Chapter 25: The Western Regions

One opinion held that Jiang Yu, knowing the Divine Control Sphere was harmful and detrimental to humanity, made the right decision in creating an artifact that would grant immunity to it. Liu Qianshan tilted his head to evade the sword’s edge, and at the same time, reached out as if to seize Xiang Hao’s Dragon Vein Divine Sword. The other three elders could only sigh at the sight; these past days, they had kept a close watch on the rising star Xiang Hao, but none had expected that he would dare to kill a member of the Yuan family.

The old man, upon hearing this, commented, “He kicked you right in your groin—why didn’t you fall to the ground? That was such a good chance!” His implication was that it would have been a perfect opportunity for extortion, a chance to swindle a considerable sum.

He had intended for Sun Wukong to teach Ye Chen a lesson, but to his surprise, Ye Chen ended up being schooled himself, and so miserably at that, without the slightest chance to fight back.

Shaking his head, he gazed deeply at the sky, his eyes fixed on the blue heavens and drifting white clouds above. Indeed, it had been a long time since he had made any profit from his riskless dealings. Even when he caught a few, they were nothing but petty thieves without any gain. It seemed someone had leaked word of his presence, and now everyone had grown cautious—some were nearly brazen enough to show up unclothed.

At those words, Ye Chen instinctively turned, and when he saw Yan Ji and Irene kneeling on the ground, trembling, their faces pale, he withdrew that oppressive aura that had so unsettled everyone. Save for the twelve National Protectors, the rest felt as if they had been pardoned, their bodies lightening, and immediately clutched their chests, gasping for breath.

Yingqiu’s voice was enchanting, imbued with a sorrowful tenderness that stirred compassion in all who heard it.

The manager left the clinic in a fury, only to see a crowd gathered in the street. Scanning the scene, he glanced across to the shop with the bamboo baskets and wooden buckets, where a man stood, arms crossed, staring back at him.

The immersive mode event—an underground invasion by mysterious creatures—had drawn countless people to participate personally. At first, everyone was full of enthusiasm and confidence.

After finishing their meal, the two went to Qian Mo’s private piano room. Inside was only a piano by the window, a pot of white hyacinths placed atop it. The sunlight streaming through the window fell gently over the flowers.

Before the Peerless King could act, the world was shaken by the maddened wails of spirits and ghosts. Countless spectral beings broke through the Nine Netherworlds and surged into the mortal realm. In broad daylight, the world was thrown into chaos, the sky darkening, the flames of the Nine Hells blazing across the firmament. It was as though the realms of the living and the dead had overlapped in a single instant, making it impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

Though Zhang Xiang said nothing out of consideration for those present, Ye Feng nevertheless clearly saw affirmation in his eyes.

As the distance closed, the fluctuations of vital energy became apparent—even Li Xun could sense them now. At this point, the battle was drawing to a close.

So long as the characteristic of protein had existed, it was proof of life. Old Ye’s realization came too late; Uncle Chu had given only a slightly larger fragment, while tightly locking away the entire “agate artifact” as a treasure.

"Very well, let’s start our plan of chaos from this Lin Family Village," Sima Xiaotian declared excitedly after being refused by the village, his spirit undampened.

Poor Dong Zhuo was so lost in his delirium that he had no idea his hard labor was nothing more than a favor for someone else.

“When Yu’er went to borrow money, Steward Nie agreed without a second thought... Why did he refuse me today?” Zhu Qing asked in confusion.

He was utterly ordinary, requiring only a few words to describe. Born into a struggling overseas Chinese family, his education ended at junior high. No one knew what his temperament was, nor what talents he possessed, because no one ever noticed him, and no opportunity ever arose for him to show his worth.

Chunying said, “I remember, Your Majesty once thought I was a demon and touched my forehead.” She finished with a gentle smile.

Such pure and flawless eyes—Yinzhen truly could not bear to see her disappointed. Yet some things simply had to be said.

“Let Wei Chenfeng take good care of you; don’t let the child grow too big.” Yinzhen recalled his visit to Pear Fragrance Pavilion, where basins of bloody water were carried out—it had left him deeply shaken.

It was at this moment that Liu Zijian arrived like a savior, signing them on and providing everything they needed.

As the iron gate clanged shut, the dim light in the prison grew more obscure. The hazy glow seemed to seep out from beneath their feet, flickering and uncertain, making Ji Wanyue’s shadow look like drifting smoke, wavering and indistinct.

With the tower gone and only an exposed barracks crystal left, SSR struggled to resist the Tiger Team’s aggressive assault. They tried to drag it out, but could not withstand them and could only watch as their base was destroyed.

The next day at the set, Jiang Fei was obviously displeased with Tian Qianqian, even going so far as to confront her bluntly with harsh and cutting words.

The tip of the leaf snapped forward, curling around the hilt of the Great Sword like a whip. Then Zhou Ye unleashed his strength, dragging the mighty blade up into the sky.

Zhang Xiao could not hide his disappointment. He opened his backpack, only to find that a new function had been unlocked—he had gained one more slot.

It is said that this is a primal human fear: confronted with something that resembles a person, yet is hideously unlike one, people feel an even deeper dread—perhaps afraid that they might become such a thing themselves.

Unwilling to pay any heed to the mumbling, gluttonous tree, he reached out with his mind to the mysterious space in his right hand. Instantly, a Tier-1 fierce beast’s star soul was drawn forth, transformed into energy, and transmitted through his right hand into the roots of the ancient tree.

Lin Nuannuan was lost in thought and did not notice the car had stopped. The driver called her several times without response and had to reach out to tap her shoulder.

They watched as several figures quickly slipped away. Immediately after, a column of water shot up from the ocean, each jet like a high-pressure hose, racing toward them.

After completing this task, they moved on to another: returning to collect their reward.

“Got it,” Nono answered, though her gaze never once left the direction of the door.

“He can’t even make the top three in the class…” the youth’s teammate muttered to himself, but obediently followed his leader back. Ling Qingyun and Lin Qiancheng, who overheard, exchanged strange looks at this exchange.