Volume 1, Chapter 31: Brainless

I gazed into the mirror for a long time, finding that I no longer recognized myself. It felt as if I had been granted a flawless dream, and I truly hoped I would never have to wake up.

I was eager to offer Xu Shenlin some apology for the poor hospitality; no one had the heart to continue discussing the engagement.

"Rest assured, brother, your hope will not be shattered, for it is my wish as well. It is just that you have entrusted this heavy responsibility to me, and I find myself feeling a bit worried." Chen Fan smiled in return, seemingly having learned both humility and humor.

The night passed in silence, if only because the air was bitter and the streets were devoid of wanderers.

Deep in the heart of the tornado, Xianling sensed every change in her surroundings with calm mental energy, her consciousness drifting, unawares, into her own inner void.

Watching the man depart, the Emperor sneered and muttered, "Useless waste, can't even handle this!" With that, he turned and headed into the inner hall.

A shrill, piercing scream erupted from the mouth of the golden-shimmering Xianling, cutting through the firmament and echoing across the heavens.

The battle raged on. As the Underworld King pressed forward, the Immortal Heavenly Dream was forced to heighten his energy fluctuations to better contend with the impending onslaught.

Gu Jiangzhou had said nothing, yet to her, it felt far more severe than any words could convey.

Still, a flicker of joy remained; since there was a weak point, my damage output wouldn't be entirely negligible.

Before he could even step into the main hall, the muffled sounds of heavy blows reached him. Su Yang froze, and the figure of Bwanga slowly emerged from the ruins of the hall.

This was the essence of landscape poetry. As more masterpieces were recited, the profound feeling grew within Li Zhi, filling him with ever-increasing confidence.

***

After Yihang walked over, waves of sandalwood fragrance drifted from Wuhen, so enchanting that it felt like entering paradise, and Yihang promptly fainted. The old man hurried over from behind, supporting him, and together with Wuhen, they carried Yihang back to his room.

He currently prioritized matters of the heart, with cultivation taking a backseat for now. Having reached the Great Nirvana, his lifespan had increased significantly, giving him a sense of boundless, infinite time. Consequently, his sense of urgency had suddenly faded.

"The Martial Scroll records that twisted force and righteous force are ultimately the same. When practiced to the extreme, they become the Force of Martial Dao. Whether using fists, feet, swords, or blades, this force remains formless, capable of striking a powerful enemy from three feet away."

Mo Zhu recalled meeting that person in front of the Tianxiang Pavilion. Looking at them with suspicion and uncertainty, she suddenly understood, her face turning deathly pale. She scrambled to push Yin Ruoge away and stood up, leaning against the ground.

Once the python reached the flat ground, it raised its head in terror, its eyes flashing like lightning. It opened its massive maw and flicked its tongue, looking as fierce and malevolent as an envoy from hell. After finding his footing, Agula held his snow-blade in one hand and his fire-staff in the other. Neither side showed weakness, both poised and ready.

"What are you smiling at?" Diaochan asked, curious. Zhang Ye’s smile held a strange, meaningful quality she couldn't decipher, prompting her inquiry.

Seeing the Buzhou Divine Sword shattered by the impact, Changle was stunned for only a moment before thrusting out her palms. The combined power of the Nine Glazed Divine Force and the Queen Mother of the West surged forth, a brilliant purple-green light that sent Bingzhu flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

Yihang did not answer, his face deathly pale. He dared not look Yifei in the eye, consumed by the guilt of having trusted someone too readily. The others gathered around, watching Yihang, who was forced to confront the grim reality.

Even the Imperial Guards responsible for maintaining Lin'an were occasionally dispatched by the emperors to perform menial labor, such as repairing imperial tombs or reinforcing river dikes.

Seeing Mi Zhu and Luo Zhixiang enter the courtyard, Yan Qiqiu hurriedly rose from the dim room. He stepped out to bow to the pair. Judging by Mi Zhu’s attire, he was no ordinary man, and seeing his friend Luo Zhixiang follow a step behind him, Yan Qiqiu knew Mi Zhu’s status was certainly extraordinary.

"Excellent! What Magistrate Li proposes aligns perfectly with my own thoughts! Zhang Zhong, draft an edict according to Magistrate Li's suggestion!" Ji Yuanwu was very satisfied with Li Zhen's idea. No ruler would feel at ease letting those who had once betrayed them guard their home, let alone an emperor.

Aside from a slow-reacting giant ant that was swept away into the distance, the remaining giant ants nimbly dodged the strike. They scrambled over the worm, using their sharp mandibles to carve into its fat, white body.

***

"Within the Propagation Realm, there are four stages: Spirit, Intent, Pseudo-Dao, and Great Dao. Condensing your own path is Spirit; forming a Dao Stone is Intent; breathing life into the Dao Stone is Pseudo-Dao; as for the final Great Dao realm, I do not know—people across several worlds are still exploring it," Old Fan explained in great detail.

Mo Song crashed through two walls, and just as he was about to hit the third, he was stopped by a hand that was not particularly large. Mo Song swayed dizzily, stood his ground, and felt his head swell. His legs felt like lead, making it impossible to move, and overcome by total weakness, he collapsed.

"Fellow disciples, it is not that I am afraid. Even if the opponent were a Celestial Immortal, we would not fear them. But the situation is different now; the world is clearly falling into chaos. We cannot afford to offend others lightly, or else the Four Symbols Sect..." Elder Yu left his final words unspoken, but his meaning was clear.

At several key passes within the Nine Dragon Pass, rows of Nanning soldiers armed with "flamethrowers" stood on the hillsides, spraying streams of fire onto the road. The countless snakes of fire formed massive walls of flame, leaving the Shui clan soldiers desperate and unable to escape.

Everyone responded respectfully. In that moment, Wanyan Xue’s majesty was entirely overshadowed by the authority of Yue Lingjian. She dared not retort.

Jin Shouzhi thought it would be a simple task, but Bing'er kept bringing back pairs of socks from outside, tossing them to him to wash. Jin Shouzhi was speechless.

Ye Hua directly entrusted the professional work in this area to the Huizhou Marine Department. There was no need to worry about them falsifying data, as it had to be written into the transfer agreement; Coastal Line Technology would not take the fall for reported data that was false or measured incorrectly.

Seeing that Yu Xuanji was slowly turning the situation around, how could the Sun woman let it rest? She would make that bitch Yu Xuanji pay for every bit of suffering Rou'er had endured, in full.