Volume 1, Chapter 33: Finding the Ashes

Li Ci turned a deaf ear. The scalding tea touched his lips, numbing his tongue, yet he seemed not to notice. After several gulps, he set the cup down.

Li Ci felt a pang of disappointment. He had long anticipated that His Majesty would refuse to see him, yet he had come anyway, clinging to a sliver of hope—the hope that His Majesty would explain the situation with Yinyu. Why had Yinyu been sent away from the palace? And would he... suffer the same fate?

Sikong Zhan noticed that atop the two pieces of equipment lay a weapon resembling an axe-blade. Just as he reached to pick it up, he discovered a massive blade-like weapon concealed beneath the giant axe.

Although Morin’s explanation was logical, Lin Ze discerned the truth from Morin’s panicked expression.

Hu Mingpan pondered, his heart filled with immense reluctance, but he knew that if he did nothing, he would not be able to answer to Qiu Tai. He had no choice but to proceed.

"Additional performance will yield additional rewards. As for what those rewards are? They will not be announced for now. We shall reveal them after the third stage is completed."

Gazing at Shinichi, who shone brilliantly under the lights, Shinichi could not help but feel a surge of admiration.

Lu Yongming finally compromised. With a shake of his head and a heavy sigh, he made the arrangements exactly as Sheng Xiyu had instructed.

But just as the two were locked in a fierce battle, a figure swift as lightning darted past them, scattering flakes of snow.

"Well... alright then." Hu Yi gave a forced smile, his head filled with troubles as he stepped out and returned to his room.

"Eat it; it’s quite sweet. It’s excellent for Vitamin C and works wonders for reducing inflammation." He then pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

"Let’s go. The game is about to begin." Ye Jiushang flicked Xue Fanxin on the forehead, then took her hand and walked outside.

He did not need his father to think of any solution for her. If his father had a way, he would have handled it during the family banquet last time. Now, Jiang Xinping was her only option.

The White Wolf raised its head to look at Binglu. Its eyes were filled with such disappointment and helplessness that the melancholic gaze made Binglu’s heart tremble.

Lu Chengli’s feelings were, in truth, deeply complicated. He suddenly realized that no matter how much he wanted Ling Xiaoyou to stay by his side, the Ling family would never agree. For years, they had despised him; how could they possibly consent to Ling Xiaoyou remaining with an HIV patient?

At the very least, the Fourth Master felt his strength returning. He could just barely support his body with his hands, but his injuries were so severe that every step felt like walking on the edge of a blade.

"Grandfather..." Zhao Jian shook the old man’s arm. Ji Rufeng did not look away; he met the old man’s gaze steadily, neither servile nor overbearing, his conscience clear.

Jian Xi finished speaking in one breath, completely unaware of how fervent and slightly jealous her tone had become by the end.

"Suit yourselves. If I need directions, I will ask you." Xue Fanxin planned to head to the center of the array to see how much energy remained in the Snowy Night.

"Girl Xue, how have you been these past few days?" Fu Sanyi appeared as well. While not as comical as the previous two, he greeted her with genuine sincerity.

"What? You—mmph!" Before Qian Ye Lian could finish his shout, the Blue Devil shot him a glance so terrifying he clamped his hand over his mouth. But his eyes remained busy, glaring fiercely at Shen Feng as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

Do you remember Xu Lin, that stubborn girl who preferred to leave her homeland rather than fight over Lin Fan?

Watching Mu Xue scratch her head in frustration, staring anxiously at the chessboard with no hope of recovery, Yue Chen smiled silently. Beside them, Li Mu, who was ostensibly asleep, had a slight, meaningful curve to his lips.

Simon swung his heavy sword forward with a roar. A distorted wind of steel shot toward the nearest giant scorpion, cleaving it in two instantly. Without pausing, Simon swung his blade several more times, effortlessly cutting down five or six more large creatures.

Before Sima Yu could offer an apology, a series of angry knocks echoed from outside the door.

The spirit stone mines were perilous. Each of the three mines was infested with exotic beasts: green frogs that spat acid capable of melting spirit stones, ghost kings that lacked physical bodies, and blood-sucking plants. They were endless; even a Grandmaster would struggle to survive unless the bloodthirsty monsters were fed first.

However, Zhao Yan had only one goal in mind: to rescue Ammaya. He kept his eyes locked on the Ice Dragon’s claws, waiting for his opportunity.

So, this was Bai Bobo, the woman the maid Xu Niang said had won the Emperor’s favor through her ample bosom and fair skin. Lan Xi observed her secretly while stepping forward to bow respectfully and offer a red envelope. Her chest was indeed quite prominent and eye-catching.

After unleashing that sword qi, blood surged in Hede’s chest. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of hot blood. His feet faltered, and he leaned heavily on his thin sword, nearly collapsing to the ground.

To this day, no one knows that a pitch-black heavy sword is about to reappear in the world, nor does anyone know that, at this very moment, the sword is humming with anticipation.

Long Gu walked out, carrying Tang Shenxing, followed by Tang Qian, who was chattering excitedly without pause.

Shi Lei was drenched in blood—the blood splattered from the Huns he had just slaughtered. He was like a bloodthirsty beast; with every swing of his sword, a Hun fell from his horse, becoming a corpse.

"Yes, let us use our full strength. If we can hold out for another half-hour, we will flee. By then, Mu Qingcheng and his group should be relatively safe," the Blood Wolf said, his voice filled with concern.