Volume 1, Chapter 67: Severed with a Single Slash

Song Qinghuan felt a dull, stinging pain where her chin had been roughly shoved away, but she bit back her tears and forced herself to conceal it.

Composing herself, she began to take in her surroundings.

It was a dilapidated shack, cluttered with debris on all sides, the air thick with the heavy stench of mildew.

Her hands and feet were bound tightly with coarse ropes, sending sharp waves of pain through her limbs with the slightest movement.

Nearby, the bandits were arguing animatedly among themselves, showing no immediate intention of harming her.

Wang Qian had originally planned to look for Yu Qingyao to chat and pass the time, but she was out on a mission and had yet to return.

Countless ancient martial artists had converged on Haizhou City from all directions, lured by two Earth-grade treasures. Given the Dragon Guard's limited manpower, arresting every single troublemaker was clearly impossible. However, one thing was certain: those who jumped the most frantically and those who instigated the first conflicts would meet a grim end.

The banquet was held not far from the Palace of Consort Shu. As the guests sat enjoying the graceful dance performances, a sudden, thunderous roar echoed through the air.

Hearing Jiang Hao order them to leave, Zhang Yuyi's faction and another group that had remained virtually silent throughout exchanged mocking glances and sneers at Su Ling.

Miao Lingling and the three others finally came to their senses. This entire ordeal was a trap meticulously laid by the cultists, specifically designed to assassinate them.

The order of appearance for these three arena matches had to be decided by drawing lots beforehand. Consequently, the probability of Cecilia and Rex entering the ring was the same as Lei Dong's. Should they lose the first two matches, Lei Dong wouldn't even need to fight.

The first sounds to reach them were the chaotic shrieks for help and the clamor of battle. Outside the windows, shadows shifted menacingly, illuminated by the eerie glow of human soul-fires, making the world outside resemble a chaotic dance of demons.

Clenching his fists tighter and tighter, and amidst the pointed whispers and mocking glances of the others, senior brother Duan Ju walked away with a livid, ashen face.

Although Nanny Zhang was somewhat reluctant, she knew that if Ye Yuhong refused to accompany her inside, she would truly have no way to appease the Empress Dowager if she were to inquire later.

The agonizing pain caused him to curl up tightly on the ground, sweat pouring profusely from his brow. Though he heard what Luo Ren said, he found himself utterly unable to retort, left only with a bitter taste of helplessness welling up in his heart.

"I'll hold onto this heart for now." Claudia put away Lai's heart, then turned as if to re-enter the prison, still searching for something she wanted from Raiden.

Yes, I had always lived in dread that the Sky Capital's Sixth Day would send someone to execute me, or expose my identity to the Divine Sword Sect, turning me into a genuine traitor and forcing me to endure once again that agonizing feeling of being "abandoned by everyone." Every time those thoughts crossed my mind, even the quietest nights would see me jolted awake from my dreams.

Here stood several glowing obsidian towers, stacked like piles of coins. Every single disc of stone within them held a record, and one of those discs was precisely what he had been searching for.

Qiaoyingying understood at once: her master was worried that injuring the enemy might provoke them, thereby jeopardizing the safety of Ya'er, who was being held hostage! A cold sweat broke out over everyone present! They knew all too well that these adversaries were by no means ordinary wild beasts like boars or black bears!

On the third floor of the Guili Arena, the architectural design was uniquely striking, differing vastly from the other two levels.

Yet, having lost all mood for it, Ye Guang could only let the matter drop and leave it for another day. After all, he was never one to place much importance on clothing and appearance.

After all, his opponent possessed the status of a sage; if he could be defeated in just two moves, it would be the ultimate joke.

Liu Yuhang continually sacrificed himself to ensure Xi Chen's safety, and the burden of those missions naturally fell squarely on Xi Chen's shoulders.

"If that's the case, why can't the gnomes come to Uldaman and help restore the operations here?" Ironaya inquired.

They were showering Claudia and the departing soldiers with praise and fanatical cheers. The two consecutive victories Claudia had secured successfully proved that she was a guardian deity capable of safeguarding the kingdom's residents. This was of the utmost importance, as the townspeople desperately needed such a figure to dispel the lingering gloom cast by the disappearance of King Varian.