Chapter 23

When the precious sword was placed into Lan Ziyi’s hands, he found its weight strangely familiar. Lan Ziyi pondered, "Could it really be such a coincidence?" Standing upright, he caught a glimpse of the blade and let out an imperceptible, bitter smile; the sword the Emperor had bestowed upon him was the very same one Li Guangzhong had once gifted him.

Lu Feng’s heart was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions; he had assumed Zhang Qing and Ye Chuan were hiding because they blamed him.

"Brother Xinghun is absolutely right. And I fear it’s not just the major powers of Yunzhou; the Shadow Demon Sect will surely strike again, especially Ling Tianzhan. That fellow is no simple man. Since you defeated him at the Alchemy Convention, he is bound to settle the score with you," Su Xiangyang speculated with a grave expression.

Liuyue stood quietly by Wu Yaorao’s side, watching Mo Fan with concern. Ever since he reappeared, she had felt that he was different from before. She could not pinpoint exactly what had changed, but a sense of tension and fear began to grow within her.

Luo leaned against the mountain wall on the other side, closing his eyes to feign sleep, and soon drifted into a light slumber.

"You promised, you aren't allowed to leave me—not even for a lifetime!" Tang Xintian looked up at Lu Feng, her face streaked with tears like rain on a pear blossom.

Seeing that there was nothing left to do, Jiang Mengting walked to the side and stood blankly before a massive paulownia tree.

Sword watched as two rows of sharp teeth snapped shut right at his wrist, yet he insisted on remaining still. He had already removed his vambrace, leaving only a thin leather lining. With the bite force of Lolo, which could easily tear through the skull of a giant beast, this meager protection could not hinder it in the slightest.

"The Celestial Demon race is highly sensitive to the scent of humans. It is no surprise that they were able to track us," Gu Xinghun frowned, a dangerous arc forming at the corner of his mouth.

Madam Qiao had initially thought her hopes were dashed, but now they were reignited—how could an ordinary worker compare to her own son?

The Glow Sphere tried eating a few experience gems, and as it felt its power surging, its eyes lit up instantly. Its favor toward Lin Yue increased greatly, and it followed closely behind her for the rest of the journey.

She left in a rage, leaving behind the chest of jewelry. She would never take back what she had once given away.

High in the air, Ye Han narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the still-recoiling Chen Dong—or more precisely, at the purple egg-shaped shell enveloping him.

Jiang Han took out several medicinal pills meant to aid cultivation in the Aperture Opening Realm, swallowed them in large gulps, and continued to circulate his internal energy to refine their potency.

***

Minutes later, as Danzo was resurrected once more, the first thing he did upon seeing Jiraiya was to break into a volley of curses.

Lu Li was the type of person who would procrastinate as much as possible in the mornings. If not for the sake of her child, she would never have bothered to crawl out of bed for breakfast.

After the Master’s wife finished speaking, Senior Brother Jianfu’s body trembled visibly, followed by an even more manic burst of laughter.

Yueling was the second-to-last race to successfully ascend in the previous ten millennia. When the Celestial race ascended, they must have experienced it as well.

Lin Yicheng guessed that those old perverts would undoubtedly conjure up all sorts of indescribable images in their minds after seeing the photo.

Wang Lin, however, wondered for a moment if Xia Tian was lying to her. If he were truly exhausted or feeling unwell, why would he be out wandering around for fun?

Liu Chong nodded without a word. Was it courage? Perhaps, but it was also out of necessity. When people are pushed to the brink of survival, they become bold.

Cai Mao was also jubilant. Regardless, during his time in Fancheng, he had completely seized military power; retreating now was the perfect opportunity to expand his influence and seize more territory.

Luo Youfu let out a shout, and the puppet soldiers followed behind him. Seeing that the Japanese soldiers were not following, some of the puppets were fearful and hesitant. Fearing a reprimand from Sanmu, Luo Youfu took the lead and hurried out of the woods.

"What is it that we, as practitioners of the Dao, cultivate? It is nothing more than Qi. Gather enough Qi, and one returns to the void to ascend the clouds; gather little, and one remains burdened by the mortal shell. Qi is essence—it is the One of the Dao, our primordial spirit, the foundation of immortality."

"This is a Primordial World Fruit, a treasure nurtured within the Primordial Nine-Dragon Pagoda, the psychic artifact of the Great Nine-Spirit Heavenly Sovereign. Refining just one is equivalent to cultivating one hundred thousand years of world-force. It is a rare treasure indeed; with this, it should be able to help you," Huo Linfeng said.

Goudan’s mother was straightforward. It was summer, so there were fewer layers of clothing to deal with, unlike the cumbersome attire of autumn and winter.

"That damn Meichuan is hateful! Every debt has its creditor—you are the one who offended him, so why seize Sister Qingrou?" Xu Ruolan’s cheeks puffed out in indignation.

Ning Hao was dumbfounded. It turned out that the old man Li Xianming hadn't told Lin Xuechu that he was going directly, leading to such a massive misunderstanding.

***

The fifth floor was empty and deathly quiet. It turned out this level was the student dormitory area. Xia Fan searched room by room until he stopped before a door marked "Director’s Office," leaning his ear against it to listen.

Conversely, if Yun Qingying were truly killed by Yun Li, then Yun Li might still have a glimmer of hope for a comeback.

Just then, Gu Yu unleashed a flying kick, which Sizu dodged. The force of Gu Yu’s strike was so immense that it shattered a hole right through the ceiling.

Wang Lingyun’s hand, which she had unconsciously clenched into a fist, relaxed. She continued walking, though her mind was elsewhere.

Later, after she left, he began to understand the loneliness of that state—to throw oneself headlong into such a meeting of souls, and to wait in silence for a future reunion.

The four who had departed the Land of Earth now set their sights on Kumamoto Town in the Land of Bears: that was the most likely place to find Wu Yong.

At that moment, the aura of the powerhouse in the Destruction Realm reached its peak. The entire Hunter Square was shrouded in this presence, as if a mountain had descended upon it. The air grew heavy and stifling, making it agonizing to breathe, as if one were suffocating.

A dignified Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, yet he was engaged in such shameful behavior. Fortunately, those on duty were all familiar faces who wouldn't spread gossip.

"Don't even mention it! I think you've truly become obsessed with alchemy to the point of madness. Have you forgotten what happened before?" Ling Xue said with a hint of reproach.

Baishu slowly released Yin Yi’s slender, soft waist and pulled her, flushed and breathless, into his embrace, a satisfied laugh escaping his throat.

Perhaps realizing her earlier loss of composure, Xue Bing sat on the edge of the bed with reddened cheeks, fidgeting with her fingers to hide her embarrassment.