Volume 1, Chapter 38: The Prince of Beining

As the final word left Xiao Long’s lips, the surrounding temperature soared. A burning cloud descended from the sky, transforming into a flaming phoenix that shrieked as it unleashed the power of the Samadhi True Fire.

The human survivors sprinted across the earth, desperate to evade the encroaching danger. Nearby buildings crumbled into ruins, and the ground split open amidst violent tremors.

"Sigh... children," Su Ziyun called out, finally putting an end to the flour-flinging chaos. "The carrot dumplings are ready. Should we serve three to Tianming first?" After all, that was the rule of the competition.

"You rest for a moment; I’ll unload the goods and swap them for grain," Huang Shaoxian said, already heading toward the exit.

By now, Lin Xiao had gained a slight understanding of the preceding events. He realized he had committed a grave taboo against the Great Xing Imperial Family, and his heart grew heavy with apprehension.

With a series of crisp sounds, everyone raised their glasses in unison! Cai’er tried to persuade A-Liang to stop drinking, knowing full well that if he continued, he would certainly end up intoxicated again. But her efforts were in vain; when it came to drinking, A-Liang would never listen to her advice.

Boom! A Licker leaped in front of Lian Xiang and Wu Zi, its long, muscular tongue lashing out to ensnare them both.

Reflecting on this, she suddenly realized there was no logical reason to avoid him. As this thought dawned on her, the image of Chang Yingxia’s thunderstruck expression flashed through her mind. This memory sparked a strange impulse—she felt that not only should she stop hiding from the Third Young Master, but she should actually seek him out.

A massive fire dragon surged forth, roaring as it collided with the flame-wreathed fist energy.

"If that’s the case, then why are you frowning?" Chen Wei asked.

Chen Wei did not reply, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the flaming ape before him.

Zhao Jiuge dove forward like a young dove, rushing toward Fu Hongling. He spread his arms and pulled her into a bear hug, instantly enveloped by her softness and that familiar, delicate fragrance.

Then, that pair of "bros," Shaolin and Wudang, sent out a red envelope with a password: "Attack Kongtong, I’ll go first."

***

On the afternoon of the twelfth, on a deserted street in the east of the city, two groups of over twenty young men stood in a tense standoff. Many clutched wooden clubs or machetes, ready to fight to the death at a moment’s notice.

Seeing Feng Ni’s strike approaching, Lu Zifeng’s lips curled into a cold sneer. He raised his fist, which glowed with a faint violet light, and met the edge of the halberd head-on.

The Slaughter Blade Sect was founded by Cheng Mingxing, and its disciples specialized in blade techniques. Beyond that, he had recruited many powerful experts as retainers. Thanks to the sect’s considerable influence, they had seized no small amount of resources, and it was currently entering a period of rapid expansion.

While the human warriors were still marveling at the sight of such giant goats for the first time in their lives, Hu Gu had already charged out of the ambush point. Thousands of Tiger Den beast-warriors surged forward, leaving their previously fortified positions empty and rendering their hard-won defenses useless.

Consequently, her expression was terrifyingly severe, deterring those who harbored secret crushes on her from approaching, lest they be met with a blistering tongue-lashing from Ren Feiyan.

Using one hand for leverage, Liu Tian leaped with agility over a massive boulder. He glanced back to see the other two following closely behind before continuing forward.

"The best dishes are saved for last. Let us clear away these 'weeds' before us first! It seems this world will no longer be lonely," the resurrected Yu Zui said in her sweet, melodic voice.

"The pinnacle of painting technique is to depict the object so perfectly that it is indistinguishable from reality, down to the smallest detail," Lu Zhizhi replied confidently.

Yet, man proposes and heaven disposes; the one place least likely to obtain the Alliance Token had actually been favored by it.

The elder in purple robes presented a white jade box. As he opened the lid, a nine-petaled flower with white leaves stood silently inside, emitting an eerie and dangerous aura.

This was because the Jing River Divine Tablet had undergone changes he could not comprehend, or rather, it manifested mysteries he had yet to learn of.

"Alright, one moment," the old man replied, pulling a copy of the Jiangyun Daily from his newsstand and handing it over.

At this moment, Uncle Chen could no longer hold back. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. He smoked one after another, and before long, a dozen cigarette butts littered the ground.

***

Clearly, this was impossible and utterly absurd. If he were truly a War Emperor-level expert, they would all have perished in the blink of an eye. He wouldn't be killing them one by one like this. Besides, War Emperor-level experts were not as common as cabbage, were they?

He had even considered having Lin Bixiao renounce her inheritance of the Su family. If she truly desired power, he was willing to transfer all his personal assets to her.

"My child was not washed away by the flood; rather... they were framed and died in this disaster," I told him.

Wang Haoming saw a few tears fall into Chen Manfei’s rice bowl. She secretly wiped her eyes, remained silent, and continued to sip her porridge, lips pressed tightly together.

If not for Qianshan Xue’s timely arrival, evading the pursuit of that divine statue alone would not have been an easy task.

She had never seen what life was like before the tragedy struck her parents. She and her cousin had snuck out of the Prime Minister’s estate to see the lanterns while her parents were still chatting happily with Qin Chuan’s parents. By the time she saw the sky glowing red and rushed back, the fire at the estate was already too intense to approach.

As the rainy season flickered, she tossed a four-pointed throwing star. Yingzhao Qin smiled, her figure blurring until it transformed into a shadow imprinted on the ground. With a series of metallic clangs, the throwing stars embedded themselves into the floorboards covered by the shadow.

The citizens spoke less and less. Most wore tense, fearful expressions, or were like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, their nerves frayed to the point where the suffocating pressure might drive them mad at any moment.

Li Yue waved a hand and soared into mid-air. Suddenly, a figure circled rapidly in front of him, and a slender hand shoved against his chest, sending Li Yue crashing down onto the building like a kite with a snapped string.