Volume 1, Chapter 25: Yan Chu Won the Bet

After four days of travel, Baili Wuchen’s large contingent finally reached the Western Frontier fiefdom, arriving at nearly the same time as Bao Rong’s group.

Suffering from heatstroke in such an environment would be disastrous. Not only would it render one incapable of combat, but it could also trigger hallucinations; if one were to mistakenly lash out at their own allies, the consequences would be dire.

"How am I supposed to explain it to you if you don't let go?" As she spoke, she tugged at her hand, but could not break free.

Xing Ziyue looked at her own hands with half-belief, as if she were brewing something, but before she could finish, the sound of a helicopter rotor echoed from afar.

Before anyone could react, several masked riders entered the village in broad daylight. They bound the scoundrel to the back of a horse and dragged him out of the village. His earth-shattering wails were so terrifying that the dogs in Huaizuo Village dared not even bark. The next day, villagers found his corpse more than ten miles away, already mangled beyond recognition by wolves.

Lou Qingyin was mortified; this man was born to torment her, specifically intent on making her life miserable.

When the heavens and earth were first created, the Primordial Creation Lotus disintegrated. One of its ripened seeds transformed into the Twelfth-Grade Creation Green Lotus, which, as ordained by the Heavenly Dao, split into four.

According to long-standing regulations, students who rank first in the primary class, regardless of their Battle Qi level, may apply for a grade skip. Once the application is approved, they must undergo a qualification tournament.

The nine individuals were clearly divided, with groups of three staying close together. As colleagues moving in unison, coordinating between teams was undoubtedly the most effective and direct method.

Yet, beyond mere utility, Liuli must still hold a place in his heart; he simply hasn't realized how important she truly is to him yet.

"Many thanks." Xinyi turned back and slipped him a few pieces of silver. The jailer did not refuse, naturally tucked the silver into his robe, and then turned and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Ultimately, most eyes fell upon Chu Fan and his companions. After all, Chu Fan had clashed with Pan Yinke upon his arrival, and they were the most likely suspects.

A bright red "-649" floated above the Sky Wolf Spider’s head. Before Qin Feng could even express his surprise, the Sky Wolf Spider King kicked out with its front legs, landing squarely on Murong Daotian's chest. An identical red "-563" appeared above Murong Daotian.

"74, 743, 604"—three instances of damage floated over Occasional Arrogance’s head. He did not panic; for him in his panda-fused form, this damage was merely a drop in the ocean. The battle between the four of them began in earnest.

"Mengmeng." Manman caught Mengmeng and pulled her tightly into her arms, casting a wary look at the man standing in the shadows.

Manman was standing in a different spot than before, one from which she could just see the hospital bed.

"Where did you go just now? Why did you miss a class?" Ling Xianxin hated trouble. "I, I..." Lan Lan looked over to see that Manman and Mo Chen were already gone. She prepared to spout nonsense; as long as it could spare her a brutal beating, she felt it was worth it.

The barrier between the Void-Refining and Creation stages seems like nothing more than a thin film, yet countless heroes have failed before it. If one pierces it, they truly step into the ranks of the powerful; if not, they remain forever among the weak.

"Second brother! This humiliation! Big brother will surely avenge you! Ba Qingtian! Since you didn't stay abroad and chose to return to the country, you must be prepared to face defeat once again! Hmph!" Long Zaitian wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and led his forces away from the battlefield.

Ji Kai could not care less about that. The second attack had thoroughly ignited his fury. Through the insect beasts he had left outside, he saw that the person had not left immediately.

Seeing her look of disbelief, I grew anxious and prepared to take out my phone to prove it, but as I reached into my pocket, I realized with a curse that my phone had been taken by Princess Yingxiang.

"The Kingly Aura of the Ninth-Five Sovereign, the old master can see it. Go! Dedicate your limited life to the country with infinite strength!" The old master’s voice suddenly grew louder, his spittle flying as he spoke with impassioned fervor.

Hearing this, Nie Zhenbang frowned. Developing a scenic area, supporting hardware and software, and building transportation infrastructure—these all require vast manpower and material resources. It was true; for Hongjiang, the current fiscal embarrassment was the greatest problem.

Yan Ming opened her eyes. Even she could feel that the True Essence she was consuming now was far less than before.

"Tu Fei... I mean, are you really okay with being so high-profile?" Du Si Miao hesitated before voicing the concern in her heart.

I couldn't bring this up with Bai Ling, as she was feeling particularly guilty for her friend right now, and I felt that from my perspective, I had to consider every angle.

"Earth?" Lei Ziming asked, a bit startled. "Must be expensive, right?" He reached out to test the texture of the wig, but hesitated and withdrew his hand.

Remembering his crushing defeat at the hands of Yu, and even the death of his Akatsuki companion, Biwa Juzo, at Yu’s hands, Sasori of the Red Sand—the peerless genius puppet master of the Sunagakure—was no pushover. Today, he swore to wipe away his shame and reclaim the title of the strongest puppet master.

However, this time, Apollo was in a wretched state. He slowly crawled out of the deep crater, his holy sword broken into three pieces, lying discarded to the side.

In fact, Qin Fei had previously considered mentioning this to Wen Bing or Xiao Tianrui. But knowing that Wen Bing had been a secret police chief for so many years, his actions would certainly be crude and blunt—he wouldn't care about some famous courtesan or Qinhuai celebrity, he would just haul them into the Zhao Prison, which would only startle the prey and break the lead.

Just then, accompanied by a clear, light shout, the sound of a roaring waterfall erupted out of thin air.