Volume 1, Chapter 24: The Pitiful Little Boy

To save his younger brother, if the ten thousand heinous souls imprisoned in the Abyssal Hell beneath the King Bian City of the Underworld were to escape their punishment and return to the mortal realm, would it not throw the world into absolute chaos?

However, having just returned to the country, things were not exactly starting from scratch, nor were they as carefree as before.

This day was vastly different from the previous ones—to be precise, it was entirely unlike the past. Xiao Guanxian had not only appeared, but he had done so in a completely transformed state: humble, courteous, and kind to everyone.

Over a dozen clashes ensued. Apart from the Overlapping Wave Fist, every move had been parried. Several ordinary strikes landed on the Dharma Body, yet they only pushed it back; the green light shimmering upon it showed no signs of dimming.

In their hands, this "Dream World" was being constructed piece by piece, much like a game of dominoes.

The leader of the black-clad figures, hovering in mid-air, spoke with a frigid voice brimming with murderous intent. He condensed several blades of blue true energy from thin air and fired them toward Xiang Tianming.

"I should have guessed it was them. These people belong to the Flame-Thunder Mercenary Group," Xia said, clenching her fists and grinding her teeth.

"Hmph, old ghost Zhen Lie, stop putting on an act. If you hadn't used underhanded tactics to ambush my father, with his cultivation, how could a newly breakthrough old ghost like you ever be his match?"

When she left, the sky was still dim and murky, and most people were still in the land of dreams; it was impossible for them to have seen that news, let alone at a time when it hadn't even been published yet.

Li Erpang, Ning You, and Xiao Chu'er recognized at a glance that these orifices were the exits through which they had been "popped" out from the belly of Poseidon.

Moreover, the power dynamic in the original Demon Realm, where the demons and the spirit-beasts contended for supremacy, had completely shifted. Now, the spirit-beast clan held absolute dominance. If the Boatmen were to establish themselves in the Chu-Yun Mountains with dignity, joining forces with the demons to jointly resist the aggressive offensive of the spirit-beasts was the inevitable trend.

Under these circumstances, baring his heart to Kasumigaoka Utaha would clearly be an irresponsible act. He did not consider himself that much of a scoundrel.

Odysseus sprinted through the air, while Lu Qi, utilizing the power of the Twilight Night, was already capable of free flight. Lu Qi’s high-speed movement caused the air to split into two streams—one above and one below—rushing behind him as he passed.

Clearing his mind of distracting thoughts, he waved the white fusion energy in his palm once more. The medicinal herbs that had sunk into the cauldron floated up again. After a few brief seconds, streaks of flame gradually appeared within the cauldron, beginning to refine the second herb, the Ren.

The entire corridor was a deep emerald green, the floor echoing the color of the steps, feeling as hard as iron underfoot. Simultaneously, various figures emerged ahead, shadowy and indistinct, obscuring their vision.

Yang Yi, however, remained seated, his eyes thoughtful. He seemed lost in contemplation, with no intention of stepping forward to rescue Lu Qingqing from her predicament.

"Big Brother, do not mock me!" Yuan Ciying, a woman not inferior to any man, felt a rare flush of shyness cross her face.

It was not until the teacup was more than half full that Princess Yongfeng nodded. Axu handed a white silk cloth to Yuan Ciying.

The next moment, his figure appeared behind the two elders of the Divine Sword Sect. In contrast, those two elders remained frozen in place, their eyes filled with undisguised terror, followed quickly by a look of utter disbelief.

During the Alliance of Kings, if there were honored guests, the guest seats would be placed at the position of the North Star. That area was vast and spacious, capable of accommodating any number of guests.

"Come, sit cross-legged just like me!" Qin Tian looked at Liang Ruyan. She nodded and sat down, her expression pained, as the area below was still somewhat sore.

By rights, he should not interfere in the affairs of the Changxing Marquis Mansion, but since Zhiyuan was still nominally the eldest son of the Marquis's heir, he could not simply watch his father suffer a loss.

"I’ve already apologized, what else do you want?" The young master felt frustrated and irritated, truly regretting his own foolishness in entering this room.

Was it not so? If that dead girl Zhang Cuilan hadn't been so adamant, how could they have run here to curse and shout?

Qian Guoan’s face lit up upon hearing this, and the token vanished. Tian Yuxi, too distraught to wipe away her tears, ran to the door in a few strides, threw it open, and asked the butler, "Have you found Jing'er? Where is she? Is she hurt?" Her voice was filled with agitation and tremors.

"Are you two planning to stop us?" The leader broke the silence, speaking with a wide smile.

On the other vehicle behind them, the people distributed the carried grain to every household. These supplies were enough to feed the entire village for a week. Seeing the food, those who had been lying listlessly under the eaves to escape the heat regained their strength, cheering and dancing as if celebrating something.

The eight rockets did not all fly through the observation windows to kill everyone inside the infantry fighting vehicle; most pierced the armor from the sides, and some detonated the moment they touched the vehicle's armor.

"I’ve been thinking about the engagement..." Ling Xiao turned toward Lantang. Both heads of the families seemed intent on making a decision on the spot.

Just then, a faint sound of snoring drifted over. Everyone turned to look and saw Gong Ruisi lying sprawled on the sofa, fast asleep with no regard for her image.

"How did you manage to escape?" Nalan Yanran asked, blinking her astonished eyes at Yang Hua, who stood before her.

Since his rebirth, Lin Feng had already called home to say he had found an excellent part-time job and that they no longer needed to send him money. He hoped his foster mother wouldn't have to work so hard.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, people greeted Chen Sheng from time to time. Clearly, he was an old acquaintance here. Chen Sheng greeted them back with a smile, showing that his reputation here was quite good.

The next day, Mu Yantian finally discovered the corpses of the disciples in the Killing God Heritage Chamber. Linking this to the Mu Yannin-Jing who had appeared before him the night before, Mu Yantian was stunned for a moment.

Yang Hua stood there in silence. He did not know what this mission was, nor did he know whom he was meant to kill, but a voice deep within his heart kept crying out: "I want freedom. I want to leave this place."