Chapter 48: Accusation

Li Jiuwei’s face was dark with embarrassment. The man before her undressed with ease, revealing his well-defined abs. Feng Su seized her hand and pressed it to his waist. Li Jiuwei’s whole body stiffened.

“Do you like them? Eight-pack abs,” Feng Su said, with a hint of pride.

Li Jiuwei touched his abdomen briefly—it was pleasant to the touch, but she quickly withdrew her hand.

Feng Su was no fool; he gazed intently at Li Jiuwei. Suddenly, all the flesh that had seemed like decaying mud turned ashen, crumbling from the monster’s body like weathered stone.

Hai Chen, gathering his courage, climbed down further. A dazzling light appeared below. The ladder stopped two meters above the ground, leading to a bright tunnel.

The world was bleak; an oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily upon the palace, making countless hearts tremble with fear.

Watching Luo Chen’s disappearing figure, Xiao Yan’s smile slowly faded, replaced by a steely determination in his eyes.

A violent tremor reverberated through the space, as a storm of destruction swept forth, like the wind of annihilation, threatening to bury heaven and earth, sending shivers through all who witnessed it.

Arcs of electricity streaked through the air, leaving brilliant trails that pierced the chest of the shadow servant.

Despite this, Zhou Qing showed no fear. His words suggested he regarded these people as insignificant—whether he truly had confidence or was merely bluffing was unclear.

The Violet Spirit Token was a gift from Elder Yi Yuan of the Dragon Transformation Sect. Its power, though not fully understood, was forged from a strand of Yi Yuan’s own essence. Yet, a simple dagger had easily pierced it—how could he not be shocked?

Everyone’s spirits sank. Out of nearly a hundred people tested, only seven possessed spiritual roots. Their dreams of cultivation instantly collapsed into despair.

The Lin family’s two cousins had spent over ten thousand yuan—a truly extravagant sum for a family of officials.

Liang Jinrou sighed, realizing that today, she and Zhou Jinyu might not make it out of here.

Her father, shaken, rushed to marry her mother, making them a quintessential example of a flash marriage in the eighties.

Xie Chen did not outright refuse Xie An; his attitude was no longer as opposed as before.

Now, he needed to act decisively. Any further delay would be harmful to both her and Si Si.

But now, their purpose extended beyond that. Before rescuing Shen Yan, they had to stage a scene to force the Shen family to sever ties with him.

Chu Heng could not remain here forever. Once he left, they would lose their support, and troubles would ensue.

According to the stories she had read before, this would be a classic case of a hero saving the maiden. Moreover, the eldest brother was so handsome—ordinary girls could hardly match him.

Aunt Mo had no time for speculation. After some consideration, she nervously stepped forward and pushed Shen Linxiao.

Only Liang Jinrou could remain calm at this moment, her will unwavering, as if she had made an irrevocable decision.

Zhao Jingyi’s expression froze; she pressed a loosely clenched fist to her mouth to hide her nervousness. That time, thinking back, was a past she'd rather erase.

With Tian Yu and Xu Shu’s organization, and the assistance of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, the expeditionary force had entered Hulao Pass. The soldiers brought by Liu Ye successfully blocked them outside the gates.

Now, he desperately needed someone to assure him that Lin Chen could survive this ordeal.

As dusk approached, Yuan Shao ordered soldiers to move the stones and sandbags placed at the gate and instructed that all expeditionary forces outside be relocated behind Sishui Pass.

Immediately, it dove into the water, chasing after Tang Yue and Da Bai. When it arrived below, it saw only Da Bai’s dragon tail, still visible before fading away.