Chapter 8: Chapter 8 - Unbearable Consequences
-AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH- A deafening scream caught the attention of Zhu Hui and Zhu Yan; it seemed to be their son's voice. The boy had been very quiet since he arrived, but without wasting any time, they both rushed to their son's room at full speed.
-XIANGJU, WHAT HAPPENED???- Zhu Hui kicked open the boy's bedroom door, as it was locked.
The scene they saw was simply brutal.
Their son was in the bathtub of water they had provided. The room was filled with a thick layer of steam, and the boy's mouth was open at nearly ninety degrees. His skin was so red it seemed raw, and his screams were so horrifying that they sent shivers even down the spines of experienced Gold Rank warriors like them.
The woman acted quickly. She hugged her son tightly and lifted him out of the water. The boy's skin was so soft it seemed it would fall off with a rough touch. Unable to hold back her tears, they streamed down her face.
Still holding the boy, the woman kicked the air towards Xiangju's window. The force of the blow was so great that the air current completely destroyed a part of the boy's wall. Zhu Hui, seeing what she did, understood her intention. He started swinging his arms and pushing the air forcefully out of the room to remove the sauna-like sensation inside.
-What did you do, son..? - Zhu Yan cried even more, hugging the boy. A greater sense of despair hit when Xiangju passed out in her arms, unable to say a single word.
Two days later, at the Zhu Family residence.
A torrential rain was hitting the region. The clouds covered the entire sky, and even though it was morning, it was dark in the City of Glory.
In front of the Zhu Family's large gate, Nie Li stood completely soaked. He had a serious yet sad expression on his face.
He knocked hard on the gate.
BAM BAM BAM
It didn't take long for someone to open the door. Zhu Fei, a young girl and cousin of Zhu Xiangju, opened the door. She held an umbrella in her hand, and when she saw Nie Li, she looked very worried.
-Oh my! Are you lost, boy? You're drenched!- She approached Nie Li so he wouldn't get rained on anymore.
The boy stayed silent for a moment but then looked up at her and spoke in a weak voice.
-Zhu Xiangju... Is he unwell?- The boy's voice faltered. In his heart, he was sure Xiangju might have even died, but his family was keeping it a secret. He knew how much Xiangju wanted to become stronger... And if one of his precious companions had died because of a technique Nie Li taught... He would never forgive himself.
-Matriarch Yan said little Xiangju has indeed been feeling a bit unwell lately... Would you like to visit him? I'm sure he would appreciate your visit.- Zhu Fei said with a smile on her face. The girl hugged Nie Li and accompanied him to the main house of the Zhu family.
The young lady knocked a few times; inside, there was a rush followed by heavy footsteps until a woman opened the door.
Nie Li didn't recognize her, but from her extremely tired expression and tear-stained eyes, she was probably Xiangju's mother.
-Sorry to bother you, Mrs. Yan. But this young man is looking for young Xiangju.-
The woman said nothing, perhaps too exhausted to think much about it, and simply let him in.
They made their way silently to the upper floor, stopping in front of the young boy's room.
The woman didn't stand on ceremony; she promptly opened the door to the room.
Right in front of the entrance was the boy's bed, but with the large man standing next to it, the boy could not be seen.
Nie Li felt the heavy atmosphere as he heard the boy's father quietly crying.
Thunder illuminated the room, making it seem like the skies were weeping over the situation.
They approached the bed slowly; Nie Li didn't even realize he was holding his breath in anticipation.
The woman touched her husband's shoulder, and he immediately stopped crying, quickly drying his tears. He looked at Nie Li and then at Zhu Yan. The woman nodded, as if to tell him to let the boy approach.
Quickly, they both stepped away from Zhu Xiangju's bed, standing near the door, watching the two children.
When Nie Li looked at Zhu Xiangju, even though the boy had gone through thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, or even more trials, it had been a long time since he had last lost a companion. At that moment, Nie Li felt he had lost a dear friend.
In front of him, Zhu Xiangju's body was completely bandaged, and the skin beneath the bandages, which were now once again becoming bloodstained, looked raw. His hair, once medium-length and silky, was now just a few strands sticking out of his head.
Though the boy was unconscious, Nie Li's approach seemed to slowly bring him out of his coma.
The boy's parents watched intently, observing every detail of their son's movements.
Nie Li felt the same way, his throat hurting because he was holding back tears. He thought about getting up and running away, not having the courage to look Zhu Xiangju or his parents in the eye. Just as the boy with orange hair thought about turning to leave, a voice pulled him out of his thoughts of escape.
