Volume One, Chapter 77: Entering the Research Institute (Extra Chapter)

I looked up and, sure enough, it was Xia Ran. Seeing her made my heart sink; after all, she was the spark that set off the slap I received today. They all thought to themselves that, if they had faced such an attack, surely not even their faces would remain. The sheer force of that onslaught was terrifying beyond words.

Burning Sky, though finding it somewhat taxing, still managed to hold on, a wicked grin playing on his lips as he stared at his opponent ten meters away.

Hearing his opponent mention family, Lu Rongting wore a relaxed expression, though his heart was filled with a bittersweet ache.

Preparations complete, Feng Zi held a chicken in her left hand, a duck in her right, with a bundle of wild grass atop her head, ready to employ a tactic to lure the tiger from the mountain.

This squad had been delivered directly by the capital’s police in a convoy of patrol cars. The roads outside were sealed off to facilitate their operations.

We still had plenty of rations, so we didn’t bother fishing. We didn’t want to waste time preparing food, since our purpose here was to explore the entire island, not to go camping.

Liu Mengyao wasted no time drafting a reply, not daring to delay for even a moment. As for the content of her response, it was, of course, affirmative.

I looked up—it was Tangtang, and by his side stood a burly man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

In the Sacred Land, those eligible to learn the Sacred Arts numbered only a few dozen, and those truly able to master them were even fewer.

Though Wind’s Admiration and Wind Yanxiao were sworn enemies, both were utterly devoted to the Tian Cang Kingdom. Though they often quarreled over differing opinions, their disputes always resulted in benefit to the country.

Moments later, the pair of soldiers who had just vanished reemerged from the night, their uniforms neat, their steps solemn and in perfect unison as they marched toward their assigned posts.

Just as Luoyu caught sight of the scene and had no time to react, the three peerless masters attacking from midair let out a unified roar, and six palms thundered down in unison.

My brother-in-law spoke gently as always, “Let’s bring Liu Po to stay with us so you won’t have to struggle outside, and I’ll have hot tea and water waiting at home.”

Such was the back-and-forth. When Qi Lianchen stepped into the room, she was lifting the curtain—unable to fully enter or exit, she could only force a dry smile at him.

Seeing Mo Qiongyan’s expression, Mo Qiongyun, Mo Qinglian, and Mo Qingyu immediately understood something was wrong and burst into tears.

Tianxing promptly used his spiritual power to peer within his “Life Mark,” seeing the Blackwood Blade, the Spirit-Guiding Staff, and the Jade Flute all enshrouded in wisps of spiritual energy, radiating a constant glow.

As expected, the moment the Golden Crow Scimitar appeared in the space within the purple-gold bracelet, all those sacred weapons that had previously claimed their own corners obediently gathered in one spot.

There was also that clever-mouthed Ran Xiaochun, who would affectionately call her aunt at every meeting. With such a good helper, there was no need to worry about cultivating those hundreds of acres of farmland.

If this were the work of the Western Ghost Emperor, he would never have only taken Jiang Yi and left her behind. But if that suspicious Miss Half-Cloud was hiding something, how had they escaped together, and why hadn’t Jiang Yi called for her before leaving? Yu Wei puzzled over this to no avail.

Yu Hao was certainly adept with his blade, but that was in the past—now, encountering the likes of Jiang Kairan, all he felt was utter helplessness.

In that instant, whether it was the Nine Heavens, the Nine Netherworlds, or the Wildlands themselves, all felt a soul-shaking presence—a colossal phantom of a green lotus blossomed in the heavens, exuding primordial chaos and an unrivaled, demonic beauty.

Yet another longsword came whistling from behind her, piercing her body with unstoppable force.

Du Yuan soared through the void, unwittingly triggering the grand formation; Modati had clearly been made a key component of the array, used to ensnare Du Yuan without his knowledge.

Though everyone sensed something was amiss and noticed Long Yu Ze’s anger, no one dared speak out; after all, the Crown Prince was destined to be the future emperor of Lingfeng, and they dared not cross him.

“Pah, pah, pah! What kind of hero is he? A reputation earned through a gunshot wound isn’t worth a thing!” Jiang’s mother exclaimed repeatedly.

Only after meeting Chu Yuan did she suddenly recall something almost forgotten—her own carelessness nearly caused her to overlook it.

The moment the young man began to speak, the audience fell utterly silent, listening intently. Clearly, the lectures and gifts over the past ten days had earned the villagers’ trust.

“Hmph, quite an attitude. Since you’re so confident, let’s see what you’ve got.” Yao Wang snorted, grabbed the Barrett, and leapt out of the metal container.

Yet, it was obvious he now lacked even a shred of self-awareness—how could he have such thoughts? And so, he merely repeated his previous actions over and over.

By custom, he ought to have saluted Xi’er, but at that moment he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he looked at her deeply, then turned to follow the emperor.

Zhou Xingyue, however, was beside herself with excitement, her beautiful eyes darting between Xiao Yan and Zhou Buyi. Since Zhou Buyi had ascended to the imperial realm, she had yet to see her elder brother in action. Now she would finally witness his true strength—and as for Xiao Yan, who had bested Cang Feng even before becoming emperor, what level had his power now reached?

The first time she saw that silhouette ascending the stairs, her heart involuntarily clenched.

Blood was flowing from many wounds; Yuan Xing could feel his strength slipping away, the dagger in his hand growing heavier. Yet he gritted his teeth and pressed on, for he knew that his own death was unimportant—what mattered was that Wei Xuemang behind him would also be doomed if he fell. No matter what, Yuan Xing could not allow himself to lose.

How domineering he was! Was such a matter of life and death his alone to decide? What did he mean by, “If he doesn’t die, she cannot die”? Was she truly only a breath away from death, yet he insisted on holding her back, refusing to let her draw her last breath?

Liu Chuan could hardly believe the truth. Only a few days ago, he’d heard that the No-Return Tower had accepted a contract to assassinate the Crown Prince, Qiushui.

Hong Yi was conflicted—if he gave the Frost Fragrant Dragon’s Bane to Shi Yao, and Baili Ziqian was still not cured of his poison, what then?