Chapter 57

Xia Lan accepted the brocade box, expressed her gratitude to the emperor once more, and then turned to hand the box to the man in red sitting on the ground.

Although the man was smiling, the desolation and barrenness in his tone caused Qian Qingxi’s heart to tighten involuntarily.

"I can't be bothered to argue with you lot, see for yourselves." Sima Guangxing turned around, presenting his back to the three of them.

Cold. The temperature began to plummet inexplicably, and the rate of the drop was astonishing. Although there were not many living beings left capable of feeling astonishment, even the humans huddled tightly within the most heavily fortified military bases on the surface were freezing solid. Any trace of warmth proved utterly helpless in this fleeting moment.

The long spear wielded by the frenzied envoy inevitably left openings for opponents to exploit during close-combat exchanges. Although the uninhibited young master appeared frantic, he understood this principle all too well. After a brief moment of confusion, he reacted instantly. Pulling back his sword and gathering his stance, he lowered the angle of his blade and delivered several consecutive thrusts, maintaining his ground without losing the upper hand amidst the rapid maneuvers.

Before long, visible droplets of black venom slowly oozed out along with Xiao Chen's sweat. Looking down at his entirely blackened appearance, Xiao Chen could not help but let out a bitter laugh and muttered, "Well, that's just great. Another set of clothes ruined."

The Protoss were not far from completely reclaiming the high-energy star and once again seizing control of the massive resources that would alter the course of the war.

"There's no need to be nervous. I am not here to kill anyone today, or at least, you are not my targets," Huey said aloud.

She sat down to steady her mind, then turned to look out the door, wondering if Zhou Minxin's primary benefactor was out there, and whether those people were hoping to see Shi Lantao. What exactly were they expecting Shi Lantao to do for them?

After that, the Taoist priests began sharpening their blades with a wheezing sound, preparing to slaughter us. But right as they were about to make their move before we could come up with a countermeasure, the unexpected happened: the three priests disagreed on how we should be consumed.

"Is there a medical clinic near the ferry?" It wasn't that she begrudged using the spiritual water, but its cooling effect wasn't significant enough. It would be better to take medicine to bring the fever down first, followed by the spiritual water to nourish and consolidate recovery.

The next day, Jiang Fenghan woke up early. After washing up, he came out to the living room. Since he had no matches scheduled for today, he could enjoy a rare day of rest.

The four midwives went to their graves without ever knowing how miraculous the place they had visited truly was. To them, the most profound impressions were likely just the eccentricities of the Wu family and the substantial weight of the red-packet gratuities.

The snow leopard had followed Wu Xingxia back of its own accord. It had been lingering near the edge of the forest, looking as though it had once been domesticated—either lost or abandoned—yet it was as docile and obedient as a giant cat, beautiful and sleek.

At this moment, Sheng Jintian wore an expression that plainly said, "It's all my fault," offering Jin Yi endless tolerance and doting affection. He felt as though he had never behaved with such a loss of composure before; whether it was turning back in a panic to search for Jin Yi or his earlier impulse to take her right then and there, none of it aligned with his usual personality or style of doing things.

"Dargon, let's force a team fight!" Black Cat suggested. Although Yanyan's gear was decent, she would likely be eliminated in a frontal team fight before dealing any damage. Therefore, utilizing the terrain of the jungle—especially the advantages of the Blue Team near the Dragon pit—was the best course of action for a team fight.

He alone remained stuck in the same place. The Japanese pirates in the region were never truly eradicated, continually popping up every few days, and his marriage prospects remained unsettled. He still needed to carefully weigh whether he should take a local bride from Fujian or one born into a distinguished gentry family of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

In terms of official titles, Zhang Wenshu was merely a senior specialist at the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Voiced aloud, his reputation fell far short of the overseas judges from various countries.

The moment Sheng Jintian stepped onto the scene, the situation instantly became much more decisive and straightforward. He made it clear that he was approaching this purely as a matter of business, refusing to waste breath on talk of family or sentiment with Sheng Hege. If Yu Fengjiao wanted to talk about money, fine—they would talk money, down to the very last penny and the finest thread, calculating everything with absolute clarity.

Yun Qing could not help but sigh inwardly: *Hmph... what a truly filial son, yet His Imperial Majesty has never been blessed with such good fortune.*

The disciple immediately cast a critical look at Lin Yi standing before him, before finally saying after a long pause, "What is this junior brother's name?" A smile hung on the disciple's face, making him appear exceedingly courteous, but only Lin Yi, standing closest to him, could perceive the aura of gloomy malevolence emanating from his entire body, instantly arousing suspicion in his heart.

"I wonder just how powerful one would become after evolving to level 150 through items?!" Golden light burst from his eyes as Ling Xiao grew eager to test it out. However, the current situation had not yet fully stabilized; if he were to undergo evolution right now, he would inevitably be targeted as a common enemy and attacked.

Huo Yankai was deeply cunning and experienced—how could he possibly suffer a loss? With a piercing, prolonged whistle akin to a giant desert eagle soaring into the sky, a dazzling flash of red light erupted. Huo Yankai had already vaulted backward three zhang into the courtyard, his sleeves billowing in the wind as he landed upon the branch-tip of an ancient locust tree. Bathed in the setting sun, he looked precisely like a blood-red eagle spreading its wings in mid-air, casting a proud gaze across the world.

Regnar felt a trace of internal shock. He turned to look at Annelotte beside him, only to discover that her delicate face was also pale, her silvery-gray hair seemingly disheveled as a result.

"Three-one-zero"—this was Danzo's true plan: to utilize the time difference and his own identity to slip out of Konoha.

"Blade of Darkness Curse—Enfeeble!" Garona smeared those nearly invisible wisps of blood onto her black blade and shouted aloud.

The Nine-Tailed Scorpion King struck out with a single palm, landing squarely on Mogu Hun as he flew through the air. With a dull thud, Mogu Hun was sent tumbling over three zhang away, clearly beyond hope of survival.

For a brief second, I even forgot who I was, forgetting entirely where I was. I dared not imagine, nor could I believe it... Was this truly going to be our outcome? For some inexplicable reason... a profound sense of disillusionment washed over me. Why?

While Li Qing was sizing up Li Hai and his two companions, Li Hai was similarly appraising him without the slightest concealment. After a brief moment, Li Hai pressed his lips into a thin line and said indifferently, "Li Qing, is it? I've heard you're quite the expert among the younger generation of Ape Stone City. If you have the time, let's exchange pointers."

The eight occupants of those two tables glanced at the burly man and the lean youth, but they remained silent, burying their heads once more to continue eating.

"No, the matter is basically resolved, but there is one situation I need to brief you on," Qin Han said.

"Stop looking around and stay close to me." Even though Zhou Fan had used a talisman to conceal his vital aura, none of the figures in the ghost market were easy to fool. It was best to make their purchase and return promptly.

Hearing this news, everyone in the classroom broke out in cheers, wishing they never had to attend classes again.

Koi let out a sigh. Which heartless wretch had taken away the silk ribbon? With hundreds of plum trees in this Plum Garden, when on earth would she ever find it?