Volume 1, Chapter 28: So-Called Younger Brother

Lu Zhannan remained on edge throughout the journey, only letting out a slow sigh of relief once the car came to a smooth stop. As the mysterious yellow and black energies faded, the countless swirling vortices vanished one by one. It was not just the Beast Pirates; perhaps the Fire Dragon Pirates and their numerous affiliated crews had all been utterly annihilated in the cataclysmic explosion that rocked Wano Country.

Moments later, the river churned. Heads and eyes surfaced, bobbing like moving reefs; the eyes were cold, bloodthirsty, and cruel. The seven Bone Demons had returned in defeat, remaining hidden with his avatar in Cang Mountain. Lian Haiping was determined to retrieve the lost green Bone Demon and refine it back to its original state. These seven puppets, obtained from the black-clad demon spirit, were his ultimate weapons—comparable to the Demon-Slaying Repeating Crossbow—and must not be destroyed.

However, Li Yang’s consciousness, trapped within the pagoda in his sea of consciousness, was faring poorly; a vast and unfathomable pressure weighed heavily upon his mind. High in the sky, a deafening roar erupted as gale-force winds swept across the heavens, manifesting as a monstrous spectacle of swirling spiritual energy. A giant mosquito-like flying beast landed on the fox, its six spindly legs anchoring its bamboo-like body, while its sharp proboscis pierced the fur, its abdomen rapidly swelling as it gorged on blood.

Including local enterprises from neighboring counties and cities, only three parties participated in the mining rights auction. In fact, aside from Jiang Lingyun, no one knew what the mineral was or where it was located. "Didn't we re-check the quality of the diving bell before descent? How can it just rupture if it passed inspection?" Wang Yingyan asked, taken aback.

Her fleeting sense of gratitude lasted only seconds before Ouyang Yuyou looked through the windshield and spotted a square road sign, the characters clearly legible. He stood stunned for two seconds, holding an empty cup, staring down at the fabric over his abdomen, which was still billowing with thick white steam. If she ever had the chance to live in the capital, she wanted to own a farmstead outside the city where she could stay.

Zhou Haiyi, in his fifties, was the youngest of the thirteen members of the Council of Elders. By tradition, upon the death of the Council President, he would become the new leader, and they would appoint the next youngest member as Vice President, and so on. This Frost-Illuminating Sword was indeed a treasure of the Sword Sect, but what of the "Zhuohua Sword" they mentioned? Since her transmigration, she had never heard of such a blade in the martial arts world.

"Go and call them back for me; I’ll pay double the appearance fee!" Bai Cheng'an said with great impatience.

"Bang! Bang!" Lin Yu’s two punches were finally more than I could withstand. Breaking through my guard, one fist slammed into my gut, the other into my cheek. Zhao Zhichen had no time to catch his breath, pacing outside the operating room in agony, as if it were his own child inside. At this moment, both his tone and his expression conveyed the message: "I am heartbroken, but I will be strong. I wish them well, so please don't worry about me."

He wrote something on the table, had someone bring in a carrier pigeon, and watched as it spread its wings and took flight. As a youth of the new era, Xingyang was well aware of the current attitude of his countrymen toward this hostile nation: "The China on the tip of their tongues, the Japan on their hard drives."

Li Mu nodded and waved his hand, producing a tattered cloth. It radiated an ancient aura, yet lacked even a trace of Daoist resonance. Though aged, it possessed no formidable power; it was the Taiji Diagram, stripped of its essence and missing a piece.

After clumsily setting up the Daoist altar and properly arranging the Seven-Star Diagram, incense, and candles drawn by Professor Lao Wang, the two began their ritual to deal with the singing ghost in the room. Meteor received his orders and exited the room. Zhang Zilong picked up the legend book again; he had to admit, these mortals' fantasies about the immortals were quite apt, given their frequent encounters with them lately.

Chu Xiao did not sit in meditation like Yao Yao; instead, he stood, squinting at the purple light sphere in the sky. With a flicker of thought, his Jianmu avatar in the cultivation world trembled violently, imbuing him with profound divine power. Guided by his spiritual sense, he reached out, attempting to establish a mysterious communion with the purple sphere above. Just then, Tong Xuanba’s body erupted; the storage jade pendant at his waist had suddenly exploded.

The Seven-Orifice Earth Spirit Pill was a peak Earth-grade spirit elixir. If one could achieve nine orifices, it would become the Nine-Orifice Heaven God Pill. Lin Heping had utilized nine-orifice vital energy, which could increase the success rate of alchemy and even allow the Seven-Orifice Earth Spirit Pill to form two illusory orifices—a sign of a half-step Heaven-grade pill.

"Apologies, we are merely the vanguard of Barbarossa’s army. As for when he will send the main force, I’m afraid I cannot say." While Fiola was busy making excuses, Bai Zhou finished fabricating his lie. At that moment, it was impossible to say anything else, so he could only claim ignorance.

Ye Lei and Li Hang had received notification the previous night, but they had been so busy preparing training plans that they had gone to bed very late.

"Do you truly believe the poison of the 'Blood Passion Flower' can affect me?" the Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha continued.

Lu Bu gave Alice what he considered a friendly look. "Don't worry! You will certainly overcome this!" He patted her shoulder and walked away. Alice stood there, watching him depart until his figure vanished completely.

Initially, they thought Li Daocong was about to be burned alive. When they finally found him, Tian Zilan rubbed his eyes, gasping in disbelief. He had yet to see the full extent of this city; perhaps somewhere within it lay a magnificent and glorious temple.

However, Wang Zhouji had not yet achieved his goal and could not simply leave. "President Su, does the company have any new arrangements? No one notified me." Wang Zhouji feigned the look of someone who had been deeply wronged.

It was not until He Wuliang and Xiang Feifan burst onto the scene that the foundation of the Great Han Empire was destroyed in that great war. Following that, on the day of their ascension, they sealed the Thousand-One World, severing the connection between the Great Han Empire and the Upper Realm, which paved the way for the rise of the various powers that followed.