-Brother Nie Li..?- It was in a low and much less animated tone than usual, but Zhu Xiangju's voice was unmistakable to any of the three at that moment.
Nie Li turned and looked into Zhu Xiangju's eyes. He couldn't hold back the tears any longer, so a single, crystalline drop ran down his face.
-I'm sorry...- Nie Li said almost voicelessly, kneeling beside Xiangju's bed, joining his hands in a gesture of supplication and prayer. He didn't even know if he was apologizing to a god or to Xiangju himself.
-Sorry... It was my mistake... I just overdid it. Next time, I won't go overboard...- Zhu Xiangju spoke calmly.
-Next time..? What are you talking about?- Nie Li asked, visibly confused. He wouldn't allow the boy to do something like this again. He wouldn't allow him to use that technique again.
-What do you mean? When I cultivate the Supreme Phoenix Technique--
-You won't cultivate that technique anymore.-
Zhu Xiangju was taken aback.
-I understand where you're coming from, Nie Li... But this is not under your control...-
-It is! I won't let you use that technique again!- Nie Li spoke angrily. He was boiling with rage, rage at himself. He clenched his fist so tightly that blood ran from his hands.
-I'm almost at the next Rank...
-I don't care, Xiangju. I won't let you go through this again!-
Zhu Xiangju looked at Nie Li. The boy with fiery hair lowered his gaze to hide his expression at that moment.
-It'll be alright... You'll understand when I reach the next Rank...-
-I can't let you... Please, don't do this...- Nie Li rested his head on Xiangju's bed, begging him.
Xiangju remained quiet. He understood how the boy felt. It had been a short time since he had come to this world, but in his past life, he had no one who cared so much for him. He had no real friend like Nie Li, Du Ze, Lu Piao, Xiao Ning'er, Zhan Ming, or Wei Nan. All of them liked and cared so much for the boy. Xiangju understood that they were probably all worried about his sudden disappearance, and Nie Li had been chosen to come look for him since Nie Li and Xiangju were closer than all the others.
-If you feel guilty... Share it with me this time...- Xiangju said, extending his hand to Nie Li.
The boy was confused for a second, but when he understood what he meant, he grasped Xiangju's hand without hesitation in a firm grip.
-You can count on me.- The boy with orange hair said with conviction.
Xiangju smiled weakly. He was really scared. He had spent the last few days suffering from a thoughtless and reckless act, but he knew he was just one step away from 4 stars, so he had to take the risk.
The bandaged boy closed his eyes and began chanting the Supreme Sun Phoenix Technique.
The moment he started, his body convulsed on the bed from the excruciating pain. Nie Li's body felt like it was immersed in lava. He felt his spiritual field being roasted, but at the same time, he felt a tremendous spiritual energy entering his vital field. He was a little past halfway to Bronze Rank 1 star, but at that moment, he jumped to the peak of 99 points, almost breaking the barrier to the Bronze level.
Xiangju's parents watched in horror. Zhu Yan wanted to jump in and stop it immediately, but Zhu Hui held her back, understanding that if their son was stopped again in the middle of the process, he might not even come out alive. But at the same time, seeing his son with completely bloodied bandages again, along with his piercing screams, he didn't know if this was really the best option.
"DAMN IT, THIS HURTS SO MUCH!" In Xiangju's mind, he screamed this countless times.
"BREAK THE BARRIER, BREAK THE BARRIER, BREAK THE BARRIER, BREAK THE BARRIER," he repeated to himself endlessly.
Until...
FWISHHHH...
A light filled the room, just like when he advanced the first time. Quickly, all the pain he felt vanished as if it had never existed. It decreased to the point of disappearing completely.
When the light dimmed, not only Xiangju but also Nie Li had healed from the process.
Nie Li had become slightly more handsome and muscular. He looked at his own body, confused. Apparently, he didn't know about the healing abilities of this technique, but let's be honest, if this didn't happen, it would be impossible to cultivate this technique. No one would be able to withstand this until the higher divine levels, not even until the higher levels of the tiny world.
Xiangju smiled widely. He put his hand on his face and tore off the bandages covering it. Once again, the boy had become slightly more handsome, and his physique was much more muscular than it had been a few days ago.
Nie Li smiled when he saw all this. He was still so surprised that he couldn't even speak about it. The price was obviously very high, but the cultivation speed was simply astonishing. If he did a few more sessions with Xiangju, it wouldn't be impossible to reach Silver Rank in less than a month, or at least very close to it.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone