He was resurrected indefinitely and handed over to the state by the headmistress.

"Who...who is this woman?!"

Shangguan Zheng's heart was in turmoil; the more he fought, the more alarmed he became.

How could her martial arts skills be so amazing?

Every move was exquisite, aimed directly at vital points, and its power was outrageous!

This is a complete and utter crushing defeat of me in terms of combat experience!

It's important to know that Shangguan Zheng's skills were honed through life-or-death battles against demons on the border.

Its physical strength has been tempered countless times, making it top-tier among its peers.

But now, facing this "little girl," he felt strangely constrained!

"Enough!!"

A prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat, and Shangguan Zheng was finally enraged.

With a furious roar, the flames around him erupted to their maximum!

"True Form of Blazing Flames!!"

A giant phantom of crimson flames, several meters tall, suddenly appeared behind him!

The giant let out a silent roar, and its enormous fiery fist rained down like a meteor.

With a terrifying force capable of incinerating everything, it slammed down fiercely towards Hua Xiyu!

Seeing this, Hua Xiyu smiled and advanced instead of retreating.

"The Lotus Flower Form!"

Behind her, a phantom image of a lotus fairy radiating holy light also appeared.

The ethereal fairy extended her slender hand, and a lotus flower bloomed in her palm.

He steadily caught the fire giant's ferocious punch!

"boom--!!!"

Two vastly different energies collided violently in mid-air, unleashing a deafening roar!

The violent energy shock spread outwards in a ring shape.

It pressed down so much that the water surface below sank in.

The space within the domain was violently shaking, as if it might shatter at any moment!

"I'm done playing, Masako, take this!"

Hua Xiyu gave a sharp shout and quickly formed hand seals.

"Four Symbols Binding Spirit Array, activate!"

As she completed her incantation, the surface of the entire lotus pond trembled violently!

"Splash—!"

Two giantesses, formed entirely from clear water, slowly rose from the pond.

At the same time, the lotus fairy phantom behind Hua Xiyu split in two, transforming into two slightly smaller lotus fairies.

The four giants stood in four directions, instantly surrounding Shangguan Zheng's fire giant in the middle!

The four energies connected with each other, forming an incredibly profound array space that firmly trapped the fire giant!

"What kind of ability is this?!"

Shangguan Zheng was terrified. He could sense that the surrounding space was incredibly solid, and he was trapped!

He desperately channeled his spiritual power, and the fire giant roared.

His fists pounded the surrounding array barriers like a barrage of bullets.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!"

However, the raging fire energy vanished without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea!

The array barrier remained completely unmoved!

"How is that possible?!"

"It's completely useless!!"

Shangguan was extremely surprised.

Just then, a flash of light appeared in Hua Xiyu's hand, and a bamboo branch about three feet long, its entire body as green as jade, appeared.

The words "Shangguan" are engraved on it in small ancient seal script.

Hua Xiyu held the bamboo branch and smiled slightly at Shangguan Zheng, a smile that sent chills down Shangguan Zheng's spine.

She held the bamboo branch and gently waved it towards the void where Shangguan Zheng was.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound rang out.

Despite being some distance apart, Shangguan Zheng felt a burning, stinging pain somewhere on his body!

"This feeling..."

Shangguan Zheng's body stiffened abruptly, and that memory, which he had almost forgotten in a corner, surged out like a flood!

"This is... a family rule bamboo strip made from the Shangguan family's unique 'Pure Heart Bamboo'?!"

Shangguan Zheng stared intently at the emerald green bamboo strip in Hua Xiyu's hand, his pupils suddenly contracting.

"Who...who are you?! Why do you possess a family artifact made from 'Qingxin Bamboo,' a specialty of my Shangguan family's secret realm?!"

This type of bamboo is extremely special; it only grows in a small, secret realm controlled by the Shangguan family.

Not only is it as tough as jade, but it also possesses a unique "purifying" quality.

It causes a clear pain when it hits the body, but it doesn't cause serious harm.

It is a family rule passed down through generations of the Shangguan family, used to discipline and educate the children of the clan.

It is impossible for outsiders to obtain, and very few people even know that it exists!

"Little Zhengzi, how does the 'braised pork with rattan cane' taste?"

"That'll teach you to disrespect Aunt Hua..."

Hua Xiyu's smile grew even more amiable, and she raised the bamboo branch in her hand once more.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Several crisp whipping sounds rang out in succession.

Several more fiery whip marks appeared on Shangguan Zheng's body.

The bamboo stick was indeed not very powerful; with his physical strength, it wouldn't even break his skin.

But this familiar pain, and the humiliation of being punished by "family rules," made him blush with shock and anger!

"Hua...Aunt Hua?"

Shangguan Zheng was a little dazed from the beating and frantically searched his memory.

Suddenly, a long-forgotten image resurfaced:

About a hundred years ago, when he was just a teenager, a guest seemed to have visited the family; he was a good friend of his mother.

A gentle yet dignified "Aunt Hua".

It seems he was spanked with a bamboo stick from the house by this "Aunt Hua" for being naughty...

The "Aunt Hua" I remember was a graceful and mature elder.

This doesn't match the stunningly beautiful "little girl" in front of me at all!

Moreover, even his mother could not completely resist the erosion of time.

How could this "Aunt Hua" have become so young?!

Shangguan Zheng stopped his futile attack, and the phantom of the fire giant slowly dissipated.

He stared at Hua Xiyu and questioned her loudly:

"What...what evidence do you have to prove your identity?!"

He still couldn't believe it.

"Look for yourself, these are all things from your Shangguan family."

Hua Xiyu waved her hand, and several items appeared out of thin air, slowly floating in front of Shangguan Zheng.

A ruler, pure white as jade, engraved with mysterious runes;

A green bamboo stalk of "Qingxin Bamboo" exactly the same as the one in her hand;

An antique token, neither gold nor wood, engraved with the Shangguan family crest and intricate patterns;

There is also a slightly yellowed, but well-preserved old photograph.

Shangguan Zheng quickly took it and examined it carefully.

His body jolted when his gaze fell on the photograph!

The photo shows a shy, inexperienced young man—it's me when I was young!

Standing beside her, smiling and stroking her head, was a mature and beautiful woman with a gentle demeanor and features that bore a striking resemblance to the woman before her!

Looking again at the ruler and token, their materials, craftsmanship, and the unique family markings unmistakably prove that...

This is absolutely a token that only core members of the Shangguan family can possess!

Identity confirmed.

Shangguan Zheng's hands trembled slightly as he respectfully handed the items back to Hua Xiyu.

He bowed deeply to Hua Xiyu, his attitude extremely respectful:

"Nephew Shangguan Zheng greets Aunt Hua! I was unaware of your arrival earlier and was quite rude. Please forgive me!"