Chapter 20

Early in the morning, the gentle sound of a bamboo flute drifted through the window, weaving melodiously among the trees. Chen Rong slowly opened her eyes and gazed out beyond the screen.

Her vision blurred with tears; at this moment, all she wished was for him to leave. These past few days had already wounded her deeply—if he were to hurt her again, she felt she would truly be better off dead.

At the end of June, south of the South China Sea, at the edge of the world, the sky was clear and the sea stretched endlessly blue. Before New Land Harbor, three towering warships and two transport vessels stood ready with sails unfurled.

This ancient type of fire cap was made by crushing saltpeter and orpiment, then mixing them with purified high-proof alcohol and iron powder into a paste, which was packed into a copper cap and left to dry. The surface was coated with a layer of bright lacquer. In later times, this craft was widely used in folk muskets and homemade guns, proving to be quite effective.

“Senior Meng Yan, in your opinion, which way will the scales of war ultimately tip?” Ran Luoxue suddenly asked.

Pei Ran turned his head, squinting with a smile as he looked at Lin Xia. His eyes reddened slightly. “I... have indeed lost my job, and someone even tampered with me. Other companies won’t dare to hire me.” Perhaps the weight in his heart was too heavy, so he half-truthfully concealed some things from Lin Xia, whom he hadn’t seen for years.

Sitting nearby, Long Yan, who had been anxious, finally felt some relief after hearing his introduction.

When everyone arrived at their destination and saw the skull stones they had dug up earlier, fear crept into their hearts, making them hesitate to act.

Bai Yuting said with difficulty that Yuan Quan had already done very well. Her words could not compare to Yuan Quan’s, so unless Wang Yuan led the way, neither she nor her people dared to proceed. Angering the terrorists could lead to unimaginable consequences.

But overhearing her master’s conversation, he suddenly understood his father’s situation. He realized the truth: his father had been possessed by an Eye Demon. Fearing he might harm himself in madness, he reluctantly entrusted his son to the old man, hoping he would learn skills and avoid harm.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Cuishan, dressed plainly, arrived at the dormitory door. He removed his colored contact lenses, revealing his strange nine-pointed star eyes.

His eyes stealthily flicked toward Wang Yuan’s direction, noticing the latter still running sluggishly and bewildered. A sinister grin crossed Zhang’s face.

“What’s so strange about that? It can give birth to many at one time,” Yan Bing said, looking at Lin Bao as if he had little experience.

Thus, the Spirit King fell without dignity, leaving behind treasures while taking with him the relief of becoming a monster. Even the old man felt an urge to perform rites to ease the Spirit King’s soul.

---

“Ah, enough, enough! Let’s not mention it anymore.” Qin Moyu sighed as thoughts of his mother surfaced. He knew she was imprisoned, facing grave dangers, and the ordeal was perilous. Yet, when he thought of himself, he wondered when he would become strong enough to help her.

A proud horse galloped swiftly, glimpsing the blossoms of Chang’an overnight. The golden chamber was adorned, awaiting the night’s attendants; the jade tower’s banquet ended in drunken spring revelry.

Gradually, the nearby ground began to pulse, as if a heart were beating incessantly.

“Then, I will kill you,” Hong Lian said, her tone seemingly playful, but the deadly arc of her katana told otherwise.

“Hmm, understood.” I glanced at him calmly, nodded, and he vanished immediately before me.

After narrowly escaping pursuit, Ichigo and the others burst through the dimension gate prepared by Urahara Kisuke, returning to the mortal world in a disheveled state.

With trembling voice, I asked him a question. At that moment, my voice felt so real, so painfully vivid.

It seemed that every city’s martial gate was established near the central square. Looking down, a vast plaza appeared before Lin Yi.

After advancing another twenty minutes, the situation worsened. Monsters not only grew in number but also in strength, no longer trivial foes to be easily dispatched.

“Pft.” The scarred man felt a stabbing pain in his abdomen. Looking down in disbelief, he saw a shining dagger plunged into him, blood gushing around it. Nearby, the grievously wounded man who had just tried to snatch water from him bore a ferocious expression.

“But if that’s the case, won’t we lose the chance to train?” Kizashi Hatake expressed disapproval.

Sixty yellow-skinned creatures led the way in a grand procession. I held Bian Jie and Feng Xue, walking in the middle, followed by twenty-two members of the Hu family and forty-nine Qingfeng Ghost Immortals. Along the way, we encountered nothing. The mastermind seemed to know of my arrival and ceased all activity.

Hearing Long Wei’s words, Jin Ling’s gaze fell upon the spirit grass in Long Wei’s hand. A trace of surprise flickered in her pupils, clearly recognizing that this ordinary three-leaf clover was anything but ordinary.

Nearby, Sun County Magistrate and the advisor anxiously watched the County Chief Huang vent his anger, their expressions grim.

---

After Qin Yuan finished taking graduation photos, Yu Yao immediately wanted to approach him to ask about the hammer training she had practiced that morning. Seeing him shake his head, she wondered if he had noticed any problems in her technique.

Qin Yuan looked at the man dressed in a Taoist robe and remembered he was the owner of the Heaven Ladder point, commonly called the Taoist Master.

European magicians would shudder and curl up in fear upon hearing this name, fervently reciting exorcism prayers.

Tony’s figure vanished from the spot. A sword light swept past where Nuo Jiangling stood, landing in empty space.

Moreover, this allowed Ren Yingying’s side to develop better. However, with Zhang Tianning stirring trouble, Wang Xinran estimated that securing this project easily would no longer be possible.

Very well, the deep sea was ready to gamble, betting that Star Light’s intelligence was insufficient and that she was unwilling to give up her superhuman career.

Apparently attracted by something delicious, the sable repeatedly licked its lips and approached the Undying Fruit, closing its eyes and clutching it to nibble.

Xia Qinglan’s eyes glimmered coldly, but she said nothing, staring intently at the white crane, eager to hear its next words.

Nearby, Xiang Qian and Mu Junlan exchanged a glance, wondering if this moment was truly worth pride.

Boom! In other parts of the wilderness, Alicia, Sifeng, and the others had already engaged the large forces of source martial artists led by Tiemuer and Lei Wu.