Chapter 1: So Close

“Sun Ziqiang, from the Sun family of HN. Last time, Brother Rui bet against him and lost more than two hundred million,” Wang Bin said, sounding a bit helpless. He hadn’t expected that, a year later, he would encounter Sun Ziqiang again on a gambling ship.

These words were clearly directed at Fang Tong. Fang Tong couldn’t understand—she hadn’t done anything at all, yet Jiang Hao now looked at her with a new layer of disgust and aversion in his eyes.

The two powerful cultivators met mid-air, locked in fierce combat, both instinctively avoiding any harm to the ordinary soldiers below. This was only natural—not because striking at lower-level cultivators or mortals would be beneath their dignity, but because whoever emerged victorious would need to recruit the defeated to strengthen their own ranks.

Her body’s circadian rhythms, and the child growing within her, had long been protesting Yan Xiangnuan’s tendency to go to bed early and rise early. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Yan Xiangnuan fell fast asleep.

After writing down their names and birth dates, Bai Zhi led Zhou Tiantian out of the room, scooping up all the cookies and snacks Chu Yan had placed on the table in one fell swoop.

With a sudden start, she sat up and looked around, finally realizing she was in a desolate stretch of wilderness.

He Ronghua, hearing this, also found some logic in it, his heart easing a little as he sighed inwardly, a thoughtful look settling on his face.

“This casino is run by your family, so I can just leave because you say so? Besides, did we ever say we wouldn’t participate in the gambling?” Zhao Rui’s retort left Sun Ziqiang rattled, his expression alternating between green and white.

On such a cold night, Qiu Qingqing wasn’t wearing much, and only now did she realize how freezing it was. At this moment, hearing Song Yan’s voice on the phone was her sole comfort.

Suixin had that kind of fair skin, flawless and poreless, making the person beside her so jealous that she kept tugging at her face.

Meng Fan was startled. Ever since the big yellow dog became a spirit beast, its intelligence had soared—still not quite up to Yang Li’s level, but certainly not lacking enough to cause anyone’s death.

And so, master and servant waited until midnight before hearing a knock at the door. When they opened it, it was Zhuo Yan.

To be able to use an ancient array like the illusion barrier—such things weren’t found just anywhere. Thinking this, Lin Yumeng felt emboldened. The Grade Two Advancement Pill was meant for cultivators breaking through from practitioner to master; it was useless to both Lin Yumeng and Lin Qingxuan, yet Lin Yumeng happened to have one. This thought made her quite pleased.

He felt as if he was in a dream, yet not quite. Sensing something amiss, he quickly did a divination, then hurriedly got up, roused his generals, and quietly explained the situation, urging them to go with him to pay homage to the Yellow Emperor.

Wu’er laughed and shook her head, “Go in and interrupt the young master and mistress? Not a chance.” Cui Ping poked her in the head, scolding her for being shameless, but said no more about going in.

Back home, when everyone heard there were crabs to eat, they all sat in the living room on the new sofa, watching the new television, waiting.

“A manager?” Ye Lusheng found it amusing—how had he gone from being a laborer when he woke up to now a steward the next?

Meng Fan took the leopard skin and examined it. It was pretty much intact, but he had no real use for it.

“Fourth Young Master…” Zhuo Lan wanted to join the fun, but Ye Luhuan snapped, “Don’t follow, just stay here and keep watch.” Zhuo Lan was unhappy, but how could she dare show it now? She could only agree.

There was no need to ask further—after all, anyone who could slip silently into this Peach Blossom Garden and evade the notice of all three present was certainly no ordinary person.

Wanyan Beiya pushed open the door as she spoke, not even waiting for Zhao Fuxin’s response before sitting down at the table.

By now, soldiers from the security battalion had already lit the fire, and were trying to ignite a bundle of explosives to toss into the valley.

Song Tianquan, once so dapper, now looked utterly bedraggled. His tattered clothes had long lost their former luster; now, Song Tianquan was nothing more than a destitute old man.

“With more time now, we see and know more than we did before,” Chen Xing’s mood suddenly dimmed at the mention of the past by Pei Yuanyue.

Perhaps it was because Bai Sheng’s family ranked just below the Ling family, so his seat was arranged just below the viewing platform. In the otherwise noisy martial arena, those led by Bai Sheng sat quietly in their seats.

Gu Lian didn’t want to blame Pei Yuanyue—she felt she should first blame herself. Wasn’t it she who had hoped her idol and Pei Yuanyue’s boss, Chen Xing, would come to the scene as a guest judge for Li Chunnian? She knew Pei Yuanyue, as Chen Xing’s assistant, would follow her everywhere.

Even with herself by his side, would that sense of loneliness that Chen Xing unconsciously exuded never fade?

Ye Xiaofeng quickly directed his soul into the physical body he had fashioned from energy.

Yet it was precisely because of this that so many inexplicable troubles and issues had arisen.

Shi Mo gently stroked Nie’s head, channeling energy into her body. Nie’s complexion visibly improved.

But when Andy saw that person, his face instantly changed. No matter how you looked at him, he didn’t seem alive—half his head was gone, as if someone had slashed diagonally down from the top, and his right hand and shoulder were missing along with that half of his head.

This was no empty boast. In the world of cultivation, the human race numbered in the hundreds of trillions—every life-bearing planet housed hundreds of billions.

Xuanyuan Yiyu and Dean Bai both widened their eyes, a sense of foreboding growing in their hearts.

Compared to other top-tier celebrities, it wasn’t much. But the key point was, Shi Mo had only two notable works, and had participated in just one variety show.

Just then, Mozhu and Chenxiang carried out an object covered with a red silk cloth, making it impossible to see what it was.

Unable to make sense of it, Lin Yue finally gave up. He was determined to get that raw stone, but as for how much he should bid, he still had no clue.

By dusk, Jun Xi had returned to the prince’s manor. Jun Chen was busy with military affairs and couldn’t return with her. That great white bird that had fallen from the sky clung shamelessly to them, squeezing its way into the carriage.