Chapter 104: Slaying the Dream-Phantom Beast

Yunxi asked with bright, expectant eyes:
"Senior Sister Mu, has that female cultivator been drugged?"
Mu Ningzhu felt a sense of dismay, as the male cultivator, seemingly affected by the pink mist, had already drawn close to the woman in red and pulled her into his embrace.
Though he was struggling desperately to maintain his composure, his voice was already slurred and incoherent.
"Fellow Daoist, what... what is happening to you!"
The female cultivator began to tear at her clothes, losing all control.

Thirteen followed the trail, discovering numerous bloodstains that formed a nearly continuous line. He could not help but feel anxious; there was enough blood here to match the entire volume of an adult's body. Who could have suffered such grievous wounds? Could it be Shangguan Qing? If it truly were him, then his mission would be a failure.
But just as he lowered his poison-tipped spear, a blinding white light engulfed his entire field of vision.

Seeing how valiant Jia Fu was, Li Jilong felt a surge of terror and turned his horse to flee. He had not gone more than a few dozen paces when he encountered another scene of chaos. Looking closely, he saw a contingent of Sui troops charging directly at him. The commander at their lead, wielding a long spear and sweeping it left and right to knock down over a dozen men, was none other than the fierce warrior Long Qie.

Another area requiring strengthened defenses was the Jingxiang region. In recent years, the Tang army had repeatedly used Jingxiang as a breakthrough point during their eastern campaigns. Beyond its strategic importance, this was also due to the emptiness of its defenses.

Following the sharp, urgent sound of a whistle signaling assembly in the dead of night, a middle-aged officer began organizing the ranks on the main road.

Meanwhile, the Tang prisoners of war who had long since been swayed to defect by Chang Yuchun seized the opportunity amidst the chaos within the city to secretly open the gates, allowing Chang Yuchun's main force to storm in.

On a late afternoon at the foot of Changshan Mountain, one could wind their way up a wooden boardwalk made of Mongolian pine, passing through forests of walnut and oak, with fields of flowers still visible along the path.

Dong Qinhe continued, explaining that although Wang Dakai later claimed he held no personal grudge against Huang Yitian and was only trying to oust him, it was primarily because he had visited the imprisoned Mayor Wang before taking office. At that time, Mayor Wang had warned him very solemnly that Vice Governor Feng’s least favorite person in Pu'an was none other than Huang Yitian.

Upon hearing this, Wu Dashan felt a massive headache coming on; he had not expected the other party to have set their sights on this particular location.

The expression on Gu Lian's face slowly faded from a trace of disdain to a deathly pallor. She stepped back involuntarily, finding herself utterly speechless.

Song Yiyi felt her breath hitch. Before her lay a scene akin to a painting of a beauty at rest in spring—so intoxicating and languid, unfolding like a blossoming scroll of springtime, enchanting to the eyes and captivating to the soul.

Once, he had even rejoiced at Feng Yihan's injury, thinking it meant he would no longer have to compete for Helan Lengxia. Viewed in the current light, the irony was profound.

"Thank you, Uncle Lin. I’m sorry to be a bother during this time," Ling Shixian said gratefully to Lin Chuanzhi. Regardless of Lin Feng’s attitude, at least the old man seemed fond of her. His willingness to let her stay suggested a turning point, indicating the Lin family was willing to intervene. The poor child did not realize that this was entirely Lin Feng’s idea.

Between the constant traveling back and forth and the lack of rest, the exhaustion on Guan Chenji’s face was glaringly obvious. Even while dozing on the plane, his brows remained tightly furrowed, never once relaxing.

It was rumored that this head disciple possessed immense talent; having entered the ranks of top-tier experts before the age of thirty, he was not far from the level of a grandmaster. Perhaps only an expert from the Sword Sect could stand against the vicious Ghost King.

The person within the coffin looked as vivid as if they were alive; no one would believe this was someone who had been dead for over a thousand years. They appeared merely like a sleeping beauty. Even the seasoned and weathered Feng Ruiyin was rendered speechless with astonishment by such a sight.

"What? You are allowed a close bond between mother and son, but we aren't allowed a close bond between father and son?" Guan Chenji laughed with a hint of triumph.