Volume 1, Chapter 21: The Imperial Bath

Everyone was kept outside the formation, watching the so-called "heretics" struggling bitterly within.

He had previously worried that the Desert Rose might be helping Shu Ye against them, but he never expected that Qiu Ruoxuan was the Desert Rose herself. Furthermore, she had taken the initiative to propose an alliance, determined to execute Hua Weiyang and Shu Ye.

Qiu Ruoxuan gently laid Shu Ye onto the bridal bed. The wound at the back of his neck had not yet healed, and a drop of black blood clung to it, looking like a large, raised mole against his fair skin.

Standing aside, Feng Yumin and Ye Tiansheng said nothing, but the expressions on their faces clearly conveyed their thoughts: it was absolutely impossible.

"Reinforcements?" Helan Jun looked at Liu Zimuo. Could she have invited some other expert to come?

His mastery of blade techniques and martial arts, even if not quite on par with his opponent, was not inferior by much.

Han Yong, Yang Fan, and the others all had their own factions as backing, so the secondary peaks assigned to them were naturally not too shabby.

"Boom!" Another rocket hit one of the Humvees. The violent explosion caused the vehicle to jump a few times, but it caused no casualties. Lawrence had clearly spared no expense; these dozen or so vehicles were all equipped with the most advanced bulletproof armor.

Kannai’s expression remained unchanged as he hurried to another gambling table. Those nearby, seeing his movements, parted to clear a path. Some, eager to see the chaos unfold, even clapped and cheered.

Given Kannai’s current status and position, even Yoshikawa Daisei, the Minister of the Shuo Heaven Department, had to come out to receive him with all due respect. Half a day later, the ships set sail once more, with several new faces added to the ranks.

"What did you say?" The Green Snake boss frowned, unsure of what Ye Feng meant.

"I have the map!" Captain Watson ran off immediately, returning a moment later to spread a clearly drawn map across the table.

After receiving the divine empowerment, Xiang Xiong’s cultivation level had not improved—it remained at the fifth rank—but it had become thoroughly consolidated.

Though it was strange to find anyone in such a remote place, the honest driver pulled over immediately to investigate.

Yet, none of the fierce spirits showed any sign of fear; thick swarms of them rushed toward Ye Feng one after another in a suicidal assault.

***

Jian Yu, who had also turned around upon hearing the sound, met Lin Jingchen’s deep, dark pupils with her own eyes, which were filled with rage.

Following the purification of his bloodline, the potency of the Ten-Fold Extinction bloodline within him had increased significantly. Atavistic genes were beginning to manifest, and Lin Wei had acquired the strength and certain physiological structures of the Ten-Fold Extinction itself.

Lin Yu nodded, looking at Bai Qiong with great surprise. Just as the man had said, even the old Nascent Soul monsters knew little of the Black Tower, so how did he know so much? Thinking back on everything the man had told him previously, this Bai Qiong seemed to know everything under the sun.

There were no conditions for registration; anyone who believed they had the strength could sign up.

Annie’s only remaining authority was the skill inherent to the castle spirit: sensing the aura of living creatures within the city.

Qiao Ling'er knew she was never well-liked, but thinking of the only person she felt close to, she realized a rift had formed that could no longer be mended.

Meng Qijue was dragged up, looking utterly bewildered. Meng Qihan stood tall with his arms crossed, and after glancing at the livid Prince Louis, his heart skipped a beat.

And that physician who had played the Fuxi Zither in the Western Xia palace must have made the Western Xia royal family aware of the artifact’s existence. In the future, they would likely participate in the struggle for such divine treasures.

"Hiss!" Gu Shiyi winced at the sharp sting on her lips, but her eyes widened in surprise.

"He is too severely wounded. There is no way for us to save him," the foreigner said in broken Chinese.

Madam Qin thought highly of Li Tianjian and truly did not want to wrong him, lest he develop ill feelings toward the Qin family.

Taohua walked over and pressed against the wall, causing the fairy lights on the princess tent to flicker on, shimmering beautifully.

She planned to produce three seasons of "Journey to the West," with fifteen episodes each. Fearing a lapse in interest that might cause the audience to forget Qianhe Entertainment, she decided to strike while the iron was hot.

"Are you sure you can handle this? Basketball is my specialty!!!" Shen Shiyue said this with a hint of superiority.

Additionally, there was the one million dollars obtained at that time; of course, it was unclear when the reward from the Huaxia Guardian Alliance would be issued.

***

The two brothers who went upstairs were also bewildered. What exactly was going on? The brothers who were retreating began to hold secret consultations.

Holding a jade flute, draped in red robes, drifting above the vast, misty waters, he gazed into the depths of the white fog. Qi Xuanyi sat cross-legged before the painting of the Xiaoxiang Fairy, circulating his primordial spirit to project it into the profound imagery of the scroll.

He first assessed the situation in the hallway; men in black were everywhere, and none of his other companions had escaped.

The flames on the second level were orange. Those cultivating or refining weapons here had cultivation levels "slightly higher" than those on the outer rim—but only just slightly.

Having said that, she threw the beef given to her by Long Baiyu into the trash bin, cut off a large new piece, and bit into it viciously.

An hour later, Qi Xuanyi returned on time and took out the Immortal Wave Jade. The jade was blue, pure, and flawless. The moment it appeared, it condensed a peaceful and pure power that calmed the mind and spirit.

After entering the internal world of the Mountain and River Map, Long Qichen found himself in an ancient forest.

However, despite his fear, Zhuo Bu forced himself not to retreat. Mainly because Lin Meimei was there, and even if he were to be beaten, he refused to lose face in front of her.

With a fit of coughing, Xiao Gucheng spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes slowly opening.

Long Qichen followed the sound and saw Lin Kexin, which made him feel somewhat helpless. This Lin Kexin was truly a "natural socialite," capable of "striking up a conversation" with anyone.

Taking the magazine with surprise and examining it, Li Zicheng instantly understood the reason: this was a double-stack, single-feed magazine, which was notoriously difficult to load.

"...Cancel the pretext of attacking Yuan, lay down arms, repent bitterly, and apologize to the world. If you persist in your prejudices, you will be gambling with the lives and property of the people of Jiangsu, violating the public will of the entire nation, and will be declared the public enemy of Jiangsu."