Volume 1, Chapter 22: A Clash Is Inevitable

They figured that as long as they served him faithfully, the rewards this time would certainly be no less than the last, and so, everyone’s ambitions were stirred once more.

Lu Zimo reached out and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. Lin Wanbai resisted, but the harder she fought, the tighter his grip became. In a frenzy of pain, she began to strike at him.

A truly wise cultivator, however, must never be deceived by superficial appearances; one must look past the complex facade to grasp the subtle truths hidden within.

She genuinely did not remember the Eighth Sister of her past life being like this, or perhaps she had returned too late in her previous life and missed something.

Li Wei squinted and saw that it was Guo Zhiqiang and Lang Ji’an, both walking slowly with two wooden buckets balanced on shoulder poles. Just as Li Wei stepped forward to help, he heard two loud thuds.

Fortunately, Zimou was a clever person. Compared to Ling Zihuan taking the initiative to explain the old city lord’s dying wishes, this approach was likely more convincing.

It was not that she was cruel or heartless; she wanted to build a legion of her own, and the Xingtian Battle Team was her first contingent.

After the Blade of Phosphorescence passed through the Landscape Map, it fell under Qiu Qinhai’s control once more and returned to her hand. Astonished, she leaped up and snatched half of the fragmented scroll.

From Jin Haichuan’s eyes, Zhou Hongju could tell he had not gone mad. At this moment, his heart was clearer than anyone else’s, and he was hurting more than anyone else. The pain in his eyes was not hatred, but a profound sense of heartache.

Afterward, he knelt again and kowtowed three times. He felt as though, while Zhichen’s words were somewhat ethereal, they were not without reason upon reflection.

"One billion?!" The auctioneer and all the merchants below gasped in unison. This price was enough to secure not just a five-hundred-square-meter plot, but one of five thousand. They all turned to look at Hong Zhanpeng, wondering if the father and son of the Hong family would dare to bid further at such a price.

She put away her pipa, and as the strange sensation faded, the sound of roaring flames returned.

Amidst the clash of blades, Chu Tao remained serene, lost in the music. With her graceful posture and flowing sleeves, she embodied both the elegance of a refined lady and the decisiveness of a swordswoman, all carried by the ringing notes of the strings. Complemented by the graceful Fenyi, her fair face was cold yet delicate. Her slender fingers swept across the strings, the sound flowing like a clear stream, surreal and enchanting. Shining and harmonious, they were a perfect pair.

A crowd had already gathered around, pointing and watching from a distance, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

Shielded by bushes and obscured by branches, he searched incessantly for the next place to hide from the assault.

"The five great empires currently manage the Shu Xing Continent in perfect order. If any one of them falls, the entire continent will be plunged into strife. Must we see the chaos of the Divine Palace from years ago repeat itself before the five empires will cooperate?" Xiao Yan steered the topic directly toward the turmoil of the Divine Palace.

On the other end of the phone, Song Dongpu gave a light chuckle. To Li Xiang, it sounded as if he had everything under control, but he did not know that this was actually Song Dongpu’s way of expressing his satisfaction with his performance.

Zhao Haijun boasted, "All in vain." But when he saw Xue Hai use a rope to bind his own left hand tightly to Xie Junhe’s right, he was still taken aback.

It seemed this fellow wasn't completely ignorant of the future; after all, anyone who thought this far ahead either had the strength to go legitimate or was preparing an escape route for themselves.

Even if the combined forces of the three families generated a million in pure annual profit, at most only six hundred thousand could be set aside for the three members of the Cool Party, leaving Guo Lin with only two hundred thousand. Why? One always had to offer a little incentive to the high-level management of such a vast organization.

As time passed, even without external force, it could undergo self-evolution, perhaps even reaching the level of a Saint-rank pill.

After hanging up, Calvados replied in a muffled voice over the radio, "Smirnov will handle it," and then fell silent.

The current Zi-O could not yet control the future, and the riders he possessed—Geats, Zero-One, and Saber—were all future riders unaffected by Zi-O.

"No one can guarantee that every operation will succeed, can they?" Smirnov remained calm.

Due to inertia, the bullet exerted a tremendous impact in Xu Chuan’s hand, yet it never escaped his grasp.

A sharp shout, which Nyx could not hear, reached his ears, leaving him dizzy. He saw a branch swinging toward him and tried desperately to dodge, but his body wouldn't move an inch, and he was struck, sent flying backward.

Although he was a member of the Organization, Vodka spent most of his time driving for Gin, and his security clearance was not strictly enforced.

The receptionist then called her manager, and fortunately, the manager did not refuse.

Ren Weiyong’s body stiffened, and as he tried to call out, only a terrifying, low growl emerged.

Situ Luochen turned his face to look at the fair-skinned girl. Beneath her arched willow brows, her almond-shaped eyes were cast downward. She wore no makeup, yet this only made her look all the more like a lotus emerging from clear water.

Lin Yan actually abandoned his efforts to seal the Nether Blood Blade. His long sword no longer blocked it, letting it slice across his own chest.