Volume One, Chapter 44: The Perfect Partner—Master Zhang’s Ecstatic Delight!

In the valley opposite, one could faintly see another massive stone bridge, identical to the one on this side. It seemed that many years ago, the two bridges had been connected.
“So this is a vampire? The difference from before the transformation is just too great.” Yang Yu prodded Rayford’s body with his sword.
“Follow me. From now on, you’re my spirit beast. I promise to help you with all my strength. If you don’t follow me, then there’s nothing I can do—maybe in a few days I’ll leave, and you’ll never have another chance like this.” Yang Yu spoke sincerely this time, with no hidden motives.
For a moment, Shen Rong seemed like an enraged lion, his hair and beard bristling. His imposing presence brought intense pressure to those around him; none dared even breathe too loudly, fearing they might become collateral damage in a conflict.
Seated at the center arch was a man in his thirties, with a head full of curls, draped in a cloak, his beard meticulously shaved, his visage and bearing both strikingly handsome.
Fang Yuan glanced over and saw that Bao Longtu was referring to Yang Shijin. She wore a refined and splendid dress, the ribbons tightly fastened to accentuate her slender waist, giving her an air of delicate beauty.
Outside, those who hadn’t entered the formation grew increasingly anxious. To them, the Heart Refining Array was like something out of a fantasy novel; if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it.
“Yuanbao, I heard you’ve gathered a million low-grade spirit stones and plan to host a betting table at the Martial Arts Tournament—is that true?” Yang Yu eyed Yuanbao with a hint of amusement.
These are two extremes, and both speak to how, beneath the radiant aura of the Phoenix Stone, darkness also lurks.
“What?!” The Iron Blood Assassins hadn’t yet figured out what Fatty was up to, but he’d already broken away from their group and was running back toward the river.
Such things do indeed happen more frequently at night; but as for this fellow before me, whether he’s boasting or not will soon be clear.
Yet to do nothing and let him stew in anger only worsens matters. It was I who first asked him to tell me about Liuli, so how am I to resolve this now?
Poison of the vulture is the deadliest in this world—one drop brings instant death. I was force-fed many drops and managed to vomit out most, but inevitably, one slipped down my throat. I hadn’t even had time to look back on my muddled and unremarkable half-life before it ended, my legs kicking as I met my end.

Li Yuan’s gaze was utterly captivated by that enchantress; I surmised Nan Yao Yao must have used some spell, for Li Yuan was scrambling impatiently and, after much effort, managed to pull out nothing but a single belt.
Moreover, the young master wore only a bath towel, the young madam’s face was flushed red, and her lips were swollen.
Of course, at present, everyone’s attention was fixed on Bayern Munich’s home match against Mainz, a result that was crucial for Borussia Dortmund.
Li Tan waved to dispel the barrier before my eyes, and in an instant I was transported to the Imperial City, ablaze with lights—not the lanterns of common folk celebrating the New Year, but clusters of torches flickering in succession.
Never did I imagine that my talent would manifest so remarkably in the art of peeping, of all things.
“You bribed the lawyer! I never signed any of those papers—I don’t owe any debts!” Enraged, I rushed at him, but Liu Wei’s lawyer blocked my way.
Archery is a sport without bias, and it best reveals the athlete’s state of mind; a slight lapse of focus and the bowstring will miss by a thousand miles.
Fang Tian Daro led his Japanese subordinates out of one side of the basement and into another room, while Black Three sent men to disable the sentries outside and entered the other basement through a separate door.
These spirit medicines grew among all kinds of spirit grass, swaying in the wind, emitting various fragrances. They were lustrous and flawless, suffused with auspicious rays.
The greedy Numibians and Celts vented their dissatisfaction at not having participated in last night’s pillaging of the city.
Harry involuntarily stepped back a few paces. Though their levels of fighting spirit were not far apart, when it came to murderous intent and combat experience, they were simply not in the same league.
Once a particular ancestor spirit is selected, the others fade away, and rarely will they be ‘shared’ with others.
“What a pity for such a massive stone. If it were sold, it would be worth a fortune,” commented the assembled appraisers, their voices tinged with regret.

“I told you not to play the big shot in front of me—break!” Xiao Yi sneered, his fist blazing with dazzling light as he charged toward the phoenix.
Since the rise of the Shen family, such a situation had never occurred. Used to comfort, they now found themselves somewhat flustered.
In that moment, Yun Duo and her companions utterly lost the ability to think. Their expressions amused Yu Linglong and the others, but on reflection, it was clear that no matter who heard all this, their faces would surely betray the same bewilderment.
“Once the bomb goes off, the terrorists will be blocked. They may not find our direction and might even chase after the armed police instead,” Wang Chaoyang said, frowning.
Yet they didn’t know that Han Zhu was one of the top experts at Yang Ze’s company, so when they caught him off guard, they knocked out his two black-clad bodyguards.
Gradually, a figure both familiar and strange appeared before Chi You’s eyes. When he finally saw clearly the extraordinarily handsome, tall woman, Chi You furrowed his brow once more.
“As a partner, I should agree, but it’s too far and too troublesome,” Xingye Bing said, showing irritation.
He Qiang slid several meters across the floor, crashed into the wall outside the hall, spat blood, and his face turned deathly pale, devoid of color.
At that moment, a cry of surprise rang out. Everyone looked intently, and sure enough, changes began to appear on Zhao Lingxi’s body.
Red Hair finished his call and hung up, but Ye Tiancheng remained motionless, still shaken to the core.
His spirit power, the Nightingale, was much the same. The clay nightingale, animated by its master’s power, evolved a flesh body, and was then driven by that same power to launch a suicide attack on the enemy, ending its brief existence—a life never truly its own.