Volume One, Chapter 70: Hidden Motives

“In just two days, it will be my hundredth birthday. At that time, I will hold a banquet and invite this master to attend,” the Chen clan’s patriarch personally declared.

“Cinderella, do you truly wish to become the leader?” Song Li could not help but ask.

Zhao Ruobing was stunningly beautiful—her allure was nearly impossible for any man to resist. If she were Ye Xiu, she too would fall for Zhao Ruobing.

One could imagine the vast market potential for this weapon. Should it be successfully promoted... the profits would be beyond imagining.

Moreover, though this battle had ended, the events of the day were far from over. They would certainly take further action, delivering even more powerful blows to the forces of these sects.

Qin Zhao immediately opened the car door and rescued Lin Yi and Lanlan. Though they were physically unharmed, their hearts had suffered deep trauma.

Liu Bing spoke as she started the car. Qin Zhao sighed, resigned to obediently follow Liu Bing.

Zhang Tian had been gone and returned in just a day. Now, the fabric of space-time had stabilized, with no time discrepancies, yet in such a short span he had seized control of a mine and even forced the Spirit Stone Sect to seal its gates in fear. Clearly, he had thoroughly intimidated them.

In truth, if she could leave, she would want to. Her parents and Elder Han were still waiting. If she could not return, they would be heartbroken.

But, since Xu Xiangdong had been brought by him, he had no choice but to brace himself and ask what was going on.

“Are they your family?” ‘He’ asked curiously, with a trace of envious longing.

Zhuangzi once said that when the phoenix soars across the sky, only the owl fears it will descend onto its thorny perch and steal the decaying mouse in its hollow, shrieking to drive the phoenix away.

The other four, however, were not so fortunate. They wrapped dozens of spirit herbs in their clothes and tied them around their waists, casting lingering glances at the lush fields of medicinal plants.

If he had to escape from the conference again, Fei Junshuai doubted he could make it out safely a second time.

After the evening market, Jia Yun, as usual, stopped to buy a large amount of fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, and sweets.

Under such circumstances, with a bombardment of mediocre works, sincere new creations struggled to be sifted out by the tide. Publishers could only focus resources on those popular, established IPs already validated by consumers. Thus, the plague of sequelitis grew ever worse.

Hearing Mandarin spoken in this foreign land, Soya’s eyes grew moist again. After more than two months, Mandarin sounded a bit strange to his ears, yet it was also the comforting warmth of home.

In fact, Nangong Linglong could even surmise that the Dimensional Shrine and the Throne of Time might be two halves of the same artifact, unlike a practitioner like Pangu. Thus, while the core of their tribulations was the same, the manifestation differed.

Leaning on the emerald sapling, Soya consoled himself half in jest, while simultaneously sensing the condition of the young tree.

Suddenly, a beam of golden light illuminated the entire East Garden Valley. The people there, upon seeing it, grew excited.

“Hmph, this is a secret of my Blood Dragon clan. Why should I tell you?” The three glared fiercely, but did not act rashly, wary of the immense aura emanating from Butz.

Shangguan Bixiao and Wen Wugui felt a breeze caress their faces and were puzzled, when suddenly the ever-burning lamps around the inner chamber burst simultaneously. The force was unleashed by Yang Yunhan’s “Heaven and Earth Overturned” technique.

…The onlookers immediately began to murmur. As the saying goes, spectators care not for the gravity of the situation, only that it is exciting.

With a clang, Wenxin clashed fully against the shadowy figure. It was the first time since leaving his clan that he fought without reservation, though he still withheld certain life-saving techniques.

An indescribable aura rippled outward, shaking the entire sky; the air shimmered and distorted.

Even though he was confident of his place in Liu Yunqing’s heart, he still feared she might have other concerns and reject him outright.

Wenxin’s blade and the red-haired youth’s axe met again, the scene frozen at that instant. Staring into the youth’s eyes, Wenxin declared, “Of course not!” As soon as the words left his lips, a peculiar aura radiated from him—a sense of relentless battle, as though he had fought all under heaven and would forever continue.

It was fortunate the dragon-vulture had not been too wary at the time; otherwise, his own abilities might not have sufficed for such a bold escape. No one could have foreseen such a brazen flight.

At this moment, Uncle Huo had arrived at the old village chief’s door. With a soft cough, it sounded like thunder—everyone inside immediately fell silent. They parted to make way, all tacitly awaiting Uncle Huo to resolve the conflict.

“Humans and immortals are at least living beings of flesh and blood. But you? You’re nothing but a cold beast, devoid of feeling, unmoved by any stimulus,” Zhu Mingtong mocked mercilessly.

When the sky grew pale, those in the hall were utterly exhausted. No one had eaten or drunk a drop, persevering until all the evidence was gathered and every interrogation completed. Chen Zhao could not escape conviction—four major charges, each backed by irrefutable proof. Compared to the hasty sentencing of Pei Xietang in the past, this time they were far more cautious.

Once he left, Pei Xietang grabbed the basket and ordered it to recount everything that had happened. On hearing that Zhu Xinzhi had intervened, she glanced at him several times with a teasing smile, making Zhu Xinzhi blush and turn away in embarrassment.

His gaze was icy, exuding a chill like frost accumulated over a millennium, causing the temperature inside the car to plummet.

“Mutual destruction, though of course the underworld holds the upper hand,” Su Er Yi sighed.

Old Wang Turtle remarked, “Now this is a treasure.” As he spoke, he set the black-and-white television on the table and plugged it in.

“Tiana, what’s wrong?” Thor noticed Tiana’s face suddenly turn ashen and her spirits flag. He hurried over in concern.

The spirit liquid in the Dragon Transformation Pool contained terrifying energy. Once immersed, it would seep into their skin, causing excruciating pain—pain that tore at the soul.

If she could not use the child to gain her grandfather’s support, she could think of no other way to make Gu Chengyang marry her.

While brushing her teeth in the morning, the soul unwilling to live under another’s roof would slip out once more. Fang Zhang was no longer surprised to see her reflection in the mirror out of sync with her real self.