Volume 1, Chapter 40: Huo the Provocateur Goes Online! Making a Love Rival Question Reality

Luo Yufei’s face turned a deathly shade of pale, his body trembling uncontrollably as he stared at Li Zhichen. "You poisoned me!" Li Zhichen’s long sword swept past the two of them, his momentum unabated after dispatching Luo Yufei. With a deft flick of his blade, a sharp hiss cut through the air, carving a bloody gash across the back of the Master of Shanyan Temple.

Jiang Yuxuan was utterly exhausted. He collapsed to the ground, his strength completely spent, and drifted into unconsciousness.

Li Jingfeng said nothing, but her brother, Qi Huan, gasped in shock, a cold sweat instantly breaking out across his back.

A moment later, Qiu Chen withdrew his divine sense, his expression clouded with confusion; he had found nothing unusual within Wang Fan’s body.

Seeing the situation, the leader of the men in black shouted, "That dog of an emperor has brought the Heaven-ranked guards! Retreat!" With that, he led the way in a frantic escape.

The team had arrived in Room 518 well ahead of schedule. Long Jianfei had already set up surveillance points; as a professional in this field, he knew exactly where to place them to avoid drawing attention while simultaneously evading counter-surveillance.

"It is not necessarily me who is courting death," Jiang Yuxuan declared. He swung the God-Striking Whip in his hand; the long lash coiled like a dragon and whipped directly toward the ancestor of the Yan family.

Amidst the silence, Zi Han let out a long sigh. She glared at Chu Tianhe but never dared to expose him as the one who had once held the Emperor’s sword in the ruined city; deep down, she harbored a lingering fear of him.

There was no time to worry about this creature now; as long as it didn’t make a scene, all would be well. Strangely enough, ever since it had started following him, it had never made a noise without reason. It seemed to possess a surprising degree of sentience.

"In this lake, I go where I please. Do you understand?" Li Zhichen asked. The dragon replied hurriedly, "I understand, I understand." It opened its snout slightly, beginning to slowly absorb the Formless Flowing Pearl. Some of the white light radiating from the pearl was also drawn in by the dragon.

After the old man departed, they discussed the matter further. The consensus was that this city-state did not welcome their presence—a sentiment they could understand, given the formidable power of their enemies.

From her interactions with Mu Yunchun, she could tell that the woman was not someone lacking in intellect.

***

The hundreds of burly men were visibly stunned by Xu Shi’s display, yet his prestige had been deeply rooted in their minds over these long years, and their trust in him was absolute. After a moment of hesitation, led by Wang Yu and Meng Zhan, they all knelt on the ground, chanting "My Lord" in an endless chorus.

Inside the spiritual barrier, the four of them were pale, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat, their eyes filled with despair.

Seeing Zhong Qinghe looking so jubilant, the others couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity, desperate to know just how great his gains had been.

Lü Tianming was speechless. He saw no point in pressing further; given the artifact spirit's discernment, its judgment surely held some merit.

Although everyone present possessed decent cultivation, the Sin Bead stung sharply upon impact. No one wanted to take such a hit for nothing, yet they were too embarrassed to destroy the bead, so they followed Master Yuan San’s lead and batted it away in other directions.

A sensation of numbness, followed by a chill, and then an intense heat—a refreshing cycle of ice and fire. Zhang Shaofei felt as if his body had received some profound benefit; the energy that had been void for one hundred thousand years was rapidly restoring itself, while a mysterious essence seeped into his very marrow.

Liao Xi ascended the city walls and began to beat the massive war drums. The thunderous sound struck terror into the hearts of the Yellow Turban rebels and greatly bolstered the morale of the government troops.

This was the awkward reality of playing the hero Gnar in team fights: his Rage was difficult to control, and during his transformation, he was easily kited and avoided by opponents.

"Brother, are you saying the police station arrested him, but handed him over to Yuan Chao halfway?" Wang Bo asked, clearly surprised.

After that, the two chatted for a while longer, finished their meal, and parted ways, each returning to their own estate.

Moreover, with the countless cultivation experiences Ye Feng had accumulated, stepping into the Spirit Soul Realm was more than feasible. Once he endured the trials of Heavenly Wind and Thunder Fire, he would immediately ascend to the highest reaches of the Spirit Soul Realm.

As the names on the scroll shifted, numbers began to appear beside many of them. At first, there were only a few, but slowly, the number of such entries grew.

***

Cultivating the techniques of the Blood Refining Sect had to be done in secret; one never dared to let a soul know. Who would have thought that Xiao Min was actually practicing such forbidden arts?

It was another grueling night. His physical body had not yet absorbed enough energy, and his vital essence was already depleted, forcing him to halt his cultivation.

Li Xueqing sat at her desk, organizing files. A pair of round-rimmed glasses rested on her high bridge of her nose, and her large eyes were fixed on Zhang Xiao.

In the void, Ye Feng’s long sleeves fluttered as he and Zhang Shen gazed into the distance. About three thousand miles away, on the desolate earth, a square, pitch-black demon city spanning a hundred miles stood like a colossal monster, looming over the land and cowing all other demonic creatures in the region.

"Hahaha, not bad! My Undying Flame burned for three days and three nights. Not only did I trade for the ring, but I also gained quite a few levels," Huang Zhaoyan laughed.

How could Blake not understand Lei Yi’s intentions? Lei Yi wanted to distract Yixie, giving Gaia time to escape.

Liu Bei turned back and glared sternly at Zhang Fei. "Third brother, speak no more! The officials of Youzhou must have their reasons. Besides, we are currently at war; where would Youzhou find the funds and grain to reward us?" Zhang Fei snorted, crossed his arms, and turned his head away.

Yet, in the heart of an emperor, perhaps nothing is more important than the empire itself. And so, even after ascending to that throne, he still found himself compelled to place her on the seat of the Empress.