Volume 1, Chapter 24: A Meeting of Minds, Colluding in Shadows

Shen Qiqi, however, paid no heed to Tang Tang’s words, her gaze fixed instead on Han Ying as he prepared to leave. With the girl away at the border all these days, he had been left alone in this Qinglan Courtyard, inevitably feeling a sense of solitude. Though, unable to bear the longing, he had even made a trip there himself halfway through.

The next moment, Yun Yiyi opened the door, took the items from the servant, and closed it once more.

The young physician immediately pressed a finger to his lips, making a "hush" gesture, a smile still lingering on his face.

Luo Wanxin had appeared to ignore Yun Yiyi’s presence, but as the girl’s voice faded, her dull, bloodshot eyes seemed to shift, as if reacting to the sound.

Sima Zhen and Sima Xie rose abruptly. Exchanging a glance, they both immediately headed toward the Emperor’s tent.

Yun Feng was completely bewildered, yet he still brought the items to the bedside. The device connecting them lit up, accompanied by a faint surge of electrical current.

Chu Luowei looked up at Chu Wei, clinked his glass against the other’s, and downed the red wine in a single gulp.

Whether to save the mother or the child was not for her to decide. Before entering, the housekeeper had instructed that both must be kept safe; otherwise, she would never be allowed to leave this manor.

The Zhuxian Sword returned to its scabbard, tucked casually into Bai Fan’s belt. Bai Fan looked around with the fierce gaze of a tiger, his expression calm as the killing intent on his body gradually subsided.

Yuan Zheng conceived a plan: he could likely have this middle-aged man inquire about the whereabouts of any Heavenly Demon Sect scouts on his behalf.

Lin Xixi stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Such a stroke of good fortune? Surely this couldn't be a scam?

"Then I shall go with you," Mu Ran said after some thought. Since it concerned Nie Yun’s affairs, there was no changing the situation now.

"Don't worry. Here, take this—the medicinal herbs for your bath. Grandfather said you must not interrupt the treatment." With that, Nangong Yulu produced the wrapped herbs and handed them to Yazhi.

One shouldn't be fooled by Xiao Yan; though he wouldn't act coy, his skin was actually much thinner than Lin Yi’s.

The old man had just finished a bowl of belt-wide noodles and was planning to go to sleep when a knock came at the door.

Yuan Zheng sensed that this elder possessed no martial cultivation. Without hesitation, he unleashed a whip kick, sending the elderly prince crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

Yuan Shu had never imagined that shortly after Emperor Xian, Liu Xie, was poisoned, his former subordinate Sun Jian would send someone to deliver the Imperial Jade Seal. From the pre-Qin era to the present, to establish a dynasty, one needed not only to unify the world but also to receive the Mandate of Heaven to become the Son of Heaven. One of the ways Heaven bestowed this mandate was through the Imperial Jade Seal.

He understood the reason for Gu Wei’s anxiety, for she had once struggled within the clutches of those kidnappings, trapped time and again in dangers that were difficult to escape.

Zhou Sisi had already agreed, and Ye Yiren had no choice but to accompany her into the shop. Zhou Sisi was a foodie and could never resist the temptation of delicious food.

Within Xianyang City, various factions were secretly competing, and undercurrents continued to surge.

Having fought their way through, it could be said that few Ghost Sovereigns managed to withstand more than a few moves against them.

Joy appeared on everyone’s faces as they laughed. Liu Zong, clearly pleased, bowed repeatedly in return.

After Xu Leidong returned to the Immortal City, news of the nine missing apprentices spread. In such a vast city, there were only nine apprentices to begin with, and the news naturally caused a massive stir.

Shen Ning suddenly raised her voice, her face flushing bright red. Her intense expression left Shen Hongmin astonished and incredulous.

"Girl, didn't you just make such a compelling argument? Why the change of heart?" Situ Shaochong feigned injury.

Lu Ming thought for a moment and called Wang Faquan again, but after a long while, there was still no answer. He began to understand: Wang Faquan must be avoiding him, perhaps realizing that the call concerned Fang Xianzhao, which in turn made things awkward.

However, seeing the crestfallen look on these two fellows, Ye Qing, who had been hoping to cultivate them into capable subordinates, found himself in a dilemma. Suddenly, his expression shifted as he carefully sensed the message transmitted back by his primordial spirit avatar.

Moreover, those who remained in the God Valley lived a life of incredibly dull cultivation; naturally, they would not miss such a grand event, and many who had been in seclusion for over a decade emerged to watch.

As for the experts of the demon race, they knew all too well what the final outcome would be if they were to make an enemy of Lin Yi.

"Even so, you must die." Ignoring them entirely, Luo Chen moved his hands and slowly brought them together.

Only then did the crowd notice Meng Tai’s face was pale and his lips bruised; he had been biting his lower lip so hard since a moment ago that he had drawn blood.

"Kill? What are you killing? You really are like ungrateful dogs biting Lü Dongbin! Let’s see who dares to come up!" Ye Feng raised his hand, his Qingling Sword pointing from afar at the brawny merman who led them.

If he hadn't heard with his own ears that Sima Ji wanted his head, he would have considered bowing his head for now, silently gathering strength for a change in fortune, perhaps even staging a comeback. Thinking of the sturdiness of Ye City, Sima Yong felt it wasn't impossible to put up a fight; if he could hold out for a while, other vassal kings might send troops, allowing him to turn defeat into victory.

But because there were no clues to begin with, they had no choice but to start by searching for a needle in a haystack.

Jiang Bai possessed the Blade of Destruction; once its power was unleashed, it could suppress most peak Emperors. Even someone as peerless as the Wushuang Emperor had died under this blade.

It had been a long time since he slept in a dormitory, and the familiar smell of feet kept him tossing and turning all night.

"Ha, the Angel Kingdom? Very well, I understand. I’ll call you when I get there," Lin Yi said to Hua Siming.

Filled with ominous demonic energy and distinct patterns, a massive palm print containing the power to topple mountains and drain seas pressed down fiercely. Though less flashy than the previous display and lacking in refined martial arts wisdom, its focus on raw power and energy was equally extraordinary.

Perhaps in a few years, perhaps a year, or perhaps in a matter of months, the second wave of visitors from the outer realms would visit the human world.

Fortunately, Xiang Yang had ulterior motives, so he worked tirelessly, setting out under the stars and galloping eight hundred miles to the Yijian Sect. In the great hall, before the masters of the sect, he struck Chu Qi down in one move like a dead dog and locked him in the dungeon of the Dingzhou Divine Catcher Gate.

There, in the void, an opening appeared out of thin air, and cold, ghostly winds blew through it, forming a vortex that swept down toward the earth.