Volume One, Chapter 54: Shen Ruzhi and Her Aunt Are Strikingly Alike

In truth, I prefer you to keep your distance from me, though I’m not sure if I should say it aloud… Su Ling mused inwardly.

Yet her future mother-in-law paid no heed to her grievances or sadness, seeming to care only for her son, Lu Qianqi.

This realization was more than Tian Li could bear. In her anger, she gave the befuddled Lu Qianqi a fierce shove, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

Bai Xiaobing was the first to make a move. After exchanging a few blows with Cheng Shouxiang, the dozens of people behind Cheng finally reacted, each raising their spears and charging at Bai Xiaobing.

The stele that had narrowly reached Yu Zhen was once again reduced to a cloud of black smoke by the crimson light from the Blood Clan’s Sacred Ring, then absorbed by the blood-red barrier into the Sacred Ring itself.

But a physical body rarely needs two souls—anything more would be wasteful. Perhaps Yuan Wuji would use the second soul to forge a second body, one entirely his own.

Zhi Xia was puzzled by her sudden insistence. Madam Wang was a dispensable presence; though she did what she could to serve Nan Huaike after coming to the prince’s mansion, she was never tasked with anything heavy or troublesome. She was simply passing her days in leisure and comfort. Why, then, did it have to be her today?

Your Highness, consider how much time, effort, and resources it would take to cultivate a network of spies like these. If they are all eliminated in one fell swoop, Bohai’s losses will be far from recoverable in a mere year or two.

“Cousin? Didn’t you say you had something important to tell me…” Su An’s words were cut short as Cheng Tianyu glanced meaningfully at the person beside him.

The restaurant opened on the eve of the New Year, and the city of Shixiang was awash with advertisements for New Year’s Eve dinners. In these times, most families still preferred to celebrate at home, cooking and gathering with their loved ones rather than dining out. Yet, for various reasons, there were families who simply could not eat at home.

Though he could not attend in person, lurking in the shadows and observing the proceedings promised its own amusement—perhaps even a broadened perspective.

Du Guye was also surprised—he couldn’t quite fathom Lin Tian’s intentions with this move. He held his breath and shifted aside, dodging as Lin Tian hurled himself forward. Their bodies missed each other by a hair’s breadth.

Lin Ying asked in delighted surprise, but in that moment, her thoughts turned involuntarily to Lin Yang, that mysterious figure who had vanished without a trace.

Liu Ling walked quietly to his seat and sat down, gazing at the familiar scene before him, one he had already experienced once before.

The reason this criminal force played such a long game was that, in the Divine Bird Empire, there was a secret legend of a supreme-grade divine bird. Yet the highest rank ever bestowed by the Sacred Spring of Deification was first grade, and so no one had ever seen such a creature.

With that, he vaulted onto his mount—well, onto his tiger—and sped away, leaving Lin Ying to eat his dust.

Lin Tian spoke coldly, sitting atop the tree’s crown. His heavy Blackwater Broadsword was already sheathed across his back, allowing him a moment to recuperate his strength.

“Is that so?” Fang Li hadn’t spoken yet, but Guo Ping piped up. He was indeed a Daoist disciple sent into the world for tempering, and after more than ten years, there was little he didn’t know.

The previously calm Heavenly Lake was suddenly roiled by violent waves. With a great splash, a huge head emerged from the water, throwing back and unleashing a furious roar that shook the heavens.

“My friend, I would swear a blood oath and become your sworn brother. As long as you don’t kill me, I’ll give you whatever you desire,” Wang Hu tried another ploy.

“Uh, Young Master Jun, are you really all right?” Mo Xi looked at him with deep skepticism, as if to say, “You expect me to believe that?”

Marshal Hou Batian received Chen Yi’s highest directive and at once led the Sacred Mecha Corps toward the New Capital. His orders were clear: save the city at any cost.

A crack appeared—then widened, and soon the whole thing split in two and shattered completely.

The students were in the midst of a heated discussion, each one indignant and dissatisfied with the homeroom teacher’s actions.

Everyone listened intently. Even Hong Hao had stopped his wailing, as if he had picked up on something.

Ye Tingmo leaned against the podium, fiddling with her phone. She sent another post to Yin Ruojun's social feed, then, bored, decided to look up information on the homeroom teacher.

Fang Xing spoke again, then waved his hand. A golden light scattered from his palm, striking the barrier before him. With a gentle sound, the barrier dissolved and the pillar of light faded, restoring calm to all things.

“Ye Tingyu, come and sit here, duck,” Mo Xi called out to Ye Tingyu with a friendly wave.

In the pitch-dark room, Yin Ruojun groped around for a while before finding an old entertainment magazine. He wiped the dust from its cover.

Li Suyu, sensing the danger, hurriedly spun her slender sword, creating a flurry of sword flowers to ward off the flying petals. But the blossoms only grew more numerous, and her brand-new training attire was soon reduced to rags, exposing her fair skin, which stood out strikingly against the blood.

A large hand reached out, grabbing everything at once. He popped one into his mouth to taste, just like eating jelly beans.

“Forgive my words, but I meant—if there’s such a shortcut, might someone else have already taken it?” the guardian asked again.

“Brother, what are you doing?” Liu Weichen sensed something was amiss and called out loudly.

His strength now rivaled that of Long Gaitian and his peers—he was the equal of any of them, unafraid of anyone.

“Wargames simulations. They provide the closest approximation to real combat and the best training for the troops,” Liu Gu mused.

A strange noise came from the side. Huang Taiji nudged A Fei and Hei Pi, who turned to look at his signal. The fissure in the ground had already spread into a deep pit.

It transformed into a vast and terrifying force of wind, sweeping outward in all directions. As the tempest raged, it stirred up an enormous, vortex-like storm of energy.

His greatest worry was for someone like Zhuge Xiran, whose sole pursuit was the path of cultivation. The destruction of her world would be a cruelty greater than death itself.

If he continued to grit his teeth and endure this endless waiting, he feared he would never get his chance for revenge—he might lose his mind, just as Chu Ruohong had.