Chapter 25

Fang Yanqing watched as Old Madame Wei focused intently on her scroll, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks as she lowered her head in embarrassment. Behind her, Qing’er’s expression darkened; how could the girl’s own mother speak such biting and malicious words? It was truly detestable.

Yu Zhaoyan tapped her on the head. Though it didn’t hurt, the suddenness of the gesture caught her off guard, giving her a start.

Border conflicts between the cities of Nisia and Rheasse had been constant lately, and it was rumored that the situation was only escalating. Compared to the Folen world, this realm was significantly larger, but for that very reason, its planar barrier was shrouded in a thick layer of colorful mist, completely blocking Zhou Mingyue’s prying gaze.

"Is it really necessary to say it explicitly? Wouldn't that be a bit redundant?" Fang Yanqing asked, feeling conflicted. Putting it into words felt strange no matter how she thought about it.

It became clear at once: the burly man before them possessed no weak martial arts and held the advantage of his massive frame.

William couldn't be certain whether it was a soul fragment or a synthetic soul. He hoped he could use Occlumency to erase the memories of his past life and evade the Sorting Hat’s detection.

Seeing this, Jessica and I were surprised to discover that behind this terrifying story, there seemed to be additional records attached.

In the end, even she hadn't expected to be able to threaten the monarch of a nation, but having already done so, she resolved to see it through to the end.

Suddenly, a flash of red light illuminated the scene, and a figure resembling a dwarf in purple robes appeared before them.

Their concern stemmed from two places: one was genuine kindness, while the other was, quite simply, a fear of losing money.

"Brother Yao, your collection of jade is so rich! It must have been difficult to find these supply sources," Fang He exclaimed as he looked at the diverse array of jade stones.

To possess such strength yet remain hidden within the Li family, content to serve as an insignificant green-robed retainer—it was truly baffling.

***

Brett was dead, pierced by the inner jaw of the Xenomorph. Dallas had gone missing; he had intended to use a flamethrower to clear the vent of the alien, but instead, his escape route was cut off.

"Could it be that this man’s martial arts have reached the pinnacle, returning to the simplicity of nature?" Guo Jing wondered, unable to recover from his shock for a long time.

"I was originally doing live streams outside, but my grandparents haven't been well lately, so I came back. Later, I realized streaming here is also quite good, so I stayed. I remember you were studying at university in Rongcheng, right? Why did you suddenly return to record monsters?" Zhou Ke asked, having not seen Fang He for quite some time.

Li Qingmo’s aura remained as chilling as ever, but what surprised Lin Yu was that his cultivation had reached the Great Luo realm, and his blood energy was even more potent than before.

The old guard at the base had long sought to collaborate with Feng Hanxiao, Qi Lang, and the others. Had it not been for the brothers Luo Hao assassinating a large number of them, the base would have likely been under the control of Feng Hanxiao’s faction long ago.

The ground shuddered violently as two craters were smashed into it. The two men lay inside, wailing and daring not to cause any more trouble.

Shen Zhiyou was unusually excited all night. She negotiated with Gu Ye, insisting that since she was now a working woman, her physical training would have to be put on hold.

Young Master Zhao listened to the chaotic noise in the main hall, feeling a sense of shamed anger. If this blew up, what would become of his reputation?

The horizon turned a pale, fish-belly white. A faint, rosy hue bled from the mountains, gradually spreading across the sky and accompanied by the crowing of roosters and the barking of dogs.

How could the new monarch break through the encirclement and seize power from the three Empresses? Xia Wang had pondered this, but based on everything he knew, achieving it would be incredibly difficult.

Even though Chu Ling did not want an Imperial Tutor, he seemed unable to do anything but follow orders for now. He had been enthroned for several days, yet he had not even seen a single memorial.

The withered Daoist in tattered robes slowly sat cross-legged on the rugged ground, seemingly unbothered by the sharp stones that would have caused any ordinary person agony.

At the critical moment, a fire-red fox descended from the sky, landing beside her and whipping its tail to send her relentless pursuers flying.

What left me speechless, however, was how easily she entered a state of deep meditation, remaining motionless for half a day!

***

Suddenly, rhythmic cries of agony echoed through the street, causing many passersby to turn and stare.

As the man writhed in pain, he was flipped over, only to find himself staring into the face of a youth whose expression was terrifyingly calm.

Qin Yin let out a violent cough and instinctively pressed his hand to his chest, then froze in stunned silence.

"My dear Ming, I have given you my body and my heart. If you betray me, then I—I and the child will only be able to return our souls to the underworld."

Why would he say such things? Lin Caiwei felt a headache forming. She pressed a hand to her forehead, wondering if Huang Ze had lost his mind and was spouting nonsense, or if there was another reason entirely.

Fu Chun scanned the soldiers; the local troops were heavily wounded, their blood-stained clothes torn to shreds in the harsh light.

The battlefield was already constricted by the "Cage of Flesh and Blood," and the two blood-palms manifested by Ning Baizhou locked off the space for maneuver on both sides.

Ao Wen let out a long howl in the deep sea, and countless underwater creatures displayed submissive and docile expressions. Even the notoriously ferocious sharks dared not show any aggression, each appearing timid and obedient.

Yet, deep inside, he could only sigh. Even if he weren't languishing in despair, what could he possibly do?

He picked up the manual on dual cultivation from beside him and flipped through it carefully. He no longer felt the intense, unbearable shame he had experienced when he first laid eyes on the illustrations of the techniques.

So-called merit is not earned without reward. Without talent or ability—especially for someone like Mu Mu, who had seemingly appeared out of thin air—it was impossible for anyone to truly respect you.