Chapter 22

Afterward, Qian Duoduo led the group to a banquet before arranging for them to be shown to their respective lodgings.

With this thought in mind, my mood calmed down. Yun Lu would never engage in such a losing business; it seems I should not be too hasty and must wait to see how things develop.

"Huh?" Wen Qin was somewhat incredulous, but she still watched as Wei Sa walked toward the parking lot on the side.

"I’d like to see who dares to retreat!" Ou Yin remained undaunted even under the threat of Liu Xing-shuang’s dagger, letting out a roar as powerful as a lion’s.

The first day of the academy involved no formal learning, but rather served as an opportunity for everyone to meet, become familiar with one another, and foster camaraderie.

"Are you truly not worried about the possibility of the monsters in the Wind Realm and Xiao Chen perishing together?" Inside the deep-sea nuclear submarine, I asked Xu Feng quickly.

He wore a bamboo hat that obscured most of his face, revealing only a sharp-angled chin and a mouth currently holding a piece of dried grass.

With a soft sound like an electrical hum, the dark glass wall gradually became transparent.

I trembled, every cell in my body screaming at me to run. They were all telling me that I had no chance, that I could not defeat him.

"What mechanism? What discovery? What on earth did you two do?" Dan Ning asked with a frown, completely baffled.

Rumor has it that Sect Master Lin of the Spirit Underworld Sect originated from the Lingyun Sect. He was once a servant who cleaned the boots of the former Lingyun Sect Master. It was only in recent years that he established his own sect, entering the ranks of established sects by leveraging his connections with the Lingyun Sect.

After all, it was surreal to see the stories of these travelers, who were supposedly confined to their own realms, actually manifesting in my own world.

As night fell, the towering white poplar trees near the art building cast a suffocating shadow over the sky, leaving behind only a chill.

The middle-aged man rambled on, and just as he was about to continue, Xu Qing, standing to the side, could no longer restrain herself. With a sharp "clang," her long sword left its scabbard, the blade coming to rest directly against his neck.

***

[Ao Ye]: Walk away! It was clearly your fault, yet you try to pin it on me. When the senior sister returns, I will make sure to deal with you properly at the hotel.

Ao Ye and Wu Qian crossed their arms in unison. Upon realizing they had spoken at the same time, they glanced at each other, only to find the other doing the same, which only made them angrier.

The smile that had remained on Ye Xuan’s face suddenly froze; this bucket of cold water had truly chilled him to the bone.

That was the signal used by their secret guards, pointing toward the location of the capital’s slums. In the blink of an eye, the man had vanished.

The next morning, when he did not appear at breakfast, it became clear that he had not stayed by Yuan Bao’s side the previous night.

Silence returned. Zhao Hao finally stood up, but lost his balance and stumbled, bracing himself against the table.

Three figures attacked fiercely from different directions. Long Yun-shao suddenly opened his eyes. Now that I know your ability, I will not be tricked so easily again.

Beyond the castle’s moat stood high walls. Each stone in the wall was a giant block one or two meters high, giving the entire castle an indestructible appearance. Perhaps due to its great age, the walls looked pitch-black, making them seem even more solid and sturdy.

Liu Yuxin held Li Haolong’s hand and said, "Haolong, tell me honestly, what exactly is your relationship with Su Kexin?"

As they flew closer, muffled sounds reached Gu Hao’s ears. After flying over several peaks thousands of meters high, powerful auras surged toward them. Looking up, he saw a thousand-meter-tall Asura, appearing as if it were a living creature, attacking wildly.

Cui Yuying’s eyes shot sparks, her tone feigned with coquettishness. Upon hearing this, Fu Sheng thought to himself, "This is bad. It will be difficult to shake her off now."

"Fu Sheng, Ming Yue is being spoiled to an outrageous degree by you. You aren’t even married yet. How can you indulge her like this? It does her no good; on the contrary, it will backfire and make her vain. This will harm her, and it will harm you as well," Jin Caixia said, her face grim.

Leng Tian shook his head with a bitter smile: "I see that everyone is wide awake, so let us prepare to purify the marrow and cleanse the bodies of Zhang Chu and the others, clearing out all the accumulated waste from within."

***

Yang Xudong did not care; he stretched his head out to sniff carefully, then wore an expression of pure enjoyment.

"Forget it. Although this King of Immortals, Mi, lacks character, his strength is beyond doubt. That you could achieve the rank of Immortal King through his immortal blood and then cultivate to the level of a high-ranking Immortal King on your own shows that you are indeed a decent immortal," Qing Shui said helplessly.

"A mistake, it was purely a mistake! My lady, please do not be angry; your husband will certainly control his emotions next time." Qian Moling was so terrified he nearly knelt before Feng Wangge, his voice trembling.

Even if he did participate in the annual event, it would be nothing more than saving face. Qiezi felt it was unnecessary to go into debt just for pride.

There were not many puzzles near the town mayor’s office building, so Xu Huo and the others had to split up to search, still in groups of two, to guard against accidents.

Tossing the wine jar to the ground, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes, then laughed heartily as he walked toward the village entrance.

Wei Sheng understood what was in Li Jian’s mind, but as someone only holding the rank of Governor of Qingzhou, how could he interfere in national affairs? Not knowing how to advise him, he could only drink cup after cup, accompanying Li Jian in his sorrow.

Tangxi Cheng stepped forward immediately and turned the person over. Seeing that the face was a stranger’s, he noted the thick calluses on the web of the hand, indicating years of labor or weapon handling.

In the end, all that was known was that the Eldest Princess had called for the imperial physician to save her, but the physician said she had suffered a brain injury and would never be very clever again.

By the window on the second floor of the restaurant, a young man in hemp clothing had a four-foot-long blade placed on his table. He had ordered a pot of expensive, specialty Jiannan wine and was drinking it to himself.

Most of the players ranked below him were E-grade "Ordinary" or D-grade "Good," with a few C-grade "Excellent," which was quite impressive for those who had just entered the game and were still in a state of confusion. Moreover, they all shared a common code name: Pioneer Players.

At this moment, Yue Qiubai suddenly raised his fist and executed a move from the Dragon-Slaying Divine Fist, striking out with such force that it instantly shattered the enemy’s sword momentum.