43 Refusal (Part Three)

The entire ceremony was a resounding success. Regardless of the consequences triggered by Chen Tianao's declaration, the Tianmeng Group made a sensational debut in the city of Yandu.

Aware of the flaws within the Sword Ninety-Eight that he had created, the Sword Demon was eager to engage in a direct confrontation to expose its weaknesses. Xu Rui attempted this repeatedly, only to fail every single time. To remedy this, the Sword Demon demonstrated the technique to Xu Rui no less than three times, until the old man finally caught a glimpse of that vibrant emerald bamboo forest before his eyes.

Tian Shou alone possessed neither humble achievements nor exceptional talent and martial prowess, yet he stood firmly here without a single trace of fear. What was it that he relied upon?

"Very well, I, Mo Qingcang, acknowledge you as a worthy opponent. Come, let us continue to fight! Only by defeating me can you obtain what you desire!" Mo Qingcang laughed heartily, seemingly filled with anticipation for the continuation of his duel with Jing Tianwen.

All the wisdom accumulated by the Western Queen Mother had been recorded through cultivation techniques and Daoist scriptures, stored securely within the Sacred Land of Jade Pool.

He felt troubled, knowing there were numerous entanglements between himself and the Yun family. Before misunderstandings could be cleared up, he momentarily did not know how to tell her the truth directly.

Although the ancestral witches could not fully comprehend everything, in matters like this, it was still safest to follow the lead of their eldest brother, Di Jiang.

"Little Lin, you really are a worry. Why did you have to crowd so close to watch the excitement? If anything were to go wrong, what would we do?" Aunt Zhou patted her chest and said.

Upon hearing this, Chen An decided to let it matter not; even within the original plot, Li Erniu and Wang Yanbing had not followed He Chenguang's instructions anyway.

Xiao Yuyin remained silent within the carriage. Lifting the carriage curtain and opening the window, she gazed at the scenery outside. The carriage, cast from aloeswood, featured a delicate window.

"After I leave, I must ask you to take good care of Nalan Heng. Should anything untoward happen to him, please hold him back. I just want him to be well," Xiao Yuyin said softly, her eyes brimming with profound grief.

Clear waters met the azure sky, while red and white lotus blossoms reflected against emerald lotus leaves in a breathtaking display. A gentle breeze swept past, ruffling the spring water of the entire pond.

Ziyi glanced at the chair and could not help but arch her eyebrows. How could she ever dare to sit on such a chair? Pitch-black and looking as though it were covered in mildew.

It was during sleepless nights, listening to the rain by the window, letting one's thoughts drift away with the drifting silk-like rain across the skies, using the wind and rain to fill an empty and desolate mind, and to pass the lonely, unbearable melancholy of travel.

There were also powerful puppets, which were not to be taken lightly. Within fifty meters, they could unleash formidable spell-like attacks that even magic armor could hardly withstand for more than a few blows. After all, these were royal court troops, and their equipment ranked among the very finest across the entire Elven Empire.

Listening to her words and meeting her gaze, knowing she was referring to the Empress, Xiao Yuyin could not help but gently ruffle her hair. "Chuchu, never speak of this to others in the future. Even if you dislike her, do not say it aloud." While children's words might be uninhibited, they were all the more likely to stir up trouble.

The coastal battery opened fire ahead of schedule; Gloria had no intention of waiting for the demons to test their range. She had thought the demons were here to negotiate terms, yet they had sent a warship over simply to probe the firepower of the Sun City?

Hearing this from the side, Mo Tian suddenly felt a strong urge to laugh. Was there anything Miss Xiao did not dare to do? This truly amounted to nothing at all.

"No," Xiao Yuyin slowly shook her head. Could she possibly tell her that failure was the mother of success?

A-Chou suppressed the urge to blurt it out, instead putting on an expression that seemed to say: *Ask all you like, but I am keeping my mouth shut.*

The two sat opposite each other in the main hall, with a low table placed between them. Servants had long since served dried fruits, cheese, wine, and other refreshments. Tea had not yet become a common item for hospitality, and even its preparation differed vastly from that of later generations.

Even someone as ruthlessly determined toward herself as Wu Qinghuang felt a profound sense of shock at this very moment.

Faced with someone as lukewarm as Fu Ziheng—who appeared courteous yet kept others at a respectful distance—it was inevitable that Zhou Zhou would hit a brick wall.

Zhang Wu hastily turned his back. He harbored a deep grudge against Ruan Dun, and having been brought by the Crown Prince to witness the fall of Yuezhou, a sense of pity welled within him, making him wish to avoid unnecessary complications.

Finding it truly unbearable to watch any longer, he quietly issued a quest to Lü Shang to collect special items, distributing rewards based on their respective values.

According to custom, a bride's feet must not touch the ground after her ritual bath. Therefore, from behind the folding screen all the way to the dressing table, the floor was thickly layered with soft cotton wadding.

The high priest tremblingly accepted the scroll, unrolled it with shaking hands, and inspected the contents within.

Seeing Zhang Liang lead his troops away, Zhang Feng finally heaved a sigh of relief. Yet the moment he attempted to move again, he collapsed face-first onto the ground. Struggling repeatedly, Zhang Feng failed to get back up, leaving him with a bitter, helpless smile.

The four individuals were none other than Yan Feiyan and her party. Shi Yan smiled at the four of them, Yan Feiyan gave a cold nod, Wu Kai stared at Shi Yan in bewilderment, while the elderly nun and Monk Jingkong smiled politely at him.

Early the next morning, as dawn was just breaking, Li Qiang, accustomed to waking up early, gave the boards of the upper bunk a kick. Finding Wang Feng gone, he let out a startled cry that woke every soldier in the dormitory. The team members hurriedly put on their clothes and set out to search for Wang Feng.

Before long, Elder Zhang won a round. Beaming with joy, his shriveled mouth no longer appeared quite so unsightly.

"Indeed, according to your description, this is the true Heavenly Fire Valley, a place formed by the battle between those two mighty beings," the voice explained to Lang Hongxiang. The previous anger was gone, replaced by an eerie and profound sense of reverence.

Ice Phoenix stepped out from Long Yuwei's quarters, glanced at Chen Xinghai, and then looked at the key in her hand, feeling somewhat puzzled as to why this fellow deserved such treatment.

Ya Dong gradually let go of his inner turmoil. Seeing the old man furrow his brows deeply, he said to him, "Lord Qidian, I actually heard news recently about where one of the broken segments of the World-Slaying Sword is located, however..." Ya Dong hesitated; after all, that divine sword segment had fallen into the hands of the Demon King, which boded ill.