Chapter 25

Beyond the joy lay an omnipresent, searing pain. Under the crushing weight of the gale-force winds, he could not find a moment of peace to sit and heal. In truth, he knew his injuries were severe; they would not mend in any short amount of time.

That set of divine bones had, by now, merged into the magma, sinking deep into the molten earth below.

"Go, Telestones," Fistein commanded with a wave of her hand. A pale blue wave of energy rippled outward from her, transmitting that azure power to every single Telestone.

They had only come because they saw that Ling Xiao was about to be killed, believing that by supporting the Prince, they would reap the rewards.

The cultivation session took quite some time—a full two hours, roughly equivalent to the time Ye Zhu usually spent refining a Qi-Gathering Pill. Sensing movement from those around him, Ye Zhu opened his eyes to see them each concluding their techniques and regaining their former composure.

"The Lord says you should issue an order to the East Coast Fortress, commanding them to bring over everyone from the island opposite the stronghold," Chun said. "He says those people will be just enough to make up for the labor shortage in the palace."

Zhao Ming’s pupils contracted instantly. Fighting back his terror, he braced his feet and suddenly lunged backward, desperate to flee.

After all, they were the ones who had initiated the attack, only to encounter such a situation. If the other party were truly incensed and decided to retaliate, they would have no effective way to respond.

When the first rays of morning sunlight shone into the riddled Emerald Gorge, the exalted ones in the clouds had already withdrawn. Along with them vanished several Spirit Realm cultivators. It could not be called a panicked flight, yet they were undeniably disheveled and wretched.

The Black Shadow Mo Luo’s massive black hammer collided with the layers of water waves upon the Glazed Shield. The resulting shockwave rippled outward, carrying both clear droplets of water and billowing black mist.

Shi Yi had initially been surprised by the scene, but seeing Sheng Mingzhu’s cheeks grow increasingly flushed, and catching a glimpse of Xuanyuan Yi’s right hand hidden beneath the table, she realized the truth in an instant. Linking it to the events of the morning, she finally understood, and a slow, knowing smile spread across her face.

She was trembling violently—not from fear, but from a bone-deep chill. Though she had not yet regained her full memory, those recollections were surging forth, feeling like dreams, yet carrying such piercing reality.

"However, this was not entirely at his instruction. I have gathered intelligence from the underworld; the tragic assassinations of the Left Chancellor and Sun Yuanhou had nothing to do with the so-called feuds of the martial arts world. Instead, it was the work of the imperial court, with the Emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty pulling the strings from behind the curtain."

"Did you see clearly? Is it really the person I told you to follow?" the man on the other end of the phone asked.

After the affair with Xiao Duoluo concluded, Zhao Siyin returned to her palace in a daze. That night, she suffered a nightmare: she dreamt of Xiao Duoluo coming for her, blood streaming from his seven orifices. Panic-stricken, Zhao Siyin tried to run but found she could not escape. She jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat and shivering uncontrollably.

It is a greedy world, and mankind is the greediest of animals. They crave the entire world, and even after possessing it, they remain unsatisfied, hungering for even more.

With that, he departed resolutely, leaving not a trace, just as he had arrived. Sheng Mingzhu remained dazed for a long time before she came to her senses. She stared at the spot across from her, now devoid of any shadow, lost in thought. She suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity, yet she could not recall where she might have seen that figure before.

Hearing Lu Yan’s words, the elder of the Kunyuan Sect paused, staring fixedly at him. A flicker of light danced in his eyes, his thoughts unreadable.

He realized then that this Jiang Beihu did not fear his father, a master of the River Realm, but was deathly afraid of his own eldest brother, who was riddled with deadly poison.

Later, under Wu Zinuo’s encouragement, Jessica found a boyfriend, finally putting an end to Qi Hai’s notions. Wu Zinuo breathed a sigh of relief, which also cured Liang Muxi of her habit of throwing tantrums at random.

The man before her did not look like a human being at all, but rather like a walking sculpture, every detail perfectly crafted.

"Ever since you failed to recognize me on the street last time and even teased me, I have lost all faith in you. I have decided that from this day forward, I will have nothing more to do with you..." Ye Zisu said, her face streaming with tears.

Wang Tiemei nodded, feeling a spark of curiosity, for the sensation of touching it just now had truly been quite pleasant—soft and remarkably resilient.

Shen Muxi looked back and saw Gu Tingxuan leaning against a storage cabinet, his forehead drenched in sweat.

The major leads and key figures were in the private room, while the minor stagehands and makeup artists remained in the outer hall.

He had done so much for her, so she was determined to prepare a truly unique birthday gift for him.

"Alright, alright, go and attend to your business," Gu Chanfeng said with a wave of her hand, feeling that she and Meng Ze were simply not on the same wavelength.

The Duchess of Wei grabbed Wei Mingzhu. The sharp pain in her hand brought Wei Minglan to her senses; she lowered her head, not daring to let Rong Huang see the hatred burning in her eyes.

Luck? Shen Ninghua arched an eyebrow. Surely, "luck" was not enough to explain this. She had thought her scheme was flawless, yet this person had clearly calculated everything long ago, feigning ignorance all the while! Though she had risked her entire fortune, it was she who had come out ahead.

She had no idea where the woman came up with these conclusions. Qinglong’s mouth twitched slightly, and he could only nod, resigning himself to the situation; there was little else he could say.

"No more, no more! Two children are quite enough!" Yin Sichen was beside himself with joy, his words tumbling out in a joyous, incoherent mess.