24. Give an Inch, Take a Mile

The symbol of the throne is a golden butterfly with its head held high. It is hollow inside, containing the nation’s most top-secret scientific research achievements and the keys to decrypting them.

Gu Nianxi leaned against the bedside, watching Gu Zhongting’s sorrowful expression. A wave of heartache washed over her, and she nearly burst into tears.

Xia Mo had just finished eating and was planning to sneak a peek at Murong Heng outside the window, but before she could reach it, she heard Xia Lingyun’s voice.

After being comforted by the princess’s gentle touch and the intoxicating, elegant fragrance that followed, the consort’s mood began to soften.

First, the power of wind from the elder of the Green Dragon clan, and then the return of the family’s lost weapon—these events cemented Qing Cun’s absolute status within the Qing family.

After the initial grief, Yu Haoyang and his two companions became like stars in the heavens to the girls—admired from afar but forever out of reach. Yet, the three young women knew that life had to go on.

Hua Weiluo shut the door in frustration and returned to her room. She peeled off her soaked Taoist robe, changed into clean clothes, and then stood by the door, gazing at the human-skin mask on the table. After a moment of hesitation, she put it back on her face.

Why would she think of this? And yet, how could she not? Guo Zilin had suggested she try to develop a relationship with him. Though she mocked herself inwardly for having neither glass slippers nor a pumpkin carriage, and knowing Qin Xiao sometimes couldn't even be bothered to look at her, she had no choice but to suppress all such thoughts.

Qin Shijin remained silent. Beside him, in equally sweeping, elegant calligraphy, the name Tong An was signed.

There was still some time before dawn—the darkest hour of the night. The city gates were firmly shut, and waves of night-patrolling soldiers marched along the ramparts. Qin Aotian knew without having to think that Yu Hu must be furious and would certainly be doing everything in his power to hunt him down.

The next moment, a handsome, middle-aged man wearing a robe woven from lightning stepped out, appearing as if from the netherworld.

Warned by him, the Mother of Life had already quietly slipped to the edge of the Dark World, ready to strike at any moment.

Young Master Xuanyuan was forced to his knees like a wooden puppet. The wooden table shattered under the impact, and the soup and dishes splashed all over his face and body.

Diles reluctantly brought out these items, looking as if it pained him. These were the best things he could offer as compensation—all related to alchemy, either top-tier tools or rare alchemical potions to assist alchemists.

Gu Hengyang hesitated, noting that the object did not look like an artifact from the recent ancient past. Such a fragmented piece, likely just a corner of a formation plate, seemed useless.

More than a thousand zhang away, on the pitch-black prow of a ship, the young powerhouse of the Star Clan narrowed his deep blue eyes, a flicker of obvious surprise crossing his face. His silver hair danced in the wind, and as he was surrounded by starlight, he appeared both sacred and powerful. He exuded an extremely oppressive aura, causing ripples to spread across the ink-black sea surrounding the hull.

In the hall of the Affairs Department, the chief manager of the Li Yuan Trading Company looked grim. The caravan guards behind him were all wounded, and thick bandages could not hide the pungent scent of blood.

Staying here offered little hope of rescue by the Xiao family, but if they left, where could they go?

Once a plane is conquered, its essence is fundamentally altered. The Undead Plane is one of the supreme planes; conquering it would bring far greater benefits to the Northrend World than conquering hundreds or thousands of ordinary planes.

The gray-robed mage’s tone became noticeably more respectful. After seeing the information about Merlin in the Dark Spirit Ring, he still felt as if he were dreaming, unable to believe what he had seen.

"This... I don't think there is anything else." As he spoke, Old Wang looked toward Hu Yan with a hint of hesitation. He wasn't lying to Wuming, but there were certain things he truly couldn't remember, and he looked to Hu Yan for help so as not to dampen Wuming’s enthusiasm.

Lei Xiu pointed in a direction. He could sense the most intense malice and killing intent coming from the path he indicated; following it would surely lead to the next level of the tomb.

"Don't press too hard, it's very thin." Allen was focused intently on studying the barrier before him when Professor Wagbain’s voice suddenly came from behind him.

The majesty of an Emperor-level powerhouse cannot be offended, let alone when the Holy Emperor is the current Master of the Heavenly Court. As one of the Palace Masters of the Six Royals, Nalan Qingcheng was duty-bound to obey the Holy Emperor’s commands without dissent.

Qing Yun chased after the dancing lightning snakes, as the energy of heaven and earth poured ceaselessly into his body. The aura was indistinguishable from a heavenly tribulation; as he moved, the laws manifested, and the lightning snake acted as a spirit of the tribulation itself. He believed its attacks would be no different from the actual trial of the heavens.

After a while, the bell rang, and everyone returned to their seats, ready to welcome the new teacher.

If there was anyone in the Thirty-Three Heavens capable of suppressing the Holy Son before them, Yuan Chen would be the first to come to mind. After all, the two were often compared, and in the eyes of the Heavenly Lords of the Thirty-Three Heavens, they were evenly matched.

They continued walking for some time until they reached the end of the third tomb chamber, where the entrance to the fourth and final level appeared.

Before Lin Weize could lower his hand from his chest, Li Huiren’s booming voice echoed throughout the entire dormitory.

"Pervert," Zhang Jiao cursed. She truly couldn't understand why men would enjoy such situations; to her, it looked like a monster.

"What? They’ve already been surrounded by the police? Why didn't you report it sooner?" Zhao Hongxin asked, his voice filled with fury.

Xiao Meng felt relieved. It seemed Chai Hua was not seriously injured; otherwise, how could he still be helping someone with the lights?

Gao Jun and his companion exchanged a smile. It seemed the younger generation was quite rational and mature when it came to romance.

He could see that the young man before him didn't have many trump cards, yet he possessed the courage to challenge a veteran like himself—the director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control. This young man was truly extraordinary.

Of course, the fat and thin ones had all collapsed to the ground as well. Why? They were dead drunk. Their brains and limbs no longer obeyed them, and after the fight, they simply fell to the ground and started snoring.

When Ye Meng heard the Holy Son of the Yellow Heaven threatening revenge, he knew this matter could not be resolved peacefully. He secretly channeled his Heavenly Azure Pearl, sending celestial energy coursing through his body. He gripped his Haohong Sword, bracing himself for the unexpected.