117. Farewell (Two-in-One)

October 25th, the season of heavy snow.

A vast expanse of white, meeting the sky, wove a cloak of frost that draped gently over the entire capital. The grand ancestral rites had just concluded; by all accounts, such a scene should have heralded the auspicious promise of a bountiful harvest.

Alas, within the capital prefecture today, every household remained barred and shuttered. Few pedestrians braved the long thoroughfares and imperial roads, and any child who managed to sneak out from their estate was swiftly chased back inside. Standing atop the Duantian Tower and looking down, one could see the white haze falling like rain, the heavy snow filling—

Pop! A flash of electricity crackled across the lightning barrier, as if something had collided with it. "The other side!" Eudora struck out again, and a second barrier manifested in the opposite direction.

Doudou did not even flap his wings, instead diving straight into the molten lava and vanishing from sight, leaving Mingxuan completely stunned and at a loss for what to do.

Stepping back a distance, he planted his feet firmly against the rock wall and let out a low growl. "Blood Shadow Gale Step, full power!" Like a hunting leopard springing upon its prey, his body surged forward after a short burst of acceleration, shooting out from the mid-level cave entrance like a cannonball.

Seeing Tang Xinyu suddenly appear, the wolves running at top speed slammed on the brakes, stopping not far from him. The lead wolf crouched low, baring its sharp fangs.

"I’d feel the same staying here." Cheng Yi was unwilling to leave; with Li Niang pregnant, he could only find peace of mind by remaining by her side every moment.

The food held by Lu Qingyi’s chopsticks fell onto the table. Now, whenever she heard the name "Shen," she grew nervous.

"Are you sure you haven't been stirring up trouble outside?" Madam Shen stepped forward, picking up her stepson’s injured arm to inspect it.

"And what of the Spirit-Gathering Sword? Is it still in the stone cave, or was it taken away by the Immortal?" Mingxuan continued to press.

Having not seen the child for a few days, he seemed different; his face was thinner, but he had grown a bit taller. At this age, children grew with the wind, so it was hardly a strange occurrence.

After being scolded by Long Piaoxue, Long Xiangyu clearly lost his nerve. It was evident that in his eyes, Long Piaoxue was a figure not to be trifled with.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Seeing Kong Hui being handcuffed, Gong Biao was incensed, launching into a furious, head-on verbal assault against the police officer beside him.

The fat old man departed with a rich bounty, setting aside a portion of the ore to share with the Giant clan—one couldn't let them labor for nothing.

Zhang Yan smiled. Had there not been so many hints and warnings, he certainly would have hesitated. In particular, these two warnings seemed to be urging him to consume it as food, yet the more they did so, the more Zhang Yan wanted to see exactly what kind of magical beast lay within.

"How could such a good thing happen without me?" A low rumble of thunder suddenly echoed from the sky, and in the next moment, a lightning-hued figure appeared before everyone’s eyes.

"Ugh." Ma Jianyao could not help but let out a muffled groan, his face contorting in extreme pain. He had faced life and death so many times that injury was a common occurrence, yet never had he been hurt this severely—even one of his hearts had been destroyed. If not for the fact that he possessed two, this single blow would surely have claimed his life.

"It is not this that I worry about, but rather..." As he spoke, Ling Qian’s gaze suddenly hardened. A moment later, one of the Desert Death Puppets rushed toward the mountain peak, completely beyond his control. Just as it was about to touch the peak, the puppet was enveloped in a yellow light; when the light dissipated, the puppet’s form had vanished along with it.

Li Xiaotian dared not be careless and drew the Thunder Punisher. "One hundred thousand volts!" The Thunder Punisher collided violently with the Lion-Man’s tail, and purple electricity surged into the beast's body.

Seeing many people openly engaging in intimate displays of affection, embracing and holding one another, Song Ziyang lightly stroked his chin and shook his head to himself. He believed that many who arrived here first bore the hopes of their families and carried dreams in their hearts; yet, amidst the myriad distractions, it was all too easy to gradually lose oneself in the turbulent collision of this place.