Emergence

The Emperor is truly getting old; both his body and his mind are no longer what they used to be. Although she was still unsure of the means by which this He Fenghua had risen to power, if she wanted to drag her into a petty rivalry, she could save her breath.

Yun Mengxi also remarked that the principle was much like the ocean—not every sea demon could withstand the immense, crushing pressure of the deep sea.

The man in black, sent flying backwards, stared in utter disbelief at Beiming Changfeng, whose figure shifted slightly in mid-air and caught up with him instantly, leaving him not even a fraction of a second to react. His eyes were wide as copper bells.

I could only nod along in agreement. Seeing me nod, the old man became even more enthusiastic, going on and on about how they stared up at the sky every single day, praying for the heavens to show mercy and send down a torrential rain to save all living creatures. He spoke of how they used various folk rituals to sacrifice to the heavens and pray for rain, begging the divine mandate not to bring a drought, lest people starve to death.

Yet she, the most useless person in the Duke's Manor, was the elusive and supreme leader of this Dark Tower.

The servant girls in the main kitchen were all battered and bruised, drenched from head to toe in various soups, rice, flour, and oil, looking utterly wretched. Under the intimidating and piercing gaze of Qingyi, they could only howl and wail in place, not daring to leave, terrified that this formidable matriarch might smash another pot over their heads.

I opened my eyes halfway, my hand held tightly in a firm grip. Ninth Aunt's expression vanished, replaced instead by the icy face of Ficana, who pulled me closer and flashed a bizarre, eerie smile at me.

Inside awaited the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree inescapable Golden Crow crescent blade, complemented by a barrier woven from the true elemental essence of the Five Elements, leaving absolutely no path for retreat.

Tenti took a few steps forward and saw that the entirety of Tianxing's body was dangling precariously off the edge of the fighting stage, though his feet had not yet touched the ground.

As soon as Emperor Fantian uttered those words, figures swarmed in simultaneously from all sides of the valley, their expressions a mix of excitement and helpless resignation.

Amidst its endless, tireless, and unceasing calls, the haunting spiders scattered and fled across the ground in all directions.

Across the entire Zhongtian Palace headquarters, the light began to dim completely. Looking out as far as the eye could see, everything was shrouded in a desolate, lightless gloom, as if the apocalypse had descended.

Because the Jade Emperor had forcibly wielded the Evil-Shattering Divine Axe just moments before, the power he had drawn from the Shrine of Worship was entirely depleted. How could he possibly muster the strength to block this staff strike from Sun Wukong? He was instantly cleaved in two at the waist, and his corpse was scorched by the celestial steel fire, turning into drifting ashes that scattered away.

Between heaven and earth, there are many fiends born from lingering resentment and malice. When these fiends merge with a human body, in most cases they consume and destroy the person completely, but on rare occasions, by some twist of fate, they become demonic seeds, surviving in a symbiotic relationship.

Tonight's meeting included not only Count Sorok, but also several other nobles hoping to fish in troubled waters by taking advantage of the situation. Their private armies were the sole purpose of their invitation.

Lei Zhan could not detect a shred of fear on their faces; on the contrary, they were brimming with excitement. Lei Zhan was left speechless. He had originally intended to comfort them, but Annie told him not to worry, claiming that if the enemy dared to launch another sneak attack, they would simply beat them right back.

"The eight-star fox still has some breath left in it, but this guy is completely done for. He'll kick the bucket in a couple of minutes at most," I said softly.

"Then could you help me notify Manager Wan and tell him that the owner of the Ghost Marriage Emcee Shop is here to see him about some business," I said softly.

Seeing that I remained silent, Master Wu assumed I was a soft persimmon. A look of utter contempt flashed across his face, and the way he looked at me seemed to say, "Get lost, you fool."

Generally speaking, the territory of an ordinary second-rate empire spanned several thousand miles, while a slightly more powerful one could reach tens of thousands of miles. One could only imagine just how massive the area occupied by Sulfur Thorn City truly was.

"Qi'er, you've come here—is something the matter?" Lu Hua asked, addressing Lu Qi, who was standing near the door.

Joseph had asked him to track down a target whose physical appearance matched Winifred's description word for word. Furthermore, both individuals were located in the Purple Rain Fortress, leaving Ye Cong with no choice but to harbor deep suspicions.

Su Jiu swiftly flew over to Qingtian Courtyard. The moment she landed at the entrance, the guards on duty immediately bowed in salute. Naturally, they recognized Su Jiu; with a wave of her hand, she stepped across the threshold and walked inside.

Before that, however, he casually picked up a spiritual fruit from the tray and began munching on it with great relish, observing the unfolding situation as he ate.

Meanwhile, the avatars of the members in the guild alliance channel were dimming one by one—a clear sign that they had died in the wild and been cut off from communication by the system while returning to the graveyard.

As it turned out, this was a famed treasure once belonging to a senior of the Heavenly Rat Clan, who had later brought it to Mount Divine Wu. Through ages of cultivation and refinement, it had acquired sentience, which was why everyone present recognized it. That senior, of course, was none other than the current banner-bearer.

"I do possess a certain capability for healing, but I have never once heard of restoring a physical body for a disembodied soul," the Revered Ling by the side said in a deep voice.

Shortly after, Yi Le discovered the clothes Kasumigaoka Utaha had changed out of. Frowning slightly, he pondered for a moment and glanced around, only to find no washing machine in sight. Pausing briefly, he gritted his teeth and resolutely picked up Utaha's garments to wash them by hand. That idiot Utaha had actually left her clothes soaking in water; didn't she know that soaking them for too long would produce a foul odor?

At the edge of the spacious, broad round table, Ye Bai and Su Mengyao sat with arms crossed. Although the round table had no defined head or foot seats, their aura clearly established them as the dominant figures.

No matter what, Yao Xin was still his mother—the mother of the man she loved. She owed Yao Xin the most basic level of respect, so she smiled and treated her with proper courtesy.

That momentary flash of brightness was enough for them to imprint the rough route and environment into their memories. Moreover, Feng Jinghua was extremely familiar with the terrain of this area; even if she walked slowly or occasionally bumped into a wall, she would still manage to reach the North City Gate.

"If Elder Sister does not mind, allow Xiaowei to address you as Mother!" Ruyue was not joking; she genuinely held this intention. After all, this was the hurdle Concubine Zhuang could never quite get past in her heart, and she could tell that Concubine Zhuang truly cherished Xiaowei.

Upon entering the Asia International Building, Cheng Tianxu turned his head to glance at the familiar sports car parked behind the security guardroom, a dark, sinister sneer curling slightly at the corner of his lips.

The Emperor must be desperately wondering where Zhu Wu had gone and what he was doing. And as it happened, he knew precisely where Zhu Wu had traveled in the past and what supreme treasures he seemed to be searching for. If he were to leak information about Zhu Wu to the Emperor, what would the Emperor think? And how would he deal with the Zhu family?