Chapter 35: No Reason to Compete with Qin Zimo

On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the air was biting and the ground frozen.

As the group chatted and laughed on their way to the Jiang estate, a figure suddenly sprang into their path, causing the laughter to cease abruptly.

Dressed entirely in black with a mask covering his face and a long blade in hand, the bandit gave a sinister laugh: "Heh! If you want to pass this way, leave your toll! That young lady looks quite nice—how about you come back with me to be my mountain bride?"

Perhaps because it was all too absurd, no one felt any panic, save for Jiang Nian, who had already recognized the intruder.

"It must be a dormant volcano, right?" Luca sniffed hard, failing to detect any scent of sulfur in the air.

Beyond just Wood Spirit, "Shut-up" was, in fact, a magical device and therefore immune to hypnosis. It wasn't just the two of them; if the rock giant that had been sent to the black market were here, it likely wouldn't have been affected by such effects either.

This was Wang Ge’s first time seeing the Jade Emperor, and the deity’s appearance differed significantly from what he had imagined. He had originally expected the Jade Emperor to look like the portrayals in television dramas: clad in golden robes with an aged face and a long, white beard.

Reminded by Jiang Tianyu, everyone realized a problem: the Jiang Tianchen before them was far too powerful—he was like an entirely different person from the one they knew.

"This is impossible! How on earth did you evade the final bombardment?" Li Wei glared at Nangong Yuchen, his face contorted with rage as he interrogated him.

For the past few days, the students from both cities, including Nangong Yuchen, had not returned to the challenge arena. Following Instructor Li's arrangements, they spent their mornings studying mecha-related subjects and their afternoons on the third floor for physical training.

Zhen Qian no longer cared about the Great Osumi Kingdom or the Wako pirates of Matsuura Shigenobu. Since they dared to attack him, they had better be prepared to bear the brunt of his fury.

By now, the nurse had discovered the abnormality. No matter how she adjusted the monitor's leads, the screen remained devoid of any data.

But Zhang Ya disagreed with his approach. Pursuing her was one thing, but the debt was another. She adamantly refused Qin Hao's offer to waive the debt, insisting that repaying what one owes is only right and proper. She was determined to pay the money back, for her parents' sake as well as her own.

"I’ve calculated it; even with the added armor, we can still arrive on time. Is this really necessary?" Crete said unhurriedly.

"Ren Feng." Hearing this, Luo Xi looked over with a hint of worry. Had she not known about the incident with Takeda Hiroyoshi, perhaps she would still have had complete confidence in him.

Qin Feng could barely suppress a laugh. It was utterly ridiculous: a man who had committed evil for years had the audacity to boast that he was a meritorious official. According to his logic, the Nanhua Municipal Government should represent all the city's people and award him a certificate of merit for his ability to exploit legal loopholes, while Qin Feng should be criticized as a cautionary example.

"Brother Zuo, calm your anger. It’s truly not worth getting upset over such beastly trash," Chen Langya consoled him.

Just as the Void Flash maneuver opened up some distance, the Earth Dragon King’s twin horns began to condense a Dragon Horn Thunder Strike. "Whoosh!" The thunderbolt struck my back, and I felt a slight heaviness followed by a surge of momentum pushing me forward. I checked myself, finding I was unharmed, and a "MISS" floated peacefully above my head.

"But why hasn't Tushan Nana appeared after so much time has passed?" Ye Hanxiao asked, puzzled.

Deep in the mountains and forests, despite the thorns everywhere, the scenery was equally mesmerizing. Wildflowers blanketed the fields, the vegetation exuded fragrance, and one could hear the gurgling of streams and the calls of birds and apes. Here, the air itself carried a faint, refreshing scent. This was true nature—the exquisite beauty of heaven and earth.

Indeed, it was primordial energy. Moteng was at the Foundation Establishment stage; after a cultivator establishes their foundation, they give birth to a primordial spirit, and their true energy transforms into primordial energy.

Qian Yu'er pursed her lips, momentarily unsure of how to respond. She could only urge, "Hurry up and go change your clothes, or you'll be seen by everyone."