Chapter 40: Invitation for Submission from *Zhongshan*

However, fewer than three hundred powerful beings survived this epic battle, and among them, dozens suffered irreversible, severe injuries, with no hope of ever returning to the Sanctuary in this lifetime.

With a loud roar, Yang Fan turned around under everyone's gaze and walked straight up to the members of the Tianshantai Sect and Panyun Mountain. Upon arriving, Yang Fan glanced over and noticed that the Tianshantai contingent seemed to be led solely by Zhao Xuanying. Aside from her, the rest were merely ordinary disciples of the sect, with no elders accompanying them.

Yu Youwei wore a helpless expression. She couldn't even bear to make her stinky Qin Tian kneel on a durian, yet her son suggested it with such a clear conscience.

Panic flickered across the faces of several cardinals. The Pope rarely discussed such matters openly; these were usually handled through private conversations, followed by arrangements that preserved everyone's dignity.

However, considering that Xiao Tie's strength was merely at the Emperor realm and he was still quite young, she dismissed the thought, leaning instead toward the possibility that it was accumulated wealth left by his elders.

Only then did Shi Yurong pour out her misery. She had been suffering from this illness for three whole years, and the relentless pain and torment had driven her to weep secretly in solitude day after day.

"Well, though it isn't fundamentally a grand formation..." At these words, Yang Fan formed a mysterious hand seal with his left hand, executing a series of swift, fluid motions to cast a channeling spell.

By this time, all the elders and disciples within the Canglan Sect had reached a unified consensus: regardless of whether it was a trap, they had to go and rescue Xiang Nantian.

"With something like this happening, how could I possibly not come? Haha, if I hadn't had the foresight to secretly swap out and spirit away my dear father-in-law ahead of time, I believe we wouldn't be holding a routine meeting right now, but rather a memorial service!" Chen Ling said, half-serious and half-joking.

A-Qiang lay on the rocking chair, snoring from time to time, the key hooked on his index finger swaying gently to the rhythm of his breathing.

Shen Linxian was hardly in the mood to enjoy fine food. Although the dishes on the table were exceptionally appetizing, she only managed a few hasty bites before bidding farewell to Shen Tianhao and leaving.

Though they had parted only a few days ago, Tian Ze felt as though they hadn't seen each other in years. Compared to when he last left, both Tian Huaien and Tang Xiuxiu had undergone dramatic changes. First, their hair had shifted from grayish-white to a glossy black; second, their once-sagging skin had begun to tighten up noticeably.

Naturally, when her locked-in facial features attempted to smile, the expression became somewhat distorted and rather ugly—a description that fit Gu Xi at this exact moment.

Although Ao Qing maintained a calm expression and outward composure, he was, in truth, inwardly ecstatic.

Even though Otoha concealed it well, Himeko had spent over a decade with her and naturally knew all her little quirks inside out.

The price was set by Shen Ji. To him, the wine wasn't particularly expensive, as most of its value lay in the enhancement process.

Immediately afterward, a handsome, dashing man walked in, dressed impeccably in a silver-gray suit and looking extremely sharp.

With the first lunar month behind them, Shen Weiguo and the others returned to school. Since Shen Weiguo was set to take the college entrance examination this year, his academic workload became much heavier once the term began. Even so, he insisted on coming home every single day.

The reason Lin Yang refrained from using thunder magic and sword-control techniques was to preserve his magical power to deal with Cihang Pudu's true form.

Could she have fallen ill? A trace of doubt flashed through Tian Ze's mind as he walked over to Zhou Yu's desk and reached out to touch her forehead.

He knew the caliber of his chief of staff and staff officers all too well, so Wang Jiaben pinned his hopes on Wang Liang, hoping the latter could broaden their perspective.

There were all sorts of nameless, exotic fruits: some crystal-clear like glazed glass, others resembling agate, boasting a dazzling array of colors. Every single fruit emanated an intoxicating aura and was rich in elemental energy—the absolute favorite of elemental warriors.

Holding the primordial wondrous measuring ruler, Li Xiaofeng watched as the Chaos Bell, which had expanded to a colossal size in a split second, came crashing down to suppress him. The ruler in his hand likewise grew to immense proportions, slashing toward the Chaos Bell like a gigantic saber.

As the two were speaking, the Celtics had already completed their offensive possession, but Kanter's shot failed to find the mark.

As if eager to dispel the melancholy that had festered in his heart for days—for Zhu Di had indeed been deeply depressed as his army faced setback after setback upon reaching this territory, and now confronted an even graver crisis, from scouts being continuously assassinated to their supply lines being severed, leaving a force of one hundred thousand soldiers trapped and stonewalled here without ever having fought a true battle against the enemy—

On the other hand, a vast number of the Empire's vital scientific research institutions were relocated to hidden stellar sectors, leaving behind empty outer shells specifically designed to lure in interstellar spies.

However, if the Empire's main force remained permanently bogged down in the Canis Major galaxy, the Empire would have no spare strength to occupy the surrounding systems, ultimately repeating the path of World War II Japan and being slowly dragged down by this quagmire.

In truth, Wang Liang would have loved to take the artillery company and the tank company with him as well, but it was far too cumbersome, requiring them to cross mountains and ridges, making movement exceedingly inconvenient.

"Monster defenses cleared, let's go in!" In the time it took to speak, Fang Xiao had finished his task, Lu Rao had arrived, and the two of them stepped directly into the East Dragon Pass.

This was a causality-level ability that instantly altered all superpower users across the entire world. Even if Ye Shiedao were to be resurrected, it was impossible for him to retain all elements, and whether his ability would still remain [King Who Rules Over All Things] was uncertain.

If Guan Fan were genuinely bitten by a dog, not only would this marriage alliance fall through, but probably very few families in the capital could withstand the Guan family's fury—a fact that both Mo Qian and Guan Fan understood well.

Regardless of whether Princess Jinling's words were merely a gesture of appeasement and winning favor, they stemmed from genuine goodwill. Having endured cold glares in the Jiang household for years, she was naturally moved when someone suddenly considered her interests.

"I think Fuji-senpai probably has a higher chance of winning, right?" Having witnessed the power of Fuji's sixth counter, Momoshiro decisively leaned toward Fuji; after all, they had experienced the strength of the peak second boundary much more acutely.

Clearly, within this game, the Tirisfal faction represented the forces of righteousness, while the Burning Legion stood for evil.

Meanwhile, a massive roar echoed over the Westfalenstadion as Borussia Dortmund fans supporting the national team expressed their gratitude in this manner for Lü Liang's contributions to the club over the past few years.