Chapter 168

With continuous victories on the battlefield and Zhang Cheng’s control over the entire empire growing stronger, Zhang Cheng now radiated an overwhelming aura of authority—his word was law. Even his closest confidants like Wang Yan and Xiao Hongbao rarely had the courage to urge him to change his mind.

He Zhen returned home; the problem troubling Yun Zhu also troubled her.

Although Lan Yuxuan tried her hardest, she could not stop her feet from gradually lifting off the ground.

Xia Nuan’s tears streamed down like a burst dam, his words moving her deeply—he understood her; he understood every thought she had.

Not just his eyes, but other parts of Miao Renhuan’s body kept splitting open; numerous snake heads emerged like caterpillars breaking from cocoons, embedded in his flesh, writhing their colorful bodies, inch by inch trying to tear free from Miao Renhuan’s body.

“Yes.” A Zi walked to another window, gave two hand signals outside, then ran downstairs with quick steps.

The scene had descended into utter chaos. This sight was rare even in movies; witnessing such a dramatic separation firsthand left everyone exhilarated and convinced they had not come in vain.

Luo Qing’s steps suddenly halted; a sudden insight struck him—Yan Ye had mentioned her name before?

Several kilometers behind this company, at the foot of the mountain, lay the Santa Clara River; their regiment’s headquarters was also set beside the valley. But hauling that river water up hundreds of meters to the mountain-top positions from kilometers away was truly a terrifying prospect.

Since the emergence and rapid development of the air force, naval fleets approaching enemy coastlines for shelling became seen as pointless. Due to the threat of air power, fleet proximity to shore became extremely dangerous—any aerial assault could easily destroy the entire fleet.

Eighteen wild boars, the largest one leading the pack, was so massive that merely looking at it sent chills down one’s spine—it must have weighed at least seven to eight hundred kilograms. And wild boar weight differed entirely from domestic pigs; wild boars grew up eating meat, were agile and active, and carried dense, hardened muscle.

Zhu Ying knew Chu Xiu worried about Shen Yu; he worried too, especially since Chu Xiu had just asked him to notify the shadow guards to track Shen Yu’s whereabouts—a matter too urgent to delay, and he had no time to waste with Yun Xiangrong.

Judging by his attire, to modern people he must have been some kind of boss—I stared at him for a long time but couldn’t recall who he was.

Hu Lao had made enormous concessions; perhaps in all of Huaxia, only Chen Langya could speak to him like this.

Again, the same words—Tian Sheng smiled faintly, echoing Qing Si’s old reply: “Why can’t animals enter? Doesn’t the Buddhist sect preach equality among all living beings? Are animals inferior to humans?” Back then, Qing Si had shouted it; now, Tian Sheng said it with a gentle smile.

Thinking of Huo Qingsong’s recent condition, the carriage slowly came to a stop. As the driver announced outside, Lü Xiang’er stepped down and stood before the Li family’s front gate. The gate was tightly shut; Lü Xiang’er frowned slightly, then ordered Lü Yun to knock.

Yun Xian opened her mouth to ask Luan Qing why she was here and why she was disheveled, but after a moment’s hesitation, the question stuck in her throat, neither rising nor falling, impossible to voice.

Huo Bao and others seemed to have known already; upon seeing Li Xingzhou, they dismounted with the ten men and scattered, watching the surroundings. Lü Yun and Lü Wei knew nothing—they were stunned to see the Prince of Zhongtong here. Upon hearing Lü Xiang’er’s address, the two maids’ emotions were Kexiangerzhi .

Yang Ling smiled and tapped the bamboo three times; it opened, revealing a dazzling, warm glow. Though the Forge World was filled with heat and she had grown weary of it, why did she now cherish this warmth so deeply? Because it carried a familiar scent—the scent of sunlight.

“Jun Wen? Of course, I’ll introduce you.” Huo Li smiled awkwardly, yet knew Shu Yu was too mysterious to offend.

Xiao Mo’s heart stirred—Gao Changgong was right. Xiao Mo had always remembered the Qing Dynasty’s imperial examinations, where even the military exams were mere formalities, especially by the late Qing, when those selected were crushed by foreign forces.

Ju Xin was deceived—he had personally witnessed the strength of Huang’s army, and according to Yue Yi, all Huang army units were uniformly equipped. Infantry, cavalry, and naval troops each had different gear, but within each branch, everything was standardized. What Ju Xin had seen matched this: the entire Huang army consisted of armored soldiers.

However, constructing animal pens required beast tamers to first learn the pen construction blueprints, then gradually upgrade the pen’s level during the building process.

“As long as you find your mother, everything will become clear! But she’s been transferred to the U.S. now—contacting her is nearly impossible. And since she secretly let me go, they won’t easily forgive her!” Lei Shaochen mused.

Such indecisiveness wasn’t his nature—just as self-sacrifice wasn’t Su Nuannuan’s nature. Duan Chengyu’s mind replayed every expression of Su Nuannuan: joyful, sorrowful, and more.

At this stage of cultivation, cultivators naturally feared death—or rather, the deeper their realm, the more they feared life and death, for they had too much to cling to.

Shattered rocks flew, ice blades rose, dazzling xuan power spread invisibly; lower-level warriors instinctively retreated—they had witnessed the snow ape’s attacks and had no desire to suffer innocent harm again.

Once the blacksmith shop opens, the soldiers’ equipment will improve dramatically, allowing them to survive better on the Martial Continent.

The three great clans have lowered their pride for the Ice-Flame Spirit Pearl—but what they’ll do after obtaining it is entirely up to them.

Jun Mo Chen opened his mouth to say something to her, but said nothing, instead releasing her hand.

The corpse’s clothing had been entirely removed, ready for autopsy; she feared Qin Chaoyue might feel unwell seeing it.

“Uh, isn’t this going too far?” the security captain said—tell our young master to come out?

When the calamity strikes, within his power, Yun Shibao still hoped to save as many lives as possible—after the Heavenly Selection, all races would surge forth; all humans, regardless of faction, age, or status, bore but one name: the Human Race.