Chapter 38

At this point, everyone lowered their heads; the implication was clear—there were only this many of them left.

Descending the slope and reaching the mountain path, he discovered his horse was gone. It turned out the animal had been so terrified by the tiger that it had bolted, though to where, no one knew.

Inside that wooden box lay something that resonated with the golden parchment; it must have been the remaining pieces of the golden pages.

With these words, the crowd dispersed, surrounding them from all sides. A fight was now inevitable.

"Yes, my lord!" Zhang Er bowed to Wang Rui before turning to Blacksmith Hu to provide a detailed account of the intelligence gathered.

Su Mu watched with an enigmatic smile, observing the man who could be called his most formidable opponent yet.

In truth, Wang Rui had overestimated the Manchu barbarians. Historically speaking, that savage race had never possessed any sense of morality or virtue. Their baseness and contemptibility were ingrained in their very bones.

The voice that came through this time was not as gentle as before; it carried an unmistakable, commanding tone.

"Li Li left. He didn't want anything. He said that suffering with me was not as good as going out into the world to seek true happiness. He’s been gone for quite a few days now," Xiao Mei said.

Stepping around the screen, she saw the bed draped with jade-green curtains embroidered with a swooping gyrfalcon. Yu Hu knew the Manchus regarded the gyrfalcon as a divine bird; she wondered if it was truly necessary to embroider such a fierce creature onto the curtains. One had to wonder if sleeping beneath such a bird every night would lead to endless nightmares.

"He must have entered the Immortal Demon Cave for the sake of the Immortal Scriptures. Since he has already failed, he will not wait any longer," the gravekeeper said solemnly.

He did not need to offer any explanation; once the Purple Surgery was a success, those doubts would naturally become nothing more than baseless rumors.

Such a battle was no longer something he could intervene in. Even as an Eighth-Rank Ninth-Heaven Immortal, he was still incapable of participating in a conflict of this magnitude.

"Learn to use chopsticks in the future; stop eating with your hands!" Sima Ji glanced at Harmony, picked up a pair of chopsticks with a calm expression, and signaled for the other to follow suit. He had already decided that once the southward migration began, life in the Funan Kingdom—including clothing, food, housing, and transportation—must mirror that of the Jin Dynasty. This habit of eating with one's hands, learned from the "third brothers," had to become a thing of the past.

In the sky ahead, terrifying immortal power erupted instantly, and then swirls of immortal energy began to emerge from above Ye Xuan's head.

Perhaps due to the phonetic similarity to her ID, Ximen Qing's fans began calling themselves the "Azure Sect," and she became their "Mother Sect Leader."

Though their brows were drenched in sweat, the thought that a year of hard work was finally yielding results brought smiles to many faces. They ignored the playful children, chatting in small groups as they harvested, unaware of the massive, dark tide of troops appearing on the distant horizon.

Yan Dong sighed with a bitter smile, "My subordinate was once a deputy under General Bai. This young man's courageous expression looks exactly like his father's did back then."

His words drifted softly into Murong Shanshan's ears. She stared at him in disbelief.

At that moment, in a secluded corner on the first floor of the restaurant, a ragged beggar leaned against the wall.

Yet, such a refusal from Murong Yingxue indicated on another level that this grandmaster was no simple person.

I still remember it vividly: Uncle Nine lent me the Heaven and Earth Tube, and after borrowing it for so long, it just became mine. I suppose this Fourth Master is probably much like Uncle Nine, isn't he?

The three of them took out their tomb-searching amulets from within their tunics, smeared the previously refined oil from a pregnant mother dog onto the ends, removed the damp cloths, and held the greased amulets between their teeth, each silently praying to their founding masters for protection.

It was quite obvious that the freezing technique he was unleashing was a tremendous burden on him at this moment.

"If you're ready, let's go down. Remember, try not to kill unless absolutely necessary; they are also innocent people controlled by the 'Nothingness'," Daitokuji observed his surroundings before stepping into the freight elevator and descending into the depths.

A short while later, in a stone chamber within the Turbulence Valley, Ye Zhuo met Hu Qiniang, who still possessed her former grace.

"Don't be foolish! Don't apologize. After what happened at Mount Everest two years ago, I don't dare, and I cannot, drag you all into this murky water again." I finished speaking and let out an involuntary, deep sigh.

Scanning the area, Ye Zhuo saw no structured chambers meant for cultivation, but rather this peculiar scene. He muttered to himself, puzzled as to the purpose of this secret realm, as it did not look like a place intended for meditative seclusion.

With a gentle touch, Dugu Qingfeng’s true energy infiltrated the body of the Jinghong Sword, thoroughly investigating its condition. He was naturally aware of the damage the blade had suffered in the past, and he was deeply shocked that it had now managed to give birth to a sword spirit.

The moment his Pure Glazed Soul was formed, Ye Zhuo felt his divine soul become like a vessel of glass—unstained by a single speck of dust, purer than a blank sheet of paper, and possessing a transparency that emanated from the deepest depths of his spirit.

But now, all signs pointed to the new Emperor’s dislike—or perhaps even indifference—toward the Factory and Guard. Most officials in the Factory and Guard were contemplating this. Why had Wang Chengen not come to assume his post at the Eastern Depot? Even if he were busy, he should have at least come to take a look! Yet, Wang Chengen showed no intention of even paying a visit.