Chapter 43: Rebirth Through Fire, The Man-Eating Flower Appears

"Open your eyes, he is right beside you."

The voice flowed calmly, like willow catkins brushed by a gentle breeze. The familiar scent lingering at the tip of my nose made me instinctively open my eyes. What came into view was Gao Cheng's magnified face. The red hue had faded, and his eyes were closed as if in a deep slumber, yet lying so close, I could not feel his breath.

I remained silent. As of today, he had publicly dissolved the master-disciple bond between us, completely cutting ties with me. In truth, aside from this connection, what else could I possibly be to him? A friend? I hoped so, but clearly, he was unwilling.

Sawen felt this was still a veiled insult to himself, as if it implied he was trying to climb socially by attaching himself to you Merfolk. *Does my noble Dragon clan really fall short of you Merfolk?* Sawen thought to himself, a trace of murderous intent involuntarily surfacing on his face, his pupils unconsciously narrowing into thin slits.

For an ordinary swimmer, a normal short-distance sprint involves six kicks per cycle, while a long-distance event like the 1,500 meters uses two or four kicks.

See? In truth, I was entirely clear-headed inside, perfectly capable of analyzing the whole matter with complete rationality. Yet it was precisely that past he had just recounted that struck a soft spot deep within my heart, dispersing even the lingering traces of annoyance.

Knowing oneself and the enemy, and anticipating their moves in advance, are the keys to firmly grasping victory. A wrong judgment will only plunge oneself into the abyss of failure.

Qian Cheng chuckled dismissively, well aware that Qianqian was doing this on purpose, knowing there was more she wanted to say later.

The Forbidden City was naturally peerless, yet having weathered centuries of trials and tribulations, it inevitably carried a trace of desolation.

The mature woman took a few sips and closed her mouth. Figuring she had had enough to drink, I put the cup back and gently laid her back onto the bed.

Clinging tightly to her body through a thin nightgown, she felt so soft. The exposed skin flushed a rosy red, whether from having just bathed or from the scene that had just transpired.

The sounds of combat grew sparser. The occasional simple explosion signaled the approaching danger—virtually all of our capable fighters had fallen.

Wu Tian landed on one foot and glanced over at me. Seeing that I had actually managed to dodge, the corners of his lips curled up for a single second before instantly flattening again. With a ferocious expression and a furrowed brow, giving me no chance to catch my breath, he clenched his fists and charged straight at me.

As for me, I was pondering what his waiter had said and the bizarre appearance of that strange man. Even an ordinary person could feel uneasy in his company; perhaps he truly wasn't targeting us after all.

Memories flooded back like an opened sluice gate, and the jokes the two of them had once shared remained fresh in her mind.

This meant that even if individual soldiers were causing a disturbance right in front of him, he would simply ignore it.

Facing this sudden questioning, Du Bazhi was in no rush to reply, keeping his eyes fixed squarely on Fan Ru to observe his reaction closely.

At this moment, the two of them kept their pace controlled and slow, terrified lest any overly large movement might attract the monster's attention.

"I can't run anymore. I really don't have an ounce of strength left. For a whole day, I haven't even had a single drop of water. I simply can't hold on any longer, but I'm still worried about Wenwen; I'm afraid something might happen to her." As Li Feng spoke, he twisted his suspended body, looking thoroughly miserable.

Although the Grimreapers were there on an investigation mission, upon coming face-to-face with the First Generation Mavis, they still couldn't help being captivated by her immensely adorable and charming appearance.

"No need to check. The distance between them is no more than five meters. Unless it's Huang Daqiang and the Mother Yaksha, they are dead for sure!" Tiansha declared.

Even though Jiang Ruochen was fighting Bailitang, and making a sneak attack now would violate the rules of the pugilistic world, Chief Steward Wu didn't care in the slightest. As long as he could kill Jiang Ruochen, what did it matter if he was reviled by every martial artist in the Great Xia dynasty?

Though the current situation appeared peaceful on the surface, undercurrents surged beneath, fraught with countless hidden perils.

Seeing Eunuch Hai slip away, Jiang Ruochen didn't mind too much and prepared to head to the Tianran Residence with Xia Youruo, having no intention of paying attention to Grand Tutor Jiang.

Looking at those faces that remained eternally beautiful yet carried eyes bearing the profound vicissitudes of countless lifetimes deep within, Gu Yourong suddenly felt that the debt she owed them over the years was far more than mere exclusivity and devotion; the debt she owed every single one of them was simply too vast to be repaid across multiple incarnations.

Since this was a base, everyone wore standardized uniforms, making Ye Qiu—dressed entirely in white like the sun in the heavens—stand out strikingly.

Almost instantly, the gazes cast upon Jiang Ruochen's retreating back by the men present grew somewhat more hostile, with Wei Ruyan's devoted admirers in particular glaring intently at him.

Trapped here with no good alternatives, everyone simply found a spot to rest.

"Man proposes, God disposes. If we can build this sanctuary, we will have a place of refuge. If we fail, we will simply end up like those people described in the internet doomsday stories of the past—struggling to survive in a perilous wilderness, either perishing entirely or rebuilding society from the ashes," said the division commander.

Pondering this, he instead sat down leisurely on the grass and slowly reasoned his point through, leaving Zibing inwardly anxious.

Under the Heavenly Tribulation, Xiaoxiaojie trembled all over. Even with the protective shroud of ash, the tribulation lightning tore right through it, striking directly into his flesh and soul.

Harper pulled Tulip behind a tree and asked, "Have you grown tired of life?" Tulip wore a puzzled expression as well; the opponent could easily have shot her from her previous position, yet they hadn't pulled the trigger. At that moment, the image of a resolute face with the corners of its mouth gently curling upward flashed through her mind.

Liu Luo's expression stiffened, and she lowered her head with a hint of resentment. The Golden Toad watched coldly; with the Prince absent, these women were simply squabbling in vain without gaining any advantage. Still, this was fine—at least causing trouble for Qin Yunge was a welcome outcome.

By midnight, the three-day limit would expire. If Su Qin failed to return to Mount Hua before then, her soul would scatter, and even immortal pills would be powerless to save her. Growing increasingly anxious, Chu Tianchou could no longer afford to wallow in grief. Summoning his remaining spirit, he sprang to his feet, stowed the immortal pill back into his treasure pouch, and soared away on a beam of ethereal light directly toward Mount Hua.

Hua Lian was startled, then instantly understood. A blush bloomed across her pretty face, and lowering her head, she softly asked, "Is that why you didn't answer me?" Jiang Lang remained silent.

"Humanized?" She had the nerve to call it that; did nannies not need to rest or work at night? How could anyone call this humanized?