Volume One, Chapter 40: Grasp His Hand

As for the two young men, bound as they were, there was little they could do. Their mouths stuffed with rags, they could only manage a few muffled cries.

Ever since Qin Yan had invoked the Self-Sacrifice Technique, the outcome of this struggle was never in doubt. In fact, it could no longer even be called a battle; “toying with them” would be a more apt description.

“Now, allow me to perform ‘Illusory Music of the City’ for you all,” Wen Qingcheng said, setting the guqin before her and sitting cross-legged.

In truth, by the waning days of the Immortal Realm, the Celestial Emperor of Tongtian had secluded himself for so long that his existence had become almost irrelevant to the fate of the world.

The skirmish between Phil, Olga, and the others had come to a halt. Olga’s party, visibly relieved, quickly distanced themselves from Phil, who simply gazed toward the source of the flickering light—until, all of a sudden, a hazy figure materialized before him.

He had barely finished speaking to me when, upon my arrival at Fallen Shaman City, I uncovered your involvement. So tell me, shouldn’t I immediately conclude that you’re from the Deathshade Clan? And do you really think we’re unaware of everything you and your brother have done to us?

“Maybe, in the chaos, we accidentally stepped on it and buried it under the snow,” Alice’s subordinate, Shaq, guessed.

Olga only knew that “His Highness the Demon Spirit” had spent three full days at the Pool of Origins before reappearing. After checking on the tasks he’d assigned, he once again set out for the Void at the 999th level of the Demon Palace.

Upon hearing this, Wang Gu and the Demon Lord looked in confusion at Wang Hao. After all, Wang Hao had entrusted the jade talisman, which showed how much he valued that person. But now that the talisman was shattered, it was unlikely that the one he’d given it to had fared any better.

Li Jing’s words were undeniably harsh. She treated Li He as if he were crippled, and though they might all know the reason for his injury, their eagerness to see me and Xiao Ran together made them act this way.

At that moment, Ren Jing simply stood in place, arms hanging limply, as blood from Sun Chi dripped steadily from the tip of the tiger-head blade. The entire street was eerily silent, all eyes following the arrogant procession of the Azure Dragon’s party.

The forest fell into a hush. Only a few, lost in dreams, would now and then let out a foolish giggle.

Because the incantation was none other than the summons for the Ninefold Divine Thunder—a force that could sweep away all evil spirits, reaching from the highest heavens to the deepest netherworld.

There could be no doubt that the events in Lian City had caused quite a stir, but the arrival of Jin Nian’s long letter doubled that commotion.

“I—I quit,” Xia Xiaoxiao stammered, voicing exactly what I was thinking. She stood up, flustered. The situation had crossed far beyond her limits; this was never part of her original plan.

From Xiao Ran’s perspective, I felt that Li He’s actions were indeed inappropriate. No matter what, he should not have tried to force Xiao Ran.

That afternoon, during the homeroom period, our teacher announced that a new student would be joining our class the next day. Rumor had it this transfer student was a top scholar returning from overseas, and the teacher beamed as if she’d found a treasure, clearly delighted at the prospect of boosting our class’s admission rate.

Minute by minute, the once-murky river gradually cleared. No further explosions came from the epicenter. After waiting a while to ensure safety, Yu Fei finally inched closer, preparing to investigate.

He had doubted his instincts, but years of battle-hardened experience told him his suspicions were justified. This thought made him all the more cautious.

“If I don’t help you expel the poison, you’ll be dead within six steps,” Zhuan Sunji tried earnestly to persuade Qin Qianjue.

“Did the reporting eunuch mention who the princess saw before she was poisoned?” Qin Qianjue and Zhuan Sunji sat face-to-face.

Moreover, the reason Haotian became entangled in this matter was because of the message I had sent. Had I not sent that message, Haotian would never have killed anyone.

Feihu’s face flushed hot with embarrassment. Wang Qian clearly knew what they’d been up to—a bit humiliating, to say the least.

Lost in reverie, Feihu drifted off to sleep, forgetting even to turn off the lamp. Fatigue from the past few days let him sleep soundly and sweetly.

After several more rounds of fierce fighting, exhaustion overtook the group. Still, they’d managed to leave a series of bloody gashes along the serpent’s body, each wound occasionally spouting foul, stinking blood.

The powerful laxatives Mo Xiaoran had bought made Mo Qiuyu’s stomach cramp painfully. Soaked through, she didn’t even have time to change clothes, forced to cower in the latrine, her pretty face twisted with anger and shame. She could even sense the gloating looks of the servants lingering just outside.

Shi Yun maintained his shield of vital energy, deflecting the rain of arrows. The shafts that struck him simply fell to the ground. As long as his shield held, he was unharmed. “Just wait till I charge in there—I’ll make those archers pay! Filthy ants, how infuriating,” Shi Yun fumed.

As soon as their leader Zhao Sen appeared in the team chat, every member of the Blazing War God Expeditionary Army immediately focused on the channel.

All the while, she twisted about, underscoring her resolve—it was far more than just a casual statement.

Today was a true lull. Last night, Yang Mu tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep until about three in the morning, when he finally made up his mind.

Gao Zijian gazed at me with deep, brooding eyes, his right hand clenched in obvious dissatisfaction. Suddenly, someone rushed up beside me. I turned and saw Liu Meiting had burst onto the scene.

And so, the Sect of Severance suffered another resounding defeat, this time utterly routed. Its disciples were either killed or taken, and only the Sect Leader of Tongtian remained—a solitary commander, eventually taken back to the mountain gate by his own master, the Ancestor Hongjun.

After enduring hardship for so long, being able to enjoy a good meal was like wolves spotting fresh meat—their eyes practically glowed green with hunger.

Some people take years to master a craft, while others achieve the same in mere months or even days. Such is the unfairness of fate.