Volume 1, Chapter 24: Project Earthfire

Gu Qing was stunned. The foundation of this Poison Sect was truly formidable, housing such a vast collection of poisonous martial arts techniques—it was nothing short of a paradise for a master of poisons. Upon reflection, it made sense; if the greatest powerhouse of Wanyun were without such powerful trump cards, he would have been annihilated hundreds of times over.

A golden beam of light pierced through the black rift, as if traversing countless dimensions, to snatch the wind spirit, which had been sinking into the boundless darkness, and pull it out. A flush of unnatural crimson suffused Wukong's complexion; as the light in his eyes receded, trickles of blood began to flow from their corners.

Furthermore, the Chang King Palace had long acted with tyranny, favoring those who submitted while destroying those who resisted, thereby offending a great many people. Now that it showed signs of exhaustion, it naturally drew the covetous gazes of numerous factions. With two other unidentified hegemon powers watching silently from the sidelines, the pressure bearing down on the Chang King Palace had reached its peak in centuries.

At the mere thought of Venerable Jueying, the masked man could not help but shudder. This assassin rarely accepted missions, but every person he targeted met a miserable and terrifying end—some as if torn apart by tigers and leopards, others as if devoured by swarms of insects—his cruelty knew no bounds.

As for himself, he remained unharmed. Since this divine ability was his own creation, it could not inflict damage upon him. In that instant, he was startled to find that, without any conscious direction, his body had begun to circulate the Heaven-Swallowing Technique on its own. It was precisely because of this spontaneous circulation that he was so frenziedly absorbing the blood energy from the Thousand-Illusion Cloud Smoke Bead.

Three figures in black met by the creek, appearing to confer in hushed tones. Moments later, they dispersed; one headed upstream, one downstream, and the third remained to search the immediate vicinity. Yet, his cultivation remained his fatal flaw. Having severed his own profound meridians, his Eighth-Level Profound Warrior cultivation would surely not carry him far in the Dragon Gate Tournament.

Zhao Han felt a sense of profound calm. Once he had completely devoured the cooling energy within his sea of consciousness, he resumed his hellish, self-mutilating regimen of internal refinement.

The Blood-Thirsty Violent Bear let out a roar of pain, shaking its massive body. Lin Tianxuan, clutching a hunk of the beast's raw, crimson flesh, was sent flying backward.

***

Leveling up to the point of obsession, he charged at the hanging ghost, which, being of a volatile temper, was on the verge of self-detonation.

Yun Fan was slightly taken aback. It was the first time he had seen a man with such a radiant and imposing presence. His eyes flickered as he asked, "May I ask for your honorable name, Senior?"

Ying Jinrong was hysterical, his face a mask of狰狞, but before he could finish his words, he was struck flying by a spiked club and subsequently submerged under a horde of fierce ghosts and zombies.

A boundless mist covered a five-mile radius centered on the downtown skyscraper. Though not particularly dense, it felt stiflingly oppressive.

This Wen Qiu did not seem like a cultivator, but rather like an ascetic, or perhaps a man burdened by the need for atonement. Yet, for Wen Qiu, such sin was an extraneous weight; he had no need for such penance.

Chen Jinan felt his limbs grow weak, collapsing to the ground in a heap, yet his heart was filled with wild ecstasy.

I wonder how this is written? A major plotline is gradually unfolding below. What do you all think? Please feel free to offer your suggestions.

Sure enough, just as the ghost-corpse was about to pounce on Mo Di's back, a figure leapt from behind it and struck down with a fierce elbow.

Without saying much more, although he had run about for most of the day without buying a thing or signing a single contract, it had certainly been an eye-opening experience.

The Chixiao Empire was a neighbor to the Canggu Empire, and the two were nearly evenly matched in terms of overall strength.

Beneath the grill burned a crimson fire; if one looked closely, the faint silhouette of a long sword could be seen amidst the flames, which were actually erupting from the blade itself.

***

In just three short months, Youzhou had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation. Not only was it completely renewed, but other provinces were also following Zhao Gou's directives to reform, gradually developing the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, even providing the local governments with new sources of revenue.

The enemy had set up a "loach box" formation precisely because they anticipated the use of tactical radar. Would they really be foolish enough to reveal their true objectives? If their troop distribution were truly as it appeared in the data, they would have to be utter fools.

Although Mu Feixue said nothing, she rushed to Ye Nan's side, her worried face revealing the anxiety in her heart.

The Spiked Crocodile Turtle soldiers possessed a certain degree of intelligence, though only equivalent to that of a seven- or eight-year-old human child. They would not panic just because their route had been cut off; their orders were to slaughter every living thing on Taiyang Peak, and they would not cease until the mission was complete.

By the end of his speech, the Alpha's voice had become hurried; clearly, he was burning with impatience.

Grandfather Wang Jian sat above, smiling gently, his soft features devoid of any airs. Although this was the first time they had met since Wang Ming could remember, Wang Jian had been watching over his eldest grandson for the past two years.

This Elder of Discipline did not speak like a typical cultivator, but rather like a learned Confucian scholar from the secular world. His words were filled with instruction and warning, leaving Yan Zisha feeling somewhat dizzy. She took advantage of the moment he paused to drink tea to carefully explain the function of the identity jade plaque.

"This disciple knows her crimes, I beg the Ancestor for punishment!" Mi Xue knelt in the Hall of Ruthlessness. Though the icy, piercing winds blew into her body, she seemed to feel nothing.

Her words, her hands, and the stubbornness with which she held back her grief, though she was clearly suffering to the point of collapse, acted like a sharp blade, leaving Chu Di wounded and scarred all over.