Volume One, Chapter 35: The Solitary Minister

Xu Yiming felt incredibly stifled, yet he was powerless to act. He did not have his combat knife on him, and his opponent was attacking with fierce momentum, striking blow after blow without pause, displaying explosive power.

This was exactly what made the Barbarian Bone Tribe truly terrifying. Being an old-established race from the Land of Darkness, they had also grasped faint insights into Earth-type laws. Once they began to fight, they stood in an invincible position, making it difficult for anyone to find an opening.

"Phew, that was close." Mu Tianchen took another look at the troops constantly pouring toward the valley below. He let out a soft sigh, and as the wings on his back vibrated, his figure transformed into a stream of light and vanished from the valley.

The man with the steel spear beside him opened his mouth to speak, but after a moment of thought, he let out a soft sigh and closed it again.

"Heh, I couldn't ask for more." Long Tian removed his cloak, tossed it to the guard nearby, and slowly gripped the hilt of the golden longsword at his waist.

Zhou Tianlong nodded. Indeed, as Zhou Hun had said, only combat was the most severe test for a martial artist. Only those who had truly experienced the tempering of life and death, blood and fire, could become true powerhouses.

"Thank you, Auntie. Let's eat together!" Ye Tian, that reliable and upright young man, was quite polite as well.

Wang Zihao found the sight of him amusing, but the burly man didn't dare utter a sound. Looking at the empty space by Sister Hong, although her beautiful legs were slender, she kept them held perfectly straight, leaving a large, unused gap in front of her.

"Senior Brother, kill him! Avenge our brothers!" Black Tiger struggled desperately beneath Mu Tianchen’s feet, his body twisting continuously, yet Mu Tianchen’s sole pressed down like Mount Tai, leaving him unable to move.

Yang Bufan decided not to bicker with Qin Qin. If they really started arguing, there was no telling what kind of headache-inducing nonsense this girl would spout next.

If he could get in touch with his old gaming friends—Desert Flying Snow, Marrogarth, Dragon’s Forest, and Drunken Breeze 2—he would invite them to a feast as well.

Suddenly, a piercing gaze fell upon Yun Ji. She looked up and realized Yang Ye was watching her with a look of condemnation.

"So that's how it is. Could it be that a delicious taste of this level still doesn't count as a date? Then what exactly is a date..." Tohka pondered aloud.

When the boss, which had a head like a rabbit, saw that it had been beaten into such a sorry state by the players and only had a quarter of its health left, it suddenly went berserk. It revealed a hideous expression, discarded all the weapons in its hands, and drew a wide-bladed katana from behind its back.

"Then let's plan this out carefully." Jun Yu spoke. Their circumstances were different now; they had to find a way to kill Cheng Ming and ensure they could retreat unscathed.

The tattooed man and his two companions finally realized they had kicked a steel plate. A cold sweat broke out, and half of their drunken haze evaporated.

"Since you are in such a rush to seek death, then this King shall grant your wish!" As Jun Yu finished his sentence, he raised his jade-like palm. Wisps of essence, solid as if they were tangible, condensed between his fingers. With a light, casual flick of his hand, the pillar of energy shot directly into the assassin’s brow.

"Forget it. That guy wants to level up; it’s useless no matter how we chase him. Though his technique isn't much, his leveling skill is top-notch. I don't know how he researched those tricks," said Gray, who had been pushed to second place on the leaderboard, with a helpless sigh.

Moreover, even if he hadn't come to help, Tang Hao’s terrifying strength would have been enough to handle it himself. He couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

Liu Ding-tian said this while shaking out his storage bag, which was naturally empty, making Ye Xuan roll her eyes.

Without even needing to think, Liu Ding-tian knew where he had arrived. He was speechless; he had actually blundered his way into the Ten Thousand Snake Cave.

Chen Lin lifted his foot from the man’s hand and pulled out his phone to dial Yuan Shu’s number. When they were at the Hong Xing Society, they had exchanged contact information.

"Heh heh, insolent! I am your God of Time and Space!" said the golden-clad old man. He was dressed in white and held a light-projection device.

Whether it was Qi Hao or the Masked Man, she wanted to be close to him. Was this the true nature of a devoted wife? Even with a mask on, she could still sense the scent of her husband.

In the distance, Du Yuan strode forward. He was in no rush to kill the Thousand-Venerable Demon; instead, he simply retracted his gaze. Just as he showed no intention of attacking, the Thousand-Venerable Demon raised a crystal ball high, teleporting Du Yuan’s figure away.

"What is going on!?" The old man looked around at the thunderclouds in astonishment, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes. Even if one had a lightning affinity, this distance was far too great to resonate with the lightning. Could such a distance really trigger any reaction!?

Seeing Jin Li’s enthusiasm, Zhong Qing simply left the herb-gathering task entirely to her, enjoying a moment of leisure for herself.

Do not think that an army of fifty thousand is too few to protect the capital; in fact, it was already quite substantial. It was almost on par with the strength of the capital garrison of the Montis Empire in its prime.

"The Shangqing cultivators are indeed not to be trifled with." Xiao Rang watched Feng Wuhua expressionlessly, instinctively waving the immortal sword in his hand as a surge of intense fighting spirit rose in his heart.

While the two were talking, Lu Chen could no longer restrain himself and interjected: "Don't bully us commoners for being ignorant. The chief examiner is there to supervise the exam; he shouldn't interfere with matters outside his jurisdiction. How does the business of a murderer fall to you?" The more he spoke, the angrier he became, and his words were inevitably filled with disrespect.

Seeing Qin Ai stop, Xiao Ao breathed a sigh of relief. On the other hand, the Ghost Blade Sect temporarily ceased increasing their bids, as did the Biluo Yuqing Palace, as if everything had been put on hold for the moment.

Later, he fled many times, was controlled to establish the puppet Manchukuo government, and was later captured by the Soviets. He spent his whole life in displacement and suffered unspeakable hardships.

Perhaps because Hu Yue’s cooking was decent, Miriya finished the plate happily. Before long, she had polished off a plate of fried rice and half a plate of crystal shrimp, then took her nightgown and went out to bathe.

Elder Tian was instantly enraged: "Bastard!" He then slashed at Lei Li with a sword that burst into flames. As Elder Tian moved, Elder Di and Elder Hai, who were by his side, followed suit. Three afterimages rushed forward to encircle and kill Lei Li.

Qin Mo ordered a retreat. The Palace Master of the Biluo Yuqing Palace also sensed the shift; now was not the time to continue the war, so she had no choice but to withdraw. Shen Suyi prepared to head to the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Sealing City.

Lone Wolf opened her backpack and handed several packs of loose sniper rifle ammunition, two field rations, her preferred remote demolition device, and an anti-personnel mine to Yan Poyue. With this, Yan Poyue’s load increased by another ten kilograms.