Volume 1, Chapter 40: Throwing Her Arms Around Shao Ting'an's Neck

As the guard detailed the information, Li Xuanlin collapsed into his chair, pale-faced, his lips incessantly murmuring the word "impossible."

Du Aobai guessed the message was from Huangfu Mingyu and, ignoring it, tossed the phone aside.

Suddenly, a mass of terrifying thunderclouds gathered in the sky. A figure descended from above, standing in mid-air; the figure appeared to be a middle-aged Taoist.

Lü Tao turned his head inadvertently, frightening Tang Jinxiu into turning away in such a hurry that she banged her knee against the gap in the iron gate, looking quite flustered.

Tong Wuyin looked at the fruit of the Longyuan Tianhua and sighed; it seemed the favors she owed Fu Ming were piling up, becoming difficult to repay.

He was a computer expert; handling technical issues was effortless for him, but when it came to observing people, he lacked the necessary finesse. He still had a long way to go in that regard.

From the moment they saw the three-headed "Hundred-Headed Rot" in the Lidi Great Rift Valley until their return to Seven Star City, they had never found the time to discuss the matter.

Consequently, Tang Jinxiu was essentially a commander without an army; there was almost no one in the company she could actually rely on.

While one could not call her a femme fatale or a beauty who could topple cities, her appearance and figure, paired with that qipao, were truly infinitely charming.

After Huangfu Mingyu realized something was wrong with his phone, he waited for Shangguan Rou'er to come up to see how she would explain it.

This was a world of mortals; transcendents enjoyed many privileges and held a natural ruling advantage, but they were not gods—they were still human.

On this day, Lin Tian stepped into the Eighth Domain, beheading three ancient emperors who had been devouring all living things to extend their lifespans.

Xiang Shaofan naturally could not return home with Leng Lingwei; she had many matters to attend to. Moreover, Yuanshan City and Jianghai City were not far apart; Xiang Shaofan could easily make it back to his own territory even on foot.

"Tianshui County has been weak for years, and I have no desire to offend any powerful faction. However, Tianshui County is the thousand-year foundation of the Huayang Sect and my Wu clan, so I cannot abandon it lightly," Wu En said decisively.

Qu Fengshi’s spirit armor was finally shattered, its glow dimming. Under a barrage of fists, he was beaten black and blue, his bones nearly pulverized. Finally unable to hold on, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

Elder Mu was covered in a layer of frost. Even a yard away, one could still feel the chill. Yang Tian withdrew his hand, his brow furrowing slightly. With a sudden burst of internal energy, he forcefully expelled the cold that had condensed on his fingertips after touching the elder.

Feeling the strike from above, one capable of crushing steel into powder, Shi Songhong said softly.

Chen Hai could only develop his Spirit Sea Secret Palace on the foundation of his four spirit meridians; he was even falling behind Ge Tong.

"The Red Brow Sect has fallen apart, and the Black Swallow Army has defected to the clan factions. You might as well join the Heavenly Mystery Academy—are you really not tempted?" Ning Chan'er stared into Chen Hai's eyes and asked.

Yet some who were once the most inconspicuous had left everyone behind on the vast path, standing at the pinnacle of all living things, high above the nine heavens—though even that was not enough.

A father's love is like a mountain, broad and deep; through years of wind and rain, staying by one's side, never failing the prime of youth.

"People from the Absolute Blade Society?" Ye Han noticed they all wore the same emblem on their chests, engraved with a green blade.

They had all groomed their hair into neat, appropriate buns, their faces carefully made up with high-quality rouge and powder. Their eyes were closed, their smiles peaceful, as if they were merely sleeping.

"Is that so? Well, that’s still better than some people who reek of fox musk. Getting close to them is enough to make one dizzy and breathless." Before Shan Shan could reply, Yun Yun retorted with the fighting spirit of a gamecock, fanning her nose with her hand as she spoke.

"It's fine. No one could have foreseen this. I was just a little luckier than the rest, and it happened to fall on me," Xia Ling said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

Meanwhile, Venerable Chiyun remained unscathed, though his hood had fallen off, perhaps due to his change in posture.

The Idle Taoist’s eyes filled with madness. He retreated several yards, then spat out several mouthfuls of vital blood. His eyes suddenly turned green, and green dragon scales actually appeared on his neck.

Li Hongqiu took a deep breath, leaped into the air, and danced his Wudang sword. In an instant, shadows of the blade spread across the sky, descending like a rain of swords.

But Li Bin possessed the profound arts of the Sacred Sect; his Sacred Fire technique’s internal energy surged in rebellion, forcibly repelling Su Yu’s internal force.

Xia Ling appeared before all the men with tear-stained cheeks and disheveled hair, looking as vulnerable as a newly hatched chick. Her face was stained with tears, and her fair shoulders bore the marks of lust, leaving much to the imagination.

Players of the Floating Tower were all excited. After all, anyone who hailed from the Floating Tower who achieved fame brought immense glory to all the players within it.

Zhang Yifan had not intended to make a scene at first, but the Eagle-Eye player’s persistence annoyed him. If the man continued to harass him, he felt a genuine urge to kill him until he reached level zero.

As Ghost Flame had guessed, Zhang Yifan had indeed been following the Shadow Legion, but he had not clashed with them again.

With all participants arrived, Mu Qingfeng nodded. The disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall brought out the draw box again to begin the next round.

Aside from Zhang Yiming, the only one who could make Hou Yu submit with genuine admiration was the Fighting General, Lu Yuxuan.

However, this "Dead Gate" was kept tightly guarded by mechanical warriors, leaving Zhang Yifan no opportunity to strike.

He was shocked to discover that the sword in his hand could barely pierce an inch into Helian Batu’s shoulder blade. No matter how much sword energy he channeled afterward, it would not penetrate a hair’s breadth further.

Zhang Yiming had already understood his intent; Phoenix was lethal, and naturally, she was far more terrifying than Hou Yu.

He Liuhun replied with a smile, "There is no secret manual; it is simply a matter of heart connecting with heart." He then led his horse away.

Li Wuyou continued his aimless wanderings; having started with nothing, he was now fully laden with spoils.

The two, burdened with thoughts, had no choice but to seek out Huikong to ask about what had just transpired. Unexpectedly, Huikong simply shook his head and dismissed Cui Hao with a few words, claiming he needed to discuss the expedition with Yun Zhen.

"Keep guessing, all of you. But no matter how you guess, you will never figure out my identity. Hahaha..." The Nameless one laughed mockingly, as if the more confused the people in heaven were, the happier he became.