Chapter 38

Gritting his teeth, Zhang Pofa steeled his resolve, pulled a tube from his robes, pointed one end at the Blood Spirit, and placed the other to his lips.

Ji Shuyun had long ago carefully studied the climate of the North Ridge. It was perfectly suited for tea cultivation and silk production. With the manpower available in Peicheng, they could process the raw silk and sell it as finished goods.

These three great experts were all renowned figures, and the Shui family was no pushover either. No one could predict the outcome. If they failed, the entire clan would have to abandon the land they had inhabited for generations.

Even so, one must persist in what is right, and the battle had to go on. He chose to take the initiative, unwilling to remain in passive defense. The Flame Explosion he had used before was too reckless; not only would it harm him, but it would also inadvertently injure the hundreds of innocent people outside the arena.

"Pah, I should be the one protecting you," I said with a stubborn pout, though my heart felt warm. This only gave me more motivation to work hard at my studies.

At the Purple Cloud Garden, the base of the Blood Sun Pavilion, Changsun Yu sat with her knees pulled to her chest atop a rockery, staring blankly at the sunset in the distance.

One must understand that in the month of training under Ji Shuyun, she had conducted countless night raids. The recruits had grown accustomed to them, assuming this was just another drill by their instructor.

"I shall follow your instructions in everything, my lord," Wu Yao said with a bow and a smile, harboring no complaints or objections.

Mental cultivation does not have so many limitations, but Lin Feng’s internal energy had already reached the pinnacle of the Human Origin Realm. If he were to refine the Luo Immortal Fruit now, its vast, immense spiritual energy would simply be wasted.

"Is it good?" he asked diligently, rubbing his hands together. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm was met with a cold shoulder; she did not even turn her eyes. However, the sycophant beside him chimed in obsequiously, "It’s delicious!" He retorted, "You haven't even tasted it, how do you know it's good?" The sycophant smiled bashfully and replied, "Just smelling the aroma makes my stomach melt."

Zhong Nan gathered Sun Chengzhong, Shi Qian, and Ye Xianggao to deliberate repeatedly. They eventually decided to help Liu Donghai advance further and draw him into their own faction.

On the altar, the General's Command Token dissolved into points of light. Suddenly, a brilliant radiance erupted from the heavens, forming a massive beam of light centered on the altar.

The glass hit the floor instantly. Zhang Xueru rushed to the bathroom and stuck her finger down her throat, but after a bout of retching, she brought nothing up.

Yin Yi lifted the fragrant Oolong tea and took a gentle sip, the mellow, sweet taste spreading through her mouth.

Such an island would naturally attract no attention from sea spirit beasts or passing cultivators. Yet, Li Xiuyuan, who had fled while injured, chose this very spot. Instead of returning immediately to the Shouyue Sect on Shou Mountain, he found this remote island southeast of the four major islands, set up a formation, and began to heal his wounds and restore his magical power.

"It’s fine, continue to monitor them," Yin Yi said. She did not want to repeat her previous mistake of underestimating the enemy; it was safest to nip all potential threats in the bud.

*Swish.* With a flash of blood, the Baron's arm was severed and fell to the ground, accompanied by a sharp, pained scream.

"Who are you?" Although Shi Jing was short-tempered and ruthless toward his own family, he was very protective of his reputation with outsiders. No matter who the caller was, he could not show any emotional fluctuation. Moreover, while the voice on the phone was unfamiliar, it was calm and serene, carrying nothing that would cause annoyance.

Indeed, once the enemy realized the ground targets had vanished, they shifted their focus to the driver of the loader. Unfortunately, the tank had been prepared, and the sniper returned empty-handed once more.

Before Su Mubai could grasp the meaning of Zhu Xi’s words, her delicate fingers were already undoing the buttons of his tactical vest, making a move to pull open his jacket.

This creature intended to wear Huang Zheng down slowly, draining his energy and exhausting his supply of Immortal Crystals.

Leng Zhongguo glanced at him without a word. The most pressing matter was the thing outside. "That... that dragon coiled up like that is not a good situation." He pressed a fist to his forehead, feeling a splitting headache.

Emperor Kanghua took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly opened them again. Just as he was about to speak, the Empress Dowager, who had been silently watching the proceedings, spoke up.

"What kind of talisman is this, to possess the power to suppress spiritual artifacts?" Yang Hui and Tang Huan'er both turned pale.

As it happened, he could fly, so he shouldn't have been late. The problem was that he had driven a car; no matter how powerful his cultivation was, he could not change the reality of a traffic jam. And so, he was late.

The late Crown Prince's primary consort, Lady Bai, had fainted from grief while pregnant. Later, the imperial physician confirmed her pregnancy. That was in the tenth month; by now it was the first month of the new year, so the child should be four or five months along.

Shen Shiqi was shocked to hear this and looked at Li Shang, knowing full well he had never mentioned this matter to him. How did he know? His drunkenness faded by half as he urged Li Shang to continue.

In the hall, there was not a sound, save for Nangong Xian'er, who was gritting her teeth as she wrote.

"Let's hear it, and I'll give you some advice, sister," the Princess said with a smile, glancing at Empress Lü. The Empress smiled too; she had no idea her son had secretly chosen a candidate for the position of Grand Tutor, and she listened quietly as her son spoke.

Leng Yan followed Nan Luo’s gaze. Many instructors’ phantom beasts already had new recruits on their backs who had been dropped off, but this particular instructor’s beast was empty. Clearly, those who had been dropped earlier were not to his liking.

Luoyu hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Do you know why the Left Chancellor protects me so? I am not acquainted with him." Most importantly, this kind of help only made her more suspicious.

Shadow One nodded, but stopped halfway. *Oh no,* he thought, he had forgotten that the Emperor was hosting a banquet today, and the ministers would be bringing their families to the Imperial Garden. Looking at the child's clear eyes, Shadow One fell silent. Could he keep this child from going to the Imperial Garden?