Chapter 12, Part 12

“Ye Zi, do you think he came to test me?” After Lan Mingzhang left, Zhang Niu sought out Ye Zi.

The evil dragons, when facing formidable enemies, do not fight the good dragons but instead confront threats from beyond the dragon realm—such as void creatures and dragon hunters. In these moments, Bahamut intervenes to assist. This is why, despite their animosity toward Bahamut, the evil dragons still hold a measure of respect for him.

Fu Nantuo and Bai Ziting gradually closed in, their eyes fierce and unyielding. Their initial target had been Xu Ziling. As swords and blades clashed in a thousandfold dance, Jin Zhengzong was forced back, blood spurting from his mouth. Xu Ziling felt baffled—how could Jin Zhengzong be so weak? What was going on?

Xiang Rusong exhaled in relief. He had worried that the scorching talisman might damage the formation, which would have complicated matters considerably.

“All mechas, intercept that spaceship immediately! Destroy it at all costs!” At this moment, the agile and maneuverable mechas in space combat were the pirate leader’s sole hope.

Lin Lei could clearly see this. After so many lonely years, given her temperament, it had indeed been difficult for her.

As soon as Zhang Tianyou arrived, Bai Zhonghai brightened noticeably. Grabbing Zhang Tianyou’s arm, he said, “Tianyou, perfect timing! Come, come, let’s have a couple of games.” Bai Zhonghai brought out a set of chess pieces and a homemade board.

The older generation of monsters either maintained their own dignity, harbored their own schemes, or remained detached from the world like carefree immortals. When a truly formidable presence appeared before mortals, the godless figures they idolized had to confront genuine god-tier beings.

“Wuwu… I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die! Someone save me…” Soon after, the shouting outside ceased, replaced by sobbing. Facing the threat of death, the slender young man’s psychological defenses had completely collapsed.

Putting aside whether the Meritorious Deed Sect would acknowledge this commission in the future, the current situation made it clear that the imperial court still held the initiative in the Huguang region. The Meritorious Deed Sect could not hope to seize the world; faced with the fierce onslaught of Guan Haishan, even securing a foothold in Huguang was problematic.

Only after sending the distress signal did he feel slightly more at ease, gaining the confidence to disdain Chen Zhongyi.

Xiao Xiao had done nothing during this period, only occasionally coming by to check on his sister, trying to reassure himself. He feared something might happen and wished he could come several times a day.

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Upon learning that Xing Yue had left to search for a spiritual artifact, Nan Xun had intended to accompany her but was refused by Feng Lumo, who insisted on acting as “Mr. Jun.”

Brother Lan immediately replied, “I’m not going, not going. I’m very well, very well indeed. I should be bedridden! Resting properly.” After speaking, Brother Lan promptly lay down to reassure Xiao Xiao so she could leave without worry.

Therefore, this time, giving him a harsh beating to teach him a lesson was sufficient—there was no need to be excessively cruel.

Ximen Yuan was the most excited. He had come with his family’s mission and did not want to return bearing bad news. Now, not only was the bad news gone, but he had tremendous good news to share with his kin.

Even with the overwhelming surge of spiritual energy, his circulation through the microcosm was nearly a hundred to a thousand times more effective than usual, yet it was still insufficient to stabilize his realm and consolidate his cultivation.

“Alright then, friendly. Now, please be honest—what exactly are you here for? An antidote? Don’t say I haven’t developed one yet; even if I had, I wouldn’t give it.” Feng Qiyue spoke earnestly.

The higher one rose among the elites, the less they could shirk responsibility. In such situations, everyone had no choice but to steel themselves and face it head-on.

The clock’s hand ticked incessantly. Xiao Xiao was overwhelmed by a pile of history questions. Closing her eyes, she carefully recalled the answers she had just memorized, utterly exhausted.

Dong Qingye did not shy away and admitted frankly. After all, having traveled this far, there was no chance to return and change anything. By now, Dongfang Huojiu had probably already seen everything.

Meng Yanshan strode briskly behind Ban Fu, and Lan Sheng watched Meng Yanshan’s graceful figure with a smile that dazzled the eyes.

Raising his hand, he steadily caught the hairpin Dong Qingye had flung. Dongfang Huojiu stepped forward gracefully, stopping in front of Dong Qingye with a smile.

Leaning close, he gently kissed the corner of Bai Siyan’s mouth. Dong Qingye’s voice was so tender it seemed to drip with water, even tinged with a sweetness that reached the bone and stirred a shy blush.

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Before Nangong Zhiyin, Bai Siyan had never taken the initiative to attack and thus had no hunting experience. He was not one to entertain such thoughts out of boredom or loneliness. Yet perhaps because he had been so passive, he found himself unable to resist a beauty who actively “threw herself into his arms.”

Yan Ye still remained silent, slowly opening his eyes with a complex gaze fixed upon her.

Shuijing Yue alighted gracefully beside Feng Wushuang. His arrival caused the phoenix clan members to step back cautiously, clearing the way for Feng Wushuang.

After many days of recuperation, Meng Yanshan’s body was almost fully restored. She could move, but her legs felt utterly powerless no matter what.

The most desperate was the middle-aged, mountain-like fat man. The chips in front of him could be roughly estimated at a glance, the largest denomination being fifty thousand, countable by a single slap. The chips worth ten thousand or less were also few, and Ye Xian could clearly see the cold sweat covering his forehead.

With Xiao Canglan’s usual fierce and unyielding spirit, there was no way he would choose to retreat. Without hesitation, he returned the rook to capture the knight.

Previously, Zheng Yunjie had vehemently denounced the harms of land consolidation and criticized the Suzhou prefect, Jiang Wang, for his lack of benevolence. Now that such a scandal emerged, who could trust his words? Was he being manipulated to deliberately frame others?

Qin Fengyi truly did not want to bow to Emperor Jing’an, but thinking of the civilians suffering in the war, she could no longer care about much else.

As for the fourth layer, it divides the forces of yin and yang, transmutes the power of life and death, and condenses the mark of life and death. Once the life-and-death mark forms, Shen Yan’s attack power increases exponentially. The more marks he gathers, the more significant his strength grows.