Chapter 33: Is Connections All You Rely On?

Jiang Yu was momentarily startled, but quickly retorted with defiance, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Fu Boyun gave a cold snort, his gaze fixed on her stubborn face. “You don’t understand? I don’t mind helping you sober up a bit.” Before he finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, his actions domineering and forceful, without a trace of hesitation.

“Mmm…”

“Let me handle it. Isn’t this how it’s been these past few days? We might have to deal with them, but it’s only a possibility. If he puts in the effort, it’ll save me a lot of trouble,” Ye Ningxiang smiled faintly, seemingly confident in Feng Chen.

“Huang Yunhao, you should know where you are. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say will be used as evidence in court!” At this point, Vivian had no choice but to press on, bracing herself.

Can anyone explain this to us? Wu Qilong, Liu Tao, and the others were utterly dumbfounded. Even when Li Yang and his group walked in, they hadn’t recovered from their shock.

From deep in the forest came strange cries now and then. It was so dark you couldn’t see your hand before your face, and a creeping fear was slowly awakening inside.

The world had changed. After the invasion of those primordial bacteria and spiritual particles, endless possibilities had emerged. Even someone crippled and down on his luck might one day rise again.

“By the way, how strong are you now, and what’s your highest cultivation?” Zi Lingtian asked, his curiosity piqued.

Though it was unclear just how extraordinary Xue’er’s constitution was, the Blind Old Man, with his crude methods, had managed in a few short months to raise the frail girl to the middle, nearly high level of the Transformation Realm. That fact alone spoke volumes.

“You’re insane! Are you ever going to sleep? If you’re not, I am!” With that, Baili Chunfeng climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, and buried his head.

The two famed battle-hardened generals exchanged glances, forced a laugh and a polite remark, then returned sullenly to their seats. In truth, among all the generals present, only this elder had the standing to rebuke the other so loftily.

But good times never last. Flares were thrown from the other side, lighting up the area so clearly that, with the low terrain, everyone on the nearby rooftops was exposed and laid bare under their watchful eyes.

If they ever truly needed it again, they could just ask the villagers to help build another.

At this moment, learning from Chiba about Meng Qinghe’s true strength, one couldn’t help but feel a quiet worry. Chiba, seeing through Ye Yun’s thoughts, offered no further explanation.

“I found this man suspicious along the way, which is why I had you all put on this act. To recognize that the Dragon Sword had been destroyed—he’s no ordinary person,” Huang Yifei said.

“Always coming up with something new. But we haven’t even figured out how to deal with the Empress Dowager yet!” The princess grumbled in annoyance, flinging her handkerchief and pondering over who she’d wronged over the years, or what missteps she’d made that might have earned someone’s grudge.

The others were all ears for gossip, and after hearing what Aunt Glasses said, they chimed in with agreement.

“Qiao Li! I really envy Manting for having a friend like you!” Her face was pale as a sheet, her smile stiff and unnatural. But I knew she was doing her best not to frighten me.

The purpose was nothing less than to ensure absolute safety. Since Lu Yuan had evolved and trained to this level—

He’d simply chosen the wrong opponent. Lu Yuan had already ascended to immortality, his abilities transformed. No matter how much force or skill the adversary used—

The Ape Spirit, listening to Ao Fan, realized this was indeed the Metal Element Array Core. As long as he found the treasure guarding this node, he could move on to the next. The array was designed, from the start, to progress one step at a time.

Qing Lan ignored her, vanished with a soft sound, and left Lu Bufan standing lost in the vastness. Lu Bufan was utterly confused. Then Qing Lan suddenly reappeared, tugging an arm, and with a “pop,” pulled him in.

Halabi Sigwa lowered her head slightly, but the aura of strength and authority she exuded made her seem even taller.

Knowing full well how perilous the mission was, they still insisted on undertaking it. They would need to be fully prepared—not because they were hesitant, but to ensure success.

No one truly wishes for death, and no one faces it without the slightest fear.

As for whether there was a Ghost King in the river, the Grandmaster planned to send Red Ghost and Mad Fang to search again at night. He really wasn’t suited to act himself; fighting in water greatly limited his powers, and besides, he had no spare clothes.

Not long ago, he’d tried to return to Korea, only to be refused entry. It was absurd—Lee Soo-man was a South Korean citizen, and even he was denied. The precondition for entry was to submit to investigation. Faced with that, Lee Soo-man backed off.

“Chief Imperial Judge, Chief Imperial Judge! Grand Tutor Qing has been struck by a poisoned arrow from a black-clad assassin and is on the verge of death!” The messenger’s eyes were red with tears.

Meanwhile, Li Yuntian seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. With a light, agile movement, Ding’s figure once again slipped past him.

To achieve such a level, one must be remarkable indeed. Yet when Xu Xian looked at Wang Taika, no matter how she scrutinized him, she couldn’t see even a trace of charm—only flaws upon flaws.

Feng Yao had been wounded before and knew Green Wu was telling the truth. Judging by her complexion, it didn’t seem serious.

Striding into the room, she circled once, ignoring the stunned and speechless Xiong Xiaobai. She went directly to An Weichen’s side, fixing him with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.

The Eighth and Ninth Princesses hesitated, but both shook their heads and declined. They weren’t close, and if they went, it would just be polite small talk—a tedious affair.

Tao Junlan had never witnessed such a scene before. She was utterly overwhelmed, and after the shock came confusion, tinged with curiosity: not only had she never seen anything like this, she’d never even heard of it.

Madam Ding pondered for a while, but couldn’t find any fault with Ding Yezi's reasoning. What she said was true—someone had to support the family.

The main thing was for everyone to see if either side’s sect or master had any connections.

With the power of the Destruction Beast, if Wang Yu poured all his strength into defense—layering himself with hundreds or thousands of protective barriers—it still might not be enough to withstand a single blow.

“Yes, everything’s ready. We’re just waiting for Young Master Zhou and Expert Chen to arrive before we begin,” Director Guo replied hurriedly.

Upon hearing Du Zicong’s words, An Hexuan gestured for his subordinates to withdraw, and they left, understanding his intentions.

Madam Liu actually knew Ding Yezi would be returning today. She had rushed over with her family, determined to have a proper talk with Ding Yezi. If she didn’t vent this grievance, she doubted she’d sleep well for a month.