "Can you wait for me a little while?"

The Military Mage glanced at the girl in his arms, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Li Xingze then carried Xin Xia to where the survivors had been settled, with the Military Mage naturally following behind him.

"This tent has been assigned to you."

Li Xingze nodded and carefully placed Xin Xia onto a seat inside the tent.

"Xin Xia, stay here and don't worry. Your uncle and Mo Fan will be fine."

"You need to be careful too."

Li Xingze nodded, then turned to look at the Military Mage waiting quietly behind him.

"Lead the way."

Li Xingze followed the Military Mage until they reached a Watchtower temporarily constructed using earth magic.

The Watchtower was very tall. They climbed the winding stairs for a long time before finally reaching the very top.

At the top was an open Observation Deck. The fierce wind at that height poured in without restraint, stinging their cheeks.

There, Li Xingze saw that familiar figure—Zhan Kong!

"You're here." Zhan Kong's tone was exceptionally heavy, and he had long lost his once high-spirited bearing.

Li Xingze did not respond. Instead, he looked at the other man—Hai Bo Dong.

Ever since sending him off to become a Hunter, Li Xingze had not contacted him at all. He had not expected to run into him here.

Noticing that Li Xingze was looking at Hai Bo Dong, Zhan Kong could not help feeling puzzled. "You know this Ice Emperor?"

Although Hai Bo Dong had appeared less than a month ago, his formidable ice-element cultivation and peerless Ice Dragon techniques had quickly earned him the title of "Ice Emperor."

"Ice Emperor?" Li Xingze paused, not expecting Hai Bo Dong to have developed so smoothly. "We're somewhat related. He's my distant cousin once removed."

"Cousin once removed?"

Zhan Kong's eyes widened. He had investigated Li Xingze's background. Though his parents were both mages, they were merely Initial-Level Mages.

He had never imagined that Li Xingze had such a distant relative.

Hai Bo Dong cooperatively walked over and patted Li Xingze on the shoulder. "Xingze, I never expected you to have grown so much. How many years has it been since we last met?"

Watching the deeply affectionate uncle-and-nephew scene before him, Zhan Kong felt that something was off, though he could not put his finger on it.

"Ahem." Zhan Kong cleared his throat twice, interrupting their reunion. "This is not the time for catching up. Taking care of the Winged Azure Wolf is our top priority."

"The Ice Emperor and I are confident we can kill the Winged Azure Wolf. You handle the other demon beasts," Zhan Kong instructed his subordinates.

"Yes!"

The disaster had only just begun. As long as they killed the Winged Azure Wolf, there was still time to turn everything around!

"As for you." Zhan Kong turned to Li Xingze again. "I have a more important task for you."

"Go protect the Terra Sanctum Spring. Do not let it fall into the hands of the Black Vatican. The Undead Vessel will be your reward."

Zhan Kong understood Li Xingze's temperament well—he would not act without profit.

"Leave it to me." Li Xingze smiled readily. He had not expected Instructor Zhan Kong to be so generous for once.

"Orders!"

With everyone united, Zhan Kong suddenly shouted.

The Intermediate-Level Military Mages standing motionlessly on both sides abruptly shifted their stances, and an air of grim slaughter instantly spread through the howling gale.

"Slay the Winged Azure Wolf—fight to the death!" Zhan Kong shouted again, his voice seemingly filled with killing intent.

"Slay the Winged Azure Wolf—fight to the death!"

"Slay the Winged Azure Wolf—fight to the death!"