Chapter 75: The Blazing Sun’s Golden Flame

Soon after, a tall building bathed in golden light came into view—the Guangzhou International Financial Center, soaring over four hundred forty meters high. Tianjizi halted his flight, landing atop the towering structure. From this vantage, he unleashed talismans at the descending beasts, but their numbers overwhelmed him. As the monsters touched down, the crowds below, who had been releasing sky lanterns, erupted into chaos.

Cries and shouts echoed through the city. Adults and children abandoned their lanterns on the streets, fleeing in all directions. Tianjizi leapt towards the most concentrated area of beasts in Tianhe, heading straight for the open square.

Upon reaching the ground, he saw many citizens brandishing bamboo poles, facing off against several Gu Diao and Qiong Qi. Some even wielded fire extinguishers, hoping to drive the monsters away. But these efforts were mere stopgaps, as police cars raced through the roads, rushing to every corner of the city.

As Tianjizi fended off the attacks of countless Qiong Qi and Gu Diao with his whisk and talismans, he shouted for everyone nearby to retreat. Suddenly, he spotted a massive Qiong Qi lunging like a starving tiger toward a child, no more than four or five years old, who sat wailing on the ground. The child was moments away from being torn apart, so Tianjizi instantly used his shifting technique, snatching the child into his arms. This left his back exposed, and the Qiong Qi’s claws, sharp as blades, sliced toward him.

Tianjizi was about to be struck down when, at that critical moment, a white blur flashed behind him. The enormous Qiong Qi was sent flying by a powerful kick, smashing a parked bus with a thunderous crack, splitting it in two. Flames burst from the ruptured fuel tank, enveloping the beast in a sea of fire.

Tianjizi was astonished. The disciples who had accompanied him were still far away, and he couldn’t imagine who else nearby possessed such strength.

He turned and saw a child of seven or eight standing behind him. Upon closer inspection, the child wore the robes of the Daoist Academy, and behind him were more than a dozen young disciples of similar age.

“Didn’t the Star Lord say that the younger disciples of the Academy would not participate in this battle? How did you all get here?” Tianjizi worried for the safety of this “Academy Cadet Corps,” made up of immortals, spirits, and humans.

“Our elder brothers are fighting with their lives—how can we stand by in Saint Peace and do nothing?” said the leading child.

“How did you come to the mortal world?”

“We never left the Academy. We’ve been hiding in the towers the whole time.”

Tianjizi shook his head. “The battle is dangerous now. Find a safe place and don’t get hurt!”

A little girl from the Academy giggled, covering her mouth. “You’re telling us that? Who just saved you?”

Tianjizi began to protest, but realized she was right. He asked, “How many of you came?”

“Over two thousand disciples!”

“So many!”

“We’re spread throughout the city, guarding every district. Don’t worry, elder brother. You hold the array in the troposphere and stratosphere; any beasts that fall to the ground, we’ll handle.”

Tianjizi was deeply astonished, marveling at the prowess of the younger generation. “Be sure to look after one another. Don’t push yourselves. Never risk your lives.”

“Understood!” The little boy stood and bowed.

Tianjizi returned the gesture to the group. After clearing away a few nearby beasts, he mounted his cloud and soared back into the sky. From above, he saw the six disciples who had separated earlier also ascending on clouds.

“Why have you returned?” Tianjizi asked.

They exchanged knowing smiles and replied in unison, “The Academy’s young disciples…”

It turned out they too had encountered the child defenders on the ground. The city’s defensive strength had risen by leaps and bounds; for now, trouble seemed unlikely.

Tianjizi pressed onward, flying into the clouds of the troposphere!

While Tianjizi and the Daoist Academy’s young disciples guarded both the troposphere and the city below, fierce combat continued in the stratosphere.

Since Master Jueguang had vanished in the explosion, and Master Yuran was gravely wounded by the icy arrows, the remaining disciples of the Golden Light Conical Formation and the Scaled Ice Formation were temporarily...