Volume One, Chapter 19: Fierce Protection of the Wife

These buoys had been in place for too long; the chemical batteries reacted much more slowly than originally designed. Moreover, the radio signals they emitted were not of any recognizable ordinary frequency, which is why Wang Ping had overlooked them.

Li Xun bore no intention of pursuing total annihilation. He fixed his gaze on one yellow-robed Taoist wearing a jade crown, disregarding the panic and despair etched across his face, and smiled.

“Master Chang, with your body as sturdy as a mountain, don’t let it be worn down to a slender bamboo pole. In my experience, running a restaurant is the most exhausting work,” Luo Yuan joked without reservation, sharing the camaraderie of two rather corpulent men from the Far Horizons.

Li Xun flew silently over the forest, already prepared to proceed directly to the underground palace in the lake's center.

Only the crystallized spirit essence, honed over centuries, clung stubbornly to the spiritual platform, valiantly supporting itself against collapse.

Then, he set up a frame extending beyond the ship’s side. A pulley was affixed to the frame, and he threaded a rope through it.

On such deceased cultivators’ bodies, there should be some scars on their meridians, bones, or internal organs—markings to indicate the flow of true energy upon intrusion.

“You still don’t understand... The art of tribulation requires natural assimilation, seamless as a second skin. Otherwise, the disharmony between spirit and flesh means surviving today won’t guarantee survival tomorrow.”

“No,” the group replied, spirits high, showing no sign of weariness from their journey.

Li Xun planned to embed each one according to forbidden techniques, integrating them into the trajectory to form crucial nodes in the formation’s attack and defense. Should they encounter enemies, he would oversee the entire situation, conjuring various tactical changes. This demanded deep study of sect formation techniques and forbidden arts by those assigned to the task.

Yuan Jun felt uneasy when Liu Fan openly expressed admiration for Gu Hanhao, lowering his head and gritting his teeth.

After the meal, Xia Yuxin waited quietly for Zhiru to arrive, as always, along with the night.

“We were worried about you! After eating that stuff, I feel sick just thinking about it... You ate so much... Are you going to start vomiting and having diarrhea soon? Should I prepare some medicine first?” Liao Geng said anxiously.

“Where’s the evidence?” Ling Lan was most concerned about the so-called proof—what exactly could demonstrate that Gu Hanhao forged evidence three years ago?

Fortunately, the matriarch entered the inner chamber without looking back, and the others dispersed outside, sparing her the embarrassment and shame of being questioned.

Ling Lan had expected Gu Hanhao to stop them from leaving and ask more questions, but surprisingly, he nodded and even rose to open the interrogation room’s ‘door’ for them.

Gu Hanhao pondered that sentence carefully, sensing that Xi Kexing’s words contained many hidden meanings.

“I was foolish,” Ling Xi said, sipping the lukewarm water—tasteless, yet leaving a bitter aftertaste.

“Because I thought I was the evil star, I had to find a way to eliminate you!” Chao Fan’s tone was so calm it startled me, as if getting rid of me, his own brother, was no different from removing a stranger.

Upon re-entering the forest, the macaque grew increasingly restless, always gazing toward the location of the Heavenly Pool. When I asked it several times, it shook its head, seeming absent-minded and burdened with some secret worry.

“Lord Moke, my brother is ill and not seeing visitors. Please take your leave,” Jing blocked Moke, his eyes brimming with undisguised disdain.

Xiao Nian agreed. He knew that entering through back channels would earn him no respect, and since the Fourth Master's wife hadn’t personally introduced him, it was natural for many in the company to be skeptical and speechless.

Someone had trampled on his dignity and urinated on his head; if this wasn’t investigated strictly, chaos would ensue.

Although Sikong Lie appeared indifferent, he remained cautious internally, secretly protecting Chu Mo while simultaneously monitoring his every move within the military camp.

Xu Xian did not retreat despite Tang Manman’s engagement. He grabbed the hem of her clothing.

“Ancestor, this dragging on is no solution. This fellow is too strange!” someone couldn’t help but say.

Van Sike’s heart tightened, feeling the pain radiating from his palm. He hadn’t expected Li Zhonghua’s strength to be so formidable; even this brief encounter left him under pressure.

Li Yanran knew better than to provoke the elderly matriarch at such a time. To the old lady, Xiao Nian was a lifesaver, so refusing to marry him now would undoubtedly deal her a heavy blow.

Suddenly, Pan Changjiang stepped out of the car and approached Tang Xue, grabbing her wrist.

Seeing the antidote pill in Li Zhonghua’s hand, Wang Zhongyi was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected the other to possess such valuable items.

Yet, being mocked by a foreigner on their own soil would stir anger in anyone with pride.

Wang Guixiang, unable to wait for Lin Erzhu’s allowance, pinned her hopes on selling the beans for money. The two quarreled vehemently; Wang Guixiang was pushed to the ground and soon suffered stomach pain. Lin rushed back without looking back, abandoning the beans for fear of being discovered.

He still remembered how Lu Xing had sworn the Tianshui Entertainment company was not a criminal syndicate but merely a somewhat unconventional entertainment firm.

Therefore, at this moment, the inner torment of Prince Cheng of Lin Manting City, Xie Fulan, was beyond imagination.

The door cracked open slightly, and within the limited view, Wang Ge could see the living room. An old, brown fabric sofa was pushed into the corner, worn and aged, piled with a dozen or so empty beer cans.

Moreover, Lu Chen noticed that the traps in two consecutive prompts seemed related to mental curses. Could it be that the cursed items or tools survivors held were designed only to attack their minds?

If it were truly the King of Hell, Black Rakshasa might still be cautious. But before him stood Li Zhonghua, whom he utterly disregarded.

The judges glanced at each other, finally announcing the fourteen racers promoted to professional status, yet curiously omitting mention of the two who had crossed the line simultaneously in fifteenth place.

All of them! I am no longer that frail youth who knew only pharmacology, no longer solitary. Many await me, many care for me.