Volume 1 Chapter 23: War of Attrition

He had thought that by speaking the truth, he could escape Cheng Yue’s nagging, grandmotherly lectures. He never imagined that Cheng Yue wouldn’t be so easily brushed off; she could simply abandon one topic and immediately start another as her new target, leaving him with no choice but to listen patiently.

The terrain varied, and the situations encountered differed accordingly, making it impossible to solve these issues in advance. The group could only scramble in a flurry, inscribing formations onto their low-level flying boats before boarding.

In Lin Jiali’s words, if she were to flee with a half-crippled person in tow, how far could they possibly get even after running all night?

Such entities rarely appear in the world, and demon cultivators often capture them to serve as treasures for their clans. Their cultivation differs from that of ordinary demon beasts; once they mature, their strength is terrifying and their lifespans are immense. They carry a hint of the primeval era, retaining remnants of ancient bloodline power that are truly fearsome.

"Awoo~," the round, dough-like creature rolled over and curled up beside her leg to sleep.

"Nie Feiyang and Qiu Xun have both been here, saying they want to see you and offer an apology in person," Jian Ning said again in a low voice.

"Heh! It was but a small effort!" Jiang Feng could sense the other party’s impatience and replied with equal indifference.

Once Situ Xing had digested everything, the old man of the medicine cauldron spoke with a solemn expression.

He stopped in his tracks and opened his spiritual sense to observe carefully. Not long ago, Dongfang Yang had been a late-stage cultivator in the Life Realm, but now he had suddenly transformed into a late-stage Great Perfection cultivator in the Cave Realm, matching his own level.

Whether it was local powerhouses, foreign factions, or various sects, none dared to act rashly in the short term without knowing his true trump cards.

Especially when it came to blood—if the master consciously drains the spiritual energy, the blood becomes an ordinary, useless substance even after leaving the body.

But this was not what Tian Yue wanted. He wanted to achieve this goal through his own strength, and he did not want to lose his freedom.

Perhaps because she was on the verge of getting what she wanted, Luo Jingying’s attitude within the Luo family grew increasingly arrogant. She began by being picky about food and clothing. Things she used to enjoy were now dismissed as "food fit for beasts," and the clothes she once loved now felt as though they were chafing her delicate skin.

Gongsun Dawei had long since been ambushed by him. It was a pouch that only people from Western Liang would carry, and hidden inside was a colorless, odorless anesthetic. It seemed he had long been determined to betray Master Gongsun.

Using coal for lighting was indeed more efficient than wood; one load of coal could last three days, while a load of firewood would only burn through a night. Hao Yong had originally planned to use coal for roasting chicken as well, but Ran’er said coal was only fit for lighting and cooking, and that roasting chicken still required wood.

"Then you’ve really struck gold, kid; the Palace Master will surely love this." As he spoke, the man in black draped an arm over Yang Hao’s shoulder, his lewd eyes darting around with clearly malicious intent.

Rumors even circulated that Master Mingkong had been fraudulent back in the day, claiming that the auspicious glow in the sky had been calculated in advance, all to goad the late Emperor into performing sacrifices at the Imperial Temple, just to manufacture the legend that the Empress Dowager was the "reincarnation of the Phoenix Star."

Yang Lan’er fell silent. She did not share this bad news, as the hopes of the two people before her were too high, and there was no telling what the consequences would be if she spoke.

To prevent Rui Tianyu from being snatched away by others, she decided to enter the palace with Murong Ke’er. This way, she could protect Ke’er while creating more opportunities for her to help Rui Tianyu see a different side of her.

At this critical juncture, Leng Jing naturally had no heart to dwell on how Leng Muzhen addressed Qian Yeming; she only heard mentions of the Returning Origin True Qi and the Primordial Protective Body.

Jess struggled, his voice even raspier than Meng Qi’s, and with a look of compromise, he pointed toward the further steps.

Xue Huaijin took the opportunity to claim one for herself, spending six thousand medium-grade spirit stones. This was only because she acted early; by the time others heard the news and cultivators at the Nascent Soul or Spirit Severing stages arrived, those below the Golden Core stage like her could only step aside.

However, with ground-based anti-satellite laser weapons, one could disrupt the connection between satellites and ground-based weaponry.

Chu Fan was suddenly incensed. He spurred his horse toward the guy and, just as he was about to start scolding him, he suddenly froze.

But the flight crew responsible for piloting the planes were all ordinary people. The aircraft were shot down, and not a single one of the nearly one hundred crew members across a dozen transport planes survived.

Not far away, the managers of Xue’s Industrial, who were preparing to leave, did not know what to say upon seeing this scene.

Without looking back, he ducked his head, turned to the side, and dodged the attack, only to see a tall Sea Clan soldier glaring at him with rage.

She had just activated another fourth-grade protective talisman. If she hadn’t, these area-of-effect, indiscriminate fourth-grade attack talismans would have meant mutual destruction with the Cloud Beast.

"Although immortal cultivation has made her look completely normal, in reality, her body’s origin is severely damaged. She... she will never be able to reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime..." At this, Xue Hongxuan’s eyes turned red, his face filled with despair.

"That three-day rest is likely intended to let everyone face the third trial in peak condition." After saying this, Xue Huaiyuan pressed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache himself.

*It’s fortunate that my Weiwei is obedient; otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do,* Madam Zhang thought to herself.

*Screech!* The tires grated against the ground with a harsh sound. Wang Yumu, nearly thrown from the vehicle, turned her head in anger to question Wang Shouchao. But for some reason, seeing the tears on his face that had yet to dry, the words she was about to spit out were swallowed back down.

After hearing this, Feng Qiwen knew exactly what it meant. Since the Xing family had fallen and there was a Sixth Concubine, it stood to reason that there had been several others before her.

Moreover, Xu Zhenshan knew he was in the wrong. In truth, he had long harbored a desire to retire; after all, being the head of the Xu family was no easy task.

In this scene, with such a noble figure, it was indeed as beautiful as a painting—so beautiful that even Ling Jiuyou could not bear to shatter the aesthetic perfection.

"Young Master, do you have any other instructions?" The shopkeeper’s face was bitter, but his demeanor remained polite.