Chapter 85: Warning

With the contrast and disparity now evident, even more impoverished scholars and ambitious youths from destitute families would be drawn to the Central Plains, a strategy akin to cutting off the water at its source. It was a move that played precisely to human nature, and at this moment, Man Chong couldn’t help but marvel at how the Emperor’s mastery of such tactics had only grown more refined.

While Liu Xie and his ministers enjoyed harmony and camaraderie, far away in Shouchun, a pall of gloom hung heavily over Yuan Shu’s residence.

Zhou Chengze and Mai Zi worked in the same office building, and over time, their acquaintance deepened. They would occasionally eat together and chat.

As Chen Han spoke, his gaze subtly shifted to the side, signaling that An Ruo would do best to see for herself. When An Ruo’s eyes fell on the indicated spot, the emptiness she sensed made her heart tremble.

But Aaron couldn’t help but wonder, “With such a gap… even if I make it to the finals, can I really outrun him?” Advancing to the next round brought him no joy.

The demon’s body dissolved into a phantom; the legendary archer’s magical projectiles missed their mark, and the attacks of the two legendary warriors failed to land as well. Xia Ye found it hard to judge—was this a void demon?

Just then, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck from the clear sky, crashing violently onto the rooftop of the Palace of Heaven and Earth. Even though the palace was equipped with lightning rods, the rooftop still suffered the destruction of a building, and the entire palace shook several times.

Ye Zifan clenched his fists tightly, the whiteness of his knuckles betraying the storm of rage inside him.

Reason dictated that, given the strength of the chess piece, escaping the pursuit of the Dark Serpent Assassins time and again should have been impossible. Yet now… it seemed this was already the fourth time they had failed.

Even though Lin Dongxian was a Korean contestant and an undisputed powerhouse, in Shen Yang’s presence, he seemed to become weak.

Lan Naixue smiled slyly, thinking to herself, “Indeed! Of those three encounters, I made him miserable every time. He probably won’t dare come again in the future.”

When Madam Guo saw what he held in his hands, her face turned deathly pale. She rushed forward to snatch the straw figure, only for him to dodge aside.

Hong Hui had come merely to see what sort of person could command such absolute charm, as described by Lady Wang.

The award ceremony officially began at half past seven. The initial prizes were of little consequence; after a medley of songs and dances, the truly significant awards started to be announced.

Upon hearing Tang Seng’s words, he began his incessant rambling, buzzing like a fly. Though it was irritating, the Handsome Monkey King Sun Wukong and Marshal Zhu Bajie, among others, refrained from commenting.

“What do you want from me?” Gu Ying asked as she pulled out her phone, her demeanor so relaxed it was as if she were asking about dinner.

The crowd of onlookers below grew larger, many beginning to point and debate, dividing into opposing camps.

Surrounding them was a vast coliseum-like space, with towering stands on all sides. Yet the seats were sparsely filled, with only a few dozen scattered along the front rows.

Hearing Master Cheng’s final words, Yang Tian’s heart sank like a stone.

What bothered Rong Ye the most was that Song Zhiying never told him where she went when she went out, nor when she would return. Whenever he grew annoyed, he would take it out on Rong Jin.

Master Li followed with his gaze to the mountain, half of which was now shrouded in hundreds of layers of black clouds, blotting out the sun as if a torrential downpour was imminent.

Liu Ru was overcome with a mix of grief and fury, his belly wracked with pain as if it had been torn open. His vision swam with darkness like gathering storm clouds, growing ever more blurred. He could barely make out his officers beside him, each bleeding from their orifices, collapsing one after another in their seats.

Delighted beyond measure, he felt as though he had a bellyful of words to spill to him. He paced back and forth in the hall, just about to look toward the entrance when Lord Yuchi appeared, looking extremely anxious.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Demon City was already stirring. Everyone was fully armed and in position. Lord Xiong finally met Duan Tianju and had someone call him over.

This television drama aired two episodes every Saturday at eight in the evening. Six episodes had been released so far, and according to the TV guide, both ratings and reviews were favorable.

Tang Chu spread his arms wide, blocking Zhang Zheng’s path. Right now, the only thing he could do was prevent Zhang Zheng from entering the compound, for if anything happened once he did, the Tang family of Western Capital would be utterly finished.

During this time, he had repeatedly smashed the thug’s windows three times, breaking a total of seven panes. The last time, he was nearly caught; fortunately, sensing something was wrong, he fled in the opposite direction from the previous occasions. Otherwise, not only might he have been discovered, but there was a real possibility he’d have been caught.

The name Tang Lan caused Tang Yumou’s brows to tighten, a trace of sorrow flickering in his eyes.

When Elder Bai mentioned the family behind his bloodline, Li Chao was overcome by a strange, complicated mix of emotions.

Lin Wei instantly grasped Gres’s intention—plainly put, he was to impersonate Peiwein as a spy for the Fanged Bloodshadow within the Six Light Nest.

Bansaini wore a somber expression, his face so pale it was as if dusted with flour. The enormous sorcery he had just expended to accelerate the growth of those seeds had drained his physical power, sorcery, and spirit to their limits.